Interview with the makers of "Just Because"

 

 One Smith Band's music video "Just Because"

I met Stephanie Stender during the Glovebox Short Film and Animation Festival in June. The Glovebox team was in contact with Stephanie months prior to our meeting and her music video/animation "Just Because" was passed around and quickly became a favorite. Stephanie directed and produced the One Smith Band's music video, "Just Because" which won several Glovebox Golden Glovie Awards at the Glovebox film festival. When Stephanie contacted me about the film's nomination at another festival, I was more than happy to spread the word. See, I believe as artists, we are all in this together. The more people we can touch with art, the better. The more people that I see doing their art, the happier I am and the better the world and immediate community is for it. Here at Glovebox, we want to spread the word about other festivals and non-profits so artists like Stephanie, have more avenues to spread their work, touching and inspiring more people.

Stephanie and Dan Flynn worked on "Just Because," spreading music and art. Their music video "Just Because" is nominated for a World Music and Independent Film Festival (WMIFF) People's Choice Awards. The WMIFF is a unique festival that blends music, film and fine art. It's a great organization that helps to promote all submissions, which we here at Glovebox fully support. Selected films will be featured at the US Navy Memorial Burke Theater the week of August 15th and our red carpet awarding will be held at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC on August 20, 2011. Help get "Just Because" there by voting here.

I think having such a talented group of people as friends is what keeps me motivated. When you see your peers creating beautiful art - no matter what their art form: painting, music, dance - it really motivates you to express your own voice with your artwork.
- Stephanie Stender

How did you both get started in art?

Stephanie Stender: My background is in film production. I studied film and photography at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia and then a couple years later, received my masters in film production with a focus on directing at Boston University. My films always had a whimsical sensibility that really went hand in hand with animation, but lacking any drawing skills myself, I only dabbled in stop motion animation. That is until I met the talented animator Dan Flynn a few years later when I started as an editor at a local animation studio. We started to collaborate soon after.

Dan Flynn: I got into UMass Dartmouth as a computer science major. I realized before my first semester started that it wasn't really what I wanted to do, so I went "undeclared." Through my sister (who went to the same school) I got a job with the art history and design office, and learned about the "Electronic Imaging" (EI) major there, which was a sort of "jack-of-all-trades" major that covered digital media like Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightwave 3D and Flash. I switched my major to EI shortly afterwards, and throughout my time there focused on 3D animation. I did some 2D animating in Flash, but it wasn't till I graduated college and got a job working at Soup2Nuts in Watertown as a Flash animator that I really took a liking to it, and I feel I became a stronger animator there.

With such strong artistic and technical backgrounds, how did you find yourselves doing music videos?

SS: I've always been obsessed with music videos. I grew up watching MTV. While other kids were watching Mr. Rogers, I was watching Land of Confusion, Take on Me, and the undeniable classic Thriller. As a child, I was also in love with silent films. We would go to the local church to see old silent films played with live organ music, and I remember it being such a treat. So, I think it's no surprise I fell in love with music videos. I saw them as our generation's silent films, but played with awesome 80s music. 

Music video for The Andersons' "Take It Outside." Directed by Stephanie Stender.

 
What is your process in creating a character that is all your own and helping the musician realize their vision for their song?

SS: This might sound odd, but I cannot listen to music without envisioning the film that goes with it.  The notes create a feeling in me, making its own music video in my mind's eye...Luckily, so far, my vision has always coincided with the musician's vision for the song.

DF: Listening to the song over, and over, and over. Figuring out how to tell a story and how to make the music relevant is like solving a puzzle, so there is a lot of thought involved. Eventually things just start to click, and that's when you know it's really working.

I love the different methods of reaching a visual story - where do you find inspiration for your work?

SS: I grew up in a household of storytellers. My grandparents would sit around the kitchen table, telling stories and having a good laugh. The need to tell a story seeped into my bones. One of the greatest privileges of being a filmmaker is the ability to transport someone to a different world, to entertain her, even if it is just for a few minutes. And I think my family really inspired me to do that through their love of a great narrative. And I am probably going to embarrass Dan by saying this, since he is one of the most humble guys I know, but he also really inspires me. I am always blown away by his talent. He can animate smoke, fire....the list goes on. But what I love most about Dan is his voracious need to learn more. He lives and breathes animation, and his enthusiasm for his art form really inspires you to get moving on your own!

