Meet Dominic Wordlaw | Mixed-Media Artist & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dominic Wordlaw and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dominic, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
For me, art is everything, art is in everything, every breath, every thought, every action, every word, every moment, every person, place, and thing. Even abstract concepts like time and space are art forms with immeasurable and eternal beauty. Without art, I’d be lost. I was a smart kid, I was my 8th grade graduating class Valedictorian and I got scholarships to go to elite schools for math and science. I could’ve studied to become a Civil Engineer or maybe even some kind of Biotechnologist. However, as much purity and truth as there is in math and science I could never sustain a passion for a career consumed with numbers and analytics. My brain works in poetry, my thoughts are incredibly visual as well as visceral. Raw feeling consumes me so deeply, so profoundly, art is the only way to quell the beast that is my inner psyche. Creative discovery is my therapy, pure expression my nourishment. I am and forever will be the architect of new and curious realities. Why did I choose art as my career? Really, there was no other path.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art form is largely experimental, I converge different mediums, techniques, and practices to create cohesive, mainly sculptural or structural, works of perception. My art education was and continues to be comprised of plethora of uniquely varied artistic influences. My mother, a professional Afro-Caribbean dancer, and my father, an entrepreneurial contractor and hands-on architect gave me an incredible dichotomy of what passion for expression and creation look like. Intensity, soul, strength, experimentation, process, arduous labor and practice, enlightenment, integrity, dexterity, flexibility, steadfastness, beauty, love, humility, truth and wonder. I learned all these things about art as well as life from my parents and I pour as much of myself and these values into every art piece I create. Throughout life I learned that being unique is a blessing but can also be a curse, my artistry is unique, a combination of paints, plasters, rock, crystal, glue, resin, mold fabrication and cast creation, light, touch, and poetry. I realize now more than ever that the amalgamations I’ve formed may be hard for the average viewer to comprehend right away. However, my art is not dictionary-defined, what I mean is that open interpretation of my pieces is encouraged and valid through anyone’s unique perception. I’m proud that “unique” is the feedback I get from patrons of the arts in most cases. As an artist, I don’t seek to be recognized for creating works indicative of another’s. The point of my art is discovery and the pure expression of my truth and the truth perceived through my experience. My other ultimate goal is to inspire unconventional thought and freedom of perception. New and exciting realities lie in the shadows and recesses of each and every mind, my goal is to shed light on these worlds within myself but inspire others to seek out their own, to give these domains life and frame reality anew.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hmm, my friends are a mixed bag of extravagant hippies, money-wise hooligans, and exceptionally fun and savvy business professionals. My best friend is a rare combination of all 3 of these ethics, maybe on the milder side as far as being a hooligan goes. I think they’d enjoy Venice Beach Boardwalk, then maybe lunch at The Butcher’s Daughter on Abbot Kinney. Maybe go see a movie or walk by the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. Get drinks at Ep and LP and maybe hit a hooka lounge for the first day. The rest of the trip would look like going to galleries I enjoy like MASH and the Art.Dept in WeHo where I had my first official solo show. I’d also probably take them to The Broad, LACMA, The Hammer Museum, and definitely The Getty. We’d also probably go to a Rock/Folk/Indie Pop or EDM house music event at least one night. I imagine we’d go for a hike at Runyon at least once, maybe find one or two other good hiking spots. We’d nightlife in Hollywood/Santa Monica, I’m thinking Davey Wayne’s and probably The Bungalow. On low-key days we’d stay in North Hollywood and probably kick it at a friend’s apartment pool and have drinks on Magnolia, probably El Tejano, and maybe make some music with my neighbors. Other than that, cool restaurants, beach vibes, and cocktails. What more could one ask for?

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My maternal grandfather who very recently passed on to a higher plane of existence has always and forever will be my idol for excellence. Not that he was extremely successful or even an artist in the traditional sense, he was far more than what can be described here, but I’ll do my best. He was a towering lighthouse in a tumultuous and violent sea of life. He was calm, confident, and capable. His patient and kind nature exuded an undeniable and unconquerable strength that made him a beloved leader amongst the people of his faith. Beyond that, he always had time to listen to the endless stream of imagination my mind produced. He was always in support and awe of my creativity. He recognized my intelligence and awareness before anyone else and more still. My biggest goal in life is to live one that makes him proud.

Website: https://www.framedomain.art/

Instagram: @framedomain

Facebook: Dominic Wordlaw

Image Credits
Danny Schumacher

Indigo Cowherd