May marks the first anniversary of the creation of Northern Focus.
A heartfelt thank you all who have participated thus far:
Allegra Bick-Maurischat
Alyssa Jones
Angie Bridges
Bekka Björke
Eve Skylar
Kenney Mencher
Rick Kitagawa
YStudio Photography
Thank you all for being a part of this very special, independent project.
Portrait by Angie Bridges
Apart from having both a BA and MA in Psychology, North Bay artist Angie Bridges seems to know an awful lot about the soul animal and how to draw them. She makes capturing horses and other like animals on paper with a graphite stick or colored pencil seem effortless. Here, Bridges discusses her interest in equine art and portraiture, why art helps her function in the hustle-and-bustle of daily life and how her work ethic came to be so unrelenting.
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NF: Are you a college-educated artist or self-taught?
AB: I am largely self-taught. I did take occasional drawing classes, though. The main thing I took from those classes was a discipline to develop an eye for realism. My best instructor had me drawing a still life cardboard box about 2/3 of the semester. If a shadow or line or whatever was slightly off, I wasn’t done yet. I hated boxes after that class, but I improved a lot.
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NF: Have you had any experiences in which you’ve gone without formal representation because you are not formally educated?
AB: I am really new to actually showing and selling work. I only started seriously pursuing getting my work out there May 2010. My first show was last September at the Draft Horse Classic in Grass Valley, CA. I didn’t have a problem being accepted into the show and the other artists were very welcoming. I haven’t sought out a gallery as of yet.
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NF: What sparked your interest in Equine Art/Portraiture?
AB: Art was just a hobby to pass the time until recently. I’ve had a few friends and family request portraits and my business grew from word of mouth. Though my work isn’t limited to horses, it is primarily what I’m asked to do. I didn’t really see it coming, but I’ve really enjoyed it. I hadn’t considered entering any shows before, and honestly I haven’t a clue about getting into a gallery yet. I’m very much looking forward to where it’s going to go from here.
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NF: Did you have a love of horses or other related animals as a child?
AB: I have always had a love for horses, and began riding at the age of 9. I was hooked from there, and it would be an understatement to say that working with horses was a greatly positive outlet when I was growing up. I still love working with animals in general, and I currently have a couple of parakeets keeping me company at my art table.
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NF: Does your work only focus on equines or do draw human portraitures, landscapes, etc?
AB: I do branch out into other subjects. Human portraiture just isn’t much fun for me at all, but I have done them. I usually get asked to draw pets, and that has kept me busy for the past few months after the show in September. I love drawing wildlife, and I would like to work more in landscapes.
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NF: Your work is dominated by equines. Do you feel this may or may not hinder or increase the amount of commissions or offers you receive for your work?
AB: Right now in this economy, it’s hard to find people with extra cash to spend on original artwork or portraits. However, generally speaking, people who own and show horses have a little cash to throw around. Since I’m starting out, I’m trying to build exposure and just get some work done; and equine subjects are working for me so far.
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NF: Are you merely an artist by profession or do you have another ‘9-5’ job?
AB: Right now I’m working part time as an after school literacy instructor. I have a group of fourth graders that keep me on my toes.
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NF: How does this extra stress of a formal position effect the amount of time in which you devote to your art?
AB: I draw because of the stress at work. I’m not really taxed for time at the moment, or have a heavy workload in commissions yet. It would be a nice problem to have eventually.
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NF: Do you find yourself with a lot of free time or are you consistently working on new pieces?
AB: I’m always working on something. Right now, I’m trying to push myself further in graphite realism. So I may not be cranking out picture after picture, but I would say I’m growing a lot during this time as an artist.
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NF: Do you have any major influences when it comes to your work?
AB: I can’t really point to one artist, but I remember having a fascination with Renaissance art as a teen. I would say that it probably has some amount of influence on my work, since my high school art projects were largely replicating those works.
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NF: What do you like most about creating portraits of horses and other related animals?
AB: Each portrait has the same challenge: to present an image that is supposed to reflect the personality of an animal that the buyer intimately knows. At first, I was a little intimidated and wasn’t sure if I was ever going to capture personality on bristol board, but so far it’s been really fun to see what happens when I reveal each work. It’s especially amusing when the owner interacts with the portrait like they interact with their pet (baby talk, jumping around, etc.). I find that my experience with reading equine body language helps me greatly with my work.
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NF: How long you say you’ve been an artist?
AB: Well, this is complicated for me. I don’t think I’ve ever really felt like I could call myself an artist until I got through my first show. Even then, I had to say it a few times for it to seem real. For some reason I had it in my head that my work was better than average, but nothing to write home about; and certainly not going to sell or be seen in a gallery. I still somewhat wrestle with this, but I think I became an artist as a teen. Teen years are crazy, and art became my way of processing and expressing myself for the first time. I started to really think about my work around that time.-
Click to enlarge/view.
NF: Can you explain your work ethic and process for the piece entitled ‘Arab Portrait’?
AB: Arab Portrait was drawn from a photo. I actually work with the image on my computer in Photoshop CS2, so I can zoom in or alter the image as I work. As far as my process, I’m somewhat sloppy on how I go about the actual drawing. I don’t always go left to right to avoid smudging. I do whatever interests me at the time, and that’s usually either the eye or nose. I also tend to work in sections of the horse’s anatomy. So I will take the nose, block out shadows with a rubbing stump to get a feel for the structure, and add in layers of details.
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Deaming by Angie Bridges
NF: What was your inspiration for the piece entitled ‘Dreaming’?
AB: I ran across this horse as a stock photo actually. I loved the lines in it, as well as the horse’s expression. Spots are always fun to do as well. I hardly ever “create” a pose or horse in a work. I like portraying horses as they are in life, especially if they are less than the perfect stallions that are often shown in art. I like drawing things people recognize or can relate with. I often get the same response from people when they view my work, especially horse people. They know the texture of the horse’s coat, the prickle of whiskers, the sound of hooves pounding the earth; so it’s a huge compliment to me to hear them express their reaction in different senses.
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NF: Do you ever draw or complete your pieces in front of the actual horses that the pieces portray?
AB: I haven’t done it in front of a horse, but other animals I have done in person. The most fun was with a gold capped conure named Goldie. My aunt had just bought the bird and was still getting used to living with a family. She wanted attention one day so I sat her on a perch next to me as I was completing “Dreaming”. She was fascinated with the sounds of the pencil. So I took out my color pencils and started drawing her. She would dance when I was working on it, and when I would hold it up for her to see she would kiss it. My aunt framed it and put it next to Goldie’s cage. She still fluffs up her feathers and kisses it.
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On behalf of Northern Focus and Angie Bridges, thank you for reading! For more information on Angie Bridges and her artwork, please visit: http://bridgesequineart.vpweb.com/.
