Art Interview

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I had the honor to meet with Cheryl Hazan, a successful art gallery owner whose store is located on N Moore Street in Tribeca, in New York City. She initiated this business 12 years ago, in 2001 when her infatuation with art was peaking. She also owns a mosaic business in New York City. She provides beautiful mosaic pieces for any setting. As stated on her website, She focuses on representing all types of artists, whether they are emerging, mid-career, or established artists who produce abstract, contemporary, and process based works. Her team specializes in finding the right piece of art for any type of setting, including residences, corporate offices, hotels, and public spaces. They also participated in art fairs such as the Houston Fine Art Fair, Art Hamptons, and Bridge Art Fair.

 

What was your first experience with art?

 When I was a little girl, I purchased a Jasper Johns print and I hung it up in my bedroom. I was just inspired to buy it, but I don’t particularly know why. I think it was because I found it was really interesting. It was very colorful and caught my attention. The many beautiful different colors inclined me to purchase it.

 

How did you know art was for you?

It was starting to become more and more part of my everyday life. I was looking at art all the time. I was so attached to all the different types of work and it was the only thing I could focus on. That was when I knew this was something I definitely wanted to pursue in my lifetime.

 

Once you knew you wanted to pursue it, how did you approach getting started?

I started by putting a few pieces in my furniture gallery. I had another company before this one (art gallery owner) selling furniture, and I decided to put a few pieces of art above the furniture to make the furniture look more appealing. The interesting thing was, the art was the product that sold. And it sold fast. I tried to use it to attract customers to the furniture, but they were attracted to the art. That was when it all started, that was when I decided to focus more on selling art.

 

What style of art inspires you most? Why?

I like all different kinds of art. I really do like everything, and it is so hard to choose. But to narrow down my point of view for the gallery I focus on a little bit of street art and graffiti. I am inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat. I also like feminine art very much.  There is a huge range of art types, and I cannot narrow it down to just one, they are all exciting in their own ways.

 

What motivates you?

I want to bring art to the public. I want to show people art and expose them to things that they have never seen before. I want people to experience art, and not just see it as a painting or sculpture on a wall. It is much more than that.

 

How do you accomplish that? What is your biggest challenge?

 Being seen. That is really the toughest of them all. Being seen is what will get people to enjoy art, and of course it brings in business. We also try to differentiate the art we display compared to all the other art galleries in NYC to get more people into the gallery. You have to stand out and display pieces that will catch people’s attention. You have to be unique to become successful in this business.

 

How do you overcome that challenge?

We work on it everyday. We do a lot of advertising in magazines as well as newspapers, and we send out a ton of e-mail blasts. We try to entice people to come visit the gallery through persuasive e-mails and advertisements.

 

What was your greatest achievement?

 There was this one collector that I just had to impress and please. He wanted the best art out there and trusted me to find it for him. I went with my gut and purchased a lot of art for this collector that I thought were most valuable. It turns out every single one of the pieces I decided to buy for him doubled, tripled, or quadrupled in price within a year. He was very happy about that, as was I.

 

Do you have a dream artist that you would love to represent?

I would love to represent all the artists that are dead… (Chuckle). Joan Mitchell is an artist that I love very very much. I just do not think there is anybody or will ever be anybody like her and who had that stroke like she did. Her brush stroke was one of a kind, and will never be duplicated.  A lot of the old timers inspire me. Their pieces speak to me and I feel a distinct type of connection them.

 

Describe your dream artist.

 My dream artist for the gallery would be one who is flexible and understanding. One who is able to take criticism, and willing to change things if need be. One who has great character and believes in the same thing I do in relation to art. Also, I obviously must like their work. At first sight my attention should immediately be caught. Their work should be innovative and always changing and evolving to create new beautiful pieces of art.

 

Describe an event at the gallery?

We try to keep it formal and friendly. It usually consists of a gathering of a small group of people and we put the art that we think will best serve their liking on display. They spend time analyzing it, talking about it, and enjoying it. We try to do the best we can to take care of our customers and make them happy.

Interview with Samuel Thompson

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Introduction

For my interview I decided to interview Samuel Thomas, my brothers music instructor. Sam is a performer and ethnomusicologist and holds two Bachelor of Music degrees from Berklee College of Music (Composition and Performance), a Masters of Music (Ethnomusicology) from CUNY. He is also currently a Ph.D Candidate in Ethnomusicology at CUNY, Graduate Center. In addition Sam is currently also a professor at several CUNY schools, where he teaches many music classes as well as several IDC classes.

Interview

When and where were you born?
I was born in the San Francisco area, in 1976.

Did your parents expose you to music and the arts from a young age? How?
Well, my parents exposed me to the arts in the sense that we had a lot of different types of music growing up. I had older siblings, so I was also exposed to their music. So with my parents it was Moroccan music, Middle Eastern music, country and pop music, and with my siblings it was rock, and all that. I kind of found my way to classical and jazz on my own.

