“I view the world as a strange, complicated and hysterical place. Humor and sadness seem to coexist. Although I sense this now more than ever, I have come to believe that it has always been the case. More often than not there is a story to tell. I attempt to represent this vision in my body of work, which includes mixed media works on paper and monoprint.” -Rima Grad

Our latest addition to the Recession Art store family is the beautiful and talented Rima Grad. I interviewed Rima about her art and what it means to be an artist. The discussion shed light on some poignant and valuable points regarding her artwork and her experience. I hope you find the interview as meaningful as we did.

RA: How does your medium of choice relate to the message you are trying to convey in your work?

RG: I want there to be an immediacy and an intimacy in the work and I think that the combination of drawing and collage on paper epitomizes those qualities. I use bits of paper ephemera as well as family and personal photographs. The work is reflective of a moment in time or a fleeting thought and although I give the pieces varying amounts of time, there is a spontaneity that I can achieve. Once I get that first mark down or I glue an image, I’m off.

RA: If you were a fly on the wall at one of your exhibitions, what would you hope to hear people say when viewing your work, what questions would you want them to ask?

RG: I want people to find something in the work that they can relate to. Perhaps a memory is stirred or they feel something they have felt before. Almost like deja vu. Or they tell a story, based on what they see. I don’t particularly want people to try to figure out what I’m trying to say. I don’t often know and that would render the work less universal. I want them to ask me about my process and perhaps who they are looking at.

RA: Describe your art in 3 words.

RG: This is a tough one. Here are some words: Personal, figurative, narrative, sequential

RA: Describe the moment/time/day you knew you wanted to be an artist.

RG: I have always known I wanted to be an artist. From a very early age, I spent hours, by myself, in my room, making things. For a while I thought I wanted to be an art teacher but I changed my mind about that and I worked as a graphic designer at different times in my life.
But I always came back to making art.

RA: What’s one bit of advice that you would give to an aspiring artist?

RG: Keep working at making art. And find a way to show it. Surround yourself with a community of artists and talk about the work. Call yourself an artist.

For more information, visit Rima Grad’s website here

-Ivy Challis