Apart from being a fine artist, Kenney Mencher is also the associate professor of Art/Art History at Ohlone College in Fremont and has written a culturally reflective textbook entitled: Liaisons: Readings in Art, Literature and Philosophy. His love for neo noir film stems from his childhood and was carried over into adulthood in the form of his artwork. Here Mencher provides insight for future art historians, various explanations for his artwork, and how he likes working with various Bay Area galleries that display his work.
NF: California College of Arts provides a MA in Curatorial Practice, an essential for an art historian. How do you feel a Curatorial Practice degree compares to a MA in Art History from a CSU or UC college?
KM: I actually have not really looked at those programs in any real depth. I can say that personally I’m not too impressed with some of the schools that are specifically oriented to just teach art or art practice. The students seem to live in a bubble created by the school and seem a little out of touch, as do the programs. I do think that a major reason why some people go to school at an art school is so that they can network and use the connections they’ve made to help further their career. I just don’t personally know anyone who this strategy has worked for.
I think that most curators/gallerists I’ve met don’t have degrees in curatorial practices. Just my opinion, but, I suspect that someone wishing to learn how to run a gallery or museum would be much better off getting some sort of degree in art history and business. For example, I would suggest, a double major as an undergraduate of art history and business with a minor in studio art, or an MA in Art History and an MBA.
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NF: You have MA in Art History and an MFA in Painting. What advice would you give to current art history majors?
KM: The reason why I did those two degrees was that I felt that I wasn’t learning to really think in my studio classes. I also did the two degrees because, aside from loving the learning process, I thought that it might help me to get a teaching job. Fortunately, that strategy did work for me and so I am able to teach art history and studio classes.
As far as advice for an art history major, study what you are passionately interested in. If you can’t decide, try looking into under studied fields such as Native American Art and Non-Western Art. Take extra and as many courses as you possibly can in all the fields and read like a mad person.
I would say that one of the best ways that they can learn and study is to do extra readings in the areas they are interested in. I also think that a wonderful new innovation in education is that a lot of college level instructors are now producing full lectures series on CD and DVD. “The Learning Company” has produced some really good series; a couple are Bob Brier’s series on Ancient Egypt and Kenneth Harl’s series on the ancient world. I think that viewing and listening extra lectures on CD and DVD while taking art history is a painless way of filling in many of the gaps that are missed in the traditional classroom.
Can't Go Back Now by Kenney Mencher
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NF: Can you explain your inspiration for your piece, ‘Can’t Go Back Now’? Are there any connections to that style and the man in the painting?
KM: I’m really inspired by old film stills and glamour photographs. Often a figure from a movie is so compelling to me that I do a drawing of it and then to combine it with another to try to create a kind of “thematic apperception test” for my viewers. The title is from a Weepies’ song that I really like and felt like fit in with the mood of the image.
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NF: Can you explain how your interest for Neo-Noir and Pulp paintings came about?
KM: These images really relate to my childhood in New York. My grandfather was a bit of a Bogart type of character and larger than life for me. He would dress me up in suits and let me slick back my hair and wear a fedora and go to his dress making business in Brooklyn with him.
On Saturdays and when I was home sick the only movies on during the day were old gangster movies and this really amplified my vision and my tendency to romanticize who he was. (He actually admitted to me when he was in his late eighties that he used to smuggle stuff when he travelled in the 40’s.) I also used to read Hitchcock’s anthologies of short stories like they were going out of style.
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NF: Do you find it difficult adhering to such a unique style as an artist, or are some of your pieces completely devoid of the neo style paintings?
KM: In terms of paint handling, color, and brushwork, I think I’m very consistent; I do depart from some of the content now and again. For example, occasionally I paint still life and or straight portraiture on commission or to keep my skill set in practice.
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NF: What do you feel is the benefit of portraying scenes from various stories within your paintings? For example, do you feel this gives the painting a larger connection with the viewer, leaving the viewer to decide what is going on in the painting?
KM: Yes exactly. I want the viewer to try to figure out a story. Almost everyone has a different idea.
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NF: What was your thought process for “Nocturnal Transmission?”
KM: “Nocturnal Transmission” started out as a black and white film still that I cropped and then reexamined with more intense color. I just thought the image was arresting and enigmatic. One of the editors at New Pulp Press must have felt that way about it too, because he used it as a cover for a reprint of Gil Brewers “Flight to Darkness.”
Nocturnal Transmission by Kenney Mencher
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NF: Your pieces, such as “His Fuse was Lit,” could be considered subjective, as they often depict nude women. Do you find a drive to represent this in your artwork seeing as noir films were often devoid of nudity or mild affection?
KM: Pulp fiction magazines and pulp novel covers did show this stuff. I’m taking it to its logical next step. I also find that it pushes people’s buttons on all levels. I started getting edgier with this kind of stuff after I got dropped from Hang Gallery in 2004 for being too “wry and perverted” and then I got censored for some really tame noir style stuff at the CalSTRS Gallery in Sacramento. There were a couple of newspaper features about this in the Oakland Tribune and the Sacramento Bee.
His Fuse Was Lit by Kenney Mencher
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NF: I read recently that you had or have some of your pieces on display at the ArtHaus Gallery in San Francisco. Are most galleries showing more or less the same when it comes to environment, handling of your artwork, etc?
KM: They are as different as the people who run the gallery. I’m showing with two super fantastic galleries in the Bay Area, Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento and ArtHaus in San Francisco. Elliott and the two awesome directors of ArtHaus, Annette Schutz and James Bacchi really have my back. They are so hassle free that I don’t have to worry about whether or not my work will be damaged. They also really believe in what I do and sincerely like my work.
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NF: You wrote a textbook, Liaisons: Readings in Art, Literature and Philosophy. Was there a specific goal you wished for readers to leave with when they finished?
KM: Learn! The text is really a glorified “reader” that I stole most of the main ideas from University High School in San Francisco. I taught with two master teachers, Bruce “Doc” Lamott and Sudie Sides. I just wrote intro to each reading to provide context and clarify the ideas I wanted the students to walk away with. Each reading is something that all privileged private high school kids know when they leave high school. I’m just trying to level the socio-economic playing field by getting my community college students up to speed so they can compete with the wunderkind I taught at UHS.
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NF: What themes or subjects do you plan to focus on in your future work?
KM: I am working on a series of portraits that are made from vintage photo-booth images. I started by just making straight small oil portraits but then I started to think about who these people were and I wanted to give more clues to their identities. Now I’m combining the painted portraits with found and ready-made vintage stuff, like yo-yos, feathers, found notes, and drawings I’ve made. I’m going to invite some authors to make up stories about who these people are.
