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Name: Cassandra Fink
What type(s) of art do you like to create?
I work in sculpture, mostly steel and copper, as well as paint, and I love to explore the gradual bleed of negative into positive, patterns that mingle and slowly trade places, shadows and mirror images. Walking around my sculptures and studying the empty spaces of what is not there, is just as important to me as what is. I was exposed to M.C. Escher's work as a kid so that might have had an impact on some of my work. Also, I paint in order to get my strong need for color met. Seeing a random, stunning vivid color can brighten the rest of my day. One way I incorporate color into metal sculpture is through my use of rocks, crystal and minerals. My sculpture and painting seems to be evolving into a fusion, but I will probably never give up either one of them. For me, drawing, painting, and working in 2 dimensions, gives a deeper understanding into my 3 dimensional work, and the reverse is also true.
Where did you learn to do what you do?
I might be the product of an eccentric childhood by some standards. My father, a sculptor, also built sculpture foundries, his own and for art universities before my birth and throughout my childhood, so always being in an art-making atmosphere played a big part in who I am. The foundry attached to his home where I spent every summer, is where I learned about casting and molds by working in wax and creating figurines, painting, etc. so I grew up around metal, fiber glass, wax, clay, charcoal, and paint. As a child, I learned about Oriental painting from a close family friend, and both of my parents were artists: one taught sculpture; the other, drawing. I consider them a great example of creativity. My biggest teacher has probably just been practice, persistence and through trial and error.
Tell us about your most important projects.
The performance artists and visual artists I worked with in shows produced in my 20's and 30's, taught me how to understand the artists' temperament better as well as more ways of working with multimedia. But the creation and production of recent shows, "Breaking the Sound Barrier" incorporating sound and sculpture, and more recently, "Collaborage" in 2010, are probably what I'd consider my most important projects as organizer. Working with artists who are willing to step out onto the ledge of the unknown, is something that really appeals to me. My most important sculpture is usually the one I'm working on, or am about to finish.
Describe your studio.
It is in my garage, where I can do quite a bit of my work here in Dallas, but sometimes I need to drive out to the country to do the sandblasting and grinding. So I divide my work time between city and country.
What type of music do you listen to while you work?
Everything from classical to rock and folk, Bach to Pink Floyd. Lately, Ray La Montagne, Ok Go, October Project, Angelique Kidjo, and many others.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Organic life, ocean, plants, my love of dance and fluidity, movement in art. The writing of poetry has also inspired my visual art, as well as dreams. I once had a dream in which I discovered that flaws can be one's greatest assets. That dream inspired much art work and led to an interest in Wabi Sabi, a Japanese philosophy of viewing the world, which finds beauty in imperfection, the antiquated, rusted, weathered and the aged. These things possess a beauty that hides from those limited by a Western way of seeing things. But the artist has an advantage here. We are used to looking for beauty in unexpected, often neglected places.
Do you have any advice for other artists?
I would suggest taking some of your work that you don't like, and ask yourself, "What was I trying to communicate through this work?" Then dig deeper in order to really say it and give your mistakes a second chance. I don't mean lower your standards or accept mistakes as they are, but "disasters" can transform into the best work you'll ever do. They may be brilliance in disguise waiting for us to pull out their potential and see them in a new way. So by taking work you may have found unacceptable, and perhaps cutting it apart or turning it upside down, then putting it back together differently, your creative perspective can be readjusted. Try writing a poem or journaling about it or playing music that inspires you, to create what will inspire others.
I would advise those wanting to understand themselves better to look at your art work closely for clues. As for me, I found that the more I painted, the more I began to notice a pattern in my art that mirrored my life: in my case the absence of stillness. The eye wants to rest when it looks at art. It seeks stimulation, but needs that still place to recover, before visually taking in everything. After noticing this, I began to make an effort to purposely allow for more quiet places in my art. I believe there is merit to the saying, "As above, so below." I'm always looking for a balance between imagination and practicality.
Even though the world may not always recognize the beauty you create, it needs you now more than ever, so I would advise you to always remember how necessary inspiration is, especially in tough times when we all need to be inspired and feel joy.
Do you belong to any art organizations?
Yes. I was the 2010 vice president of the TX Sculpture Association, and served on the board of directors for a little over 2 years. I am still a member of TSA, and am affiliated with other art groups as well. I believe there are benefits to belonging to several art organizations. I am currently working on another project in a new direction to help artists, and I look forward to what the future brings.
Do you have a website?
Yes, www.tanzende.com |
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