Saturday, October 10, 2009

Momentum Artist: Spencer Tracy

Momentum Tulsa 2009 opens TONIGHT, October 10 with a big party of live music (COLOURMUSIC, Ghost, and Tribes of Soul) and fun. Tickets available in advance and at the door.

Curators selected 93 artworks by 66 artists for the exhibition. Also, three Spotlight artists will exhibit bodies of work, Nick Bayer, Dustin Boise, and Emily Kern. Intern Ashley Romano interviewed the artists to learn about their creative process. Watch for more profiles throughout the run of the exhibition, which remains on display at Living Arts, 307 E Brady, Tulsa, until October 24.

Spencer Tracy, Pauls Valley
The 90s
Watercolor
Q: What was your concept behind your work?
ST: During the ‘90s it was cool to be dirty. We would cruise around in town listening to Tupac and Kurt, talking about how crazy the world was. We really did believe by 2009 we would be driving flying cars. Cigarettes were $2.50 a pack, no one knew what an mp3 was, and you couldn’t say fuck on the radio. They had cloned Dolly the sheep, started building the International Space Station and my dad had a job. Everyone is stuck in time in one way or another. I was born in the’ 90s and I grew up through the gang violence in Los Angles, the death of Princess Diana and the Clinton scandal. I lived there and I felt I could have died there happy with out seeing the destruction and the loss of our personal liberties and freedoms. So, this piece is my reflection on my childhood and what that meant growing up in the 90s. People look at a piece like that and it evokes a memory, and suddenly everyone has a story to tell.

Q: Explain the technique and/or process you used for the piece.
ST: I put a heavy emphasis on design and color. I pay close attention to the composition of a piece, this is why most of my work is done with cutouts; I can play around till every piece finds its perfect position. Color plays an important part in my work; certain colors evoke certain emotions. I believe framing should be an extension of the work, it should play to your theme and the content of your work. This is why I choose to use decorative frames instead of the traditional black frame, white mat; it’s too uniform. If a piece is fun it shouldn’t stop at the edge of the canvas.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

what year were you born? I don't think you know much about the 90's.