Google

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Interview with Leah Tinari

q) Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.

a)I am 31, I live in the East Village in NYC my studio is eight blocks away from my apartment. I grew up in the Bronx, New York as well as New Jersey. I went to the Rhode Island School of Design to study painting. After college I moved to NYC and have been here every since. I am 100% Italian American, I have two brothers and one sister. I love going to farmer's markets and I love to spend the evenings cooking with my husband Marty. I like to read and I like martinis. I am a painter and illustrator.

q) Had you always planned on being an artist [or had you other hopes]?

a)I always planned on being an artist for as long as I can remember.

q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?

a)I work in acrylic on canvas and I work in gouache on paper. I prefer acrylic because it is very immediate, it dries rapidly and allows me to work quickly and in layers. I can be very impatient when it comes to my paintings so it is fantastic when a section that I just finished painting can be dry in minutes. I also like to work in gouache because it is somewhere between watercolor and acrylic, it is more forgiving than acrylic. Meaning you can rework a color with some water unlike acrylic once it is dry that is it. Gouache also looks very velvety to me.

q) How would you describe your style?

a)My personal style or my painting style? Well... maybe I can sum up both in one answer... contemporary, bold, celebratory, witty, sometimes debaucherious and very much influenced by my surroundings.
q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?

a) I work from photographs that I take. At the starting point, composition, narrative and expression are the basis for creating my drawings. Once I make a drawing I will then go into the full scale painting. I know excatly what every painting will look like at the end even before I start it . I do not leave room for chance or happy accidents. I have a clear vision and the painting doesn't evolve during the process.


q) What are you working on at present?

a)I just finished a series of square paintings for a show and they were based on photos taken from a masquerade ball I attended with a group of friends in NYC. They are being shown at Gallery Nulu through May. Right now I am working on a few commisions but I am also working on some drawing for my first short animation that will be featured in a movie directed by Rebecca Miller.

q) What about recent sources of inspirations?

a)My sources of inspirations are definitely my friends and family. I consider it my social realism, my day to day and night to night shananagins. Though my work will also be informed by other abstract elements. One of my last bodies of work was really inspired by water, splattering and dripping and bubbles and being submerged in water.

q) What are some of your obsessions?

a)Oh No! where to begin? Listening to soap operas while I paint, painting, pork, ikura... actually anything Japanese, good gossip, saddling up to a great bar, Mara Hoffman, Christian LouBoutin shoes, horror films, fishing, the ocean, taxidermy, Costa rica ... I could go on forever.

q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?

a)I show with Mixed Greens Gallery here in NYC, Gallery Nulu in Louisville Kentucky, Peter Miller in Chicago and Real Art Ways in Conneticut. My hope is to expand to the European market. I would love to show in Italy as well as Germany. I am currently trying to find a gallery in Japan.

q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

a)I can be reached thru my gallery www.mixedgreen.com (212)-331-8888 or you can email me at leah@leahtinari.com or tinari76@hotmail.com.

q) Do you have any suggestions or advice for artists that are just starting out?

a)Dedication and inspiration. Work really hard and constanly look for inspiration.

q) Who are your favorite artists?

a)I have always loved Alice Neel, Ben Shawn, David Hockney, Ralph Staedman, Mike Kelly, Egon Schiele, Sigmar Polke, Neo Rauch, Henry Darger


q) What books are on your nightstand?

a) Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, The Pillars of the Earth. This Way North, Atonement .

q) To what weaknesses are you most indulgent?

a)Libations, good times and travel.

q)..your contacts.

a)
http://www.leahtinari.com/


www.mixedgreens.com

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Interview with Ricardo Morales Hernández

q) Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.

a)27, Puertorrican , Christian, married with children, only son, teacher and artist.

q) Had you always planned on being an artist [or had you other hopes]?

a)All my hopes had someday gone and irremediably I take the artist carreer.

q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?

a)Photography and drawing. Is just the best to spread the message of my work.

q) How would you describe your style?

a)My style is an everlasting process to my journey back home.

q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?

a)Sure. First I read a passage of the Bible. I get inspired. Very high. Then I go to work.


