Influences in Art Practice - Valentina Pena

1. Who are the 5 artists you chose?

• Saya Woolfalk 

• Cao Fei

• Tanya Aguiñiga

• Sarah Sze

• Barry McGee

2. What were the themes the artists addressed about making work?

Each of them works in very different fields installation, digital fantasy, public design, street art, and community based activism what is the same in their case is that they are very intentional about meaning.

• Saya Woolfalk develops alternate worlds in which to study race, gender, and hybridity. What I found is that she uses fantasy as a means of rethinking identity which I found very compelling. I have always been into storytelling which includes drawing, and her work got me thinking that we can use a constructed narrative world as a platform to present cultural experience.

• Cao Fei’s digital spaces left an impression on me. She puts together fantasy and reality which in turn she uses to play out how tech shapes identity and society. Watching her speak on digital environs made me look at my own digital art reservations. I am drawn to painting and drawing which have a physical quality and are familiar. Digital art still is an intimidating space for me. But what she does to create immersive experiences made me want to approach it with confidence instead of fear.

• Sarah Sze’s work is with detail and scale. She takes everyday materials and transforms them into complex installative pieces. What I noticed most was her patience, the way she builds meaning up layer by layer. It made me think that art doesn’t have to be rushed. In my own sketching or ceramic play I see that each small choice is what counts.

• Barry McGee talked of authenticity and community. He is into what he has lived and the street culture which is the base of his work. It’s raw and honest. That spoke to me of which I am sometimes worried about making my work “perfect” as a graphic designer. But his approach put forth that emotion and truth come through better than polish.

• Tanya Aguiñiga’s work spoke to me personally. She talks of border identity, migration, and community healing. As a person that is very much into cultural representation and social issues my connection to her work was immediate. She uses art as a bridge between people, histories and spaces which in turn made me think of what I want my own work to do.

3. What were the challenges the artists faced in making their work?

Something which did comfort me was that they discussed uncertainty. They did not present art making as easy or predictable. They talked of doubt, of experiment, of working outside traditional frameworks, of taking risks which may go either way. That really resonated with me. I am a painter and drawer at heart, it comes very naturally to me. When I am sketching out ideas I feel very sure of myself.

Ceramics I had no experience with before which made me a little afraid of what to expect. Once I gave it a try though I enjoyed the surprise element, the texture, the hands on aspect, the fact that it made me slow down. It was like I was back to playing with Play-Doh, it was a great experience.

Digital art also still has which which I struggle with. I want to improve at it which is why I am at a loss sometimes to just begin for fear that the end result will not live up to my vision. Watching what these artists do made me see that growth only comes out of experimentation. Discomfort is a sign that you are out of your comfort zone which is in fact a sign that you are growing.

4. What were the inspirations you drew from the artists?

What I was most inspired by was their fearlessness in pursuing their ideas. Also it made me think about my approach to my own work. I usually start with a sketch. At times it is just a face, an expression, or a phrase I write in my notebook. I am drawn to identity, culture, youth, anime storytelling, pop art, and social issues. My art often does identity, emotion and representation. Although it may look playfulness or stylized out on the surface there is usually something more profound going on beneath.

• With Saya Woolfalk I was inspired by her in to world building. She doesn’t just produce images she develops full systems of meaning. That made me realize I often think in terms of narratives. When I paint or draw I am not just putting down a character I am designing their back story, their feelings, their setting. Her work encouraged me to run with that instinct instead of what was comfortable which was to do single pieces. I want to create series which feel as if they are parts of the same story.

• Cao Fei’s work inspired me in a different way. I had always been into traditional media which I found immediate the texture of the paint, the graphite’s softness, the heft of the clay in ceramics. But watching her work made me see digital as emotional spaces instead of just technical tools. She broke me out of the thought that digital art is something to be intimidated by, instead presented it as another language for me to learn. Rather of being daunted by my inexperience I wish to approach it with curiosity.

• Sarah Sze inspired me into close attention to detail and process. She puts together her installations piece by piece which is like she is putting together thoughts in physical space. That made me see that art does not have to be perfect from the start. I am at times very hard on myself to have it all figured out before I begin. Watching her work made me to see that discovery is a part of the process. It’s fine to let the work grow as you go.

• Barry McGee’s work is what it is, no frills, no pretense. As a student of graphic design I am often put on the defense to present perfect, polished projects. But in the case of his art I found that which is real and imperfect to be very powerful. It gave me the confidence to put my faith in my hand drawn lines, in my expressive sketches, in the spontaneity of my ideas.

• Tanya Aguiñiga’s work spoke to me personally and culturally. She uses art to start conversations and bring light to border issues and identity. That made me think about how much I value representation, community, and social awareness in my own work. I want my art to do more than look pretty I want it to bring about social change. Watching what she does made me think about how I can be more purposeful in my connection between what I create and what I care about.

5. What were the things you would like to incorporate into your own work after watching these videos?

In my practice what I am really looking to add is confidence in my experiments, which includes digital art. I tend to be most at ease with painting and drawing which I am able to do with my hands the brush strokes, the paper’s texture, the heft of the clay when working in ceramics. Digital art doesn't have that same physicality for me and that at time leaves me a little hesitant. But I was inspired by how artists like Cao Fei use digital space as a creative environment rather than just a tool. I am going to approach it more as an extension of my imagination instead of something which I have to perfect before I use.

Also I am to put more of a focus on world building in my work. Saya Woolfalk’s work prompted me to see art as an entire universe which in turn is made up of many elements rather than just a single image. I am going to begin to think in terms of series developing characters, environments, and themes which play off each other across many works. Instead of stand alone pieces what I want is for my projects to feel like they are parts of a larger visual story.

Another issue I have been working on is to embrace process over perfection. As a graphic design student I put a lot of stock in coming up with polished, finished results. But artists such as Sarah Sze and Barry McGee got me to see the value in the raw and the experimental. I want to include sketches, layering of textures, visible brush strokes and imperfection in the end product instead of trying to hide them.

I am to think more about community and social meaning. Tanya Aguiñiga’s work brought to my attention that art is a means of relation it is a platform for dialogue and connection. I am very much into identity, representation and cultural experience. Going forward I want to see how I may put those values forth in my art in a more direct way. In terms of symbol, story, or collaboration I want my work to present that which is beyond the surface level aesthetics.

Another issue I am interested in is material exploration. In my work with ceramics I noticed how that which is 3 dimensional feels to work with. It made me slow down and think in physical terms. Also I wish to play with combinations of media for instance I’d like to put text into my ceramics, to layer digital prints with hand painted elements, or to try out collage techniques which are inspired by the artists I have been looking at. I find mixing materials very exciting as it pushes the boundaries of what I usually produce.

Finally out of which I have developed a practice of jumping in before I am fully ready. Many of the artists I spoke to reported uncertainty as a element of what they do. That shifted how I think of pause and delay. Instead of waiting till I am totally confident I want to put my trust in the process which will bring clarity. Growth isn’t from avoidance of fear -- it is from0 putting forth into it.