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On behalf of Northern Focus and Kenney Mencher, thank you for reading. For more information on Kenney Mencher and his artwork, please visit: http://www.kenney-mencher.com/
Untitled Installation by Allegra Bick-Maurischat
San Jose based artist Allegra Bick-Maurischat is an artist prone to many different types of artwork and incorporates various mediums in her work. Not only has she studied art at the college level, Bick-Maurischat also considers herself a photographer and sculptor. After completing a stint at New York University, she came back to California and enrolled in a local community college to farther her art career. Here, she explains her diverse collection of work, a series of paintings entitled ‘Thaiflict’ and what it means to be both a photographer and a fine artist.
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NF: You use a diverse collection of mediums in your work. Do you have a favorite?
ABM: I have never really felt the desire to work solely in one particular medium. I had some great opportunities to work with different materials so far. At the Waldorf School of the Peninsula (a creative alternative to public school education), I had art classes at my elementary and middle school where we did beeswax sculpting, watercolor, chalk and pastel drawing, felting, cross-stitching, and even woodworking. At NYU we had access to a great woodshop, firing kiln, painting studio and printing lab, but also had assignments where we could only use cardboard, found objects or simple drawing materials! As a result of this, (and I think mostly because of my artistic education at the Waldorf School), I have come to love the feeling and the uniqueness that each has in relation to my pieces, my mood at the time, etc,. Really though, my hands and my heart are the medium I value the most. The material I chose to manipulate really just comes from what I am drawn to at any given moment.
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NF: What was the first medium you remember working with as a beginning artist?
ABM: Drawing was really my first love. My mom likes to tell stories about me and my crayons at 3 years old, sitting at my little tiny desk to draw would calm me down. It still does to this day! I remember doing that for hours, literally. I don’t remember what I would draw, but I guess it started training my brain and my hands early on. We all doodle as kids too, which I ALWAYS did. I still do crazy design stuff on my school books for fun, just to get my mind going. I hope I will always have the confidence to pick up graphite pencil or a pen, and create something I am proud of.
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NF: Do you feel that working with a variety of different mediums gives you an artistic advantage?
ABM: Well, I think that working with a broad variety of mediums can certainly extend the scope of your expression. Sometimes you have an idea that just doesn’t quite translate to a 2-dimensional surface, or you see something that you just HAVE to photograph and there is no other way to capture the moment. Having the ability to be able to work with multiple media is a skill that I would always like to improve upon. I think you can learn a lot from your materials.
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NF: What was the inspiration behind the pieces in your ʻThaiflictʼ series?
ABM: At one point during that freshman year I spent in New York, I had been experimenting a lot with erasures in my pencil drawing. I felt that the act of deliberately erasing marks on a surface can be a very powerful statement and I knew I wanted to say something there. Inspiration for the piece was really just a confluence of that experimentation and my desire to do something political with my art. I have always kind of shied away from political pieces because I think it takes a certain degree of self-confidence that I don’t think I have yet in my work. It takes something extra to make something political really work in art…but I wanted to give it a try!
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NF: What conflict does it depict in Thailand?
ABM: At the time, I was reading a lot about the political crisis in Thailand. The news was all about the PAD protesters gathering in the streets, taking over Parliament, shutting down the airports.
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Thaiflict by Allegra Bick-Maurischat (click to enlarge)
NF: Did you study the conflict beforehand?
ABM: I read a lot about it after I decided I wanted to make a piece using that subject matter. I also did pretty extensive imagery research; a lot of photojournalists were working in Thailand at the time to cover the situation and produced some really incredible images. Of course, I think there is always more research you can do as an artist to really become familiar with your subject – a more accomplished artist with a whole lot more time and resources probably would have travelled out to Thailand to witness to conflict firsthand, interview PAD members and police officers, take their own snapshots of the conflict and work from quick sketches off the street. Maybe someday I will be able to have that kind of hands on access to the subject matter I want to work with, who knows?
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NF: You are a photographer as well as an artist. Seeing as both professions as looked upon as being two separate mediums and careers, how would you defy criticism of recognizing yourself as both a photographer and artist?
ABM: The difference between professional artists and professional photographers has never raised any questions for me. I guess I have never been exposed to an environment that makes those distinctions between “fine art” or “photography”, etc. Perhaps I haven’t seen enough of the art world to be told that I can’t do both! But that’s something I would be interested to explore. Because creativity is creativity, in my book. Self-expression is the same whether it is through drawing, painting, clothing design, architecture, photographs, ceramics, needlework, whatever. To me, an artist is someone who acts from that place of self-expression…so the term “photographer,” or “painter, “designer” etc., is really just a label that is used because I think it makes art easier for people to define.
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NF: When photographing what type of camera and/or equipment do you most commonly use?
ABM: I use my mom’s Nikon SLR D60. I’m not a big Photoshop person at all, but it’s fun to play with. I’ve been told that a real “photographer” would have had exposure/access/ training to film cameras and developing, but I haven’t had the chance to learn yet. I experiment with the tools I have right now.
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by Allegra Bick-Maurischat (click to enlarge)
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NF: Are you currently pursuing your artwork in your higher education?
ABM: Right now I am attending community college in the Bay Area. I attended New York University as an undergraduate Fine Arts major for a year. The experiences I had there wereremarkable. Manhattan is a phenomenal place to be as a young artist! There is a complete immersion in the cutting edge art scene there that I feel is unlike anyplace else. That was great for a while, but the financial cost was far too high for me. I was practically drowning in student loans. So right now I am focusing on living at home, saving money, and finishing my GED to prepare for transfer in here in California. The ultimate goal is a BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in Art Education.
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NF: How would you explain your experiences as a studio art major within the university?
ABM: I cannot say enough about NYU’s art program. I was choosing between some pretty tough competitors (RISD, CalArts, etc.,) but I was completely floored by the program in New York. The environment there was so electric and so completely supportive. It is a thoroughly rigorous program (hardly any academics for the first year – all core studio courses) and I was constantly challenged. But if you want to be there, and have the work ethic, I think it can be the most rewarding and mind-opening experience! The level of work around you is so high and so challenging conceptually that you cannot help but be pulled up by those around you…we worked a lot off of each other’s ideas and energy as students.
I had, to be honest, never really been under that same kind of pressure to produce work before. I mean, you might have a week, or less, to come up with a full scale installation in sculpture class with a material you had never, ever, used before. That for me, was more exciting than anything else. I’m the type of person who enjoys that kind of challenge. I thrive when I pull that all-nighter in the studio the day before something is due. I like getting into that artistic zone where nothing else matters.
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NF: Can you explain your thought and creative process on your untitled installation with twine, barbed wire and a window panel?
