Thursday, February 26, 2009

Interview with Christopher Milne





q)Please introduce yourself.


a)My name is Christopher Milne.


q)Where do you live and work?


a)I live and work in New York City

and Water Mill, NY.


q)How would you describe your work

to someone who has never seen it?


a)My work is primarily concerned with figuration.

Using the language of style as an entry point,

my work explores issues of identity and the

human condition as it pertains to gender, social,

personal, and political structures.


q)How did you start in the arts? How/when

did you realize you were an artist?


a)I've been interested in the arts for as long as

I can remember. I began referring to myself as an

artist when I started painting full time.


q)What are your favorite art materials and why?


a)Oil paint and linen and canvas. I love painting

and its rich history.


q)What/who influences you most?


a)Influences come from everywhere. If you're

asking which artists have influenced me, some

worth mentioning would be Jan Van Eyck, Johannes Vermeer,

Jean-Honore Fragonard, Edouard Manet,

John Singer Sargent, Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol,

John Currin, Marilyn Minter and many others.


q)Describe a typical day of art making for you.


a)I usually spend five days a week at the studio.

Daily activities include a lot of painting, a bit of research,

some thinking, and too much cleaning.


q)Do you have goals, specific things you want

to achieve with your art or in your career as an artist?


a)Of course. My primary goal is to continue

learning and evolving my work and being

relevant as an artist. Exhibiting often goes

hand in hand with that.


q)What contemporary artists or developments

in art interest you?


a)Although I enjoy all disciplines in art, lately

(the last several years) I'm interested in the

resurgence of painting and representation.


q)How long does it typically take you

to finish a piece?


a)It's hard to say. For the purpose of consistency,

I tend to work on many paintings at one time.

I would guess a small work takes no less that

a month to complete and my large-scale works much longer.


q)Do you enjoy selling your pieces, or are

you emotionally attached to them?


a)I'm very happy when one of my paintings

finds its way to a good home.


q)Is music important to you? If so, what are

some things you're listening to now?


a)Music is important, thought I tend to listen

to "neutral" music at the studio to avoid it

from influencing my work.


q)Books?


a)I love books! Non-fiction, literature, art theory

and criticism, as well as "picture" books...

I love them all.


q)What theories or beliefs do you have regarding

creativity or the creative process?


a)Be talented, get educated, look at a lot of art,

read, and work hard.


q)What do you do (or what do you enjoy doing)

when you're not creating?


a)I love quiet time at the beach, exercise,

travel, and escapist television.


q)Do you have any projects or shows coming up

that you are particularly excited about?


a)I'm very excited about a solo exhibition

that opens February 28th.


q)Do you follow contemporary art scenes? If so,

how? What websites, magazines, galleries do you prefer?


a)I do follow the contemporary art scene. Since I

live in New York City there are a lot of amazing

galleries available to me. I tend to look at international

and American art magazines, too.


q)Ask yourself a question you'd like to answer, and answer it.


a)What's next?
Time will tell.


q)Any advice for aspiring artists?


a)Try to be talented and be sure to work

hard and honestly.


q)Where can we see more of your work online?


a) www.christophermilne.us


Christopher Milne 917.686.8776

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