Drive-by interviews are back with a peek into the stirrings of artist Meredith Lopez.
What are you presently inspired by? Drawn to the fragile tension of human relations in all forms, I yearn to articulate that leap of faith, the precipice of success or failure, the aftermath of attachment, and how we pull this knowledge into future relationships.
Is there something you are currently working on, or are excited about starting? I am currently finishing up a small triptych composed of a multitude of processes in glass combined with a video component. The series is a narrative on forced isolation and the toll it takes upon the mind. Beginning with Our Own Little World, a shrinking bubble surrounds an embracing couple. The female is tied to the outside “world” by red threads, which are shown being sliced by silver scissors held by the male figure. The story continues with the female character alone. In conflict with a door that unlocks her inner darkness, she is shown “picking at scabs” as her sanity wanes through the short video Ever Present. Guess Who, a miniature of the door from the video, begs the final question: will she overcome or has she succumb.
What do you think is the function of art in society? Art has many purposes; everything from asking the questions people can’t put into words, challenging the mainstream, and just bringing life to what would be an otherwise monotonous world. Everything from the sleek design of your cell phone or your car, to the street art coloring the bricks of a run down house you pass on the way to work makes the world a more interesting place to live. Art makes people think, feel, and maybe even fall in love. I think an artist’s main responsibility is simply to evoke emotion and thought.
What simple pleasure brings you the most joy? That is a tie between a good story and nature walks. I get immensely excited about a well written storyline that makes you really think and feel the emotions of a character or experience a new world (whether it be a book you can’t put down or an extraordinary animation). There is something about being able to create a narrative that pulls the viewer out of their own reality so thoroughly. Similarly, I love when that moment creeps up on you. For me this is often during solitary walks on brisk wintery nights, when the alien beauty of the world just hits me. Feeling all alone in a world glittering with frost, I get this giddy feeling I just can’t plan for or express.
What about yourself challenges you the most? My biggest challenge is my “take on the world” work ethic and attitude. I want to put 110% of myself into every opportunity that comes my way. Learning to take a step back and prioritize opportunities (and maybe leave some time for eating and sleeping…) has always been a struggle for me. Maybe one day I will finally comprehend the work/life balance!
What does creating art provide for you? Art is a way to express emotions and confusion. I use art to vent frustrations, learn about myself, and explore how I connect with others and interact with the world as a whole. Especially through artistic bodies of work, I puzzle out more complex themes by trying to express my thoughts to an audience. Working through a thematic series I gain new insight into my own driving questions and, sometimes, I even obtain answers. I want my work to be a dialogue between the viewer and myself. On the other hand, sometimes I just need to do something relaxing and artsy!
Meredith Lopez is one of 26 artists featured in our current exhibition: MyScape