When did you move to New York? How did it influence you?
I moved to New York in 2001, 5 weeks before 9/11. I had already decided when I was coming to New York that I needed to do something more of a Jewish oriented project, one that could bring in more of the diversity of Jewish music into the world, because I have such diverse music background, both non-Jewish and Jewish … At that point, I was playing a lot more world music styles already, but it was also after the beginning of the second intifada and I felt very strongly from visiting Israel during that period, how much something else was needed to combat the prevailing feeling of violence and tension. I felt that one of the ways to do that was through the arts and through music. So after 9/11, that feeling was intensified very quickly, and that’s when I founded two different projects, one was my ensemble Asefa, which means the gathering. The idea was to gather all different kinds of musicians to create music that would be fresh and new and also drawing on the different Jewish traditions. The other project that I started was JAM, which stands for Jewish Awareness through Music. JAM is the workshops and programming’s educational stuff. The goal there was to take music and art as the launching point, but I want to go into different settings and talk about stuff on a more contextual level.

What are the different instruments do you currently play?
I play tenor, alto and soprano saxophone. Clarinet, piano, guitar, Oud, Ney and the Bendir. The Oud is the Arabic guitar, that’s the one that’s shaped like a pear, and you find in all of the Syrian music. The Ney is the middle eastern flute that’s made out of bamboo, of course I’m a wind player from background so that was a very important instrument for me. The Bendir is a framed drum from North Africa that you play up in the air, as opposed to on your lap.

What music or musician would you consider to be your inspiration in music?
I certainly had my bigger inspirations when I was younger. When I was coming out in jazz, it was Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane. Those were really my important figures. As I started to get into some other stuff, my horizons expanded. I would say that the most influential musicians to me include, Salim Halali, who’s a Moroccan Jewish performer. Also Farid al-Atrash, from Egypt. But then even outside of the music that I play, people like Ravi Shankar, who’s an incredible Indian musician, Bach, the great classical composer, he’s also an incredible inspiration to me. And on the more popular front I would say people like Jimmy Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, but more important even his producer, Quincy Jones. So I would say inspirational kind of figures if I were to draw out certain ones. For me it’s more like, who’s doing music at a high level of quality, no matter what the genre.

You mentioned to me that you also teach in CUNY? What do you teach? How do you feel about teaching music to students?
I teach a range of subjects, because I’m an ethnomusicologist and a performer, I can teach performance oriented classes, which I have, but most of what I’ve taught is more interdisciplinary studies, teaching about either the history of music, or classes that are a little bit more seminar-like. I taught a class on music and gender, I taught a class on music and spirituality, which combined philosophy and music. So those are the kinds of things that I’ve been teaching over the years. I like to teach a lot because I feel like music is a fundamental aspect of human expression that, frankly, still needs to be cultivated a lot among the student population. I think that while people like you are exposed to a lot of music, you’re not exposed to enough music, nor are really trained on how to really listen and appreciate music, at a younger age. Music has been kind of deemphasized in a lot of schools. The music programs and the art programs in general, are the ones that usually get their funding slashed first. I think that’s detrimental, Its not good for society and its not good for education, because music is the fundamental human expression that’s been around for thousands of years. So I have a chance, in CUNY, to help address some of that, and help students learn at a young age.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?
That’s a pretty good question. You can only plan so much and see what happens. But hopefully, I’ll contribute to teach college, perform and program. I mean the things that I’m doing now are the things that I want to be doing.

An Interview with Alison Taylor from the Metropolitan Opera

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I had the esteemed pleasure to meet with Alison Taylor, supervisor of costume design in the Metropolitan Opera, and learn about her life. She was born and raised in Michigan. When she turned 18, Alison left Michigan to go to college at Boston University. She gradated with a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) and then came to New York to work at the New York Shakespeare Festival. After 10 years at the NY Shakespeare Festival, she moved to work at Julliard. Since 2001, she has been happily working at the Metropolitan Opera. Alison dabbled in the art of freelance, but somewhere along those lines, she realized that she truly just enjoys the technical aspect of design and costume.

How did you decide to get started on your career?

When I was in high school, I actually did acting, but I always liked sewing and more so then I think I thought I decided that I would like to do costumes

How did you learn how to sew?

 In school, in a home economics class because my mom didn’t know how to sew! So it wasn’t a family passed on tradition!

 What’s your day-to-day routine like?

Well, we start at 8:30 in the morning and work until 4:15, on a normal day. If we need overtime for when it’s close to show time, then we extend the day or start earlier. Usually, we work on 3 or 4 shows at a time because we do 26 operas per season and about 5 or 6 are brand new and the rest are just recurring shows. So we do fittings on performers, to make sure everything is appropriately placed the way the director envisions it, and what I do is take those fittings and oversee my colleagues doing alterations or if we have nothing for somebody then we usually make something.

 What’s your favorite show that you’ve ever made/altered costumes for?

Lets see, this is pretty interesting considering I’ve never actually thought of that! Here at the opera, my favorite is the “satyagraha”, by Phillip Glass, with sort of an Indian element in the costumes. I also enjoy the turn of the century, just as a time period. This time period is considered the 1890’s and the women had very elaborate dresses that I really love to look at.

Do you generally like the idea of Indian flare in costumes?

I do but particularly for the “satyagraha” opera. It was something I hadn’t done before so I really liked the experience as well as experimenting with the new cultural costumes.

What’s a difficult aspect of your job that you generally don’t expect people to think is difficult?

