CHARMEL LESTER SIMONE ROBINSON WENDY FOURNIER DEANNE LARMEU WATER-ISH OLESYA SMOLKOVA GERGANA ELENKOVA STÉPHANIE SELLIER IRENE GEORGIOU
SUMMARY C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Russia Huaika Reale Deanna Larmeu (b.1980 Metairie, LA) was raised while often fishing or crabbing on Bayou Bienvenu. She Is an M.F.A. candidate in Painting at Savannah College of Art and Design expected to graduate in 2023. She also has a B.F.A and B.S. from Louisiana State University. Before this, she was schooled in New Orleans. She has exhibited in group exhibitions in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Her work has been selected as the Corpus Delecti Podcast Design, and she has been appointed as the sole Portrait painter for the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus. Her work is mixed media created with traditional and digital methods. Pieces range from medium to large scale and display filtering of the beauty and horrors of mankind through her perspective. In 2021 she worked hard to spread joy in the Greater New Orleans community despite the cancellation of Mardi Gras by creating pieces for the Krewe of House Floats. Currently, she is educating youth in the arts and has been since 2004. Irene Georgiou Greece USA I believe that art is a window through which anyone who looks can see our world differently. I hope through my art this window reveals something hopeful, something in which a soul could find an answer or a connection that will bring us closer to a peaceful and joyful world . I paint landscapes, as a response to everyday life. Modern individuals are called to face situations which are often unpredictable and sometimes cruel. Although I want my works to be a realistic representation of reality, however, with the use of vivid colors and the way light falls upon a scene, I make sure that I leave a romantic answer to our reality. The essence of nature at the sea, lakes, mountains and forests as well as the connection of people with nature at the urban and rural landscape inspires me and leads me to try to capture all these in my paintings. Wendy Fournier USA Combining her research and passion for art, religion and science into a body of work that explores spiritual and philosophical questions. Similar to Surrealist Artists who pushed the boundaries or reality of their art by exploring the limits of our psychology, she pushes the spectrum of her art to portray relationships with spirituality by using consciousness, and spiritual practices. Specializing in bringing the sacredness back to art, she has the ability to connect and communicate to unseen forces and makes them visible in her work. She establishes patterns in the physical world to that of the spiritual, philosophical, and scientific worlds. She pushes the limits of what art can do, transcending the viewer into an emotional and spiritual connection. Her art not only stimulates the senses but offers teachings with its inspiring symbolism and rhetoric. I am an artist, aspiring director, screenwriter, mother of three. The most important thing for me is to express the beauty of the world and my inner universe. The way I see this beauty. I write movie scripts, poetry and prose. My works stimulate the imagination of everyone who looks at them, awakening his own imagination. The viewer composes his own fairy tale, enters into a dialogue with his own I. I love writing poetry and prose, scripts for films and I am taking directing courses - I started making short films. For me, any creativity is a space in which I want to live. I am sure there is still a lot I can say and show to people. The beginning of my artistic career is motivated by an inner necessity, but also by a dependence on the artistic technique for the search for the necessary talent for the idea. The study of fashion design started in adolescence follows a long self-taught path, the university study of the History of Art interrupted, it continues alone over the years. I have used all the fundamental tools to fulfill the vocation of my life. Drawing, watercolor and oil painting are my favorite mediums generally on paper, wood or canvas supports. In my creations the perception of the world is expressed with contents that are easily readable by the viewer, but it present itself in situations that cannot be foreseen. From this experience we derive a creative purpose, which serves a living content trapped on the canvas that shows us a different dimension, where the colors are solid and the red dominates. Olesya Smolkova Charmel Lester USA A native of Shreveport, Charmel Lester is known for her custom wall hangings and crochet creations. Charmel is a proud graduate of Caddo Magnet High School and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Hampton University. An avid traveler and arts enthusiast, Charmel has lived in several states and abroad, including Thailand. Her passion to create started nearly twenty years ago, while making cards and small gifts for her friends and family. When she saw the happiness on their faces, she realized that it was time to embrace her talents. Her work has been featured in local boutiques and markets throughout North Louisiana. In March of this year 2020, Charmel was led to launch the Yarning for Hope Project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through Yarning for Hope, Charmel is working to boost the morale of the community-at-large by creating and installing original works of fabric art in public spaces. Her latest project, S.K.E.O.,Stop Killing Each Other, is an initiative launched to bring awareness to the black-on-black crime and increase in violence in her community. She placed her first piece at a car wash on a busy intersection in her neighborhood. It was received really well and she would like to place pieces like this in other parts of her city and other cities nationwide. Deanna Larmeu USA Special Issue
