Diana Kohne

How did you get into making art?

I grew up around people who had to paint or photograph or make in some form, and I understood that I was one of them. I have a memory of my child self playing alone in a vacant lot. I built a leaning structure out of sticks and wrapped it with vines. When I finished, I crawled inside and sat, looking out. I’m still gathering what I see and making things that come from my surroundings.

What are you currently working on?

I am working on paintings of LA County that focus on our built environment and the experience of people within it.

What inspired you to get started on this body of work?

I’ve painted Los Angeles area landscape and infrastructure for a long time. It is the world that surrounds me. As I move around it, I notice its beauty and its discomfort and increasingly, the experience of others in it.

Do you work on distinct projects or do you take a broader approach to your practice?

My paintings of Los Angeles are focused, but my practice as a whole is extremely varied. I take a break from the landscapes by creating small, abstract work. I take a break from painting by building or sewing or writing. But I always return to the city.

What’s a typical day like in your studio?

When I get the opportunity to stay in the studio, I paint for 12 hours a day. As a parent, I can either paint in short bursts throughout the day, or my spouse and I find times to trade week long shifts. When I’m off duty, I hunker down and paint non stop. Then I return to daily life, where I discover my references.

Who are your favorite artists?

My favorite artists are favorites for their life example. I like artists for whom artmaking is tied up with living; artists who work into their 90s like Bettye Saar and Wayne Theibaud. I appreciate artists who adapt their medium to keep making work, like O’Keefe, who turned to sculpture to keep making art with macular degenration, or Matisse’s switch to cutouts. I have an affinity for Hockney, for his subject matter and his appreciation for how deafness shaped his painting.

Where do you go to discover new artists?

I enjoy art walks and events at art studios. I like to find gems on coffee shop walls. That’s where the discovery is for me.