girlcrush

FP Interviews Formento + Formento

2011-01-13T15:10:00.000-08:00

"The world is full of fictional characters looking for their stories."
–Diane Arbus

After consideration, this is the first time I am interviewing a husband and wife team on this normally female collective. The reason I chose to feature BJ and Richielle Formento is primarily because their subject matter is a pointedly American feminist narrative.

FP: Let's start at the beginning. Your work has a cinematic familiarity to it, and you've referenced Hitchcock, Edward Hopper and Cindy Sherman, all of whom use a sense of place and costume very characteristically in their work. I think there is a movement towards referencing the past both in photography and film; I see it in other current work (Alex Prager and Tom Ford come to mind) and I believe that it comes from an attraction towards glamour and stillness in response to the modern rapidity of visual information. I'd love for you to elaborate on this...

How did you come to develop this hyper-realistic enigmatic style? And what is it about the woman's story that specifically interests you?

BJ: Honestly, after working in the commercial field (read boring) for the last decade I wanted to hit the road and get back to the reason I got into photography in the first place. I have always loved the 50's, anything vintage, I think in a previous life I were living in an Alexander home in Palm Springs! We wanted to have our heroine to be from this era dealing with current issues we are all faced with.
We wanted the sense of loss to be the protagonists main emotion. Loss of love, home, self and hopefully as the work progresses, we will show her in transition and eventually with closure. The Drama can be visually arresting. I love cinematic lighting and find such reward in getting to a location we have never scouted and making it all it can be.

R: For me, there has always been that love held for the past, a feeling that we missed a bygone era, a time when even the most depressing subject seemed romantic. Melancholy held a secret that we all wanted to know, and a window into the past was a window into a soul we wanted to connect with and understand as if it meant more then, than it does now.

FP: As a partnership, how do you work? How did the two of you meet? Who does what or is it all mutual?

BJ: I do the photography and lighting, I trawl the internet for models and then we both sit down and cast the girls.We both look through camera, it is a very fluid and cohesive synergy. I come to set with my concepts and Richeille has hers as well. We bounce ideas of each other 24/7. We are so lucky to be able to live and work together. It is a very rare thing indeed. I believe this kind of relationship either works or it doesn't, there is no gray area in between. It was in 2005, Richeille hired me to shoot a few collections in South Beach Miami baby! It was love at first sight! We traveled the world and have been inseparable since.

R: We have a weird silent understanding as partners in crime, it works as individuals and as a team.We both seem to know the others strengths and weaknesses and make up for that by bringing our A-Game at every shoot and idea session brewing. Our minds race with ideas and because we are together 24/7 we are always sound boarding. When I have ideas for a shoot, I instantly know how I want it to look and feel. Styling comes naturally and the overall look to the image with the post production is important, so that the initial idea is captured and encompasses all I had envisaged in my head. I love looking for locations, mixing ideas and reality, bringing team effort to the table and coming out the other side with an image we are excited with and proud of.

FP: How do you choose location and styling...is the narrative decided upon before you get started or is it influenced by it?

BJ: For the last 2 winters (starting in 2009) we have packed up our 27-ft Airstream trailer and run away from the bleeding NY winters.We look on the map and decide if we are to take the north or southern route to the west coast. Once we decide, we pick cities that offer good locations and models. In the first part of the trilogy we knew right away we wanted to show locales that represented the by gone era of glamorous America. This year we wanted to have the abandoned environment reflect the inner landscape of our heroine. That is the extent of the concept. The model brings her own emotions, the small town thrift stores where we get our styling dictates the look, married with our neurosis the images are born. I love how loose we are on set and just let the chemistry between myself, Richeille the model and the location speak.

R: We are very much influenced by a location when shooting. The initial idea or story will be set, but then it can organically grow depending on its surroundings. Most of the time it sets the mood and all the elements really begin to grow into the narrative, producing the final image like a story that has been building and eventually presenting its tale to be told.

FP: How often are you on the road and do you do all of your work on the road? Do specific locations start to influence you when you travel? Where do you call home?

BJ: We aim to leave NY around November and return in April. In the airstream is our Mac computers and hard drives. It is so amazing how convenient it is nowadays to create work. I started out in the heyday of darkrooms, developing trays and tanks. Don't get me wrong, I long for the smell of fresh fixers watching the image appear, the romance and magic of it all. But digital has come such a long way and to cozy up to each other after a shoot and edit the work has its own rewards.

R: Modern technology is a godsend for creating on the road! It's funny how we have a love for these old places, and revel in the romanticism of defunct towns, it's the ease of having so much on offer when traveling that really drives us to shoot. The longer we travel the more we shoot! You miss home, space, creature comforts, but you soon begin to have withdrawal from the love of spontaneity and intrigue that a new town and new people bring to the equation. Home is always there like a light at the end of the tunnel, you always long for it, miss it and love it, but once you have it, you start looking toward the next trip!

FP: Most of your women are in transitory states, appear in peril, or on the run. Can you comment on this theme of isolation and what it means to you?

BJ: For me I think it has to do with growing up a Military brat, our family moved so much that I went to a different school from kindergarden to high school, talk about transitory!? I wanted to create a body of work that everyone can relate to. We all have had our hearts broken, we all have been in a bewildered situation where love has fled or been pushed away. With "Circumstance" I hope to stir the audiences' emotion of that place, to allow them to remember and to mourn.

