Nicole Houff, Artist

Hello and welcome to the 65th 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed the totally unique and cool artist Nicole Houff. When I saw her art for the first time I thought it was such an excellent idea and her work is fun, clever and well executed. It has been great to watch her become more and more popular over the last few years. I loved her answers and I think you will too! Thank you for reading! (Artist photo: Anna Rajdl / All art images courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @nicolehouff  / Website: nicolehouff.com)

Jackson: Did you always feel like an artistic person? What put you on the photography path?

Nicole: I definitely always felt like an artistic person. As a kid I would draw all the time, and as I got older I dreamed of being an artist. Honestly I don't remember wanting to be anything else. 

After high school I enrolled at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN where I received a BA with a major in Studio Art. After college I got a job as a black and white (film) photo printer at a local lab. I did that for just under a decade, but as the photo industry started shifting to digital at an exponential rate, I knew my days were numbered. I returned to school and received my Associate Degree in Photography and Digital Imaging from Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Afterwards, I worked at a professional commercial photo studio and had a side job photographing events for a local magazine. 

When both of those industries took a turn, I decided to focus solely on my Barbie photography, which I had been doing on the side for years. Now I sell my artwork online, at art fairs and at galleries.

Jackson: I remember seeing one of your pieces years ago and thinking it was a fantastic concept. How did Barbie becoming a global phenomenon impact your career? How do you deal with copycats?

Nicole: Thanks! I have been using Barbie in my photography for 17 years, so admittedly, when the Barbie movie was announced I really didn't give it much thought. Then the promos started coming out in the summer of 2022 and every other person that stepped into my booth at the art fairs mentioned it. One of my fellow artists looked at me and said "next summer is either going to be a dream for you, or a total nightmare." To say that the summer of 2023 was the former would be an understatement. The movie created a whirlwind and I got to go along for the ride. 

Even though I had NOTHING to do with the movie, when it came out I was interviewed by the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Fox 9, Lori and Julia on myTalk 107.1, the list goes on! Everyone wanted to talk Barbie and I was more than happy to join the conversation. One of the most impactful phenomenons was that people were coming into my booth at art fairs and sharing their experiences going to the movie and Barbie in general. I mean, totally opening up to me. In many cases, these were people that I had never met before. It was absolutely beautiful and a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. 

As far as copycats, that's a tough one to answer. Artists are influenced by fellow artists all the time and the references to others throughout art history are innumerable. With Barbie being around for 65 years, there have been, and currently are, countless artists that use the doll as subject matter. I'm not the first person, nor will I be the last, to take photos of Barbie. I'm friends with other photographers that use Barbie and we all have our own style and quite honestly, there's always room for more. It's more productive to view it as a community, not a competition.

I think most folks, even if they reference another person's work, are not doing it maliciously. As they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery. And sometimes we don't even realize we were influenced by something we saw and incorporated into our own work. 

I think the hurtful part is when someone deliberately tries to piggyback on an artist for their own financial gain, which is different than just fellow artists being creative. 

Regardless of the situation, it's always best to remember that we're part of a larger community - no one creates in a total vacuum. I'd rather look at MORE art, not LESS.

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

Nicole: If I could meet any artist, it would be Andy Warhol. The whole Pop Art movement generally, and Warhol in particular, really changed what was considered "fine" art. He blurred the lines between art and mainstream consumerism to the point that, in my eyes, brought a new approachability and transperacy to art. He made it ok to talk about his art as a business, all the while not being afraid to do experimental work. As an artist that literally uses a doll as my subject matter, I feel like his contribution to the trajectory of art and the business of art is paramount.

Mari Marks Mondanelli, Artist and Curator

 

Hello and welcome to the 64th 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed artist and curator Mari Marks Mondanelli. I first met her at Highpoint Center for Printmaking. She and I have an Italian connection and she was kind enough to put my paintings up at Fletcher's Ice Cream Cafe in northeast Minneapolis. She is awesome and her answers to my questions are awesome as well. Thank you for reading! (All images courtesy of the artist / Instagram: @marimarks.mm) 

Jackson: What inspired you to be an artist and a curator? Did you have an experience when you were young that sent you in an artistic direction?

Mari: I've always known that I wanted to be an artist. My first memory of art is in kindergarten when we painted figures inspired my Clementine Hunter. My figure had black hair and a magenta dress. My teacher held up my painting as an example of what not to do. My parents are not artistic people but they encouraged and supported all of my projects. My fifth grade teacher also gave me the space to be creative, and in high school my favorite teachers were the painting teacher Mr. Clercx and the ceramics teacher Mr. Moeller. They spent extra time with me and offered opportunities to do more. It was in painting class, creating a self portrait, when I first felt confident in my abilities.

In my current professional position, I don't have as much of a connection to art as I normally do so when I saw the opportunity to curate the art at Fletcher's Cafe, I talked to the owner Jason and basically gave myself the job. I love being connected to my community and showcasing beautiful and important work. It's important for me to showcase a variety of artists who might not have as many opportunities, or aren't well know yet, but their work is high quality. I also like the challenge of choosing art the community can connect with. Curating in Northeast would be different from curating a cafe in Eagan.

Jackson: How has becoming a parent changed the way you see and make art?

Mari: I appreciate the process of making art and what it does for my mental health. I don't get to be creative nearly as often as before I was a parent, and I miss it. I do my best to encourage exploration and creativity in every aspect of my daughter's life. Thick paint, beada all over the floor, and ribbons thrown everywhere are 100% acceptable and celebrated. I make a point to appreciate every brushstroke and meet hesitation with excitement. I point out every mural we see in the Twin Cities. When she gets frustrated with a problem I try to motivate her to solve it herself, which offers the opportunity to think creatively. Because of all the encouragement and joy I've received from my artistic practice, I see the importance of passing it on to my daughter.

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

Mari: I've always loved Faith Ringgold. Her mix of paint and fabric, details and storytelling. I saw the Pacita Abad show at the Walker and it was one of my four favorite exhibits of all time. I'd love to meet Pacita. 

The other three favorite exhibitions I've seen are; Alphonse Mucha at the Mucha Museum in Prague, William J. O'Brien at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and Posters of Paris: Toulouse-Lautrec and his Contemporaries at the Milwaukee Art Museum.