Interview by Jimon

1-Where do you currently live and create?  I live and work in a blue house in Greenpoint, New York.

2-Can you describe your earliest memory of creating art?  I remember drawing a horse in grade school, and I also recall sketching trompe l’oeil hairs on my desk. I thought it would be funny if the next kid who sat there mistook it for a real hair.

3-Did you have any formal education or training?  Yes, I earned a BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art in 2006 and an MFA in painting from Yale School of Art in 2013.

4-What role does your personal background or culture play in your work?  Growing up during the internet’s rise and the emergence of digital tools has deeply influenced my work. Adapting to this new reality has become a central part of my practice, sparking my interest in merging digital technology with traditional art forms.

5-Can you walk us through your creative process, from initial concept to finished piece?  I start with a digital sketche, often using VR programs, then translate these into physical paintings or sculptures, experimenting with various mediums to bring the concept to life.

6-Do you follow a daily routine or ritual when creating art?  My routine typically involves waking up, drinking coffee with SuSu while looking at art books, heading to the studio, and working throughout the day, with breaks for meals and social interactions when people reach out.

7-Is every piece you create pre-planned or spontaneous?  My work is always pre-planned on my computer. Even when I have paintings that feel loose and gestural are usually painted while looking at the original mark made on the computer.

8-Is there a message or emotion you’re trying to convey with your art?  Each artwork I create carries a distinct meaning born from the act of making it. I don’t begin with a specific goal; rather, I explore an idea deeply, hoping to uncover some new understanding in the process. Through the work, I aim to share that discovery with the viewer.

9-How has the subject matter of your work evolved over time?  The subject matter of my work has evolved as I continue to explore the intersection of the digital and physical worlds. This focus has shifted and expanded over time as digital technologies advance and reshape both my perspective and the human experience. Each new work reflects how these ongoing changes influence our interactions, emotions, and realities.

10-What is the most challenging part of being an artist?  I don’t think being an artist is challenging. Life itself has its hardships, but being an artist actually helps make those challenges more bearable, providing an outlet and a way to make sense of the world around us.

11-You have a free downloadable game in which all your sculptures are featured; what was the inception of this idea?  I wanted people to experience the digital places that I am making my paintings from. Currently I only have finished the sculpture park of actual physical sculptures that have I made. It’s kind of like what I imagine it would be like to have a sculpture retrospective someday. The future version will also let you walk into the digital space that I made to create the paintings.

12-How do you balance the commercial aspects of art with your creative vision?  I try to just do things that I’m excited and interested about and try to share my work as much as possible without making too much compromise.

13-How do you measure success as an artist?  The best moments are always when you are excited about a new work that you just started or finished. When you start seeing it take shape and it feels like a new place for the work to go. I think it’s important to not rely on external ideas for success. External support can come and go but if you are generally excited about what you are doing then you will always be solid.

14-How do you stay motivated over long periods, especially when not actively exhibiting or selling work?  I love making art so I have never had a problem with this. If I don’t have any particular ideas at the moment I will go to a museum or see friends all of which just kind of comes back into my work in some way.

15-Do you create with an audience in mind, or is your work more personal?  My work is always personal but I do make it in a way that the viewer can have some space to enter into also. I think I create a balance where the work talks about something specific in an open enough way that the viewer can connect with it through their own personal experience instead of thinking of it only as my experience.

16-How do you feel about the role of social media in showcasing art today?  Lately, I’ve felt frustrated with social media, as I think many people have. It no longer feels as neutral as it once did; algorithms now seem to push content purely for the sake of generating traffic. This creates a cycle where people are driven to imitate what’s already gaining attention rather than sharing what genuinely interests them or being creative in new ways.

17-When does a work of art become important in your opinion? Do you need external confirmation, or is it something explicitly personal?  I feel like time plays an important role in this. I have some work that I’ve returned to after many years and it still resonates with me and some works that feel less important. The ideas and images in the work if they are still important 10 years later or 100 years later mean it really had something in there.

18-What role do you think art plays in society?  I believe art offers society a way to think beyond conventional boundaries. In my lifetime, I’ve noticed that when society felt stable and calm, art often took on a provocative edge, challenging the status quo. Now, in a more chaotic world, much of the work feels rooted in themes that provide a sense of stability, often exploring personal stories or lived experiences. It seems that we look to art for what we need or as a way to understand things.

19-Do you have a place/person/thing that you visit for inspiration?  My partner SuSu and myself have a Met date every Friday for inspiration.

20-If you could have dinner with three artists, living or dead, who would be at your table?  David Hockney, Keith Haring, and Leonardo da Vinci.

21-How would someone find you on social media?  You can find me on Instagram at @austinleee