Cara Lien
"As a queer woman I think it’s especially important to have a community were we understand and support each other."
Cara Lien
Painter
City of residence, OSLO, NORWAY
WEBSITE
INSTAGRAM
Location: Støperigata 2
Date and time:
Art Takeover: Thursday 11 October 18:00 - 21:00
Exhibition is up 12 & 13 October 12:00 - 19:00
Q & A:
COL: How old are you and where are you from?
CL: I’m 27 and I’m from Drammen
COL: What do you do?
CL: I work with painting and digital performance.
COL: How long have you been doing it?
CL: I got into painting six years ago, but I’ve been making stuff for as long as I can remember. I went to two prep schools, so I experimented with a lot of different mediums before I found one that really stuck.
COL: What inspired you to pursue a career in art?
CL: Both my parents were really into art when I was a kid, and maybe that made a lasting impression. I also just really loved drawing. I drew constantly and would make my own toys in my dad’s woodshop. Sometimes he’d let me listen to audiobooks in the darkroom while he developed film. That’s probably why I wanted to be a photographer for a while, but then I took this oil painting class in prep school, and that was it for my photography dreams.
COL: Do you remember your first work of art?
CL: Goldielocks and the three bears. Crayon on copy paper.
COL: If you could have any piece of art in history, what would you choose?
CL: Untitled (Perfect Lovers) by Felix Gonzales-Torres. The first time I saw it I just started sobbing uncontrollably. I’m a pretty emotional gal, but no other work has sparked that reaction in me.
COL: What is your relationship with fashion?
CL: I’m a very visual person, so personal style means a fair amount me, but in becoming friends with people who are in fashion I also learned I hardly know anything about it.
COL: What does the word “collective” mean to you as an artist?
CL: I’m not so good at following up on plans to collaborate with my artist friends, but I do think it’s important to nurture our community. As a queer woman I think it’s especially important to have a community were we understand and support each other.
COL: What is the best and worst thing about being an artist?
CL: Haha where to start! To make it simple, the best part is making something that you know is really good, the worst part is worrying that you’ll never making anything as good again. And also your working hours are all hours, so if you’re not disciplined you’ll never give yourself time off, and when you do give yourself time off you feel guilty for not working.
COL: Who do you admire?
CL: Erin M Riley and Joan Semmel are so fucking cool.
COL: What can we expect to see at this year’s festival?
CL: Butts. Very small oil paintings of butts.
COL: Who are you excited to see?
CL: Bendik Giske is very talented, I’m looking forward to see his contribution. And I’m always excited to see Eirik Lyster.
COL: How important is the ability to expose your art to you and your creative field?
CL: My performance work requires interaction with other people, so in that sense it’s pretty important. Either way it’s impossible for the work to reach people if no one sees it.
