KO Artist Feature Rachel Robinson
This week’s artist feature is Rachel Robinson. I met Rachel through instagram and fell in instant love with her art. My favorite piece so far is the Nutella purse (pic below)
KO:What is your Artistic Medium?
RR: I like the art of manipulation. Some people are painters or photographers; I am a manipulator. Whether it’s turning cigarettes into pacifiers, toothbrushes to lollipops, nutella bottles to purses, product labels to flags, or French fries to ball gowns, I like transforming items in unconventional and usually ironic ways. I would say I have a knack for turning trash into treasure.
KO: At what age did you decide you were an artist?
RR: On some level I think I always knew. I was diagnosed with a plethora of learning disabilities my sophomore year of high school, which is later than most. I definitely grew up believing I was stupid, and feeling like a failure in most aspects of my life. But art was always an exception. I may not have been the most comprehensive reader or the greatest math mathematician, but I could draw. That being said, I don’t think I really had the courage or confidence to consider myself a real artist until the end of high school. It was only once I accepted who I was as a person, and all my weird quirky oddities that I really came into my own as an artist.
KO:What is your earliest “art” memory that evoked the feelings inside you?
RR: I did not truly take art seriously until I saw Banksy’s documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop. So I think I consider that to be the first time art really had an impact on me. It was not until then that I realized that art did not have to be just a pretty picture, but that it could actually change the world.
KO:What is your favorite film?
RR: It’s a toss-up between Fight Club and Country Strong. I’m a sucker for psychological thrillers and (if it wasn’t apparent from my work) irony. As far as Country Strong, which is not exactly a psychological thriller, I couldn’t really tell you why I love it so much. I think it manages to make me feel sad, hopeful, and nostalgic all at the same time. I like movies that manage to evoke different emotions simultaneously. The fact that the main actor, Garrett Hedlund, is remarkably good-looking doesn’t hurt either.
KO:Who is your favorite fashion designer?
RR: Hands down Jeremy Scott. I have a bit of an obsession with him, and I do not say that lightly. I love him as the creative director of Moschino. Franco Moschino was a genius himself, and I think Scott has managed to stay true to the brand’s roots while modernizing and in many ways revitalizing it. Every time I finish a piece the first thing I think about is what would Jeremy think? Hopefully one day we will actually be on a first name basis. I believe fashion can change the world and Scott is doing just that.
I am also a big fan of Anya Hindmarch, Au Jour Le Jour, Delpozo, Simone Rocha, The Rodnik Band and Yazbukey.
KO:What are the staples of your wardrobe?
RR: I like to mix basic pieces with crazy accessories. I’d say my go to look is a classic black dress, a pair of realistic looking cherry earrings, and my most prized possession, my Moschino happy-meal purse. I honestly don’t take the “rules” of fashion very seriously. My motto is if you like it, then wear it. Fashion should be fun and I think all too often we over complicate it.
KO:What kind of music do you like to listen to while you are working?
RR: I actually prefer silence while I am working. There is already a lot going on in my head and music just complicates the process. I like to be able to talk to myself and hear my own thoughts. Besides, if there is music on, I am probably dancing, and if I am dancing, I am not working.
KO: Who is your favorite artist?
RR: I am currently obsessing over an artist named Donald Robertson. I think he is a complete creative genius when it comes to combining the likes of art and fashion. He also does a great deal of collaboration, which I think is key in terms of creating really good art.
KO:What artistic movement or period has influenced you the most in your own practice?
RR: I am extremely influenced by Conceptualism. I think art is about so much more than purely visual imagery and aesthetics. I like art that makes you think and challenges societal norms and stereotypes. When I make art my goal is not to change someone’s opinion about a particular topic, it’s just to start a conversation.
KO:What did your parents do that help encourage/discourage you in your artistic practice?
RR: Neither of my parents are artists so I think at first it was a little hard for them to wrap their heads around what I was doing. That being said, they have been nothing but supportive. When I made the pacifier out of cigarettes I managed to make enough money to buy the cigarettes, but since I was only fifteen I could not legally purchase them. I will never forget the look on my mother’s face when I asked her to buy me two cases of cigarettes. She was relieved when I told her they were for an art project and not for smoking.
KO: What advice would you give future artists?
RR: Don’t be afraid to fail. You’ve got to take creative risks, venture into the unknown, and try something that has never been done before. Could it turn out horribly? Sure, but it’s the only way to be truly original and innovative. Learn how to accept criticism. Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s ok. But above all, be kind to everyone. People are people and we are all dealing with something, whether we show it or not.
KO:Are you superstitious?
RR: I don’t know about super, but I am definitely a little bit stitious. As you can see I am a much better artist than comedian. But I am in fact superstitious. Ever since I can remember I have signed my art with my name and then a tiny heart. Every art teacher has hated it, and rightfully so, there is nothing more cliché than a heart. But I have been doing it for so long that I cannot just stop. It is irrational I know, but part of me believes that the quality of my art in some way depends on the addition of that tiny heart. Today, instead of signing my artwork with the symbol of a heart I sign it with a tiny version of an anatomical heart. That way everyone is happy.
KO:What does your creative process look like?
RR: I’d say it looks like organized chaos, no, scratch that, just chaos. Everything starts with an idea; I am definitely an idea person. I have more than I know what to do with, but I write them all down, no matter how silly or insignificant they seem. Once I narrow in on an idea that I want to bring to life the next step is to find the materials. That involves a lot of dumpster diving and digging through recycling bins. I will be the first to admit that I am a total slob and probably the only person who actually takes pleasure in digging through trash, but honestly it is one of my favorite pastimes. Once I have the materials it is really just trial and error. I always have a vision in my head of what I want the finished product to look like, so my job is just to try to find ways to manipulate a material to fit my original image.
KO:Where do you create? Where is your studio?
RR: I currently split my time between Savannah, where I attend Savannah College of Art and Design, and my family home in Denver, Colorado. My “studio” at school is my dorm room, which definitely poses its challenges considering most of my work is as big as the room. But hey, I definitely get to exercise creative problem solving. At home my parents are kind enough to let me work in the basement. Though my family constantly complains about how much of a mess I make, I think on some level they like it. When I made the french fry gown there were constantly semi-moldy fries everywhere. But aversion therapy works, and now my formally potato loving family cannot stand the sight of french fries. So I think I am improving their health… one french fry dress at a time.
KO:How has your style evolved?
RR: My work has consistently gotten bigger and more outlandish. When I first started creating I would never have believed I could accomplish all that I have. If you had told me that I would be making a 9’x 5’ American flag entirely out of product and nutrition labels, I would have laughed. But once I tackled what may have originally seemed impossible, I quickly realized that there are no real limits to what I, or anyone else for that matter, are capable of creating.
KO:Where do you ideally see yourself in 7 years from now?
RR: My dream would be to be designing for Moschino under the direction of Jeremy Scott, of course, or to possibly be designing my own line of handbags. But regardless of how I pay my bills, I hope I am still creating artwork on the side. I hope I am making impactful art or clothing that sparks a conversation, and above all I hope that I am happy.