Usually the hardest part about it is the time constraints- like, we have so many fittings in such a short amount of time. Doing costumes for 3 to 4 shows at once is evidently very chaotic in the fitting rooms, especially on show day! Of course now, economically speaking, all of the arts are really hard-hit, so we have to make do with what we have available to us. The last few years, they’ve been trying to cut budgets and take away funding from costume, so what we’ve been trying to do is work even more efficiently (if possible!) in making the most of what we already have here at the MET. It’s always a big operation to put on such extravagant shows, and with limited time, it makes it even harder to do so.

How does the dressing operation work?

The way our space is laid out is that there are multiple floors for costume. Here, we have approximately 100 people working on alterations. The even BIGGER shop is on the second floor. So there’s us, and then there are people who do wardrobe at night, who actually dress the performers. Were more day workers on a technical level.

Do you even pick little things, like lingerie and underwear?

Yes, everything! Anything that the performers would have to wear, we chose, particularly, if it’s seen. Obviously, they wear their own underwear, but, in some cases where the performers would be wearing special pants or trousers, then the performers would need to wear a certain type of underwear. Also, if the performer is going to have to quickly change out of their costume into another one, or if they have to take their pants off on stage, then it’s important that the underwear is specifically chosen.

One time, in “The Magic Flute”, we had the kids wear these little diaper costumes and under them, they had to have special undergarments that allowed them to take the diapers off on stage appropriately.

Where do you draw most of your inspiration?

Wow, I never really thought of this! I can’t pinpoint an exact time where I got inspiration to do something. I can only go back to the time when I was designing and doing my freelance. I really felt like when I finished the sewing and designing, and finally got to the technical aspect, that’s when I really felt inspired. When it comes to picking the fabrics, I understand the form.  It just all makes sense and everything clicks in my head

So, because of your passion and extensive knowledge on designing, that’s how you really enjoy what you do?

Yes, but even when I didn’t know it all so well, I still loved it. When I look at clothes and have to think of a pattern shape, my mind just figures it out. Its just all a matter of how I think.

 

 

 

An Interview with Sara McCall Ephron

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Sara McCall Ephron is an art teacher at the Children’s Learning Center and an author and illustrator of children’s books. She has two children and is currently living in Manhattan. She hopes to publish more children’s books in the future.

 

JW: How did you get started?

SE: My parents were both artists, so I was always around art. My mom was always taking me places with her. She would go to the beach and draw; she would go to the promenade in Brooklyn and draw. I would always get dragged around in her work. So when I was a kid I used to just draw also. Then, when I got older, it just seemed like it was something I loved to do, and it was something I could do. It was something I got fulfillment out of and enjoyment out of. I eventually started to think how I could use that to actually have a career.

JW: What schools did you attend to study art?

SE: I went to Fiorello LaGuardia Music & Arts and Performing Arts. But I didn’t stay there. I ended up getting my GED and dropping out. I went to SUNY Purchase for two years, and then I transferred to School of Visual Arts and got a BFA in illustration. Then, I went back and got an MAT, Master of Arts in Teaching, at School of Visual Arts.

JW: Who or what were your inspirations?

SE: My inspirations were comics. I used to read a lot of comics when I was a kid. I used to love The X-Men and Will Eisner, who did The Spirit. I was really into the way that Will Eisner had this very film noir kind of style. I also really loved, and I still do, Maurice Sendak and very classic illustrators: Edmund Dulac, Kay Nielsen, Arthur Rackham, and Vincent Van Gogh.

JW: How would you describe your art style?

SE: I have two different styles. When I was doing the editorials, the more adult ones, I was interested in making political commentary or social commentary. I was interested in exploring that and just trying to communicate a lot of feelings that I had as well as doing something visually interesting. That style is darker and edgier. And then, I got into children’s books after my son was born. I was always interested in children’s books, but I guess I was kind of censoring myself. I didn’t want to be quite as raw when I had a child. So, that took a dreamier kind of approach and more fantastical or magically oriented.

JW: How do you produce your artworks?

SE: I mostly draw them by hand. First, I sketch them, and then I go over them with water color pencils. Then, I incorporate water color and wash to make it more opaque. Sometimes I go over them in ink. I may use black ink or I may just use black water paints to get a stronger outline. I only recently started using the computer, literally within this past summer. I rarely use the computer and I’m learning just Photoshop.

JW: Besides your website, where is your art available for viewing?

SE: I’m trying to work on self-publishing my children’s books right now. I have one, The Man with the Little Head, which I’m trying to get available for printing. And I hope to get it out in stores. I’m going to have to do that myself I guess. At some point, it should be available through Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

JW: Why did you choose to teach children art?

SE: There are a bunch reasons for that one. One is for practical time considerations, which is that teaching allows me to have some resolve and to have the same holidays as my kids. The other thing, of course, is that working with kids helps in developing their creativity which is really amazing and inspiring. I feel that it’s very important to support children from a young age to be open to their explorations. People, in general, should be encouraged to pursue creativity and to feel good about it and not feel that they need to be professional artists to be artists. Anybody can be an artist.

JW: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

SE: Just do it. Just do as much as you can and never give up. Always believe in yourself and in your art. If what you’re doing is a value, then even if the artwork doesn’t look like what you’re trying to draw, it’s more about being expressive and going through the process. Every time you do something, you learn more.

JW: What would you like to do in the future with your art career?

SE: I would like to have my books published. I have a lot of story ideas which I would also like to publish and have available for other people to read. I would also like to work on other people’s books to illustrate them. I am currently working with somebody else. Basically, I would like to get my work out there.

