INTERVIEW
A former pin-up girl made fine artist...this could
be a great sitcom pitch! How much does your time in front
of the camera influence your work in front of the canvas?
My days as a playmate have definitely influenced my work.
When I was in school and was forced to explain my every
move in painting, I realized how much the issue of objectification
of women and, in particular, me, came into play. My art
has always been somewhat autobiographical. I've had a crazy
life, so when it came time to add meaning and content to
my images, my life, the thing I knew most about was what
I focused on. I thought I was this self-professed "strong
woman" who had been through all this shit, painting
about issues like child abuse and women's subjects. I soon
began to realize that my naive idea that Playboy was just
"something I did as a kid" was actually packed
with problems that I then had to reconcile. The contrast
between the feminist I had become from the girl who posed
nude for a magazine made for great contradiction, a reoccurring
theme that seems to be part of my genetic makeup. The whole
time I was in school, I sort of went full circle on the
subject of Playboy. I first totally rebelled against it.
I was actually pissed at the realization that once again,
I had been a subject of objectification. I know that sounds
stupid because of course, duh. But I had come from an extremely
abusive relationship. From 14 to 18, I was living with a
41-year-old monster and Playboy literally rescued me from
him, so I always thought of them as somewhat saviors. I
never thought of the bigger picture...until school.
Had you always painted?
I started painting at age 21. Before that I had always made
things, but had not actually painted.
You readily describe yourself as a sex object...something
many female artists wouldn't admit to. Do you think saying
this adds a certain level of excitement to viewing your
work?
When I say I've come "full circle" I mean from
starting out feeling somewhat victimized, to taking the
same circumstances and becoming completely empowered by
them. I am a sex symbol. I'm part of a small group of women
who chose to pose nude for Playboy magazine. By definition,
I'm a sex symbol. But the thing I've now realized is that
for me, when I take ownership of being sexy versus it being
something placed upon me by others, it's extremely empowering.
I'm not sure if saying it adds some level of excitement
to my work but it's been a theme that has both blessed me
and gotten me into a ton of trouble my whole life.
Your art certainly is sexy...soft, warm, intimate...and
instantly relatable. What's your favorite?
My favorite series is always my new one. "Ten Seconds"
is my current series and I love it because it deals with
women's body image problems, which I have, along with just
about every other woman I know. I think we all can relate
to looking in a mirror and seeing something grossly distorted,
whether it's our weight or just thinking we look ugly, when
in reality we probably look fine.
You've also described yourself as a pack rat. Let's
talk numbers here...how much "stuff" do you think
you have?
Well as far as numbers, my mother's one car garage is full
of things I've collected, my two car garage is completely
full as well as my two bedroom house and a storage unit.
I have so much crap. I become deeply attached to inanimate
objects and i can't seem to ever throw anything away. I
have a pair of underwear from when I was ten!
And what do you plan on doing with those?
I'm not really sure what I plan on doing with any of the
crap I collect, I just can't seem to get rid of anything.
Absolutely everything becomes somehow sentimental to me
and on the rare occasion I do throw anything out, I tend
to miss it shortly after and obsess on it, often digging
it out of the trash or re-buying it.
What's
your current collecting obsession?
I currently collect dolls and tourist crap and boxes, I
love all kinds of boxes. I'm obsessed with face products
right now, having spent well into the thousands in the last
two months on it. I also can't seem to stop needing new
colors of paint. I have well over two thousand colors. I
love anything that is tacky and kitschy as well.
Do you find yourself collecting things now with
the sole purpose of painting them?
Yes, that has become my "excuse." You specialize
in finding the beauty in the small wonders that surround
us, "honoring" them, as you say...you paint the
pretty little things in hopes of making your audience smile.
Have
you been told that your work is too commercial or trivial?
I
haven't had a bit of trouble with people thinking my work
is too commercial. I'm realistic about my work and know
that it fits in consumer markets as opposed to high art,
conceptual markets. My galleries like my work because they
can sell it. People like my paintings because they go well
over the sofa. I like that because I find nothing attractive
about living the life of the starving artist. What's so
great about starving? All I want is to make a great living
at something I love to do. I love to paint. I love color
and the things I collect. If what I paint makes my work
too trivial and commercial then the wrong people are looking
at it.
Amen. So what's next?
As far as shows, I have one coming up in January in Jacksonville
Florida where I will show the "Ten Seconds" paintings.
I have six paintings going to a gallery in Santa Fe next
week and I just got a new gallery in New York. Also, I started
a t-shirt company with my boyfriend. The company is called
"Broken" and our first line is derived from two
of my images. A portion of the sales will go to a charity
we have created in which we will eventually open centers
where sexually abused children and their families can go
for help. The charity is called "The Rachel Ward Foundation"
named after my childhood best friend who committed suicide
when we were 23. I think that's it for now.
Okay,
I've got the idea for your show. We'll pitch it to E! Entertainment
TV. It'll be like "Bob Ross" except you'll wear
stunning evening gowns and paint in front of a live studio
audience. What do you think?
Fabulous! Can I be naked? Totally kidding!