Special Issue SUMMARY 4 22 Stephanie Sellier live and works in Lille, France Deanna Larmeu lives and works in the United States Olesya Smolkova lives and works in Krasnogorsk, Moscow, Russia Simone Robinson lives and works in the United States Huaika Reale lives and works in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica Charmel Lester lives and works in the United States Wendy Fournier lives and works in the United States water-ish lives and works in Japan Irene Georgiou lives and works in Greece 44 64 82 104 130 154 184 ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART water-ish Japan Making art for me is like inhaling and exhaling. If I stop making art, that means that is the end of my life. This sounds intense though I think so. As we are living on this planet with all the miracles, we get to see and feel so many colors around us. The trees, the flowers, the skies, the stones, the sound, the wind and everything. There is no need to hate or discriminate on the basis of colors because we are all colorful and unique each one of us. People can hate colors in my artworks instead and that’s okay. I’m making art not to be loved but to love. I am touched by the birth of life, the existence of the universe, the earth, the moon, the sun and the fact that we are now living in it right at this moment. I am also moved by the fact that we can now see the light of stars from long time ago. And I believe that someday, when someone feels the light that I’m feeling in my art, and if someone sheds tears, I will be happy and feel that I have finally connected with someone. It has nothing to do with race, gender, country, power, money, history, or cultural differences. Simone Robinson USA Simone’s portfolio consists of work that speaks to the viewer both visually and conceptually. Her work centers around the idea of what it means to be creative outside of being comfortable. For a long time, her work was 2-dimensional, but more recently, her work includes various other forms of art making and expression. Robinson’s pieces are inspired by the knowledge she has acquired while being an art student and while being an intern with the Shumate council. During her time in the OSU undergraduate program, she was able to be diverse in her program of study and learn about multiple mediums of art making such as sculpting, drawing, painting, 3D modeling, photography and more recently murals. Sanjay Gupta France My figurative style is nourished by a universe capturing the emotions of the human being, whether through the portrait or the nude, in a contrasted harmony of strength and fragility, power and grace, sculptural and delicate lightness, letting the depth of expressions and the beauty of emotions intensify. My artistic approach aims to explore a whole sensibility as much by the diversity of humanity (ethnic, cultural, social, artistic etc...) as by the artistic techniques that I use through the use of different mediums and supports (cardboard, solid board, paper), but also through photographic artists such as Lee Jeffries, Rakesh Syal, Manny Librodo, Zyyarlynn etc... who touch me and inspire me for the realization of my works according to their photographs. This sensitivity reflects for example for certain works the temporality, this temporality is then attached to the work of expression of the asperities of a face, stigmata of the time which passes and the conditions of life in which each one evolves which reinforces all the more the strength and at the same time the fragility of a being, as well as to the work of the bottom and the support which echo an allegory of the time which passes and the "fractures" of the life. Stéphanie Sellier On the cover: Special thanks to Eri Kassnel, Boris Eldagsen, David Habercom, Ivonne Dippmann, Florencia Davidzon, Meghan Mosholders, Ryder Richards, Susan LaMantia, Elsa Vinaes, Corbette Fogue, Julia Lekvova, Alon Peretz, Johannes Deimling, Barbara Bervoets, Gwenyth Dobie, Viktor Frešo, Allyson McCandless, Gillian Allard, Maya Gelfman, Annie Hobbs, Jill Poczkai Ibsen, Jody Zellen, Anniek Verholt, Eva Rocco Kenell, Anne Cecilia Surga and Anna Pinkas. All contents and images cannot be reproduced without written permission from artists featured in the current special issue of icul ction Art Review
Hello Stéphanie and welcome to ARTiculAction: we would like to invite our readers to visit http://stephanie-sellier.com in order to get a wide idea about your artistic production, and we would like to start this interview with a couple of questions regarding your background. You have a solid formal training, and after having earned your Diploma of Applied Arts you nurtured your education with a Diploma in Graphic Design, that you received from Cepreco, Roubaix: how did these experiences address your evolution as an artist? Moreover, how does your cultural substratum direct the trajectory of your current artistic research? Stephanie Sellier: Hello and thank you for making my work known to your readers. I have always been attracted by the representation of the human being, whether ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART meets Stéphanie Sellier An interview by , curator and , curator My figurative style is nourished by a universe capturing the emotions of the human being, whether through the portrait or the nude, in a contrasted harmony of strength and fragility, power and grace, sculptural and delicate lightness, letting the depth of expressions and the beauty of emotions intensify. My artistic approach aims to explore a whole sensibility as much by the diversity of humanity (ethnic, cultural, social, artistic etc...) as by the artistic techniques that I use through the use of different mediums (paint, black stone, graphite, ink) and supports (cardboard, solid board, paper), but also through photographic artists such as Lee Jeffries, Rakesh Syal, Manny Librodo, Zyyarlynn etc... who touch me and inspire me for the realization of my works according to their photographs. This sensitivity reflects for example for certain works the temporality, this temporality is then attached to the work of expression of the asperities of a face, stigmata of the time which passes and the conditions of life in which each one evolves (ethnic, cultural, social, artistic etc.... ) which reinforces all the more the strength and at the same time the fragility of a being, as well as to the work of the bottom and the support (concerning only the works carried out in painting) which echo an allegory of the time which passes and the "fractures" of the life which are represented by a floral form resembling a "protective cocoon" rising in lightnings towards the top of the work tending to the threat by the torn paperboard which resembles to him the time which passes, the storm which threatens on the life etc... Lives and works in France
