Sunday, August 22, 2010

Caitlin Karolczak - Reposted interview from Art Catalyst


ART CATALYST INTERVIEW: CAITLIN KAROLCZAK (Original post)
Posted by Paul W Ruiz on March 4, 2009 ·

“I explore a number of themes in my work, mainly the fragility of the human body and mind; disease and injury…”
Caitlin Karolczak


When I first encountered the painting, We Are Made A Spectacle Unto the Earth, by American artist Caitlin Karolczak, I saw a fine example of an artist whose intention and mode of expression were pulling no punches. The lone figure of a naked child in profile stares out and announces his presence with a quiet yet uncertain resolve. The ‘abnormal’ and estranged quality of his body is only partially explained by his diminutive limb; it is felt through the fall of light over it, and the oppressively dark terrain in the distance. Studying this work I feel a palpable sense of incompleteness; a sense that what lends this painting so much of its resonance is what is left unspoken and unresolved.

Caitlin Karolczak was born 1984 in northern Minnesota. She received a BFA in Fine Arts and BA in Art History at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in May of 2005. She currently resides in Minneapolis Minnesota working as a self-employed artist and co-gallery owner. I caught up with Caitlin recently to find out more..


[Paul R] Alongside your fine art degree you have a BA in Art History. Was there are particular aspect of art history you feel has significantly influenced your own direction as an artist?
[Caitlin Karolczak] My paintings draw upon many aspects of art history, and while my studies in college were mostly concentrated in medieval and early Christan art, I’m influenced by several different styles and time periods. I’ve tried many different techniques and I never stick with just one. Right now I’m particularly interested in the strange themes and settings of Early Flemish painting. I want to mirror the atmosphere and quality of these paintings while employing some modern techniques and abstractions.

[PR] Is there any thing specific to your background/cultural heritage that you feel has contributed directly or indirectly on you art?
[CK] I would have to say that my cultural background has had an indirect influence on my art, or maybe my lack of cultural heritage has had a direct effect. Ethnically I’m many things – Polish, Irish, Scottish, French, English, Lakota (Native American) and more. I think my mixed race / immigrant background hasn’t allowed me to really connect with any one heritage beyond being raised American.



[PR] Caitlin, I was intrigued to learn more about the themes you tackle in your work…Can you explain the specific origin and motivation behind your interest in fragility, disease or injury? Why do you think it is important to bring this to our attention in painting?
[CK] While I can’t pin point any specific origin in my interest of the fragility of the human body, there are many reasons why I’m drawn to this theme. I’ve been working with these ideas for a long time and they probably initially stemmed from an interest in early art themes, which oftentimes depict violent events, like martyrdom or the crucifixion, but that also contain a recurring idea of art as memorial. I think several of my paintings are a combination of these ideas as well as an interest in medical illustrations and photographs. I think I’ve always been compelled to make the viewer want to look at a painting of something that they normally wouldn’t want to look at. I feel that a painting needs to be intriguing or at least stimulate some sort of question or feeling in the viewer. I like the challenge of making something ugly beautiful.

Recent events in my life have caused me to become more aware of mortality. I spent a lot of time in hospitals with a close friend who was diagnosed with an aggressive and terminal cancer. I found many of our notions about sickness and death confusing and I think it has become important for me to address some of these issues in my art. Many people are quick to label my art as morbid or depressing but I think that they do appeal to many individuals who understand or appreciate their layered meaning. On first impression it’s easy to misunderstand my intentions, but my paintings are meditations on life and are often about the determination of the human spirit.




[PR] You work also includes Still life and Animals, which suggests your concerns spill over into other aspects of our human experience and interaction with things living and inanimate. Do you approach your still life/animal paintings more as studies or do they seek to address similar concerns as those involving people?
[CK] Sometimes I paint random things and these type of paintings, still-lifes, fruit and birds mostly, usually start as studies and some end up as finished paintings. I usually paint these sort of objects for practice or just because I need a distraction from whatever else I’m working on (I work on several paintings at once). Sometimes they address similar concerns as my figural paintings. I don’t paint living animals, even if some of my bird studies look “life-like”. Actually, I have a freezer full of dead birds that I’ve worked from occasionally. My friend works at an environmental agency on a swampland and birds hit her window all the time, so she saves them for me. It’s not as gross or unsanitary as it sounds… although my land lord decided to unplug my freezer while I was gone and I’m scared to look at them now…