ABM: Well the obvious historical reference would be Hesse, but I don’t even remember looking into her work very much at the time. The project (for my sculpture class), was to communicate conceptually from our own idea. Sounds basic, but up until that point we had been working on assigned concepts/themes. I was really just ruminating on multiple dualities – expansion and contraction, freedom and entanglement…the piece is basically layers of conflicting ideas in conflict with one another. For example, I used one continuous ball of string to create the installation, but it is confined and knotted together with coils of barbed wire. Or, I wanted to play up the idea of freedom with the material as it interacts with the window – which looks out onto a solid brick wall instead of some poetic blue sky. I don’t know if I really followed the assignment to a T, but I got lost in the project – which can be a great learning experience!
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NF: Your website biography mentions you have had your work exhibited in the San Jose Museum of Modern Art. Can you recall which pieces were selected for the exhibition, and why they were showcased there?
ABM: I worked quite extensively with the National Art Honors Society throughout high school, which is basically an organization that bridges community service and art. We did an annual installation at the museum for Dia De los Muertos (Day of the Dead) to celebrate San Jose’s Mexican-American heritage. Every year a few of us club-officers went down there and created these beautiful altars in the museum for the exhibition. We also selected students to hang commemorative pieces in honor of deceased family/role models/community leaders. I think I was chosen to participate for 2or 3 years.
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For more information regarding Allegra and her work, please visit: http://www.allegrasart.com/
Reno by Alyssa Jones
Please note that the following interview contains questions and responses of an adult nature. Please read with caution.
Twenty-three year old Alyssa Jones was born in San Jose, but now lives in San Francisco. It wasn’t until high school that Jones was introduced to photography; after realizing fashion design wasn’t the appropriate forte, sights were set on pursuing a career in photography. Working for the Pink and White Productions, Jones is now a set photographer and photo editor for the pornographic production company. Although it may seem unconventional to some, it is interesting nonetheless and Jones works to make the most of where life is now and to find a unique niche that separates individual work from various professional photographers. Here Jones discusses the photographic process, working on the Crash Pad series and experiences with higher education.
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NF: Do you have a general photographic process that you use when shooting?
AJ: In the years I’ve spent with a strained eye pressed against the viewfinder, finger hovering over the shutter release button, I have honed my own special photographic process called ‘winging it’. Of course, I’d love to get to a shoot, overwhelmed with the need to ‘capture the moment’, or ‘create magical memories’ with my photographs, but I think I’d get bored with that. I’ve done some family and wedding stuff that turned out horribly, because I lack a disciplined, practiced, thoughtful process. I’d rather not photograph things I need to sit and think about, it takes all the fun out of it.
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NF: Were you involved with the original Crash Pad series from Pink and White Productions that was released in 2005?
AJ: I was not. I didn’t join the Crash Pad Series team until late 2009, around season 10.
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NF: What does your work entail on the Crash Pad series?
AJ: I am the set photographer and photo editor; I am in charge of all the images on the website, from character profile pictures, to the stills from the scenes. I basically get to watch people have sex, and get paid for it. When the models first come to the Crash Pad, I am in charge of photographing them for their character profile page. Their page has a whole gallery of photographs as well as a little bio about them and the episodes they’re in. I also photograph during the 45 minute scene; I mostly get ‘still action’ type images for the folks who have a ‘photo only’ membership to the Crash Pad site. The editing is the easy part, I do little to no photoshopping of the images, unless it’s to resize them, and then I make sure they’re web ready. Then magically, a check comes in the mail for me, it’s a pretty sweet deal. I make sure to show my friends my check, and as I shake it in front of their face I sing a little song I wrote called, “I made this money by watching people do it”.
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NF: You mentioned you find being a set photographer/photo editor for Pink and White Production interesting. Can you explain why you find it so interesting?
AJ: I feel like 99% of photographers do wedding/special occasion/event, family, music, and outdoor/adventure photography. It’s a difficult industry to make a name for yourself, especially when there are a million other photographers trying to do the same thing, in the same genre of photography. To get yourself out there, you have to find a niche, or something unique about your work. Joshua Hoffine is a good example. If you Google ‘wedding photographer’, you get a billion hits, and a ton of names to sift through. If you Google ‘horror photographer’ though, the first person that comes up is Joshua Hoffine. He’s done an amazing job of finding a unique niche for himself. Although porn photography is not my ultimate goal, I feel like it has been an awesomely unique experience thus far, and I look forward to seeing where it takes me.
Evan by Alyssa Jones (click to enlarge)
NF: On your website in the 1400 series, one of the photographs shows three a triptych of a man in suspenders. Can you explain what the title 1400 means or represents?
AJ: 1400 started out as a portrait series of my co-workers. Our work address is 1400 Van Ness Ave. I hate when you see a piece of artwork and the title is so ironic or contrived that you could never imagine what it might mean. It seems so pretentious. Almost like the artist is saying, “Look at my work, it is so amazing and above your level of consciousness and understanding that you will never fully comprehend its meaning.” When I title my work it’s either extremely obvious or it’s something I just randomly thought would sound like a good band name, and means absolutely nothing.
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NF: How did this particular photo evolve?
AJ: Evan, the man in suspenders, was the first person I photographed from my work. I just told him to wear an outfit he liked, and not to worry about color since I’d be shooting in black in white. He showed up in this adorable button up shirt, suspenders, and men’s dress shoes. He was extremely comfortable in front of the camera, and consequently really easy to photograph. I brought the magnifying glass, I have no idea why, just seemed like a good prop. All of the photographs of him came out great; it was hard to pick just three for the triptych.
Mexican Light Show by Alyssa Jones
NF: I was drawn to your photographs entitled ‘Reno’ and ‘Mexican Light Show’; can you explain your inspiration for these photographs and how they were composed?
AJ: I don’t know if other photographers feel this way, but I never get tired of light painting, and it never ceases to amaze me. I had picked up some sparkers in Mexico and had decided to do some light painting with them, and Mexican Light Show was born. I was more impressed with the fact that I didn’t use a tripod and most of the images were focused. Reno is sort of a hideous place; it’s a smaller, dirtier version of Las Vegas. I was there for the day with my family and brought along a fish eye lomo camera my friend had let me borrow. I just walked around, mostly wasting film, and when I got the film developed, Reno was my favorite image.
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NF: When did you first become interested in photography?
AJ: My freshman year in high school. I was accidentally put in a photography class that was for upperclassmen, and I got hooked.
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NF: You went to the Art Institute in San Francisco to pursue Fashion Design. What made you decide to pursue photography?
AJ: I always wanted to pursue photography; I just realized early on that I didn’t need school to be a photographer. At 19 I decided I wanted to throw money away by going to art school, and since sewing was something I was fairly good at and interested in, and since I was already photographing a lot, I decided on fashion design. Worst idea ever.
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NF: Were you able to study photography at the Art Institute or did you have to change schools or quit the Art Institute all together?
AJ: After a short stint as a fashion design major, I quit art school all together, shortly after I dropped out, I landed a photography internship.
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NF: How would you describe your work in your website?
