Name: Melissa Libra
Age: 21
Country: USA
Website: melissalibra.deviantart.com
flickr.com/photos/littlegoldpoppy/
At which age did you start creating art? And why do you feel compelled to create?
I was a very shy and reserved little kid and I think a lot of my wanting to create things came from this. The little kid with curious eyes peeking out from behind mom, that’s me. I was always observing everything and keeping to myself. A great chunk of my childhood memories are of hanging around the house working on silly craft projects, coming up with ways to keep myself occupied. And well, not much has changed. I need to have time to lock myself up in a room all alone working on things. There is a humor in coming out of the room and surprising people with, “Hey look what I just made!” At least to me there is.
What are you inspired by? And who do you look up to?
I’m inspired by everyday simple things—houses, pets, sitting in the car and watching in the rearview mirror the things you just passed or the faces and emotions of people in the cars behind you, old things, children’s books, the way our days unfold. Things about the natural world will always fascinate me: plants & animals (my favorite animals are dogs, pigs, elephants, and manatees), gross anatomy and neuroanatomy, folk traditions, the sun and moon. I look up to people who have an enthusiasm and unending curiosity about life, who can pick out the smallest threads of beauty, day after day yelling out “Oh well would you look at those clouds!”
Which influential artist would you like to ask for advice?
I don’t know that I’m ever looking for advice about the things I make. My intentions in creating things come from a different place, just something more for myself. That being said, I’m nearly 100% positive that a conversation with Grandma Tressa Prisbrey (http://www.folkstreams.net/film,102 ) would have left me smiling for days and days. Harry Lieberman (http://www.folkstreams.net/film,103) as well.
If you had to put up one piece of artwork on your wall and stare at it for a year, who would it be by and why?
This isn’t something that can be hung on a wall. I want a full room video installation of Pipilotti Rist’s Sip My Ocean (http://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/25/pipilotti-rist/images-clips/3/). I saw the installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago a few years ago and I remember sitting there for so long, completely enamored with it. I could watch it all day long.
Do you ever find weird connections between life and art?
They’re inseparable, really. I kept coming back to this question trying to think of different ways to answer it, like maybe a psychic revelation, but I’ve got nothing.
As an artist, are you Technical or passionate?
I don’t consider myself technical by any means. I want to know what I’m doing enough to actually do it, but beyond that I mostly run with my gut. Intuition can get you pretty far.
How do you determine when a work is finished? Or is it ever finished?
Photographs are done as soon as they’re processed. I never mess with post-processing and editing, I like to keep it realistic. A picture will either see light of day as it is if I feel it’s valuable and if not it goes straight into my box for keeps. I’ll sort through rolls of film quickly, making “keep” and “not keep” piles based on first reactions; give it a minute, and then go through them a few more times observing details and seeing if any photos jump into the other pile. Collages and writing you just have a feeling like, “Okay, this is it. That’s the last thing it needed.” You can’t put it in words. You just have to be able to walk away from it peacefully.
Do you think there are boundaries you would never cross in your art making?
There are boundaries I would never cross in life & there are boundaries I would never cross in making art. Topics of interest and personal morals, mostly.
What frightens you most about your art?
Where to keep it all. I’m not even kidding. I have a hard time letting go of things I make that I’m satisfied with. I have boxes and boxes of collages, papers, photographs. On top of this I collect so many other trinkets and treasures. At some point I’m surely going to run out of hiding spots for everything.
Do you have any magic cures for creative blocks?
I’ve noticed a cycle/system that I have: I take my camera out when I’m in good spirits—my eyes are open and I’m eager to celebrate with a click of camera. When I’m feeling low, I will rarely, if ever see a reason to take pictures, and that’s when everything else (collages, handcrafts, writing) comes in. I mostly keep busy in this pattern, but sometimes the only cure is to settle for taking a break. And then the Seinfeld reruns and sitting in silence make an appearance.
Do you dream about your artwork?
I’ve had a couple instances where I’ve made a collage and a few nights later had elaborate dreams in the landscapes I built in them. This is the collage I had the most remarkable dream about. In the dream there were hundreds of people dressed in all white standing in a green sea. There were black folding chairs in the water. People were slipping and beginning to drown and a loud powerful voice came from nowhere & everywhere and started to declare who needed to be saved first. Then I woke up.
Which of your own works are you most proud of/ is most meaningful to you and why?
