Interview with Hilary Pecis

q)What is your name?

a)Hilary Pecis

q) Where do you live and work?

a)I live and work in San Francisco, California.

q)What is your favorite medium?

a)I enjoy drawing, which is why my work always has elements of ink drawings collaged along side paper clippings from magazines and painted scraps of paper.

q)What is your current favorite subject?

a)Nanotechnology and cyberspace are two of my interests as far as things I know little about. The fantastical ideas of infinite possibilities with both those topics are quite exciting and are definitely thought about when making the landscape paintings.

q)How long does it take for you to finish a piece?

a)The last body of work I created took me about 6 months. During this time I was working on about 18 pieces consecutively and full time. I image that if I were to single out one piece, it could probably be finished in a few weeks, but I like the option of moving back and forth between paintings.

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)Well, that is a tricky question. I finished college and am currently in Graduate School working on my Masters of Fine Arts. But I am not sure if that constitutes any achievements. Right now I am just stoked to be doing something I love and not having to work for someone else.

q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)I love Kristin Baker who is a painter in NYC. I have never seen her work in person, but I imagine it would be really impacting to witness.

q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a)Triple Base Gallery (basebasebase.com) in SF exhibits my work and has drawings available in their flat files. Also, I currently have a solo exhibition up at Receiver Gallery (receivergallery.com) in SF. And finally, it will be at the NADA art fair in Miami this upcoming December. I highly recommend visiting Basel Miami during the fairs.... it is a bazaar but quite a spectacle of an event.

q)Anything that people should know about that we don't??

a)My grandfather is Italian, and I am part of the only Pecis family in the U.S. There are probably about 20 Pecis family members in over here.

q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

a)I am not so familiar with the Italian Gallery scene, so this advise may not be appropriate. However, I would just suggest getting a person's work seen as much as possible in the beginning.

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a)I have faith that as long as I continue to do what I believe in, things will work out. My biggest frustrations tend to be finances, but other than that, life is pretty sweet.

q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?

a)I paint post apocalyptic landscapes which exist somewhere between cyberspace and hyper reality. They are compiled of magazine shards and piles of magazine images which discuss capitalism and advertising, along with rock formations embedded with codes that direct the consumer products.

q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a)I received a formal art education and graduated with my Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2006. I am currently working on my Masters of Fine Arts and will graduate in 2009.

q)Is there a tool or material that you can't imagine living without?

a)Micron pens. They come in a variety of sizes and are archival

q)Who are your influences?

a)David Thorpe, Chris Ofili, Robin O'Neil, Peter Doig, Ernesto Caivano, Kristin Baker, Peter Brueghel the elder, Hieronymus Bosch, and sooo many more.

q)What inspires you to create?

a)I have been doing it ever since I was a child and can not image not making things. My boyfriend, Andrew Schoultz is also an artist and we spend much time working together and have collaborated a few times on paintings. Creating doesn't have to be inspired by much.... just a quick idea or jumping off point.

q)…your contacts…

a) Hilarypecis.com

hilarypecis@yahoo.com

Interview with Jennifer Perry

q)What is your name?

a)Jennifer Perry

q)Where do you live and work?

a)I live in Illinois, in the United States, and I work from home.

q)What is your creative process like?

a)I'll sit down to paint, and I'll think about an experience from my past or my present, and then the emotions surrounding those events will turn into pictures in my head. Then I just paint those pictures.

q)What is your favorite medium?

a)I really like painting with oils the most, but I still have fond memories of painting in acrylics too. I also like to draw a lot, but no one knows that.

q)What is your current favorite subject?

a)My favorite subject matter is always painting about my life, inside and out, and in so doing, painting about the lives of everyone else too.

q)How long does it take for you to finish a piece?

a)About two weeks I would say, sometimes more, sometimes less. It depends on the detail level, and on how much wonderful 'stuff' I put into a painting.