[PR] You seem very attuned to the qualities inherent in antique or aged materials – what is it about them that makes them important to you and to your art making process?
[CK] It has a lot to do with quality and texture. They don’t make art supplies, paper, or fabric like they used to. I own a gallery that specializes in vintage furnishings, art and fine antiques. So, because of my day job I get my hands on all sorts of interesting vintage supplies, whether is fabric, paint, or powders. Not only are these materials unique, they are usually very cost effective compared to buying new supplies. Aged materials add another dimension and for me they seem to require a higher standard of painting to be in unison with each other.

[PR] Some of your work is quite layered and dense with textures, and you have said this can ‘add distinction to a finished painting’. Why is this surface quality so important to you?
[CK] For one of my paintings to be successful, it needs a lot of time and paint, even if they are translucent layers. I’ve found experimentation with different mediums to be extremely important – to learn how to use uncontrollable changes in paint to your advantage. If you study paintings in museums you see that the artist has used a lot of different techniques and washes to create different illusions.

[PR] Art history has often polarized ‘abstract’ from ‘figurative’ modes of working. Yet in your work there they seem to co-exist in support of each other. I know some artists really struggle with this… was this your initial experience or does the work end up this way quite intuitively?




[CK] I think my work ended up this way intuitively. My earliest paintings / drawings were simply studies. As I began to hone basic drawing and painting skills, abstraction was a natural progression. I think a lot of people struggle with mixing abstraction and figurative work because they try to work in an abstract way before they learn the basics. At least this was my experience in college – figurative work was often discouraged, treated as a dead art form, and I think a lot of students suffered from it – not learning basic techniques while creating unsuccessful abstracts paired with a written explanation. I think it takes an obsessive amount of practice to teach oneself these techniques and that some students are taught to use abstraction as a short-cut instead of a culmination.

[PR] The freedom and ability to network on line is not only getting easier for artists, but it could be argued it’s also more important than ever? Do you agree with this? Are there any specific art networks, online influences or communities that have worked really well for you?
[CK] I think its very important for emerging artists to have an online presence. Most worth while galleries are totally unapproachable. There is a flood of mediocre artists working today and gallery owners have become so overwhelmed by this constant stream of emails and letters that they oftentimes won’t look at anyone’s unsolicited portfolio. Having an online presence or recognition in online art competitions can help make the right connections that one needs in the real world. Granted that most of the acknowledgment one gets online comes from other artists, this is still very beneficial. I’m seeing more artists having successful shows without the help of galleries and or being put in contact with galleries through artists met online who are already represented by that particular gallery.

I’ve had international sales and I’ve been invited to participate in shows due to my involvement online. Its easy to get lost in these huge online communities and some can be a bother to keep up with, but I have to admit that they’ve been worthwhile for myself, especially when I had no other opportunities. Some of the networks that worked well for me are artmesh.org, myartspace.com, and MNartists.org. Other ones that created contacts, but that seem to go in and out of popularity and usability are Saatchi online, talentdatabase.com, artslant.com.

[PR] You seem very focused for an artist in their mid-twenties. Do you have any specific travel or career related goals as an artist you would like to share with us?
[CK] I don’t have any terribly specific plans for the future because I don’t want to be too disappointed if I don’t reach those goals, although I hope I will experience a reasonable amount of success as an artist in the next 5-10 years. I have a lot to learn about painting and my biggest goal is to mature in technique and approach. Owning my own gallery / being self employed doesn’t leave much opportunity for long-term travel but I would love to do an artist’s residency in Japan or Europe someday. I have a show in October in New York and I hope it could be a stepping stone to exhibit there more often. I want to eventually show in London and other parts of Europe. I’ve sold paintings to people there and I think that area is a lot more receptive to my work rather then the Midwest US.



