Answers to some questions I was recently asked by a style editor. If you don't want to read it, you can just look at the pictures and get the gist. to be honest, i am not sure where this ended up.
Who or what influences your work and why?
I think, like everyone, I am influenced by my surroundings and what I take in from the world. A lot of what is currently influencing me is the relationship we have to our possessions.
Explain your art- what exactly is it you do? How do you describe it?
I feel I am just interacting with the world in ways that not only comment on it, but further my understanding of and relationship to it. My mode for doing that is often through creative expression, which may come from sewing a dress from reclaimed umbrellas or making a photo collage of all of my unopened mail.
When did you first become interested in art?
I have always been creative and drawn to creative things, ideas and people.
Were you influenced by the Green Movement?
Not by the "green movement" per se, as I don't feel it was as pervasive as it is now when I began thinking about all of this, but I have always had a concern for the environment and an interest in sustainability. My realization that the least sustainable thing in my life was my clothing is what eventually led to the fiftyRX3 project.
What have you incorporated into your lifestyle to facilitate going green and conserving energy?
I am far from perfect, but I try to make good and informed choices. I live in a relatively small apartment in a city where I take mass transit or walk most of the time. I often buy organic and/or local goods and use recycled paper products. I have green power and use CFLs. Many things in my apartment and wardrobe are vintage, antique or second hand. I recycle and try to reduce my waste.
Are there any historical or contemporary artists that you specifically admire?
I
admire anybody with a passion to create something and put it on
display. It doesn't mean I like everything, but I feel it is a brave
action to put yourself out there so to speak, it is much easier to be
part of the audience or a critic.
What is your favorite project or work you've completed thus far?
The umbrella dress has a lot of meaning for me. It is the first garment I ever created fully from drafting the pattern all the way through construction. The dichotomy of the dress really interests me. It is an elegant cocktail dress, but yet it is made from what people considered garbage, broken umbrellas that I reclaimed from the streets of NYC. Therefore, it provokes thought on life cycles in design while also taking a stab at the fashion industry and the importance that is frequently placed on what we wear.
What challenges have you had in your work?
Coming to terms with the "green movement" and "creativity" as a commercial opportunity... a challenge in progress.
How does the Internet affect your work?
The fiftyRX3 project was all online which allowed for a large international audience and a lot of interaction and feedback from readers, which was great, but I don't think that actually affected what I was doing. Committing to a daily online activity, e.g. blogging, is a lot of work. In many ways that commitment kept the project on track, but it also took a lot of time away from creating things. The actual fiftyRX3 collection probably could have been more premeditated and done better. In the end, the daily photos, getting dressed every day, became the creative constant in the project.
What is your greatest ambition as an artist?
My goal is to create things that I can feel good about and that allow me to explore ideas and express myself, whatever you want to call it, design, photography, art. If other people can share in it or get something out of it, that is even better.
What are you currently working on? Can you tell us about it?
Two ongoing projects are possession and love affair, which both involve ecology in different ways.
What advice would you give a young artist just getting started?
I would give this advice to anybody, follow your passion and read Bertrand Russell, he was pretty wise.
What "Green" Product would you recommend to our readers?
A tree or maybe a plant as air filter. I like the peace lily.
What is your best "going green tip"?
To quote Russell: To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.
Describe a day in your personal or professional life.
My days are quite varied. Yesterday, I woke up and bought tickets to Sigur Ros through their presale, had breakfast (organic eggs, fair trade organic coffee, toast with gingered rhubarb jam from the farmer's market), edited some photographs, had a phone call with a client, answered emails, walked over to Astor Place Theater to buy tickets for Blue Man Group (I am taking my parents when they visit next weekend), stopped at Liquiteria for a smoothie, went to the post office to pick up vintage shoes and second hand Levi's that I ordered on eBay, worked on my website attempting to iron out some technical difficulties, met some friends at an art opening that included the work of Aurora Robson, who uses recycled plastic bottles as material for her sculptures, went to dinner at Pukk (thai vegetarian) with my friends Jill and Pete, came home to find myself locked out, two hours later, finally got into my apartment, exhausted, I called a friend who works in environmental policy that I was supposed to meet for breakfast the next morning and pushed back our meeting so that I could sleep in, then I went to bed.
What do you see in the stores that you think is really great?
I try to stay out of the stores.
Which magazines do you read?
A variety, but I stopped all subscriptions and now just read them at the cafe or bookstore. Since I started writing for PAPER, I have those lying about at home - all the design issues for the last three or four years for instance. The more I look at them, the more I see how timely and innovative Kim Hastreiter is with a lot of the content. Who else would print Creative Growth Artists interpretation of fashion week? I also have a bunch of VOGUE mega-size issues that I plan to make into collages. As you might imagine, I also read a lot of online media. However, there is something to be said for content you can hold, so occasionally I will buy a magazine to bring home. With the rise of online media, I think magazines may become more like special objects, kind of like Visionaire, as a way to differentiate. I think all magazines need to get over their glossy selves, however, and print on recycled paper.
If you had a choice of all designers in the world, who would you prefer to work for? Why?
I
don't know if I would be set on one designer over an opportunity or
idea. I like innovation and market disruption, so it would be great to
be involved in something like that. Spending a year at IDEO might be fun. Last year I was possibly going to do some hotel work, so I did a lot of research in that area. I think Ace
is an innovator in that industry. I like their style and would
probably find working with them interesting. I also find Cameron
Sinclair of Architecture for Humanity a pretty amazing fellow, every time a natural disaster strikes, I donate some money there.
Are there any special projects you would like to work on in design?
I am open to many things, but there are a few things that interest me in particular...
1. a clothing line of well-made, sustainable pieces not driven by the trends or seasons of the industry. I am interested in the most possibilities out of the least pieces and also what basics are necessary.
2. small, functional living spaces.
3. album covers. I love music. In Roland Barthes' Camera Lucida he inquires into the nature and essence of photography. He talks about studium denoting the cultural, linguistic, and political interpretation of a photograph and punctum denoting the wounding, personally touching details. I feel music, and many other creative forms, also have studium and punctum. I think finding the right visual representation that shares the studium and punctum of the music would be a fun endeavor... as long as there are no plastic CD cases!