DF: Like anyone, I'm inspired by those who have gone above and beyond. I'm inspired by musicians, animators, actors... I aspire to be as talented as they are.

Animation by Dan Flynn

How do you stay motivated?

SS: I think having such a talented group of people as friends is what keeps me motivated. When you see your peers creating beautiful art - no matter what their art form: painting, music, dance - it really motivates you to express your own voice with your artwork. Of course, watching a Michel Gondry music video motivates me, but in a different way. It feels a little removed. You start to think to yourself, well, he has such and such budget, or he has....you start to belittle your own abilities. But seeing your peers creating art, it puts faith back in your heart and gets you revved up.

DF: The thought of creating something that people will enjoy, and something that I can be proud of is what keeps me going.

--

Check out more of Stephanie Stender's work at:
Doorstop Productions www.doorstopproductions.com. 
Youtube channel

You can follow Dan Flynn's work on his blog here.

Interview with Photographer Paris Visone

Photos: Paris Visone

“It would be easy to say my life is a constant photo session. I see the camera as...more of a limb than a prop.” - Paris Visone

Paris Visone is a photographer based out of Boston, Massachusetts. Visone told us once that Glovebox needs to do more photo shows. Actually that was what she said in an email when she said she would do an interview with Glovebox for this blog. She recently did a shoot with Blondie and won a Getty Images Editorial Grant in 2010, among her other cool projects and professions. She has a solo show coming up at Suffolk Gallery July 22nd with an artist talk. More info on that here.

Paris is a straight shooter (no pun intended). At least that was my first impression of her about 3 years ago when she participated in the Glovebox photo show, Focus. She’s a cool chick and she knows it. I spoke to her about her spunk and her skill recently.

GLVBX: Tell me about your personality and how you would classify the type of person you are to work with.

PV: I am definitely a "let it flow" type of personality. And maybe a little loud at times. I do things seriously, but I don't take myself too seriously. Working with me, hanging out with me, there's really no distinction between the two.  "Working" just means we're actually getting something done.

What would a shoot with Paris Visone be like?

I do a lot of shooting from the hip. So it might seem like I am distracted by a situation and not actually shooting. I get a lot of "Oh, you should take a photo of this" from people who don't see that. While they're thinking I'm not doing my job, I wait for photos to happen. The over-presence of a camera can completely alter a situation. I try to stay as "real" as I can.

Tell us how your personality affects your work? Do you think it effects the quality of the shot?

Personality has a lot to do with the photos that you get. You can be standing right next to someone with the same camera and get totally different photos. I shoot with a 24mm lens. This forces me get close to my subjects, which works since I would say that I'm an in-your-face kind of person. Standing across a room with a paparazzi lens to get that candid shot is poor form compared to a subtle wide-angle shot in the midst of the moment. I like to be all up in the situation, rather than stalk it. The more connected you are to your subject, the more confident you become, and that will show in your photos.


I want to ask you about your artist statement. I think you have a really interesting artist statement for a documentary photographer - you end with three words: Experience, Remember, Relive.

Experience--How do you experience a photo session? Are you living it with the camera by your side as a “prop” or are you experiencing the situation through your lens?

It would be easy to say my life is a constant photo session. I see the camera as my replaceable baby. So maybe more of a limb than a prop.

This relates back to my earlier question -- what role does Paris play in how the session plays out?

I really try not to interfere in a way that a photographer normally would. I have a sort of old school documentary outlook on photographing. Even when shooting with a bulky large format camera, I usually stick to normal conversation. I just feel like you have to let people be themselves in front of the lens. Sometime I will get the question, "What should I do?" My answer is usually, "Whatever."  If you give people the confidence that what they already are is what you want, they unknowingly give you the goods.

Remember--When you take a photograph, is your intention to freeze a moment in time? It is a nostalgic exercise?

For me, clicking the shutter is more of an impulse thing. Usually while photographing I have no preconceived notions. I see something that I think is "worth photographing", and I shoot. I know immediately if I like it without even looking at it.

Why I like it is a totally different story. I usually have to live with a photo for awhile before I can really wrap my head around why I took it.  And there a lot of photos that I am in love with, and years later I still don't know why. I think those might be my best. Or worst.

