Lynn Stern

Artist Q&A with Lynn Stern

Lynn Stern was born and raised in New York, where she continues to live. Stern works with black and white film and indirect, natural light; since 1985 she has been doing studio work, using a scrim of translucent white or black fabric. The Lynn Stern Archive is located at the Center for Creative Photography, Tucson.

“Quickening #19-40a”, Archival Inkjet Pigment Print, 38 x 43 in | 97 x 109 cm, 2019

Why did you become an artist?

I never considered it as a child. My father had a collection of abstract expressionist work that he began collecting in the late 40s through the early 60s, so I grew up with a lot of amazing work on the walls, and, though I wasn’t conscious of it at the time, I found it intimidating: it never occurred to me that I could become an artist – especially since I can’t draw! Then, in my early thirties I helped set up shots for architectural interiors – my first exposure to photography – and found that I loved composing through the lens. So, I started studying at ICP (the International Center of Photography) and quickly became hooked.

How is your work different than everything else out there?

What distinguishes my work as a photographer is that I think of the medium as one of light, not representation. For many years I have been working in my studio with diffused north light and a transparent white or black scrim, making whatever object is juxtaposed with it less literal rather than more so; my goal is to make visible a quality that is invisible – to transform the object from something seen that is valued for its striking outer aspects to something seen that is valued as the expression of something unseen, … Click here to read more

Jacques Jarrige

Artist Q&A with Jacques Jarrige

Jacques Jarrige is a Paris-based artist working in the confluence of fine art and decorative art with sculptural and functional objects in relation to the body and human scaled spaces. He is represented by Valerie Goodman Gallery in New York.

“Double Dining Table”, beech wood, 42 x 30 x 120 in | 107 x 76 x 305 cm, 2020

Who is your favorite artist of all time?

I love the work of Henry Moore. I first saw his work at the Château de Bagatelle in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, which is famous for its rose garden. In this naturalistic English landscape style park setting, Moore’s work gave me the feeling that I was meant to be a sculptor. It was his work that made me believe I was meant to do it.

How did you become a professional artist?

I have always felt strongly connected to art. My father was an avid art collector, so there were a lot of paintings in my home as a child. There were also two small, distinctive Rodin sculptures that were always in the house, and now, in the back of my mind.

Through studying architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts and decorative art at Ecole Supérieure d’Art Moderne, I became drawn to creating more sculptural works. The first object I created was a chair made of rebar I had envisioned in my mind. I bought a welding gun and created the piece in my kitchen. By physically creating a work of art in this manner, I understood it more and became less reliant on drawing in my practice. I was inspired that I could directly create what I had envisioned.

In school I was not interested in pursuing anything other than drawing. Not music, math or any other field, and later architecture wasn’t really satisfying. … Click here to read more

Florence Montmare

Artist Q&A with Florence Montmare

Florence Montmare was born in Vienna, and raised in Stockholm by Swedish and Greek parents who spoke German. At the age of 22, she ventured to New York City to pursue a career as an artist. She is based in New York and Stockholm and represented by Ivy Brown Gallery in New York.

“*Broken Horizon* (Diptych)”, Scenes from an Island series, C-Print, 22.5 x 39 in | 57 x 99 cm, 2015

Who is your favorite artist of all time?

Hard to pick just one! I love Deborah Turbeville, Maya Deren, Tarkovsky, and of course Ingmar Bergman.

How did you become a professional artist?

I studied at the School of Visual Arts and the International Center of Photography in New York and for a few years afterwards I worked closely with some of the faculty, Sam Samore, and Robert Blake assisting and simultaneously making my own art. I went on to create my studio practice working in New York and Stockholm and exhibited in museums and galleries in Europe, such as Saarland museum, Casino Luxembourg, and the Centre d’art Contemporain du Luxembourg among other places.

What are the influences and inspirations in your new works?

All my work starts from my personal experience. Film, performance, music, painting, sculpture and poetry inspire me. My influences are also my diverse cultural background, having grown up in Vienna and Stockholm; plus I speak several languages.

When is a piece finished for you?

I rely on my intuition entirely here. A piece is finished when I don’t have anything additional to say about a subject.

How is your work different than everything else out there?

