Underground Art School

ART PATRON: Garric Simonsen

Allow us to introduce our featured art patron, painter Garric Simonsen. Garric is currently completing his MFA in Painting and is a Teacher's Assistant at Washington State University. We have had the honor of using Garric's work as the banner for the Underground Art School's Website [lucky us!]. We talked to Garric about how he approaches a blank canvas, the similarities between art & music, returning to school for an MFA, and teaching at WSU...

 
What is your process for creating each piece?

I learned a lot about painting using landscape as a model. As an undergraduate I used watercolor to make landscapes that were washed out formally. When the paper was fully saturated I would daub washes of color to make the composition, a lot like Turner’s landscape studies. Those paintings taught me about timing, which is a big part of my process. 

Timing can shift back and forth and still keep to a form. I like that idea as it relates to how I create paintings. I am also a drummer and that has a profound relationship to my painting. Drumming and painting share some interesting elements and slangs. I like how drummers and painters both use brushes, accents, rhythmic patterns, and compositions. I am fully committed to letting my experiences guide my picture making.

What are you exploring in your current work? How do you approach a blank canvas?

My current works critique different social and cultural issues, utilizing text to engage the viewer on multiple levels. I choose words that carry similar meanings, or evoke similar ideas. Sometimes words are challenged and come into conflict with each other. I use a basic set of design principles that start as sketches and later become paintings utilizing textural patterns that together construct a large polygonal form. I like words that contrast with one-another; these newest works draw from this idea. 

 

What would you say is a distinctive visual element that you use in your paintings?

I like to block areas out by layering patches of color. It’s very similar to what you see in street art. You have a tag that gets painted over, and then a week later another tag. This type of layering presents a level of abstraction you can see in works by Basquiat and Rauschenberg. They could really transcend the urban environment, I believe we share similar interests and formal arrangements.   

  

Do you communicate your thoughts into the work that you create? 

My work to some degree is autobiographical. I notice thoughts that resonate, the most influential of those ideas are captured on the surface. My paintings form an ill-defined narrative for the viewer to engage on personal level.    

 

How do you translate your emotions visually?

My tendency to document certain emotions comes out in small doses through line. I am a bit traditional concerning academic notions in art. But thats not to say my theories don’t break away from those foundations. Line is a signifier of forethought and in my work line suggests shifts of perception. I think line is one of the most emotionally charged tools for image making, my work relies on it heavily.  

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Inspiration comes from places and surfaces. It is usually the over-looked or hard to find things that I find fascinating. Most of what I want to paint ends up being transformed or metaphorically interpreted. I like the idea of space separating things that contrast, I am pulling from that interest in these new paintings.  

    

 

How do you  combine text with your abstract expressionist style?

I’m not really sure how it happens. The most logical explanation is I use words to challenge a paintings composition, like a soloist challenges the form of a jazz standard. Text is engaging, I like to communicate with the viewer through words and sentence fragments. I have never felt like I need it to make a successful painting, but I am attached to the way it functions structurally.        

 

Approximately how long does it take to complete each piece?

A few days sometimes longer; I study my paintings more than I work on them. I may look at new work intermittently for days, but when it comes time to paint I can produce 2-3 new pieces within a couple weeks.   

When did you know you wanted to pursue painting as a career?

In high school the idea began, prior to that I have always known. I did manage to take several years off to travel before studying academically. At 25 I returned to school and determined some goals. It’s a slow process, but one I am fully committed to.  

 

What made you decide to pursue your MFA?

I wanted uninterrupted studio time and credentials. Graduate school has been an unearthing of ideas and discoveries. I came into the first year open to learning new perspectives about art-making. I went through some dramatic changes that revealed a great deal of options.      

 

 

You have participated in many gallery shows- can you share your experience with us? 

I want my work to be seen, but the business end of art can be daunting. My exhibition record is not something I think about, all I notice is how the years keep adding up. In my early twenties I worked in a professional frame shop in Vail Colorado. I am by far not an preservationist, but it has helped to be experienced in the trade of presentation. I think any art show was worth applying for early in my career, now I know more of where my work fits in and the criteria that bests suits it. I have been told by many people, “If your serious...aim as high as you can.”  I recently exhibited in New York at the Brucennial 2010: Miseducation.  That was by far the most well attended opening I have ever participated in, also the first time I experienced New York City. I’ll be back for sure, New York has a vibe unlike any other place I’ve been.     

 
What is a typical day as a Teacher's Assistant at Washington State University.

