particular results. Usually I proceed in this way.
I choose a color palette for the base of the painting, I mean the pictorial base, which must be placed on a surface not too absorbent, then I lay the colors in different areas. One or two days later, when the underlying surface is dry, I lay other colors using another palette . A first series of strokes, begins to mark the part of the painting and combines itself with others in a mix of shapes and colors that create a kind of place, or in other words, a space inside the painting, where you can move. The overlayed signs and small blurs, the play of colors, the shape of the pictorial objects, let come out a "dimension" in which you can understand the timeline. The painting is sized in height and in width, so it is essential for me, to exploit the depth of the space within the painting. I do not want to get a three-dimensional effect, but I consider any form within it, as an object that represents itself, that is in that crystallized moment, but that is part of a place where everything moves and becomes continuously. In all my work, a closer look can grasp the temporal sequence of the different layers of color. Inside the painting we must be able to see the various stages of the creative process, which is in my opinion, the evidence of the true art. The inclusion of a character means, that what the character sees, is what we see on the canvas, only color and shape, the explosion of tones, as I said before it is crystallized in a suspended moment Talking about my “biroscapes “, I think that gives me the possibility to express an image in a different way. The quality of the performance is not primarily in the final product, but in the way in which the work is realized. In this case, an apparently "poor instrument" as a pen, lets me know when it is time to draw. And this is the most important moment of the artwork. The greek meaning of the word Tekne that defines art as technique, here fits perfectly. In my opinion cannot exist one without the other.
The cross-hatching and the light signs, which they mix together, are part of a technique, in my opinion essential, that it is never the expression of a specific intention. While drawing imagine using a small virtual paper but in real size is 10 times larger.
Talking about depth, I don’t put limits, I'm trying to make the idea of a great universe enclosed in a small space. Few years ago, I thought that a small 11 x 15 cartonboard could be suitable for a long series of drawings that I particularly like, that I call “biroscape”.
From my point of view , they are inside out landscapes, expressed as objects, which put together, represent a land, where the technique of drawing with pen, is the real star of the show.
How do you see the relationship between emotional and intellectual perception of your work? In particular, how much do you consider the immersive nature of the viewing experience?
I am glad you put me this question, because it gives me the opportunity to explore the concept of relationship existing between me and the product, that I am creating. Basically there is always something that hits me and puts my attention in what surrounds me, and this is due to my cultural background and to my prejudices or fears, in fact we often let to pass through the emotional sphere, what really interests us.
This is the filter that translates the emotions is the intellectual sifter, to which I give the task of taking events, people and things, which are the protagonists of any natural phenomenon, of my emotions, which cause negative or positive sensations of what happens to me. These emotions are ready to be used as an aesthetic tool for reconstruction, through the creative process, in order to be transformed in an artistic product. The World is made up of objects and subjects. I am not interested in objects because they aren’t part of my experience. On the contrary when they became part of my experience, I give them a different meaning and they become for me a "subject." This "subject" has an emotional strength, it can be a tree or a house or the sea, which became part of my life. So they become that particular tree, that particular house or that particular sea. This statement can be like a philosophical thinking, but it expresses my thought, those who for me have become the subjects of nature, participating in the building of the work, not being longer a representation, becomes an object available to everyone, until they become the owners of it, through the experience . So, something that was only the idea of an object , after my transformation becomes a subject.So nature for me is everything that surrounds me. The Painting makes me to consider the relationship between me and the sensitive objects, that make up a continuous suggestion. A line of a cloud or a particular scratch in the wall or the shape of a trunk, can come out and suggest an unexpected solution. All I see is useful to me. I remember an anecdote of the painter Gainsborough, that, to his wife who asked him why he had stayed all afternoon from the window, answered, "I'm working." For me watching means trying to find something, and often I do good supply of these things.
Before leaving this conversation we would like to pose a question about the nature of the relationship of your art with your audience. Do you consider the issue of audience reception as being a crucial component of your decision-making process, in terms of what type of language is used in a particular context?
various supports or digital and pen drawing, and is made up of long-term investigations. "
What is the role of technique in your practice? In particular are there any constraints or rules that you follow?
There are objective rules that come from the knowledge of the tools we use, for example, in the oil painting tecnique, it is necessary to know the constitution of the pigments, in fact some of them, cannot be mixed with others, because they can turn, cause their chemical composition on another tone, or they go on an opaque shade . It is necessary that we use the brush and the gesture in a synchronized way, because it is important that there is a complete harmony between what you want to achieve and what you can get. The Knowledge of the composition of the material with whom you are working and a good manual ability, is important, in order to get a good result. These rules, which I must keep in mind before of the design of a work, are very important.
