Fludd Interviews / 26. Mari Kanstad Johnsen

A) nome / name: Mari Kanstad Johnsen

B) nazionalità / where are you from?: Bergen / Norway

C) età / how old are you?: 30

D) area d'azione (disegno, pittura, fotografia, animazione, ...) / your sphere of interests: Drawing, painting (ink!) animating, collaging, all kinds of visual experimentations.

E) studi / studies: BA-degree in Visual Communication from Oslo National Academy of the Arts, MA-degree in storytelling from Konstfack/Stockholm. I´ve mostly focused on illustration through the studies, but worked with an animation for my final project at Konstfack, about octopuses, jellyfish, science, creativity and crisis. Before all of that I did a year of fashion, it wasn´t quite my thing, but I want to work more with textiles again.

F) qualcos'altro dal tuo curriculum / could you please tell us a little bit about what do you do/have you done?: Last year I illustrated my first two childrensbooks, it´s a really nice format that allows for experimentation. I´m working on two new ones, writing one of them myself. I´ve recently been working a lot with personal works, lino-prints, digital artwork and oldfashioned pencil-drawing. Also, I found a beautiful old storefront in Oslo with an architect-friend last year, which we are turning into an office/gallery/event/whatever seems right-place. It´s becoming quite great!

G) 3 maestri / 3 masters: Donald Barthelme, Björk, Henri Matisse.

H) 1 città d'ispirazione / 1 inspiring city: I would like to say something more original but it has to be: New York. It´s so gothic and modern at the same time, the houses intricately puzzled together. Cool museums, concerts, people...everything.

I) dove il prossimo viaggio? / a place you'd love to visit soon:  In just a few weeks I will go to Santarcangelo for the performance-festival there! Very much excited about this.

J) 1 museo speciale / 1 special museum: Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Endless! 

K) 1 link da consigliare / 1 recommended web-site: I love this photo-archive! It feels like spying on the past.

L) gusto di gelato favorito / favorite ice cream flavour: Lemon.

M) un negozio che approvi / a shop you love:  Printed Matter / NY

N) 2 oggetti che ti piacciono / 2 objects you like:  Two wooden figures we have in my office: a seemingly home-carved clumsy lion, and an elegant antilope resting.

O) la tua colazione ideale / your ideal breakfast: Açaí with granola and coffee.

P) un bel posto nelle tue vicinanze / somewhere nice to go in your neighbourhood: My neighbouring botanical garden. Specially now that tourists have arrived, they look so happy there!

Q) cosa stai leggendo ultimamente? / last books you have read: Patti Smith: Just Kids.

R) cosa ti ispira attualmente? / what are a few things inspiring you at the moment?: Tropical botany, Mexican folkart, Japanese Woodcuts.

S) qual'è la principale difficoltà per un 'giovane creativo' oggi? / which is the main difficulty for a young creative today?:  I guess finding the balance between doing something creatively stimulating and earning money. And there are so many possibilities these days, it can seem difficult to keep focused.

T) dimensione collettiva nell'arte e nella creatività: si, no, come? / what do you think about the collective dimension of art and creativity?: I think it´s great how the internet has made it so much easier to connect and get inspiration from other creatives. Makes the world feel huge and small all in one.

U) cosa stai cercando? / what are you looking for?: General happiness, fun jobs, anything surprising and inspiring. Maybe a huge garden when I´m old.
V) di che cosa non vedi l'ora? / what are you looking forward?: Right now: Summer. Going to the islands around Oslo, laying next to the ocean and reading.

W) progetti per il futuro (esagera!) / projects for the future (exaggerate!): Hopefully some excellent solo-exibitions and nice book-releases!

X) cosa ti piacerebbe studiare da vecchio? / what do you like to study when you'll be old?: I guess animals. That was my dream when I was little, to be retired so I would have enough time to read about and draw animals. Also, I would like to have a private cinema and see all the good films I never got around to.

Y) un buon proposito per la stagione 2012 / a good purpose for the 2012 season: Start painting more.

Z) la parola "fludd" cosa ti fa venire in mente? / what the word "fludd" suggests you?:  I think it sounds like something that goes in all directions, or something that is stuck.

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LINKS: Web-site.

> Mari's portrait is by Tone Selmer-Olsen