R: I think somewhere in everyone's life there is a place we have been that represents isolation, fear, or wanting to be somewhere else. Its a reacuring theme because I think it connects with so many people in a lot of ways, either crossing over as an actual place, or representing a feeling we may have boxed away in our minds. I really like the idea that a viewer can relate to an image in some shape or form, even if it just plucks their heart strings for a moment, or makes them smile with a thought from a previous memory. I think it is very important that we never loose those memories and they always come back to haunt us to teach us lessons of life.

FP: You use such a mixture of lighting in each shot: how do you go about choosing/designing your lighting? Do you use traditional photographic lighting or take a more theatrical approach? Do you have any unique methods?

BJ: Good question! I always believed the photographer, the director and the model are the ingredients of a good photograph but the lighting is the music. I think that is what makes a great photograph. To orchestrate the lighting, to guide the viewers eye, to make the viewer interested and to make them think. For me it is pretty instinctual, I am not married to a certain technique or brand name, the camera and lighting are just tools. I always joke and say time to take the camera out and put it behind my eye as opposed to in front of it. I use the existing ambient light, strobe, kino flos, tungsten and reflectors and try to get just the right balance. On the road, it is normally just Richeille and I, so it can get pretty hectic. We are also our own assistants!

R: Lighting really is the stage, the model and location can bring everything, but the moment you flick the switch its like turning on a lightbulb in a room you never witnessed before, your eye begins to wonder around and your senses heighten, creating a mood, illusion is what intrigues the viewer to wonder what is this story? What am I looking at? Without that its quite dead.

FP: What are you currently working on and do you have any upcoming shows/projects?

BJ/R: At the moment we are right in the heat of the 2nd part of the trilogy, shooting in abandoned, dilapidated, broken down locations. The story unfolds, and the work grows with the progression of the work. Part one really plays on the bygone era, but part two is more bout the internal conflict, part three will be about closure or resolution. It is getting harder and harder to scout these places but when we do find them we are like children in a eyecandy store! We just wrapped up a show in London with Beers Lambert but feel that the work needs to complete before we show it any further. Later this year we are planning on shooting in Europe for the final entry in the "Circumstance" trilogy. Until then, please follow us on our blog www.formento.tumblr.com and on twitter and facebook. Happy Trails!

http://www.fandf.org
http://www.formento.tumblr.com
bj@eyecandyimages.com

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FP Interviews Artist Jaclyn Santos

2010-07-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

www.jaclynsantos.com
http://twitter.com/Jaclyn_santos
email: jaclyn.santos@yahoo.com

FP: We've spoken about the subject of the male gaze, and even part of the mission statement of FP is to question what it means when women artists control the power of their own objectification. There have been other artists who have paved the way, ie. Vanessa Beecroft... why do you think it is still considered controversial and shocking for a female artist to portray her sexuality as outwardly powerful and/or vulnerable?

JS: While many women artists have displayed their own sexuality in their artwork, every girl and woman still has to confront this topic individually and form her own convictions. It's something we continuously re-examine as we age and deal with new personal struggles. There are so many conflicting messages in society regarding a woman’s stance on her own sexuality and most women are still trying to figure it out for themselves. On one hand, society definitely rewards physical beauty yet, in many other ways, it can be an impediment. Increasingly, I think people turn to media figures as a barometer for their own morality. For the "Shock Challenge" I wanted to generate discussion about the way women are often criticized because of images they present of themselves – particularly the way certain female celebrities objectify themselves by posting sexy personal photos on social networking platforms such as Twitter. Often these photos are low-resolution and snapped from cell phones. I decided to photograph myself in this manner as a sort of contemporary “self-portraiture” and elevate the photos to fine art status by re-contextualizing them. I then displayed the images in the gallery and allowed the audience to physically alter the work in any way with sharpies, which draws attention to the way women are criticized online. I titled the piece, “Triple Self-Portrait in Bathroom,” which references Andy Warhol, an artist known for working with the idea of celebrity persona.

Another reason it may still be considered controversial is because of female competition, which occurs in part due to socially imposed myths of female worth. The scrutiny with which women can judge each other is incredible. Growing up, I wasn’t horrendously unattractive but I did go through an “awkward phase,” and for five years of my life other girls ridiculed me nearly every day. Now that I am older and have grown into my looks, I am condemned by some women because I keep up my appearance, when if I didn’t I would be put down for it. The world sets up a standard for beauty, then criticizes those who admit they struggle with it. I’m willing to honestly examine this contradiction through my artwork.

FP: You've also mentioned isolationism in your statement...a theme that seems to be prevalent in American culture today, particularly because of the internet, and our ability to be alone yet still remain virtually connected. Can you speak about how that relates to your work?

JS: I think the piece I did for the "Art That Moves You" challenge on WOA, "11x17", touches on the issue of isolationism in contemporary urban culture. It also examines voyeurism, a somewhat natural response to isolation. While most people do not spy on their neighbors' with binoculars, voyeurism has transcended to the internet in a more diluted version, where many of us use social networking platforms and blogs to comment on the lives of those we see on Television and other forms of Media. The pseudo-anonimity of the Internet offers protection while potentially causing further isolation. I think this has affected women in a very specific way. Oftentimes women display sexy images of themselves in an attempt to garner attention or praise, yet this often backfires into “unwarranted” criticism. Too often photos or explicit videos are released without consent.