Right now it’s suit up and show up. I am teaching Painting and before that; Foundations and Drawing. The students are what keeps me coming back, I learn from their experiences. I found it a totally different thing to explain how to work with materials, how to observe and pick up on details, what to look for in composition and so on. My classroom is casual and fun. I have two rules in class.... 

Rule #1: There are no rules. 

Rule #2: Always refer to the first rule.

My dad’s friend Kim Sterling taught me those.

Was there anything surprising about your job that you did not anticipate?

I was expecting training wheels...what I got was a spaceship.

 
To see more of Garric's work visit his site antipainter.com

Nicole Wrona is a regular Underground Art School blog contributor. After receiving a BA in Photography from the Savannah College of Art & Design, Nicole located to New York City where she assisted top photographers in the industry. Nicole has photographed renowned music entertainers such as Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Black Eyed Peas. She currently over sees Metal Leaves Studio, a progressive, design-oriented photography studio and company located in Detroit, Michigan.

ART PATRON: Joe Bun Keo

JOE BUN KEO is a recent graduate of the Hartford Art School where he studied sculpture and minored in Art History. He is our patron for Issue 4: Simplicity. Joe's work allows us to experience consumerism from a different perspective; he turns mass-produced, commercial products into art.

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Did being submerged in a creative environment, such as art school, have an affect on you as an artist?

Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that I've met so many interesting individuals and have met so many intriguing artists and have also been exposed to new approaches to art making and a larger spectrum of art history. No because, as an artist, it's after art school that one realizes what it takes to still have the spirit and drive to be one. It's all been said before, but being an artist isn't always the luxurious life. It's about going against the current of harsh realities of financial obligations and the overwhelming task of networking and promoting one's work. It's post art school that molds an artist.

Have in-class critiques helped your development as an artist?

In- class critiques have not developed me as an artist, They have developed me as a person. I've come to believe that the situation that the critique creates builds so much character in a person. In this certain situation, one is up against a group of peers and a professor or a professional artist, presenting one's work. It's about learning how to defend your work, your choices, and your mode of thinking. It's about learning how to fight back and persuade others to understand what you're trying to do. It's about learning how to take criticism constructively and use it to improve and not take it personally. Critiques for me, are like throwing someone to the wolves; find a way to survive. They build a spine if a spine wasn't present or was in need of some support. It builds courage and confidence; consideration, tolerance, and compromise made way for innovation, success, and revelations.

What have you learned from having your work in shows?
You can't win them all. Shows are one of the most difficult parts of being an artist. It's all about presentation, harmony, time, place, the client, and the viewing audience. Having work in shows and getting your name out there is the first step, but many times some shows don't do justice for one's work or one's work doesn't do justice to the show. It's a hit or miss and only in time does the sense of belonging and fitting right comes to light. It's brutal but very necessary. Just keep on submitting, writing proposals, joining group shows, promoting in local coffee shops and so on. Mistakes make way for new mistakes, and mistake after mistake will eventually bring something worth while.

 

What is one universal theme that runs through your work?

Consumer products are like people-at first glance you enjoy them and want them, but you get bored and fed up due to all sorts of variables. What I do to consumer products is put them in a new light, a new space, a new life. Everyone deserves the light of day, a chance, a reconsideration, a reuse, a recycle. No one's perfect, everyone's this and that in regards to regrets and mistakes, but under the right lighting and the right situation there's something to purchase and someone to love. Why be wasteful?

Where do you draw inspiration from?
Wal-Mart, The Dollar Tree, Chinese Food Take Out and Delivery, Hardware Stores, and everyday situations.

What is your process for creating new pieces?

I like going shopping. The mall, the dollar store, the grocery store, a restaurant. The act of buying and then having something become yours is quite beautiful but yet uneasy to me. I enjoy mass produced cheap quality objects because they are taken for granted and are dulled down to commercial utility. I buy, I observe, and I obsess and dwell in the object and see what I can do to make this image, this symbol, this thing become something more than what it was before.

Your installations are emotionally and psychologically complex, yet presented in a simplified way. How vital is minimalism to your work?

I hate being too complicated. When things are so convoluted and complex I get the worst headaches. Everything that may seem so puzzling and confusing can be trimmed down to the bare essentials. Corny as it maybe, but it's like a banana, peel the peel and enjoy the sweet flesh of fruit. I want things to be accessible and easy and convenient because I seek to be sought, I want people to be able to relate and understand and perceive things as they are and enjoy them without scratching their head too hard. Even being minimal can still be hard to comprehend, but it in many ways it levels the grounds and closes the gap between the viewer and the maker. My work may seem simple, but they have a mystery and a little punch and catch to them that keeps them from being too minimal and abstract, but rather simple and relative.

