Interview with August Feature Artist Collaborator Faye Silvia
Our August Feature Artist Collaborator is Faye Silvia.
In an interview with Executive Assistant Adrienne Wooster, Faye elaborates on what draws them to the "beauty in the grotesque" that their work often explores, being an arts educator, and more!
Faye’s opening is on August 3rd from 6-8pm.
In your artist statement, you write that the "beauty in the grotesque" is what draws you towards darker subjects. As an artist myself, I am fascinated by the wisdom within darkness. Can you elaborate on your own exploration of darker subjects and what inspires your work?
I am, and always have been, a SUPER scaredy cat. I would see a glimpse of a silly ghost show as a kid and wouldn't be able to shake it from my mind. Being so creative can make your own imagination work against you at times. Insomnia keeps me up at night and then I get scared of the shadows around my room. That investigation of the unknown- a fear most people have- is what drives my current body of work. I want to analyze WHY I am so easily scared. I want to analyze why death is so scary and bodies are so gross. When you spend time observing, studying, and illustrating these weird forms- like roadkill, shadows at the edge of your room, or gross bugs, you are able to see the beauty in them. Making delicate watercolor or ink illustrations of anything gives these subjects a certain attention to detail that makes it hard to look away, even if it's gross!
Given your background in education, what is one of the most important things you've learned as an artist that you'd like to teach to others?
The reason I want to be an art educator is to give everyone else the home that art has given me. When I was younger I felt so lost and alone. I had a hard time with friendships, school, and other aspects of my life, so art was always a place where I could be my undisputed self. The infectious joy of making- the reward of doing something with your hands AND having it turn out super cool- it gave me a reason to keep going. When people feel lost, feel like they have been simplifying themselves to fit in boxes- art is a place where you can be your weirdo self. And I want to form those communities with people, so that when they come into school or another learning space, they can be weird there too.
Do you have a favorite artistic medium or process, and if so, what and why?
I typically gravitate toward watercolor and ink for my illustrations. I have been really leaning into brush pens or using a brush with ink these past couple years. Using a brush allows for you to mess with a variety of line weights in your illustrations. When I was younger, I was really focused on putting all these tiny itty bitty details into my work. And that still is not lost in my current illustrations. But the problem was I wouldn't really vary line or shape. So what was all that detail for? Occasionally someone would look closely enough to see everything, but being an illustrator is partially understanding how to lead the viewer in and out of your artworks. Because I am going into art education, I have been trying to expand my skills as much as possible. Returning to printmaking (monotyping, screenprinting, risography, linocuts) as an older illustrator with more plans and less manic energy, I am able to be patient with my artwork and have been really appreciating the process as well as the results.
4. How did you first become involved as an Artist Collaborator and what have you learned in the process of preparing for your opening?
I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to join in on The Collaborative soon after its opening. I was first introduced as a student feature artist. This allowed me to have my first ever show in a gallery space. I still remember the opening- the anxious energy of setting up, hoping the pieces would sell... and then just sitting back and watching people's reactions. Thankfully it was really successful, and The Collaborative was kind enough to keep me on as a full time artist member. I have been a part of the gallery since 2016. The gallery has evolved in so many ways in the past 7 years. The place we are at now, with so many different collaborators, feature artists, and student work, along with sharing a space with the lovely arc{hive}, feels so much more solid and even more community driven than before. In terms of preparing for my opening... I am currently in the MFA Art Education program at MassArt, and funnily enough I have a review right before my gallery show. What a review entails is showing your work in a space to random people for feedback at their whims. It has me thinking about the contrast between formal art spaces and community driven art spaces. Showing at The Collaborative you need to consider who will be coming in, the art your work will be alongside, and what space you are given. In more formal spaces like my graduate program, I am considering a full thesis, the implications of what work I am showing versus what I am not, etcetera. It reminds me how much freedom I have been given at The Collaborative, and how my weird and gruesome art always has been welcome there.
