Artist Interview ~ Katy Wiedemann

You like'n what you see'n? I do too! I was lucky enough to run into this artist about a month back at PONSHOP. I saw these amazing, kick-ass paintings and was searching around hoping to meet the dude who did them.

I asked Scarlet Pons (one of the owners of the PONSHOP) and fully suspected to meet this sexy, billy bad-ass dude with tattoos and a surly expression.

Instead, I met Katy! A cute, petite blonde chic but definitely fitting the description of bad-ass. Immediately, I could tell that there was some "layers" to this "onion". My first words to her? "You're going to be famous!". Of course, she was one of my first contacts made when I decided I wanted to do an interview. If you're anything like me, you want to learn more about this amazing artist. Here you go, my surprise artist and first interviewee. Katharina Weidemann!

Jams: Let's start at the beginning, tell us about "little Katy"...born? raised? education?

Katy: I moved around a lot when I was young, which, unlike most children in that situation, I loved. I was born in Baltimore, I lived in Ireland for a bit, then my family moved to New Orleans, then Dallas, and for high school I was in Philadelphia. Though I spent the longest period of time in Philadelphia, I consider New Orleans my home and I go back as often as I can. I now am in my third year at Rhode Island School of Design as an Illustration major.


Jams: How about a story about "little Katy" that in retrospect showed you'd be an artist when you got older?

Katy: I was constantly drawing and making things for as long as I can remember, but when I was about ten my dream job was to make anatomical illustrations for medical books. That year for my birthday I asked for an anatomical skeleton and anatomy textbooks. The skeleton still stands in my bedroom, fully dressed.


Jams: For those not familiar with your body of work, tell them what they can expect?

Katy: The main body of my work depicts female nudes, predominantly with shaved heads. The idea behind this theme deals with a woman’s pride in the natural beauty of her body as well as her sexuality.


Jams: What is the media you work most with?

Katy: I started out in high school working almost entirely with pen and ink, mainly because I didn’t feel comfortable working with color, but as my knowledge of color theory developed when I went to college I transitioned quickly into painting. I now work primarily with multi layer stencils and spray paint along with oil paint.

Jams: Where do you pull most of your inspiration from?

Katy: I pull a lot of my inspiration from both artists in the street art movement as well as artists from the German Expressionist movement, such as Otto Dix and Egon Schiele. I also adore artists such as Francis Bacon and Peter Paul Rubens, but the vast majority of my inspiration comes from dreams and personal experiences.


Jams: What are your goals in this "rat race" called life? If you could take your art talents anywhere, where would you be?

Katy: As of now, my ideal career would be to illustrate and design sets and creatures or monsters for films.


Jams: If you could spend the day with one artist, alive or dead, who would it be? Why?

Katy: That’s a difficult question to answer, partially because there are so many artists I would love to meet, but also because most of them were completely insane or in some way emotionally disturbed. But I guess if I could only choose one artist it would have to be Francis Bacon because I would love to understand the concepts behind his way of abstracting and distorting the figures in his paintings.


Jams: Describe your studio/work space in one word?

Katy: Unpredictable.


Jams: Think fast! Favorites:

Katy:

Color: Eggplant

Animal: Octopus

Candy: Salt Water Taffy

Word: Merkin

Place: New Orleans

Person: Tom Waits



Jams: Okay, here's the part where you throw in a gratuitous plug- Tell my readers where they can find your art (shows, exhibits, online, books?)

Katy: I currently have a few pieces and prints of my work at PONSHOP Studio and Gallery on Caroline Street in Downtown Fredericksburg and my current body of work can be viewed on my website, www.katywiedemann.com.

Sleeps with the fishes ~ Ciotti Colori show at Ponsshop

This is my new piece called "Sleeps with the Fishes". My submission to PONSHOP Ciotti Colori show.

I never like getting into the "story" behind the paintings I do. I prefer to let people guess, amazingly they are usually right on with at least the "feelings" of it all.

