Tobias Laukemper & Kelly Warman, ProgRock, DVD, 2006
Kelly Warman
Born 1979 London, lives and works in Rotterdam, NL
1 When did you start to make art?
Around 7 years old.
2 How did you evolve into a professional artist?
Still not professional, not entirely sure what it means, but I evolved through a strict educational and institutional context (Ndip, Foundation, BA, MA and now PhD). I like institutional support and residency programs.
3 What drove you to make art as a professional vocation?
If you mean ‘earn money’ with art then I rely heavily on a gift economy (funding, subsidies, stipendium, grants, networks, favours etc) in that sense it’s not vocational. I do it because I don’t know how to do anything else – I mean I have skills but if I just did those exclusively it wouldn’t make me happy.
4 Explain your inspiration?
Film, music, really good fiction, theory, the way people interact with each other and where I live at any given moment.
5 In what way does your inspiration transform into ideas?
If I knew that I would quickly be able to make more work. So far (from what I understand) it culminates and amalgamates through a process of lateral and bilateral thinking. Connection points are made through associative references; parables are created by allowing my context to interfere – architecture, design, socio/political terrains and importantly historical elements – with my thinking process.
6 From Ideas to production of art – how? And why?
Otherwise the idea is lost, when it is transformed into matter (of some kind) it can withstand time, or potentially, therefore the transformation of the idea into production manifests potentiality into something remembered, documented or recorded. It enables artists/creators to cheat their own death.
7 Could your ideas be portrayed in any other medium? If so which?
Yes every.
8 Which artists would you most like to blatantly rip off?
I don’t have this desire.
9 Why is your art made?
See question 6.
10 What does being an artists mean to you?
I still haven’t worked this out, and for most of us it’s an ongoing dilemma/discussion. On a very basic level I equate what I do with being anti-latent, anti-bored and curious.
11 Are you happy with your reasons for making art? i.e Are there any trade offs that make life hard?
There are a million sacrifices; security, stability, boredom, continuum, relationships, money, children, mortgages, public acceptance, understanding, support, respect etc but this all comes with the territory, so yes I am happy with my reasons.
12 When does your art become successful?
When I feel like I can let it go and not change it any further.
13 What is art?
See question 6
14 How do you start the process of making work?
I don’t start and stop. Sometimes production is slow and sometimes fast. Every project influences and directs the next so there tend to be no gaps in my thinking, unless I become disillusioned then my ideas are disillusioned.
15 Who prices your work? And how is the price decided upon?
I price it and I ask my friends.
16 What is your next; move,project,show etc?
Further developing Keep on Keeping On, which is currently a performative reading and a collection of film footage. Shooting my new video work Cadere in August, developing a film program for the exhibition The Rise Now Fall and a performance for September. Next show is The Rise Now Fall in DEK Gallery, Rotterdam, September, then after On Dialectics in De Veemvloer Gallery, Amsterdam in January.
17 What are the pros and cons of the art market?
I’m not really part of the art market, so I wouldn’t know. I don’t consistently sell work as I said in question 3 I rely on gift economies and I don’t consider those in the art market. Gift economy is not necessarily an exchange of goods for money; instead something is given without the prospect of getting something in return and currencies are negotiable.
18 Which pieces would you like to be remembered for?
All.
19 Any routine in making your artwork? If so what?
I live quite sporadically; I never tend to stay in the same place for longer than a few months. This has become my nomadic routine, which completely affects my practice; the process is to allow every new environment to construct my ideas.
20 What has been the biggest break in your career?
I don’t really understand this notion.
21 Who has been the biggest influence on you?
My Mum and Dad, my brother, all my boyfriends.
22 How many artworks have you given away and to whom?
My family and nearly all of my friends, this would be approx. 30 pieces.
More info on Kelly artist’s blog site:
www.kellywarman.blogspot.com
Kelly on Culturehall :
www.culturehall.com/kelly_warman
Kelly video work online:
www.tobiaslaukemper.de/storage/en/indextbw.html
thanks to David Frey at Culturehall