Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Mary Lingen - Painter

Mary Lingen
Mary Lingen
mlingen@uslink.net
www.mnartists.org/mary_lingen

I graduated from Augsburg College in 1981 with a degree in Art. I’ve been painting in oil ever since. I moved on to ten acres of woodlands in Backus, MN, with my husband, Jim Kestner, in 1988. This landscape has shaped my art more than any other factor. My work is currently exhibited in galleries in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.



Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
I always work on five paintings at once, mainly because I work in oil and this allows time for the paint to dry between workings. I like this slowing down because it forces me to study the work, think about it while it’s sitting there drying. This stepping back helps me see potentials that I might have missed or corrected if I dove in too quickly. The five paintings are not a series or related to each other in any way other than they are landscapes and I painted them. The past is not something to escape from but something to build on. My development has been slow and steady, change is gradual but I wouldn’t say it’s progress---today’s work is different from earlier work.



"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but how do you hope your art is perceived by your audience? Or what statement do you hope to make with your art?
Art is one of those ideas that slip out of one’s grasp as soon as you try to define it. I think there is room for a lot of different approaches to art. I was drawn to the visual arts because I found words to be inadequate-- barriers to my sense of peace. I’m not trying to make a statement, but express a personal experience of a place. When someone recognizes their own experiences in my work, I find that magical.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
My professor in college advised me to work all the time, not to wait for inspiration.



Tell me about your working space and your creative process?
My studio is in my home. It has been a narrow, cramped room but has begun to spread to the neighboring room as well when I work on larger pieces.

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

Linda Deg Lee -- She’s an incredible painter!
Joonja Lee Mornes --We exhibited together at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts 2010 Biennial—I found her work thrilling.
Brad Kissel-- A great photographer.
Ta-coumba Aiken -- His work is new to me, especially like his paintings.



If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
I don’t get to see art that often. When I go to the Twin Cities, I like to spend some time at the Minneapolis Art Institute, no more than an hour and a half at a time. I usually vary what I look at, maybe the Asian art or breathing in the giant George Morrison wood bas relief before hitting something else. Sometimes I will hit the Walker and Groveland , and Circa Galleries.

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future? If not, Where have you exhibited recently?
From July to October I’ll be at the Nielson Place Gallery in Bemidji, MN and in October I’ll be at the Great River Gallery at the Anoka Ramsey Community College.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Nate Courteau-Sculpture-Special Makeup Effects

NATE COURTEAU

NATE COURTEAU
n8_fx@yahoo.com
www.courteausculpturestudio.com


Bio~
Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
I work mainly in the entertainment fields as a special makeup effects and props artist. I also have experience in the toy prototype and museum sculpture fields.

I am currently developing a line of toys called “Bobble Dead” for retail. I have prototypes and legal protection at this point, and I’m currently hobbling through the process of manufacture and distribution. This project is out of the ordinary for me, as I’m usually interpreting other’s ideas or wishes, and using their money!

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
That would be my sophomore high school ceramics teacher, Mr. Kurtz. He said; “A nostril is not a No.2 pencil hole.”


Tell me about your working space and your creative process?
The person who built my garage meant to work on cars year round, so it’s a 6 car garage with insulated walls, 9.5 foot celings, good lighting and propane ready. I installed an insulated wall to partition the car port from my studio.

My background is in comics and horror films. While I was an angry young man, the Incredible Hulk became a cathartic figure for me, enabling me to vent through drawing his anger and carnage. He also got me very interested in anatomy, and from there it was the great masters.

Which Minnesota artists do you enjoy?
Stephan Gammel is an amazing illustrator. His style is so peripheral. Like the way you remember things… not quite detailed, but fading.
J.M. Culver http://jmculver.com/commissionsportfolio/

If I were to follow you around on an “art day” in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
I’m so clueless as to what’s going on around here, partly due to the fact that there’s so much actually happening! Beyond the “official” world of art per se, there’s so much aesthetics to be found in local architecture and landscaping. Hobby gardens seem to have exploded around here lately, and I love to walk through unfamiliar neighborhoods and see the secret gardens and art that people create.

