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martedì 23 febbraio 2010

Interview with Kyle Pellet






q) Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.


a)Hey! I was born and raised in San Jose, California. I can't skate. I pretty much know how to cook. I don't look good in hats. I've got hairy knuckles.


q) Had you always planned on being an artist [or had you other hopes]?


a)I always figured I'd be doing something within the realm of visual communication. My backup plan was to become either a librarian or a bank robber, but both of those always sounded too unappealing to me.


q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?


a)I love paper and I love wood. Paper is cheap, compact, comes in a bunch of different colors, and laying paint and ink onto it just feels good. Wood is solid and fun to lay paint on as well. I currently don't really enjoy working on canvas.


q) How would you describe your style?


a)Squishy and optimistic!


q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?


a)Sometimes I sketch, make marks, doodle, and just mess around with scrap paper before producing work I intend on showing to the public. I generally work on 5 or more pieces at once, alternating while waiting for ink and paint to dry.


q) What are you working on at present?


a)Well, for the past year I've been working primarily on small pieces - most have been US Letter size or smaller. I'm currently working on some bigger pieces, mainly with housepaint and ink, for a solo exhibition in December.


q) What about recent sources of inspirations?


a)I've recently been looking at my family's history for inspiration; trying to figure out how they got here, and where I want to take things. My great-grandparents on my mother's side came to San Jose from Japan around 1915. I don't know many people whose families have resided in this city for nearly 100 years. My dad's family went from Indonesia to New Guinea to the Netherlands to South San Francisco. My dad's parents were put into concentration camps by the Japanese in WWII; one of my great-grandfathers was executed in one of those camps. My grandfather has all these gnarly stories about being in camp, people eating human flesh, eating dogs and monkeys, getting the shit beaten out of him by Japanese soldiers, etc., and he tells them almost as if they're jokes! He and my grandmother survived a horrific ordeal that pretty much nobody knows even happened. I don't know what to make out of this information, but something tells me that examining my family's past will help me figure out what to do with my future.


q) What are some of your obsessions?


a)UFOs, the Ramones, Jonathan Richman, girls with nice butts, dinosaurs, Wikipedia, donut shops, NPR, head massages.


q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?


a)I've shown at Anno Domini in San Jose, Kaleid Gallery in San Jose Double Punch in San Francisco, and Space Gallery in San Francisco. My debut solo exhibition is with Empire Seven Studios in San Jose, California this coming December, which I'm very excited about. There's a very nice feel to the gallery, and every exhibition I've seen here feels very personal. They're going in a very unique direction. The curators of the gallery, Carlos Araujo and Jennifer Ahn, have been very proactive in developing a relationship with me while I work towards the show. I like that; I want to work with galleries interested in developing strong relationships and building together.


q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?


a)E-mail's pretty good.


q) Do you have any suggestions or advice for artists that are just starting out?


a)Unless you're a fucking genius, you're gonna stink until you've worked and worked and worked and worked some more, and you're not a fucking genius. Even then, you still might stink. I stink, but I'm really good at stinking.


q) Who are your favorite artists?


a)Tadanori Yokoo, Jack Kirby, Shel Silverstein, William Steig, Gary Panter, Spike Jonze, Dick Bruna, Tove Jannson, Yamatsuka Eye, Jack White, Jonathan Richman, Iggy Pop, Marcel Dzama.

Also, my friends who push me to go further, and who I hope I also push in some way:

Jesse Balmer, Andy Gouveia, Jake Kelly, Ryan Duggan, Colby Katz, Mike Lay, Sean Boyles, Trina Merry, Roan Victor, Kate Saturday, Lacey Bryant, Matthew Seigel; I could go on and on, but I should probably stop.


q) What books are on your nightstand?


a)I don't have a nightstand, unfortunately. And I don't read as much as one should, regretfully. I've been reading Gravity's Rainbow for about 5 years now, if that gives you an idea of my reading habits. Oh! I bought Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man back in December. Man, fuck that book and fuck intelligent people who are able to read that book. I also just remembered I was reading the Elements of Style, but I'm afraid it's under a pile of frames or boxes, because I don't see it anywhere in site as I type this.


q) To what weaknesses are you most indulgent?


a)Entertainment via YouTube, eating things that are absolutely horrible for me (i.e. donuts and burritos), pseudo-information via Wikipedia.


q)….your contacts…


a)kylepellet@yahoo.com

lunedì 22 febbraio 2010

Interview with Vivienne Strauss





q) Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.


