Ian Wickham

“Standing before a work that spans an entire wall, completely filling your vision, is like a 

declaration of ‘Look, I think I have 

something important to say.’”

With the use of long brushstrokes, Ian Wickham is conscious of creating the sense of a gravitational downward pull in many of his paintings. This downward motion contrasts with the strong and muscular figures that seem to want to rip right out the surface of the canvas. His vibrant palette is essential to his subject matter with plenty of red tones to agree with the aggressive nature of the imagery and style.

GE: Why have you chosen painting 
as your primary fine art medium?

IW: I've been drawing since I was a child and to a lesser degree, painting as well. There's something about drawing though that puts me in a more analytic mind state. It's a form of art that allows me to develop ideas rather than create finished pieces. Painting on the other hand has a more visceral feeling. In a sense, it lets me stop thinking so much about every line and really get into the creative process. There is something immediate about painting that allows you to quickly work, step back, evaluate what you’ve done, and continue. I’m not a fan of creative processes that take a lot of time and effort, such as printmaking. For me at least, painting is a spontaneous outpouring of my thought process. It lets me quickly work something up, analyze the issues and then make changes.

­GE: You tend to work on large canvases. What is it about large scale that you like?
IW: I think I gravitate towards work that is on a slightly larger scale because I find as a viewer, larger works tend to have more of an impact. There is something about artists that work on a large scale that I feel carries a statement of their ego and aggressiveness. Standing before a work that spans an entire wall, completely filling your vision, is like a declaration of “Look, I think I have something important to say.” I think when it comes to artwork, I have a pretty big ego, and this plays into my choice of size.

GE: Where does your imagery come from? Do you have a vision of your end-product or are you making it up as you go along?

IW: My paintings tend to lean towards a sort of a raw, almost unfinished look. I lean towards abstraction, but often can’t help myself from putting in some kind of figure or recognizable object. I don’t regard myself as an angry, aggressive person, but my imagery has a certain implied violence that I keep returning to. I think I like the idea of struggle within an image, something that works on a subconscious level. 

GE: How does your digital work relate to your studio work?
IW: My digital work has certain aspects that reflect my studio side, often in terms of somewhat darker subject matter. But I also think that I try to mainstream what I do in digital work because I feel like it’s more of a commercial endeavor as opposed to pure expression.

­GE: As an artist who is well versed in the digital side of things, do you think it’s important for all of today’s artists to learn artistic software and web programming?
IW: I think it’s highly important to have at least a basic knowledge of digital tools at this point. Even if it’s just for self-representation purposes, at least you are in control of how your website is going to look or how you want prints of your work to come out. I also think that divide between Fine Arts and Digital Arts is shrinking. Digital tools have so much sophistication at this point that it can be very difficult to tell if something was painted on a canvas or in a Painter-style program with a pen and tablet.

­GE: I understand your parents are artists. How has that influenced your choice of study/artwork?
IW: Yes, both my parents have Masters in Fine Arts and both are painters. I think my work has similarities to both of their styles, with a more thoughtful, analytic approach that my father takes being evident in my drawings. My mother works more abstractly and freely and I think this is much more like my painting. They were always extremely encouraging of anything related to art and often gave me lessons. They were also critical when it came to showing final products and I think this made me at least a little resilient to the critique process. I think towards the end of what would have been high school for me, they allowed me much more freedom to do art as opposed to other academic work. I think this was somewhat pivotal in my choice to study art in college.

­GE: In today’s competitive world, what do you think an artist needs to do to capture the viewer’s attention?
IW: Becoming what we would consider a successful artist in today’s world is one of the most difficult things to do. We live in an era that is not the most conducive to starting artists. There isn’t a style of the times that you can latch onto to become “well known” - which is in itself a kind joke because well known in the art world is not the same as being a famous musical artist or actor. I think what is important right now is doing work that’s really going to say something about the artist. There is so much work out there, and so many working artists that exceptionally skilled in technique, it can be disheartening to many young people that might think it’s impossible to get into the Fine Arts field. But, I honestly think that creating work that comes right from your gut, something very individual and personal will cut through a lot of gimmicks and tricks that may initially appear enticing.

Caroline Skjong-Nilsen

“All in all, I will always draw and paint and build a portfolio of what ever comes to mind.”