My wife and I stopped by the UofM St. Paul campus this year, and stumbled upon an awesome secret garden there. My wife and I have been building our own gardens and landscaping features on our land. I’ve eliminated all of our lawn and now we have vegetables, flowers, sculpture, slate patios and an English hosta garden with winding brick paths. So, yeah, I’d bring you here.


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?
I have a lot of amazing artists friends that I rely on for inspiration and information. Most of them are my “friends” on Facebook, and it really has taken over as my online hookup.


Do you have any exhibits or any interesting things going on in your life or coming up in the near future?
I’ve just come off a very busy and exciting year. Things have slowed down a lot, and I’m trying to learn how to be a more effective salesperson... blech.

If you were to receive a $2,000 art grant to do anything you want, what would you do?
Finance the completion of my Bobble Dead!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Alex Kuno - Painter


Alex Kuno


Featured Artist for the exhibit,
"The Nature of Romance"
Reception: Saturday 2/12 7-11PM
Exhibit runs from 2/12/11 - 3/13/11



Alex Kuno
mr_sibato@yahoo.com


Bio~

Alex Kuno received his BFA from the University of Minnesota and is an emerging, full-time artist currently living and working out of his home studio in NE Minneapolis. Since creating his The Miscreants of Tiny Town series in 2007, his work has shown in numerous galleries, universities and private collections regionally and nationally, and now consistently works on commission for clients around the country. In 2010, he was awarded a CSA grant and received formal gallery representation with Curly Tale Fine Art in downtown Chicago, IL.


Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on?
The Miscreants of Tiny Town is a constantly evolving series of apocalyptic, satiric fairy tales that are as whimsical as they are rampantly morose. The figures and landscapes in the paintings are painstakingly rendered using a combination of acrylics, graphite, chalk, ink, ballpoint pens and crayons on pine boards that I’ve carved into curving, free-form shapes.


The narratives in my work typically involve lost, deranged orphans who’ve been reduced to take very grim actions in their search for a home within an endless, foreboding landscape. These scenes trap the characters in the “middle” of a larger, unseen story, so their motivations and outcomes are permanently left unresolved. Though the series vividly or even gleefully depicts all sorts of terrible things that people in the Real World have been known to do to each other once times get tough, these images aren’t necessarily meant to be “nightmarish,” so much as they come from the desire to put a playful, childlike face on the formless anxieties that keep stressed-out grown-ups awake at night.




How has your work changed since you started the series?

At the time, the original paintings started as a basic thematic and technical exercise more than anything else, and looking back on them, it shows. They were usually done on 8”x10” watercolor paper or pre-stretched canvas, with thicker lines and brighter, simpler colors, like pages from a graphically violent coloring book that was crudely finished. As I took the series more personally and got more involved with the overall world these characters inhabited, I noticed that hand carving the curving shapes on wood was just as necessary as any other part of a painting. I’ve been trying to give the flora and fauna within the landscapes as much “personality” as I want my figures to have, rather than just using those landscapes to anchor the narratives.
I’ve grown weirdly attached to my figures over the years, and tend to invest more emotion in their faces and gestures. I’ve been trying to give the flora and fauna within the landscapes as much “personality” as I want my figures to have, rather than just using those landscapes to anchor the narratives. I’ve also grown to genuinely empathize with these characters over the years, and have finally, reluctantly admitted to myself that they’re visual representations of my own little inner conversations. It’s sad, I know.



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

I know that the old phrase “you’re your own worst critic” isn’t really used as “advice,” so much as it’s usually a polite way for people to tell me that I should learn to just shut up and accept a casual compliment rather than disagree with the person who gave it. But I’ve taken that old cliché to heart at some point, and I’ve since used it as a way to try to teach myself to remain as objective as I possibly can about every painting I produce, and to see each one as a learning experience rather than as a “finished” piece.



Tell me about your working space and your creative process?

I’m currently using the “mother-in-law” apartment attached to my home as my studio and office space. I built a wrap-around desk in one of the rooms as my primary work area, so I can save space and make it more effective to mass-produce paintings. In the same room, I have a 4’x6’ white board where I can quickly jot down life-sized, laughably stupid-looking sketches for compositions or character ideas.

