In preparation - Coffee Artists Interviews!

In preparation for next years Arfé 2007 International Coffee Painting Exhibition interviews are being set up with the artists who have been invited. Starting this month phone interviews will take place with most of the artist while a few have opted for e-mail interviews to ease language barriers and international phone charges. As soon as all interviews are complete they will be posted here and on No Such Animal Studios Web site one a week for 12 consecutive weeks.

I’m very excited about this project for two main reasons. Getting to know the select few who have had the inspiration to use coffee as a medium and how their culture has influenced their art is very intriguing. For a few years now I have had a fascination with diverse cultures, communication, universal symbols, global information, and how these come together and sculpt the personality of cultures, communities and individuals. This project is a small step into both these interests.

In all fairness to the artists being interviewed I have e-mailed advanced questions to them so those who are going to be interviewed by phone have the same opportunity to review and contemplate the answers as those who are going to respond by e-mail.

The questions e-mailed out are the following:

Warm Up Questions:

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
2. Where were you born, raised and live now?
3. How would you describe your childhood?
4. How would you describe your life now?
5. Tell us about your art training.
6. How would you describe your artistic style? Your artistic philosophy?
7. Which artist inspired you most? Which art movement?
8. Where do you feel an artists place is in society?
9. If money and availability were not an issue, what one painting would be hanging in your home?
10. When painting, do you listen to music or is it quiet? If music what kind/artist?
11. If given the opportunity, who in the world would you want to sit for a portrait by you? What 12. medium and style would you use?
13. Who is you favorite contemporary artist? Why?
14. Who is your favorite historical artist? Why?
15. What is your most remarkable personality quark?
16. What interest or hobbies do you have other than fine art?
17. How do you take your coffee or tea?
18. If a coffee roaster named a blend after you what would it be called? Would it be a light, medium or dark roast?

All Warmed Up Questions:

1. The obvious question: why coffee?
2. Describe your coffee "paint" making process.
3. What is your coffee painting technique?
4. What do you find most unique about coffee as an artistic medium?
5. Have you ever drank or tasted your coffee paint? Describe it!
6. Have you ever had or made others taste your coffee paint? Describe their reaction!
7. How do you think history books will look back on Arfé, coffee art, coffee painting, and coffee artists?
8. How do you want history to remember you and your contribution to the art world?
9. How do you want history to remember Arfé, coffee art, coffee painting, and coffee artists?
10. What significance does coffee play in your culture? Your life?
11. What cultural influences do you feel most impacted and/or are most reflected in your work?
12. Before I contacted you, how aware of other artists who use coffee as an artistic medium?
13. Do you think the recent proliferation of coffee artists around the world is Zeist Geist?
14. Some people think Arfé or coffee art/painting is just a novelty or quick passing fad. Do you believe this? Where do you see this movement going in the near and distant future?
15. Has commercial advertising, marketing and design had an impact on your art, subject matter and/or decision to use coffee as an artistic medium?
16. How do patrons and art admirers describe your work?
17. How do critics describe your work?
18. How as the media received you and your work?
19. What level of satisfaction and success have you had on a personal, social, spiritual, and commercial level with your art?
20. What is your life dream in regards to your art? Have you fulfilled it? If not how do you plan to reach it?
21. During interviews a local radio personality, Ichabod Caine on KMPS, ends his interviews with the question I leave you with. What is your very first child hood memory?

I hope to start posting the response and more information on the artists interviewed some time in October.

Ezju
No Such Animal Studios
ezju@nosuchanimal.net