In the creative watercolors and drawings of Caroline Skjong-Nilsen, the wide variety of colorful elements seem to dance around the composition, allowing her work to really come to life. Each piece of Caroline's is strange and beautiful in its own right and leaves the viewer to wonder about her imagination: what else is in there?

GE: Your imagery is very imaginative – where/how do you come up with your stuff?

Say What?, Charcoal & Colored Pencil. 2011

CSN: The majority of my artwork comes from work I have discovered online or other artist's work I have become fond of. Of course I add a twist to it by adding a creative design or using Rosemaling swirls, which are flowers that come from my Norwegian background

GE: As someone who works with artist’s books as a medium, what do you find so interesting about them and/or why do you like working with them?
CSN: I enjoy using books as a medium because it is somewhat a 3-D design I created. I like the idea of my portfolio or a series of my work in a small or large neatly organized binding. I am not the most organized person in the world but creating these books is a challenge, which takes my art to another level for me.

Rosemaling, Watercolor. 2011

GE: Are you attempting to work in the style of any particular artist? What artists influence your work?
CSN: I really enjoy the art of Conrad Roset. He is an amazing Spanish watercolor artist I discovered on the internet; he has influenced a lot of my watercolors. Marion Bolognesi also is another influence I adore. As everyone knows I am obsessed with eyes; his work is something that I would love to study more, particularly his use of colors and technique.

In My Head, Charcoal & Colored Pencil. 2011

GE: How would you describe your own style?
CSN: Loose, colorful with bold black outlines. I like my subjects to be defined and I have always enjoyed my use of different and bright colors to de­scribe my personality because I although I may come across as shy person when in reality, I'm a burst of energy.

GE: What kind of art career are you hoping to attain after college?
CSN: I sadly am still thinking of what I truly want to pursue in life after my college experience. As of right now, I am working for an editor for Idoll magazines. Working with magazines and somewhat in the fashion industry is something that I find exciting and will always keep me busy. Or something with photography, which my sister has a small business and I would love to help her grow and succeed with. All in all, I will always draw and paint and build a portfolio of what ever comes to mind.

Eye, Charcoal & Colored Pencil. 2011

GE: Abstract art vs. realism – does one have more value than the other and why or why not?
CSN: I respect abstract and realism art. I tend to lean more towards the realism art more because I truly envy how people could paint like that. I believe realism has more value to it because of the natural ability the artist has to make anyone as real as possible through drawing or painting.

Joan Moffitt

"As artists, we need to be conscious of creating archival work that will inspire future generations. There is no substitute for skill and hard work."

Although the artist is working with the figure, Joan Moffitt's sculptures are incredibly reminiscent of the caves and rock formations of dry landscape. The organic lines and surface of her pieces look as if it were nature itself that molded them. It is the deep, dark cavities of her sculptures that bring the work to light.

GE: After working with 2-D pieces for a long period of time, you completely immersed yourself into sculpture work this year. When did the shift occur and why?

Untitled, 2011. Structolite Plaster

JM: People tell me I spend too much time “in my head”, which is true.  Sculpture takes me out of my head.  When I’m sculpting, I literally have my hands in my work - I love that.  The tactile nature of making sculpture keeps me engaged and alert in the studio.  Making large sculptures, it’s physically exhausting, which I like.  I find that I have a good rapport with my sculptures because of that physical connection; I carry them around, trip over them in the studio and lean on them when I’m tired.  Making sculpture is more literal than painting I think.   A sculpture will literally crack and break if I put too much emphasis on its weight-bearing element.  A painting will sit on the wall and stare at you until you scream, but a sculpture will talk to you.  Besides, sculptors use the coolest tools; knives, fire, power tools… 

GE: Where do you draw your inspiration from? / What artists are you influenced by?
JM: My work is inspired/ driven by my internal life much more than then the physical world.  I am inspired by the books that I read (Flannery O’Connor is my favorite author) and by my faith.  I grew up in the Catholic tradition, which gives me a wealth of  images and subject matter to work with.   There are many artist’s whose work I admire, Michelangelo, Goya, Giacometti, and Elizabeth Murray just to name a few.  Right now I am quite taken with the work of Raoul Hague and Stephen De Staebler.   Another important influence are the artists/mentors in my own life whose work I admire, in particular Ed Smith and Lindsay McCulloch, they have had a substantial impact on my work and my life. 