L'homme à la cigarette
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Stephanie Sellier it is by the portrait or by the nude, it is the main theme of my works and my artistic curriculum has allowed me to learn to exploit the multiple ways of approaching and expressing the language of the face and body, but above all to make a personal interpretation according to my own inspirations as well as to develop a broader creativity in order to be able to use the image itself with all that can surround it, associate it. This "learning" allows me today to reach a pictorial balance symbolizing the meeting between reality and illusion of the subject as well as what is palpable and what is not. The body of works that we have selected for this special edition of ARTiculAction — and that our readers have already started to get to know in the introductory pages of this article — has at once captured our attentio for your unique ability to capture contrasting feelings and emotions in your subjects, conveying them La fleur de l'âge Indien
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Special Edition into such harmonic unity, that regards not only the aesthetics of your artworks, but the bond between truth and aesthetics: when walking our readers through your usual setup and process, would you tell us how do you develop your ideas? Stephanie Sellier: The way in which I apprehend a painting or a drawing is born from the meeting between the visual and my own emotions, then I analyze the way in which I can work the image, either in painting, or in drawing according to what I wish to represent. Often La femme au sourire these emotional encounters are made through the work of photographers such as Lee Jeffries, Rakesh Syal etc... Whose photos inspire and move me. Generally speaking, it is the visual that guides me in my ideas and these ideas always Femme à la main
L'homme à la casquette
L'homme au chapeau
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Stephanie Sellier have in common the exploration of a whole sensitivity relative to the human being. With their unique multilayered quality on the visual aspect, your artworks feature recurrent alternation between dark, intense tones and large white areas, that provide your images with deep visual dynamism: how do you structure your process in order to achieve such brilliant results? In particular, how does your own psychological make-up determine the nuances of tones that you decide to include in your artworks? Stephanie Sellier: The different shades of tones are part of the subject and I work on them in different ways with more or less intensity depending on the desired effect, whether it is to emphasize the roughness or expression of a face, on an "atmosphere", I do not explore them with the same techniques, for example, for the expression of a face, I tend to use a chiaroscuro which will accentuate the emotion it arouses. But the approach of these nuances is not really reflected, it is done almost instinctively according to my sensations in front of the visual. Some of your portraits are characterized by ambiguous storytelling, able to depict opposite emotions, fluctuating between strength and fragility, power and grace, and evoking swinging emotions in the viewers, and that — as in the interesting Gainsbourg — even appear sort of hermetic: how important is for you to create images able to trigger the viewers' imagination, inviting them to elaborate personal interpretations? And how open would you like your works to be understood? Stephanie Sellier: A work of art is often found to arouse a reaction, whether positive or negative, and to lead the viewer to be penetrated by what he sees. I find it much more interesting that everyone can have their own perception of what they see. When I create a painting or a drawing, it is my emotions that guide me and I wish that it could be the same for the spectator, that he questions himself, not by what I wanted to express but, by what he could see, that he is in front of a "living image" and not in front of a "frozen image" by a potential message that I would have wanted to pass on, moreover my creations are realized to awaken the consciences on such or such subject and thus I do not necessarily wish that they are understood. We really appreciate your sapient use of images and symbols that create poetic metaphors through sapiently selected minimal means: how do you consider the role of symbols and evokative elements playing within your artistic process? And how important is for you to create artworks rich of allegorical qualities? Stephanie Sellier: From the moment I work on emotions, symbols and evocative elements are essential and have an important part in the representation of my ideas, I would even say that they are inseparable. They lead to see the substance in few graphic elements, enrich the subject and especially allow to make visible what is not, and this last point is interesting because it is in my opinion the essence of the allegory, when this one, apart from the fact that it is the representation of an abstract idea, an understanding of the subject, is above all an associative process allowing to create a narrative and is thus likely to bring to the imagination and to make its own "vision" on the work independently of that which the artist wanted to express voluntarily or without his knowledge. The richer a work is in allegorical qualities, the more intriguing and disturbing it is.
