T.C Bryan: Within the framework of the collaborative process, what is it like painting in front of a live audience and also, if you could tell us a little bit on how 'The Sound and Vision' show you've curated for so many years now got started.
ArtChick: Painting in front of a live audience can be very addictive. Just thinking about all those eyes of curiosity dancing around feeds my sub consciousness to spill out onto my canvas. The music also takes a toll on the different levels of intensity on my brushstrokes. For instance if the music is ambient and the crowd is humble then my brushstrokes will be very gentle with light colors. And then if the next song or band is hardcore then suddenly I will throw the canvas on the floor or upside down and use darker colors.
The Sound and Vision show was inspired by an event in Harlem. (Sorry I don’t remember the name of the show). What I do recall was the organizer only allowed a painter one shot to paint live and featured a band that never met before that night. I didn’t care for the band that was thrown together for the first time and the theme “Women Sexuality”, I felt it added too much pressure on stage. So from that day on I vowed to create my own show with other painters (who can come back as much as they pleased to paint live), poets, and bands (not thrown together). On July 25, 2002 I hosted my first event. It was a packed house! This show lasted from 7pm-2am. People didn’t want to leave. Lol
T: Do you think that your photographic eye has, if at all, influenced your techniques as a painter, or vice versa?
A: I’ve always considered myself more of a painter than a photographer. In fact I have spent most of my life pushing the idea to people that I am a modern painter and hid the idea that I had a passion for photography. It was until recently that I have introduced myself to the world as a photographer.
And to my surprise I have found my painting skills to pierce through my photographs. For instance if I see someone standing on the dance floor with lights blinking in the background I’ll time the laser lights in time to allow the color to splash around them, giving them a rich and colorful background.
T: I have to say, I'm drawn irresistibly to your figurative work from your 'Black and White' series paintings, especially the piece entitled ' Lovers '. They have this sort of precision about them, and their composition are all just wonderful. Explain if you could, how you think these renderings voice themselves beyond their calm and sophisticated movements and form?
A: The black and White Series for me are very meditative. First you trace the lines slowly and then pull back to take it in as a whole. The uniformity of each piece helps my subconscious come to intuition. In most cases I would obsess over encompassing every color on my pallet to fit into my pieces. But this series was very disciplining for me.
T: Over the course of your artistic career, be it stylistically or ideologically whom would you say was your three biggest influences to your work?
A: Ray Johnson- God Father of Mail Art. I love the fact that he discovered loopholes to gain access into well-known establishments. That he bargained with potential buyers over long periods of time. It showed me the nature of the business. How keeping in contact and intriguing people with surprises and games. For instance he once sent mail art to someone upon request and when they opened it it said, “you just ruined it”. He had a great sense of humor I greatly admire.
Salvador Dali- My first introduction to him, my mother rented “Salvador Dali & Gala Born From An Egg”. Oddly enough I recall a completely different film.
Then again I often as a child found myself confusing my dreams, imagination, and reality together into one conception. With that said I remember seeing a huge egg on the beach and hearing the waves crashing. I felt myself getting antsy for something to happen. After some time passed he burst out of the egg screaming. In comparison to a child to an adults perspective the wait was not that long. In either case Dali by far is inspirational for me. I admire all of hit stages of work. Especially how he described his paintings as “Hand-painted dream photographs”, really inspires me to mix my two passions.
Jack Vettriano- self taught artist. I am a sucker for realism. I could spend hours studying how simple the paint is placed and how complicated it seems from a far. Every single painting of Vettriano’s are amazing. Not one has nothing to say or imperfection.
T: Can you tell me a little bit about these beautiful handmade jewelry pieces you've designed and the inspiration behind them?
A: I quit smoking and I needed to let out my rage onto something. So I found an extra set of silverware in the pantry room (which belonged to my boyfriends grandmother) and bent a fork around a river stone and made it into a necklace. When my boyfriend came home that night he said; “What a cool necklace! Where did that come from?” I responded; “Its your grandmothers fork. Can I create more with the rest of the silverware.”
Luckily he didn’t get upset and said I could use them. So for three straight days I nicked out and bent every single one. (Laughing out loud) I haven’t smoked cigarettes since, but I do smoke an occasional cigar now and then.
T: What is the ' Fun Mail ' series?
A: My brother use to receive handmade envelopes & and handwritten letters from a good friend of his. And I remember asking him what is that? And he responded, “Fun Mail”. From that day on I’ve been creating my own interpretation on what Fun Mail would be to me. I first began sending out Fun Mail to a good friend of mine in England and just last year I started trading Fun Mail with other artists around the world.
T: So what's on tap, tell us what we should be looking out for in the near future.
A: Since my club photography is a huge hit and taking up all my time. I plan to incorporate all my passions together; my love for Surrealist films, live painting, and photography.
I mean I am ArtChick after all.
Kristine Di Grigoli Paige is a Modern painter, Performance artist and Professional photographer based in New Jersey.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
ArtChick talks with I.C.C.A founder T.C Bryan
