Name: aimee
Location: brooklyn and maryland and everywhere
Website: aimeeaimeeaimee.com
Brief artists statement: aimee is an artist interested in exploring magical moments that are introspective and sometimes idiosyncratic. most of her work is kitschy and witchy, and sometimes haunting. she is inspired by neglected houseplants, peeled nail polish, and cognitive dissonance.
How did you become an artist? Did you always dream of a life in the art-world? i became an artist when i got my shit together and told myself, “okay, stop putting this off because you will never finish this piece if you don’t start now.” i didn’t really know what the art world was until i was fourteen. before that, i wanted to be a national geographic photographer, but as soon as i discovered nan goldin and cindy sherman, everything changed.
How has your education helped your career? i’m not really sure. i withdrew from art school after a year because i hated new york and i wasn’t getting the education i wanted to. higher education in america is deeply flawed, and most art schools only focus in communications design and advertising because they want to make sure their students get jobs. i’m thankful for the wonderful professors i’ve had and the friends i’ve made. they are the ones who really influence me, and i still keep in touch with them
Do you work as an artist full-time? Describe your typical day. Do you have a routine? currently, all i do is make art. i just moved from brooklyn back to maryland where i grew up so i don’t have any real responsibilities yet. i’ve never been able to keep a job for more than three months because i always feel unfulfilled. my day consists of waking up at whatever hour, weaving when i have idle time, and planning out future projects and editing photos. sometimes i will draw or embroider.
Which historical and contemporary artists do you refer to most often? How are you influenced by their work? my all time favorite historical painting is “take your son, sir!” by ford madox brown. his paintings are absolutely incredible. i also love egon schiele’s figures and magritte’s concepts. philip guston’s work makes me smile. it inspires me to trust my instinct. as for contemporary artists, larry sultan, yayoi kusama, justine kurland, and philip-lorca dicorcia’s work all resonate with me and make me feel better on bad days.
What are the other influences on your work? mixtapes people have made for me, a beautiful kudzu infestation i saw in chattanooga, tennessee, and my backup plan of becoming a flight attendant if art does not work out.
What was the last exhibition you visited? wolfgang tillman’s “PCR” at david zwirner.
What is your favourite art gallery? “the hole” and “david zwirner” always have nice things up
What are your experiences of the ‘art-world’ and the business of art? i find that it is very strange and cruel. it’s mostly dominated by white men, and a lot of young artists are being forced to commercialize their work for the sake of communication in media. a lot of good work is overlooked because of an artist’s gender or race.
Do you have any tips or advice you wish you had known earlier in your career? don’t make work that isn’t honest. if you don’t make anything for a year, you are still an artist.
Do you have a quotation that you keep coming back to and that keep you going? Have you a motto that gets you through? not in particular, but when i’m feeling unmotivated i listen to the smiths.
Which historical artist do you think is over-rated? Why? andy warhol really does not do anything for me at all, and he plagiarized a whole bunch. although there is this one guy who has led protests to get renoir’s pieces taken out of galleries and it’s quite astounding how driven he is.
Do you or would you use assistants to make your work? so far i only collaborate with friends.
Do you use social networks? if so, how and which ones do you find most useful? instagram is quite fun.
Which artist should we all look up immediately? What art magazines, blogs or sites should art lovers be looking at? vivian fu, hobbes ginsberg, caiti borusso, lee pivnik, connor mccann, eleanor foy. i look at i-D pretty regularly. remember paper also has lovely photos.
Finish this limerick: There once was an artist from…
there once was an artist from the moon
who rode a witch’s broom
she drank rosé
slept all day
and hid inside the darkroom.
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https://aimeelin.com
kissingfractures.bandcamp.com
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