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Special Edition Gainsbourg Your portraits — as the interesting L'homme au turban, as well as Indian — are marked out with such powerful narrative drive: what’s your philosophy on the nature of portraiture? In particular, how do you select the people that you decide to include in your artworks? Stephanie Sellier: My philosophy on the nature of portraiture could be likened to this sentence by the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer: "Life is never beautiful, only the images of life are
Keith Richards
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Special Edition Les danseurs
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Stephanie Sellier beautiful". This sentence is imbued with a double-edged narrative that brings together "what is" and "what makes you feel", it is also an emotional contrast and the same is true for people. I like to explore a whole sensitivity related to the human being so much by the diversity of humanity (ethnic, cultural, social, artistic etc...) that by these "images of life are beautiful", which are details that transcend reality by a smile, a look, a gesture, an expression etc... If this meeting between "what is" and "what makes me feel" moves me, disturbs me, brings harmony, then it is very likely that I will decide to include these people in my works. You are a versatile artist and the technique that you have developed encompass the use of a variety of mediums, that include paint, black stone, graphite, ink: what does fascinate you of these materials? Are there any experiences that did particularly help you to develop your attitude to experiment? Stephanie Sellier: What fascinates me is the multiple ways of treating the same subject according to the medium used, whether it is by the visual rendering or by the speed of execution. Painting requires a certain amount of time to execute, but brings material effects that cannot be obtained with ink, while black stone allows me to work more quickly, to have a rendering close to charcoal with a depth of black and the finesse of graphite while being easier to use, and more simply, these are mediums that I like to practice. Concerning my attitude to experimentation, there are indeed several experiences that come into play and are of the order of learning. First of all, the watercolor classes I took as a child as an extracurricular activity, then during my studies in applied arts where the different artistic fields studied (visual arts, styling, graphic design, architecture etc...) require the practice and development of various techniques and mediums, and in a general way require the exploration of varied artistic influences. We have appreciated the way you combine vivid and almost dramatic reminders to reality, as the touching Femme à la main, with such unique dreamlike visual qualities. Scottish visual artist Peter Doig once remarked that even the most realistic works of art are derived more from within the head than from what's out there in front of us: how do you consider the relationship between reality and imagination, playing within your artistic production? And how do your memories and your everyday life's experience fuel your artistic research? Stephanie Sellier: The relationship between reality and imagination in my artistic production is based on the perception of the elements that I have in front of me, when an image or a person captures my attention, a path is created between what is real and my imagination. A face marked by time, a softness in the eyes etc... Will lead me to an interpretation of my impressions, feelings and sensations guided by details in which I will read and create my own reality. My memories and my experience of everyday life serve as a basis for my artistic research, they are images, situations, experiences, fragments that leave a trace, anchor themselves in me sometimes until I forget and which I often feed on in an unconscious way. Your artistic production unveils the bond between traditional heritage and contemporary sensitiveness: as an artist particularly interested in the theme of the temporality, how do you consider the relationship between Past and Present playing
ARTICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w Special Issue Special Edition within your artistic research? In particular, do you aim to create a bridge between Tradition and Contemporariness? Stephanie Sellier: I do not particularly seek to create a bridge between tradition and contemporaneity, what interests me above all is the glance carried on the diversity of humanity (ethnic, cultural, social, artistic, etc.…) and all that it represents as regards conceptual enrichment, which will bring me when it is a question of treating certain visuals, to compose on the temporality where the relation between the past and the present is attached to a visual "explanation" of the present by the work of the expression of the asperities of a face, stigmata of the time which passes and of the living conditions in which each one evolves. David Bowie Portrait à la barbe
L'homme au turban
Tom Waits