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)That I paint as well as I do, while being self taught.

q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)Ann Harper, Steve Shanks, Pia Van Ravestein, Dan May, Greg Craola Simkins, Craig LaRotonda, Hussar, Joe Sorren, 'Art and Ghosts', and many many others.

q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a)You can buy my art through my website, at

www.jenniferperry.com.

q)Anything that people should know about that we don't??

a)That I am always impressed by people who have the courage to be who they truly are all the time. Honesty is an inside-out process. It's starts on the inside, and then works it's way out. If people want to get to know me, then the best place to start is by being honest about who they are...because I never pretend for anyone, and I would hope that people wouldn't feel the need to pretend for me.

q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

a)To focus on their own unique voice, and then to work hard to develop it. Don't think about what other artists are doing, because they are all expressing their own unique voices. The world doesn't need lots of artists imitating each other. The world needs to know what you have to say....you...so find that voice and let it sing, and don't ever let anyone try to change or take your voice from you. It's yours...keep it, love it, share it. Oh....and work hard. Self discipline and determination are key.

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a)Well, when the work gets frustrating or tough, it usually means that I'm having a hard time expressing something, since my art is my most direct and open communication with the world. What keeps me going during these times, is the knowledge that whatever I need to say, needs saying, and that no matter how tough it might be to get it said, I will get it said.

q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliarwith it?

a)Usually...someone will ask me what I paint, and I'll tell them 'emotional surrealism' or something like that, and then they'll give me this confused stare. So then I'll tell them that I paint about my life, using a surreal setting, and this usually does the trick.

q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a)I am completely self taught. I've always had this really advanced skill level, so whenever my parents would send me off to someone to develop that skill level, the teacher and I would always just end up sitting down and painting together. I taught my teachers a lot.

q)Is there a tool or material that you can't imagine living without?

a)Oh dear god....that would have to be my canvases. I love them enormously. They are super smooth and built to last. I adore them.

q)Who are your influences?

a)I can't say that I'm not influenced by anyone, but I try to create my art in a sort of artistic seclusion, so...I'm sure that I am influenced by someone, but who that is exactly, I'm not sure.

q)What inspires you to create?

a)The fact that the world needs truth. The fact that we all need to speak our own truths, and to be free.

q)…your contacts…

a) www.jenniferperry.com

http://www.myspace.com/jennifer_perry_art

jenpenart@yahoo.com

Interview with EmanueleKabu

q)What is your name?

a)Emanuele Bortoluzzi but my artistic name is EmanueleKabu.

q) Where do you live and work?

a)I live and work in Belluno, a small city in Veneto, just near the mountains.

q)What is your creative process like?

a)I made lots of things, to be precise 3 kind of works, paints and drawings, animated videos, music.It's obvious that every thing have different creative process. Video is the most complex at all: it takes lots of time and lots of boring technical things (I didn't study video making, I'm completely self-taught). Usually everything starts from a general idea of the hole thing and during the creation process I add more particular and other ideas. I don't have a standard creative process, I follow my instinct. Insted with music is totally different 'cause I play with other people, so every time is different.

q)What is your favourite medium?

a)I don't have a favourite medium 'cause it depends from what I want to do and what I want to communicate, sometimes one single black & white draw is good, sometimes I need to make an animated video and sometimes I need to paint a canvas. I love videos, music, paint and drawings both so I can't really choose one.
Now I'm really interested to make some new videos focused into some “social problems ” (I don't know if this is the appropriate word) like my last video “Heads Falls Silently” but, you know, we don't know our future... luckly.

q)What is your current favourite subject?

a)Eyes, nature and humans madness.

q)How long does it take for you to finish a piece?

a)As I said before it depends from what I'm doing: ink drawings are the fastest 'cause I usually don't use pencil so they takes from 1 minute to 2 days for the biggest one. Videos is the longest, “Fridens”, that was the first video I made, took me more than 1 year of work, now from when I get the idea to the end of the work I spent 4 or 5 months usually.

