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.

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