 This SF based artist is showing right now at Park Life and is working on a solo show for Motel gallery in Portland. She also has a thing for group hugs.
Fresh off her recent show at Park Life in San Francisco, Michelle Blade has been having a pretty good time. A number of articles have been written about her work, she is in the midst of planning some great new projects and to top it all off, the weather in the Bay Area has been beautiful. Her recent work, which features a mix of acrylics, is both colorful and alive in a way that you don't see in a lot of the contemporary pieces talked about these days. It's actually quite refreshing and easy to get consumed in one of her paintings and then find yourself having to snap back to reality a second later.
Since it's nearly summertime and one of her new projects in called 100 Days of Summer, we asked Michelle a few questions about nice weather and group hugs.
What do you do and where do you do it?
I make paintings and other art things, mostly in my studio or at home.
What's your favorite place to eat in the city?
Mandalay on California or Vietnamese sandwiches at Pho Clement
Also, since you are originally from Southern California, maybe you can help answer my recent hotly debated topic: Who do you think has better Mexican food.. Los Angeles or San Francisco? Is there a difference?
I feel like I've been seriously discussing this lately too...what some of my friends and I have decided is that Southern California burritos are usually really wet, with lots of sauce, and the northern Californian burritos are drier. Personally, I like lots of sauce, but that's just a matter of taste. I do know the salsa up here is really good.
Now that it's almost summertime in the Bay Area, do you have any big plans for the summer? Can you talk a little bit about your 100 Days of Summer project?
I started The 100 Days of Summer as a way of staying creative everyday, or at least for 100 days straight. Between May 31st and Friday September 7th, I'll make daily posts on my website of projects I start and finish in the course of a day. My paintings sometimes take a long time to finish so this is my way of having other creative outlets. Other than that I just want to spend time in the sun, go camping with friends, and enjoy the city.
A lot of your pieces strike me as slightly religious or biblical. Is that a conscious attempt or is that just a by-product of the subject matter?
Well, I don't know if they are really religious in the biblical sense. The body of work I've been focusing on lately is more about questioning and understanding humanity, and what drives us to form relationships with one another, build societies and then break ties to try and create something better and stronger... A kind of quest for an utopist lifestyle that can never exist. Searching for perfection is such a cyclical process of failures and successes; I'm really enchanted with it all.
In looking back to your earlier work, it seems as though you have been trying out new and different styles over the last couple of years. Have you found your niche or are you constantly alternating your technique?
I think I've found a rhythm of working recently that is feeling really good. In the past I'd been working a bit more sporadically, with no direct goals or specific ideas. The more I learn about myself and the world around me, the more I can put that life back into my work. Sometimes there is such a strong stigma in the art world about not being able to experiment with approaches and mediums. I just want to try everything out. Creativity shouldn't be limited if that's not what you want.
You seem to make a lot of movies, as well as using photo and other media. How do these mediums compare to painting for you as a creative outlet?
Painting constantly for hours on end can be really rewarding but also a bit isolating, so working with video and photo reconnects me with all the great stuff that is outside myself. And since the learning process with video is still new I'm really getting into all the different challenges.
Can you tell me about collaborating with the band Sea Wolf? How did that come about and what do you think of working with bands and labels?
Doing art direction for bands and working with labels is a lot of fun and the work I did for Sea Wolf was great. I've worked with the director, Josh Forbes, on a couple of projects and he's a seriously sweet and funny guy. I was excited to hear that the video is playing on MTV2 now. It's kind of surreal when things like that happen.
As you are currently enrolled in the MFA program at CCA, I guess it's only fair to ask your opinion of CCA and art school in general. Do you feel that it's helped you out in the long run?
I am a huge proponent of school and CCA's MFA program is really strong right now. Every student and teacher I've met there has been incredible and supportive. The grad studios have a really strong sense of community too. It's inspiring to be around so many people creating and learning side by side. I think that is the biggest thing I've gotten out of being there.
What kind of music do you listen to while you're working (if any)?
Some of my favorites are the new Blonde Redhead album, Carol King, Edith Piaf, Fujiya & Miyagi, The Lapse, Shocking Blue, The Young People, Fleetwood Mac, The Sads, and My Barbarian... I listen to music non-stop while I'm working. Sometimes I can really kill an album in the course of a few days because listen to a good album over and over. It's a terrible habit but I can't help myself.
Do you think music plays an important part in the creation of art (yours or in general)?
Absolutely. Music feels so important to this age and I find it influencing me consciously and subconsciously all the time. The impressions some songs have on me can definitely sneak into my work.
I'm always intrigued by artist's work schedules. Are you one of those artists that can only work after dark and keeps night hours or can you work whenever?
I can't paint at night at all; I am more of an early riser. I like to work with my coffee and natural light. Once past 8pm my eyes are usually done for the day and need to go out and have the night off.
I have seen your work range from small and concise to large and sprawling. Do you prefer working either larger or smaller?
Large and sprawling forever & ever.
Anyone or anything you are really excited about right now?
I'm really excited about summer and life in general. This coming fall I'm thinking of hosting a hug, color coordinated human domino made out of trust falls in Dolores Park...I'm looking forward to organizing that. I also have a solo show at Motel Gallery coming up in October, which should be a blast. I love Portland.
You can see more of Michelle's work and projects at her website: www.michelleblade.com
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