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)Maybe “Fridens”, it was a real challenge to me 'cause it was born as a game. One day I turned on my laptop and I drew a character, and then I tried to move it, but was crazy 'cause I've never opened a video-editing software before and It was a totally work-in-progress video 'cause everyday I founded something that I didn't know before.

q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)Too much! First of all my friends Ericailcane (http://www.ericailcane.org/) and Davide Zucco (http://rekal.org/) and also Michele Scariot aka NoDolby runner of the noise-label Dokuro Rec. (http://www.dokuro.it/). I love them as artists but first of all as persons. First names that come into my mind are Coil, Boredoms, Hayao Miyazaki, Jodorowsky, Beatles, Luke Ramsey and IslandsFold artists, ShoboShobo and some works of PaperRad for the madness they put into.

q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a)I have 2 drawings 'zine out now, “Fade To Black” and “Eyes And Trees” that contain also a DVD.
For the first one you can drop me a line (tet5uo@hotmail.it) and I will send it to you, the second one is released by IslandsFold, an independent publisher from Canada. I invite you to check their website 'cause they're really fantastic people (http://www.islandsfold.com/). Inside their website you'll find all the information you need to buy the DVD+zine and also two drawings.
I sell also other stuff through Guapopo (http://www.guapopo.com/kabu/index.html) and some prints through Cairo Collection (http://cairocollection.bigcartel.com/product/emanuele-kabu-prints).


q)Anything that people should know about that we don’t??

a)Nothing in particular, I'll be happy if you'll like my work.
Maybe something about my musical project, I play in an electronic duo named “ENT” and I've also a solo noise-ambient project named “GreenMine”. I invite you to check these links:
http://www.myspace.com/entsound
http://dokuro.it/ent
http://www.myspace.com/greenmine

q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

a)Mmm, maybe to follow their instinct and their natural approach to the things they want to do.

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a)I have to say that I really need to make drawings, paints, videos, music and everything that come into my mind, I don't know why but is something I've inside my self. I don't make things only for the others but first of all for me, so I think that this is the first reason why I continue to work also when the work get frustrating. Maybe it'll be different in the future but this is what I feel now.

q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?

a)There are some words I can write:
Eyes, trees, sometimes colours sometimes black and white, psychedelic, noise...but I know that I'm not so good to describe my work...I'm sorry!

q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a)I'm a fuckin' worker, this is because I'm totally self-taught and I didn't do art-school so I work hard and every time I start something new, I try to make something different from the past time. I'm always in training and I'm always learning something new.

q)Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?

a)No. As you say it's just tool or material, If we lost one we'll find something else.

q)Who are your influences?

a)I think that every day we spend in our life is full of influences for everyone and this is also for me. My life, the place where I live, my girl, my friends, nature, music, art, books...everything.

q)What inspires you to create?

a)As I said before, is something I fell inside me.

q)…your contacts…

a)tet5uo@hotmail.it
http://www.emanuelekabu.org/
http://www.myspace.com/emanuelekabu
http://www.youtube.com/user/emanuelekabu

http://it.qoob.tv/video/clip_view.asp?id=11651

Interview with Marco Minotti

q)What is your name?

a)MARCO MINOTTI

q)Where do you live and work?

a)I live in Meda and my studios are in Meda and in Vienna

q)What is your creative process like?

a)………………..

q)What is your favourite medium?

a)I like to paint on canvas

q)What is your current favourite subject?

a)Manga and flowers

q)How long does it take for you to finish a piece?

a) Depends, 1 day, 1 week, 1 life...

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)My exhibition in Bangkok last June..

q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)A lot but I don’t remember all the names..

q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a)Yes, I have some galleries in Italy and ARSPRIMA in Milan and of course visit my homepage.

q)Anything that people should know about that we don’t??

a)My paintings do not cost as much as they seem.

q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

a)Live for art, every day and every moment, but first get a good job!

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a) The more work is frustrating the more it stimulates me.

q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?

a)My work is contemporary, has many meanings and it is like a big ironic manga world in a sea of flowers with a lot of human problems...

q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a)Artists Middle school
University for architecture and design
And work work work

q)Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?

a)Without my hands

q)Who are your influences?

a)Andy Warhol, all pop artist and everyone who lives for art

q)What inspires you to create?

a)A lot of things: the world, the tv, movie, dreams and nightmares…

q)…your contacts…

a)www.marcominotti.com

www.arsprima.it

Interview with Edith Lebeau

q)What is your name?

a)My name is Edith Lebeau

q) Where do you live and work?

a)I live and Work in Laval, Quebec, Canada

q)What is your creative process like?

a)Well, It always start by a photoshoot. I'm taking picture of friends and sometimes myself. I'm doing some research about mythology (grec, celtic, etc.), fairytales and movies. When I got an Idea of what I want to do, I take a look at all the pictures I have and I take the one that the expression fit with what I want to do. Then I start the music and everything comes out. I always got a blur idea of the painting but it's changing constantly.

q)What is your favorite medium?

a)Acrylic for now, I'm not ready for oil…

q)What is your current favorite subject?

a)I really like to create some super woman.


q)How long does it take for you to finish a piece?

a)Hmm… It takes a full time week minimum.