FP: In regards to the nudity on the show...it really was a missed opportunity as you said for the production to discuss the current state of feminism as it pertains to the art world. Such a HUGE topic and yet (for the sake of time constraints? titillation of tv?) Bravo chose to edit down your provocative "shock value" piece to a hot girl defaulting to her own voyeuristic sexuality more than anything else. How did you feel about that? What could they have done to further the dialogue? What do you think would have happened if say one of the male artists had asked to photograph you naked or had photographed themselves naked...do you think more or less would have been made of that episode?

JS: So far my character has appeared very one-dimensional. The fact is, I am not a "bimbo" in any capacity. Instead of portraying my true personality, they jumped on every opportunity to dumb-down my character. I was very disturbed by the way my piece, “Triple Self-Portrait in Bathroom,” was depicted on Work of Art as well as the way my character and art making process were completely distorted. I don’t think this was done because of time constraints; rather, it was done to create a very simple story arch that any casual viewer could follow. This was problematic because it made me look like I default to nudity without any thought behind the concept of the work, which undermines my art process. I am not shy about my appearance as they suggest, but I did feel incredibly vulnerable being taped in the nude. There's a huge difference between presenting a photograph that I have carefully selected and composed, verses handing over raw footage that can be manipulated in any way whatsoever. I was very hesitant about doing this but I believed in the piece and the producers said they needed the footage only to display my process. Yet in the episode, the rest of my process was barely discussed, then it was falsely made to look as though I was not responsible for conceptualizing the final product. The treatment of sensitive issues on set was different for the boys. A male contestant was not required to film himself ejaculating on a piece of art, which caused some tension on set.

FP: In The Art of Reflection: Women Artists' Self-Portraiture in the Twentieth Century, Marsha Meskimmon states: "If the task was to find oneself, then the crisis for the postmodern subject is that nowhere is home, everything shifts and changes. What is the reflection in the mirror that 'vanity' holds? She refuses now to be the 'site' of another's desire and reflects back to you the insubstantiality of your projections."1 Do you think it's possible for the physicality of an attractive female artist to ever be a separate entity from her work, particularly if she is the subject matter of her own work? Is vanity and the mirror important to an artist?

JS: To answer the question, if the womans' chosen subject matter deals with nudity or sexuality in the form of self-portraiture - i.e. Marina Abramovic, Cindy Sherman - no, I don't feel the artist's appearance could be a seperate entity. If the subject matter involves sexy images of other women or the imagery is more illustrative - i.e. Lisa Yuskavage, Hillary Harkness - I think it will be much less of an issue. I think it can only be a non-issue if the artist completely plays down her appearance or doesn't acknowledge it in her work. Yet this doesn't necessarily mean it won't be an issue. At a college critique, a guest artist was invited to our studios and the minute he saw me, before he ever saw my work, he blurted out, “you are the artist”? “You don’t look anything like an artist... YOU are as interesting as your work." This sort of thing happened so often that I made a decision to incorporate my appearance into my work.

FP: Another great quote from this same book: "One of the key issues in feminist theory has been that of women's voice in male language. To what extent is it possible to enunciate a truly different position when you are already within the structures which mark your difference?"2 Do you think the art world is still a predominantly masculine one or is it now equal...what has your experience been thus far?

JS: While certainly more doors are now open to female artists, there’s no denying the highest paid artists are all still men. There’s also no denying that the vast majority of Art collectors are men. I worked for Jeff Koons for two years and there were very few women who came in to purchase work. Granted, this may simply be because men still make more money than women and if women had more spending power, more of us would invest in contemporary art. I think it is a challenge to make work about women that can appeal to both a male and female audience on the same level. We respond to images of the female form rather differently, and it's hard to subvert the provocative aspect of a sexualized image.

FP: The high-low art status is interesting in your pieces --Do you think anything can be elevated to art status by redepicting it?

JS: Yes, it can, if done in a particular way. Intent is important -- low art must be appropriated in an intelligent way. For instance, a high school student copying his incredible hulk comic book is entirely different than Jeff Koons appropriating the hulk into his personal iconography.

FP: You worked as a studio assistant to pop art icon Jeff Koons. Has he influenced your work? And who are your biggest influences?

JS: Before I ever worked for Jeff Koons, I loved his Made in Heaven series as well as his Luxury/Degradation series. Speaking of Made in Heaven, that’s a prime example of low-art being successfully elevated to high -art. Jeff Koons is brilliant and there are very few people who love art as much as he does. Working at his studio was an incredible learning experience. It was so interesting to see how he spoke with visitors about his work and I learned an incredible amount of technical skill while at his studio. Jeff talked "acceptance" quite often. We must accept who we are -- our individual and collective pasts -- our shortcomings, failures, weaknesses, and strengths. As artists, we must be honest with ourselves in order to make work that is personal yet transcends to a wider audience. So many artists have influenced my work, but to name a few: Damien Hirst, Marilyn Minter, Laurel Nakadate, Liz Cohen, Vanessa Beecroft

FP: Where do you see your work evolving now that you've participated in Bravo's Work of Art? Has the show inspired you in a new direction? What's on the horizon? Where can we see your work next?

JS: Participating in the reality show was an experience like no other. It really made me more aware of the internet as a portal for criticism and dialogue in fine art. It also opened my eyes to how incredibly critical and voyeuristic our culture is, and I think I would like to comment even further on these qualities in my new projects. The show also allowed me to branch out into other mediums when appropriate, something I think I may have been afraid to do before. Since the show wrapped up, I’ve been continuing my series of figurative paintings as well as a new series of explosions that respond to the war and oil spill.

