First Impressions: Kristin Kwan
The US artist on noticing the beautiful and the bizarre in life
The US artist on noticing the beautiful and the bizarre in life.
Where did you grow up and how has this influenced your art?
I was born in Eastern Washington state and spent the first part of my childhood in the Pacific Northwest. After that my family moved around quite a bit while I was growing up: we lived in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nebraska and Wyoming.
I was home-schooled until my last year in high school and I had the freedom to draw and paint when I pleased. We often lived in rural areas and I loved to roam around, bird-watching and exploring the countryside and those wide open spaces carved a deep groove in my imagination.
What, outside of art, has most influenced your artwork?
Definitely an interest in natural history. When I was a kid I used to collect dead birds to preserve, and while I don’t do that so much these days it’s often the specific details of a plant or animal, or some strange geological formation that will get stuck in my mind. Then I feel compelled to paint it, like singing a tune to get it out of your head.
What was your first paid commission, and does it stand as a representation of your talent?
When I was about 10 a co-worker of my dad’s commissioned me to paint a portrait of his llamas. As a kid it was incredibly encouraging to have someone take an interest in my art and pay for it. My painting had two llamas – one facing forward and one facing to the side – and it definitely resembled a llama mugshot.
What’s the last piece you finished, and how do the two pieces differ?
I’m just finishing up a small painting of a jackalope in a desert fantasy-type landscape that will be in a group show at Beinart Gallery in Melbourne, Australia. I’m still painting animals!
What character or scene that you’ve painted do you most identify with?
I painted a small portrait of Alice Liddell back in 2016, which I feel is a bit of an alter ego. She doesn’t look like me other than having brown hair, but I believe being an artist is to choose to walk around with your eyes open to not only the beautiful, but also the confusing, unsettling and bizarre, and to keep a freshness to how you see the world.
Is your art evolving? What’s the most recent experiment that you’ve made?
I think it probably is, although slowly. I tend to settle into working methods I enjoy and to not do a lot of experimentation with materials and techniques. Right now I’m trying to push out of my comfort zone when it comes to scale or complexity in a painting. I’ve tended to work small for a while, but I’d like to make some bigger pieces and I’m trying to develop the discipline it takes to finish those.
How has the industry of art changed for good since you’ve been working in it?
It’s changed so much since I graduated from college in 2005. Social media has enabled artists to build a following and share their work directly with fans, but it can also be a double-edged sword and negatively affect artistic growth because of the instant feedback loop you can get stuck in.
What does the future hold for you?
More painting! I’ll be having a two-person show in September at Nucleus Portland and participating in group shows throughout the year. Kristin uses elements of fantasy and allegory to explore themes of life, death, and rebirth. You can discover more of her art at www.kristinkwan.com.
I’m trying to push out of my comfort zone when it comes to scale or complexity…