I carve out a loosely formed shape of wood with a jigsaw, sand down the edges, screw on a recessed backing, then slather on several thick coats of gesso with my hands until I get a texture that’s rugged but easy to work with, then let the shape of the wood dictate the composition of the landscape. From there I try to be as intuitive as I can, blocking out the characters with rough chalk outlines in relation to the landscape and keep reworking them until a conversation I think is worth having begins to emerge on its own. It’s a huge mess that requires a lot more sitting and staring than actual physical labor, but once the piece finally starts to take shape, I zone out while I refine the details until it pretty much finishes itself.




Which Minnesota artists do you enjoy?

One of the most important lessons I learned while I lived in New York is to never take Minneapolis’ art scene for granted.

Jennifer Davis http://www.jenniferdavisart.com/info.html

Allen Brewer http://www.allenbrewer.com/profile.cfm

JM Culver http://www.jmculver.com/

Amelia Biewald http://www.ameliabiewald.com/

Andy Ducett http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?action=info&rid=108955

Nick Howard http://www.rosaluxgallery.com/artists/nick-howard.html

Cheryl Wilgren-Clyne http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=11140

and the entirely way-too underexposed Dan Murphy are just a few of my favorites.


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

Since I spend all of my time painting, every day has become an “art day” these days, whether I want it to be or not. So if you were to literally follow me around, you’d get the opportunity to watch me stare at and/or work on all of my unfinished paintings, check my websites, email clients, shove the cat off of miscellaneous desks and tables and swear at myself while Goodfellas or Louie play on an endless loop. If you had any sense you’d leave immediately. Then you’d go to SooVAC, Fox Tax, or show up at a Spotart opening to clear your head.


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?








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

I’m in the process of finishing up three pieces that will be featured in the Stevens Square Center for the Arts’ (SSCA) new show “Nature of Romance,” opening February 12, and I made a piece specifically for the Anderson Art Center’s “Into the Whirlwind” show out in Red Wing, and that show’s going on now.

Aside from that I’m starting some new commissions and am building a glut of new work to be shown in my gallery in Chicago.



If you were to receive a $2,000 art grant to do anything you want, what would you do?
In spite of (or maybe because of) the fact that I’m not even remotely Catholic, I’ve recently started to become interested in learning about its various saints for some reason. One that stuck out for me was Saint Rita of Cascia, the patron saint of lost and impossible causes. (She’s the one with the weird red scar on her forehead.) It would be great to have the chance to make a series of relief woodcarvings depicting her life and symbolism.

Who am I kidding? I’d just blow it all on Pepto Bismol or something.


Membership Winner

Anna Miller - Painter

Anna Miller



SpotArt Gallery Featured Interview
"Spotastic"
February 11th - March 11 2011
Reception: Friday 2/11 7-11pm



Anna Miller
Saint Paul, MN
AnnaRUok@msn.com
http://www.bluecanvas.com/annamiller
http://www.mnartists.org/Anna_Miller

Artist Bio ~
Anna Miller hails from Sioux Falls, SD and received a BA in Art and Art History from the University of Minnesota. Since then she's been showing steadily throughout the state in salons, restaurants, coffee shops, and galleries. Currently, she works at Wet Paint Artists' Materials, which allows for many opportunities to meet other artists and experiment with new materials. Her favorite mediums include acrylic, watercolor, ink, oil pastel, and the beloved Pentel Pocket Brush Pen.


December 2010 (part of monthly self portraits), Marker in Sketchbook, 5x8”

Tell me about your work. What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
Generally, I like to draw and paint women. When looking for inspiration, I’ll leaf through a fashion magazine or one of my many pin-up art books. Themes change, but more often than not a drawing or painting by me is going to include a lady. My work is also very driven by color and I like to work with contrasting hues. My older works are saturated with bright reds and greens, whereas recently, I’ve been working with blue and orange. My two newest paintings depict a mysterious woman dancing in a blue abyss with orange and green accents. Some people have pointed out that I’ve taken a turn to a more nautical style, which may be true, but it’s entirely based on a tube of Old Holland, Indigo Deep that I fell in love with.