Check my website, www.jaclynsantos.com for frequent updates of my new work.

1 In The Art of Reflection: Women Artists' Self-Portraiture in the Twentieth Century

FP Interviews Painter Kelsey Henderson

2009-10-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.kelsey-henderson.com/
email: kelsey.henderson@gmail.com

FP: Hi Kelsey! Your portraits are very open and honest. Do you choose your models based on their looks or are do they all have personal connections to you?

KH: It's pretty instinctual when i know i want to paint someone, it's the same feeling that makes you want to look at someone for a moment longer, if someone has caught your eye... it's based on my reaction to an individuals' appearance or their presence which then grows into a desire and infatuation to want to see more. I want to see the details, to want to study the person, to keep looking.

I usually chose people I hardly know, a waitress or a friend of a friend or at times even a stranger... which is in such contrast to the personal connection I end up having with their appearance. Painting someone is a very intimate experience but obviously not on a physical level. By studying the individual, I'm getting to see all the close details that come together to create that person. This gives me a chance to learn so much more about that individual and understand why I'm attracted to them.

Unlike many real life situations, by painting someone, I get to spend time staring at a person. It's a level of closeness and examination that is usually only shared between people who are closely involved. I enjoy having that opposition of distance and intimacy in my works. It's easier for me to portray someone I don't know in one particular way vs a close friend who I connect to on many different levels. I've also learned that it's more difficult and complicated to feel an instinct and sincere reaction to want to paint someone I'm around constantly.

FP: What are qualities that initially draw you to a model?

KH: I have a large interest in skin and especially pale skin tones. Not only because it's what I"m used to from myself, but because I love being able to see below the surface, to get a sense of the veins, or a persons imperfections like scars and bruises or blotchy red marks. Because I'm so pale and translucent myself I suppose that is the self portrait aspect that I highlight in each painting. I look for that same quality in individuals and show them in my perspective.

FP: How do you define beauty?

KH: Beauty can be so many things... but the type of beauty I feel most interested in within and connected to my paintings is the reality of what makes up a person... meaning the structure underneath... the bones, the blood. How fragile and at the same time strong the body is. The skin is so easy to cut, which shows it's delicacy, then the blood clots, showing it's power. When I'm seeing these nuances I call that beauty.

FP: You say that your work is based around the idea of the "platonic crush." There is definitely a feeling of androgyny to your work, is that intentional?

KH: Androgyny is definitely intriguing to me in many ways, primarily I like how it takes the sex out of my attraction to a person. In other words, it's less about my attraction towards a male or female, but to an individual. This also allows me to show a body as just that, taking away a certain heightened and drastic level of male or female sexuality. I feel androgyny overlaps both male and female sexuality and confuses and/or plays with the viewer's attraction to the individual. This creates an provocative perspective to my work. Perhaps, for that reason, androgyny is an easy way to show my platonic crush.

FP: Who was your first platonic crush on?

KH: I don't know that there clearly was a first. It took me some time to figure out the concept... separating a crush from a platonic one. I think it occurred to me when my attraction was not when I wanted to act on my intrigue but examine my interest.

FP: Clothing seems to play a very important part in your work. Do you think fashion is integral to show the personalities of the subjects in your portraits? In other words, how much do you style your subjects?

KH: I'm actually trying to pull away from clothing in my newer paintings. I've realized people become very fixated on what's being worn by the model in the piece, rather then the model his or herself. In the past I usually told the person to wear something that he/she likes, a favorite shirt or outfit. But now I'm starting to become slightly more involved with the styling. Recently I've taken clothes away from my paintings. I am trying to focus on what clothes and accessories add to my painting as well as removing those that take away from the image and person.

FP: Have you been commissioned by designers or editorial magazines to do the portraits? If so, by whom?

KH: In the summer of 2008 I had a great opportunity. I worked with FLY 16x9, creating a short film documentary which presented my paintings and process in collaboration with Christian Dior couture. In that situation I went about my usual process of picking my models and taking photos, the only difference was that the apparel was that of a designer's vs a model's own.

FP: In the very beautiful documentary that Melissa O'Brien shot of you, (http://www.melissacobrien.com/) you shoot your subjects first. Do you ever exhibit your photography, either with or without your paintings?

KH: I haven't. But I'm starting to consider my photography more seriously as a part of my work. Initially when I started, I wanted to use photos that were just OK and then make a great painting out of it... trying to raise the caliber of the image from the source. In time I've started to care more about my photos which I feel in return have made my paintings stronger. Now there are moments when I'm looking through my photos and realized.... "that's a great image, but it's better as a photo then it would be as a painting." I'm starting to see that there's a value for each medium in my work and I'm excited about further developing and showing my photographs in the near future.

FP: Who are your influences?

KH: I always like looking at Jenny Saville, Gerhard Richter, Richard Phillips. When I was younger I loved Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele... which to my surprise people are connecting more to my more recent paintings.

FP: Where is your work evolving to currently? Will you stay with portraiture?

KH: I think I'll always stay with portraiture... it's challenging and I will always have that attraction. People are too fascinating to me not to want to keep looking at them. The way in which my work will evolve feels endless. I've been wanting to pick up my 8mm camera again and film people during the moments between taking their pictures for my paintings. I'm looking forward to including other mediums in my work to expand my passion. I've learned that every medium I can embrace will make my paintings stronger.