In this one, you see a corpse of a girl just beginning to deteriorate. Suspended in water, surrounded by fish waiting to feed on her flesh. Floating in nothingness.

I could have gotten my message across with a more specific painting. One of me sitting at a desk in an office at the USDA. Irritated with a job that I don't feel means much to me. Doing what I need to do to pay for those things my child needs; which is a lot. But what would be the fun in that?

The term starving artist does not sit well with me. Refusing to give into "the man", not selling out, spending your energy and time on your art. I can see the romanticism in it. And if I didn't have a little tiny person who depends on me, I might just do it. I can't see myself feeling very creative if I'm looking at my child's face begging for food though. So I sit day in and day out at a job I hate wishing I could be somewhere painting. I steal moments here and there, breaks and lunches to sketch or read about art. Like the subject in my painting, I feel suspended, dead, predators eating chunks out of my life.

Unlike the girl in this painting, there will be a happy ending for me though. I will get to where I want to be eventually it'll just take a little more time. Meanwhile, I will paint out my frustrations and I hope people will appreciate the stories.

Slap this on your coffee table!

Just got this book and loved every minute of it! I still find myself cracking it open and looking at the art everytime I glimpse the cover.

Pop Surrealism- The Rise Of Underground Art has essays by Robert Williams, Carol McCormick and Larry Reid.

In a nutshell, they write about the origins of Pop Surrealism art and what it has evolved to. The book boasts of over 150 full-color images and being the "first book to offer a comprehensive survey of this fascinating new art movement and its top renegade artists." In my opinion, they definitely delivered what they promised.

Some of the artists featured are Don Ed Hardy, Mark Ryden, Liz McGrath, Camille Rose Garcia, Kalynn Campbell, Robert Williams and much more.

If you want to get the skinny on this somewhat new art movement than definitely pick up a copy. It does more than educate on the origins (which was interesting all on its own); it also talks about the pattern of being unacknowledged by the artists that might be considered (for lack of a better word) "highbrow". It really inspires us "renegades of the art world" to continue at our craft, not be caged in order to be accepted.

I personally have this mindset with my own art so definitely a book chock full of affirmations for me.

(Stay tuned for a book review of Juxtapoz Erotica as well as an interview of a surprise local artist!)

Beauty and the Meats ~ Mark Ryden

I am sure those of you who do not live under a rock have seen this painting somewhere. This is "Rose" by Mark Ryden. Right now, he has just put out an enameled metal pendant with this piece. I love it and for $99.00 I can own it.

Anyways, a little bit about Mark Ryden. Another Los Angeles-based artist. I personally consider him one of the "godfathers" of lowbrow art. Again, this is when the term "lowbrow" seems almost offensive. The skill involved in his pieces are insane! A lot of his techniques have a similarity to the old masters. His subject matter? Madness! You see these beautiful children; big eyes, pouty lips and all in disturbing situations. Beautiful Rose here is bawling blood tears. Another piece (from the same show, Blood) shows a little blonde-headed girl in bed, wearing pink fluffy pajamas, staring down the foot of her bed at the enormous severed head of Abraham Lincoln himself...aptly entitled "Lincoln's head".

Wanna' see something really cool? Follow this link to a time lapse painting of "Incarnation":

http://boingboing.net/2010/04/01/time-lapse-of-mark-r.html

Wednesday's Painting by Jams

One of the perks of doing my own art blog is that I can actually showcase my very own work. And I will be doing just that every week.

So, this week we have "Parenting Classes" currently at Libertytown Arts Center in my little rental space area. I always have a hard time describing the "feeling" behind each of my paintings. This is one of the many reasons why I am an artist. I have a hard time talking out feelings, it is always much easier to show. But let me give it a honest shot.

Like many parents, there are times when you just don't feel good enough for your offspring. You try and try and wonder if you are ultimately screwing up your kid in the end. Are they going to hate you? Are they going to turn into serial killers? Maybe they will be so overly protected that they are living with you in 30 years just sponging from the recliner in your den? Well, I don't know about other parents...I know I am constantly concerned if I am doing the right things to raise the most productive, healthy, well-rounded woman that Lulu can possibly become.