How do you simplify your idea into elements your audience will grasp?
People are consumers. We buy, we steal, we take, we make and we possess. Everything that can be had can have a purpose, but besides that utility, there is associations, juxtapositions, symbolism, and metaphors that can be had as well.

Nicole Wrona is a regular Underground Art School blog contributor. After receiving a BA in Photography from the Savannah College of Art & Design, Nicole located to New York City where she assisted top photographers in the industry. Nicole has photographed renowned music entertainers such as Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Black Eyed Peas. She currently over sees Metal Leaves Studio, a progressive, design-oriented photography studio and company located in Detroit, Michigan.

ART PATRON: Gina Furnari

We are pleased to introduce Painter and Art History extraordinaire GINA FURNARI [aka Gina Rafella]. She is a recent graduate of the Hartford Art School, one of our patrons of Issue 4, and currently works at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut.
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What is the most valuable piece of information you learned at Hartford Art School?
Don't try to emulate other artists with your work. Learn from them, but accept your own style and rules because they are what set you apart.

What was your favorite course?
Advanced Painting II in Ireland. It's my favorite because every one kept asking me why. The image of who I thought I had to be as an artist was shattered, and who I was finally started to come through. It's also where I got the opportunity to experiment with different mediums and have a studio space. As double-major though, I have to say my art history classes were the fun part of my day. I love creating art but it's a constant struggle and art history was a great stress reliever.

As a recent art school graduate, what are you currently doing?
I work at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum as a guard and I intern as their new media developer. I also work for the Clyde Otis Music Group as their new media developer. I'm still trying to figure out what to do next, for now I'm exploring. My art is still really important to me and I refuse to be one of the 90% who don't make art after college (I'm not sure that percentage is true but you get the idea). I am submitting work to shows and networking it up on Twitter.

What inspires you as an artist?
People is the easy answer. Really it's the narratives that people create and the fact that I want to understand them and affect them.



You explore drawing, photography, and embroidery. As a painter, how do these mediums play into one another?

They connect through line which, is really important to me. I understand the mediums and they are what comes out naturally, plus focusing on lines is tedious and makes me slow down and think while I create. I use lines in all mediums to construct my images. These mediums are very tactile. Even when I use photography, I try and play with the textures that I see, and the structure of the image. I see painting as an open ended term and I love when mediums that are traditionally seen as crafts are used to make bold contemporary statements.

Your thesis, "Turn Around" involves drawings and paintings as dioramas. Can you expand upon the ideas you were exploring?
I am a mass of contradictions as a person, and it's often hard for me to understand why I do certain things. The theaters [dioramas} are a way of exploring my own actions and thoughts. They started with two of my obsessions, theater and mysteries. Both of which have a formulaic element and a bit of darkness. From there I started creating staged situations and trying to draw a narrative out of them. I explored my biggest fears. The first nightmare I can remember, my fear that my boyfriend will leave for some one better, and even the things I see in the dark all became toys. The silhouettes are really important to me because, I had a lot I wanted to say about each situation and needed a simple way to get it all across. With a dark figure and a dagger I can suggest hidden emotions and by directing the gaze of that figure I can show intent and perhaps even motive.

A lot of what I do is open to interpretation. My hope is that people will see my vulnerabilities and my patterns of behavior and be able to relate. Maybe my thoughts and experiences can help some one else to feel less alone in the world.

What does simplicity mean to you?
Stepping back and finding out exactly what I want to say with as few components as possible. It doesn't mean a lack of detail or even a lack of chaos, but it does mean thinking about every thing you put into a piece and trying to see if it's necessary.

What role does simplicity play in your work?
It exists in my process. One might look at my work and see a complicated set up. However, each stage is constructed following a template so the construction was regularized. I use a similar language for all the pieces and stick to things I know. A flat painting on canvas would have been more complicated than building these structures and it would have taken a lot more time to get my message across.

Do you ever find yourself subtracting from ideas in order to simplify the end result?
Oh yeah, for a while I was going to build motors to move the puppets. I was also going to have writing about each experience incorporated into the installation. Neither idea worked out. It just felt like over kill and my heart wasn't in it.

Nicole Wrona is a regular Underground Art School blog contributor. After receiving a BA in Photography from the Savannah College of Art & Design, Nicole located to New York City where she assisted top photographers in the industry. Nicole has photographed renowned music entertainers such as Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Black Eyed Peas. She currently over sees Metal Leaves Studio, a progressive, design-oriented photography studio and company located in Detroit, Michigan.