Nonsense of the Artistic Variety
Nonsense of the Artistic Variety: Kristina
Marie Interview
Visual concept designer Kristina Marie has been making
designs since a young age. Already having a Visual Communications degree, she
is currently receiving her second degree in Interior Design. She uses different
mediums such as skateboards and longboards for her designs and typography that you can see on her artist page kmarieart.tumblr.com. Inspired
by the culture of Los Angeles artist Kristina Marie creates some pretty cool
decks and creates fun and decorative artwork that is full of life.
Age: 25
Home Town: Oak
Harbor,Washington
Where do the
inspirations behind your designs come from?
For the most part, my designs come from everything around
me. I’ve been commissioned by different people, so my projects vary from
paintings for children, based on fandom for sports teams, to inspiring words
and people’s personal mantras… And music lyrics, like Queen B, go ‘Yonce!
You’re currently
working on your interior design degree. What projects have you done recently?
Last semester, my team worked on a project for a 2 story
nightclub for one class. I’ve done a good amount of commercial projects, like a
physical rehabilitation center and some residential projects like a steam punk
micro house with a secret doorway that is hidden behind a bookshelf. My
interior designs usually have some crazy unique element. So far the nightclub
has been my favorite project; we hung a dead tree upside and added some cool
LED lights!
You seem to be very
in tune with culture. Whether it is the culture of your family or the culture
of the city you live in, Los Angeles, how does that influence your artwork and
design?
This city is so inspiring, I love it here. It’s an artist’s
dream! I study art, have a degree in Visual Communications and just admire my
fellow artists so I am CONSTANTLY sourcing. I take a million pictures… DAILY! I
mean, look at my Instagram! Life is beautiful, and too short to not soak up
everything.
Which set designs
have you done and which ones are looking forward to doing the most?
Some of my favorites have included a train station complete
with working lights, the Visual Communication windows at FIDM, and this white
box we designed for a photo shoot. I occasionally do prop dressing, art direction
for small scale productions, and I have a few projects to work on in the
future, if I can find the time between work and school!
What are some of your
favorite art pieces you’ve seen in museums and art galleries you’ve visited?
I have yet to go to the Van Gough exhibit at LACMA but I’ve
heard good things about it. Some of my favorites truly are the art that I see
on the streets… Ron English piece in downtown LA was AMAZING. I was taking my
sister to the Greyhound and we stumbled upon it. I swear the best art is the
art that is made from true passion and madness. I have a strange obsession with
paintings of beautiful women, painted by beautiful women. It must be my strong
belief in GIRL POWER, yes I grew up in the time of the Spice Girls! Charmaine
Olivia, Sylvia Ji, Audrey Kawasaki… Jess Durant’s watercolors are beautiful!
I’m slowly getting into watercolors.
I like the way you
use different mediums to display your art. What made you decide to do this?
Some are fueled by class projects, some are fueled by
necessity to fill up my apartment, or just for the hell of it. I took a 3D
glass and it was my favorite class, hands down. I’m a thriftier by nature, I
love taking old things and turning them into new… or new to me. I just to work
for skate and surf shops and at Volcom and I’ve always been around the skate
culture as a kid. It’s got a different vibe than interior design so it’s given
me so much artistic freedom.
You also experiment
with different materials are some of your favorite materials to use and why?
I love wood, it’s always had my back. I love a good stained
skateboard and throwing some painter’s enamel on that baby. That’s why I use
when I paint my decks, One Shot Painter’s Enamel! I bought a heat gun recently,
because I want to work more with plastics. I once molded a bunch of army men
for a controversial piece where the theme was repetition. It’s one of my
favorite pieces I’ve ever made and I did a show and so many people were amazed
at how creative it was.
Do you see yourself
hosting an art gallery one day of your own designs and artwork?
I’ve done a small one, a few years ago. I think it would be
so fun to show my work, but I have so many random pieces so it would most
likely just showcase my skateboards.
What do you hope to
achieve in your design career?
I would love to see where my skateboards end up. So far I
have one in England, and one is set to go to India, and some are scattered
throughout the US. I could have easily picked a pop culture icon and tweaked
it, and I have respect for artists that do that, but I want to bring about
positivity and remind people to stay optimistic. My parents had hoped that
their children would excel in the medical field, but I’ve been designing since
I was 7 years old, so that to me, is my contribution to the world. If you see
my skateboards you see that some are fun, but most of them have a positive
message, or remind people to live a little. I have longboards now, and
eventually would like to design surfboards, and snowboards, and other fun
things. I have a whole other side of professional design goals too, but
designing my Sk8Marie decks has not only brought some income, but also serves
as a relaxation tool from my hectic life.
Where can people
reach you?
Instagram: @kmarielmnop for my personal adventures, @Sk8Marie for my skateboard
adventures. My tumblr, kmarieart.tumblr.com
My website: kristina-marie.com
My website: kristina-marie.com
Email me to get your hands
on your own deck kmarielmnop@gmail.com
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