AJ: I have no idea. I feel like my opinions about my work change so often it’s hard to create a consistent description. I just want people to feel however they want to feel about it, I hope some people enjoy it, and think it’s amazing, and I also hope there are people who think its garbage and would punch me in the face if they saw me walking down the street.
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NF: During your one year un-paid internship how did you support yourself? Did you have another job, etc?
AJ: I was married for about three years, one of which was spent at my unpaid internship. I had a job that I worked at on the weekend, but as far as financial support goes, it was mostly my ex-wife.
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NF: How did you acquire the internship? Did you apply and interview for the position?
AJ: I actually found it on Craigslist. I applied, went through two phone interviews, and one with the photographers at their studio. My portfolio, at the time, was crap, but I interview pretty well, and I am good at bullshitting, so I ended up being one of the 3 chosen ones.
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NF: Artistically, how do you feel the internship helped you? Has it had any significant impacts on your life or your photographic career?
AJ: I feel like it’s helped me immensely. The internship was a crazy experience, partly because everyone there was their own special brand of insane. There were up to 7 creative people, all trapped inside this studio, forced to work amongst each other for an entire year. I got to use my first Hasselblad, I learned how it felt to ruin 8 rolls of wedding film, set up and tore down the studio a million times, I built frames, broke glass, and had tons of conversation about what I wanted to do with my career. More important than any of our half-assed lessons on the 4×5 camera, or forced show and tell sessions, was the constant support. Not only support from my three bosses but the support from my fellow interns. If I took anything away from the internship it was confidence in my work, and the motivation to ‘keep moving forward’.
For more information on Alyssa Jones, please visit http://www.iknowalyssajones.com.
by YStudio Photography (click to enlarge)
San Francisco Bay Area photographers Barbara and Wayne Yasuhara not only photograph the Bay Area and its surroundings but destinations outside of Northern California. Most notably Hawaii and southern California. From weddings to portraits of daily life, the YStudio team captures the intimate and important aspects of their clients lives that are continually cherished for years to come. Here, Barbara Yasuhara, one-half of YStudio Photography shares the origins of the studio, her take on memorable photography sessions and how much collaboration and planning a business needs to thrive.
NF: Is YStudio Photography an actual studio in which people visit or is it only available on-line?
BY: We are a home-based and ”on-location” studio. We have scheduled sessions at our home studio, however the majority of our business is “on location” at weddings, events and on-site portrait sessions.
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NF: What is a day like in your in-home studio or when on location?
BY: When we are in-house we are working on digital workflow, processing prints and album orders, having telephone conferences, scheduling etc. We also hold workshops and retreat for our assistants; in these workshops, we discuss various equipment and their functions, setups for lighting, shooting, transporting gear, and cover events that are to come. We are now pretty busy with the preparation and training of our assistants for a destination wedding we are photographing in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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NF: How did YStudio Photography come about? Was it a collaborative effort between you and your husband Wayne?
BY: YStudio was launched in 2008 about one year after launching our Wedding Planning/Consultation business Weddings 911. We had a tough year with the planning business, even though I had been a freelance event and wedding planner since 1997, the inquiries and jobs were few. My husband and I are also photographers, and this was just one of the many “direct” services we were offering our clients. We got more calls for photography in the first year of YStudio than we did when planning inquiries in two years of Weddings 911! My intent with Weddings 911 was for a bride to have a sort of “one stop shop” where she could receive as many direct services from one source as possible. We received call after call and in our first year and photographed over 10 weddings. Aside from this we also photographed portraits, private and corporate events. We are so blessed to be able to provide a service that embraces so much love and we are privileged to shoot together as a team and re-live our own wedding experience at every wedding we capture.
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NF: How did you and Wayne come to work together artistically?
BY: My husband and I met through an online movie group, and although we both missed the first movie, we continued to email each other in private. Wayne would send me beautiful photographs either taken by him or from the net, which was somehow related to some of our conversations. We also began to correspond on a daily basis and everything was photography. I could see he was an artist even through email. Sadly, my photography became a hobby for many years as I was very busy with my other love, music. I am a singer/songwriter and producer and was still very busy with live performances and recording. Wayne inspired me to shoot again shortly after we were married in 2007.
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NF: How long have you been a photographer?
BY: Professionally, and receiving paid commissions for my work, I would have to say 33 years, however, starting a business therein, it’s fair to say 3 years. I learned photography starting at 5 years of age, and never stopped shooting.
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NF: How did you stumble upon photography?
BY: If I were to say I picked up my first Brownie camera at the age of 5 would you believe me? Well, good, because that is exactly what happened. My late mother, Delia Martinez, was a portrait photographer and model in Havana, Cuba prior to the Castro takeover. She exiled to the United States and began to also sing and dance here. My mother would often change into her fabulous wardrobe at home and this is when she taught me how to photograph her! I learned few technical elements at that age; we focused more on composition but she loved my photos and kept teaching me throughout the years. I continued to photograph and became the official Yearbook photographer and advertising sales person in school and college. I also began to photograph bands and performance arts in the 80′s while I was very involved in the music circuit.
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NF: Was there anything in particular that drew you to specialize in wedding and portrait photography?
BY: I have always been a photo journalist, it was just my thing. I am creative, observant, and unobtrusive and I always felt as if I were at the right place at the right time. I noticed over the years that although my subjects did not suspect they were being photographed at certain times, those images were raw, filled with emotion and life. I also have to say that making the decision to crossover to wedding portraiture was very easy for me especially after my own wedding. I still remember the day our photographer sent us our online wedding slideshow. The images were not only beautiful, they told a story one could “feel”. It was like re-living the entire day all over again. I knew from that moment, I too wanted to create that for my clients.
by YStudio Photography
NF: Can you name any specific photography sessions that were the most memorable to you?
BY: As a photo journalist I have a connection and memorable moment in each of my sessions, but just recently, we were asked to document a funeral memorial service. It was somewhat difficult, but it was an amazing tribute to an amazing man. He was a beloved father, grandfather and great grandfather and the love and emotion at his memorial made me choke up behind the lens. It was amazing to “feel” the amount of love in the church and burial site, and it was amazing how much love this man took with him. The images were powerful, striking and a beautiful depiction of the mass, veteran ceremony, dove release and words of poetry. We are honored to have been called to photograph this event for the family.
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NF: Do you draw any of your inspiration from famous photographers?
BY: One of the things I love most about the global photography industry is the willingness of professional photographers to share information with aspiring photographers. I have learned much of my technical aspects from photographers like Scott Kelby, Dave Ziser and Joe McNally. As far as wedding portraiture, I absolutely love and admire the works of Jerry Ghionis, Bambi Cantrell, and Jasmine Star, just to name a few. All of them are among the top wedding photographers who are down to earth when you meet them in person and they share so much, if you simply “ask”! We are so excited to be among a small group of photographers who will be joining Jerry Ghionis in an intensive 5 day photography workshop January 2011 in Beverly Hills, CA where 100% of all the proceeds are donated to Soul Society, to learn more about this amazing cause please visit http://thesoulsociety.org/.
