Karen Remsen, Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory member provides some fascinating insights into her practice and experience as a figurative painter, as she responds to the questions below:
- What originally inspired your interest in creating art?
- Who are a couple of your favourite artists and why do they stand out?
- What is the strangest or most surprising response you’ve had to your work?
- Do you think art can help people connect to vital issues about our world?
What originally inspired your interest in creating art?
I’ve always been interested in painting people. From a young age, it was the only thing that could keep me engaged enough to spend hours on a painting or drawing. Sometimes I will dip into other subjects, but I always come back to people!
Who are a couple of your favourite artists and why do they stand out?
One artist whose work I look at often is Klimt. Like me, he was also fascinated by reflective materials and combining abstract shapes and realism. I would have a lot of questions for him about his process. One artist that I’ve always been inspired by is Artemisia Gentileschi. I saw an exhibit of her work at my local art museum when I was young. I don’t think I fully recognized it at the time, but that was my first inkling that women paint women differently. I was mesmerized by the fact that she painted with the same skill and style as her peers, but her art felt fundamentally different. The women in her paintings felt like the main characters of their stories.
What is the strangest or most surprising response you’ve had to your work?
It’s always a bit odd to me when someone says that a figure in one of my paintings looks like someone they know. Although I do depict people in detail, it’s not my aim to create portraits of specific individuals. I understand the impulse though! We are pattern-seeking creatures.
Do you think art can help people connect to vital issues about our world?
Yes, and a central theme in my work is to celebrate the complexity, diversity, and humanity of women. However, that is not the main goal of my work. I aim for impact on a personal level. I paint pieces that invoke peace, confidence, and strength because I want to experience those emotions myself. I’m happy with one person deeply connecting with a piece and keeping it in their home for many years. I hope it evokes the same positive emotions for them as it did for me when I created it.
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