Why is it important to plan and not be led by the so-called inspiration? Simply, because the creation of an idea comes out from a sort of "drawer", that I fill every day with my notes and my ideas. I do not like improvise, but I prefer to be guided by a creative emotion, of which you had spoke about when you quoted me, and that is nothing more, than the feeling of satisfaction to proceed in my work and to see gradually my idea become the object that I had thought. The object, which becomes the artwork as well as I had imagined.
This way of working, if it is well organized, composed and built on solid bases and specific rules of interpretation, probably allows me to get that good particular results.
Usually I proceed in this way.
I choose a color palette for the base of the painting, I mean the pictorial base, which must be placed on a surface not too absorbent, then I lay the colors in different areas. One or two days later, when the underlying surface is dry, I lay other colors using another palette . A first series of strokes, begins to mark the part of the painting and combines itself with others in a mix of shapes and colors that create a kind of place, or in other words, a space inside the painting, where you can move.
The overlayed signs and small blurs, the play of colors, the shape of the pictorial objects, let come out a "dimension" in which you can understand the timeline.
The painting is sized in height and in width, so it is essential for me, to exploit the depth of the space within the painting. I do not want to get a three-dimensional effect, but I consider any form within it, as an object that represents itself, that is in that crystallized moment, but that is part of a place where everything moves and becomes continuously. In all my work, a closer look can grasp the temporal sequence of the different layers of color. Inside the painting we must be able to see the various stages of the creative process, which is in my opinion, the evidence of the true art. The inclusion of a character means, that what the character sees, is what we see on the canvas, only color and shape, the explosion of tones, as I said before it is crystallized in a suspended moment
Talking about my “biroscapes “, I think that gives me the possibility to express an image in a different way. The quality of the performance is not primarily in the final product, but in the way in which the work is realized. In this case, an apparently "poor instrument" as a pen, lets me know when it is time to draw. And this is the most important moment of the artwork. The greek meaning of the word Tekne that defines art as technique, here fits perfectly. In my opinion cannot exist one without the other.
The cross-hatching and the light signs, which they mix together, are part of a technique, in my opinion essential, that it is never the expression of a specific intention.
While drawing imagine using a small virtual paper but in real size is 10 times larger.
Talking about depth, I don’t put limits, I'm trying to make the idea of a great universe enclosed in a small space.
Few years ago, I thought that a small 11 x 15 cartonboard could be suitable for a long series of drawings that I particularly like, that I call “biroscape”.
From my point of view , they are inside out landscapes, expressed as objects, which put together, represent a land, where the technique of drawing with pen, is the real star of the show.
Is there any particular way you would describe your identity as an artist but also as a human being in dynamically changing, unstable times? In particular, does your cultural substratum/identity form your aesthetics?
Definitely being female in this day and age influences my aesthetics. I guess you could say I am a feminist artist, not the bra burning, sign wielding type, but I certainly believe in equality for women, particularly in art. I empathise with women involved in the art world of history past and am awed by their courage and how far female artists have fought to shine through… but it still isn’t over yet. Through my art I believe I am conveying a woman's sense of self. Her individualism, her beauty, sensuality and mystery, her sexuality, strength and heart.
Your art seems to be a quest for “balance between abstract and realism, manipulating lines and colours to create a kaleidoscopic feel while remain a meticulous sense of order using acrylic and mixed media.” What is the role of technique in your practice? In particular are there any constraints or rules that you follow when creating?
The very beginnings of inspiration for a new painting is to look for a pose. I will often troll through images of Avant Garde fashion photography, ballet, dance, naked portraiture and/or body-scapes to find just the right one. Once I have the pose that strikes me (YES!) I take it from there, drawing up a rough sketch adding patterns and geometrical shapes which contrast the lines of the main silhouette.
From there I sketch my plan on to a blank canvas (always making changes and additions to the new layout). Once I am happy with that I start to add colour. My fine lines are all executed without masking; using a small brush, even hand, and steadfast concentration. Then I apply layer upon layer of colour until I achieve beautiful unyielding saturation and impeccable print-like quality.
How do you see the relationship between emotional and intellectual perception of your work? In particular, how much do you consider the immersive nature of the viewing experience?
The emotional and intellectual relationship of my work always begin as two very seperate things. At first glance, my art may seem frivolously aesthetic .The colours are vibrant, and deliciously arresting. But then you look a little closer, even through the simplicity of the block colour and basic lines of geometry and pattern, there is always a story within… and that is when the emotional and intellectual perception of my art merge and the true beauty is discovered.
olted by the Thought of Known Places… Sweeney Astray” by Joan Jonas was one of the first performance installations that really made a huge impact on me. I was living in Paris during this time, in the early 90s, with a lot of influences from different cultures. It became the starting point of my own work. Joan Jonas practice has explored ways of seeing, the rhythms of ritual, and the authority of objects and gestures. Jonas continues to find new layers of meanings in themes and questions of gender and identity that have fueled her art for over thirty years. She is a great inspiration still today.
