Emily Church is a New York-based multi-disciplinary artist and curator working in the mediums of painting, drawing, book making, and poetry. Her work takes recognizable experiences—particularly of nature within the urban environment—and transforms them into poetic events. She holds a BFA in sculpture from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA in painting from the New York Studio School and has attended artist residencies at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France, the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT, and Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her work can be found in numerous public and private collections.
Art, whatever it takes – RomeArtProgram has made interviews with people involved in art, living in Italy, the USA and the UK, to know their feelings during the emergency.
–> Emily Church interview:
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RomeArtProgram: What is your definition of “Art” today?
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-> Emily: Art is an experience created with intention that can, when done well, reflect our world back to us in surprising and unexpected ways.
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RAP: Art is dynamic and regenerates itself…how does it change, and how did it change us?
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-> Emily: The context in which art is viewed historically, politically, culturally, change how an artwork is perceived, yet powerful art has a way of transcending time, of reaching out to us across centuries to speak human truths.
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RAP: When (and how) did you understand that art was becoming very important in your life?
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-> Emily: My father was an architect, my mother a designer. Our home was filled with materials for drawing, painting, building. Art books lined our shelves. It was always an option, to make things, write, express myself, and I did from an early age.
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RAP: What role does art play today? What are the “great figures” who have recently changed it? Do you feel close to any of these figures?
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-> Emily: Art today can be commercial, but it is best when experienced not as a commodity, but as something visceral and necessary to human existence. Art tells the human story through many mediums and people yearn to participate in this narrative, whether that’s through film, theater, dance, novels, poetry, or visual art. Social media has been a way for people to see the possibilities for art, and hopefully take action to seek art out in real time and space. Art is happening in every form all the time, and so the “great figures” are those who continue to make and to attempt to connect with one another.
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RAP: Are there still traditional figures such as collectors, muses, mecenate and patrons, in today’s art and society interaction model?
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-> Emily: There are people who want to collect art to own it exclusively, but there are also those who want to experience art as an event. I’ve found that when I’ve had an exhibition or curated, friends, neighbors, artists, and passers by want to engage with what I’m doing. Art is more than ever in our mainstream consciousness. There are still those people who want to create the space for the dialog of art, and the general public can become the “patron of the arts” by participating.
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RAP: How have the new technologies and media culture changed art today, improving or worsening it? What do you feel are your biggest challenges?
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-> Emily: Social media is a tool in which artists can share thoughts and work. The danger is in thinking one can engage with art entirely virtually. SM has brought me closer to what my peers are doing, especially during the height of the pandemic, but at some point we need to be together “irl” —reminding myself of that is a daily practice.
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RAP: Art as a mirror of man, in this moment of emergency seems to be shattered…what do these fragments reflect now? Shadow or light of the moment?
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-> Emily: Art during the pandemic was still a mirror of us, together apart. During these past three years, I have seen art continue to be a path towards healing. Whether art reflects our darkest selves or our lightest, it is one and the same. Reflection is what matters.
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RAP: Understanding, interpreting, and then possibly judging the work of art; which is the right path when we are in front of a piece of art?
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-> Emily: Go with your gut. What do you respond to in the work? Color, light, image, form, narrative? What is the artist trying to say, and how can you relate to this? Look and then look again.
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RAP: Which is the real role of Academies and Art schools today? What can artists learn from these institutions today?
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-> Emily: While art school is not a necessary path for all artists, it can offer a space of deep personal exploration, peer dialog, critical thinking, studio space, and a safety net to experiment freely. My time spent earning a BFA, MFA, and studying abroad in Italy were invaluable experiences that taught me about myself and more importantly formed life-long friendships with fellow artists.
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RAP: Art too has undergone a complex process of globalization; can having an authentic and genuine style be an advantage or a drag for an artist?
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-> Emily: The idea of “style” is a marketing tool for galleries. Artists must be true to the inner voice, which leads to real discovery over a lifetime.
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RAP: How do Art Galleries and Museums position themselves today, and, in your opinion, how should they?
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-> Emily: Museums reveal our history, and in the best cases, are free. Galleries are free, however, they can have an unapproachability that leaves many people feeling excluded because of the way art is marketed as a commodity instead of a tool for connection. I am dreaming of a way to bring art to the people in a more inclusive way.
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RAP: ”Figuration” vs “Abstraction”: which of the two is better descriptive of the period we live in? Which one will have a better future?
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-> Emily: Abstraction and figuration have a place in our world. All ways of making can speak truth to a variety of human experience.
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RAP: Today we often speak of “emerging artists”; what advice based on your experience do you feel you can give to young artists?
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-> Emily: My advice to younger artists has always been to keep making work that is true to yourself, to experiment, be brave and bold, take risks, and cultivate friendships in the arts.
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RAP: Art as a lens for reading the present, can it modify the space and time we pass through? Will art save us?
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-> Emily: Art develops along side us as our cultures shift and change. As we progress as humans (or regress?) our art does as well. It cannot save us ultimately, but in small moments it can alter single existences. It can lead to radical change within individual lives. During the height of the pandemic, art gave me a path through the darkness and a conduit for connection.
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www.emilychurchart.com
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@emilychurchart
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