ART, WHATEVER IT TAKES

Since the early pandemic in 2020, Rome Art Program has conducted a series of interviews, “Art, Whatever It Takes.”
Artists, Art Critics, and Art Historians living in Italy, the U.S., and U.K., share their insights during these powerful times.

Interview with Keri Rosebraugh

Keri Rosebraugh is an American artist living in both France and Los Angeles, California. She has a Master’s Degree from SACI in Florence, Italy & has had numerous solo shows in the US, France, & Florence Italy. In 2016 she was a Faculty member of Rome Art Program, teaching Painting. Keri is currently the Director of L”Expressoir Artist Residency program in Marnay Sur Seine, France.

RomeArtProgram: Where do you live? What is your background?

Keri Rosebraugh: Born and raised near Portland, Oregon, I live part time in Marnay Sur Seine, France and part time in California. This past year has been spent in Los Angeles due to Covid.

RAP: In your opinion is there a “creative method”?

Keri: I think there are creative method”s”. Everyone has their own approach in regards to tapping into their creativity.

RAP: The “lock down moment” can set you on the path of some important change(s) in your creativity and style. Has this happened to you?

Keri: Yes. Largely inspired by nature, I initially strained to adapt to concrete and industrial buildings. Eventually my art turned towards seeking connection with others experiencing the same feelings. I collaborated to create an installation in support of the fight against Covid. The goal was to express humanity’s strength and resilience to the pandemic, but not without the truth that accompanies it: fear, anxiety, grief and more. 2020 surprisingly prompted new working relationships that might not have had the time and space to blossom if it weren’t for the lockdown. With exciting new projects in the works, I like to believe that there is always some kind of light that comes out of darkness.

RAP: What normally inspires you? Which is the most important inspirational source you have found in Rome?

Keri: Nature and travel inspire me. The lighting in Rome! The first time I saw the clouds I understood where the Renaissance painters took their colors from. The textures and layers enhance the rich stories Rome holds. The fact that you can walk by a Prada store, then look across the street and see an old Roman column laying on the ground is incredible. The combination of new and old is fascinating.

RAP: Is there a difference in working in Rome for an artist? What art medium do you prefer to work in?

Keri: Rome was all about immersing myself into the city. My inspiration was drawn from walking the streets, eating the food, studying the art, and conversing with local people. RAP was perfect for me by providing an atmosphere to teach painting in the most amazing outdoor locations in Rome. Other cities might nurture a more introspective approach to creating art, but for me Rome is about absorbing the energy from its bustling neighborhoods and rich community.

RAP: Specific events and historical conditions have a significant role in the creative process; how does this pandemic emergency affect the Arts?

Keri: I feel that in general artists learn to be adaptable. We tend to produce even in the most difficult times regardless of what emerges out of our artwork. As a business, art and artists have suffered. I believe artists keep creating one way or the other.

RAP: How are you feeling at this difficult moment and what made you feel this way? Are you optimistic for the future?

Keri: I am optimistic because being anything else is pointless. I am appreciative to be healthy, to have an outlet with art and being near family. Collectively we will get through these difficult days.

RAP: What can Art contribute to history? Will “Art save us”?

Keri: Art shares with us what it feels like to exist in a certain place during a particular time. It conveys images, sounds, and stories of cultures and past lives. Art can act as a channel to express reactions to issues through sensory experience coupled with feelings – which has the ability to communicate in a more effective way than hard facts alone.

RAP: What is your most ambitious dream? And the greatest sacrifice that you have made for your Art?

Keri: My dream is to sail to the Antarctic and study the theory of the Sublime in Nature, then convey my findings through art. To me, a sacrifice is a loss, giving up something you want to keep. I have made choices in my life such as turning down job opportunities and choosing an alternative lifestyle – I am happy with these choices so I don’t consider the things I let go as a loss in order to create art.

RAP: Recently, the artistic and cultural message of Italy and Rome was reemerging as a great “work in progress” …is this your point of view?

Keri: “I think we are all a work in progress, which keeps things exciting!”

RAP: Which is your favorite Italian, or Roman, place(s) of art (Museum, Gallery, Monument…)?

Keri: The Pantheon and the Roman Colosseum are my favorites. They are famous for good reasons! One of my favorite museums is a beautifully curated palazzo in Venice called, “Museo Fortuny.” Even if there was no artwork installed in this structure I could walk through and love it just as much. The interior is stunning and the artwork is brilliantly placed.

RAP: Which period of Italian Art do you prefer? What is your favorite Italian work of art?

Keri: The Arte Povera Movement from the late 1960’s to 1970’s. I’d say that any pieces done by Giuseppe Penone are super high on my list.

RAP: How has Rome personally influenced you as an artist and a person?

Keri: The colors of Rome! I learned an entirely new palette. The culture: the people, the monuments, how long Rome has existed and the life it has endured – all have altered the manner in which I see the world.

RAP: What’s your goal? What role does the artist have in society? Any final thoughts and advice?

Keri: My goal is to keep collaborating with people who believe in giving artists a voice. If communities support the arts, they unite people by sharing diverse views about the one world that we all live in.

www.kerirosebraugh.com 

#kerirosebraugh