“In the last 10 to 20 years, I’ve slowed myself down. There is such a thing as being too prolific,” Sprick said in an interview with Art & Object. “My work is really, really labor intensive, so it’s part of my plan to do small paintings as good as I can possibly make them, no matter how much labor goes into it. The world has plenty of quantity. We don’t need any more quantity, we need quality,” said Sprick.
The quality results from Sprick’s self-imposed standard of excellence: “I maintain higher ideals than ever,” the artist said. “In spite of what’s going on in the world and my opinions about contemporary art, I think genuine, authentic, heartfelt beauty is still possible in the world. And the world absolutely needs beauty more than ever.”
Sprick spoke of the radical shifts in the art market. “It’s changing under our feet, and I’m not sure what to make of it,” he said. “I do the best art I’m capable of so I can be at peace with myself. I’m no pioneer of new aesthetics. I’m discovering what’s possible within representation, and I’m not satisfied. There’s room for growth. That’s why I keep painting. There are undiscovered continents that may or may not exist, but I’m sailing out for them.”