FP: Thank you Kelsey!

FP Interviews Liz Goldwyn

2009-07-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.lgoldwynfilms.com/
email: reply@goldwynfilms.com

FP: I think of you as an art chameleon; you've had many connected interests in art and fashion and obviously, you're from a film family dynasty-- from my own experience, I'm not keen on categorizing multi-talented artists, however I'm wondering what is the biggest muse for you at the moment?

LG: I don't have a specific muse- I quite like that I cannot be labeled into a tidy box– I feel most kindred to artists of the Renaissance period, who didn't always fit into specific categories, but experimented with various media depending on what subject matter they were exploring. I am always interested in history, sexuality, science and of course clothing/ textile– so my "muses" can come from anything I am thinking about, looking at, scoring at a vintage store or dreaming of...

FP: I was recently reminded of your filmmaking upon seeing your billboards around Los Angeles. The images are probably the first set of images I've seen in those digital billboards that really feel like they work there. The "Underwater Ballet" imagery is particularly striking. What led you to the Phantom Camera (captures action at 1000 frames per second–normal frame rate is 24 frames per second)? It is amazing to think that yours is the first film to experiment with this technique. How did you come up with the concept for the film? And have you ever considered using the digital billboards themselves as a medium for your art? I have yet to see that done.

LG: My recent short film Underwater Ballet came to me in a dream, in fact, and is closely linked to ideas I was exploring in my personal life. The feeling of alone-ness, floating in the universe, at the same time being connected to all the matter and stars which surround... Finding your place in the ballet of the galaxy... For me it is a mournful, meditative piece–a closure to one chapter and a moment of restlessness, the unknown that awaits...

I wanted to use the phantom camera because I liked the challenge of using such high tech equipment in combination with "low brow" old school vfx technique– the "stars" in the sky are in fact, Alka Seltzer in tanks! Also, when I am told something is not possible, technically or otherwise, I cannot stay away! I love to constantly push my learning curve...

Yes the collaboration with clear channel for the billboards in LA - and also the spectacolor board in Times Square was in fact, public art.

I had been offered a gallery show of the work but I feel strongly about bringing art to the streets/public in general and I felt it was a better avenue to beautify my city in a small way.... I am not interested in making things only a select few can enjoy–I am very happy to be able to reach people that may not have access to or feel comfortable going to a gallery or museum– Art is for the people! **Download Press Release for Times Square PDF

FP: I noticed in your Diary on your site, http://www.lgoldwynfilms.com, you have an entry in regards to the merging of humans with machines. I am wondering if you have ever heard of Donna Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto, on the feminist principal of the same idea. Are you interested in the ideas of future technology and the artist?

LG: I don't know that manifesto. I am always interested in developments in technology, science and virtual reality. A teacher in high school gave me the William Gibson novel Neuromancer to read which helped foster this obsession– I was struck by how a punk poet like Gibson could conceptualize virtual reality without having a computer...

Perhaps it shows that anything is possible! There are no limits to the human imagination!

FP: I first became a fan of your work with the documentary "Pretty Things"--your documentary on the last generation of American 'Burlesque Queens.' It has often been said that unfortunately burlesque is a lost art in a time of instant gratification and celebrity. Although there is a retro homage with artists like Dita von Teese, what do you consider to be our modern equivalent of the burlesque?

LG: Dita is a great friend of mine and I think she does an incredible job of holding the burlesque torch- and with her costumes and stage shows, brings a new level of sophistication to the medium– I also like the work of Trixie Minx, Ava Garter, Immodesty Blaise, Narcissister, the 90s incarnation of the Velvet Hammer– gosh– so many– But remember, the true root of the word burlesque has nothing to do with striptease– the Latin "burlare" implies satire, and so a modern burlesque could quite open to interpretation– from Saturday Night Live to youtube parody...

FP: You have mentioned that your interest in burlesque began when you discovered vintage burlesque costumes in NY...and your work has a sensitivity to fashion and costume. Can you talk a bit about this and whether or not you have ever considered designing clothes?

LG: I make jewelry but I love clothes and admire the craft too much to want to design myself! I have done some limited edition t-shirts for charity. Am currently working on one for LENY icons www.leny-icons.com. The net proceeds from the sales of the Fashion Icon products will be forwarded to Al Gore's The Climate Project.
I would really like to have my own lingerie line though! Bras, stockings, panties, bedroom slippers, gowns and robes– the works!

FP: That would be amazing, I would love to see that line...Who are your greatest influences?

LG: my family my friends my dreams conversations with interesting people keeping an open mind and continuing to learn whatever I can– life is constantly influencing!

FP: What are you currently working on?

LG: a huge multi-media installation in Paris which opens in August - October 2009!

FP: Thank you so much! I can't wait to see what you do next!

Becca Midwood

2009-04-24T16:57:00.000-07:00

http://beccamidwood.com/
contact: becca2323@sbcglobal.net

FP: There are so few female wild post/graffiti/street artists in > LA...at least none that I know of; you are the only one I could name...why do you think that is?

becca: I'm guessing it's because I was the only girl out there?

FP: Guerrilla artist Robbie Conal is a close friend of mine...have the two of you ever met? You should collaborate...

becca: I've never had an opportunity to meet Mr. Conal in person or anything like that, but we have collaborated on the street. I certainly would love the chance to work with him in a more formal manner.

