Russ White, Artist (Repost)

 

Hello! In honor of Russ White's new show Somebodies at The Phipps Center for the Arts, I am reposting my February 2020 interview with Russ with updated photos. It's a good one! Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @russwhiteart / Website: russ-white.com 

Jackson: How did you decide you wanted to be an artist? What inspired you?

Russ: I've been drawing as long as I can remember. When I was a kid I had a big gallon-sized bag full of markers and pencils and pens that I would bring with me on family trips - never left home without my "drawing stuff". I was inspired by comic books especially, first Ninja Turtles and superheroes, later the weirder stuff like Dan Clowes and Evan Dorkin. In high school I was inspired by punk and hip hop albums and started making collages non-stop, cutting up local newspapers and old National Geographics (which I also brought along on family vacations). In college I got really into found object sculpture and fell in love with making things in a woodshop. Once I started working in an actual woodshop after college, standing on a concrete floor over a tablesaw seemed less fun after a while, so I got back into drawing. Full circle. So I guess I never decided to be an artist, it's just always been part of my life. Going full-time with an art career, in addition to other freelance work, was a whole other calculation, based on the blind faith that if other people could make an art career work, surely I could figure it out too. Plus Minnesota is a great place to find an audience and a funding infrastructure. And my wife kicked me in the butt and told me to go for it.

Jackson: I really like how you make different kinds of art. How do you get your ideas?

Russ: Thanks! I try to find the medium the best represents each idea. Sometimes an image works best as a drawing, other times it could be a sculpture or a screenprint or a photograph. I've collected a lot of skills in all the odd jobs I've worked over the years, and it's fun getting to put so many to use. 

But as for where my ideas come from, that's one of me favorite questions. The short answer is "my brain" or "current events" or something like that. But the long answer is that creative people have both a muscle and an antenna for ideas, and they work together. There's a great book by Elizabeth Gilbert called Big Magic, in which she talks about ideas as these things that float around, looking for an antenna, and if you get an idea but don't use it, eventually it will move on to someone else. She started writing a novel once, a love story set in the Amazon, but eventually she abandoned it. A year later, in a chance meeting with another writer, she found out that person was working on a new novel, a love story set in the Amazon.

I've had that happen several times as well, where ideas I've had but not worked on or developed have shown up in other people's work. Maybe it's a shared visual culture inspiring great minds to think alike, I don't know. But sometimes and idea will just arrive, show up out of nowhere almost fully formed, like you just picked up a signal on your antenna. 

Most of the time it's more like a wrestling match. The ideas usually come from practice, from working that muscle of thinking a certain way, of drawing a certain way, of following a train of thought over a long period of time. I also think the stronger your muscle, the higher your antenna will go. Chuck Close famously said, "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up to work. But I also like what Maynard from Tool had to say: "If you don't believe in magic, your artwork probably sucks."

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Russ: Oh, that's a tough one. So many great artists out there. I'm tempted to say Marcel Duchamp because he changed the course of art forever, more so than anyone in the 20th century. Or maybe Lee Bontecou, one of my favorite sculptors, who walked away from her career when the galleries didn't respect her new direction. One time in college I almost got to meet Winston Smith, the punk collage artist for the Dead Kennedys, but I was too nervous at the time to meet one of my heroes. I think I'll say Philip Guston, just because I love his work and I bet he was a lot of fun to hang out with, which is really my main criterion. 

Shannon Darsow, Artist

 

Hello and welcome to the 63rd 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed Shannon Darsow, a super talented artist and really nice person who I met when we were both in the Small Works at Frameworks exhibition at Frameworks Gallery in St. Paul. I admire that Shannon can work in so many different styles and it is cool that each style is really impressive. Her answers were great! Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @shannondarsowart)

Jackson: I know from reading your bio that you've done many things in your life. Did you always feel artistic? Or did the idea of making the type of work you make now come later in life?

Shannon: Feeling artistic and having the drive to create is something innate in my DNA. I cannot remember a time in my life where I have not been fascinated or inspired by others and their creations, or felt the drive to constantly learn and grow my skills and create art myself. There are many members of my family who are incredibly talented in their own right. 

My Dad is always, and always has been, creating and involving my sisters and I in whatever he was doing. My Mom's cousin is a well known artist in Winona, and my Grandpa on the same side of the family was very talented working with metal and wood. On my Dad's side of the family my Grandma was an incredible artist and worked with any medium and media she felt like...from the piano to paint to yarn to faberge eggs... everything was on the table for her and she made it amazing. My uncle Gene, on the same side, was the same way. He was always creating the most amazing things and thinking of others while he created...thinking of their needs and how he could make them smile. Also on the same side I have cousins who are always creating everything from crafts to incredible drawings and paintings to cards, and they are fabulous professional orchestral musicians. 