Untitled, 2011. Structolite Plaster

GE: What kind of emotions do you believe play into your work?
I suppose all of my emotions play into my work in one way or another, whether I am consciously aware of it or not.   Anger is my most valuable emotion in the studio, which may sound strange but anger can be a great motivator, it cuts through procrastination like a knife.   Anger always trumps fear, fatigue and frustration and enables me to make big, bold, and fearless moves and that’s when things really start rolling.  I am fascinated by the relationship between creation and destruction. Sometimes, I practically destroy a piece in order to understand its true nature and make something worthy out of it.

GE: Do you work on multiple pieces at a time?
JM: I do.  I find that when I have multiple projects in the works at one time keeps things from becoming too precious. When I’m bored or frustrated with a piece I can leave it alone for a while and work on another. Sometimes the little side projects I start as a distraction turn into some my best pieces.

GE: Do your pieces often come out the way you envisioned them or is the final product a result of a variety of twists and turns? Are you always satisfied with the finished product?

Figure Study, 2011. Terracotta

JM: I find that the look of a piece might change greatly from inception to completion, but the sentiment or truth I attempt to professes through a piece remains constant and often becomes clearer and purer as I work.  That’s the curious thing about making art, sometimes I don’t know exactly what I believe or what I’m trying to express until I see it front of me in the form of a sculpture, drawing or print.  It’s almost like seeing a piece of myself outside myself, which is a startling experience.  So I try not to be stubborn and let surprises, twist, and turns occur where they may.  I think that’s the only way to get to the heart of things.   I remind myself to let go and let things happen so I can get to that place where “thinking does not proceed doing” as Guston says.  As for the finished product, I’m rarely satisfied. 

GE: New York City is considered by many to be the capital of the art world - what about the NY art scene do you find unique?

Untitled, 2011. Structolite Plaster

JM: Ingenuity, creativity, grit and guts are what made NYC great.  Unfortunately, a stroll through the major galleries in Chelsea these days will leave you feeling flat and uninspired.  The best shows I saw in Chelsea last year were all retrospectives, Picasso, Miro, Elizabeth Murry. We need new blood, new life and vigor to be pumped into the “art world” of NYC.  NYC is a big city but the art scene is small.  It’s encouraging to see unconventional galleries like Baang & Burne or to talk to students and artists who are putting together independent projects because these are the people who encapsulate the qualities that made NYC the art capital to begin with. These people are the ones who are still willing to roll up their selves get their hands dirty.

GE: How do you feel about performance art, such as Chris Burden’s “Shoot” or “Transfixed”?

JM: Posterity will not be kind to the performance art of the 20th and 21st centuries. As artists, we need to be conscience of creating archival work that will inspire future generations. There is no substitute for skill and hard work. Being shot in the arm voluntarily isn’t art - it’s just stupid.

GE: If you could help re-write the dictionary, how would you define the term art?
JM: Well, massive student loan payments should never enter the picture, let’s start with that…

Katherine Bilsky

“I've realized that every photograph is abstract, even if it's a picture of reality."

Working with experimental photography, Katherine Bilsky has created for her viewers a porthole into a metallic-y cosmic world. Sometimes sharp and sometimes gooey, the forms in her images frequently fill up the entire composition, leaving the eye to enjoy a visual playground of color and direction.

Untitled, Digital Print. 2011

GE: Are you looking to create a career for yourself in photography?

KB: Ever since I took Digital Photo as a class, I've been interested in a career using the different Photoshop methods. I love the idea of manipulating photographs to obtain endless finished products. When I took that class, we did a project where we had to take Mylar and photograph the reflected images. I loved it off the bat, and for my senior thesis I decided to use it and explore the different compositions that Mylar could create.

(Note: For those that may not be familiar, Mylar is a metallized plastic sheeting. It will reflect about 98% of the light that hits it.)

GE: Can you describe the process in which you capture your Mylar images? What do you look for in these shots?

KB: I shoot different patterns from various objects and photograph them in the raw. I've always had an eye for composition, and I believe it's one of the most important elements to a successful photograph - abstract or not. After I take the pictures, I edit them in Photoshop. Most of my images aren't different from the originals, unless they're specified as experimental. This is where the symmetry comes in.

Untitled, Digital Print. 2011

GE: Where did the idea of creating symmetry in these pieces come from?