FP: Generally how long does it take you to complete a piece, and then consequently how long will last at any given public space? Do you spend much time sketching and preparing before a work goes up, and then what is your process? Do you have to work at night? Have you ever been challenged while midway through a piece?

becca: I can put together a piece in one to two days, anything longer that, that get on my nerves. My process involves paper, paint, wood and glue. My biggest thrill is when I can't stand a painting I'm working on then last minute I get it figured out. II work when I work. I try to work on something (framing, painting, research, etc..) everyday.

FP: Have you ever documented the process via video? I think that would be cool to see... Do you keep photographic records of everything you've done?

becca: No, no video. I did appear on the " nihilist corner" several years back. I'm really camera shy.

FP: How long did it take for legitimate galleries/collectors to notice the street work and start giving you credit?

becca: Quite a while. I started when I was 19 in Richmond, VA and Washington DC. Then went on to get my Masters at SFAI (they failed me, of course).
I did finally get my diploma from them.

FP: And are you still doing the street installation or have you now shifted away from that?

becca: I'm not too interested in the streets anymore. I used the streets for practice and self-promotion. Each piece I put up was a one-of-a-kind painting. No Xeroxes or posse, just me and my painting. I certainly don't see myself crawling and scrawing, as I put it. I did the streets for 20 years, now I take care of my mum (full time) and paint for shows or commissions.

FP: It's often the female form that makes your work so angelic and magical; there is a vulnerability that mixes with the roughness of the street surroundings...how did you first gravitate to painting girls? Content-wise a lot of it has a verbal edge that takes the piece to a different place; can you talk about that? How do your ideas come to you? Are they inspired by current events or feminist ideas?

becca: I like painting girls, ladies and women. When I do paint a guy he looks like a lady, so... ?

FP: Who are your influences?

becca: Vuillard, Basquiat, Colette Miller and me mum.

FP: Where are you currently living and what are you now working on?

becca: I live in Austin. I'm preparing for a big solo show in San Francisco at the White Walls Gallery. Opening night is Saturday July 11th.

FP: Thanks Becca!

Kate Gilmore

2009-02-10T17:22:00.000-08:00

www.kategilmore.com
contact: kategilmore@earthlink.net

FP: I love your video work because they always represent to me the tireless WORK and sometimes fatigue of the feminist movement. But still the willingness to keep fighting. And sometimes not just that but the personal as well, fighting for love, self, etc. Where does the fight come from within you?

KG: Fight, struggle, conflict--these are pretty universal concepts. I think most people understand these simple human predicaments. The videos, of course, have a very strong female perspective in them, but I would also hope that they speak to a larger group as well. In response to the question, "Where does the fight come from within me", I would have to say that I was just born kind of pissed off. I am actually a pretty nice and a relatively sane individual, but I have a temper and I have always been very physically inclined. So, the combination of the two is, I guess, where the art comes in!

FP: Your new videos are unexpectedly close to my heart as my father was an architect and I grew up in an always-being-renovated Victorian in San Francisco...drywall showing, the sound of it being knocked down, the smell of the plaster. It's invigorating tearing down walls isn't it? (Which I know is part of your brilliant theme...)

KG: I am happy I can conjure up some good memories for you! Breaking "stuff" in general is always a pleasurable experience... That said, while I do enjoy breaking things, I really try to use destruction as a way of making something new. Taking a relatively uncontrolled form of physical activity and transforming it into a new entity, something unforeseen.

FP: It seems like such a timely work...everyone in the country right now has both their hopeful face on but yet also their most industrial hat on too, work needs to be done. Especially on the feminist front. Can you comment on the timeliness of it?

KG: Work needs to be done (period). The world is a mess. As we have seen in our recent election, new ways need to be constructed in order to change things-- make the world a better place! People don't fit into the same models they did 10, 20, 30 years ago. People need to make their own space.

FP: Let's talk about your choice of costume in "Walk This Way." I am quoting the NY Times:

"She wears a demure dark-gray dress with heels...Ms. Gilmore makes a point of dressing like a lady, color-coordination included, in all her short, methodical videos. Then she goes against type, parodying the task-oriented, implicitly macho Process Art pieces and performances of the early 1970s..." It's funny because this state of dress reminded me so much of the much-to-do-about-her-overspent-wardrobe matchy-matchy style of dressing of Sarah Palin. Which in one way was celebratory for a woman to be on the ticket, for women politicians who have struggled and paved the way for that ...and then on the other hand here is this non-starter woman who went against all of that. I see almost see both parts of that in "Walk This Way." On the same note, in "Between A Hard Place," the goal seems to be to break on through to get to the yellow wall that matches your yellow shoes...and particularly in "Higher Horse," In "Higher Horse," created in Rome, she appears atop a pyramid of white plaster blocks wearing a black skirt, pink top, and high heels. Two men dressed in manual-labor-appropriate dark jeans and white undershirts begin to strike the blocks deftly with sledgehammers, and almost immediately, the pyramid crumbles and the artist tumbles down with it, losing a shoe. She climbs back to the top of the rubble, where she mostly stands idle as her footing literally gives out from under her; it’s as if the trappings of modern femininity — the skirt, the heels — prevent her from either helping the men with their task, or, as they come closer with their sledgehammers, defending herself. " (–Artinfo.com, by By Kris Wilton, January 16, 2009)

It just feels so perfectly Palin to me again! Can you tell us a little about your choices of clothing and color, what they represent, and how you go about selecting them for the videos?

