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10-4 Blog

Rebecca Ford by Matt Dixon, August '09

All Photos by Aimee Power

1. First of all, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Could you start off by introducing yourself and telling us how you first got into art?
My name is Rebecca. There is likely a lot I could tell you about myself... but I will leave it at that. I am not quite sure the exact point art started for me. However, I was a crafty kid from the get go. I spent most of my childhood either begging to get outside so I could dig for worms and the likes, or hanging out playing with craft supplies alongside my pals and parents. Art became more important to me in high school, during the art classes I took. In grade twelve all of us had an exhibition of the years work, which was the first time I ever got to show my stuff to people outside of my friends and family. During my four years at university I thought about painting all the time, but never really got around to it. Last summer, after a year of lots of ups and downs, I decided to book a show so that I would be forced to finish all the paintings I had spent too much time just thinking about. Since last summer I have been painting more than ever and plan to keep it that way.

2. Would you say you come from an artistic family or are you more of the lone wolf when it comes to art and painting?
To a point I am a bit of a lone wolf. In saying that, I must credit my mom for having some great crafting skills. She was always doing different projects when I was growing up and was a big encouragement for me to continue my love for art. But, stricktly talking painting, I would say I am on my own in that category.

3. Could you tell us about the upcoming show at Ampersand? How did it come together after you decided you wanted to put on a show, why did you decide on Ampersand, and how did you choose which pieces to show?
Well, funny thing. I am not sure I would put the coming together of my show in the past tense... as I am still getting things ready for next week at this very moment. The planning of my shows consists of: a/ spending a few months thinking about what I would like to paint about b/ booking a show a few months in advance c/ mulling my ideas over in my head for another month or so d/ using the fact that I have left things to the last minute as an advantage which creates a stressful but very productive time period in which I get everything done.

As for picking Ampersand. I guess it was a combination of liking the location, knowing the people who run it , and having comfort in the fact that things went well at the last show I had there.

The way I run things doesn't leave much room for picking through tonnes of paintings and then putting my favourites in the show. Instead, I have very particular ideas that I want to portray in my art. I work towards creating specific pieces that I will put into my shows. Ninety percent of the time, I envision my paintings first as a title or idea, then I work towards an image. On average I will paint over a canvas about three times before I think I have portrayed what I was going for in my original idea. In this show, there are a few pieces that I made just for the fun of playing with paint -these will likely appear as "Untitled" and remain my least favourite of the bunch. In saying all of this, I doubt many people who view my art see the idea I am shooting for. The important part is that it is there for me.

4. I'd like to talk about your work and specifically your inspiration to pick up a brush and paint. Where do you find your inspiration and what are some of the things you try to communicate through your work?
My inspiration to paint stems from the fact that my brain is constantly being flooded with images that I want to create. I do not always have the skills to recreate the exact images I have in my head, but painting for me is a way of freeing up space in my brain. My inspiration comes from piecing together images that I see everywhere i go [ie/cracking paint, advertisements, clothing, nature etc.] and from my perceptions of the world around me. Human beings are fascinating to watch. I use my people watching escapades to fuel my paintings. The themes I deal with in my paintings always involve something I have a distaste for in society. Sometimes I aim for my audience to be uncomfortable and see the theme of a piece in an obvious way. Other times, I like to hide the theme under the surface and allow the viewer to see what they want. My subjects of choice are linked to negative feelings for particular parts of the world I see around me. However, I still want my audience to be able to view my work in a lighthearted manner. I paint about the negative in order to get it off my mind, but, I still like to have fun with my paintings and allow my audience to view something they enjoy.

5. Walk us through your process of creating a painting. Do you set specific goals for yourself going into it? How does it come together and ultimately what do you hope to accomplish through your art?
Most of the work I do for a painting happens in my head before I even pick up a brush. Once I have a particular theme or image that I want to portray, I sort out in my head what I think would best show this on canvas. I pick the colours, images, and sizing. Once this is done I start the hands on work. It is rare for me to do a painting start to finish without painting over it once or twice. I play around with the image until I think it has portrayed the theme I was going for. I always know the theme I want a painting to have, but not necessarily the image I will end up with. In this way, the goal for my art is to show a certain thought and not a certain image. Ultimately, I hope to open up my audiences' eyes, even just a tiny bit. It is never guaranteed that an audience will understand the original aims of an artist. My hope is that in the process of viewing my art at least a few people will leave thinking or seeing a piece of the world in a new light. But, it would also be really great if everyone who sees it just leaves with the thought that they saw at least one image they thought looked neat.

6. What is your favourite dance party song?
Ugh, too many dance parties, too many songs to name just one. But. Daft Punk and Abba have stood by my dance side for many years.

7. Thank you for the interview. Do you have any final words?
Thanks a bunch! It's popsicle time.

REBECCA FORD'S ART SHOW IS TAKING PLACE ON AUGUST THE 21ST AT CAFE AMPERSAND (98 WATER ST CHARLOTTETOWN) BEGINNING AT 6PM