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Stephanie Sellier You are an established artist and over the years your works have been internationally showcased in many occasions: how do you consider the nature of your relationship — especially in public spaces — with your audience? By the way, as the move of Art from traditional gallery spaces, to street and especially to online platforms — as Instagram and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stephaniesellierartis te — increases, how would in your opinion change the relationship with a globalised audience? Stephanie Sellier: The public has an implication, an active role in a way during an exhibition, it is through its glance that my works take life. He expresses his perception with his reflections, his sensations, his questions, his judgment, which bring another dimension to my works even if his vision is completely different from mine, but this never affects my inspirations, nor the development of my ideas on my future creations. I think that the relationship with a global audience would not change the nature of my relationship with him, the substance of it would remain on the same basis. Visage noir I Visage noir II
ARTICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w Special Issue Special Edition Thanks a lot for your time and for sharing your thoughts, Stéphanie. Finally, would you like to tell us readers something about your future projects? How do you see your work evolving? Stephanie Sellier: I am currently working on a project that differs a little from my usual process of "the meeting between the visual and my emotions", in this project it is "the meeting between my emotions and the visual" that is being done and that is linked to portraits in the fields of music and words. Afterwards, my work will continue to explore the universe of emotions in relation to the human being but I cannot tell you in what way it will evolve. An interview by , curator and , curator Révélation II Révélation V
Révélation I
Hello Deanna and welcome to ARTiculAction: we would like to invite our readers to visit https://deannalarmeu.com in order to get a wide idea about your artistic production, and we would like to start this interview with a couple of questions regarding your background. You have a solid formal training: after having earned your Bachelor of Science in Secondary Art Education, you nurtured your education with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, and you are currently pursuing your Master of Fine Arts in Painting, at the Savannah College of Art and Design: how did these experiences address your evolution as an artist? In particular, are there any experiences that did particularly help you to develop your attitude to experiment with different techniques? Deanna Larmeu: Hi, thank you the opportunity to interview with ARTicuAction! I’m excited to share my work with you and your readers. Thank you for noting my background! I feel like every and all experience can have an effect on my work especially because I use my artwork to process most of my life. The effect could be immediate or delayed and the experience could be artistic or from existence. I was lucky at Louisiana State University to have instructors who encouraged experimentation with oil paints through observation and building structurally with color. The courses were varied and I was required to take ceramics and sculpture. I loved hand building with clay, but my skill set was a bit lacking at the time when it came to other three-dimensional media. This knowledge has served me well throughout my decades of creation. At SCAD professors have encouraged even more experimentation especially with any artmaking material I may have had less practice with. This opened my mind to the idea of creation for practice and being less concerned with outcomes when experimenting. However, the idea of incorporation of architecture and salvage probably emanates from my family and Culture. ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART meets Deanna Larmeu An interview by , curator and , curator Deanna Larmeu (b.1980 Metairie, LA) was raised while often fishing or crabbing on Bayou Bienvenu. She Is an M.F.A. candidate in Painting at Savannah College of Art and Design expected to graduate in 2023. She also has a B.F.A and B.S. from Louisiana State University. Before this, she was schooled in New Orleans. She has exhibited in group exhibitions in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Her work has been selected as the Corpus Delecti Podcast Design, and she has been appointed as the sole Portrait painter for the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus. Her work is mixed media created with traditional and digital methods. Pieces range from medium to large scale and display filtering of the beauty and horrors of mankind through her perspective. In 2021 she worked hard to spread joy in the Greater New Orleans community despite the cancellation of Mardi Gras by creating pieces for the Krewe of House Floats. Currently, she is educating youth in the arts and has been since 2004.
