Athletes (detail) / Acrylic on wood / Life size
Holly Grimsrud
Name: Holly Grimsrud
City/State: Minneapolis, MN
Email: hkgrimsrud@gmail.com
Website: www.hollygrimsrudart.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/HollyGrimsrudArt
Bio~
City/State: Minneapolis, MN
Email: hkgrimsrud@gmail.com
Website: www.hollygrimsrudart.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/HollyGrimsrudArt
Bio~
I
was born in Zumbrota, MN, a small town located southeast of the Twin Cites. I
studied drawing and painting at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, where I
graduated cum laude in 2007 with a BA in Studio Art and Art Education. I began working as a an art teacher in the
Shakopee School District right out of school, and have been teaching there ever
since. I began graduate school in the
summer low-residency program at the San Francisco Art Institute in 2009. After two summer semesters, I took one school
year off from teaching to move to San Francisco and finish my MFA in
Painting. I recently moved back to
Minnesota, and now I reside in Minneapolis.
Sports are a big part of who I am. I was a pretty big gym rat growing up, in Zumbrota, and played four years for the varsity basketball team at St. Olaf. Now, I run. I’ve completed seven marathons including Boston in 2010. Next up is New York City in November.
Athletes / Acrylic on board / Life size
Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
Playing
sports has impacted the way I think about acting in a public setting, and has
influenced the way I want viewers to experience relevant contemporary issues
through video, photography, painting, cut out sculptures, mixed media drawings.
In Locker
Room Tableau, a collection of performative work, I use the athlete’s body, underwear,
a pair of sneakers and the Photo Booth crop to subvert the voyeur’s gaze into
that of a Peeping Tom. In my cutouts, the
female athlete is portrayed in a Billboard-like Pop Art fashion; her faceless
depiction representing a type of
person, not a specific person. Caught at
invasive angles in her underwear and Adidas sneakers, the figure is removed
from her surroundings, and placed on a white wall, self-contained. My portrayal of the figure as a form of
objectification, fetishization and vulnerability stems from the questions and
fears I have about the shared private moments I see every day. I use the almost-naked athlete as a metaphor
for the exhibitionists I observe online, who provide a tell-all, show-all take
on their daily lives.
Athletes (detail) / Acrylic on wood / Life size
The subjects
in my close-ups and dribble print drawings are most closely related to the
things I have always done – portraiture and faces. I keep a catalog of photographs of
interesting facial expressions and interactions from my Facebook friends;
they’re often caught with open mouths, squeezed faces and tongues out. While studying in San Francisco, I was
Skyping with my sister; she noticed a wall of 2” x 2” cropped photographs
behind me of people almost-kissing each other, sticking their tongues into
their friends ears, clowning for the camera.
Her deadpan reaction, “I feel like I’m looking into the room of a serial
killer.” The anecdote’s a bit dramatic,
but when it comes to my prep work, I need to really be an avid and organized
Facebook stalker.
Close-ups / Colored pencil on wood / 12” x 12” (each)
How did you decide to become an artist?
Like a lot of people who get into art, I followed in the footsteps of a parent. My dad, David got his MFA in Graphic Design from Indiana University in 1974 and his MA in Painting from Mankato State University in 1970. He worked as an art teacher at John Marshall High School, then moved our family to Zumbrota, where he was the Editor / Owner and Publisher of the News Record newspaper. He taught me that above all, the work and honesty in art is what matters. A few quotes from his mentors passed down have been John Maakestad (St. Olaf College, Painting Department), “The only bad artist is the one who quits.” and from Henry Holmes Smith (Indiana University, Photography) “Do work that is truly you.” Now 71 and retired from the newspaper, he has picked up his brushes again, is designing logos, and still manages to act as a support many artists would die to have. He manages my website, keeps his studio space available for me to paint and builds the frames for my work. I am very lucky. www.davidgrimsrud.com
Like a lot of people who get into art, I followed in the footsteps of a parent. My dad, David got his MFA in Graphic Design from Indiana University in 1974 and his MA in Painting from Mankato State University in 1970. He worked as an art teacher at John Marshall High School, then moved our family to Zumbrota, where he was the Editor / Owner and Publisher of the News Record newspaper. He taught me that above all, the work and honesty in art is what matters. A few quotes from his mentors passed down have been John Maakestad (St. Olaf College, Painting Department), “The only bad artist is the one who quits.” and from Henry Holmes Smith (Indiana University, Photography) “Do work that is truly you.” Now 71 and retired from the newspaper, he has picked up his brushes again, is designing logos, and still manages to act as a support many artists would die to have. He manages my website, keeps his studio space available for me to paint and builds the frames for my work. I am very lucky. www.davidgrimsrud.com
Dribble print –
Dane & Shayna / Mixed media on paper
What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
In
winter 2011, I was working with a group of fellow graduate students on an
artists’ publication called Cement. In it, I chose to include an interview I
conducted with Ana Teresa Fernandez, a bay-area artist with whom I had worked
in my first semester at the San Francisco Art Institute . I asked Ana if she had any advice to lend to
young artists.
“Work very hard. Be open and
listen to yourself. Find what intrigues you and what you are passionate about.
Passion is not always found in positive things, they most often are found
places of struggle and conflict.... not always. Find ways to bring your passion
into your work. You will be spending big chunks of your time with it, so you
need to like what you are working on. Find a process that works for you. You
will be rejected over and over, be aware of this, don't take each rejection as
a sign of God. It is not personal. Just keep working very hard.”
I
knew Ana was an incredible artist; however, after working as her TA during my
last semester at SFAI and saw the potential to be great at something and to
inspire that greatness in others. In that time, I observed the work she pulled
from students as varied, technically sound and conceptually rich, all of which
are telltale signs of a remarkable teacher.
http://anateresafernandez.com/
Britta / Mixed media on paper / 20” x 30”
Many artists struggle to
find ways to sell their art. How do you sell your work? How do you
market yourself?
One of the most challenging
questions for artists! I think it
depends entirely on a case-by-case basis, and I think that’s what makes it
tricky. What’s the value of your time, materials,
execution, your ideas? I’m not
sure. Some of my peers create light or
sound pieces that cost nothing to make, but these people face a different set
of questions, which are no less relevant than mine. I’m happy that I know I have objects to
sell. Networking is key. I hope to attend more events and meet more
artists in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area.
Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
David Grimsrud
Samantha French
Jennie Lennick is from MN -
now works in San Francisco, CA
Henri Doner-Hedrick (Midwest
artist) but she taught me at St. Olaf and SFAI and she teaches all over the
world. Inspiring!
If I were to follow you around to see art in
Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
We’d visit Groveland Gallery
to see work of local artists I admire:
We’d visit the Soap Factory
Haunted Basement on Halloween:
We’d visit Crossings Gallery
in Zumbrota, for a hometown treat!
In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com, 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?
Facebook is a great resource
– by Liking a page, I am able to hear about calls for art, residencies, and
stay in touch with my school chums in San Francisco. Feel free to Like Holly Grimsrud Art to keep up with what I’m doing!
Do you have any exhibits to promote in
the near future?
One of my pieces will be featured at the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Building as part of the annual competition. Look for “One Sock” among others selected in the drawing / pastel section.
One of my pieces will be featured at the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Building as part of the annual competition. Look for “One Sock” among others selected in the drawing / pastel section.
I’ll
be attending the preview party on Tuesday, August 21st, so I hope
artists who see this and will be there will introduce themselves.
Holly Grimsrud
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