My collages are most meaningful to me—they’re often very personal and I take so much care in putting together the exact words I want to say. I’m probably most proud of any of my works where I’ve written bits and pieces, because getting to the point where not only have I been able to capture something I wanted to in words (which is rare), but been satisfied enough with it to share with others can be so hard.
What kind of art education do you have? Do you think it is important?
I took art classes all throughout grade school and high school simply because I love making things. I have no formal or technical art education, and in retrospect I’m glad that I figured out it wasn’t for me.
What kind of career do you ultimately want? And what kind of career do you think you'll end up having (or already have) realistically?
I’m currently working towards a Master’s in Occupational Therapy, which I love. I’ll finish the degree in about a year and a half. I always ramble off possible dream careers I’ve thought of for myself to people. For instance, I would love to be a photographer for National Geographic between the years of 1960-1983. Is this possible? No. I would love to be paid to play with dogs in a field of wildflowers all day long. Happening in this lifetime? Probably not. I would also love to be paid to work on crafts or other hobbies with people, especially the elderly. I thought about being a social worker, a special education teacher, an art teacher, a physician assistant. None of them seemed to fit. Somehow occupational therapy encompasses a bit of each of these things I was looking for. Except the National Geographic time travel part. Too bad.
Is your family supportive of your art? Who influenced and nurtured your creativity most?
My immediate family is very close, they’re my best friends. I can’t even begin to imagine the number of craft sessions that my parents funded growing up. My parents aren’t involved in art at all, but they always supported anything us kids were interested in. Mom was always the most gracious handmade gift receiver.
Which direction do you see your art heading in the future?
I have a lot I want to learn. Mostly I just want to dedicate more time to it, regain the patience it takes to draw and paint like I used to. I’d like to pick up on some more skilled crafts—woodworking, in particular. Ever since grade 7 woodshop class I knew there just had to be a woodworker in me waiting to get out. Woodshop class = my glory days.
Who are some of your heroes outside of the visual art stream?
I admire many musicians and writers. I follow them much more closely than visual artists. My very favorites are Bruce Springsteen, William Carlos Williams, Kerouac, Bill Callahan, Nick Cave, Marc Bolan, Gary Snyder. Real old soul storytellers.
Age: 21
Country: USA
Website: melissalibra.deviantart.com
flickr.com/photos/littlegoldpoppy/
At which age did you start creating art? And why do you feel compelled to create?
I was a very shy and reserved little kid and I think a lot of my wanting to create things came from this. The little kid with curious eyes peeking out from behind mom, that’s me. I was always observing everything and keeping to myself. A great chunk of my childhood memories are of hanging around the house working on silly craft projects, coming up with ways to keep myself occupied. And well, not much has changed. I need to have time to lock myself up in a room all alone working on things. There is a humor in coming out of the room and surprising people with, “Hey look what I just made!” At least to me there is.
What are you inspired by? And who do you look up to?
I’m inspired by everyday simple things—houses, pets, sitting in the car and watching in the rearview mirror the things you just passed or the faces and emotions of people in the cars behind you, old things, children’s books, the way our days unfold. Things about the natural world will always fascinate me: plants & animals (my favorite animals are dogs, pigs, elephants, and manatees), gross anatomy and neuroanatomy, folk traditions, the sun and moon. I look up to people who have an enthusiasm and unending curiosity about life, who can pick out the smallest threads of beauty, day after day yelling out “Oh well would you look at those clouds!”
Which influential artist would you like to ask for advice?
I don’t know that I’m ever looking for advice about the things I make. My intentions in creating things come from a different place, just something more for myself. That being said, I’m nearly 100% positive that a conversation with Grandma Tressa Prisbrey (http://www.folkstreams.net/film,102 ) would have left me smiling for days and days. Harry Lieberman (http://www.folkstreams.net/film,103) as well.
If you had to put up one piece of artwork on your wall and stare at it for a year, who would it be by and why?
This isn’t something that can be hung on a wall. I want a full room video installation of Pipilotti Rist’s Sip My Ocean (http://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/25/pipilotti-rist/images-clips/3/). I saw the installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago a few years ago and I remember sitting there for so long, completely enamored with it. I could watch it all day long.
Do you ever find weird connections between life and art?
They’re inseparable, really. I kept coming back to this question trying to think of different ways to answer it, like maybe a psychic revelation, but I’ve got nothing.