a)I grew up in northern Wisconsin and Florida which were almost polar opposites. After living for a long time in the south, primarily Georgia and Alabama, my husband, Matte Stephens, and I re-located to Portland, Oregon and it has really changed our lives. I've been working at my art full time since we moved due to the full support of Matte who has spent more than 15 years as an artist and illustrator.


q) Had you always planned on being an artist [or had you other hopes]?


a)I've dabbled with art off an on but didn't get to start doing it full time until two years ago. I've had a wide range of careers so far and art is both the most rewarding and also the most frustrating. Nothing I do ever seems quite good enough but I guess that is the point of doing the work. After all, if you create something "perfect" there is really no reason to continue. I always come back to a quote by Max Ernst who said "The artist who finds himself is lost". It probably doesn't help that I majored in philosophy in college so I tend to over think everything.


q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?


a)I really prefer just plain fairly heavy french paper in different colors but usually prefer white or light grey for most of my collage work, the images really pop out on that plain paper more so than something with images. For painting, I definitely prefer watercolor ink on paper, I love the vivid colors and the quick, spontaneous mode of working. I love the look of oils but do not have the temperament for that medium at all.


q) How would you describe your style?


a)I guess I do a kind of minimalist surrealistic type of collage. That is the style I'm most comfortable with, just a minimal number of images or pieces on plain paper. Every now and then I do really busy scenes on a busy background and they can be fun sometimes and they are a real challenge for me. I am constantly looking at the work of other collage artists both online and in books and being a part of Scrapiteria keeps my style evolving constantly.


q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?


a)I seem to produce better work when I approach (collage) casually, just searching throw my many boxes of old magazines and books, certain images catch my eye depending on my mood, what else I've been working on, etc. I usually just pull those aside and keep looking and grouping images together. I also have boxes of images already cut and ready to use but lately those have been less appealing to me and I find myself drawn more the the "scraps" especially those bits on the reverse side of other cut images. I usually lay out the ideas and don't glue them down immediately. Other days, I really limit myself to just a few pages and see what I can come up with just from that, giving yourself an endless source of possibilities can be too overwhelming.


q) What are you working on at present?


a)I try to work every day on something, be it painting or collage, right now I have two embroidery shows to get ready for and I'm having a hard time getting back into the groove of working with thread again. Going back and forth between painting and collage seems like a natural thing for me, one is always a nice break from the other and I pull ideas from both mediums to use in the other.


q) What about recent sources of inspirations?


a)We were just in Seattle, Washington last weekend and were lucky enough to see the Alexander Calder exhibit. It was incredibly inspiring, I was really drawn to his smaller wire pieces. I find that I'm often drawn to art in a completely different medium than what I work with personally. I also love photography, especially from the late 1920s through the 1950s, not just the work of famous photographers but discarded family photos can be just as interesting.


q) What are some of your obsessions?


a)I think I'm obsessed with creating in general. No matter what I'm doing, I'm always thinking about what I'm going to make next. Figuring out ways to express ideas that pop into my head. Sometimes just a simple phrase I read or hear compels me to try and create something that "says" that same idea, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.


q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?


a)I've shown at Nahcotta Gallery in Portsmouth, NH, Gallery Hanahou in NYC, Three Ravens in Ardmore, PA as well as Manchester, UK, and Tokyo, Japan. Mainly I sell online through my two etsy shops. I love the fact than work can be seen on there from basically anywhere, not just confined to one place such as a particular gallery.


q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?


a)I guess just my regular email is good, vivstrauss@gmail.com


q) Do you have any suggestions or advice for artists that are just starting out?


a)Most artists work at home or in a studio, often isolated from the world. Being part of a great community like flickr is extremely helpful, not just for inspiration but for feedback from other artists.


q) Who are your favorite artists?


a)There are so many, Lee Miller, Man Ray, Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Valentine Penrose, Max Ernst, Meret Oppenheim, Ernst Kirchner, Kees Van Dongen, Louise Bourgeois, Francesca Woodman, Remedio Varo, Erte, Edward Gorey, Cecil Beaton, Ray Johnson, Edvard Munch, I could just keep listing them.


q) What books are on your nightstand?


a)I keep way too many books on my nightstand, the cats are always knocking them off in the middle of the night. In addition to a journal and several sketchbooks, Flannery O'Connor The Complete Stories, Surreal Things, Angels of Anarchy Women Artists and Surrealism, The Stories of John Cheever, The Poetry and Short Stories by Dorothy Parker and Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman.


q) To what weaknesses are you most indulgent?


a)Coffee would have to be my main weakness I periodically think about quitting but it will probably never happen, and impulsive purchases which are usually art books or old photographs.


q)….your contacts…


a)I'm not sure what this is? How to see my work?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/viviennestrauss ,

