Stephanie Rodas Sky Hopinka Art Talk

"thinking about the history of what these landscapes hold—how they're places of violence, contemplation, beauty, whatever. A place is full of possibility, especially when the light is right and it's a nice time of day and there is something beautiful about it or just something evocative." (Sky Hopinka, arts.gov)

The idea that landscapes hold multiple emotions and symbolism due to the history that has occurred there really stood out to me. I have not thought about landscapes being places of violence or enjoyment. I usually admire the beauty of the landscape and take in the moment as I view it right then and there. But landscapes hold so much memory and feelings from past events and people who have explored the same path years ago, I think that is beautiful and important to pay attention to the environment. 

"That's where the utility comes in and questioning what is the utility of myth? What's the utility of story? How can I use video to continue that? And also, what can I teach you? What can I teach you not only about moral values or the mores of the culture?" (Sky Hopinka, Art.gov) 

Sky Hopinka does not want his videos and artworks to be storytelling artworks; his film is more like a poem, and he wants to focus on the moral values and lessons that come from this culture and its myths. Hopinka wants to dive deeper into this history, culture, and stories instead of just being a storyteller, since there are so many history books that do that already. He wants to show you the purpose of these myths. This stood out to me because I believe at times the audience can fall victim to remembering stories or lessons, but not actually learning something from the story or taking something from it to make their lives better. The moral values, lessons, and culture fly past their head and they focus/remember the wrong things.

How does Sky Hopinka use his medium of choice? 

    Sky Hopinka uses film as his medium of choice to document his time in Portland, Oregon, and to learn the language Chinuk Wawa. He manipulates his footage by overlaying it and using audio recordings to explore the topics of language, landscape, identity, myths, and traditional beliefs. Sky uses film to focus on the purpose of these indigenousness myths instead of trying to teach the audience about the myth or trying to make it an official document.

What inspired him to use video?
    What inspired Sky Hopinka to use video is that he can capture footage whenever he feels inspired or when he's on a trip. He is also very selective with his footage and how he edits the clips; video allows him to create and manipulate the clips exactly how he wants to tell a story.

What material/medium/process do you use and how? 

    I used programs on my computer, such as Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop. I use these at times altogether or separately. I use this graphic medium in order to make artworks such as posters, logos, and infographics.  

What inspired you to make your work that way

    Although I grew up with a love for watercolor and drawing, I found myself making artworks that are graphic and made on the computer. What encouraged me to make this switch is that I saw the opportunity to create artworks that could be produced in a way that I could communicate with people, more specifically, making posters and logos that people pay for or look at every day. I loved the idea that I could manipulate images, text, and collage them all together to create a new idea. I also loved the idea of helping others bring their ideas and art to life.