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NF: Do you find that being bilingual helps when dealing with clients or allows for more job openings?
BY: I think that if I am working with Spanish-speaking clients…YES! It is not so much about the language, but it’s about the culture. And I feel that certain cultures really benefit when being represented by someone who knows the traditions and the etiquette. I often find that the parents and grandparents are the ones who purchase the photography packages for the couples and some older generations probably feel more comfortable being able to communicate and embrace someone who speaks their language and understands the culture. As far as job openings, it would all depend on the communities being served and how they could benefit from a bilingual person.
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NF: Do you have any advice for photographers who may be thinking about opening own photography studio?
BY: There are hundreds of pieces of advice I would share, but if I had to narrow it down, I would encourage aspiring photographers to evaluate the WHY. A business in photography is much more than being able to produce lovely images, it also takes a savvy business person. To succeed in this business, you need to know about financial, legal, management and marketing aspects of starting and running a photography business. If you cannot, you must consider outsourcing so you can focus on what you love, the art of photography. -
For more information on Barbara Yasuhara and YStudio Photography please visit http://www.ystudiophotography.com/ or their blog at http://weddings9-1-1.blogspot.com/.
Sin by Bekka Björke
Besides Bekka Björke’s extremely interesting last name, the San Jose based photographer was born in LA and grew up in Hawaii before moving to Northern California. Her impressive collection of photographs bloom from a mind that is self-taught and captures the detail of light and movement of everyday objects at opportune times. Her photographs are created without much help from fancy equiptment; subsequently, she is left with raw, unaltered images. Here she reflects on capturing motion, the photographers that provide her with inspiration and her current artistic focus: fashion photography.
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NF: Are you self-taught or did you attend college or an art school for the craft?
BB: I’m 100% self-taught. No matter the subject, I feel that being immersed in it is the most effective way to learn. More often than anything I get asked “How did you get good at photography?” or “How can I take better photos?” and my answer is always, “Practice!” Have you taken a picture today? No? Then how do you expect to get better? There is no memorable formula for being a good artist of any kind, you have to experiment, fail, and cultivate the things that you like and that work as you go. Honestly, it took me a good three years to finally remember and understand how aperture worked, and that’s a camera essential! A lot of trial and error, a lot of underselling myself to gain good experience in the industry, and a lot of taking on challenging ideas and projects to force myself to understand other aspects of photography even if I had no intention of using them later. Every time I put my eye to a viewfinder it’s some sort of learning experience.
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NF: Can you specify a personal incident that inspired you to become a photographer?
BB: My dad left cameras around me when I was a small child, so I guess I was kind of doomed to it. In all seriousness though it was something I just kind of fell into through school. In elementary school because I had access to “good” cameras I was assigned as the photographer for school projects, and again in my yearbook classes in junior high, but that was when I actually developed an interest in it. The Canon G1 (an old digital point and shoot) had recently been released, and the concept of shooting digital–having photos immediately available, not having to worry about wasting film, etc–was intoxicating. You couldn’t get that camera out of my hands for all the chocolate, homework answers, or cute clothes in the world (or whatever I liked in junior high). Pretty quickly I became “Camera Girl” and, well, the rest is history.
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NF: Have you always wanted to practice photography as a career or did it start out as a hobby?
BB: That’s hard to say. I didn’t pick up a camera and announce to the world that I was going to be a photographer, but the jump from “this is cool” to “this is my life” was really quick. When I was really young, like kindergarten, I wanted to be a photojournalist for National Geographic, though mostly because I loved animals (as most little kids do!). That stayed as a goal in the back of mind for years before I ever even picked up a camera.
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NF: One of your photos found in the ‘Miscellaneous’ category on your website is of an apple and a snake. Did you find it difficult to capture live or moving objects?
BB: That photo is kind of deceptive. The apple is a tiny crab apple and the snake was a foot long garter snake, both of which I held in my hand to photograph, though the photo looks much more…”life size”. That particular photo (and the little series of similar ones I shot along with it) wasn’t particularly hard to shoot, though shooting movement can be tricky. Capturing movement is definitely something I try to pursue further in my photography. While one of the most amazing aspects of photography is capturing split seconds of time that are so easily overlooked or seen in a different view, that doesn’t mean that life and images are all clear and stable–motion is a good thing!
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NF: Are there any photographers or people that you gain the majority of your inspiration or that you look up to?
BB: Definitely! Individual images tend to speak to me more than artists or their entire works, but of course I have my favorites. Ralph Gibson’s use of light and shape is awe-inspiring every time I look at his photos. Fashion photographer Laura Ferreira blows my mind with the colors in her images, her work is otherworldly and magical! Then there is–and forgive me for not being able to find her entire name, I only know her work through Flickr–Susannah B. This girl is just 17, though I have been watching her work since she was 14, if not earlier. I love young, talented photographers, and this girl is the absolute epitome of that. The concepts, let alone the composition, of her photos are so original, so unique, and so stamped with her signature I can’t help but want to hop in my time machine, go back to junior high, and try to be half the artist she is!
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NF: You have a diverse selection of photographs on your website. Do you feel this gives you the upper-hand on your client or subject base versus a photographer who only focuses on something like portrait photography?
BB: Haha, just another reminder that I need to clean up my site! Actually, I don’t think this gives me the upper-hand at all, at least as far as a website is concerned. Shooting an array of different subjects can be beneficial to you both financially and artistically, but success is all in how you market yourself, and it’s best to keep things specified on that front. If you have a specialty that’s what people will know you for, and new people looking for that specialty will find you because that’s what they’re looking for. That aside, I think it’s really interesting to see people branch out of their comfort zones, to go from say glamour to landscapes, or events to products, etc. I’ve shot just about everything, and each different, “uncomfortable” experience has made me more confident in my own individual vision as well in my abilities behind the lens.
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NF: Do you have a favorite type of photography?
BB: Generally, portraits. Even when posing people there are still those fleeting moments that are made for pictures, the thing that are so easily missed, that are worth being caught on camera. Photos of people make you think, even if you’re the one who took the photo. Still, some of my favorite photos that I’ve taken have been landscapes, even though I never really enjoy shooting them. Then of course there is my lifelong love of multiple exposures. There is so much going on in any scene, wherever you are, whatever you’re shooting, and how can you really capture all of that in only one image? Creating a picture with multiple images, multiple actions that make you look and look again. It’s about perception, interpretation, and creative documentation.
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NF: One of your portraits shows man smoking a cigarette. Did you find it difficult to photograph something like a cigarette with unpredictable smoke?