This past year, I set out to create a self portrait each month. It was meant to be just an exercise, but it turned into a nice little body of work. Each drawing reflects my attitude towards that time of year and is a record of how I've changed. I think it would be interesting to continue this for a number of years, kind of like a growth chart for adulthood.

A Lady Never Admits Her Feet Hurt, 2006, Relief Print, 12x20”

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but how do you hope your art is perceived by your audience? Or what statement do you hope to make with your art?
I include myself in many of my paintings and these works usually have a strong personal meaning. Painting can be a cathartic form of therapy that allows me to release frustrations and fears that I build up inside myself. A lot of the time, other people will interpret a meaning based on their own ideas and experiences that is not what I intended, but just as valid. This is what I love about making art. It opens discussions and there is no right or wrong answer. I like to suggest to the viewer a narrative and a sense of familiarity that they can take away with them to ponder and interpret.

I’m not really into relaying a message through my art, be it politically or socially, but if someone gets that out of my work, I won’t dispute it. Above all, my intentions are to add beauty to my world. This may explain why I use a lot of feminine imagery, bright colors, and organic shapes. To me, that’s beautiful and I hope that others respond positively to that.

The Misadventure of Holly Hobby, 2006, Watercolor on Paper, 15x19”

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
Avid visual journalist Roz Stendahl (http://rozwoundup.typepad.com) stresses that you shouldn't cover up your mistakes. I like this attitude because it allows for creative freedom in my artwork. I don't worry about what the outcome will be when I'm drawing in my sketchbook or starting a new painting, which is always so daunting. I tend to just let things happen and often times, the “mistakes” are what give the art life and make it interesting. Letting go can also be a learning process in discovering new techniques or knowing what not to do next time.

Tell me about your working space and your creative process?
I do have a studio in the basement of my house, but really, it’s just a space to keep all of my art supplies and collections of junk. In the summertime, I move my easel and paints up to my screened in back porch. Sometimes I'll spend the entire day out there painting, drawing, or reading. It's blissful. I wish I could use the porch all year round because the basement is just too cold and dank for creative thinking. I keep sketchbooks and carry one with me almost everywhere I go, so in reality, my working space is wherever I happen to be.

I like to draw people and record strange situations in my sketchbooks, but I don't like to be noticed when I’m working. For me, drawing and paintings is a private act, but people are always interested to see an artist at work. I'm kind of a hypocrite because, here I am invading the privacy of strangers by secretly drawing them, but I get all defensive when they want to take a peek.

My creative process is pretty spontaneous. I don’t do a lot of planning because I find that when I do, the outcome is stale and unexciting. When I start a new painting, I choose a couple of key colors, turn on some music, and intuitively move the paint around the canvas. More often than not this doesn’t create a final product, but a nice backdrop for a focus character. The main characters in my paintings are usually inspired by a photograph, either from a photo session with a model or some spontaneous act of awesome caught on camera. I participated in Urban Arts: A Night of Art and Burlesque last August and took a lot of photos during the burlesque show. These have been great fodder for new paintings.


Identity Can't Save You Now!, 2006, Acrylic and Marker on Canvas, 24x36”

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
I recently discovered Michael Thomsen (http://www.mdthomsen.com) and love the tiny worlds he creates with found object. His style really reminds me of two other artists, whose work I admire: Mary Solberg (http://marysolberg.30art.com) and John Ready (www.johnreadyart.com).

I've participated in two shows put on by Urban Arts (http://www.urbanarts-tc.com) and had the opportunity of showing with wonderful artists such as Kao Lee Thao (http://www.innerswirl.com), Mai C. Vang (http://www.chaosmaiart.com) and Chris Navarre.

Other artists I've come to admire are Dan Weiken (www.danwieken.com) for his intricate pen and ink drawings, Chuck U (www.chucku.com) for his colorful and psychedelic urban illustrations, and Caitlin Karolczak (http://studiosilenti.com) for her haunting, monochromatic oil paintings that seem from another world and time.