[PR] And what advice do you have for young or emerging artists who are thinking about a life in art or who are struggling to make that leap from a more conventional ‘position’ in life?
[CK] I would advise young artists to be realistic and to be prepared for plenty of criticism. I think a lot of people in the creative community think being an artist is a glamorous life but it’s anything but. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to quit their day job in pursuit of being an artist unless they’ve experienced some financial success with their art and have somewhat of a reputation. If the art you WANT to create is not solely paying your bills, then don’t try to make it a full time thing right away. I know artists that take a lot of pride in not having a day job, but their art oftentimes suffers from the move. They now spend most of their time producing cheaply priced paintings of commercial subject matter – people’s dogs, flowers, fruit – to make ends meet.

Personally, I work part to full time depending on that week’s work load and then paint what I want part to full time. If I lived meagerly I could probably get away with painting full time but I think the financial stress would have an adverse effect on my art and consequently limit some of my creative freedom.

[PR] Great advice. Finally, do you have any current or upcoming projects that you can let us in on….perhaps a sneak peek at some new work or new things growing in your studio?
[CK] I have several paintings going on right now, and I have to admit I’m not too terribly inspired by any of it at the moment (most of my paintings go through a frustrating stage..). I may have to start something new and fresh. I recently got my hands on some stunning antique medical books about hermaphrodites. They contain a lot of strange and beautiful images and I think it might inspire a new series of paintings.

[PR] Thanks for your time Caitlin.

You can view more of Caitlin Karolczak’s work online at www.studiosilenti.com/



Sunday, August 15, 2010

Corey McNally - Abstract Painter and Collage Artist




Corey McNally, Abstract Painter / Collage Artist
Corey McNally is a Minneapolis-based abstract painter and collage artist. He tries to capture small moments of beauty in his artwork. His mixed media paintings on wood are inspired by his surroundings: cloud formations, water, the moon over the horizon, cityscapes, and his dreams. He often works with matchbooks as a medium, either as individual art pieces, or together as collages. He has also created a cast of characters he calls My Invisible Friends, who can be found within his abstract landscapes. Almost all of his materials are salvaged and/or recycled.

What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

• I have a few projects going currently. The paintings I’ve been working on are born out of my interest in lava flows. As I paint my larger pieces I also work on smaller pieces that I use as backgrounds for my cast of characters I call “My Invisible Friends”. I have just added an Owl and an Octopus to the group so I’ve been drawing them like crazy. My next collage pieces will consist of over 500 matchbooks, larger than any other collage I’ve done.


Giravves

I Finally Found a Home

Do you find working in a series to be liberating or confining?

• Being able to have the confidence to build these larger collage pieces only comes from the knowledge I’ve gained working on the previous pieces. For me improvement and refining my vision is only accomplished by the crash and burn method. When working in a series I find that the sixth and seventh piece is closer to my original idea.



The Dream Came True When We Dreamed Together

Two Factions

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?

• Find the joy in the entire process.


Does being Minnesota-based influence your art?

• I like to think that all Minnesota based creative are influenced by the winters and they self imposed seclusion it sentences us to. It certainly was a catalyst for me. In 1998 I was staring at my TV hibernating on all these ideas. I decided to start painting and creating again. Taking that uneasy step and following through with those first projects gave me the confidence to continue. Those long dark winters fueled my need to express and surround myself with pieces that brightened my corner of the world.



Last Light

Which Minnesota artists do you enjoy?

Amy Rice – My wife and I added a piece of hers to our collection. John Diebel – His collage pieces that highlight Twin Cities history caught my attention. Jennifer Davis – Her colors and never ending imagination inspire me. Aesthetic Apparatus – They do an amazing job of melding the artwork with the bands message and the location of the show.



Indonesia - Surabaya

Are there any local artists that you would like to see profiled here?

New ones I’ve never heard from. I hope your site readers make recommendations and artists themselves submit their work to you. It would also be great to see locations highlighted that are sharing artwork that are not galleries.

If I were to follow you around on an “art day” in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

The Walker is wonderful and The Minneapolis Institute of Art is amazing but, I find the best way to experience and share the art scene in Minnesota is to visit some of the artist owned and operated galleries. Tarnish and Gold, spotArt, Rosalux, Altered Esthetics and Fox Tax are all located in NE Minneapolis. These galleries highlight artwork from the nationally known to your neighbor lady who paints.



Invisible Friends

What was the last exhibit you saw and what were your impressions?

