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| Erin Latham, ":in carta silvum," Relief prints on recycled paper, 2012, 18' x 25' x 8' |
Artist INC Participating Artist: Erin Latham
Q: What five words would you use to describe your art?
A: Immersive, Saturated, Conscious, Atmospheric,
Curious.
Q: What do you create as an artist?
A: I'm a printmaker and installation artist who makes large
scale environments and small scale sculptures placed in environments, in order
to immerse the viewer.
Q: Why do you do what you do?
A: I'm sort of obsessed with nature and the environments
around me. I feel compelled to explore the whole planet and translate it into
my own ideas of it.
Q: What has been a seminal experience that has affected your
art?
A: Having a not so great experience with a person of
influence in graduate school. It made me realize that I have to stay true to
what I am making, and I can't ignore my voice.
Q: How has your practice changed over time?
A: I found printmaking and it was something I
wanted to do more than anything else, like eat or sleep etc. So I've kept doing
that. I also started making larger works in Grad. school and over the past
few years I have become interested in making my processes more sustainable, and
eco-friendly.
Q: Is there a style/movement/period of art with which you
most identify?
A: I'd like to identify with Activist Art and EcoArt but I
don't know if I'm there yet for either of those things.
Q: Will you describe a real life situation that inspired
you?
A: It's cheesy but I'm inspired by leaves on trees, or water
moving. Any sort of natural environment that gets my curiosity going. Also
engaging in the art community makes me want to create more, especially
researching artists who make work in a similar style.
Q: Do you have any other jobs in addition to being an
artist?
A: Yep. I'm a teaching artist. It's great, I love it, but it
can take up a lot of your time. I just have to manage the time spent in
planning and teaching with my studio practice and business practice. Being with
the kids fuels my creativity though, their brains are so open and excited about
making, it's pretty cool.
Q: What is the biggest challenge you have had to overcome as
an artist?
A: Listening to my voice and staying true to the things I
want to create in the midst of stronger opinions.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you've been given to
date?
A: Find your tribe, and just keep making stuff no matter
what.
Q: What is your dream project right now?
A: A project that involves a residency period abroad which
would obtain information from the people living in that culture about their
interactions with their environment. That would then fuel a body of work that
explores the countries landscapes through the eyes of its people and mine as an
outsider. And full funding for it!
Q: Can you name three artists in your field that you'd be
proud to be compared to?
A: Sarah Sze, Nicola Lopez, Paula Hayes (Really just artists
whose work I love.)
Q: What role do you think an artist has in society?
A: I think artists are facilitators of culture and
representatives of creative thought, that through their work and ideas can
create major change in society. I think we have a responsibility to explore the
world and translate it to others through our works in order to cultivate a
better life, planet, existence in the future.
Q: How can you be contacted?
Twenty-five Oklahoma artists are meeting once a week for 8 weeks as part of the Artist INC Live OKC program. Artist INC is a cutting edge training program that addresses the specific business needs and challenges of artists. The course culminates with each artist presenting for 5 minutes about their work, incorporating the skills learned during the program. The public is welcome to attend this final program evening on November 19, 2013, 6-9 pm at Oklahoma Contemporary, 3000 General Pershing Blvd in Oklahoma City. More info at www.ArtistSurvivalKit.org.
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