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)Trying new things… trying not to stay with the recipe…
q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)A lot! I'm a big fan of Michael Hussar and Kathie Olivas. They are amazing artists.

q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a)It'd be great!! But for now people can contact me by e-mail and see my website.

q)Anything that people should know about that we don’t??

a)That’s a funny question. First, I'd say my first language is French. I like cookies and cupcakes. My favorite super hero is Batman. I can't work without music…

q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

a)Believe in what you do and do it for you first.

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a)The end of it… the idea of painting in my head. I take a little break and start again. It helps a lot.

q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?

a)My paintings are surrealist portraits. I paints women (superheroes, villains, goddesses, nymphs...) and makes them tell their own story through their expression and the emotion they exude. The story is often blurred to encourage the audience to make it their own.

q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a)I did my Bachelor of Fine Art.

q)Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?

a)Well, my hands…and brush

q)Who are your influences?

a)Frida Khalo, Michael Hussar, Andrew Wyeth, Tori Amos, Tim Burton, and others

q)What inspires you to create?

a)Movies, mythology, music, nature, and almost everything.

q)…your contacts…

a) http://www.edithlebeau.com/

edithlebeau@hotmail.com

http://www.myspace.com/edithlebeau

Interview with Melissa Kojima

q)What is your name?

a)Melissa Kojima, Artist in LA LA Land

q) Where do you live and work?

a)Los Angeles, California

q)What is your creative process like?

a)I think about a character for days---the who, what, why and where. I give it a story and sketch it out, then I start painting.

q)What is your favorite medium?

a)Acrylic, ink, collage, ballpoint pen, papier-mache. There are too many for just one favorite

q)What is your current favorite subject?

a)I love to tell PECULIAR STORIES. So I create strange characters with strange lives and illustrate their stories.

q)How long does it take for you to finish a piece?

a)So far I've been working rather small so each painting may take a few weeks. My papier-mache sculptures take about the same time.

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)Aside from living as an artist and understanding the human figure----those are HUGE accomplishments----I keep improving my skills, so each new piece seems like the best thing I've ever created. I'm proud of my newest papier-mache piece: Panic & Petroglyphs. It's about robots being attacked. It's a very wild and chaotic piece that was complicated to create.

q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a) I am an illustrator and a fine artist, so many of the contemporary artists who I love are considered illustrators. To name a few, they are; Sam Weber, Jillian Tamaki, John Hendrix, Tomer Hanuka, James Jean. I'm also very influenced by Pop Surrealism and leading artists in the movement such as Mark Ryden, Gary Baseman, and Elizabeth McGrath.

q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a)You can buy your art through me. Right now, I don't have a gallery or an agent.

q)Anything that people should know about that we don't??

a)It sounds like you want to know some secret life of mine. I'm pretty much an art hermit. I leave the house when the art supplies run low and if I can help it, I just order them online. It's a quiet art obsessed life. Ha, ha. Just the way I like it.

q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

a) Well, study, experiment, explore, research, go to galleries, peruse websites. Figure out your artistic style and voice, then master it by daily practice. It can be painful to go through the crucible's fire, but it will refine you and make you stronger, better, faster and all that great stuff.