KG: I hate Sarah Palin and want nothing to do with that woman what so ever-- Hillary, on the other hand!!!

Color, form, structure--- all that formal stuff--- is really important to me. I make work with a strong aesthetic consideration. Usually, the clothing that I choose is picked out to match or to be in contrast with the installations so that I become a part of the sculpture. The sculpture is as active as the main character in the videos. Clearly, I am attracted to "girlish" colors like pink and yellow, but as I have gotten older, I seem to be moving into a lot of greys and blacks. These days, I am thinking more about a "generic" woman as a opposed to a specific character.

FP: Where do you think feminist art is at this time in history?

KG: I don't think we can make art about one thing. For me, I make work about my experiences in the world. I am a woman, so my work reflects that. I am also loud, uncouth, a bit obnoxious, big, kind of strange, etc., so I make work about that as well. I am interested in artists who are looking outwards-- using themselves as a reflection to what is going on in the world.

FP: Has extreme physical endurance always been a theme of yours, and what brought you to that? Did you ever play sports? And are you ever fearful that you'll get injured while performing? (Has that ever happened?) Or had a moment of panic or is each performance choreographed?

KG: Nothing is choreographed-- that would be to much like acting (and I am a horrible actress). I have always been very physical, naturally extremely strong, aggressive, etc. Growing up, this wasn't always seen as a good thing! That said, I have learned to use my body as a tool--like someone would use a drill or a saw. I know what my body can do, its power, its weaknesses, and I try and make work with all that in mind. When I go about creating these "difficult" environments in which the videos take place, I always assume that I will be able to accomplish the goal or task that is involved in the piece. I am not always correct in my assumptions, but I go about making my videos thinking that I will be successful in them. Luckily, I have only gotten a couple cuts and bruises. I am actually really careful-- I don't want to get hurt!

FP: How long does it take you to build each video, from conception to finished product?

KG: If I am lucky, I make 4 or 5 good videos a year. (Some are not so good and they do not get exhibited). I am slow. In order to invest physically in a piece, I have to be pretty convinced it is worth it.

FP: What are you working on next?

KG: I am doing a show in Turin, Italy at Franco Soffiantino Arte Contemporanea in February. There will be videos from 2007 and 2008 and I will be doing a new piece as well. It is a combo climbing/
breaking piece. Still working out some logistics!

FP: Thank you!

KG: Thank you!

Melanie Pullen

2008-11-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

www.melaniepullen.com
contact: melanie@melaniepullen.com
Media Relations - Nicole Brian: info@melaniepullen.com

FP: Melanie, in response to your series of "High End Fashion Crimes," where did you first get the idea to shoot these vintage looking scenes...are you a fan of Weegee or are you literally interpreting certain crime scene photographs from archives? You must be a fan of the Black Dahlia stories...

MP: I actually began the series due to a negative reaction I had to having been accidentally exposed to horrific crime scene images. It was something that really haunted me for several years. I found though as time went by I grew desensitized to violent imagery and in fact became drawn to it and more curious about the details. This realization was something that led to extensive internalization on my part and when I pegged the reason why I had grown this way I realized that it was due to a major shift in the media, films and other outlets and constant exposure to these. High Fashion Crime Scenes is about exploring societies desensitization, glamorization and exploitation of people's tragedies and its use for selfish gain.

In my series, I'm doing the most tasteless of all things: I'm taking someone's tragic death (based on actual crime scene photographs, Weegee's work being one of the sources of material) and literally recreating them almost exactly. But in the place of the victim I have placed beautiful models wearing high fashion clothing such as Prada, Gucci, etc...

So after over 10 years of working with High Fashion Crime Scenes, I have become a fan of crime scene images and probably know more about the subject than most. My mind took a turn. But to clarify I am not a fan of the horror – I have more of a sense of intrigue to how the victim ended up in that situation... the untold story – the one the picture only gives us a subtle glimpse of. These images are the equivalent to the ending of an epic movie but even more interesting because it's real, a fingerprint on the past. The real pictures open doors to questions and make us curious.

I'm also a fan of many of the early crime-scene images. You can tell by the great ones that they were taken by artists and they have a certain composition, a dark beauty. Crime Scene images also are a very strong part of our history as they used to be published in news papers – they are what made the mob so infamous in NY.

The Black Dahlia murder is a classic example of the public's fascination with beauty. There have been many murders that have happened as interesting as this but because it happened to a beautiful woman it became front page news and people bought papers. Which is a tactic we see exploited by the nightly news on a far grander scale nowadays.

FP: There is a bit of a gothic quality, a certain darkness in your work. Have you always been drawn to that?

MP: I'm fascinated by dichotomies and subtleties. The darker side of humanity is something I think should be deeply explored and confronted – not shied away from. I feel the darkest side though comes well veiled – I've learned that from traveling through communist countries and extensively studying the different media outlets. But then on the opposing side of the coin, you go somewhere like Mexico and it's raw, in full color with all the gruesome details but it's a different culture and a great one at that. In Mexico death is not dirty and scandalous like it is here. People are drawn to it and celebrate it there. It's looked at as an acknowledgment of having lived, the final moment in a story and something important – it's a time to look back and reflect on ones greatness and the story they told by living. I believe that's a healthier and more optimistic view of the subject.