Also, I can't forget some of my talented co-workers at Wet Paint: Kristina Fjellman (www.kristinafjellman.com), Justin Terlecki, (www.mnartists.org/terlecki), Paul Damon (http://www.pauldamonlandscapes.com), Gregory Graham (http://www.gregorygrahamart.com), Dana O’Malley (http://www.danaomalley.com), Steve Robbins (www.comicartiststeve.com), Liz Carlson (www.mnartists.org/liz_carlson), and Kate Katzer (http://katzerova.blogspot.com).

Plenty of Fish in the Sea, 2010, Acrylic, Ink, and Oil Pastel on Canvas, 18x24”

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
I don't generally go to galleries randomly. That is, I'm only going to see an art show if I've gotten a postcard that intrigues me or an invitation from somebody I know.

If you were to follow me around to some of my favorite places to draw, you might find yourself at the Como Zoo and Conservatory, The Life Drawing Co-op at MCAD on Monday nights, a music venue where some of my favorite local bands play (Gluek's, The Fineline, Palmer's, Bunker's, etc.) or at a friend's house during what we call “Art Club.”


All Dolled Up (detail), 2009, Installation, 1-car garage

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?

I’m a member of BlueCanvas.com, which is a social networking site for artists that also prints a quarterly periodical. I’ve discovered a lot of great artists through that site. I'm also a huge fan of Hi Fructose (http://hifructose.com). I don't visit the site as much as I devour the magazine.

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
February 11 through March 11, I'll have work up at SpotArt gallery in Northeast Minneapolis. This is a group show with a lot of different artists and a variety of styles. I’m showing most of the monthly self portraits from 2010. I don’t have anything scheduled at the moment because I took a hiatus from showing to create new work. I'm starting to get out there again, so look for me when you're out and about.

If you were to receive a $2,000 art grant to do anything you want, what would you do?
A year and a half ago I did my first installation in my garage. It was called All Dolled Up and it was based on the interior of a doll house from my childhood. All of the materials used were my own or handed down from my relatives, which worked for the nostalgic nature of the show. I have many more ideas for installations and would like to pursue these, but my resources are limited. If I had a $2,000 grant, I would put it towards building a name for myself as an installation artist.


Shannyn Joy Potter - Sculpture

so close, detail. oak. 2010
Shannyn Joy Potter


Cult Status Gallery Featured Interview for
VD11
Exhibit Dates: 2/11/2011 through 3/4 2011
Opening Reception: Friday 2/11 7pm- 1AM

Shannyn Joy Potter
City/State: minneapolis, mn
Email: info@shannnjoypotter.com
Website: shannynjoypotter.com

Bio:
Shannyn Joy Potter received her B.F.A. from College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, MN with a focus on drawing. Her interest turned to wood sculpture in the mid 90’s where it is still held today. She lives and works in Minneapolis where she exhibits sculpture and curates and organizes art events.

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
My work consists of abstract, wood wall reliefs. They tend to be large, averaging around 8 feet for the horizontals lately, with the smaller ones around 4 feet. They're minimal in aesthetic and composition. I'm currently working on finishing one smaller vertical piece for the show VD11 (Cult Status Gallery), which I am also curating. It has been a huge, really fun, project that I've been working on for months. The show will be similar to other local events that we have had, (VD09, and Eleven on Eighteen of '08), multi-media art events. One significant difference is that we will be having the show at Cult Status instead of the Northrup King building this year. Erin Sayer's two story gallery is especially conducive for creating a separate space for video artist and music, which will make a great entrance to the show.

connect, detail. maple + steel. 2011
"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?
I'm not trying to make a statement with my work. I do it because I have to. I don't feel like myself without making it. I see beauty in nature, and life, and that has created a dialogue within me that is expressed through a material. That dialogue expands when the work is exposed and exhibited. I welcome whatever response that may arise as a result of that.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
My grandmother Lucille who told me, 'no matter what, never stop.' It haunts me when I feel lazy.
Tell me about your work space and your creative process?
I've been working out of the Northrup King Building (http://www.northrupkingbuilding.com/) in NE Minneapolis on and off for the last 20 years. My first studio space was there. Although I moved out of Minnesota twice, every time I've returned one of three spaces in row has opened up. I love that building. Regardless of the time of day, there's always someone working. Despite all of the working artists around, it's still quiet.