 

Visit her website at: http://saramccallephron.com

 

Interview with Salem

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Aaron Salem A.K.A. “Salem” is a Miami-based rapper who has been devoted to writing and recording music since the early age of twelve. Today, at the ripe age of  nineteen, he is getting closer to his dreams. He has given me the prospect to receive some extra information about his life.

*******YouTube (Music Videos) – www.youtube.com/Salemofficialpage
Soundcloud – www.soundcloud.com/1salem
Facebook – www.facebook.com/Salemofficialpage
Twitter – www.twitter.com/salemmusicpage*********

SHOW HIM SOME LOVE.

Salem quotes, “Music takes me away from reality for a while and I love that. I’m trying to pursue a dream that I have always had and make it big but most importantly change the world and connect with others who feel my message in my music.” With hopes of one-day becoming a mainstream sensation, he vows to continue keeping his lyrics meaning-packed, staying as far from cliché. Currently, he is taking time to spread his music, building more and more buzz, while dropping singles and making mix tapes. In fact, if you have an ear or two, you might (should) want to drop whatever you are doing and listen to his music right now… A few of my personal favorites are “Wander With Me”, “Girls Love Beyonce (remix)”, “Dreams Money Can Buy (remix)” and “Closer to My Fears”.

Tell me about yourself, where did you get your start?

When I was 11 years old and in the fifth grade I was introduced to Eminem. At that time (being at such a young age) there was a lot of drug abuse going on within my family. Unlike other kids, I never really got to live in a stress free environment for my childhood years. I noticed at that time, in Eminem’s early years, I could relate to some of his best hits and how his life was. I picked up a pen and saw if I could rap my life going on at that time and it turns out I had a talent for it. The rest is history.

Who inspires you? Who are your heroes?

I have a lot of heroes from rappers like Eminem, Drake, Lil Wayne, Big Sean and Kanye West. Rappers are actually only a few people that inspire me. I’m inspired by motivation speakers, pop artist such as MJ and Justin Timberlake, and even some philosophers. Any person that can make me believe harder or understand this world better is a hero to me.

What are your strengths?

As of now (being un-signed), my best strengths are determination and diversity. Not only have I began to find my “Salem” sound, but I’m trying my best to make that my distinct sound in all my songs. I’m spending 40% of my time actually writing, recording, promoting, and other music things, and 60% of my time studying music, other artist, and trying to find “the secret” to life. Information is key.

What are your weaknesses?

 The only weakness I have right now that I can think of is mentally having to be more patient. I have such a hunger to be successful that sometimes I push too much and overthink on slow days. Other than that, I know everything happens when it’s meant to, so I patiently wait…

Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?

5 years from now I would be 24. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but all I know is that I’m going to be in a higher place than I am now. I have an ideal vision of what I would consider success and living the dream. If I’m not there by 24, hopefully I’m at least getting closer to it. If it’s any less than what I deserve then I’m not done.

What do you hope to accomplish within the next year?

 Having a wider fan base and getting signed to a label.

If you are in school, how has your education influenced your goals?

I graduated with pretty good grades and then attended 1 year of college. After that I realized that I needed to stop school because school had nothing to do with what I wanted to pursue. It was something extra on my plate and most importantly, at least too me, time consuming. I learned more morals than I did with actual textbooks. It taught me to be myself and be interactive with other kids and if you put your mind to something than sooner or later your gonna graduate (get what you want).

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be? Why?

Sitting on my dream tour bus on a 43 city tour. Ha-ha! For some reason, ONE of the things I relate to success is being on a tour bus.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Try to find someone that can manage me right with that money. I could have all the money in the world but I wouldn’t be happy if I wasn’t living my dream.

What do you do in your spare time?

In my spare time I love working out and being with close friends of mine. I keep a small circle.

 

Interview with Michael Roman

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Michael Roman is a New Yorker who is a freshman at Binghamton University. When he was 15, he started taking ballroom dancing classes in Manhattan. After one year, he began to dance competitively. Today, he still competes in hopes of reaching the level of a professional ballroom dancer.

Emily: What drew you to ballroom dancing?

Michael: Before dancing, I took martial arts classes. However, the place got relocated to somewhere too far so I stopped. After that, I was looking for another physical outlet. One of my friends made me try ballroom dancing so I went and ended up quitting almost right away.

Emily: So how did you get further involved?

Michael: In my sophomore year of high school, I started taking classes in Manhattan at a really ghetto studio for…a year? Private lessons were $75 for 45 minutes and group lessons were…$30. Because it was shady looking, only my partner and I went. We took a group, really private, lesson for only $30. After that, I started dancing competitively for eight months where I competed three times in collegiate competitions.

Emily: Who inspires you to dance?

Michael: They’re professionals namely…Riccardo Cocchi? And Yulia…something. Some really long ass name. They’re currently number one in the U.S. I’ve seen them perform live three times but they’re by far, the best. It’s so bad where I could spend three hours straight watching videos of the same people and I’ll just wish that it was me, but it’s not. (laughs)

Emily: What has been your most and least favorite dance to perform and why?

