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 Katherine Krizek

Katherine Krizek is an American artist, designer and teacher living and working in Rome Italy. Her current portrait work focuses on combining traditional image making with new technology. She studied at Parsons School of Design and The Cooper Union in NY.

RAP: Art is dynamic and regenerates itself... how does it change, and how did it change us?

Katherine Krizek: Is art an independent and external entity? Or is its essential nature, a means of communication and expression extremely internal and second nature to all of us? Did cave art change early man? Does it change us today? The only thing for sure is that our species seems to demand art as part of the human condition.

RAP: How have the new technologies and media culture changed art today, improving or worsening it...?challenges?

Katherine: I am very excited about new technologies, in fact my most recent work focuses on merging traditional drawing techniques with digital medium to make prints and one-of-a-kind pieces. Exactly how to interact with media culture could be my biggest challenge, one that is daunting and exciting at the same time. The possibility of reaching more people can only be stimulating.

RAP: Which is the real role of Academies and Art schools today?

Katherine: As a teacher this question is key. At a good school you are exposed to many ways of working. You can learn how others have done their work, but not how you should do your work. All is example and analogy; schools can provide a safe place to begin to understand what stirs you. A good teacher can help you develop a methodology for solving your own artistic problems, and this can be very helpful. An environment where you meet others and share the process of making art is probably the most concrete thing a school or academy has to offer. Frequently, a school also gives help transitioning to the outside world with advice on grants, residencies, or other opportunities for continued study.

www.DoYouKnowHer.org

www.katherinekrizek.com