I wouldn't say that I am sentimental in the traditional sense. But I would say that I am somewhat nostalgic, although photography is not for me to generate nostalgia. I shoot because life simply compels me to.

Relive--What does this sentiment mean, to relive? Are you reliving the moment through the eyes of the author (you) or is someone reliving a memory? Explain this idea to me--how important is it for you to be able to relive moments.

One of my intentions is to let the viewer make the photo their own. I love when people tell me that they know a version of someone in one of my photos. Or they feel that they have been in the same place or situation. I really like shooting everyday moments, because it is usually the first thing people forget, but ultimately what makes someone who they are.

But personally, relive is simple. It stems from the fact that I have a terrible memory. If I don't photograph something, according to my brain, it might as well not have happened. Reviewing photos is how I live my life, not how I review it. You could say that what reliving is for most people, is simply living for me. Life is photo.

Paris Visone Photography tee seen here modeled by Matt Katz-Bohen, keyboard player for Blondie (left)

Check out the Paris Visone Photography tees - send Paris a photo of you wearing your tee shirt and she'll post it! More information after these Blondie photos!!

Paris Visone Photography

Upcoming solo exhibition at Suffolk Gallery -- July 22, 2011

Check  out Paris on Facebook and Twitter

An interview with artist Amber Hakim by Brandon Aguiar

Glovebox intern, Brandon Aguiar takes to the Beantown streets to hit up some real artists, check out his interview with Amber Hakim!


BA: I know you're in school at the Art Institute of Boston to be a photographer, but you once said to me that you like to work in multiple mediums. Can you elaborate on what mediums you prefer and why?


AH: Sure thing, I originally went to school for Printmaking, which was my first love. I used to paint and draw a lot but my attention now-a-days in more on photo for school reasons. I like to consider myself under the label of "artist" rather than strictly "photographer" because I still work with other mediums. Before the semester started up I was getting back into drawing. Right now I'm really into this play on women and mother nature, juxtaposed with the satanic rituals associated with the nude female image and the idea of  nature as satan's "church," which was influenced from Lars von Trier's movie Antichrist.  Speaking of nude females...like every other art school student, I love nudity and I focused on the nude female, or rather scantily clad female form for a while. I curated a small student show last year with a few peers that was heavily based around those ideas and I did a lot of small sculptural pieces using animal bones and found objects with nature elements. I also carry those ideas in my current printmaking. I'm really into intaglio and etching. I love the physical work that goes into printmaking. I love getting my hands dirty. Seriously, I love ink covered hands and the smell of metal on my fingers. Is that weird?


BA:  I don't really think that's weird, I love the look of an artist.
BA: Now, getting back to photography - I understand that you work with in both "snap shot" photography and your fine art work....what about both do you find interesting?  


AH: Yeah, there's kind of two sides to my photography. I'm really into the snap shot asthetic and the freedom of on the go 35mm shooting. I like catching these moments of my life and documenting the people around me. I was really hooked on shooting my friends all the time and just the stuff we did when we hung out, just screwin' around. Sort of like Nan Goldin way less intense and more humerous. It  was a way to document my life and a way to reminisce. On the other side I do more conceptual work. I like being able to challenge myself with this side of my photography and work more with symbolism, double exposure and what not. I like working out more complicated ideas. Its therapeutic and and rewarding to create images that I can really connect with one a deeper level. One common thing that ties both sides of my work styles together is that I deal with people and relationships or identity. I'm working on a project right now about my relationship with my parents and growing up in a religious household. So I'm shooting still in the documentary style but I'm also combining my conceptual style by overlaying symbolic arabic text, kind of like Shirin Neshat and Lalla Essaydi were doing but I'm not trying to be political with it. Oh! and I also shoot film for the most part I hardly do digital but sometimes its nice to just shoot and not worry about film.

BA: Who are some of the artists you find inspiration from? 


AH: I've been hooked on Ryan Mcginley for a while now. He's definitely a big influence on my snap shot style work.  and Nan Goldin is sick too. Richard Billigham is another favorite of mine. Um, aside from those I love Francesca Woodman  and Sally Mann, Diane Arbus, Annie Liebovitz and Wolfgang Tilmans and pretty much every featured photographer on notcommonpeople.blogspot.com haha.