Michael: Ballroom dancing has nineteen different dances that split into two categories: Latin and traditional ballroom that are further split into two. My least favorite is Foxtrot. I hate Foxtrot…it’s like walking. It’s a social dance because it’s slow and jazzy. I like Latin dances better because there’s a faster tempo and it’s not as graceful looking. You’re moving your body, moving your hips. To me, that’s just more enjoyable. (chuckles)

Emily: What are competitions like?

Michael: Depending on how big the competition is, the four types will be spread out throughout the day. Every guy is identified by a number that is pinned onto his back. I could be number 236. If it’s the first round, there are as many as 30 couples and the final, 6 or 7 couples. There are usually 6-8 judges watching while you dance for 90 seconds. To me, the first round is more stressful because there are 30 couples and 90 seconds of dance—a judge will look at you for 3 seconds. Are those three seconds enough for you to move onto the next round?

Emily: You’ve taken a girl’s role in competitions before. How was that different?

Michael: Well, you have different steps. The guy starts with his left foot and the girl starts with her right. He takes on being the leader while she takes on being the follower. When we dance, I decide what move we’re going to do and which way to move. When I switch genders, I have to follow. During competitions where I was the girl, I would close my eyes because you can’t see what the hell is happening. If you can’t see, you can’t lead—you don’t want both people trying to lead.  For example, if I want to turn the girl, I’ll raise my hand up and she’ll go under. If I don’t want to turn her and she raises her hand up, it’s very noticeable. You can tell that the guy was reluctant and it looks really bad.

Emily: How was your experience at the event with Dancing with the Stars?

Michael: It was at the Manhattan Center with Kristy Alley and her partner…Max. I got a really good seat for free. They were promoting ballroom dancing for health and confidence reasons. Kristy Alley is heavy for a dancer. In one of their dances, Max tried to dip her and she fell onto the ground…he lost footing. It’s great exercise for the body. It wasn’t just dancing; it had some real content and value behind it. We were also invited to go on the dance floor with them so I got to dance with a bunch of professionals. It was really cool seeing famous people dance.

Emily: Where do you see dancing take you in the future?

Michael: You start off as a newcomer and move up to bronze, silver and gold where you have a set number of moves. Once you compete in gold or feel like you’re ready, you can move onto the open competition: pre-champion, champion, amateur, and professional. I’m giving myself two years to join the open category, which usually takes four years. I also want to be the captain of the ballroom team. I’m majoring in business so I can apply that in opening my own studio. Going professional would be nice but it’s not the most practical thing to do. The professionals currently ranked top ten have all been dancing since they were four. I started at 15 so having that 11-year gap is not appealing but it’s definitely a hobby I’ll keep after graduating.

Emily: Overall, what has dance taught you?

Michael: It was a big self-confidence booster. During a competition, you have the judges, other competitors and your team watching and recording you. If I mess up, everyone’s going to see. When it comes to class presentations, I’m not concerned about what other people think of me. I also walk around campus with a posture bar. There’s no doubt that people are staring at me, like, what is this kid doing? There are also lifelong friendships. My previous partner texted me yesterday and asked about the competition at Cornell. We found out that we were competing in the same level but wished each other good luck. I feel like the friendships that I’ve gained from ballroom are more valuable and real—we care more about each other’s wellbeing than what we want.

The Art of the Problem Solver

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Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is an international law firm with 16 offices located in major financial centers around the world. The firm was established in 1946 and has been expanding globally ever since. Cleary Gottlieb is a prestigious firm that has won countless awards and accolades over the years. This firm is where Linda Rivera works as a graphic designer, along side a team of other designers for the firm. Graphic design is defined as the art or skill of combining text and pictures in advertisements, magazines, or books. Within Cleary Gottlieb Rivera works, in her cubical with numerous computer monitors, on several ads and design projects. She truly has a passion for the arts, and she is fortunate to be able to expresses her passion every day at work and during her free time.

How do you define what a graphic designer does?

A graphic designer is a problem solver. They take whatever idea a client presents to them and try to use their skills to create the idea in an interesting and appealing way. It is our job to bring others ideas to life.

When did you first think of becoming a graphic designer?

I first thought of becoming a graphic designer during my sophomore year of college. At first I was a fine arts major and I knew that I wanted a job that was involved in the arts. I wanted a job that would allow me to be creative and actually make art so I turned to the path of graphic design. I am a very hands-on person and I am very happy with my choice.

So you did study art in college. What were the courses focused on?

There were many credits you had to get in order to fulfill the fine arts major. So a lot of the classes were on general arts methods like topography, visual arts, and page layout. You also learned to use different programs on the computer.

What brought you to Cleary Gottlieb?

I originally lived in Florida where I worked for a small design agency and then when I moved to New York I became part of this large firm. The major difference is the designs are more centered toward the house than to a specific client.

What does that term mean the house?

It means the firm the central home and destination for the designs.

Then what exactly do you do specifically here at Cleary Gottlieb?

Well primarily we design for the firms needs, its not like can we accept outside clients individually. We tend to organize displays and ads for the firm’s lawyers. The lawyers use them for their presentations and seminars. A lot of the ads that the team works on are for Cleary events. Cleary sponsored this and that, like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Women’s Working Group.

What is the order of command in the office?

Mark Mullin is our creative director while Victor Vergara is lead designer.  After those two there is the rest of the team. I am an ordinary designer.

What do you feel is a theme in your work?

