I make art investigating spaces of ambiguity, working from my own body to give visibility to bodies that exist outside of the gender binary. I feel like in general moving away from oppositional thinking is going to be a vital step in working towards increasing sustainability. I have been really inspired by people who have found ways to express their unique experience of gender and want to join in a discussion about how everyone can feel free to be themselves in their own ways... I also just really like looking at all different colors of paint and trying to find combinations of colors that look good together! Our experience of color is so nuanced and emotional.
As an artist I cultivate a close relationship with my dreams. My most creative time is at the first light of day; I sleep in my studio so I can transition from dreaming to painting with nothing in between. In dreams we understand things using our intuition. I feel like people have a hard time trusting their intuition but through use it develops and blossoms. And in the process of trying to make your dreams have a physical form you work with your hands, and what is physical has different needs than what exists as a vision. That work becomes known by your body, and when work becomes instinctive over time, the maker has the freedom to dream while working. To move freely between spaces of dreaming and spaces of working is my ideal state.
My advice to anyone who has a dream to do something is to start working on it right away! Make it a priority and do what you can, however small, every day. They say a path is made by putting one foot in front of the other; if you take one small step towards your dream every day imagine how far you will be from where you started in a year? In 7 years? Don’t worry about what other people think of you! If you have a vision let that be your guide and you will create your own path. Any setbacks you experience on your own adventure will be your own special lessons for your own special path. Don’t be afraid to be a beginner at something, don’t be afraid of people laughing at you! If you stick with it your determination will pay off eventually.
The best thing to do in Los Angeles is to not sit in traffic! I quit driving four years ago and have never been healthier or happier. I promise that something interesting will happen on the bus and that the more you walk the more you see. LA has so many good street taco spots - I have a theory that the lower the overhead of the operation the higher the quality of the taco. The al pastor at Avenue 26 tacos is my favorite; if you know to ask for it they will give you a little red potato sizzled in beef fat for free with your order. If I am ever looking for new things to look at I like to walk around the super hectic Santee Alley discount clothing stores for inspiration. My top suggestion for an out of town visitor is to check out a show at the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre where puppets from a bygone era are preserved and given life by a new generation of puppeteers.
I really like the way the indigo kimono robe feels on my body. The fabric is soft and weightless, yet the color is so saturated it feels like there is a protective barrier of deep blue light surrounding me. It feels like wearing nothing but the night sky and being very safe and free in that space.
All photos by Sarah Soquel. Check her out here: http://sarahsoquel.com/