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a)I'm too obsessed to give up anything. Instead, I take a break and walk away and forget about it for a while. This breather usually gives me new ideas and new life and I come back to a project refreshed, renewed and ready to begin again.

q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?

a)I tell them my work is quirky and strange, narrative and figurative in the Pop Surrealism Movement. It takes its queues from children's book stories, cartoons, vintage horror movies, vintage machinery, illustrated nature books and comic books.

q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a)First, I studied figure drawing from many books for many years. Then, I went to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Now, I go to a regular figure drawing workshop which is only a few blocks from my house----so yes, I guess I do leave the house, at least once a week. Ha, ha. Finally, I sketch daily and try new ways of doing things. I read, read and read more about different techniques and styles and I'm always studying the new and trendy art styles and methods which influence and inform what I'm creating.

q)Is there a tool or material that you can't imagine living without?

a) If I had to eliminate everything else, I would choose a ballpoint pen. I'm a genius with it---or at least we get along famously---like old war buddies. Ha, ha.

q)Who are your influences?

a) Well, I think I stated some of them above. Children's books, old illustrated posters, graffiti art, contemporary illustration, advertising, popular culture, cartoons, 1950's machinery and products.

q)What inspires you to create?

a)I don't know. I think it's just a disease I have. Ha, ha. I've tried to do other things: teach English, teach French---but nothing sticks, except creating art. It's my obsession. I love making things. Even when I'm not making art, I'm making food or I'm making plans or writing----you know.

q)…your contacts…

a)You can email me at: mel@melissakojima.com or visit my website at www.melissakojima.com. You can always find the latest news about me on my blog: www.melissakojima.blogspot.com. And if you forget any of that, just google, "Artist in LA LA Land" and you'll find the same info as above.

Interview with Giselind von Wurmb

q)What is your name?

a)Giselind von Wurmb

q) Where do you live and work?

a)Berlin, Germany

q)What is your creative process like?

a)I draw while watching tv. I fancy all kinds of documentaries about nature and animals.My creative process is not really constant. Sometimes I don't work for weeks and then I churn out dozens of paintings, day and night.

q)What is your favorite medium?

a)Drawings. That's a spontaneous medium. I like to work on canvas, too.

q)What is your current favorite subject?

a)It’s always about animals and monsters. In my artwork I try to create a balance between the told and the untold, between the visible and the invisible. My pictures make statements only to deny them with the same ease.Medieval artists such as Fra Angelico influence me. I’m fascinated by the way they illustrated stories. In their pictures, the central perspective is not yet fully established, which creates an odd-shaped space. This and also the wrong anatomy are elements I try to incorporate in my works.Moreover, I’m a member of the artist group “Pathetic Sympathy Seekers.” We mainly do performances with which we refuse to fulfill the audience’s expectation while at the same time currying favor with it in a very pathetic way.

http://www.patheticsympathyseekers.com/

q)How long does it take for you to finish a piece?

a)Depends: from 5 minutes to 5 days

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)Maybe not the biggest, but rather the most recent: together with a few friends I run a project space in Berlin, the "Kunstklub Berlin".Later this year I'm going to curate my own show. Therefore I will invite my favourite artists. I'm really looking forward to this event!http://kunstklubberlin.blogspot.com/

q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)David Shrigley, Chris Kerr, Amy Cutler, Fischli & Weiss, Tal R, Neil Farber

q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a)Of course you can!

Contact me via email: mail at giselind.com

q)Anything that people should know about that we don't??

a)Sometimes I wish I've studied Biology instead of Fine Arts.

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a)First I need to gain distance to my own work. The best way to do so is to visit exhibitions and gallerys. Or watching movies ("Die Bettwurst" always works very well). In general I try to get as much input as I can.

q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?

a)Naive, dilettantish, narrative, humorousI wish I could say abstract.

q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a)I studied Fine Arts in Braunschweig, Germany in the classes of Frances Scholz and John Armleder.Plus, I do my workout on daily rates!

q)Is there a tool or material that you can't imagine living without?

a)Feel really lost without my computer.

q)Who are your influences?Michel Gondry, Todd Solondz, Christoph Schlingensief, Daniel Johnston, Scout Niblett, Animal Collective

q)What inspires you to create?

a)Etchings from the 17th century showing animals inspire me a lot. The Illustrators of these days tried to make a realistic picture of exotic animals which they've never seen in reality. This mostly looks bizarre. It is always fascinating when reality and imagination meet.

q)...your contacts...

a)http://giselind.com/

mail at giselind.com