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vivstrauss ,

http://www.vivienneart.blogspot.com/

mercoledì 3 febbraio 2010

Interview with Garric Simonen





q) Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.


a) Thank you for your interest in my work. I can remember drawing from an early age and engaging things that stimulated me visually and metaphorically. Obscure things have always influenced the ways I process information, I suppose I am the type who sees figures in the clouds, or faces in the landscape. My daily life consists of studio time and contemplation. I also love being outdoors with my family and experiencing nature’s wonderful gifts.


q) Had you always planned on being an artist [or had you other hopes]?


a) My Mother and Father were both highly creative, as were their parents. My family’s artistic history has allowed for a unique opportunity to explore my interests as a painter. Right now I am sitting next to a box of my old childhood drawings. My parents saved everything I ever drew on. When I look at these early works I see traces of elements I still use today. That is amazing to me; the idea of holding on to some visual element for that long, unconsciously. I love it.


q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?


a) Lately my materials are what I have found laying around. With the exception of a few tubes of paint here and there, I have really minimilaized my resources. If I see a pencil lying on the ground it becomes part of the collection of things that I use to make marks with. I use primarily oil based products, and have learned quickly that these conditions make for an almighty mess. So I have a little bit of a Jackson Pollock/Francis Bacon thing going on. The supports change from paper to wood panels. Most recently I have been making 60x60inch panels with ¼ birch plywood. The wood is easy to attach things to, which is a large part of the process I am involved with lately.


q) How would you describe your style?


a) I think Squeak Carnwath said; “Good ideas are not made, they are stolen.” I believe that’s a big secret everyone needs to know. My work is a small part of an ancient tradition. There have been so many great painters; Durer, Goya, Manet, Van Gogh, Miro, Braque, Duchamp, de Kooning, Twombly…too many to list. I share a fundamentally simple interest that I think a lot of these painters shared; the idea of surface and layers; not to mention politics, identity, theory, etc.


q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?


a) During the making of a painting, there are very little thoughts in my head. I rely on the experiences I have had, and trust that this knowledge will make new work. Painting sessions can range from a few seconds to several hours, I like to spend time with a painting and study it; I like knowing specifically what is happening to it.


q) What are you working on at present?


a) I have stumbled into a project using patterns and text. It was an idea from a sketchbook, which is highly irregular for me. I choose a word that can be delineated into larger words that mean similar things, or evoke similar ideas. There are cascading stacks of words that form quasi polygons, which I enjoy filling with expressive letters and other symbols. The structure is new for me, and rather relaxing in comparison to the works I just came from.

I also love using my Twitter account @AntiPainter.


q) What about recent sources of inspirations?


a) My inspiration has always been from landscape, but not necessarily in a traditional context. I enjoy what I see in the surfaces, perspectives, compositions and colors of my surroundings. I like layers and how time can wear things down, like old walls or desks.


q) What are some of your obsessions?


a) I obsess over things like financial stability and bills, probably no different than most people. I live fairly simply by today’s standards, yet I often find myself caught up in materialism. I think painting is a way for me to stay connected with the rawness of life. Metaphorically I am obsessed with the areas between contrasts, “fine lines” so to speak.


q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?


a) I enjoy when people are able to experience my work. Being from an artistically decentralized community I have been challenged to find venues outside of my region. One of my paintings is currently showing in Chicago at a national exhibition titled “Wet Paint.” This is probably the highest level of visibility of my career. I do try and limit my exposure online, I think images look good online and that’s about it. Where would I like to show? Most definitely New York, I need to get there.


q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?


a) I enjoy getting emails from people off my website. Its fun to see who’s intereseted; even when its an old friend with a horrible fake name.


q) Do you have any suggestions or advice for artists that are just starting out?


a) I honestly still feel like a beginner, though so far it has been a life long journey. I know of no point in which the discoveries will end, so I can say; trust yourself, where you’re at is where you need to be.


q) Who are your favorite artists?


a) I like the [artist] to have sensibility, but not so cerebral that I lose their intentions. They need to have something beyond surface talent. I think a lot of people today can paint pretty images.


q) What books are on your nightstand?


a) I read biographies. I love reading interviews with artists and finding things in common; makes me feel like I’m not the only one thinking this or that.


q) To what weaknesses are you most indulgent?


a) I am a creature of habit. Anything that I enjoy and can get away with, I usually exploit. Over the years I have had to make some difficult decisions about my lifestyle. I am pretty tame these days, but still have a wild side. If I had to do it all over again, I definitely would.


q)….your contacts…


a) My name is Garric Simonen. I live in Spokane, Washington. www.SimonsenArtStudio.com.