My work personally is very organic and felt with nature. It is different from what I do at work. At work I follow a certain protocol that fits the firm’s needs, but has my own touch.  I like using a lot negative space and color. My designs are very centered in a modernist style.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by a lot of different artists and find myself being interesting in so many different styles. Like I enjoy going to the MoMA to see a bunch of pieces. I also go to any exhibit I could find, a lot of new galleries lately.

How do you feel about some of your competitors’ work? How do you feel about some of your peers’ work?

How do I feel about my competitors’ and peers’ work? That’s an interesting question. The work done by other firms I think is very similar to that of Cleary Gottlieb. Victor Vergara is a great artist he is the lead designer here at Cleary Gottlieb, he takes on some of the major projects. I really enjoy his work because he has a style all of his own.

What are you working on lately?

Now I am working on the company holiday card and some of the animation for its e-card. You were waiting for me while I was in a meeting where it was brought up. I could show some of the work after the interview.

I also noticed in the office there was a poster hanging on the wall, what is that about?

Oh yes, the Wranglers poster. That is actually the poster from last year’s event. Wranglers is a private event like a roast that the lawyers attend each year. I am glad it caught your attention.

Okay, are you working on anything individually?

Yes, I like to work on pieces outside of my job. So lately I have created some new pieces that I would like to display in galleries around the city. It doesn’t really matter where I just want my pieces to be seen.

Can you tell me more about these pieces? I mean I know you design on the computer.

No, these are not computer designs. I do like to paint as well, so they are paintings, like paint on canvas and they do go along with my style of nature and modernism.

How does being in New York affect your work?

That’s a hard question. Um well I can’t really say that being in New York has affected my work in any way. Like I said I moved from Florida to New York, but I’m not sure if the move really changed my artistic view. My work comes straight from me and changing my scenery would not change that.

If being in New York doesn’t affect your work, are there any pieces specific in New York that catches your eye?

I really enjoy certain pieces of graffiti done around the city, especially Bansky the mysterious graffiti artist.

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From Cartooning to Painting, all while Studying

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Oksana is a student here at Baruch College majoring in Marketing. However, in her free time she is a freelance painter. She has had her paintings displayed in art galleries around SoHo and has sold quite a few on EBay as well. Next year, she will present her first collection of paintings and have them on display for a few weeks in SoHo. Oksana emigrated here from Ukraine so many of her influences in painting are the sceneries she remembers from back home.

 

Hi Oksana, thanks for meeting with me. I know you have a lot of things going on between finishing your paintings and finishing your final two semesters here at Baruch.

No problem, I love to talk about my work and I’m very excited that you want to hear about it.

So when did you first start painting?

I didn’t. Well, technically I was supposed to be a cartoonist. At least that’s what I started doing. Maybe I should start from the beginning. Okay, so growing up, I didn’t have much training in the arts. I went to a regular elementary school in Ukraine and finished the National Economic University in Ternopil. My parents wanted me to be an accountant because that was a stable job. I saw an ad in our local paper that called for a cartoonist and I thought it could be fun. I sent in a few samples and they loved it. I worked there part time for two years and then quit my job at a local bank to work full time there and to take a course in animation. That was cut short because my dad died and my mother decided it would be better if I went with her to the States. Here I knew I wouldn’t get much luck as an animator so I went back to my roots and decided to study marketing at Baruch. I really missed drawing, but I never had anytime.

So then how did you start painting?

For my birthday my mom mistakenly bought a painting set instead of an animation set. She must have ordered the wrong one on Amazon. She didn’t tell me about it because she wanted me to start expressing myself the way I used to. She thought I was getting homesick. When the set came and I started taking out paintbrushes and different paints and stuff, she was so confused. She said, “That’s not what I ordered. They must have screwed up.” But I was so excited to have a part a creative outlet that I didn’t really care. I started painting that first night and found that it was even easier for me to come up with ideas than for animation.

What was that first painting of?

It was actually a self-portrait that I tore up a few weeks later because I was too self-conscious. Instead, I decided to paint whatever I was feeling. It was a great outlet, especially when I was angry. The reds and oranges on a white background just made my anger look prettier, you know?

Are your feelings still the first thing you paint today?

            No, and most of my paintings for my upcoming exhibits are much different than those I started with. I haven’t been back to Ukraine for about 4 years now and there are a lot of things I miss. I mean, you’re from Ukraine too so I don’t have to tell you about the beautiful landscape and nature that you can stumble upon. I missed not seeing them that often so I decided to paint it from memory. When I finished that first wheat field, I was starting to feel like I was really there.

j8ufLPuyp6oI saw that one in the gallery. It looks so real! I love paintings, but find it hard to get the color combination right when I paint. What is the hardest part for you?

            (laughs) Believe it or not, for the longest time, I didn’t think I was good enough. I still don’t, but the reviews and critique of friends, buyers, and visitors of my exhibits have been very encouraging. It seems they like what they see and I like impressing them with my work.

You mentioned your exhibits, how many paintings will you have on display for your first collection?

            The art gallery that I will be working with wanted me to pick 20 of my favorite paintings. So far I have 12 so I need to get moving (smiles) But I also want to add more to the collection so I’m still rearranging the order since I am also still painting and creating new pieces.

How does it feel like to be displaying your collection for the first time?