That is especially useful for me when I am starting a sculpture. I spent a lot of time, often in silence, often sitting on the floor, just looking at a roughed planed board. I look until the composition becomes clear, which may take hours or months. The next phase is the subtraction of material through chiseling, grinding and sanding. Then layers are added. I often use stains, paints, venetian plaster, and lately have been incorporating steel wires, plates and rods, through and around. I continue adding and removing until the piece is quiet, or at least resolved.



unfold, detail. elm. 2011

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
I've always admired the work of sculptor and now public artist Randy Walker (http://www.randywalkerarts.com/index.htm). Robert Brown is also a sculptor who has had me in awe for years but is fairly private about his work. Then also you must also look to everyone who is in VD11. Gina Louise (http://www.divergentlayers.com/) does amazing things with pom pom's. Caroline Keefe (http://carolinekeefesculpture.blogspot.com/) has changed the way I see felt. Whitney Tuthill's abstract ceramics are stunning. John Erste's (http://www.kierans.com/Erste/Erste-Resume.htm) twisted paintings will burn in your brain. Tara Costello (http://bcexhibitions.com/costello.html) paintings must be experienced. So many more, I know I am forgetting.

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
Soap Factory is one the best galleries by far. They're always showing a good range of fresh work. I also appreciate Burnett Gallery at the Chambers Hotel. The MAEP gallery at the MIA is a local treasure. I try to attend openings at the Circa Gallery, Rosalux, Midway Contempory Art, Fox Tax, the SOO Gallery and the Highpoint Center for Printmaking. As well as the big shows at the wonderful Walker and the Weisman. There's so many great art venues here, small and large.

one, detail. cedar + steel. 2009
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?
I tend to follow links through Twitter which often tends to lead from one link to another. I regularly visit the NY times art section often on my phone, and the Huffington Posts arts. Facebook has also been really useful for sharing and finding out about local events as well.


relent, detail. oak + steel. 2010
Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
Yes, very, very soon VD11, http://www.vd11.com/ will be happening. Opening reception will be Friday, February 11th, 2011 7pm at Cult Status Gallery at 2913 Harriet Ave. S. Mpls. Then Art-A-Whirl is right around the corner in May in Northeast Mpls.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Cult Status Gallery Featured Interview - Shawn Hebrank


Shawn Hebrank



Cult Status Gallery featured interview for the exhibit
"Never Quiet, Never Soft"
March 11-12
Reception: Friday March 11, 2011

Shawn Hebrank
City/State: Minneapolis, MN
Email: shawnhebrank@gmail.com
Website: shawnhebrank.com
MNartist.org profile: http://mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=284918
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/shawn.hebrank

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
I’m currently working on a big, two story art installation for a two day show at Cult Status Gallery with my good friend Albie Rock. We do art and collaborations under the name Never Quiet, Never Soft. We’ll have everything there from art dolls to oil paintings to block prints, and even a giant bird house people can climb into. I’ve never done much sculpture other than normal sized birdhouse, and this show has a lots of diversity in the mediums, so it’s all pretty exciting.

Birdhouse 1

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?
I hope that my audience enjoys the little world that I am creating. It’s made up of images and themes I find interesting, everything from animals to brass instruments to acorns and birdhouses. I’ll find something else that I become interested in, and fold it into my And with Never Quiet Never Soft, our individual worlds get combined, and it’s that much more busy/fun/colorful.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
I recently did a guest spot with tattoo artist Jeff Gogue (http://www.gogueart.com), and he told me how he takes painting seriously, and paints almost every single day, but that he keeps it fun, and not a chore. I like how tattooing is my job, but that I can do art on the side that’s free from deadline and restrictions. And I don’t need to worry about selling it to pay rent, so I don’t need to market it toward buyers, it can stay just about what I’m looking to create.


Birdhouse Tattoo

Tell me about your working space and your creative process?
My working space is usually my station at Identity Tattoo (identitytattoo.com) in Maple Grove where I tattoo 5 days a week. Otherwise I paint in a room in my house that I use as a studio. However, for this upcoming show, birdhouses in one friend’s basement, clay antlers in different basement, and I’ve just been stealing whatever space in my house that I can, whether it’s the kitchen table or the guest room. I’ve made quite a mess.

