Kaylin Yanta – Artist Interview (1)
The Fun of Art
Artist: Emily M. Trevino
Artist Statement/ Information:
Emily M. Trevino is a sculptor who creates humorous and grotesque caricatures within my pieces that share a playful and kitsch aesthetic. Trevino has an interest in theatre and utilizes cost-friendly materials that are typically used in prop fabrication, such as foam, clay, paper mâché, and acrylic paints. Trevino prioritize the faces of her pieces with over-exaggerated characteristics and details with a cartoon style that portray her pieces’ personalities. The color palettes she chooses to paint my pieces are intentionally vibrant and heavily saturated, mimicking toys and media that was present throughout her childhood. Emily M. Trevino wishes to create art with the sole purpose of just having fun.
K: – Kaylin Yanta (interviewer)
E: – Emily M. Trevino (artist)
Questions:
- Why did you start making art?
E: I started to make art as a kid because I wanted to be good at something and it kind of came as like there were a lot of very talented people in my family to begin with and they were all good at something. They are all good at something and I wanted to be good at something because I had a really like how small so I started making part in order to compensate and I kind of saw it as I had really low confidence so art was the only thing that I was doing that became my whole personality. I also do a credit a lot of influences from like cartoons own watch anime like things of that store I wanted to draw my favorite characters so I just continue doing it and it led me to where I am now.
- What is your favorite artwork you have ever made? Why is it your favorite?
E: Actually, there are two things that stuck out to me, one was the banana sculpture. Did you see the banana?
K: Yes, I did!
E: Yeah, my ugly little banana. That is one of them because I think it’s the first time that I felt like I could just make something stupid I know that sounds funny to say but I struggled so much with finding my art style. I’m also a theater major as well as a sculpture major, so the banana sculpture is very similar to something you see in an 80’s stupid little movie, but there is something I have recently made that I haven’t posted on my Instagram but I can show you really quick…
K: *gasps* I LOVE IT!
E: It’s an alien two piece of artwork that I just made for my thesis. It has nipple tassels and then like a switch on the Clitoris area, which when you flip it on, the nipple tassels begin to spin. And I think it’s my most intensive piece that I have worked on and just finished. I love these works because I feel that they perfectly reflect myself and my purpose as an artist.
- What adjectives would you use to describe this artwork? Why?
E: I think there was humor and humor could definitely describe them. Also, chaotic I think for some cases. I would definitely say grotesque because I purposely make things like ugly like just because I think it’s very visually impactful. I guess also cartoonish is another word or adjective I would use, things that look like they are almost only a drawing, but they are actually 3D.
- What art do you most identify with? Why is it apart of your identity?
E: I feel that I think I started off making very serious art. I started off I come from a drawing background so I would just draw kind of very stereotypical arts, and so I had a really big imposter syndrome phases where the art I made was very stupid and silly. And so very different from what the mainstream art is. I struggled a lot with that until I was talking to some with my professors about my art and I sort of realized that I like to make art that makes people laugh. I like to make art that is stupid and silly and does not have to be a serious thing anymore and that’s what I’ve learned the more and more I make my sculptures. So, I feel like I identify a lot especially with those like silly little sculptures that I make, like I don’t know if you saw the big head?
K: Yes, I did!
E: Or like the sculpture of the fish with legs. I really identify with those pieces because it was still in a moment of self-discovery where I didn’t know if I could turn in my artworks into my professors as an assignment because it was stupid. Or I would be worried I could not be accepted into a grad school program because my pieces are not serious. So, I guess I find those pieces apart of my identity because they were creating when I was learning and discovering what I could do as an artist.
- Are you afraid of certain subjects, styles, media?