I don’t believe that art can be isolated, rather, it connects to the collective consciousness. As photographers go, we have to relate … Click here to read more

Jennifer Small

Artist Q&A with Jennifer Small

Jennifer Small is a Wilmington, DE-based painter and visual designer whose work focuses on elevating everyday routine through representational abstraction. Small’s work combines hard edges, patterning, and bold use of color.

“Diner Windows to Tennis Courts”, acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 36 x 24 in | 91 x 61 cm, 2020

Who is your favorite artist of all time?

My favorite artist of all time is Georgia O’Keeffe. She was directly inspired by her environment to create abstract paintings and during the process of her life and career. She was a bold, inventive, and fearless leader in paving the way for American abstract painters that followed.

Why did you become an artist?

I’ve considered myself an artist from a very young age. I grew up in a creative family. Both of my parents, and brother and sister, are all very artistic, so making art was always encouraged. The steps toward becoming a professional artist started in high school and continued through my undergrad and graduate studies. During this time I developed my skills and found my voice as a painter, but was also surrounded by encouraging teachers and classmates who helped me to connect with people and opportunities beyond the school community where my work could be shared and enjoyed by a larger audience. After finishing graduate school I continued the process of honing my skills as a painter, applying for opportunities, and expanding my network as a result. My journey as an artist is ongoing. With positivity and hard work, I am confident I will see continued growth in my work, and success as a painter.

When is a piece finished for you?

A piece is finished for me in a formal sense when it achieves balance, a focal point, and engaging visual interest through the juxtaposition … Click here to read more

Jeane Cohen

Artist Q&A with Jeane Cohen

“Angel”, oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in | 152 x 122 cm, 2020

Why did you become an artist?

I couldn’t help it. At this point I would have to say that being an artist chose me. It sounds cliché but that’s how it has worked out. I used to think I should do something more practical, I still think that actually, and so I worked in the social services and as a counselor for a long time, even recently at the Chelsea Foyer in Manhattan. I would work these jobs and then go to the studio to paint. When I had less time to paint I felt terrible. Eventually I realized that I should just prioritize painting so I’m on that track now.

How is your work different than everything else out there?

My work has vitality and momentum. It is emotionally real, wild and alive. The union of the painted materiality and subjects are what give my painting a demanding immediacy. One important thing to understand about my work is that it transcends the traditional dichotomy of figuration and abstraction. Instead of operating within these binaries the works range in their loyalty to referential space and they track what I see as I move through the world. It is perceptual in that way and built of many sensations strung along together. The work resists an easy categorization although there are constantly emerging themes such as growth, nature, instability, transition, lurking danger, and survival.
I think the work is unusual because it is earnest and generous without being didactic or thematically concise. The work gets to the reality of simultaneous contradictory experiences and the discomfort of interruption or not having an easy answer on hand. In Split Fires at Slag Gallery there are … Click here to read more

Pat Gainor

Artist Q&A with Pat Gainor

“Magical Mystery”, oil, acrylic, and mixed media on canvas, 36 x 48 in | 91 x 122 cm, 2019

Why did you become an artist?

I could not not be an artist. I have been passionate about art all my life and through the course of several successful careers. While a model in New York, then an actress and TV host in L.A., I always painted. Now I am a full time artist. I have been rewarded with shows and sales all over the world. I love people’s response to my work and the excitement of working on and seeing my finished pieces.

How is your work different than everything out there?

As a second generation painter, I have concentrated on developing a unique language with my art incorporating pattern as texture.

How do you know when your work is finished?

When it takes my breath away! It may not happen every time, but when it does it is a good signal that I am done. You may have to move it to another wall or location to get another take on it. Don’t look at it until you are a distance away to get the full impact. If you are amazed it is a good time to stop.

“Summer Times”, oil and acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24 in | 76 x 61 cm, 2019
Pat Gainor at the National Art Center Museum Tokyo, photo by Ed Tar.

What’s different about your current body of work?

In much of my latest work, yet unpublished, my exploration of pattern, color, movement and shapes evolves to its next stage of unique abstraction.

What’s coming up for you?