BA: You have done some of your work with Urban Outfitters.com, can you explain that in more detail?  You have also mentioned in conversation that you would some day like to run your own gallery. How did those plans come about and what are some of your goals for your gallery?



AH: Well basically I started up a Society6 profile which is a place for artist to show and sell work. They print it on canvas or t-shirts or even iphone skins. Urban is an affiliate of Society6  and they search for artists to sell in their Urban Print shop online. So I have a photo that was chosen and sells in their online store and its going pretty well. I love what Society6 does to help out artists just starting out. Its definitely a way to acquire affordable art which is hard now a days. My ultimate dream is to run my own gallery. I just love the idea of being able to help out other artists get there work out there. I worked for a gallery for a year in Beverly and now volunteer at the Fourth wall  and I just love the atmosphere of working in a gallery. I Thought about it being a little cafe type gallery which would be good for keeping the business afloat but these are pricy future plans I've got. Someday though I feel it could happen with the right planning. I want it to be a a space for young artists to have a chance to show their work cause its hard when you're young! But, yeah owning a gallery would be a dream come true. I just like the idea of surrounding myself with art  and making its my life which isn't far from the truth now but I just hope for the day when I don't need to work a shitty retail job.


check out her stuff here and here

Interview with Dan Osterman by Brandon Aguiar

Church's Rocks- scanned pencil sketch, colored in photoshop

Glovebox caught up with Boston based landscape artist, Dan Osterman, here is what he had to say:
GLVBX: What is it about the New England landscape that you continuously find inspiring to work from? 

DAN: Well I came up from New Jersey in ‘78 when I really wasn’t strong at making a habit of doing art. I still hadn’t committed. I love the Jersey Pine Barrens and the South Jersey shore and I did some work but it was sporadic. I had to move elsewhere to get serious about life. One thing about New England I immediately liked was it wasn’t as muggy in the summer, it’s gotten muggier since then though. What do I like best about the N.E. landscape? Getting lost on the backroads. It began out in Central Massachusetts for me. Little towns that time forgot, the Quabbin Reservoir, Mt. Wachusett.

GLVBX: I noticed that your style is very loose and free. Do you paint your work on-site quickly or is it actually a more planned out process done from photographs?

DAN: I do work fast. I pack a lot of stuff to be prepared. I work in water-based media, so that means acrylics, inks, watercolor pencils, prepared masonite panels, heavy watercolor paper. The ends of brushes, nib-pens, palette knives for scraping are big with me. With painting sometimes it’s all about the texture. Since ’94 we try to get up to Monhegan Island in Maine every year. It has been a destination spot for artists since the early 1900’s. It’s got heavy, dense woods as well as crashing shoreline and the highest cliffs on the US Atlantic coast. No cliffs in New Jersey. When I go out to places like this for a week, I can get 2 and 3 good pieces done in a day. And I draw a lot. Many times a painting is done later at home and based on a sketch that I think I can improve on. This is very different from working from a photograph. The machine only holds you back from remembering what you saw. It is a hindrance, a wall between what you see and your eye. Drawing and painting are not about reproducing, they are about seeing. And painting is more about the head and making choices. A lot harder. I’m not saying I don’t take digitals of stuff that I find interesting because I do. It’s all put into the great maw. But to me everything starts with drawing which is about being in the world, immediate and freeing. I guess this is why often my painting has aspects of drawing in it. Now you mentioned that you liked the piece that is on the front page of my website titled “Cuttyhunk Island”, which is sort of a little Martha’s Vineyard for Republicans out off New Bedford. That piece has tons of color and some people take it for a painting but it’s all Photoshop. I did a pencil sketch of some rocks, put it away for 5 years, scanned it in one day and colored it up. Voila- a new medium.

GLVBX: How often do you travel to favorite/new spots?

DAN: Well there’s Monhegan. A few years ago I discovered the South Shore. Took a car trip down 1A south through Scituate and Marshfield. If you’re willing to get lost and go down sidetracks you’re liable to find some exciting things. There’s a place in Marshfield that used to be a railroad bed and now is a road with houses lining it. The road ends where the marsh and the river begin, but the remains of the railroad continue and there’s a manmade island that was created as a support for the railroad with a little house on it in the middle of the river. Whoever owns it probably barbecues on its little porch in the summer facing the setting sun watching the river flow. This is where I did the “Red Boat”, which is on the website. There’s an old railroad bed like this on the Cape too that crosses Rt. 6 in Eastham that is quite magical. It snakes up through Wellfleet and the Pamet river and harbor in Truro, and disappears once you come to 6A into Provincetown. They discontinued service on this line in the 30‘s or something because the weather and the tides did such a number on certain lengths of it. If you’re really adventurous you can drive parts of this railroad bed but you also might get stuck in the sand. Anyway it’s all for inspiration. I pack my stuff up and go. I walk a lot too like in the dunes. 