E: I think that abstract pieces are the most difficult for me. I feel like every time I try to make something that is supposed to be abstract, it always comes out looking exactly like what it appears to be, naturalistic. I am so bad at it, I cannot abstract things to save my life, and when I do try to make abstract art, it looks stupid. This is probably because I have very technical abilities when creating something, especially when I already have an idea of what it already is and with references. But the second I have to make something that is a little more abstract or serious and not something fun and silly, it never comes out correctly. I know I tried to make a sphere balanced on wire…
E: Wire! Oh no, I hate wires. I will never make another wire sculpture ever again. It just looked ugly; I threw it in the trash…
K: Oh no!
E: So yeah, abstract pieces and wire. I will never touch wire again.
- How has your art changed since you first started creating it? Do you feel that you have become a better artist than when you first started?
E: I originally started off originally going to be a drawing major at the University of Texas but I made this random switch to become a music major, like choir. But it was stupid, it was just a phase. Then U.T. didn’t accept me anymore due to the music major, so I came to Texas State University because they let me audition. Then I got accepted into Texas State, but then a week before I came to Texas State, I decided that music was just that, a phase and I am going back to art. I would draw pencil drawings because I use to hate 3D art because I thought they looked too childish. I thought if it didn’t look like the statue of David, it’s not a good enough sculpture. I thought this was for the longest time. So, I did start off doing lots of drawings, I thought I drew pretty realistically, like I took the AP exams in high school for drawing. But then I took one sculpture class because I wanted to take the same professor again, and I really enjoyed the class. I guess the more I was here at Texas State, I realized that everyone only had good things to say about naturalist and realistic art, which I hated. I hated having to constantly only create realistic art. I also have this competitive nature, so I always wanted to be the most realistic out of everyone, I wanted to be THAT person. So, then I found that sculpture wasn’t a super competitive atmosphere, I became more active in sculpture. I think that’s how I slowly started to move from drawing to sculpture because there wasn’t this pressure about making the most perfectly realistic drawing.
- How do you stay motivated and productive in your art practice? Have you ever experienced a creative block?
E: I think it’s actually something I’m struggling with right now. I think that last semester I only made the banana sculpture. I just struggle so much with creative burnout. Since I’m a second major I took a break from sculpture altogether and I just focused on my other major theater. I find it hard to stay focus because I am at that stage now where they don’t give me a prompt and a deadline. I had to give myself these deadlines and I just had to force an idea. I think I work best with a lot of urgency. So, with my professor not going to be here after the semester, I told myself to make something big and grand in order to make his last semester count. So yeah, being urgent with deadlines is really helpful. With there being no deadlines, I must pretend its due next week and then I will be able to force myself to do it.
- How has the general public responded to your art? Was it the response you were pleased with?
E: I haven’t really experimented too much of putting it out into the public I think it’s me being so conscious but the people I have shown it to are theater and art students, who will then ask what is the meaning behind it? And it’s interesting because there is no meaning, it’s just fun. However, with my alien sculpture, when I put it in a gallery, I was so nervous because I have never put something so vulgar in a public space. Lucky, the people who did see the sculpture, actually enjoyed and laughed at the sculpture.
- What do you wish to accomplish with your art?
E: Originally, I wanted to a free-lance artist, so I could do art on my own time, but my second major, theater, is becoming really impactful. I love the atmosphere with constant group and individual projects. So, with my previous sculpture knowledge, I enjoy making props and projects for productions and plays. Now, one day I would love to work on Broadway.
- You talked about Takashi Murakami and the Chiodo Brothers being influences in your artworks. What made you attracted to their art?
E: The Chiodo Brothers props in the movie “Killer Klowns from Outer Space,” is my favorite movie and huge influence. I just love how ugly and silly the props are, and when I watch the movie, I just think how fun would it be to work on that set, creating those wonderful props. And with Takashi Murakami’s flower motifs and his wonderful sculptures, I love how fun and lighthearted his works are. His sculptures are so funny and iconic. I love how his work is made 3D, but it appears and looks like it should be 2D. Also, how his work is considered Fine Art, even though it’s fun and unique and not serious. I love trying to push the ideologies and definitions of Fine Art.