It is impossible to avoid the topic of body consciousness, embodied emotions and the image of body and personal identity that we see in your practice. What is the function of the identity appearing in your artworks – is it a canvas used to present your ideas or rather the subject of the art? What inspired you to use this as a theme in your practice?
I have been developing my visual imagery since I began studying art and film - from conceptual thinking, composition, using light and colour in different ways, through all the different techniques I've utilised over the years in my work and in my collaborations with stage artists such as dancers, musicians and actors. My approach is always developing through exploring these things. Visual imagery in essence is your way of experiencing what you see and transforming it. This is my world that I want to share and express through my art. The body consciousness, embodied emotions and the image of body and personal identity is part of this visual imagery, the emotional essence in my practice. Always present and always developing in different themes and projects.
Marina Abramovic stated: You see, what is my purpose of performance artist is to stage certain difficulties and stage the fear the primordial fear of pain, of dying, all of
which we have in our lives, and then stage them in front of audience and go through them and tell the audience, 'I'm your mirror; if I can do this in my life, you can do it in yours.'Can you relate anyhow to these words?
de-identify myself, by losing my roots, my culture, I would be very happy. Unfortunately the human being does'nt choose the place where he is born. He grows up in a society that automatically identifies, through education, culture, family... More than ever I think it's more important to go on a way of self-knowledge with the aim to meet “the other”.. This other without which we can not exist. It's the same for the artist. It is more important for me to be focused on my practice than to try to define it according to esthetic criteria of identification. It's probably the reason i like to remember the painter Matisse who said or wrote that an artist must never be prisoner of himself, prisoner of a style, prisoner of a reputation.
Would you like to tell us something about your background? Could you talk a little about experiences that has influence the way you currently relate yourself to your artworks?
All my way is influenced by encounterings.
It began by the meeting with my professor of literature at school. More than giving French or Literature classes, she brought us to discover texts, movies, plays, visual artworks and to think about on what we saw or read.. Thanks to her that I met Pierre Vincke, a theatredirector who was worjink in the tradition of Grotowski ... Both of them have led me to go to theater school. In this school I had meetings. Meetings with artists but also and especially human beings that made me discover. I always need o discover rather than to master a practice. It's probably the reason my encounter with Monica Klingler and Boris Nieslony was decisive for me and led me on the path of Performance Art which is a form still difficult to define. Each performance artist has a different definition of what it is...
Could you identify a specific artwork that has influenced your artistic practice or has impacted the way you think about race and ethnic identity in visual culture?
No I don't have a specific artwork that has influenced my artistic practise but many.
I'm influenced by some philsophers as well as poets or musicians or dancers or visual artists but also by some places or landscapes or atmospheres ... For some years, I was used for example to go to India where I was used to follow some traditionnal muscians or to learn bharatanatyam and practice vipassana meditation... Of course this experience has impacted my art work.... This brought me to think and work differently... My experience in India brought me to discover traditionnal strong art and paradoxally to the way of Performance Art. But there I see one common point: to make no separation between art and life and to be here and now, without projection on the future.
It's difficult for me to speak about race and ethnic identity. But I can say that today we miss more and more this notion of “to be here and now” which is more present in some cultures ... By practising Performance Art, it's my way to be connected to this way of thinking. And even in this field actually it's more and more difficult. The society and the art world brings us more and more to plan in advance, to define our work, more than to do. Just to do. To do what we deeply need.
And of course, my encountering with Black Market International and later the notion of Open Source or Open session via PAErsche have also a big impact on my work. When we go on that, each of us perform by sharing time and space but without trying to convince each other on some common way. This is for me a wonderfull way how we can meet each other, regardless of our origin, our race or our “identity”...
Many of your works carry an autobiographical message. Since you transform your experiences into your artwork, we are curious, what is the role of memory in your artistic productions? We are particularly interested if you try to achieve a faithful translation of your previous experiences or if you rather use memory as starting point to create.
My memory is clearly a starting point to create. I don't have any autobiographical message. I use my personnal experience ( what I feel , what I see, what I learn, what I ear...) to work. It's a motor or a material. I'm not able to paint, so I can't do something with red or white or yellow or black colors. All I have is life, a body alive. And I need to do something with that...
My sensation about life sometimes is too intense then I need to transform this intensity in some action. Some artistic action... If people can take something from this action this is great... but I don't want to give them “a specific message” or to control the translation of my experience.