GLVBX: Who are some of your favorite artists and why?

DAN: I love too many to name and always come across more. But the influences mostly are Frederick Franck for the drawing and Robert Henri and his Ashcan School. Charles Burchfield, George Bellows, Arthur Dove, Georgia O'Keefe, Polly Thayer, Milton Avery, Ben Shahn, Thomas Hart Benton. And the Wyeths, particularly Jamie, the youngest. Very queer stuff.

GLVBX: What are your plans for the future?

DAN: These days I’m just trying to find a gallery to take some of my work.


Check out more about Dan on his site:
http://www.danosterman.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DanOsterman


*All photo courtesy of Dan Osterman

Congrats to Abstraks

New online art mag, Abstraks released its first issue this month, featuring the IN on all things art in Boston.  We especially loved the piece about the Yes. Oui. Si gallery.  The gallery just emerged as a forefront in hip new grassroots spaces to exhibit local art.  


More about Abstraks:


Abstraks is a Boston based online Art magazine, focusing on artists and the art realm in Massachusetts. Abstraks' main goal is to help pave a way and promote new and influential artists in and around Boston. The magazine will feature different styles that cover a wide spectrum of artistic mediums. Abstraks is free and will showcase a new issue every month.


Check it out at www.abstraks.com

Creating with Coco

Interview With Brooklyn Artist: Coco Papy
Find out how Coco funded her art project, "She Keeps Wandering" 

GLVBX: As a collage artist how would you sum up the story you are trying to tell with your art... If your story had a title it would be....

CP:The Wrong Kind of Gal.

GLVBX: You seem to be touching on self perception with women with a sort of trans-being pinup collage style, lets talk more about this.... what is it about self-image you are trying to portray?  In other words...like what does it all mean?

CP: I identify myself as making feminist work and pushing the boundaries of what that exactly means at this point in time in art and culture. There’s a lot of push and pull. I’m externalizing what I can’t always express verbally when it comes to my evolving feelings towards these images and how they play into visual culture and feminine culture. I like the contradictions and the urgency they present.

I don't like to throw out statistics, but one of my favorites comes from the National Media Report that 97 % of media (printed and entertainment) is produced by men and in male dominated environments. 97 %! It definitely brings up issues on both male and female perspective, having deemed what bodies are “ visually valuable “, and the consequences of not falling into that physicality, as well as the language and dissection of female bodies. On the other hand, I can be so attracted to certain ad campaigns and how distorted they can become based solely on how they are constructed – have you ever seen any of the Ralph Lauren Polo ad’s? The models are usually so whittled down by Photoshop it reminds me so much of the Ingres painting “ La Grande Odalisque “ in the way that it’s so distorted.  But it’s also an issue where women seem to be getting thinner, smaller, whiter, and blonder. We want them to be sexy, but expect them to take up so little space. They are disappearing in the sense that we don’t seem to be interested in women of color, with bodies over a size 4, anything that deviates from the norm. Even the critique of thinness can sometimes get skewed, opting for something like, oh eat something, and I think there is a larger dialogue behind that. . People are susceptible to visual stimulus, especially when that stimulus is highly regarded by predominant culture.

So with my work, again it's the push and pull – I feel like I am making these hybrids that celebrate their absurdity and outrageousness.  I want them to scream, “ Look at me! This is what you want me to be!  I want attention! “. They are made up of parts and pieces of what you are supposed to look like, but taken into excess. But it’s also a form of armor, like creating an army of these hybrid girls who adorn themselves and wallow that contradiction. These worlds that I’m trying to create are an escape from the ideal. It’s like the island of misfit toys. The mixing of beauty and decay and grotesque all becomes something of a blurred boundary. Moreover. I want the viewer to feel the same gaze from the images that is projected on these images.

