Hopper Prize Journal: Insights Into Contemporary Art

Naomi Nakazato

Naomi Nakazato discusses early memories of visiting art museums, how momentary places of ritual can simultaneously tether one’s self to place, as well as dissolve imposed orientations, & allowing onself to be more porous and open to disruptions.

Grant Finalist, Naomi Nakazato

Taylor Kibby

Taylor Kibby on past selves and how they are preserved, transformed, & forgotten, diving deep into a new series of sculptures, coming from a family of artists, & taking time to experiment and play.

Grant Finalist, Taylor Kibby

Esther Ruiz

Esther Ruiz on finding inspiration in the unexpected, coffee & NPR in the studio, admiration for the work of contemporaries & an interest in art that began in grade school.

Esther Ruiz, Grant Finalist

Ryan Wilde

Ryan Wilde on costume & its ability to communicate identity, a practice centered on millinery, maintaining a constant conversation between art & fashion, & using contemporary trends to build on top of classic ideas.

Grant Finalist, Ryan Wilde

Caroline Monnet

Caroline Monnet discusses working on multiple projects & mediums, staying invested & maintaining curiosity, evoking metaphor & a long standing interest in architecture.

Caroline Monnet, Grant Finalist

J.A Feng

J.A Feng discusses art as a way to survive, finding a community of artists to relate to, origin stories & creation mythology, & incorporating multiple levels of depth into individual works.

Grant Finalist, J.A Feng

Yoora Lee

Yoora Lee on growing up with friends who practice a variety of art forms, an evolving definition of art, developing an affection for the 1990's & the power of the media.

Grant Finalist, Yoora Lee

Emma Fineman

Emma Fineman discusses making work that addresses the notion of falsehood as it relates to contemporary events, the state of culture today, finding common ground & adapting a studio practice to contrasting environments.

Emma Fineman, Grant Finalist

Amy Kim Keeler

Amy Kim Keeler on early influences, finding inspiration in seemingly simple materials & the magical sounds of the Mojave.

Amy Kim Keeler, Grant Finalist

Robert Minervini

Robert Minervini on a practice that incorporates both public art as well as studio painting, his early experiences with drawing & painting, producing thematic bodies of work & the nuances of site specificity.

Grant Finalist, Robert Minervini

Elizabeth Tremante

Tremante discusses making art as a kid, an early epiphany, developing long term bodies of work & new paintings that deftly address a male dominated art historical canon

Elizabeth Tremante, Grant Finalist

Yi To Studio, 2021

Yi To Interview

The artist discusses creative thinking, making art as a means to solve questions, universal patterns that shapeshift into archaic forms & the things shared between humans

Grant Finalist, Yi To

Lynnea Holland-Weiss

Lynnea Holland-Weiss discusses growing up in a creative family, a background informed by dance & its impact in the studio, working through collective grief, & inspiration drawn from both contemporary & historical figures.

Grant Finalist, Lynnea Holland-Weiss

Christopher Desanges

Christopher Desanges on developing a photographic voice, light as a form of art-making, reflecting on a complicated campus experience, & photography as a tool to convey feelings of discomfort and anxiety.

Christopher Desanges, Grant Winner

Kira Dominguez Hultgren

Kira Dominguez Hultgren discusses a diverse education, the intimacy of weaving & the impact of mentorship, the performance of identity, & evolving cultural touch points.

Grant Winner, Kira Dominguez Hultgren

Erika Long

Erika Long discusses making art since childhood, long stints in the darkroom, the necessity for sex positivity & inspiration derived from both Instagram and cinema.

Erika Long, Grant Finalist, Interview

Jessica Alazraki

Jessica Alazraki discusses drawing as a gateway to her career as an artist, inspiration derived from Mexican arts & crafts, how color plays an important role in recent work & finding inspiration and critque through close ties with her children.

