Aliza Enkur is an aspiring artist concentrating on Painting and Drawing who is inspired by mythical, fantastical beings. Her works depict lifeforms and still-life within a dark and mysterious theme and a touch of romanticism. She likes to draw and paint female characters in a mystical setting such as Alice in Wonderland. I was particularly interested in her still life pieces such as the pomegranate painting; it appears to be sitting on a surface, at the same time lost in a mysterious void. The painting appears quite surreal and very different in terms of handling of paint and color compared to her paintings of mystical figures. However, Aliza's style is very much present. Although she has not decided on what to do just yet, I see great potential in her still life pieces that can shine through in her final thesis project.
(Due to distance and the complexity of our schedules, we were not able to physically interview each other so we conducted it online via Facebook chat)
Me: I see an interesting piece in your album. Prince Tomato.
Aliza: Lol prince tomato? I have to look that up, hold on.
Me: Look like a red fruit wearing a crown! Haha, looks surreal.
Aliza: Oh the pomegranate! Yeah, it's not finished in that photo. The final product has been sewn or glued in to the entire center area.
Me: I
nteresting, mixed media?Aliza: Yeah, I was experimenting alot that semester with using other media in combination with my paint... Strings, wire, beads, etc.Me: that's cool, how are you liking it? was using mixed media required for a project in your painting class?Aliza:
It wasn't required per se, but I saw alot of people using media besides paint and i wanted to test the waters too. I think I did more fumbling than finding though. While it was fun and I may mess around with it more in the future, I don't know how much I'll be doing of it this semester or in the particularly near future.I feel like when you start adding in extra media, it can sometimes start turning in to "arts and crafts' rather than simply artMe: alright, so you would rather focus on making something with one mediumAliza: More or less. I don't know if it's due to lack of experience or simple personal preference though.Me:
I get you. It does feel arts and crafty when you add materials to the piece. You have a good variety in your albumAliza:
Yeah, like, have you ever seen Mickalene Thomas's work? With all the crystals she layers on, it feels almost kitsch-y. Not that I'm a proponent of specifically attempting to avoid kitsch work. I happen to love kitsch, lol, it's a recurring argument in some of my art classes.Thanks!
Me:
there's still life, surrealism, and lifeliving things like animals and humans i mean
- And I haven't seen Mickalene Thomas's works. Looking it up now.
Aliza: I don't have any of my craft-y stuff in there. like, I once made an imitation coach bag out of paper and acrylic and I made a claymation film (albeit a short one) with some students in my drawing fund. 2 class
Me:
Ohh, do you have it up?Aliza:
I'm trying to find it on my comp now, lol, I put it in a folder recentlyI wasn't in charge of the music, but I think most of the claywork and the actual moving of the figures was my job
Me:
Some of her pieces are triply, Mickalene's.Aliza:
The ones that I saw were mostly african american women in highly patterned outfits and environments with crystals laid over certain sections. Very pretty and visually interesting to look at. But feels kinda craft-y. By the way I THINK I found the clip and I'm trying to send it nowMe:cool beans,
watching now. That's awesome.- Aliza: Thanks! It was so much fun to make, i kinda wanna try and make another one at some point soon, but I don't know how to add music tracks or turn photos in to a filmMe: You seem to be into science fictionAliza: Very much in to fantasy, myth, etc.
Me: Yes, that more than sci-fi.are you considering doing something of that subject in your thesis? Or
applying something of that into it
Aliza: I'm honestly not sure yet where to take itI'm considering doing something with more of a psychological bent. A
lso kinda might wanna do something related to the hans christian anderson stories and the grimm brother stories, or idk, almost anything really.Me: Interesting!Aliza: Problem is that everything at mason gross is so focused on abstract, and the specific avoidance of kitsch, and that's not really my thing
Me: Going back to the pomegranateI mean, i've only taken painting I-AHavent really had a lot of intelligent discussions
on other people's works
and painting in general
but i'm really attracted to the pomegranate
Aliza:
I had Julie Langsam as a teacher and got in to plenty of arguments about kitsch etc.Me:Sorry, I feel like a fly
that keeps going to the light
"I LIKE YOUR POMEGRANATE PAINTING"
i'll explain now
Aliza:
*laughs* I
t's okay! I'll happily take the flatteryMe:beside the use of mixed media
more on your application of the paint and the colors you chose
there's an aura about it that i feel like i could recognize as being you after seeing your other works in deviant
it's dark, mysterious
this feels like a painting that's been pushed
to the next level
Aliza:
Muchos gracias I like hearing that, because I like embedding a sort of darkness or strangeness in my piecesMe:I love it !! love dark and mysteriousAliza:Yeah, I think that was the only painting that came out of that semester which I really lovedIf you like weird or dark art, check out the art book Hunt & Gather;
I think I posted about it in my blog for this class.
I was most intrigued by Aliza's rendering of drapery and texture of objects in her still life pieces. It would be very interesting to see her style working with another type of visual art such as surrealism in her final thesis.
I like hearing that, because I like embedding a sort of darkness or strangeness in my pieces
A good encounter, despite the distance. You do address the physical qualities of the work, and you did try and push her on her thesis, though the work is so varied it seemed hard to pin a direction down.
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