GLVBX: What is the process of your work?  how do you begin and end your constructions.  Do you have any self-governed rules that you follow? 

CP: I usually think of something at 6 in the morning that I might want to pursue, sketch it on whatever little scrap of paper is beside my bed and go back to sleep. I almost often throw that out as soon as I get into my studio, but work around the idea of it. I really love flexibility- and I think it is crucial for how I am working. There’s a real childish delight in it. I usually just put a mixture of paint and whatever filler I have down and smush it around and then work around that.  I love the element of surprise to whatever shape comes out and working around it, tweaking small details of the amorphous shape. There is a lot of urgency that informs the process, and I feel like it reflects with the way these hybrids look. It’s as if they are just reaching out to grab hold of something tangible or hold on to pieces of themselves, lest they lose themselves.  I have a big wall of collage pieces of things that I’ll pick out of a variety of magazines, usually big faces, long legs, and animals. I go to the oddball scraps on the floor as well; sometimes the best shapes come from things I’ve taken apart. I want movement – the feeling of being swung around in the air or flailing around like a chicken with their head cut off. The end usually comes from that feeling when you just know. It’s funny, its so typical sounding, but it really is- you just know after a certain time.  As far as rules go, I try to make myself okay with failing, moving on and not being self-conscious. This is usually harder than I would like it to be.

GLVBX: What artists inspire you and why?

 CP: I really love Nick Cave. His sound suits are amazing .The details! The color! What he makes as a visual, participatory object, I want to make on a flat plane. Also, Wangechi Mutu, Pipolitti Rist, Ellen Gallagher, Rachel Harrison – these women who are working within this context of identity where there is a certain celebration in lushness, vanity, and a mixed identity, yet a real backlash and critiquing of it. It's the tight ropewalk of their approach and how it translates into the way it looks. It gives viewers so much to read from, as well as project onto. I’m also really excited by artists who I consider my slightly older peers, woman artists who are in their early to mid thirties who have been at the game a little longer than I have.  At my most recent show, Lush, I met artists who are incredibly engaged and dedicated to their work. I think you learn more than anything from these experiences because it gives you a compass in what can start out as being a really unknown process. I think there are separate hurdles we all experience that make it discouraging sometimes, but when you realize there are other people out there in similar boats, it becomes easier to deal with. It also makes you want to step up your own game, when your peer’s work has such a strength and gracefulness to it. You want to be able to incorporate that into your body of work and flourish.

GLVBX: I saw your ipod on your workspace desk, to whom do you rock out to whilst creating your masterpieces?

CP: A lot of Scientific America and Edible Food podcasts. Also Lil Wayne. If I can be half as creative as Lil Wayne, I will be okay.


GLVBX: In your blog, there are multiple entries about the "she keeps wandering project", a project that you received funding for through the online non-profit kickstarter.  Can you tell our readers a little about your project and how kickstarter works?

CP: Kickstarter is amazing. It’s invitation only as of now (I have two left if anyone is curious…). You are relying on your faith in people and the internet to help you out, so it’s up to you to hype it, to put it out there  (a good lesson for all artist to learn) – it’s mostly people you know who donate, with a few good willed strangers in between. No one likes to ask for money, but with Kickstarter, it’s a way to make it a sweeter deal and more balanced for you and the backer. Their motto is “ a good idea, communicated well, can spread fast and a large group of people can be a tremendous source of money and encouragement “.

My project, She Keeps Wandering, had a 400$ goal-not much in the realm of Kickstarter, but still, it’s like asking for 400$ out of nowhere. I promised my donaters that they would get certain rewards, in this case works of mine, for more reasonable prices than they would be in a most normal gallery settings. If you pledge 10$, you got an artist postcard, $50 got you an artist drawing and a postcard, etc. The whole project relies on raising the original amount asked for- so if you don’t meet it, no one loses any money and you don’t have to string together a $500 project on $250.
So I exceeded my goal, by a hundred dollars, received the money to make new work and sent out everyone’s artist schwag. Now I have new collectors all over the country, which is great. My network just opened up a little more, from this simple action. People feel like they have gotten something out of this by having a piece and knowing what’s happening in my studio, and I can create a new body of work because I have the funds to do so.

GLVBX: Did you find raising the funds for your project difficult?  How did you market your project?  Have you done other projects similar to kickstarter to raise money for your work?