FP: Have you ever been criticized for using your female models as victims? It's interesting to do work like this and still be a feminist...for example, I have done many current film posters where the trend right now is leaning towards a dramatic iconic image of a woman screaming or in bondage/in dire straights...I say "iconic" because it definitely showcases the woman in the helpless role of "woman in peril," something we have learned since our fairy tale days – and it is arresting, undoubtedly, that juxtaposition of beauty and violence. What do you think?

MP: I was really playing with the media's exploitation of women for commercial profit – this insidious advertising. It's hypnotic how the nightly news will report on horrid crimes and then cut to a Dove soap commercial. A crime on a beautiful woman is powerful. It's what sets off a media frenzy. I once spoke to a journalist – he happened to be on site minutes after a horrid commercial plane crash in India. He said he got the most incredible images to show the scene. The media in the end wouldn't buy the images because they thought that people wouldn't be interested in the images of Indian people. Had it been a plane of perfect Caucasian women it would have been bought in a second and the ratings would have been through the roof.

FP: Regarding the technicality of your work, I have read that you enlist entire crews to produce your shoots...so they take on a cinematic quality. What is this like and how long does one shoot take?

MP: It really depends on the image. I don't get more people than I need as that works against me in getting the image but at times I've needed nearly 100 people, when you include the talent and others I just need a model and not even an assistant. I am always weary and careful when I have large crews as sometimes you can get so technical that you loose the art of the image. So despite the size I am always willing to throw an image away if it's not what I want.

To be honest, I prefer a smaller group. It's much easier to navigate – but you do need enough people so you're not missing important moments and wasting time.

The real time comes in printing. I do all of my own printing with the help of some amazing technicians and I do all my own spotting – it's very time consuming (sometimes taking a month to get one image perfect).

FP: Do you think that you might ever direct a film? I see it as a natural segway for you...and there definitely aren't enough female directors out there!

MP: I think at some point I may direct a film but right now I'm really focused on creating story lines in single shots and then bringing together an entire series with their own meaning. It's an amazing time to be in the visual arts – specifically photography or film – a good comparison would be to have been musician in the first 150 years of it's invention (if there ever was such a thing) we have so much leverage and so few rules – it's all uncharted territory, things are new and haven't been done and it's very exciting for people who take their mediums in this field seriously to be at the forefront of such constant innovation. It's a monumental time and I'm very happy to be doing what I'm doing right now. As I'm seeing film slip away from still photographers and digital advancements fly forward I'm working with both and creating this symbiotic relationship between the two – things that people don't understand yet and really are not able to be replicated technically due to the slippage of film stocks. I love it.

FP: Has your work always had connection to fashion? And where do you get all the costumes/props from? Do you select them all yourself?

MP: I occasionally work with costumers especially on my new series Violent Times. Costumes were so much a part of the series and really had to be perfect. The costumes took years and a lot of help to make perfect. For High Fashion Crime Scenes it was more about giving a victim a subtle identity. Clothing tells a story and is something that I enjoy illustrating my images with - but it's always something I aim to make timeless.

FP: Can you talk a bit about your new work, the work currently at Ace Gallery in Los Angeles..."Violent Times" Where did the idea for this originate? And again, are the uniforms original, if so what was the difficulty in acquiring them?

MP: The soldier portion of Violent Times, a series of 48 male models dressed as iconic soldiers that span historic battles and armies, came from historic methods of painting and early war propaganda. This series is very deep which is something again that I play with – I always try to give something the appearance of looking shallower, simple and a kind of test to the viewer's intellect – the dichotomies are so important in my work and the work really needs to be thought about – people who just run through the gallery will just see a lot of pretty pictures but if they look a story will unveil itself. I always get annoyed by critics who see no more than a pretty picture with nice lighting, as I no longer respect them – they have to look as there's always a story.

A large inspiration for me is if you look at early war portraiture and painted battle scenes they're very beautiful and in fact painters would often cast male models to pose for these images. We literally have had this glamorization of war painted for us and idealized and it's something that we have carried forward with war journalism – the images that we have to represent our past are chosen for us. We see wars, violence painted by a frozen moment but we don't see the whole thing as we're only given the viewpoint of the photographer and a still picture that in the end shows the moment the journalist feels like showing. This series has highly cinematic qualities a kind of questionable mannequin-like way. I'm also playing with the concept of idealization of war as a child and making my models act like toy – soldiers. Then I'm showing the same soldiers in battle, fighting with full emotion in the midst of combat with ugly faces ready to kill but again I've hidden this depth with the grain of film and almost adding an abstract quality since this is something that we don't see in history – I wanted it to be more of an abstract fantasy of the real thing.

Many of the uniforms are original but mostly were made by amazing costumers and historians – they helped me tremendously with research and unlimited access to very special things for the series. They are all 100% accurate and probably the most accurate for any large body of work on the subject. As far as the costumes go though something that I found very interesting about this war series and how people have dressed to kill, even dating back to caveman times is that there is immense symbolization in how one wants to be remembered. I saw it in the research for High Fashion Crime Scenes specifically in the suicide pictures almost universally, men would dress in their uniforms or best suits before killing themselves and women would wear their best dresses and do their hair and makeup. There's something very strange and dark about knowing the moment you may die and the way one would like to be perceived or remembered.

FP: What are you working on currently?

MP: Currently I'm working on a project that has to do with a glass and new printing process. I hope to have several pieces on display of this method by early 2010 and I'm also preparing my work to be shown internationally once the show at Ace Gallery ends in January '09.