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Edition Special Edition
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Deanna Larmeu My Pawpaw (grandfather) Vincent built so many things in my childhood home that we shared. These creations included toys, a pantry, wooden blinds, bookshelves, as well as the second and third addition to our home. Then, my parents let me play with my personal space. So, I painted my headboard and footboard and created mosaics and murals on walls. In addition to this, my family has always had an appreciation for history and architecture which was and continues to be a part of any and all experiences. Now, I have my own home that was built in 1960 and though intimidating at first, I have found a lot of joy in
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Special Edition repairing and restoring. All this has helped build my confidence in three-dimensional techniques. The body of works that we have selected for this special edition of ARTiculAction and our readers have already started to get to know in the introductory pages of this article has at once captured us by the way it features such unique amalgamation of the wonderful and horrible that marks out your artistic production, and that provides the viewers with such intense and immersive visual experience: when walking our readers through your usual setup and process, would you tell us if you create your works
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Special Edition gesturally, instinctively? Or do you methodically transpose geometric schemes? Deanna Larmeu: Thank you! I do think it is a bit of everything you indicated in the question. I will find something such as an old picture, a piece of architecture, or sometimes I can even learn new information, or arrive at a new concept. Then, my brain does a bit of rapid-fire making connections to new and old knowledge, images, and objects. Sometimes I write down concepts or titles. I always get great ones while relaxing in a warm shower so I keep a waterproof tablet
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Deanna Larmeu there. Other times I sketch them. I never force these ideas to be concrete, they are always malleable no matter their current iteration. I tend to have lots of odd, interesting things on hand and if they fit a current artwork they can be incorporated no matter their current location which can be a wall, shelf, or in a drawer. More recently I have tended to work in layers. I will work on a background while the subject and objects I wish to incorporate are on different grounds. I create at my home studio or at my work-teaching studio. Creating alongside my
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Special Edition students is often the best as they are so thoughtful and innovative. I love getting their perspective on pieces. Then, I get to bring all the fractured bits together and have a bit of freedom moving things around until I get a pleasing composition. I do have knowledge of the rule of thirds, perspective, the golden ratio, and Fibonacci numbers lurking in the depths of my subconscious. I take or leave this compositional knowledge as I see fit, often considering the mood I am creating within my piece. Finally, I allow myself to continue to work on or add to recent pieces even though I may have considered them complete in the past. Your artistic production features such an unconventional sense of beauty that challenges the logic of ordinary perception. In particular, Truly Worthy, with its unique nuances of blue, features a balanced combination between a rigorous sense of geometry and abstract sensitiveness, showing that vivacious tones are not strictly indispensable to create tension and dynamics. How do you structure your process in order to achieve such brilliant results? In particular, how does your own psychological make-up determine the nuances of tones that you decide to include in your artworks? Deanna Larmeu: I have a particular sensitivity for that piece as Truly was a lovely young lady and the daughter of my friend Erica. She passed away in 2020 due to complications from Goodpasture syndrome. I cried during a bit of the creation process for this piece. As for my psychological makeup, I am certainly not typical. I have always seen the value of myself, but I would say that it wasn’t until fairly recently, within the past 7 years or so, that I have begun to accept myself the way I am. I used to have logic, reason, and meaning behind everything I did in life. It took a lot of therapy and some medications to get me functioning in a more compassionate way personally. This has helped in my artwork as I tend to trust myself
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Deanna Larmeu more, not doubt my intuition, give myself permission to love what I love without question and create what I want to create. I have always had a unique perspective, connection, and compassion toward the misunderstood and idiosyncratic like myself. However, it is only now that I am beginning to discover the reasons and impetus behind my attraction to the unique.
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Special Edition Color has such an impact on me that I mostly wear black as I feel it allows me a subtlety and to fade into the background a bit which is where I feel most comfortable as an introvert. I really dislike wearing red as I feel like it makes people notice me. My undergraduate work from my youth was intense and colorful. I magnified the colors that I saw in real life. Now, I have a better
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Deanna Larmeu hold on color and the feelings they evoke. I tend to make much more discerning color choices in my current artwork versus the artwork I made in the past. To return to my Truly Worthy piece as an example the colors used on the background medallion seem odd but harmonious. This is because I was attracted to and did a good bit of research on the vision of butterflies. It took lots of layers and washes of black, blue, and interference paint. There was a lot of drying time between layers and at the end I dry brushed some metallic pink on top of everything. I think the idea of the perspective of a butterfly and the underlying meaning of butterflies makes a lovely connection to Truly. Then, the soft blue feathers make a nice contrast to her own dark fashion choice and nod to the peace of the sky. As you have remarked in your artist's statement, one of your greatest influences comes from the deep love you have for New Orleans, its flora, fauna, and climate, and even the citizens of New Orleans: how do your memories and your everyday life's experience fuel your creative process? Deanna Larmeu: I grew up in St. Bernard Parish and even though it’s very close to New Orleans there is not a tremendous amount to do there. In the time before the Internet, I remember walking around the neighborhood or riding my bike to the Chalmette Monument. On these trips, it was fun to pick up feathers, butterfly wings, interesting rocks, or anything else that caught my eye. It was interesting and thoughtprovoking to read the names and dates on the headstones of the cemetery. My family would take our little flatbed boat out on Bayou Bienvenu. Sometimes, one out of my menagerie of pets was welcome, like our dog Sheba. We would look at the lush, eerie swamp and ghostly beautiful shipwrecks and there we would fish. I would usually release my catches. All these images, sentiments, and methods have evolved but still work their way into my pieces.
ARTICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w Special Issue Special Edition When I was young, during Mardi Gras our house was within walking distance from the annual Parish parades. We would make lots of food and share it with family and friends that parked near us. Then, adorned in our Mardi Gras garb, we would leisurely stroll the few blocks to view the costumes, rolling art structures, and catch glittering beads. Now, escapism through Science
ARTICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w Special Issue Special Edition Fiction has garnered me acceptance in one of my favorite parades and groups of people. Annually, I get to create portraits of my Sci-Fi heroes for The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus. These are carried through the parade amongst hand-built contraptions, and nerdy dancers tossing handmade souvenirs. We are very much a moving, community art installation. However, my favorite part might be getting to dress up as one of the 130 or so
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Deanna Larmeu dancing Princess Leias in the Leijorettes. It’s hard to recognize you’re different from other people when everyone around you seems to be the same. The community itself is rooted in the arts. There are various Jazz breakfasts, brunches, and dinners scattered about New Orleans and the surrounding areas every weekend. Sculptures are located on most major street corners. Power boxes are adorned with murals. Any community gathering is an excuse to wear a costume and/or sequins. The community is a spectrum of color, culturally diverse, and beautiful. In the French Market, you can hear a variety of languages, and because I’m Cajun and have studied French I pick up snippets of French conversations. When you have lived like this your entire life Fantasy and the Surreal seems to be a part of everyday life. They become not only an escape but are somehow woven into the fabric of reality. In addition to this, I intentionally surround myself with varied, knowledgeable people who love and accept others the way they are which can make for beautiful harmonies. We really appreciate your sapient use of unconventional materials such as vintage oddities, jewelry, photos, and architectural salvage. German art critic and historian Michael Fried once stated that 'materials do not represent, signify, or allude to anything; they are what they are and nothing more.' What are the properties that you are searching for in the materials that you include in your works? Deanna Larmeu: Well, that statement may be true for Fried and I am sure there are some that think a bit like him. To some degree, it’s true for me too as beings will always have more value. However, I have always loved scavenging through flea markets and thrift stores. I think finding worth in something someone might consider junk is beautiful. I love pre-owned, pre-used, and discarded. In
ARTICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w Special Issue Special Edition 2005 during Hurricane Katrina, I lost about 95% of my belongings. Soon afterward I found myself buying back memories. I bought a vintage lamp because it reminded me of my Mawmaw’s (grandmother’s), a pair of Doc Martins after losing my cousin’s hand-me-down pair, and a vinyl Beatles album because my parents had one. Then, there's the fact that like my students have said to me in the past, “Ms. Larmeu you like everything!” and it’s true. I love old glass, wood, rhinestones, and craftsmanship. Old aesthetics and specific colors are eye-catching to me. Sometimes I'm searching for a specific texture, nuance, or construction. Other times items are so gaudy or weird I laugh out loud and have a need to weave them into my being. Through your works you created such unique visual vocabulary able to trigger the viewers' imagination, inviting them to elaborate personal interpretations: We dare say that you create new kind of languages that expand and transcend the nature of our relationship with our surroundings, inviting the viewers to elaborate such a wide number of interpretations: how would you consider the degree of openness of the messages that you convey in your creations, and how open would you like your works to be understood? Deanna Larmeu: The piece is ours and I'm eager to hear what you think and what it reminds you of. What it evokes in you is valid. If you really want to know what a specific object, setting, or who a person is we can talk. If you want to know my intention during creation I am fine with communication. I will tell you, but that doesn’t take away from your interpretation. Also, I don’t need to tell everyone. I don’t need to explain myself because my intent is just as valid as your perception. Though, I do think I should state that I do not intend harm in my work. If someone is wounded by my artwork I apologize as all pieces come from a place of empathy and compassion. As a kaleidoscope of the soul, your art filters life through your perspective, and as you have remarked once, it's your hope that it can inspire an awakening of empathy and awareness in others. In such unstable and everchanging times as those that we are currently living in, what could be the role of artists in order to raise awareness to a larger audience on topical issues that affect our society? Deanna Larmeu: It’s the Chinese that has the curse “may you live in interesting times.” These times are not easy. First, we all need to treat ourselves with kindness so we have the energy to do the same for others. As artists, the things we create grab people’s attention. The artist themselves gets to make a decision whether they would like to use their work as social commentary. Personally, If I feel a connection or strongly about an issue It helps me to process my emotions by creating relevant work. That piece can serve as the catalyst for discussion. Then, I have no problem saying out loud that Black Lives Matter, Trans rights are human rights, and Science is real. I am educated, I am wise, I am kind, and people deserve to know where my allegiances lie. If people listen to me because I look like them or talk like them then I am grateful for their attention. Some of your artworks — more specifically Red Leader Cole — feature a unique combination of references to real characters and places with a dreamlike ambiance, that provides your works with such unique visual ambivalence. As a visual artist whose work is focused on real images, how do you consider the relationship between reality and imagination playing within your process? Are you particularly interested in arousing
