Dneese has taken the "scrapbooking" style and given it a raw edge that suits collage. She says she feels okay with collage because "it's not art." Now I know some people would argue this, but I'm still not sure where I stand on the Collage as Fine Art topic. I feel like it's more design connected—feel free to let me know what you think. I think Dneese's work is like a wound down and grungier version of today's typical family scrapbook.
Name (Real or Screename): grrl+dog, Dneese
URL (Blog, Website): http://flickr.com/people/dneese_l/, http://www.dneese.blogspot.com/
Location (Where are you from?): Inner West Sydney, Australia
Q: Describe your work in 10 words or less.
A: Runs with scissors, chews pencils, gets glue everywhere.
Q: What do you like to work with (magazines, photographs, vintage)? Be specific!
A: I will work with anything that is on my table... I am basically lazy and I find the synchronicity of What Lies There quite magical. I am very fond of vintage text, especially handwriting... you just don't see much of that anymore.
Q: How long have you been creating collages and what made you start?
A: My partner is an artist, and he was stuck. One day I picked up some craft book, who knows what... and just started sticking stuff on stuff. It's not rocket science, and it was such a relief because I could tell myself, "This isn't art, so it's OK." I could free myself from having any "arty" expectations.
Q: Are you solely an artist, or do you work in another profession?
A: I am a dominatrix by profession in a House of Bondage and Discipline... Not much of a crossover...
Q: Do you have any formal art training?
A: Nope... but I love courses.
Q: Explain your favourite techniques.
A: 1. Fiddle about. 2. Get a coffee. 3. Stare at my art table 4. Fiddle some more. 5. Sit down at my art table. 6. Get your the bit I am working on, and stick the first thing that wants to be stuck. I guess it's more of a technique to get myself TO the art table! You have to get quiet inside so you can listen to the piece and hear what it wants, After that, it's all automatic. The trick is getting quiet enough to hear.
Q: Describe your favourite piece ever created.
A: Dulcie's wedding. You can see it on my blog. It was a shoebox of ephemera I bought at a junk shop and it contained all of this lady's wedding stuff, even the blank wedding invitiations, the notes for the speech, the whole deal. I didn't have to get too quiet to hear what Dulcie wanted, she practically yelled at me.
Q: What other artists do you admire?
A: I love the work of Nina Bagley, and right now I am into the hand puppets of Paul Klee.
Thanks Dneese!