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
Tom Strom (http://www.thestromrefinery.com),
Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists (http://www.roguetaxidermy.com),
Dark Dark Dark has done some amazing installation shows (as well as music, of course) around the world and lives here in MPLS (http://brightbrightbright.com/),


Knitting Cat

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
I love some of the art around Minneapolis that isn’t in galleries. The bathroom doors of Seward Cafe are so amazing, and I don’t even know who painted them. We’d start there, because their breakfast is awesome, and there’s always new art on the walls as well. Then we’d stop at a few places around town where Broken Crow (http://www.brokencrow.com) has some giant stencils painted on the side of buildings; I love their animals and I love how big they are. Then we’d head to Northern Clay Center (http://www.northernclaycenter.org/) to see what they had on display. Some of their artists are super inspiring, and I always leave impressed.


Dead Bird Painting

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?
Fecal Face (http://www.fecalface.com/SF), Empty Kingdom (http://www.emptykingdom.com/main/), but mostly I just follow a ton of art blogs and tumblr pages, and through those I find enough new art/artists for me to satisfy my appetite.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?
After this art show, I’ll be concentrating on oil painting mostly. Oils have captured my attention, and I intend to spend much of my free time with them. I also recently started a small press with my wife, Meryl DePasquale, called Four-Letter Press. Currently we’re sending out monthly letterpressed mail art, but we’ve yet to put up a website about it. Soon.

Gina Lineberger - Mixed Media


Gina Lineberger



Gina Lineberger is the featured artist for the February 2011 exhibit
at Altered Esthetics.
Opening Reception
Friday, February 4, 2011 - 7pm-10pm
Artists' Discussion
Saturday, February 19, 2011 - 1pm-3pm



Gina Lineberger
gline09@hotmail.com
MNartist.org Profile
Facebook
Bio~
Gina Lineberger is an American painter specializing in mixed media collages. She was born in central California and has been living in the twin cities area since early 2010. She is an artist who is has a passion for all art genres, including art, fashion, music and film.
Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
I have recently started to paint again after spending too much time focused on my career. I feel open to finding my signature style and excited to finally devote myself to being disciplined about painting. As I continue to practice my skill, I am hoping to focus my thoughts and my brush strokes. Past projects were very dark and consisted of blacks, grays and reds, all underlining angst and drama. As I grow as a person so does the art and its message. My current painting has many soft pastel shades but also displays a strong message.


What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
To practice your skills and craft at least once a day. I was never formerly trained, but heavily influenced by friends who consist of artists and musicians.
Tell me about your working space and your creative process?
Right now my work space is very limited . . . . I find it best for me to sprawl out and paint on the floor. Music is key, there must be a positive sound to guide me. Anything from the Beatles, to French electronic.

Which Minnesota artists do you enjoy?
Having recently moved here I am still exploring what the cities have to offer. I look forward to learning about and hopefully meeting the local talent.

If I were to follow you around on an “art day” in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
Anything on the Northeast side I suppose.
Altered Esthetics is a space I love! They are so encouraging of artists at all stages, I find it so refreshing. I love the architecture in Northeast, so beautifully neglected yet maintained. A perfect day would consist of a holy trinity of art, GALLERIES, MUSIC, FILM.

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?
Right now I am obsessed with fashion blogs. I am finding them most inspiring, especially as temps are dropping outside. LOVING - www.fashiontoast.com , www.luxirare.com and colourmeskinny.blogspot.com. You can literally travel the world, see amazing cuisine, fashion, art and people all online in a matter of minutes!

Its exciting to see fashion incorporating music and art more and more into the industry. A fashion show or an editorial is an experience much like that of a concert or play, all with beautiful flashes of color and design. It involves much more than clothes and has always been influential in my creative process.
Do you have any exhibits or any interesting things going on in your life or coming up in the near future?
In February 2011 I will be the featured artist for the
Online (Dis)connect show at the Altered Esthetics Gallery. The show will evaluate the pros and cons of technology. My painting represents the relationship (or obsession) one has with technology and their online persona, and how this may affect their relationship with nature.