Grant Finalist, Jessica Alazraki

Dominic Hawgood

Dominic Hawgood speaks on his mother as an early inspiration, an ever evolving practice that incorprates a range of technology and imaging, a modular approach to making & a fascination with CGI.

Dominic Hawgood, Grant Winner

Rebecca Frantz

Rebecca Frantz discusses art making as a mode of expression and communication, exploring the human figure within architectural confines, how our bodies exhibit our memories & the natural ebb and flow of a studio practice.

Grant Finalist, Rebecca Frantz

Seon-jeong Wang

Seon-jeong Wang provides insight into a complex studio practice & discusses feeling alive while painting, expressing tragicomedy through deep character explorations & affirming misfortune as a means of finding beauty within tragedy.

Grant Finalist, Interview, Seon-jeong Wang

Journal

Naomi Nakazato discusses early memories of visiting art museums, how momentary places of ritual can simultaneously tether one’s self to place, as well as dissolve imposed orientations, & allowing onself to be more porous and open to disruptions.

Taylor Kibby on past selves and how they are preserved, transformed, & forgotten, diving deep into a new series of sculptures, coming from a family of artists, & taking time to experiment and play.

Esther Ruiz on finding inspiration in the unexpected, coffee & NPR in the studio, admiration for the work of contemporaries & an interest in art that began in grade school.

Ryan Wilde on costume & its ability to communicate identity, a practice centered on millinery, maintaining a constant conversation between art & fashion, & using contemporary trends to build on top of classic ideas.

Caroline Monnet discusses working on multiple projects & mediums, staying invested & maintaining curiosity, evoking metaphor & a long standing interest in architecture.

J.A Feng discusses art as a way to survive, finding a community of artists to relate to, origin stories & creation mythology, & incorporating multiple levels of depth into individual works.

Yoora Lee on growing up with friends who practice a variety of art forms, an evolving definition of art, developing an affection for the 1990's & the power of the media.

Emma Fineman discusses making work that addresses the notion of falsehood as it relates to contemporary events, the state of culture today, finding common ground & adapting a studio practice to contrasting environments.

Amy Kim Keeler on early influences, finding inspiration in seemingly simple materials & the magical sounds of the Mojave.

Robert Minervini on a practice that incorporates both public art as well as studio painting, his early experiences with drawing & painting, producing thematic bodies of work & the nuances of site specificity.

Tremante discusses making art as a kid, an early epiphany, developing long term bodies of work & new paintings that deftly address a male dominated art historical canon

The artist discusses creative thinking, making art as a means to solve questions, universal patterns that shapeshift into archaic forms & the things shared between humans

Lynnea Holland-Weiss discusses growing up in a creative family, a background informed by dance & its impact in the studio, working through collective grief, & inspiration drawn from both contemporary & historical figures.

Christopher Desanges on developing a photographic voice, light as a form of art-making, reflecting on a complicated campus experience, & photography as a tool to convey feelings of discomfort and anxiety.

Kira Dominguez Hultgren discusses a diverse education, the intimacy of weaving & the impact of mentorship, the performance of identity, & evolving cultural touch points.

Erika Long discusses making art since childhood, long stints in the darkroom, the necessity for sex positivity & inspiration derived from both Instagram and cinema.

Jessica Alazraki discusses drawing as a gateway to her career as an artist, inspiration derived from Mexican arts & crafts, how color plays an important role in recent work & finding inspiration and critque through close ties with her children.

Dominic Hawgood speaks on his mother as an early inspiration, an ever evolving practice that incorprates a range of technology and imaging, a modular approach to making & a fascination with CGI.

Rebecca Frantz discusses art making as a mode of expression and communication, exploring the human figure within architectural confines, how our bodies exhibit our memories & the natural ebb and flow of a studio practice.

Seon-jeong Wang provides insight into a complex studio practice & discusses feeling alive while painting, expressing tragicomedy through deep character explorations & affirming misfortune as a means of finding beauty within tragedy.

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