Hopper Prize Journal: Insights Into Contemporary Art

Stas Orlovski

Stas Orlovski discusses childhood memories of turbulent times, drawing as a way to process new experiences, shifting to more autobiographical work, & processing an image through a variety of materials, methods and techniques.

Grant Finalist, Stas Orlovski

David Paul Downs

David Paul Downs discusses early memories of making art, embracing the challenge of trying something new, subjects that provoke anxiety & metaphorical stand-ins for personal traumas.

David Paul Downs, Grant Finalist

Rachel Cox

Rachel Cox on the shared experience of quarantining in one’s home as an inspiration for new work, working on multiple distinctive projects at once, a transformational approach to making new images, & organizing a productive studio practice.

Grant Finalist, Rachel Cox

Jessica Williams

Jessica Williams on being involved in art from a young age, influential teachers, focusing on themes of memory, romance, & transformation, & thinking about architectures of solitude.

Grant Finalist, Jessica Williams

Jason DeMarte

Jason DeMarte on a longstanding interest in making & the natural world, early experiences with photography, responding to the work of Martin Johnson Heade, & a practice that evolves from project to project.

Grant Finalist, Jason DeMarte

Natasha Moustache

Natasha Moustache discusses the immediacy of a captured memory, found connections within the Black Diaspora, residual threads of colonialism, & new work that feels both urgent and expansive.

Grant Finalist, Natasha Moustache

Catherine Panebianco

Catherine Panebianco on the magic of photography, visual self expression, creating a trail of memories, & using the environment as a studio.

Catherine Panebianco, Grant Finalist

Elisabeth Ajtay

Elisabeth Ajtay discusses an early desire to document that which was left behind, a current phase of introspection & thinking, new work derived from an experience as an artist, a migrant & a nomad, & research as a basis for highly conceptual work.

Elisabeth Ajtay, Grant Finalist

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

Journal

Stas Orlovski discusses childhood memories of turbulent times, drawing as a way to process new experiences, shifting to more autobiographical work, & processing an image through a variety of materials, methods and techniques.

David Paul Downs discusses early memories of making art, embracing the challenge of trying something new, subjects that provoke anxiety & metaphorical stand-ins for personal traumas.

Rachel Cox on the shared experience of quarantining in one’s home as an inspiration for new work, working on multiple distinctive projects at once, a transformational approach to making new images, & organizing a productive studio practice.

Jessica Williams on being involved in art from a young age, influential teachers, focusing on themes of memory, romance, & transformation, & thinking about architectures of solitude.

Jason DeMarte on a longstanding interest in making & the natural world, early experiences with photography, responding to the work of Martin Johnson Heade, & a practice that evolves from project to project.

Natasha Moustache discusses the immediacy of a captured memory, found connections within the Black Diaspora, residual threads of colonialism, & new work that feels both urgent and expansive.

Catherine Panebianco on the magic of photography, visual self expression, creating a trail of memories, & using the environment as a studio.

Elisabeth Ajtay discusses an early desire to document that which was left behind, a current phase of introspection & thinking, new work derived from an experience as an artist, a migrant & a nomad, & research as a basis for highly conceptual work.

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

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