q) What are you working on at present?

a)I’m showing two series of new photograpy series called; from my observatory and believe it.
And the drawings I keep working.

q) What about recent sources of inspirations?

a)Nature,Kids,Wife,Music,Politics,The Kingdom of God!

q) What are some of your obsessions?

a)Doing music and doing art.

q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?

a)I had show in few galleries and spaces locally, in US and Europe. I would like to show
in every nation.

q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

a)ricardomoraleshernandez@yahoo.com

q) Do you have any suggestions or advice for artists that are just starting out?

a)ART IS NOT A RELIGION. LOOK ABOVE.

q) Who are your favorite artists?

a)Albrecht Dürer, Max Ernst , Duchamp, Alexander Calder, MC Escher , Hiroshi Sugimoto, Paul Cezanne,Andy Goldsworthy , M.K.Ciurlionis, Christo and Jeanne Claude, Pepón Osorio.

q) What books are on your nightstand?

a)No nightstand.

q) To what weaknesses are you most indulgent?

a)Good strong coffee

q)….your contacts…


a)Ricardo Morales Hernández

www.ricardomoraleshernandez.com

ricardomoraleshernandez@yahoo.com

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Interview with Admira Pustika

q) Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.

a)I'm an Indonesian but currently I'm in Shanghai. I appreciate every chance that I have to travel and see the other sides of the world. I have been doing mostly editorial illustrations for magazines like Playboy, The Jakarta Post and an Australian franchised magazine called Girlfriend. I love my dogs. I miss them a lot. I love to have a good cup of coffee in the afternoon, with some cookies on the side. Of course with the company of good friends.

q) Had you always planned on being an artist [or had you other hopes]?

a)I remember when I was in second grade, I was impressed by the billboards and I asked my Mother who made them. My Mother told me I should be very creative to do something like that. Then I promised her I want to make those commercials when I grow up. Which I did. But I know I love to draw all my life. I have a wonderful grandfather who is a great influence in my life as well as my creative growth. He always send his grandchildren letters in a form of comics. So I guess that got me instantly. And to draw has always been a passion.

q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?

a)Yes. I prefer to work with watercolor and collage. With watercolor, I feel that my expressive painting manner can be translated well.

q) How would you describe your style?

a)My style is very much expressive, colourful and sometimes humourous.

q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?

a)Of course. For every article, I usually go through it few times until I get the hold of it and the core message. Then I start a few sketches while doing some research of the points of the article which I find interesting. Then when I get the perfect sketches, I start to search for elements I can use for the final artwork. This is my favorite part, I can go scavenging for materials like thread, magazine papers,old boxes, just about anything I can find that will enhance the work itself.

(Image published on''The Jakarta Post'')


q) What are you working on at present?


a)I am working for an article about Vegetarianism for magazine.



q) What about recent sources of inspirations?



a)Definitely the Chinese artworks. They are filled with details and wonderful colors. You can tell so many stories in one work. Simplicity is also a must. It's something I'm trying to master for my future works.



q) What are some of your obsessions?



a)To be able to live in Bali! And paint all day surrounded by amazing artist and wonderful scenery.



q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?



a)I have shown my work in Toimoi in Jakarta, GardenAsia in Singapore and I would like to be able to show my work in The Society of Illustrators in New York and MoMA in Japan.

q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

a)Email is always good. And Facebook is the new email.



(Image published on''The Jakarta Post'')


q) Do you have any suggestions or advice for artists that are just starting out?


a)Keep on drawing, shows everybody your works, and don't look down on your works, no matter how mean everybody else can be.


q) Who are your favorite artists?


a)I love Yuko Shimizu's work and Ragnar Aalbu has crazy works!


q) What books are on your nightstand?


a)I have NYLON magazine always by my side and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Such wonderful book for any kind of question you have in mind.


q) To what weaknesses are you most indulgent?


a)A good cup of coffee. It makes me sleepy afterwards but worth every drop.

q)..your contacts.

a)Admira Pustika

Email: admira@gmail.com


Facebook and MSN: buatmira@yahoo.com