BB: Not at all! As I mentioned earlier, I love motion in photos. The little aspects of chance like where smoke will float to; add a sense of genuineness, or reality to a photo.
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NF: What type of photography equipment do you currently use?
BB: I shoot with a Canon 40D and my handy-dandy Canon D10 (a point and shoot!). Along with my 40D I have an array of lenses and lighting equipment, and of course good ol’ fashioned sunlight is a necessity. I’m a bit of a minimalist when it comes to equipment; I stand by the mantra that it’s not the camera but the photographer that makes the image, so when I do venture away from my standard kit of 50mm lens and natural lighting it’s because I have something very specific in mind. Learning to work with what you have, be it environment, equipment, etc. is probably the most important set of lessons you can learn as a photographer. You have to know how to wing it and look for the beautiful bits in everything.
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NF: Are you interested in exploring any new subjects in your photograph in the future?
BB: Currently I’m very focused on fashion. Photography aside, fashion is a generally under-appreciated art-form. When most people see something outrageous on the runway they’re more likely to think “Where would anyone EVER wear that?” than “Wow, that fabric hand painted with mud from central Africa is really interesting in how it falls off the model, the textures and shapes are so different than blah blah blah…” All too often the artistic aspects of fashion are lost in its photography too, when really fashion photography should be the perfect combination of art and advertising. Besides, working with models, stylists, and dreaming up ideas, location scouting, processing, and everything else that goes into a fashion shoot is fun. Of course I have many moments where I’m a very introverted artist and my photography is very personal both in creation and in output, but working with other people together to create something great really is rewarding on every level.
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NF: Do you prefer black and white photography, color, or both?
BB: Depends on the day depends on my mood; each has their place and their purpose. With black and white things are, well, black and white. Personally, when I shoot black & white photos what I’m really shooting are forms, light and shapes. Without the distraction of color all you’re left with are essentially shapes, and since you don’t see the world in black and white, why not take it a step farther and really push the boundaries of what you’re seeing. With colors the subject ends up being more important, and shifts in color can be used to emphasize that. Converting or not converting a photo to black and white won’t magically make it better, each photograph is unique, and I shoot with that finished image in mind.
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For more information on Bekka Björke and her photography, please visit: http://www.oh-snapped.com/.
San Francisco based artist Eve Skylar, considers the city her hometown; but she’s travelled all over the world, from Melbourne to Australia to Indonesia. Currently a freelance artist, Skylar was previously working retail by day and creating art by night. Skylar’s current projects include working on a animation film after completing a freelance illustration of Lewis Carroll’s “The Walrus and the Carpenter”; Skylar’s projects gives her time to reflect on the education she received from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and allows her to place her own unique spin on the work she creates.
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NORTHERN FOCUS: Are you strictly a freelance artist by profession? Or do you also have a day job?
EVE SKYLAR: Right now, I am strictly a freelance animation production artist by profession. A month ago, I was holding on to both. I was an assistant manager at a retail store during the day, and freelance artist by night. It’s not impossible, but it was very challenging to give full attention to both at the same time.
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NF: How does freelance work compare to work you complete for yourself?
ES: With freelance, there is a kind of “detachment” from the work itself, a zen Buddhist-like approach. You end up creating and exploring thousands of drawings and ideas, then the client will probably end up only picking one. It may be the drawing you liked least. It may not even be yours, but by someone else on the creative team. So I draw, then I let go. I keep searching. I give the art piece my full dedication at the moment of creation, then I think, “what did I learn from that?” and “what’s next?”
Whereas with personal work, there is so much more inner pressure to capture the fleeting images of my imagination. Since I am answerable only to me, the “failure to deliver,” to “communicate the big Idea” is much more unbearable. There are so many inner questions and drama in the creation of a personal piece, “am I saying enough?” — is always staring at me from the blank page. Although I invest the same energy, creativity, and outlook with freelance as well, the difference is that, with freelance–you are not alone and there are other opinions to consider.
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NF: Do you find it difficult in this economy to find freelance jobs?
ES: Hmm, I think it was quite difficult over the summer. A couple of months ago, job postings were very scarce – forany field. In the retail job where I worked, I was told over 30 doctors also applied for the same sales clerk position. Although ironically, the art and entertainment business was still keeping afloat somehow. So it was quite a heyday for clients.
During the summer, clients found an abundance of eager freelance artists willing to take on any job for lower pay. And clients saw the opportunities and bid well below the market rate. I found that many established and experienced freelance artists were accepting jobs that were meant for junior and entry level positions. I remember seeing hobby artists, often stay-at-home elderly or high school teenagers who don’t consider art as their profession, but something they do for fun or “on the side,” were also driving the freelance market down by accepting jobs for free, or under $50 for original art. But something very interesting is happening now to the freelance market. I think the economy is improving and art/entertainment is still going strong.
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NF: Are you currently working on any freelance jobs you especially like or have kept your interest?
ES: I am currently working on an animation film. What I love most about it, is the opportunity to learn from my art director, whose experience and feedback is invaluable. The concept behind my current work is partially to undo some of things I learned in art school. I am also teaching myself a lot of new tools and experimenting with different mediums to better express my ideas on the page. I just finished a freelance illustration for a private collector of Lewis Carroll’s “The Walrus and the Carpenter” in pen and ink. I was really drawn to this project and I enjoyed working on it. Before becoming an artist, I had the opportunity to study Narrative Theory at UC Berkeley. Lewis Carroll was one of my obsessions. He has so much symbolism, manic creativity, and riddles in his book that it was fun to incorporate some hidden elements, as approved by the client, into the final illustration. It was my love of literature and art combined in one project, I couldn’t have asked for more.
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NF: Would you consider yourself a self-taught artist?
ES: I would like to consider myself a self-taught artist along with my formal degree from Academy of Art. I think in general, most artists tend to be self-taught regardless of their education. I think many schools still have separate distinctions between the different departments. Since I was into everything, from Florence architecture to experimental films, I had to supplement a lot of my education from outside of the classrooms. I spend a lot of time at Green Apple bookstore, the Western Addition library, Kinokuniya bookstore, and studying films.
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NF: Did you major in art, illustration or stop-motion animation in college?
ES: I went to Academy of Art and majored in visual development, which is a cross-section multidisciplinary between 2D Animation and Illustration. But my school program is more conducive for 3D animation or just simply illustration. So I was a bit of an odd ball, along with the other Visual Development students. I was pretty much left alone to create my own course of education. So I sampled a lot from Fine Arts and Illustration department, and unfortunately hardly touched the animation department before my finances ran out.
I got involved in stop motion during my freshman year after I took Beth Sousa’s Introductory Experimental Animation class. At that time, the stop motion animation department was being formed, but there were hardly any interested students, teachers, or resources for serious studies. Soon after I took a puppet making class with Cora Hoffleginger, I was hooked and began to teach myself from books about all the different kinds of puppets, armature, and materials.
