Interview

Interview with Dominique:

Question: preferred medium?
A: Likes to work digitally, when she works non-digitally she prefers to work in oils and ink.

Q: Subject matter?
A: Mostly just draws people, it's her comfort zone. Tries to evoke a relaxing mood, where the people are at ease with themselves, there's nothing intense, she likes to have things be 'it is what it is', and not dark or brooding.

Q: Currently working on? Goals?
A: Short term she's working on finishing up a commissioned painting, hasn't been able to do much personal work, she feels she gets wrap up in school work, she wants to work on male forms because they tend to look girly. Also trying to work more realistically.

Q: Thesis?
A: Considering doing a series of oil paintings and somehow intertwining that with graphic design. Not sure about the execution. Thought she would just do the paintings, feels more able to express herself in paint, wants to do design commercially, not as a representation of self. Is searching for a healthy balance of the two.

Q: Commercial design?
A: Feels like all her design pieces just strike as advertising.

Q: Content for thesis?
A: Thinking about doing different stages of getting to thesis, doesn't want it to be a thesis type subject. Thinking of a type of conclusion like showing endings to stories with her paintings. Taking like a known story (ex. little red riding hood) where the story's ending is known, and she wants to portray the ending. Keeping her personal style between each of them. Afraid of being too orderly or messy.

Q: Influences?
A: Looks at all different types of artists. Liek some of the earlier work, like how they model people. Romare Bearden, likes his collage work. Aaron Douglass. Loves illustrators. Andy Warhol, for his ability to take like "lower art" but brought it up to fine art. And then some people who are her own peers. Not that crazy about modern art, where it's just too conceptual, says they take it too far, and feels they abuse what art is/can be.

Q: Influences outside of art?
A: Finds that movies, influence some of her ideas. Tries to make escapist art which is what movies tend to do, she likes comedies. Finds that music helps her go into that 'artist realm'.

Q: Post-grad plans?
A: Thinking of grad school, study graphic communications, if not that, maybe teach for a little while, doesn't want to teach for life though. Wants to start a non-profit arts program, is her big goal, things that she wasn't able to explore when she was younger. She feels there's so much more that kids can do with art, and they aren't challenged to think of it that way. Because they tend to just think of the starving artist. Interested in art direction.


I couldn't record the interview, so I jotted down notes as to what she had to say about her work.
I felt Dominique had some interesting things to say, and I really enjoyed her work, since she draws in a stylized illustrative manner, which is something that I'm always interested in.
I look forward to seeing what she produces for her show. I really hope she allows herself to use her digital work, because I think it's a strength of hers, and something that should not be ignored, despite what some people may think.