How did you get into making art?
Ahh how far back to go? I guess it started in religion class when i was in kindergarten and we were painting mary and baby Jesus. And basically until I was 25 I always was dabbling in it, drawing and painting. But it when I was out in NYC where I was in fashion at the time, where I realized that you could be an artist. I know that sounds dumb cause duh…but basically ended up painting on the weekends and going back to Chicago for grad school. Although I don’t think school is neccesary for everyone, it was for me as it was the first time I got access to facilities, my first studio and learn amongst really talented people.
What are you currently working on?
Most recently, I’ve been working through what I call ‘wet t-shirt paintings’ — where I’ve been utilizing the white ink as a censor— in relation to strategies of beauty like concealing, delaying, and veiling as the ink functions to simultaneously reveal and hide. So when the white hydrochromic ink is activated by water it becomes see through to reveal whatever’s below. Once the water evaporates the ink returns back to opaque white.
I’ve been using the ink to examine the ‘All-American Girl Next Door’ and the times of ‘Girls Gone Wild’ as she operates directly parallel to actual male desire; sometimes revealing what is expected and other times not. Does the pleasure of “revealing” the image supersede that of seeing the image itself? I guess I’m playing with the duality of the woman’s psyche of either expressing the part of the self that is performing through either liberation or survival in society versus the other that believes it’s insufferable to perform because she betraying herself.
I’m also trying to use the airbrush and ink as a staging of an appearance as disappearing. Like how the image from far away holds solid but as you get close the dots of the airbrushed image blur and falls apart. And the hydrochromic ink, which only reveals when wet and for a duration of time that’s determined by the atmosphere, humidity, and temperature.
I’m playing with the duality of the woman’s psyche.
Liza Jo Eilers
What inspired you to get started on this body of work?
I think the way I work is a fluid ever continuous train of thoughts. Theres some ideas I’ve been thinking about since the beginning. I’m sure most people have heard this saying… but I think Shakespeare captured the essense of being a human when he said, “all the world’s a stage.” I’ve always been obsessed with the idea of and modes of entertainment, from cinema and theatre and reality tv to the everyday— theres three questions I’m always asking—what it means to have a good time, who is a good time and for whom is the good time. And then contemplating that in conjunction with popular culture’s representation of women, and its tendency to simultaneously resist and reinforce dominant ideals and values.
Parsing through the historicized patriarchal gaze and asking questions of not only what we see today, but more importantly how these modes of seeing have become interwoven in our cultural and national identity itself, especially in relation to American culture’s failures and its aftermath over the past few decades. Often times I’ll try and use humor as a way to cast these discussions in terms of traditionally male dominated hobbies and spaces like sports fishing, hot rods, the man cave and the bar. I think a lot about how objects like boats, fish, cars, and women are treated in exactly the same manner societally, like a trophy or catch, something to be owned and shown off. And how these objects are often anthropomorphized with women’s names and attributes.
Do you work on distinct projects or do you take a broader approach to your practice?
Maybe a bit of both? I probably have 20 things I’d love to do at any given moment, but sometimes I’m waiting for the place or opportunity to show cause I like to consider architecture and location. And sometimes I’m making whatever feels right. I usually work best on a deadline even though I wish it were the opposite way around.
What’s a typical day like in your studio?
Honestly, there’s no typical day. I probably spend way too much time planning and thinking. Talking to my friends, reading reddit, watching movies, listening to books and podcasts. There was a time where I was pretty stuck and all I did for a month while in studio was watch movies. I also believe it’s just as important to live life outside of the studio too, going out with friends, seeing art, doing things that aren’t related to art. It all kinda compiles into the moment where I finally decide on what to make and follow through with.
Who are your favorite artists?
A lot of my favorite artists are actually my friends, like Cameron Spratley, Fern O’Carolan, I could keep going… But besides that I’m usually really drawn to work that looks nothing like mine, or something I wish I could make but never could. I’ve always been really into Jessi Reaves work, she’s a genius.
Where do you go to discover new artists?
I discover new artist’s just like anyone else, through friends, instagram, books, and going to shows.
***Please include photo by Meg Remien under the cover image Thanks!
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