Interview with Catherine Ryan

q)Tell me something about yourself….What’s your background…?

a)I grew up in New Jersey and have lived in Oakland, CA for the last 10 years. I got a bfa at the California College of Art and recently dropped out of the mfa program at the San Francisco Art Institute.

q)When growing what was the greatest force pushing you towards art?

a)I don’t know. . .I just really enjoyed drawing from as early as I can remember and my parents were always really supportive.

q)Were you inspired/encouraged by any one person to pursue your craft?

a)I think everyone I knew was very supportive.

q)How would you describe your art to someone who could not see it?

a)Drawings and paintings about people, animals and sometimes both.

q)Are certains colours,shapes that you’re drawn to?

a)I really like the effects that certain colors have when placed next to each other.
I like circles, but I generally like straight lines more than rounded ones.

q)What other talent would you like most to have?

a)I wish I could write songs and play the piano.

q)What’s your favourite mediums to work in/on?

a)Charcoal pencils

q)What artists influence or have influenced you(these need not be visual artists)and how have they done so?

a)A lot of the movies i watched when I was a kid, like: Return to OZ and Watership Down, so I guess all of those animators, artists, and cinematographers have been a huge influence. I think that I generally try to approach each drawing/painting as if it were a still from a greater movie/story-line.

q)What non-visual art interest you and does this have an impact on your art?

a)I think books have influenced me as much as visual art.

q)What do you think about artists using the Internet as a forum for sharing their work?

a)It’s good- it allows you to get exposure on a global scale and costs basically nothing.

q)What is your favourite toy,game or other artefact from your youth(and do you still own it)?

a)Trend Stinky Stickers----I still have the entire collection.

q)Got any new projects planned?

a)May:
•two person show at Tinlark Gallery in Los Angeles.
•shows with the Thin Ice Collective in Germany, Sweden, and England.
August:
•show with the Thin Ice Collective at Mina Dresden Gallery in San Francisco
September:
•solo show at Paperboat Gallery in Milwaukee.
•group show at SQFT Gallery in Nashville.
2008:
•solo show at Third Drawer Down Gallery in Melbourne, Australia

and this summer, the book Downy Bird Art Kingom Vol. #1 is coming out with a release party at OnSix Gallery in San Francisco. (downybird.com)



q)What advice can you give to other artists to help them improve their chances of survival in this global village we call our home?

a)Make art that you like.

q)Favourite books/authors?

a)I just read The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov-- that was pretty good.
But my overall favorites: Salinger, Joyce, Hemmingway, and Maupassant.

q)Favourite music?

a)I’ve been into really sentimental love songs lately (from the 60s and 70s).


q)What do you fear most?

a)Most recently, it’s been earthquakes.

q) Your contacts…

a) catherine@catherineryan.org
catherineryan.org
thinicecollective.com
thirddrawerdowngallery.com
tinlark.com