            Like a dream. And I know people say that all the time at the Oscars, Golden Globes, any background story of any famous celebrity, and I used to think it was so cliché, but it’s the perfect way to describe it. I know I’m not going to be famous anytime soon. Nobody will know my name like they do Angelina Jolie’s, but it feels so great to be recognized. And who knows, maybe in the future, I will catch my big break and every household will have an Izbyansky original, but for now, I am just thankful for what I have and for the support I have.

Who would you like to thank most of all?

            My mom. This is also cliché, but I mean, the woman gave birth to me. She is one of the strongest people I know. Not many people would be okay with starting her whole life over like she did. Especially at 45 when she was used to being a housewife and became a housewife without a husband. She went back to school just like I did and worked night and day. And she still managed to be there when I needed her most. She is truly an amazing woman.

She sure sounds like an amazing woman. And you are certainly following in her footsteps in that sense. Well, thank you for taking the time to meet with me and tell me your story!

Art Through Every Move

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On October 20th, I ventured over to Union Square Park to interview an “artist”. After numerous futile attempts with art vendors, I asked Tylone and Jerry, two members of an elaborate acrobatic break dancing crew, for an interview. This was our conversation:

 

How did you get into acrobatics at first?

 

Tylone: Through my friend.

 

Yeah? What did you initially do and how did you elevate that to where you are now?

 

Tylone: I was always tumbling, always tumbling but you know um slowly but surely I started dancing and I came to contorting through my uncle. My uncle helped me on that part and after that I was doing yoga so I was somewhat aware of what I was doing. People taught me secrets; my friend showed me a couple tricks; I was always flippin’, I just enhanced it. [I] sat in my room, thought about putting a show together; bam! 10 million views online and [we] got the best show in New York City

 

So, how do you guys practice?

 

Tylone: Well, I don’t practice. He (Jerry) does. When I get my practice on is when I’m actually performing and I will try new things and no one will know. But he practice everyday.

 

How does he [Jerry] practice?

 

Tylone: You gotta ask him. Jerry! How do you practice?

 

Jerry: How do I practice? Umm,  when it comes to flipping now in the very moment I just throw myself around and he [Tylone] tweaks its. Umm, also we’ll just try stuff here and we already know since it’s concrete, we gotta be careful as possible but at the same time be as loose as we can be. Because when you’re on regular floor, it’s smooth and it doesn’t fight back as much as concrete. You don’t want to hurt yourself at the end of the day.

 

So, Jerry how did you get into this [acrobatic break dancing] ?

 

Jerry: Umm, one of my friends used to be a popper and he used to be involved with another dance group. I got involved with that. I liked it at that time but I never realized how much work it was then one time, around Christmas, a couple of my friends got together and said “let’s get together and try it ourselves”. We thought we knew how it went, then we we failed trying. We became desperate but that’s when we ran into him [Tylone]. We met without really knowing him but the first thing he did was give us a helping hand. He pretty much gave use of the gist of how to go about things and he helped bring people [an audience] to us. Then he gave us a breakdown and after awhile we started dancing with him. And, you see a big difference in dancing with him and other people. One, it’s definitely more fun here. Two, it’s like you build more than just “let’s get together and dance”. Slowly but surely you build a family, you really see a deeper meaning to it but people see the face values of things. But really, this is work and what I realize is that a lot of people come to New York to see the dancers. So if the dancing stopped, that’s another part of New York culture and history that dies. So, when he [Tylone| made me realize …  I never looked at this until a couple days ago. When he [Tylone] asks people, “why do you do this”.  Everyone’s answer is the same “I do it for the money; I do it for the girls; I do it because I love dancing “ At the end of the day, everyone does it for the money because if there was no money, nobody would really do it. Second, yeah everybody loves to dance. If we didn’t dance out here, we’d dance someplace else. But when he [Tylone] shed some light on that view [preserving New York culture], it opened my eyes so much more. So now, Im like “wow I’m a part of that history”. Some people started because somebody pulled them in. If I can do that [pull somebody in], that’s good enough for me. I want to help keep it [street acrobatics] going.

 

It’s about keeping culture alive.

 

Tylon and Jerry: Yeah, exactly

 

Jerry:  This [break dancing] is a different type of culture that people may not respect as much they think they do.

 

Tylone: This [break dancing] is the first element of Hip Hop. Then mc’ing, graffiti, fashion etc. etc.

 

How many hours a day do you guys work?

 

Jerry: It’s like a regular job. 8 hours or less sometimes. But it really depends on how the flow goes. This is a job, I take it as a job. I go home, I stretch and make sure I am ready for the next day. I don’t come out here saying how many hours I’m going to work. If the flow is good, the flow is good.

 

Jerry: What happens if there are any weather problems like snow or rain?

 

Jerry: We are out here no matter what. But, umm we have to attack that accordingly. If it rains, we’ll chill by the hut and wait it out. If it rains during the show, we’ll finish but we’ll just be as careful as possible because it does get slippery.

 

So, what is your outlook on the future?

 

Jerry: I don’t really look too far ahead because I don’t want to get my hopes too high. As in, what I would want pretty much take this on a bigger scale. As of right now, I don’t know what it is because I am still new at it. This does it for me. I get to take care of myself doing this and I get to enjoy myself doing this. I don’t have to hate what I am doing because I’m dancing, chilling, making money all at the same time.