My work and show concept were selected for a 2021 solo exhibition at Gallery 825 in Los Angeles. which will take place August 14 through September 10, 2021. I have … Click here to read more

Richard Metz

Artist Q&A with Richard Metz

“The Mythic Moth Menagerie the Orchard”, egg and natural pigments on tree, 120 x 55 in | 305 x 140 cm, 2018 (Park Hill Orchard, East Hampton, MA)

Why did you become an artist?

Being a visual artist grew in me slowly over time, but it was always the only path forward in my life. The process of making visual art is so satisfying and so all encompassing to me, that of course I wanted to keep doing it.

I also have a strong environmentalist side, and to some extent these have merged over the past 20 years. Being an artist now is how I explore nature and merge with the natural world. It is how I want to encourage others to explore and protect the public natural areas near them.

I have subtle visions of images, sometimes touching on a feeling from my past experiences that move me very much, and I feel so strongly that I want to portray them in my work. I have also been very moved by expressionist artists who have come before me including Chaïm Soutine, Jean Dubuffet, Phillip Guston, Susan Rothenberg, and Pierre Bonnard. Native American, African, and Polynesian art have also been influential to my work, as well as Illustrators Theodore Geisel, Franz Masreel, Lyn Ward, and Art Spiegelman.

How is your work different than everything else out there?

Some of my work is in more traditional formats, and some has struck some new ground. The tree paintings seem to be an original format that I came upon late in grad school. They are different in several ways; they are ephemeral

The works decay as life is born, lives, and dies. So much art work battles with nature, to be preserved for ever, and adds to … Click here to read more

Frodo Mikkelsen

Artist Q&A with Frodo Mikkelsen

The last ride, acrylic on canvas, 80×70 cm, 2020

Why did you become an artist?

My father was an artist, and when i was 8 years old, I told him that I wanted to be an artist. He gave me all the support I needed and told me that i had to choose a path. That path started in 1984 when I started painting graffiti at just 10 years old.

Frodo Mikkelsen, photo by Nikolaj Palmskov

How is your work different than everything else out there?

I have heard many times that my work is unique, even though I use symbols like the skull a lot. Other artists use them, but mine is just still mine, being clean and crisp.

What’s different about your current body of work?

My early work was very crowded, and I tried everything. I still do a lot of different things, but I don’t mix it anymore like I used to. I’m working on getting my art more clean and graphic; it’s shaping up!

Totem dreams, painted oakwood, 100x100x50 cm

What’s coming up for you?

Right now I am showing in a gallery in Brooklyn called Java Project Brooklyn, in a show that me and Paul Brainard curated with American and Danish artists. I am also showing at The HEART Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, Frederikshavn Kunstmuseum, and Vestjyllands Art Museum, all here in Denmark. There are also group shows in Kode, Bergen Art Museum, and in Mocak-Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow. Next year I will be showing at Vrå Art Museum, and a gallery in Hamburg and Berlin in Germany.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out today?

A lot of people thinks that being an artist is easy, but it is hard work 24/7, so think big, have fun, and … Click here to read more

Paul Brainard

Artist Q&A with Paul Brainard

“Lexicon Leader”, oil on linen, 40 x 55 in | 102 x 140 cm, oil on linen, 2020

Why did you become an artist?

I really don’t think that I had a choice. Making art is something that i do every single day; it is in my blood.

How is your work different than everything else out there?

II think that it is an interesting blend of the absurdity of existence, modernist formalism and vulnerable self effacement.

What’s different about your current body of work?

I am simultaneously trying to combine elements of the personal and the formal in a way that makes a very diverse visual language.

“Moron at the Genius Bar”, oil on linen, 18 x 17 in | 45 x 42 cm, 2020

What’s coming up for you?

I just did two shows back-to-back at the Java Project Brooklyn. The first one “Covid Kids Club” was work that was made during the Covid – 19 lockdown in NYC. March and April were especially difficult in Queens with constant sirens and death all around you. I was a few miles from the epicenter of the epicenter of Covid -19 in the first wave, so it was comforting to stay home and make art. The second show at the Jave Project is “The boring Gaze” a group show of NYC and Danish Artists co-rated by myself and Frodo Mikkelsen. It was very difficult to install 15 artists in such a confined space but i am very happy with the result . The gallery is open by appointment from November 7th to December 7th, 2020.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out today?

Listen to your own inner voice because this is the thing that makes you a … Click here to read more