Interview with Nicoz Balboa
q) Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.a)I'm Nicoz. or Nicoz Balboa. An italian girl. Born in Rome on the June 23. Since 6years I live in France. I spent 3years in Paris and then I came living in La Rochelle where I rule a small art gallery (myspace.com/truehateartgallery). I'm a painter and an illustrator. I love my cat Elvis, I enjoy knitting, music, heroin and chocolate and I sing in a band (myspace.com/silverwartans)
q)How would you describe your work?
a)Uh I dunno...maybe: "autobiographical"? I just paint what happen to me. Or what happened. or what I'd like to happen to me.
q) Did somebody encourage you to become an artist?
a)Maybe my grandma when I was a kid. And my parents always supported me in doin' art-school when I was a teenager.
q) What is your favourite medium?a)In these days I'm so found of pyrography. But I also like acrylic watercolours and oil.
q) Can you describe your process, from the seed of an idea to a complete work?
a)I always have a sketchbook with me. And most of the time I use it to pick up ideas for new paintings. When I'm into a medium I can carry on several works at the same time. I keep all the work around me and I go on a little bit on each piece.
q) Generally speaking, where do your ideas come from?
a)As I sayd before, ME. I mean my life. Those are my ideas, my theme. (oh god this is scary, isn't it?)
q) How long does it take to complete a piece?
a)It depends from the medium. It can takes a day for an illustration in ink/acrylic-watercolour on paper. Or it could take a week for a pyrography. With acrylic or oils I'm so much slow…
q) Who are your favorite artists…and who are some artists you are currently looking/listening to?
a)When I was a teenager I loved Jean Michel Basquiat's work and comic-artists like Charles Burns , Robert Crumb or Julie Doucet, after came the love for Frida Kahlo and the fascination for all the pop-surrealism scene. First of all Mark Ryden or Camille Rose Garcia. But I dig so much also some crazy french artist like Caroline Sury and Pakito Bolino from le Dernier Cri with whom I had some collaborations. Or Stephan Blanquet and Ludovic Debeurme. And I don't want to forget some very talented friends as Sunny Buick, Tanxxx, Rica, Karotte, Chris Bonobo', Ciou, Anna "rigid" Tufano, Lorenzo Lupano, Navette..
q) Are you represented by a gallery? Do you have any upcoming exhibits?a)I'm not represented by a gallery. Uh well maybe from TRUE HATE ART GALLERY, my gallery!
And yes I have some upcoming shows:
From 4 to 30 september 2007 i'll participate to « the Bic show » in Paris ; at the ART DE RIEN gallery. (http://www.myspace.com/art_de_rien)
From 22 to 25 September 2007 i'll participate to « the GIRLS ADVENTURE » in Bruxell ; at the ARKEL gallery
From 20 october to 11 november 2007 i'll participate to « Immigrant Punk » in Los Angeles ; at the Black Maria Gallery (http://www.blackmariagallery.com/)
And yes I have some upcoming shows:
From 4 to 30 september 2007 i'll participate to « the Bic show » in Paris ; at the ART DE RIEN gallery. (http://www.myspace.com/art_de_rien)
From 22 to 25 September 2007 i'll participate to « the GIRLS ADVENTURE » in Bruxell ; at the ARKEL gallery
From 20 october to 11 november 2007 i'll participate to « Immigrant Punk » in Los Angeles ; at the Black Maria Gallery (http://www.blackmariagallery.com/)
q) Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?
a)Yes music helps a lot. I like music I can sing loud. I like to sing and dance while I'm working.(I like Dalida's, Nancy Sinatra, Fiona Apple, Lunachicks, 60's music, Sonic Youth, Joan Jett, Judy Garland, Elvis,The Monkees, Velvet Underground, Dinosaur jr) I take some little pauses to dance a bit just like in a musical. I know this is embarrassing but I always work alone! And I like to have something to calm me down for working. Hard drugs can help…but most of the time is just chocolate (kinder above all).
Last winter I had an "art studio" experience in Rome for a month. I went to this hangar with other artists (that are also my friends) and it was a nice experience to work with other people. Chatting instead of singing. And I would need nothing to calm down…it was so cool even if it was so fuckin' cold in there. If I ever come back to Rome for living I think that I'd stop working alone and I'd go there.
Last winter I had an "art studio" experience in Rome for a month. I went to this hangar with other artists (that are also my friends) and it was a nice experience to work with other people. Chatting instead of singing. And I would need nothing to calm down…it was so cool even if it was so fuckin' cold in there. If I ever come back to Rome for living I think that I'd stop working alone and I'd go there.
q) What is your favorite
a) taste= Nutella. And the pachino tomatoes.
b) sound= feed-back guitars
c) sight,= when I'm on a big green field. Or up to some "collina". I like when there's so much green around me. And I hate the sight of the sea.
d) smell= burned wood (when I'm work with my pyrograph)
e) tactile sensation= to put my hand in a huge and just-opened pack of smarties. Or touchin some very small sand. Or some very smooth iron board.
b) sound= feed-back guitars
c) sight,= when I'm on a big green field. Or up to some "collina". I like when there's so much green around me. And I hate the sight of the sea.
d) smell= burned wood (when I'm work with my pyrograph)
e) tactile sensation= to put my hand in a huge and just-opened pack of smarties. Or touchin some very small sand. Or some very smooth iron board.
q) Do you have goals that you are trying to reach as an artist, what is your 'drive'? What would you like to accomplish in your 'profession'?
a)… Just well living by selling my art.
q) When have you started using the internet and what role does this form of communication play for you, personally, for your art, and for your business?a)I start to communicate with the internet very softly 3years ago by creating a blog. At the beginning I used it just to speak about my days and to tell stupid stuff. And maybe after more than a year I started to put my work on it. I think that communication for a painter need the internet part. And it was very useful to get contact with galleries and publishers!
q) What do you obsess over?
a)Uuuh quite a good bunch of stuff. Better I can't tell.
q) Do you have prefered working hours? Do you pay attention to the time of the day or maybe specific lighting?
a)I'd like so much to paint in the daylight but I never can cuz even when I wake up early I'm so stoned that I barely can see. I just wonder around the house drinking so much coffee. Or, the maximum I could do, I go to the market to buy fruits and vegs. When I finally start to calm down to paint it's maybe 5 or 6 pm. And the most of the time I go to bed so late (4 o 5 am) that is quite impossible for me to wake up early! So I often paint in the afternoon, in the evening, and most of the night. And this made my colours change a lot. They are always more "flashy" than I would expect when I see them in the daylight!
q) Do you do commissioned works?
a)Sometimes yes. But I must admit that I prefer doin' thing completely "free from asking". When someone commission something to me I feel quite a big pressure, like I must do the perfect stuff for this person. And it's not easy!
q) Any tips for emerging artists?a)Work hard. Work always. Always look to other artists, learn from people better than you. And communicate a lot.
q)…Your contacts
posted by Claudio Parentela | 3:36 AM
2 Comments:
wow, i like this girl. good artist and interesting person. her singing kind of sucks but i'll bet she likes it that way and it wouldn't be fair if she was a great singer too.
ehehe you're right!i'm a baaad sionger but i like it like this! i don't made any effort to sing "the right way"...
:P
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