This painting shows an 8 year old little girl. Apparently, someone has taken great care in getting her a pretty, purple, foo-foo dress. She is wearing matching white knee socks with her cute little Mary Janes. Her hair has very carefully been pulled into curly little ponytails.

Unfortunately, due to lack of supervision; she is prowling the streets looking for trouble. She has an obvious drinking problem and an addiction to nicotine.

Upon closer inspection, you see that this parent of hers has gotten her a guard dog to make sure she is safe from child predators. No one is going to mess with her while she is in the company of a vicious dog! Oh? The dog is 4 pounds, soaking wet? Well, let's slap a very intimidating spiked color on it to beef it up. That'll do the trick.

I wanted to "voice" the concerns I had with my own parenting. Am I watching her well enough, am I protecting her, am I subjecting her to things that are to mature for her age?

Again, the goals I focus on the most when painting is not "does this look skillful to my audience? Will my prowess with a brush impress the pants off of them? Is my message seeping off the canvas and into their awaiting hungry eyeballs?". My main purpose is to get my feelings out and have an audience feel SOMETHING even if it's just a good laugh.

Gory details ~ Elizabeth McGrath

I have just came upon another artist that I am digging like crazy! The beautiful gem you see above is by lowbrow artist, Elizabeth McGrath titled "Honey Creeper"...ya, I'd say definitely a "creeper". I love pieces of art that make me think, "Where would I hang this piece in my house that won't make me too scared to sleep?". So a little bit about the artist:

Elizabeth is a California based artist who works mostly with sculpture and animation. Her work is "deliciously dark" (my most favorite kind) and due to this has picked up the name of "Bloodbath McGrath". Her talents don't stop there though, she is also the lead singer of a Los Angeles band called Miss Derringer. If you feel the influence of religion in her work, you're right on. She has said a lot of her inspiration came from a time in her life where she was sent to a Fundamentalist Baptist Correctional Institution at a young age.

Call me sexist but I love when I find these strong artistic forces (to be reckoned with) and they are women.

You can learn a little more about Elizabeth "Blood bath" McGrath here:

http://www.elizabethmcgrath.com/sculpture.php

Juxtapoz, blank decks and earthquakes

I am typing this blog entry with my heart still beating out of my chest. As a resident of Virginia for most of my life, I have had the luxury of never experiencing earthquakes...until today! I realize now that in an emergency I will more than likely freeze like a deer in headlights, run out screaming with no shoes on (once it sinks in) and just want to go home and crawl under the covers. Freaked out!!

Anyways, I have just today subscribed to Juxtapoz magazine. I have been meaning to do so for quite some time. I guess the threat of dying in earthquake rubble really makes you consider living life. I couldn't put it off a moment longer.

FYI: If you decide to subscribe to this amazing magazine; you can usually find some deals online. I got a year's subscription and a free book of my choice (I chose the Juxtapoz erotica) for $29.99. Basically, it's a magazine that celebrates the urban alternative & contemporary underground arts. Interviews and articles on amazing lowbrow artists and much, much more. And yes, for my literately-challenged friends...there are pictures. (Of course, if you are unable to read than you will miss this blog too).

I also finally got around to ordering my blank deck today. Should arrive in the next week or so. I already have a great piece of art in mind ready to come to fruition. Sneak "peek": It's all about feelings...or, actually...the lack thereof, depending on how you want to suck it in through your eyeballs.

I have my submission all ready with the exception of framing, to the Ciotti Colori juried show at PONSHOP. All entries are due this weekend. Any artist that has volunteered to be in the Via Colori street arts festival in September is welcome to bring in their piece and showcase their own art style. No other show guidelines except that. Artists- Come as you are! Opening night will be First Friday September 2nd, 2011.