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Deanna Larmeu
emotions that go beyond the realm of visual perception? Deanna Larmeu: Yes, these works are “beyond the realm of visual perception.” My pieces are very much a lens into my mind and I think “playing” is the keyword. Play is so important especially to the growth of children. I am older, but I still play. I continue to love an escape into another world. Star Wars, the Addams Family, Ghostbusters, and Little Shop of Horrors are all close to my heart as they were there as I was growing and developing. When my life was most difficult I spent a lot of time re-reading the Harry Potter series. These imaginary worlds, which I may have researched too much, are wonderful and have had a positive effect on my real life. As I’ve grown I realized my perception is valuable. I can create my own worlds where the people I love and care about are the main character. I can create magical realms so they can see the value of themselves through my eyes just as I did with my little cousin Cole in Red Leader Cole. They can use my perspective as a head start to become bigger and better. You are an established artist and over the years you have exhibited internationally on several occasions, including your recent show Joan of Art, at Ariodante Gallery, 535 Julia St. New Orleans: how do you consider the nature of your relationship with your audience? By the way, as the move of Art from traditional gallery spaces, to the street and especially to online platforms — as Instagram and Vimeo —increases, how would in your opinion change the relationship with a globalized audience? Deanna Larmeu: I have a unique perspective since I have had a few group shows in person and most of my solo shows online. I approached Ariodante Gallery very much as a viewer. I slowly and methodically walked around the space observing every piece of art. I talked with people about pieces in the gallery and If people had questions about my work I was happy to answer them. If someone was identified as an artist I usually brought up my favorite things about their work and we shared knowledge about creation. I even talked to creators about their muses, and purchased pieces from some pieces. As for online gallery resources such as https://www.instagram.com/deannalarmeu, I love them. I have always really enjoyed technology and continue to stay abreast of current social media. I've gone through a lot of iterations of the world wide web including chatrooms and forums. I'm more comfortable in these places than real life. It's still easy for people to reach out to me with their thoughts about my online galleries and I have even answered questions. I've also made some lovely connections with other creators. I've traded art and methods with them as well. The fact that they might be farther away is appealing because we can bring different perspectives and we have something in common. Thanks a lot for your time and for sharing your thoughts, Deanna. Finally, would you like to tell us, readers, something about your future projects? How do you see your work evolving? Deanna Larmeu: Thank you for the opportunity to share my work with your readers. I really enjoy your publication. Lately, I have been working on building a lot of more of the sculptural aspects of my work myself, but I am always open to where my whimsy might take me. An interview by , curator and , curator ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Deanna Larmeu
Hello Olesya and welcome to ARTiculAction. Before starting to elaborate about your artistic production and we would like to invite our readers to visit https://www.saatchiart.com/olesyas molkova in order to get a wide idea about your stimulating artistic production, and we would start this interview with a couple of questions about your background. As a basically self taught artist, are there any experiences that did particularly influence your evolution as a visual artist? Olesya Smolkova: As a self-taught artist I follow my feelings and perception of the world. In my case, the lack of art education only plays a plus, since I am free in my fantasies and with the way of expressing them. Yes, engineering education helps me to explore on canvas the issues that concern me in science and the structure of the Universe. In particular, does your cultural substratum due to your studies in Engineering direct your current artistic research? Olesya Smolkova: As an engineer, I think about how gravity and the curvature of space affect our life and how much it determines the structure of our world. Marked out with such unique visual identity, the body of works that we have selected for this special edition of ARTiculAction —and that our ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART meets Olesya Smolkova An interview by , curator and , curator I am an artist, aspiring director, screenwriter, mother of three. The most important thing for me is to express the beauty of the world and my inner universe. The way I see this beauty. I write movie scripts, poetry and prose.
WOULD YOU LIKE THAT HERE WE INCLUDE A PHOTO OF YOU?
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Olesya Smolkova readers have already started to get to know in the introductory pages of this article — has at once captured our attention for the way you develop such unique visual textures: when walking our readers through your
ICUL CTION A C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t R e v i e w ART Special Issue Special Edition usual setup and process, would you tell us how do you usually develop your initial ideas for your artworks? Olesya Smolkova: Ever since childhood, I liked to read about the