As an artist, are you Technical or passionate?
I don’t consider myself technical by any means. I want to know what I’m doing enough to actually do it, but beyond that I mostly run with my gut. Intuition can get you pretty far.
How do you determine when a work is finished? Or is it ever finished?
Photographs are done as soon as they’re processed. I never mess with post-processing and editing, I like to keep it realistic. A picture will either see light of day as it is if I feel it’s valuable and if not it goes straight into my box for keeps. I’ll sort through rolls of film quickly, making “keep” and “not keep” piles based on first reactions; give it a minute, and then go through them a few more times observing details and seeing if any photos jump into the other pile. Collages and writing you just have a feeling like, “Okay, this is it. That’s the last thing it needed.” You can’t put it in words. You just have to be able to walk away from it peacefully.
Do you think there are boundaries you would never cross in your art making?
There are boundaries I would never cross in life & there are boundaries I would never cross in making art. Topics of interest and personal morals, mostly.
What frightens you most about your art?
Where to keep it all. I’m not even kidding. I have a hard time letting go of things I make that I’m satisfied with. I have boxes and boxes of collages, papers, photographs. On top of this I collect so many other trinkets and treasures. At some point I’m surely going to run out of hiding spots for everything.
Do you have any magic cures for creative blocks?
I’ve noticed a cycle/system that I have: I take my camera out when I’m in good spirits—my eyes are open and I’m eager to celebrate with a click of camera. When I’m feeling low, I will rarely, if ever see a reason to take pictures, and that’s when everything else (collages, handcrafts, writing) comes in. I mostly keep busy in this pattern, but sometimes the only cure is to settle for taking a break. And then the Seinfeld reruns and sitting in silence make an appearance.
Do you dream about your artwork?
I’ve had a couple instances where I’ve made a collage and a few nights later had elaborate dreams in the landscapes I built in them. This is the collage I had the most remarkable dream about. In the dream there were hundreds of people dressed in all white standing in a green sea. There were black folding chairs in the water. People were slipping and beginning to drown and a loud powerful voice came from nowhere & everywhere and started to declare who needed to be saved first. Then I woke up.
Which of your own works are you most proud of/ is most meaningful to you and why?
My collages are most meaningful to me—they’re often very personal and I take so much care in putting together the exact words I want to say. I’m probably most proud of any of my works where I’ve written bits and pieces, because getting to the point where not only have I been able to capture something I wanted to in words (which is rare), but been satisfied enough with it to share with others can be so hard.
What kind of art education do you have? Do you think it is important?
I took art classes all throughout grade school and high school simply because I love making things. I have no formal or technical art education, and in retrospect I’m glad that I figured out it wasn’t for me.
What kind of career do you ultimately want? And what kind of career do you think you'll end up having (or already have) realistically?
I’m currently working towards a Master’s in Occupational Therapy, which I love. I’ll finish the degree in about a year and a half. I always ramble off possible dream careers I’ve thought of for myself to people. For instance, I would love to be a photographer for National Geographic between the years of 1960-1983. Is this possible? No. I would love to be paid to play with dogs in a field of wildflowers all day long. Happening in this lifetime? Probably not. I would also love to be paid to work on crafts or other hobbies with people, especially the elderly. I thought about being a social worker, a special education teacher, an art teacher, a physician assistant. None of them seemed to fit. Somehow occupational therapy encompasses a bit of each of these things I was looking for. Except the National Geographic time travel part. Too bad.
Is your family supportive of your art? Who influenced and nurtured your creativity most?
My immediate family is very close, they’re my best friends. I can’t even begin to imagine the number of craft sessions that my parents funded growing up. My parents aren’t involved in art at all, but they always supported anything us kids were interested in. Mom was always the most gracious handmade gift receiver.
Which direction do you see your art heading in the future?
I have a lot I want to learn. Mostly I just want to dedicate more time to it, regain the patience it takes to draw and paint like I used to. I’d like to pick up on some more skilled crafts—woodworking, in particular. Ever since grade 7 woodshop class I knew there just had to be a woodworker in me waiting to get out. Woodshop class = my glory days.
Who are some of your heroes outside of the visual art stream?
I admire many musicians and writers. I follow them much more closely than visual artists. My very favorites are Bruce Springsteen, William Carlos Williams, Kerouac, Bill Callahan, Nick Cave, Marc Bolan, Gary Snyder. Real old soul storytellers.
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