• My wife and I visited The Hendershot Gallery in New York and we were lucky enough to meet with artist Molly Dilworth. We toured one in a series of rooftop paintings entitled Paintings for Satellites, to be seen and photographed via Google Earth. She spoke to us about her work and was able to guide us through her process. I was impressed by the succinct way she was able to communicate the ideas behind her work and the methods of achieving it.

Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?

• Sharing my work, what inspires it and connecting with people is very important to me. I enjoy working on my tumblr site and posting and receiving feedback on my latest pieces. MNartist is a great way to find opportunities. Keeping track of upcoming events is easy via the mplsart.com calendar.

Do you have any exhibits or any interesting things going on in your life or coming up in the near future?

• I am most excited about my pieces currently hanging at spotArt gallery. The collage works consist of over 1000 matchbooks. I have really enjoyed the feedback that the pieces are getting. The show is up until September 2010, so stop in and take a look. I am also very excited with the pieces I’m working on now. One of my personal goals is opening a solo show. I hope to reach that goal before the end of the year.



The Artist At Work

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Local Links Summary
(Most of these links go to Facebook pages. I encourage you to "Like" the pages of these artists and businesses)

Links for Corey McNally:

http://myinvisiblefriends.tumblr.com/
www.etsy.com/shop/myinvisiblefriends
“like” My Invisible Friends on Facebook to find out where you can find my artwork

Links for the other artists and galleries mentioned:

Amy Rice – www.egg-basket-full-of-hollyhock-dolls.blogspot.com
John Diebel – www.flickr.com/photos/35689679@N08/
Jennifer Davis - www.jenniferdavisart.com
Aesthetic Apparatus – www.aestheticapparatus.com
Molly Dilworth – www.flickr.com/photos/mollydilworth
The Hendershot Gallery – www.hendershotgallery.com


Saturday, August 7, 2010

Emma Berg talks local fashion and personal inspirations





(Links added by Local Artist Interviews)

Chances are you have seen Emma Berg around Minneapolis with her signature Louise Brooks-style jet black bob. Emma is one of the Twin Cities' most fashionable ladies, and one of our most unique women's wear designers. She chatted with City Pages about her start as a designer, her inspiration, and the local fashion scene.


JB: What made you want to start designing?

EB: I've always loved dress-up and continue to be in awe of the rush of emotion I get from wearing a beautiful dress that feels like it is meant for only me. Creating something that might provide that feeling to others gives me sincere pleasure.

JB: Where do you draw your inspiration from?

EB: So much of my inspiration comes from visual artists. As a curator at Fox Tax (Gallery) I spend a significant amount of time perusing the art of artists that I might show. I am interested in the dialog that a painting creates with the viewer and all of the open interpretations that arise from it. With fashion, I am trying to create a dialog that pulls from ideals of optimism, glamor, and magic.

Photo by Emily Utne

JB: What local designers are you inspired by?

EB:There are so many local designers that pour their heart and soul into their collections, each designer that I am lucky enough to call a peer inspires me. My favorite-favorite though is Max Lohrbach. When I put on one of Max's garments I can't help but want to cause mischief.

JB: You have great personal style, where do you like to shop?

EB: For local design I shop Cliché and Design Collective, for vintage I like B-Squad and Blacklist. Most of my shoes, which I have a wrongful weakness for, I buy on yoox.com. I must confess: If there is the temptation of a beautiful dress in a window display, I can't resist but wander in.

JB: How do you feel that the fashion scene here has changed over the past few years?

EB: The infrastructure that is being built to help support local designers by MNFashion continues to elevate the quality of garments and designs being created, shown, and sold in Minnesota. Local boutiques such as Cliché and Design Collective are a huge factor in success as well. I am happy and honored to be a part of it.


Berg's collection is currently available at Design Collective. Commissioned garments are also available. For more info please contact Emma through Design Collective or www.EmmaBerg.com.

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Local Link Summary

(I encourage you to "Like" these Facebook pages to stay better connected to the local art community)

Local Artist Interviews - Facebook Page

Emma Berg (FB page) (website)

Jane Belfry

Fox Tax Gallery

Max Lohrbach

Cliché

Design Collective

B-Squad

Blacklist

Emily Utne

MNFashion

www.mplsart.com