With only ten minutes of time together, I learned more about persistence and the pursuit of happiness than any textbook could have taught me. Art is not simply paint on a canvas; it is the product of emotion, passion, and persistence. Tylone, Jerry, and the rest of the team definitely are artists and I am so blessed to interview such phenomenal people.

 

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Interview with Ryan Hunter

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Ryan Hunter is a songwriter from Merrick, New York and also a family friend who started as the lead singer of the successful punk-rock band Envy on the Coast. Since their break up in 2010, Ryan has continued working on multiple projects including singing and writing for the band NK and launching his own solo project that he calls Quiett Dog. He just landed a contract with Sony where he is a songwriter for artists such as Usher and Bruno Mars. Sunday morning, I sat down with Ryan on my living room couch, right before the Jet game, to ask him a few questions.

Jaclyn: How did you get your start in music?

Ryan: Well I’ve been playing for most of my life…I wanted to play drums in school and everyone wants to play drums in school, and that chapter of your life happens…But I always knew I was a songwriter…I played in a band growing up and from there I started Envy On The Coast. As far as a serious thing, it started when a guy named Will Noon, who is now a very good friend of mine and plays drums in a band called Fun. He passed our stuff to a booking agent who put out our record.

Jaclyn:  What were your major musical influences when you started and now?

Ryan:  I had some awful phases of music. I feel like when you’re super young, at least for me, there is a stereotypical ignorance of your parents’ music in the house. It’s not that I rebelled against it, I never paid mind to it. Then I got older and got into the heavier rock and punk stuff…more rebellious music in general. I guess you can say “white kid from suburbia” music. Years after that when I got into more R&B and soul and hip-hop stuff, I realized that everything that attracted me to any of the music I liked could be traced back to the stuff I was raised on, which was all black music, all Motown, all soul music like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Al Green…Everything I try to do now is pretty much directly related to that.

Jaclyn:  Do you like being a solo artist better than being in a band? Has it changed you in a better way?

Ryan: The way that I make music now has changed. When I was in a band…it really started to annoy me and wear on me because it’s so long and you lose yourself in the process in a bad way…everyone needed to feel like they’ve got their avenue to say something…The session that I did yesterday was just a me and a producer in Brooklyn, his name is Saran and he’s from Australia…It’s by far the most fun I’ve had in the studio really just doing music. I’m hoping to have him involved in as many things as possible…We both play everything, so we both can pick up anything and play and you the write something and do a demo…It all just happens right away, which is much more fun for me, because you’re capitalizing on that very initial excitement over something and you’re getting that moment…You’re not trying to recreate it.

Jaclyn:  Is there a musician or producer that you aspire to work with?

Ryan:  There’s a whole camp that Saran knows, like Kimbrough and this dude Thundercat. I’m down to write with anybody who has an open mind and does soulful stuff. If they throw me in with people like that, I’m happy. I did a publishing deal with Sony that has put me in multiple studios with many different artists, writers, and producers.

Jaclyn: Do you miss anything about your past project with Envy on the Coast?

Ryan:  No, I wouldn’t say I miss anything about that project. Everything was so screwed up. Every possible element on a personal level, on a business level; everything was a mess. On the creative level we had just made what we thought was our best stuff and what we were most happy with, but because everything was messed up we knew nobody was going to hear it and it kind of just disappeared. I definitely felt I needed to go somewhere new. I was feeling the restrictions of being in that room, with that group of people and kind of everyone acting…The band kind of felt like a hindrance to moving forward. So I had my great years with that project. I saw the world with that project, very happy about all that.  But I definitely don’t find myself feeling like ‘Damn I was wish I was still doing that.’

Jaclyn:  How do you feel like your stage presence has changed after being in a band? What kind of vibe are you trying to give off on stage?

Ryan: It’s weird because I feel like I haven’t been fully born into figuring that out yet. I’ve yet to perform the new stuff that I’ve been working on, and I’ve only done a couple of shows under Quiett Dog. It’s weird to think about all the shit I used to do on stage. It was all very natural. I don’t feel those urges to do those things any more.

Jaclyn:  Do you miss your dreads?

Ryan: No, not even a little bit.

Jaclyn:  Do you think you shed them when you shed your rock image?

Ryan: Not particularly as a musical thing, but more like that chapter of my life. I kept them for too long after that chapter was over, that’s why I think I don’t miss them.

Jaclyn:  What is your favorite song to perform, or what song is it that means the most to you?

Ryan:  Wow, I never thought about that…there’s only one song that I’ve written in the past six years that — I haven’t put it out yet, but it’s a demo that I’ve been sitting on for a long time. I organize everything by period and where I was living on hard drives…There’s only one song that got passed from hard drive to hard drive. Considering how many phases, how many things I like or dislike, how many things change or the different directions I’ve gone in the past few years finding myself musically, I would say that song is the first song I encountered that survived all my bullshit. I don’t know why but there’s something definitely special about it.

Jaclyn: So what are your goals moving forward?

Ryan: I love being in the studio. But I also want to get on the road and play. I do miss things about touring; it’s fun as hell. But everything as far as goals are concerned, properly launching this project, and just being in the studio for the next year or so, that’s my goal.

 

Jaclyn:  Awesome. I’m so excited for you.