Art21 Artists

1 - Who were the 5 +artists you chose videos about?

• Guadalupe Maravilla, Gabriel Orosco, Wangechi Mutu, Maya Lin, Aki Sasamoto.

2 - What were 5+ of the themes the artists addressed about making work?

• GM - Autobiographical, empowering communities, nature.  

• GO - Exchange between artists, identity, roots.

• WM - Nature, organisms, identifying themselves in materials.

• MY - Nature, “what used to be”, history.

• AS - Acceptance of change and exploring materials.

3 - What were 5+ challenges the artists faced in making their work?

• GM - Cancer, doubting between becoming a healer or being an artist. Meshed into one instead.

• GO - People only using spanish as a “st language”

• WM - Setting roots down in England or NY, not knowing where they belong.

• MY - Being aware of nature’s way of being, expressing facts.

• AS - Kidney condition, pregnancy which lead to exploring glass and the art of letting go of control.

4 - What were 5+ inspirations you drew from the artists?

•  GM - “If you don’t see the art you like, invent it yourself.” Create your own path. Go back to healing practices. 

•  GO - Connect with other artists by exchanging knowledge.

• WM - Identifying with the material, looking at your roots for inspo.

• ML - Deliver a message, work with what is in front of you.

• AS - Surrender to movement and change, accept fluidity in life and sculpture, looking within. Seek inspo in daily life.

5 - What were 5+ things you would like to Incorporate into your own work after watching these videos? 

•  GM - As a 2nd generation immigrant I am often fascinated by the struggles of crossing the border or coming to a new land abandoning all that you know. I’d like to do sculptural work about the border-crossing journey – incorporating colors, patterns of my cultures.

•  GO - An exchange of knowledge, experiences and positive qualities with peers.

• WM - Diving into the material, essentially becoming one with it.

• ML - Making a map, a road

• AS - Facing the uncomfortable, not resisting change.

What is it that you already love to make? 

• Pottery, sculpture with clay, experimenting with mediums and materials.

What do you wish you could do with more confidence?

• Dive in and let go of all control of the outcome.

What processes scare you? 

• Putting my work out, diving deep enough into my work to create something real, coming up with a theme to do a show on.

How do you set about starting your own work?

•  Get an idea, just go with it.

What inspires you? 

• Geometrics, my roots, the roots of my peers, migration.