CP: This is the first project I did on kickstarter. I had reached a point where I was working full time and financially unable to dedicate all my resources to art. I needed help and since a friend had sent me an invite to kickstarter, I decide it was time to throw myself in.

As far as marketing goes- it’s up to you. Facebook hype, email blasts, word of mouth, whatever works. Again, it is sort of hard – you feel like you are asking for money, but it really does work in favor of both sides. It forces you out of the artist mode and into the business mode.

I think the greatest tool I had and that artists now have is the internet -that's essentially how this entire project was done. Think of how well this serves us! You can be an artist anywhere and still be vastly connected to the world. You can hawk your things on Etsy, you have multiple artist registries, and you can have relationships with other artists by something as simple as Facebook. I think what being an artist in New York in the seventies and eighties was for artists, is what the internet is now.  Sure, you will always get more out of being in a place that is beneficial for artist. New York might always be a better place to be an artist than say Dearborn, Michigan. But with the Internet, it isn’t that you are so isolated anymore, you are able to move further than you were

  

GLVBX:  What is your cats name?

CP: Black cat (creativity strikes). I got her at a shelter in Harlem a few years back. She only has two toes on each foot, an overbite and what seems to be a hunchback. She is the studio cheerleader.

GLVBX: Anything else you want to share?

CP: Work hard. Engage others. Play the hand your dealt.

all above photos by CocoPapy of her work and studio.

To learn more about Coco Papy visit:

http://www.wethecreatures.blogspot.com/

http://www.cocopapy.com/

Giddy'up and DRAW

Artist illustrator Keith MacLelland aka "Cowboy Keith" takes a moment to show us his work and what inspires him. He also tells us why he went to grad school and why he choose to do so at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, a small art school in Boston.

GLOVEBOX: So, who is Cowboy Keith?

Cowboy Keith: I combine traditional cowboy imagery and other visual components appropriated from popular culture to create non-traditional illustrations that simultaneously engage a diverse audience while acting as a conduit for personal experiences. My work challenges the notion that being a Cowboy is much more than hats, buckles and boots, rather, it is a state of mind.  The image of the cowboy evokes sentiments like courage, discipline, and kindness, all honorable attributes that strike a contrast to the rough and tumble exterior.

Acting as avatar, I collage images of the cowboy, the primary visual component, with recognizable images garnered from everyday life and combine them into a vibrant and whimsical web that attracts viewers with bright colors and flashy surface embellishments, all the while masking the underlying story of my own anecdotal narrative.

GLVBX: Where did that name come from?

CK: While exploring the image and icon of the great American Cowboy and use this image as a stand-in illustration for myself, and my experiences in an on-going visual diary the nickname “Cowboy Keith” has stuck.

GLVBX: What made you come back to AIB for grad school?

CK: I feel most at home when walking the hallways. I couldn’t image going anywhere else. That coupled with the fact that the AIB MFA is a low-residency program. That translates to five ten day intensives that you are required to be on campus, other than that you are on your own working in your space with the assistance of both a artist mentor and academic advisor. The program is still only two years long, same as a traditional MFA, the main difference being that you don’t have to take two years out of your life to complete it. I get it two years of nothing but intense study is amazing, but the reality is that many folks can’t afford that luxury. Programs like that don’t allow for life to happen concurrently, this one does! You’re still considered a full-time student and have to have the research and body of work to prove it. Slackers will not make it in this program. I felt as though it did a really good job teaching me how to incorporate art making on a professional level into my day to day life.

GLVBX: Why did you decide that grad school was a good choice for you and what advice would you give to others thinking about doing the same?

CK: I really felt as though I needed those three little letters attached to my name in order to start opening more doors for myself down the road. I did wait eight years though between undergrad and grad school. I am real thankful that I did, it gave me time to mature and I definately don’t think I would have gotten as much out of it had I not waited.

Sign up now! It will be painful and cost you some dough, but it’s the best investment in yourself you can make hands down.

GLVBX: What inspires your personal work and your professional work? 

CK: Old toys, signs, type, music, color, westerns

 We just can't end this great interview without a few cowboys!

Check out more of Keith's work at www.yourillustrator.com or contact him the old fashion way with a good 'ol phone call or pony express via Keith MacLelland:  22 Winthrop Street, West Newton, MA 02465 or 802.558.7399.