On Thursday, Oct. 9, The First Coast Cultural Center opened a new exhibit featuring the work of local artist Mike Wodrich.
Wodrich has been interested in art ever since he can remember. Art runs in his family, and his children are gifted in the arts as well. He believes that your involvement in the arts really depends on how much time you want to devote to it.
“I think all of us have an art gene in us,” he said. His art journey has been ramping up after years of winding down as a lawyer.
His artistic process starts with an idea. He said he has to have a name and idea before beginning a project. He wants to have a settled understanding of what he is trying to express through his art.
“Create something you’re trying to understand as you understand it,” he explained.
He creates his art using a broad variety of materials including glass, steel, rocks, ceramic pieces, wood, copper and brass. In addition to this, Wodrich likes to include found objects in his work. He said that he finds unique pieces at antique stores and once found a vintage medical device used for brain surgery.
He is fascinated by how humanity deals with the challenges of life in the 21st century. His art is an expression of that fascination. He takes inspiration from works like “Under the Eye of the Big Bird,” by Hiromi Kawakami and the discoveries of various scientists and philosophers. He explores the impact of the emotions that drive us to act and react and the effect of the rapid development of technology today.
In his free time, he enjoys reading a lot and spending time in his art studio in North Carolina and his second home in the middle of Nantahala National Forest. He said he’s about to take on a secondary hobby, landscaping his house in Florida.
“I have so much fun doing what I’m doing,” he said in reference to his favorite hobby, art. He also enjoys walks and bike rides, “old people stuff,” he joked.
When asked what’s next for him and his art, Wodrich said that he isn’t sure, but he has several ideas and wants to take the time to explore them more. He plans to gain further inspiration when he goes up north for the fall.
You can view Wodrich’s vibrant, unique and thought-provoking art at the First Coast Cultural Center from Oct. 9 through Jan. 2.
