Artist Statement

Throughout my artwork there are many reoccurring themes that include simple forms, texture, and items or places with historical backgrounds.  Whether I am taking photographs or creating a sculpture, I like to have most, if not all, of these elements within my artwork. 

I enjoy simplifying my work to show the forms and textures.  In my 3-D media, I try to keep the rough texture or throwing lines to emphasize the work that I put into it.  In addition to the hand-made aspect, I try to appreciate the flaws and highlight them in my pieces.  I also try to incorporate these elements into my photography by getting close to my subjects or by choosing scenes that have been neglected. 

In addition to simple shapes and textures, my work also encompasses many places or items with a story or historical element.  When I am looking for places to shoot my photographs, I seek out areas that are loaded with California history.  I travel to historical towns such as Old Sacramento, Sutter Creek, and Nevada City capturing a view that many people may not see as they meander along the streets. 

The purpose of my art is to inspire my viewers to examine the mundane surroundings and begin to appreciate even the simplest of elements like form and texture.  

Knowledge and Creativity:

 Does one depend on the other?

            Knowledge is defined as an acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation (dictionary.com). Knowledge is something that is acquired.  No being on the planet is born with knowledge; they must learn everything.  Having knowledge of a skill or subject can sometimes spark imagination and that is what drives people to invent new things or produce beautiful pieces of artwork.  Creativity is defined as the ability to transcend traditional ideas, and to create meaningful new ideas (dictionary.com).  Many people can have ideas, but being creative requires a person to take something that has been done and taking it to an entirely new level that has never been done before.  Creativity is often brought on by extensive knowledge of a subject or skill and trying to form it into a new idea or process. 

Both creativity and knowledge are traits that are dependant on each other in many ways.  In order for one to be able to create new things they must have the knowledge of the particular subject that they are creating upon.  For example, Albert Einstein was faced with a dilemma and he created a mathematical equation to solve his theory of relativity.  If Einstein didn’t have the knowledge of math, he would have never found a needed to solve any problems.  A great example of an individual that took his knowledge of art and put his own spin on it was Pablo Picasso.  Picasso painted in a very traditional style for most of his young life, yet when he matured into a more experienced adult painter he branched out and created his own style, Cubism.  Picasso had to have very good knowledge of how colors, lines, balance, and even the anatomy of a human work together to make successful pieces of work.  Lastly, Andy Warhol used his knowledge of printing to bring ordinary products to life with his choice vibrant colors.  In one of his most notable pieces of art, the Campbell’s soup can print; he took a can of soup, which someone else had made, and took it to another level by using repeating patterns and colors. 

 There are exceptions of the connection between knowledge and creativity, because there are a few people who are just naturally talented; however, it can be very hard to recreate a masterpiece if one doesn’t have the knowledge or skills to recreate it.  Also, many people who may not be formally trained or that may not have a strong knowledge of a subject can create many things, but to truly make an impact on the world with creativity, knowledge is required.  

Interview with an Artist

Kirstyn Russell:

An exploration of a professional artist that teaches

         For this assignment I chose to interview artist Kirstyn Russell because she is an artist and a teacher, which is exactly what I want to do in the future.  She was my photography teacher at Delta, and she constantly inspired me to push further with my projects.  She helped my interest in photography grow into more of a passion.  As soon as I heard the assignment she was the first artist that came to mind for an interview.  I’m glad I had a chance to sit down with her because she really was informative and she had a lot of great advice for me.

Amanda: How and when did you become a professional artist?

Kirstyn: I was in graduate school when everything clicked.  I was taking everything more seriously and I started to know where to put my work up for shows.  I also started to build up a relationship with many people who helped me to network, which really helped launch my career. 

A: When did you know that you wanted to become an artist?

K: Well, when I was looking at colleges, I went the University of Oregon and sat in on a few classes.  I sat in a psychology class, a history class, and an art class.  I knew I wanted to pursue art because I felt really comfortable in the art class.  I always was involved in art, but after sitting in those classes, I just knew.

A: What influences you to create?

K: I think about visual history.  When I was little my family would take a lot of cross-country trips, and I use that as my jumping off point.  I am drawn to looking out the window and looking at the scenery helps to spark my creativity.  History is also a big influence in my life.  My family is from Scotland so we spent a lot of time going back and forth between America and Scotland.  So, things that are going on in the news or historical events really interest me.  Like disaster sites, I heard about Three-Mile-Island and right away I planned a trip to the site to photograph it.

A: Are you still active in the art world?