I have also been so blessed to be surrounded by people who took an active interest in my own personal artistic journey and actively facilitated and took the time to teach me or guide me. I have absolutely always had an artistic feeling, always wanting to create and contribute, and coinciding with my artistic feeling while also absolutely contributing to my artistic journey at the same time is my feeling to use my creations to help others through the sales of some of my paintings and donating to different charities and sending positive vibes to the viewer's heart. My heart is in everything i do and always has been, and so are my family and all the people who have inspired me and walked with me along the way.

Jackson: You create many different types of work. What inspires you when you are drawing or painting? Do you have ideas mapped out ahead of time or do you surprise yourself?

Shannon: Yes, I use many different mediums while creating. It is definitely in my DNA to use whatever medium I am being called to use by the subject matter I am working on and how it wants to be expressed. I value and honor specializing in a career, in art, in anything you are passionate about. For me I specialize in having an insatiable appetite for learning, growth, and acquiring the skills and knowledge to execute whatever project, painting/drawing, or idea in the best way possible. In terms of art this basically just means in the way I feel the subject wants to be expressed or the feeling to be evoked, and being excited to explore and learn how to use any medium I am connecting with to achieve that.

In terms of if I have ideas mapped out ahead of time or if I surprise myself, I will have to say both. I will mostly map out a couple subjects I am currently inspired by based on that. For example, my heart has been with my dear friends Sylvanna and Lee and their very different journeys with ovarian cancer, so that was the subject of a 3 painting series in my current show at Frameworks Gallery. I am then able to use the sales from the paintings to go directly to Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Or another series of turquoise tropical paintings inspired from my time living in New Zealand and Australia in the same show.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Shannon: Leonardo da Vinci would be someone I would love to meet. I am so inspired by what a curious learner he was, how he explored and incorporated science, math, and humanness into his creations, and how he mastered many forms of media in his creations. His works and discoveries are still incredibly relevant today...which is so incredible.

 

Shawnequa Linder, Artist

 

Hello and welcome to the 62nd 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed Shawnequa Linder, a fantastic and unique painter that I discovered at Anderson O'Brien Fine Art in Omaha. I have been following what she does online since. Her answers were really cool and I think you will agree! Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @artdork.art / Represented by @aobfineart)

Jackson: How do you think you ended up on an artistic path? Did you attend art school?

Shawnequa: A combination of early influences and my own personal interest is what developed me to start creating. Growing up, I would draw with my brother Tony. It was through observing Tony's talent and skill that sparked a strong desire within me to center my focus on my own artistic path. I greatly admired my brother's work and wanted to draw like him. 

This desire embarked me to pursue an Associates Degree in Visual Communication Art and Photography and a Bachelor's Degree in Studio Arts. After graduation, I have continued to develop my skills through self-study.

Jackson: What inspires the art you create? Do you view your art as internal or a response to external events? I particularly like the style I saw at Anderson O'Brien Fine Art in Omaha.

Shawnequa: I love the constant challenge of bringing new ideas to life. The challenge is what inspires me the most. Each project presents an opportunity for me to explore my skills, creativity, and imagination. I enjoy pushing myself to see if I can successfully execute the vision I have in my head.

How I perceive my work is as an internal creative expression. It is through my practiced ability of embracing my own personal thoughts, emotions, and experiences that allows my art to serve as a captivating window for viewers to see the unique perspective of my inner world.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Shawnequa: Aaron Siskind :). 

I have been fascinated by Siskind's artistic process. Gaining insight to Aaron's approach towards capturing urban decay and understanding how he finds beauty in the most neglected spaces would be a wonderful opportunity! With my work depicting similar subjects, learning from his influences and experiences would leave a welcome impact on me. 

Sarah Struck, Artist

 

Hello and welcome to the 61st 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed the fantastic abstract painter Sarah Struck. I discovered her work at Hopkins Center for the Arts in 2019 and I have paid close attention to what she does since. I feel like she and I have a similar approach to making art. Her answers are great! Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @sarah_struck_art)

Jackson: Did you always feel like you wanted to be an artist? Or did something specific happen that put you on this path?

Sarah: I did not have being a practicing artist on my radar although I have always been highly creative; visually inclined and loved color, typography, decor, and fashion much like my gifted matriarchs. I thought everyone was like that, until I realized we had something special happening. 

