The Hideout

Natasha Romanoff vs. Yelena Belova (Part One | Part Two) BLACK WIDOW (2021) dir. Cate Shortland

What does having a physical space to make art in mean for your process and how do you make your space work for you?

As a photographer, working in any space is very critical to my creative process. If I am inside, I need to consider the lighting in the room, if I need additional lighting, temperature because it sucks to shoot when its 90 degrees with no air flow, if there is a lot of sound echoing around us can be distracting.    

Are there any particular activities you do everyday as an artist?

I go outside and take a walk or drive to a place that intrigues me.  This helps me calm my mind and relax.   

Can art provoke change or transform our way of thinking? How?

Yes, art can provoke many things and even change someone’s perspective.  Art is usually created from an individuals point of view, an experience, or a major event that left a large impact on their life, culture, or society.  It can be used to tell the story of someone’s life.  It can express a society’s struggle as well as its recovery.  

What impact do you think commercialism and the media have had on your work? Is this good or bad?

Commercialism and the media has not had a large impact on my work yet.  I only recently started a public photography account on Instagram and have received a few job offers.  If anything it is building to be more interactive and allow people to contact me directly.   

How do you want people to remember your work?

As of right now, I want people to remember my work from the experience they had with me or be able to see the fun and detail in my work.   

art by Jenna

Absolutely loved all of the artworks!!! 

What risks have you taken in your work and what has been at stake?

I do not feel that I have taken many risks in my work so far, simply because I have not been in the field long enough.  Nothing is at stake, yet... but hopefully I push boundaries and do take risks in the future.  

How do the social identities of the artist relate to the work of art they create?

What distinguishes visual art from craft?

Visual art has been something that I’ve always enjoyed making because it allows you to do ‘whatever’.  Use any materials and any style and just see what you come up with.  In photography, I use this approach a lot when I am out walking around or exploring a new area.  Craft is something that you learn so that you can make something specifically or in a specific way.  I also like this technique because it gives you a control of something as well as a structure to how you create it.  Studio photography can be considered a craft because you learn lighting techniques, camera angles, and how to work with models and objects. 

How do the materials used to make art influence the meaning of the work?

Anything good takes time, anything great takes effort.  Whatever material you use has its own processing time, set-up, break-down, and evaluating.  It is the artist themselves that determines if the artwork is good or great.  Depending on how much time you put into your material, it could turn out good.  How much effort you put into it really depends how much you love doing the art.  

How do history and the passage of time affect the meaning of an artwork?

I think history and time have the most affects on the meaning of artwork.  Artists who painted gruesome battle scenes, the wealthy, and Biblical stories all gave their own interpretations of what it might have looked like.  Nowadays, since we have that history we are influenced by it.  As for time, certain things get better with age while others don’t.  Oil paintings have continued to be precious documentations and references for aspiring artists today.      

How can we learn about people through the things they create?

Well, you can learn an infinite amount of things about people through what they create.  But, I feel that you truly learn more when you ask.  Ask why this material, was it difficult to work with?  Why so much or so little detail?  When we actively engage with our artists and their artwork, we begin to see more detail and understand their bigger picture.  

Does a work of art need to be beautiful? Why or why not?

Yet, almost having to detach ourselves from the human-ess of it, we can start to see that what was captured was a beautiful image of human tragedy.  It reminds us that we are human.  That each moment is a part of the larger story that is at play.  The chaos, pain, and suffering are the hidden beauties that we fear but must face everyday.