K: Yes, I believe it is important to stay current and being knowledgeable in what is currently going on is important to teaching my students.

A: How do you balance life with art and teaching?

K: It’s hard because I have thought of things like having children, but I just don’t feel like I have the time yet to devote to that.  I compartmentalize my life.  I use my summer for working on projects and shows and I use the school year to teach and work with students.  I very rarely have shows during the school year because it is too much to teach and put together a show, so I usually wait until the summer to do most of the shows.

A: Do you think that location plays a role in becoming a professional artist? Big city vs. Small town?

K: Unfortunately yes.  I think it is easier to live in a big city because everything is right there.  In a big city, like San Francisco, an artist has a better chance of meeting more people that can help to boost their career.  There are so many more opportunities because there are many more galleries to show work. 

A: Why did you choose to go into teaching?

K: For a long time I worked at a magazine and then I worked for a printer in New York, but I always thought that I got a sort of satisfaction out of teaching and that’s why I decided to start adjunct teaching.

A: Which do you prefer, film or digital?

K: Film of course.  If I had endless amounts of time I would always shoot film.  Both are great and they each have their perks.  Digital photography is great because you can produce work much faster, but I think that as far as teaching, film is better because seems to me that many different types of people can understand the darkroom because they are there doing hands-on work to get a print.  Digital photo is something that is important for people to understand, but I also think it is a little bit harder for every person to grasp. Digital is also easier to store work.  It’s so much more compact.  I have tons of huge prints that I have done just sitting in the house taking up a lot of room. 

A: What other mediums do you work with?

K: I do some painting.  I think the hands-on stuff is satisfying.  And this may sound weird, but I do gardening.  There is an artist that I’ve gotten into lately, Amy Franceschini, who does a lot of garden art work and it has inspired me to start to do gardening.  I also live in a kind of not so pretty part of Oakland so I think I want to make my street nicer looking.

A: What are some hurdles you had to overcome to get where you are now?

K: I think that adjunct teaching was by far the hardest thing I had to do so far.  I basically had to work year round and it was really hard to do, but I had to do it.  I think that you have to set the bar high and never lose faith.

A: What advice do you have for me?

K: Try to show your art any chance you get.  Also, residency is a great opportunity for you to get experience.  The SPE and the CAA are organizations to look into. 

A: What are some steps I should take to pursue an art career and eventually teach?

K: Show your work anywhere and everywhere.  Take control of your career by working in galleries and curate your own shows.  You should also try to get your portfolio reviewed as much as possible.  Another really great way to get noticed is to introduce yourself to guest speakers/artists and ask if you can send them some of your work.  You’d be surprised at how open they are to seeing other peoples work.  And lastly, get a thick skin.  There is always going to be rejection so you have to get used to it and don’t get discouraged.  

What are art, craft, and design?

            Until this assignment I have never really thought of the difference between art, craft, and design.  In my opinion the three are all in the same family; however, they can be very different.  All three have elements of creativity and purpose, but they each have a different approach.  Art is a process in which a product or piece is created to appeal to others senses.  The next term is craft, which is a trade or skill learned to create an object that has a specific purpose, such as a chair or table.  Finally, design is the act of creating a product that is used commercially.  Although all three use creativity and artistic ability to execute the finished product, there are many differences too.   Yet each must work together to create a cohesive piece of work. 

             One major difference between art, craft, and design is that each has its own way of executing the finished product.  For instance, art is free and aside from very basic rules artwork can be created in any way.  On the other hand, craft is very precise and takes skills and dexterity.  Lastly, design while also very precise is well planned and thought out.  Another difference between the three is that art is usually created to convey thoughts, feelings, or express ones views on a particular subject.  Craft differs in this way because it is not used to express any feelings; it is used to make a product that is used.  Finally design is unlike art and craft because it is used to persuade an audience or with a very specific purpose. 

            In many ways I believe that art, craft, and design must work together to create a something.  A successful piece of artwork cannot be created unless design is used to plan out the piece and craft is used to create the piece with a skill.  This is also true for craft and design because if an individual wishes to create a design or use a craft they must be artistic in some way.  A well-rounded artist must utilize all three skills to produce artwork that can be appreciated. 

            In conclusion, art, craft, and design are very much a unit that works together to make successful products.  Art is free, expressive of feelings, and can be used to inspire others.  In contrast, craft is more specific in the finished product that will be used for a specific use.  Finally, design is used to create products that can be used commercially.  All three of these terms must work together to produce a great piece of work whether it is a painting, a chair, or a magazine advertisement.