Stop Motion Puppet by Eve Skylar
NF: You won an award for your stop-motion animation puppet at AAU. How did this project/creature come about? Was there anything that influenced you in the design, color or overall aesthetic of the puppet?
ES: This was my stop motion puppet project for class. I wanted to make something with fully articulated joints and movable armature. I knew I didn’t want to do a human character, I wanted to do something mythical. I had to adjust some of the muscle structure and accommodated more of a big cat movement. Unfortunately, it was my first time making a puppet, so I was very limited in my knowledge on where to buy supplies. I went to a fabric store downtown and they only had two options for fur color, light blue or stripped white and brown. Since my creature was a snowy mountain creature, I went with the light blue, so he can somewhat camouflage himself in the mountains to catch his prey. I think in hindsight, he ended up looking quite similar to Sully from Monsters Inc. It was not intentional, but I did love that film and its very possible to have been subconsciously influenced. I am working on getting a bigger studio so I can actually film a short animation of this puppet.
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NF: Were there any major events that inspired you to become an artist?
ES: I think I started forming my true intentions as an artist during high school. It was a time when Anime otherwise known as Japanimation was becoming popular. Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke came around the same time for me. The images forever changed the way I viewed art and animation. Around this time, my sister was preparing for college. The family found out early on that she loved art over academics; so my parents saved money and hired a monthly tutor, who happened to be a “Disney animator.” The title sounded foreign to me, but I wanted to be one more than anything.
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NF: Your website mentions that in addition to you being an artist and illustrator you are also a stop-motion animator. What does being a stop-motion animator entail?
ES: Being a stop motion animator entails almost the same principles as an artist/illustrator, you still have to have good, functional, beautiful, design but on top of that–add motion. I think of animation as “fine arts in motion.” With stop motion, every frame must be well composed, beautiful, and intentional. There is something poetic to be said of the hand being highly involved in molding a puppet, invoking a facial expression, and “animating” a puppet to life. A lot of films nowadays take the pacing and cinematic shots much too fast. We live in a culture of spectacle, of flipping channels, fast food drive-ins, and punch lines. A stop motion animator takes patience. Sometimes a months worth of work will only produce a minute of animation.
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NF: How did you get involved artistically with Rick Kitagawa?
ES: Rick and I started doing art together halfheartedly at UC Berkeley. Rick was the theater producer of the cast I was in. Many times before a show, the cast would end up painting props, editing film, and designing school flyers at 3 am. I think we both have strong roots in DIY and organizing through our experiences with Theater Rice. At this time I started sketching doodles and painting again. Here and there I started to make art and Rick was encouraging them so I was happy to have made a friend that I could show my artwork to. Eventually, we thought we needed a name for our makeshift company, something friendly, funny, and invokes the inner artist in all of us. When I lived in Australia, it was always cold so they would bundle me up and pull a big hoodie over me, my sister said that with my round eyes and cheeks, I looked just like a Seal. Rick’s family said he looked like a Monkey – thus Monkey+Seal was born.
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NF: What spiked your interest in organizing various art events and creating your own businesses?
ES: I was never cutout for 8-5 job. I can do it, but I am most happy when I can just create on my own time. In my various odd jobs prior to freelance, I somehow fell into marketing and organizing events. I learned a lot from my previous jobs and from self-made business people that I met along the way. The art events and own businesses first came out of necessity, in order to wean from the day job. But in general, they became a very important component to being an artist. An artist must know how to market their craft. The art events are great for networking and being present in the art world, while our own business help to finance our creative endeavors while helping other emerging artists realize their dreams. We wanted to create venues that encouraged artists. Rick and I know how hard the road to being an artist is, our goal is that through our own business we can pull up other artists along with us on our journey.
Into The Den by Eve Skylar
NF: Is your piece, Into the Den, part of a series of paintings or part of a larger concept of painting?
ES: Into the Den is part of a series of paintings entitled Skyace Wasteland or also known as the working title Tyger Tyger. All the paintings are actually pre-production concept art for an eventual graphic novel and animation slated for the near future. I wanted to experiment with Japanese and American style environment art since I am highly influenced by both.
The inspiration behind the Skyace Wasteland series actually comes from a deeply rooted personal history. My parents are survivors of the civil war, they witnessed many horrors, abandonment, and desperation as children. Through them, my sister and I live out there paranoia, pettiness, and at the same time, their awe-inspiring sacrifice. My sister and I grew up relatively alone. I think out imagination, humor, and art saved us. The character in the piece is a child that is suprisingly resilient and creative at the face of danger.
YOU: Why is today so important?
NF: Today, June 12, is the SF Etsy Sampler at the Artist Xchange gallery in San Francisco! There will be artwork, crafts and free fooooooood! Rick Kitagawa is a part of this as well.
YOU: What is this ‘etsy’ word?
NF: Etsy is a part of a website, etsy.com that focuses on all things handmade from various creative individuals. You can find art, jewerely, music, clothing, pet stuff, vintage stuff, and basically everything creative your creative heart desires!
YOU: What is the SF Etsy blog?
NF: The SF Etsy blog is a cumulative effort by various peoples who are the SF Bay Area Street Team. This team has compiled today’s event at the Artist Xchange Gallery that will showcase handmade items from creative individuals from SF and the Bay! It’s run by a bunch of team members, including Rick Kitagawa & Eve Skylar and their blog at blog.monkeyandseal.com!
YOU: Where can I find out more information?
NF: For more information on the SF Etsy and the SF Etsy Street Team please visit:
http://sfetsy.blogspot.com/. To view Rick Kitagawa/Eve Skylar’s vendor contributions please visit: http://www.etsy.com/shop/monkeyandseal. In addition, you can also browse/buy on www.etsy.com/!
Stockton-born, San Francisco-based artist-illustrator Rick Kitagawa is a very busy individual. An alumni of UC Berkeley and SF’s Academy of Art, Kitagawa holds degrees in Integrative Biology, a minor in Asian American studies, and is trained in fine art and illustration. His creative endeavors seem limitless; notables include being the creator and owner of Little Yeti, a wedding invitation business, the co-creator and owner of Paper Hat Productions with partner, artist Eve Skylar and a paper engineering instructor for Paper Source Fillmore. Here he reflects on his creative process, future projects and the creative freedom San Francisco provides.
NF: Would you have been completely satisfied if you only pursued one degree versus two?
NF: What was your inspiration behind your ‘No On Prop 8’ piece? Have you had any first-hand contact with the law, various legislatures or was it simply an issue close to you or the people around you? NF: Do you have any other creative ventures planned for the future?
JUNE 2010: TEXT © NORTHERN FOCUS & RICK KITAGAWA; PHOTOGRAPHS © RICK KITAGAWA.
Comments, suggestions, feedback on content/length/etc of interview welcome!
