Interview
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What influences (art or otherwise) guide your work processes and/or ideas today?
My ideas are pollinated by other disciplines, especially the sciences, with those influences showing up in the content as well as my methodology. I recently a found a scribbled Post-It note from an article on Josef Albers, “The brain’s conditioning to notice only what it expects cheats us of the richness of seeing.” I do my best to set my expectations aside in order to see and have a dialog with the work as it unfolds. Having a researcher’s heart and mind, I pose questions and go looking for things with an openness as to what I might ultimately find.
Why be an artist, make “art?”
Can you imagine what it would be like if there were no artists? Art is one way we make some sense of all this. Art is a way to process experience and come to understand a teeny bit of it. It is a powerful communicative medium which invites discourse and contemplation. Art has the ability to enhance our lives with beauty, sensory experience and deep thought. I would rank it among the highest levels of human achievement.
Do you envision a particular audience for your work?
It makes me happy that the audience for my work extends beyond the art world, engaging all sorts of people who puzzle over our interconnected existence. It is important to me that this includes children through to adults, lay-people and experts, from local to global levels.
Do you have a network of other artists and has this been helpful for your career?
As much as I value my independence, success is not a one-person venture, and I find it crucial to recognize and appreciate all the others who are involved.
I really enjoy and treasure the varied relationships I have with others in the field. More than just being helpful to my career, it is helpful to me in being the kind of person I want to be. Reciprocal relationships are what it is all about. Have a mentor, be a mentor. I feel good being able to contribute something positive to the mix.
Do you feel successful as an artist and how do you define “success?”
I’ve been told by a wise elder that success is perseverance plus longevity plus luck. So far, so good. The fact that I am still doing this and able to do so for the foreseeable future makes me feel successful. By traditional standards, I have success in that I’m able to show and sell my work, and that I support myself with my art. That doesn’t mean I have eradicated the inner sniper who takes aim at whatever feelings of accomplishment I may have. Success to me means being fully engaged in what I’m doing, excited to go do it, and if I’m not, showing up anyhow.
A good rule is to never measure one’s success by online metrics: likes, clicks, what have you. The meaning of such responses is shallow and limited. My success is only meaningful to me as measured by my own definition, terms, and metrics.
Is being an artist helpful to you in other areas of your life?
Being an artist means being a problem-solver, and that is exceptionally useful in other realms of life. Having skilled hands and attentive eyes proves handy in many practical situations. Artistic creativity can be incredibly valuable, expansive, and exciting. This pursuit means I am never, ever bored, my curiosity never sated.
What influences (art or otherwise) guide your work processes and/or ideas today?
My ideas are pollinated by other disciplines, especially the sciences, with those influences showing up in the content as well as my methodology. I recently a found a scribbled Post-It note from an article on Josef Albers, “The brain’s conditioning to notice only what it expects cheats us of the richness of seeing.” I do my best to set my expectations aside in order to see and have a dialog with the work as it unfolds. Having a researcher’s heart and mind, I pose questions and go looking for things with an openness as to what I might ultimately find.
Interview: Sky Pape
What influences (art or otherwise) guide your work processes and/or ideas today?
My ideas are pollinated by other disciplines, especially the sciences, with those influences showing up in the content as well as my methodology. I recently a found a scribbled Post-It note from an article on Josef Albers, “The brain’s conditioning to notice only what it expects cheats us of the richness of seeing.” I do my best to set my expectations aside in order to see and have a dialog with the work as it unfolds. Having a researcher’s heart and mind, I pose questions and go looking for things with an openness as to what I might ultimately find.
Why be an artist, make “art?”
Can you imagine what it would be like if there were no artists? Art is one way we make some sense of all this. Art is a way to process experience and come to understand a teeny bit of it. It is a powerful communicative medium which invites discourse and contemplation. Art has the ability to enhance our lives with beauty, sensory experience and deep thought. I would rank it among the highest levels of human achievement.
Do you envision a particular audience for your work?
It makes me happy that the audience for my work extends beyond the art world, engaging all sorts of people who puzzle over our interconnected existence. It is important to me that this includes children through to adults, lay-people and experts, from local to global levels.
Do you have a network of other artists and has this been helpful for your career?
As much as I value my independence, success is not a one-person venture, and I find it crucial to recognize and appreciate all the others who are involved.
I really enjoy and treasure the varied relationships I have with others in the field. More than just being helpful to my career, it is helpful to me in being the kind of person I want to be. Reciprocal relationships are what it is all about. Have a mentor, be a mentor. I feel good being able to contribute something positive to the mix.
Do you feel successful as an artist and how do you define “success?”
I’ve been told by a wise elder that success is perseverance plus longevity plus luck. So far, so good. The fact that I am still doing this and able to do so for the foreseeable future makes me feel successful. By traditional standards, I have success in that I’m able to show and sell my work, and that I support myself with my art. That doesn’t mean I have eradicated the inner sniper who takes aim at whatever feelings of accomplishment I may have. Success to me means being fully engaged in what I’m doing, excited to go do it, and if I’m not, showing up anyhow.
A good rule is to never measure one’s success by online metrics: likes, clicks, what have you. The meaning of such responses is shallow and limited. My success is only meaningful to me as measured by my own definition, terms, and metrics.
Is being an artist helpful to you in other areas of your life?
Being an artist means being a problem-solver, and that is exceptionally useful in other realms of life. Having skilled hands and attentive eyes proves handy in many practical situations. Artistic creativity can be incredibly valuable, expansive, and exciting. This pursuit means I am never, ever bored, my curiosity never sated.