KB: Professor Luciana at Marist College showed me how symmetry could play a part in my project, however I decided that flipping it four separate times provided a more powerful effect.

GE: How important is color in these pieces? Do you think they could be successful in black and white?

KB: As for color, I love it in regards to these photos. However, I believe that to have a successful photograph, logo, or pretty much anything, it has to work in black and white as well as color. Last semester I layered images over my Mylar pieces in black and white and they were aesthetically successful.

Untitled, Digital Print. 2011

GE: In what ways does your photography connect to your studio work such as drawing or painting?

KB: The black and white layered images (mentioned in the previous response) are able to used for my drawings, which is a large part of my process. This connects my digital and studio work, which appear different, but contain the same themes such as composition, emotion, and process. Also, in Multimedia Authoring, I used Adobe Premiere to edit videos of Mylar, which gives movement to my photographs. This was interesting because in every frame of the video there was a different image that could have been used with my photography project. This is an example of how important it is to apply what you've learned in different aspects of Digital Media.

GE: How has your art changed in the part few years?

KB: I used to be very concentrated on emotion and reality. My freshman year I would just draw reality, and over the years my work has progressed. I've been able to use abstraction to convey emotion and I've realized that every photograph is abstract, even if it's a picture of reality. A photograph is just a moment in time, and a picture may look like reality, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a photograph. Overall, I love making people think, and I love making the viewer feel something when they look at my work, which is what art is all about. It takes dedication and time to be a successful artist, and I'm blessed to have the talent and support to create photography as well as art in other different medias.

Untitled, Digital Print. 2011

Becca Demetriades

"All I could ever ask for in life is to always be surrounded by and directly engaged with great art."

While her photography explores a variety of themes and subjects, the work of Becca Demetriades stays consistent in its degree of elegance and mysterious demeanor.

GE: When and why did you first get into photography and when did you decide to take it seriously? 

Untitled, Film Photography. 2011

BD: I think my father put a camera in my hands within the first hour I was born. It was never a conscience decision for me to get into photography, it was just something I was always in.  I suppose I started taking it seriously when I took my first photography class as a sophomore in high school. That was the first time I entered a darkroom and learned the medium as an art form rather than a hobby.

GE: What do you like better film or digital - & why?   

BD: I’ve always favored film.  With film I feel like I have more control.  There’s more work involved from shooting to developing to printing - all of it is literally in my hands.  With digital, once I take the photo it’s like, “well, that’s it.”  Of course, there are always things that can be manipulated but with film, that little click is just the beginning of the process.

Untitled, Digital Print. 2011

GE: Given the decrease in popularity of film, do you think that film photography will someday cease to exist?
BD: I certainly hope not. There’s a quality about film that just cannot be replicated with digital photography.  The fact that film is still being taught in various schools gives me hope that generations ahead will continue to be inspired by the medium.

GE: What artists do you use as role models for your work?
BD: Sally Mann is a huge inspiration to me.  Although many find her work very controversial, I hardly see the issue.  Her photography is real.  Mann was the first artist to move me with her photographs.  I also find Michael Ian Goulding’s photography very influential.  The way he photographs nudes in terms of lighting and composition is very unique and truly beautiful.  Honestly, my list of role models is never ending.

Untitled, Digital Print. 2011

   GE: How does your early work differ from what you're doing now?
BD: Now my work has focus. My early work bounced around trying to get a taste of every genre imaginable.  When I first sat down to come up with a themed body of work that theme was a summer trip to Europe - could there be a broader topic?  Now when I go to work, I usually have something specific I’d like to explore.

Untitled, Digital Print. 2011

GE: Given that most of your recent work is based off images from your travels in Italy, what other place in the world would you want to take pictures?
BD: Anywhere and everywhere!


GE: Where would you like a career in art to take you?
BD: I’d like a career in art to take me to other art.  Knowing that people are still striving to make something beautiful in this world gives me a reason to get up each day.  All I could ever ask for in life is to always be surrounded by and directly engaged with great art.

Untitled, Digital Print. 2010

 
GE: Do you think it’s important for a professional artist to pick a specific medium in which s/he specializes or is it okay to create works in a variety of media?
BD: I think both options are perfectly acceptable.  There’s only one reason to become a profession artist and that’s passion.  If someone becomes an artist for the money, well, they’re going to go hungry fast.  As long as an artist has the passion and the drive, I encourage he/she to create anything that can be created.