13. Timothy Buwalda

Cultist proudly presents “100 Creatives,” where we feature Miami’s cultural superheroes in random order. Have suggestions for future profiles? Email cultist@miaminewtimes.com with the whos and whys.
13. Timothy Buwalda
Spending his youth in Christian schools deeply impacted the philosophies of artist Timothy Buwalda. “This was a very Dutch Calvinist childhood, based on structure and discipline. It also created a sort of bubble in my life where that was all I knew up to the point I discovered an outside world.”
Once in the outside world, he did a 360 and became a skater boy who hung around the punk scene. “I began reading Thrasher and Transworld magazines to find a way of thinking I had never experienced. I fell in love with the graphics on the skateboards and the photos in the magazines.”

Picking up on his dad’s ability to “build just about

anything,” Buwalda began to experiment with his own creations, which fit

in well with his new DIY social circle. “We built our own ramps,

painted our boards, made our clothes, etc. I belonged to two very

dissonant groups – church and school. It created a sort of dichotomy in

my life that is still there today. I think it exists in my paintings as

well.”
Although this mentality served him and

his friends well, it all stemmed from his upbringing. “Being lower

middle class helped create a good work ethic and the need to fix things

for yourself. I think a lot of the imagery I choose from comes from

this background. It is that dichotomy previously mentioned, trying to

mix the sublime and the banal in the same thought; or trying to talk

about he sublime using a banal language.”

1. List five things that inspire you.

-People-Movies-Books-Nature-Visual arts

2. What was your last big project?

Solo show “Pursuit” at Fredric Snitzer Gallery.

3. What’s your next big project?

“The Armory Show NY” in 2011 as part of the Fredric Snitzer Gallery booth.

4. Why do you do what you do?

I think when you ask people why they are the person they are, often their response has a lot to do with what they have chosen to do for a living. It has been a long time since I have made the decision that led to being an artist. I can say that there have been moments that the reasons wavered for making work. When I was a kid, I drew and painted to get the attention of my parents and anyone else I found important. As I got older, it became a sort of retreat from people and situations I found myself in. Along the way I started thinking about making art as a sort of language that helped me resolve some thoughts I had. Some pieces were periods to a thought and some were a running dialogue that helped me understand things in a way I would not have been able to without it.

5. What’s something you want Miami to know about you?

I’m looking for a girlfriend.

What’s something you don’t want Miami to know about you?

That I am a closet sports fanatic. Go Marlins!

The Creatives so far:

14. Edwidge Danticat

15. Juraj Kojs

16. Cat Dove

17. Campbell McGrath

18. Frances Trombly

19. Jose Mertz

20. Emma Trelles

23. Freegums

24. Aurora Natrix

27. Barron Sherer

28. Brigid Baker

29. Daniel Fila

30. McLaine Oberhellmann

36. Jillian Mayer

37. Alfonso Vega

39. Aholsniffsglue

40. Heather Maloney
41. Jorge Rubiera
42. Elaine Lancaster
43. Nick Duckart
44. Danielle Estefan
45. John Dufresne
46. Monica Lopez de Victoria
47. Bill Bilowit
48. Alette Simmons-Jimenez
49. Tawnie Silva
50. Ginger Bardot
51. Jonathan David Kane
52. Naomi Fisher
53. Rocky Grimes
54. Teresa Barcelo
55. Paul Tei
56. Lee Materazzi