Cairo's March art show features drawings by Whitney Ballen and photographs by Abigail Jean Swanson. We asked both artists a few interview questions in anticipation for the show, which opens Thursday, March 10, from 7 to 9 pm and runs through April 10.
WHITNEY BALLEN
Whitney Ballen, "Girl Crush." Collage, gouache and watercolor.
What medium are you working with for this show and how did you arrive at this medium?
Watercolor, gouache, collage. I love gentle colors and the fluidity of watercolors and I was introduced to gouache through my friend Elaine Lin.
How do you begin work on a new piece?
Usually, I begin work on a new piece when I'm kind of outside of my head and watching bad movies. I guess weird thoughts provoke the drawings. Sometimes they're more sentimental though.
What is your favorite part of your process?
My favorite part of my process is cutting out drawings from a page and then turning them into something bigger.
What artists are you excited about right now?
Courtney Knight, Portland, OR. Toby Liebowitz, Seattle, WA. Yung Jake, Los Angeles, CA.
For more of Whitney's work visit http://thisiswhatiscool.tumblr.com/
ABIGAIL JEAN SWANSON
Abigail J. Swanson, "She Can Hear Her Own Death." Photograph.
What medium are you working with for this show and how did you arrive at this medium?
I am showing photos shot in 2014. Since I can remember, I have loved taking photographs. In school, I was the kid on the playground with a disposable camera. I am drawn to photography–more specifically, film photography–because it is endlessly fascinating to discover how a captured moment translates to an image that has been felt by the lens and tasted by the film. Even when I am without a camera, though, I take pictures. I'll see a facial expression or a glimpse of light and store it in my memory like a photograph. Using a camera simply makes this habit easier.
What is your favorite part of your process?
The wait.
What artists are you excited about right now?
So many! The list could easily be endless, but I'll constrain myself to visual artists who come to mind immediately for the sake of brevity.
In no particular order: Sofia Lee, Lauren Rodriguez, Hobbes Ginsberg, Kate Wallich, Pamela Santiago, Ashley Armitage, Lauren Max, Thomas Vincent Chapel, Derek Erdman, Jay Fankult, Leena Joshi, Baso Fibonacci, NTG, Garrett Sand, Jesse A. Edwards, Mat Collishaw & SO MANY MORE!
For more of Abigail's work, visit http://abigailjeanswanson.tumblr.com/