★ MEET N‘ GREET ★
Julianna Swaney

Jess Wheaton interviews Julianna Swaney

I really enjoyed the artist statement I found on your site. It points out, among other things, that we view nature not purely as itself, but as a collection of interactions we have had with it, or ways we have made use of it. If I've understood you correctly, you believe we essentially treat nature like another strange and different person. How exactly does your work extend this insight? Are you putting the nature back in the human, or portraying the humanity we place in nature, or neither?

Both I suppose. I'm trying to express the humanness we put onto things non-human, and the wildness that is in our own nature, and the love and fear we feel for that wildness with varying degrees of success, I would say. I like to show people consumed by their own fantasies about animals, to the point where they start to turn into animals. Or to show animals engaged in human activities but a little out of control, making everything a little chaotic. I like to romanticize things, I like the wild nature of fairy tales, and I also just love anthropomorphized animals and objects. It reminds me of when I was little and I believed that everything could think and talk. I was never lonely. I think that all of that gets mixed up in my work.

How do you begin a work, and what is your process? How does your content arrive in you? Do you reply more on intuition and spontaneity, or research and careful planning?

I think I rely on intuition for the initial idea. I often just think about the things I like and things I'd like to see. Usually ideas arrive in my head more or less how they end up on the paper, but I always do a sketch or a few sketches first.

How did you get to where you find yourself now, in terms of being an artist and leading the life that you lead? Also, where are you from and where do you currently live, and what's that like? What's your favorite thing about your city? What is a typical day like in your life currently?

I'm from Michigan, I currently live in Portland Oregon, and I went to school in Maine. I like living in Portland, though I'm still pretty new. The artistic community is really nice here,; everyone is friendly. Plus it's a beautiful city!

I guess the simple answer to how I found myself being a full time artist is right after I graduated with a BFA in printmaking I got angry that people were always asking me what I job I was going to get now, like it was taken for granted that I wouldn't actually try to make a living at being an artist. I knew people who did, and I knew it would be hard, but I wanted to at least try. I had some really great printmaking professors that were really supportive and talked a lot about ways to make it possible for more people to see and buy your work,.

Luckily for me Etsy came along about the time I graduated and made it not just possible but easy to sell my work online. It's given me a lot of visibility and enabled me to have my work sold in other places as well. It's nice because I can go anywhere, move around, and still do my work.

In a typical day I usually try to spend some portion of it working, reading, or outside exploring.

What is the source of your drive to keep making work? You talked about your childhood ; does this remain your main store of inspiration? Who/what contributes to your creativity the most?

That is a difficult question to answer for me. I feel like it shouldn't be but sometimes it is a real struggle to stay motivated. At the same time, though, I can't imagine what it would be like not too need to make something with my hands, I just have to. I think every time I see something beautiful, or funny, or inspiring, I feel like I have to make something as well. That sounds terribly grand for the work I actually produce, but it's how I feel .

I think my childhood is still my biggest inspiration yes. Not so much direct experiences but I'm always trying to recapture that feeling. Everything felt mysterious and things didn't always make sense or come together in my head the way they do today, but that made everything a little magic instead of scary.

What are you most excited about right now?Do you have any veiled projects or extravagant fantasies (or plans) for the future you might want to share or hint at?

No extravagant plans. Honestly I'm taking a little break from drawing for the moment and I'm teaching myself to crochet. I just felt like I needed to make something more tangible.

And lastly, what are your thoughts and feelings on the contemporary art world? How has it been for you? What is the most important thing you've learned as a practicing artist and would like others to know?

I don't really feel qualified to talk about the contemporary art world! I know there are a lot of people making really exciting and beautiful work right now and I'm happy to be able to show among some of them.

I guess my advice would be: work all the time, even when you don't feel like it; jump at every chance you have to have your work seen, even if it seems unimportant; and be nice to people and supportive of other artists and their work.

Thank you Julianna for being part of Little Paper Press with your limited edition print.