First-time curator Cory Bilicko holding one of the found vintage photos he is using as inspiration for a local exhibit in which artists have created their own interpretations of old family photographs
Managing Editor
If you follow this column, you already know that I profile a different artist each week, grilling them about their processes, techniques, training and inspirations.
This time around, however, since the show I’m curating opens this weekend, I thought I’d “turn the tables” and give the artists in my show the opportunity to ask me questions.
For the show Relative Aperture, which opens Saturday, Sept. 6 from 7pm to 10pm at Greenly Art Space, 2698 Junipero Ave., Suite 113, in Signal Hill, 29 different artists will present their interpretations of discarded photographs, and each piece will be accompanied by a kid’s drawing that is also inspired by those photos.
Kellie-Thomas Walker: What inspired the show’s concept?
A box of old family photos that I came across in the Long Beach Depot for Creative Re-use one Saturday afternoon last spring.
Mackenzie Woolvett: What was it like curating your own show, and is it something you want to continue doing?
It really was a lot of work. I don’t think it’s possible to truly understand how much work is involved until you do it yourself. I’ll know the answer to the second part of your question next week.
Kirk Dominguez: How in the name of all damned souls can you be so nice all the time?
Kirk, I’m not. As a matter of fact, I’m going to rent out billboard space publicizing the names and photos of each artist who didn’t meet their deadlines or get me what I needed without my having to track them down. But have a nice day!
Dorte Christjansen: You profile one artist per week— 52 a year. Wow, that’s a lot of artists. How do you find/discover these artists, and what are your criteria or reasons for including them?
I constantly attend gallery openings and art walks, and I’m not shy at all about meeting artists and letting them know about this column. I also find them through word of mouth, and occasionally they contact me. As for criteria, I’m pretty lenient. My objective with this column is to shed light on local artists, but my favorite to feature is the type who’s never shown before but has talent that somehow speaks to me. I love lifting up struggling or new artists and giving them the confidence that they too can get their work and their name out there. I’ve become a bit of a mentor to some of them, and that gives me great joy.
Vinny Perez: What was the reason for your two art pieces, when everyone else only had one? I imagine you had so many other things on your plate, curating the show.
Vinny, I really appreciate your asking that question, since I know you already know the answer. I didn’t set out to do two pieces; I don’t think it would have been fair for me to do two when I was telling the other artists involved they could each only do one. What happened is that, despite my best efforts, I haven’t been able to reach one of the artists who’d already chosen a vintage photo and committed to being in the show, and there was a little girl who’d been paired with that artist to have her drawing displayed. Since we’d already notified her family that she would be included, there was no way I could tell her she was now going to be out of the show. So, in the little spare time I had left in the eleventh hour, I began work on a second piece to make up for the now missing one, and you so graciously offered to help me with it. It meant so much to me to not only have your sense of empathy, but also your offer of assistance. It’s just what I needed in that rather desperate moment. Thank you!
Cynthia Evans: What is the most important aspect of this show to you?
The most important aspect for me is that we’re honoring these forgotten photos and the people in them. By using them as inspiration for new works of art, we’re breathing new life into them and saluting the individuals in the photos— and the ones behind the cameras. In fact, Dorte Christjansen has a special tribute to the photographer of her chosen photo. That was so thoughtful of her.
Annie Stromquist: Would you describe your favorite photo from your own family past?
I think my favorite photo is one that was taken of my now deceased mother the day after Hurricane Camille. At that time, we were living on the Gulf Coast, which was hit hard, and it was was the second-strongest U.S. landfalling hurricane in recorded history. I don’t remember Camille because I was 7 months old when it struck, but I was told a lot about it growing up. My mother and I stayed overnight during the storm with my grandparents and my two uncles at the fire station where my grandfather worked. The next morning, we went back to our home, which was mostly intact, but the shed in the back had been destroyed. We were so lucky compared to so many other people. Someone took a picture of my mom, who was 20 at the time, in the back yard that day. She looks tired and sullen in the picture— but beautiful and mysterious in a way that’s different from the other photos she’s in. In that photo, she reminds me of a vamp-ish woman from a 1960s horror flick— like one of those Hammer films. I actually used it loosely as inspiration for a painting a few years ago, and my sister recognized that it was our mom right away.
David McKeag: Would you consider a show like this as an annual thing, perhaps with a different take, but still having students and adults interpreting a theme?
Probably not, since I tend to want to move on to something completely different after completing a project.
David Early: How has curating an exhibit challenged you as an artist, and which role do you prefer?
My feeling about this could change, but I think, at this moment, I’d have to say that I prefer the role of the artist. When I create a painting, I usually enjoy it from the beginning to the end. With curating, the beginning is great because you’re energized about your concept and getting positive feedback from the artists, and then the final result is extremely rewarding, to see all the artists’ work come together. However, the middle portion can be one of intense frustration, trying to get everything you need to launch a successful show. On the plus side, now that I’ve been on the curatorial side of things, I’m going to be an even better artist to have in an art show— because I have a profound respect for what is entailed.
Lara Meintjes: What moment (or person) in your (or your family’s) history do you wish you had a photograph of?
Great question, Lara. Although it’s not exactly the same thing as photos, I sometimes wish there was video or film from my very early childhood. My family has lots of footage of my nieces and nephews. I particularly treasure a particular video of my mom holding and caring for my niece Ciara when she was a baby; Ciara just turned 21 last week. I would absolutely love to see film of myself being born. I think it would somehow provide me with a new appreciation for the fragility of life.
Danelle Wulc: What artists inspire you as an artist?
Two of my favorite artists are the Spanish-Mexican surrealist painter Remedios Varo and California artist John Brosio. Varo was heavily influenced by her father, who was a hydraulic engineer, and, as a kid, she would replicate his blueprints. So there’s a mathematical sophistication that informs her surrealism. Brosio lives in Pasadena. I discovered his work at The L.A. Art Show last year. He incorporates elements of horror into everyday situations, and his work is striking. His sense of lighting is divine, and he seems to know just the right brush strokes and tones to use to tell his stories.
Nate Jones: How has curating this show, and thinking about so many other artists and what they must be thinking and doing, affected the way you approached your piece?
With all the talented folks in this show, you’d think I’d be feeling insecure, especially since I’m an autodidact. But actually, while working on the two paintings I did, I felt stimulated and energized by the knowledge that there were dozens of you out there creating fantastic pieces to “toast” these vintage photographs. I was well attuned to the fact that I am part of something much bigger than me and my two paintings, and it was invigorating.
Caryn Baumgartner: As an artist and/or curator, what was the most surprising thing to come out of this experience?
I was very pleasantly surprised at the incredibly positive feedback I received regarding my concept for the show. People seem immensely interested in the idea. Perhaps everyone relates to the aspect of family and historic preservation. I have a hunch that, when I tell people about the concept, they immediately think about their own relatives and family photos. Ultimately, it’s about the value we place on our own photographs, especially in the digital age, and how we honor our relationships with each other. Like my mom always said: If the house is ever on fire, don’t bother trying to save clothes or toys or furniture, because we can buy new ones. If you can indeed safely grab something, save the photos, because those are irreplaceable.
Ed. note: The above views are those of the writer and the artists involved and in no way reflect those of Greenly Art Space.