In 2014 I needed a change from long work hours and raising our son. I asked my work manager if I could do full time in 4 days instead of 5 - so that I could take an art class on Fridays. I never looked back! Everything hinged on him saying "YES".

I knew I wanted to paint and the only class that was of interest or even open (at Minnetonka Center for the Arts) was local and accomplished artist Ellen Richman's contemporary class. Thus, the adventure began. I had no idea how impactful and life-changing this class would be.

It is going to be 10 years in January since I took my first class - which was a 6+ year run until Ellen no longer taught it and then COVID muddled things too.

Jackson: What inspires your abstract paintings? Do you have an idea in mind or do you begin and let the painting happen as you go?

Sarah: The feeling of beauty or awe inspires me to create on my own. Its source may be anywhere - from Architectural Digest, or The Project, to a visit at the MIA, or just a beautiful peaceful day where I often walk in the park. Oftentimes I am not inspired to paint so then I make a conscious effort to just practice painting. Building a practice makes it possible to bring in inspiration (or not) and gives me an experimental and safe zone to create something. I do not have ideas, but more like color feeling or a size or scale of artwork that I want to create. Looking at something like birds, pottery, photography, or beautiful spaces simply gives me something to respond to when I get to a piece of paper, canvas, board or otherwise. Art for me is always about responding to something that is living inside or outside of me.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Sarah: Lee Krasner was born in 1908 which is near the birth of my grandmother. Krasner did abstract works and had a design degree. I would like to paint with her in the studio and hang out, find out what life was like in the early 20th century for female artists. According to my Grandma, her own choices were nurse, secretary, or teacher. None of which she was too excited about.

I also love the free approach of Krasner's brushstrokes. She led the way for other abstract female artists who were known in the 1920s. I'd like to see what else she created apart from her abstract paintings and to understand her inspiration or ideas (similar to question #2 above).

Petra von Kazinyan, Artist (Repost)

 

Hello! In honor of The Big Clouds, Petra von Kazinyan's new exhibition at Art Circle Wien in Vienna, Austria, I am reposting my November 2020 interview with Petra with some updated photos. It was in the middle of the pandemic and things were weird but her answers were great and also comforting. (All photos courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @petravonkazinyan / Website: www.petravonkazinyan.com)

 

Jackson: What inspired you to make art? Did you have a specific experience?

Petra: Since my early childhood, I had the desire to transform my life into art. I was never not painting or drawing. When I was six years old, I started to sign my works; the first one I ever signed was a small landscape painting, a forest scene. Funnily I wrote my age not my name in the bottom right hand corner....

So to me, art is all about self-expression, coping with reality - it's just something that has always been there and can't be separated from my inner self. Like Christo once said: When you're an artist, you're always an artist, there's not one second in your life when you are not an artist.

Jackson: Has the global pandemic changed your art or your art career? I had some things cancelled or postponed. I think it might be different there in Europe than it is here in the United States.

Petra: It was (and still is) the same here due to the coronavirus, I also had to postpone a planned solo show to next year. A group show in Venice, Italy fortunately happened to take place, under strict measures for protection and hygiene. 

And to sum up my feelings in 2020 so far: being an artist, self-isolation is nothing new to me; nevertheless, I felt different during the lockdown because it is something else to choose isolation of your own free will. So being told to stay in for public reasons was kind of a new experience - and it was a very interesting, highly creative one.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Petra: Lucio Fontana. I'd love to have a philosophical discussion with him about the concept of space in art. What the terms "space" and "place" mean today, in our liquid modernity as Zygmunt Bauman once called it - in a globalized and digital world where the only constant is change.

Lisa Bergh, Artist (Repost)

Hello! In honor of Topography, Lisa Berghs's awesome new exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, I am reposting my 2019 interview with Lisa with some updated photos. (Artist photo courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @lisambergh / Website: www.lisabergh.com)

Jackson: How do you get your ideas? Your art is different from anything else I have seen.

Lisa: I am always looking at and thinking visually about the world around me, the mundane visual poetics of the day to day are often a formal source for my creative output, but rarely the direct content. For example, the installation you enjoyed titled "Unfurled" was cued visually by watching my young daughter flying a kite, but the piece has nothing to do with that experience, me, or my daughter. The piece is ultimately about moving through landscape, engaging the architecture of the specific gallery it was created for, the language of painting and sculpture, visual gestures, beauty, movement, engaging the audience in a way that questions who the real actor is - is it the sculpture that is walked in and around, or, is it the viewer moving around the work? I also allow the objects and ideas I am experimenting with in my studio to organically inform and lead me to the next project or point of inquiry. There is a list of ideas/concerns/goals I am continually working to dissect/contemplate/achieve in my studio practice:

objects which are simultaneously presented as drawings/paintings/and sculptures 

abstraction and conceptualism with figuration and narrative 

tension and gesture - formal, intellectual, and emotional 

beautiful and thoughtful moments and casual and residual artifacts 

specific and vague experiences intimacy and aloofness 

I am trying to connect all these dots in the most visually direct way I can.

Jackson: How old were you when you first became interested in art? Did something happen that made you think wow?

Lisa: I was not a child who plugged into the arts beyond the basic art classes in school. I drew and wrote stories, but I did not have a kind of overt affinity for picture making that when children showcase it, adults immediately nurture it, until it becomes natural for a child. Instead I was given real access to the arts in college when I was working towards a degree in Cultural Anthropology and was required to take a Basic Design Course. I loved the process of making and thinking about ways to articulate the principles of design for the class assignments - learning a new language. After that first class I signed up for a photography course. The next thing you know I had a BFA in printmaking and photography, and soon after, an MFA in spatial arts. My visual language was developed and nurtured through the practice of photography and I still feel a strong aesthetic alignment to the works of Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, and Edward Weston - photographers I deeply admired as a beginning art student. My work may seem different than theirs, but the foundation of my art ABC's was constructed by studying these artists.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Lisa: I would relish a conversation about art, aesthetic experiences, materiality, New York City, politics, and the 80s with Felix Gonzalez-Torres. I have long admired his work. While I am not driven to create art rooted in political activism, I am deeply drawn to his aesthetic, his ability to change mundane materials with intense poetry and intimacy, and of course, the theatrical nature of his work. While has long ago ago passed away, when I have the opportunity to experience his objects in a museum space they feel incredibly alive and present. It is always exciting for me to stand in front of his artwork. I marvel how he masterfully achieved many of the objectives I strive to achieve in my studio practice. His works are tools for experience and contemplation; curious and mysterious while being incredibly direct and intimate. I can't think of an art work by Felix that is not a slam dunk. He died so young...I wonder what he would be interested in making/expressing if he were still here. Oh and I would love to time travel to 1927 to spend a long weekend in New York City with Dorothy Parker - that would be a real education.

Deb Grossfield, Artist

 

Hello and welcome to the 60th 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed Deb Grossfield who I both recently discovered and recently met. She's great! The thing I really enjoy about Deb's art is that it is unlike anything I have seen before. I really enjoyed her answers and I think you will too. Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist. Instagram: @debgrossfield / Website: debgrossfield.com)

Jackson: When did you first become interested in visual art? Did you have a specific experience?

Deb: I've a strong memory from when I was about six. I was playing with watercolors when I was introduced to my aunt who was visiting from out of town. She asked to use my brush and drew a portrait of me with the paints. It was a huge moment for me. It was like an immense door opening to a new world. It was a moment when art materials were no longer toys to me but instead became tools. 

Jackson: When I met you recently you said you had stopped making art for awhile. What led to you beginning again? Has your process changed?

Deb: I never stopped making art, but I did stop engaging the art world. I don't know any artists who really enjoy the business side of being an artist and for me, it requires a draining amount of energy. I am not a natural self-promoter. I had to steel my nerves and work up the gumption to approach curators and gallerists.

Then about 20 years ago, my family obligations increased quite a bit and I was working full time as a controller/bookkeeper for several small businesses. Something had to give and that was the work involved in finding galleries, maintaining my website, and entering juried shows. Over the last year, I've been able to shift my time away from accounting to focus on the art world. 

My process has not changed much over the years but my artwork is always evolving. The biggest difference now is being able to follow my ideas through without interruption and I have more time to experiment.

Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?

Deb: Sometimes you can love a person's work and find out that they are a terrible person. Sadly, the work you loved is tainted and you can't ever see it the same way again. That is a risk. 

I'm from Minneapolis and I started going to MIA sometime during grade school. I'd make regular visits and sit in front of my favorite paintings as if they were friends. While I didn't speak out loud to them, these encounters were important to my development as an artist. 

There are several pieces in the MIA collection that I admire, but my first real love was Vincent Van Gogh's "The Olive Tree." I collected postcards and books of his work. A lot is known about Vincent Van Gogh and my understanding is that he was a very gentle person who had bouts of self-destructive mental illness. I finally had the opportunity to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam a few years ago. This may sound silly, but my eyes welled up with tears as I walked from one drawing or painting to another. If I could, I'd hang out with Van Gogh for a while and watch him work. I'd give him a big hug and thank him for making such beautiful paintings.