Interview With Liz Flood

1. Describe your work.
I work mostly with oil paint. I tend to paint figures. I guess I kind of adopted the Greek attitude of (WO)man is the measure of all things. I like color, I couldn't imagine working without it. I tend to make very feminist pieces which used to be by accident now it's generally on purpose. At the end of the day my goal is to like what I’ve made and generally I do.

2. Follow up number 1. Based on that description what issues do you feel your work addresses? How? I think my

work addresses a lot of women's issues. Marc (handle man) says I tend to deal with issues of violence and women. Which I don't want to do. The general populous agrees that violence that targets women is bad. But the people who seek to hurt women specifically drive me nuts. I couldn't deal with those issues without driving myself crazy thinking either I hadn’t made enough of a statement, or that it won't help. I would feel helpless. Now I try to portray women in a spectrum of emotions that (hopefully) show how women are valuable and empowered.

3. Do you feel your work belongs more in a gallery in a studio? Why?
I think they belong in both places. I think my paintings would look good in either places. When I look at them I try to see them on a clean white wall in some fancy place. But if I left my painting in a studio I could always keep coming back to it to add more,

4.Who do you think this work appeals to the most?
I'd have to say women. I really want women to see this and be happy to see them represented. As a woman when I see women represented they're used as objects to sell something. And I don't like my entire gender being treated as an object/commodity. I do feel guilty that I totally don't feel like giving men any credit. But they've had a very long time to be the alpha in the power relationship. Even now women I feel women are still in a bit of a hole. I’m rambling. Sorry ill stop.
5. If all the color in the world suddenly vanished would your work be affected or unaffected? If it would be affected how badly?
It would be affected very badly. Color is so important to me and my work, and my life in general I would be devastated. Color means too much to me, and helps me be expressive in my work.

6. What is the biggest

reference you use when creating work?
I use so many different ones it's very difficult to list them all. But generally the visual references I use are things I find opulent.

7. If you could have any artist (any medium) critique your work that would it is? Why?
Nancy sperm. In most of my work I always have something of hers in mind when I make something. I think she did so much work that I enjoy, that speaks to me as an artist, a woman, and a viewer. I also admire her ability to keep making art when she had a family to maintain. I know she married Leon Gollum and I believe they had 2 boys. To me that admirable.
8. Do you feel your work speaks to people across generations?
No, I feel

my work is well placed here in the 20/21st centuries. Mamet caught a lot of flack of Olympia, G

alileo spent the last few years of his life under house arrest, and I think if my work traveled back in time it would not be understood or well receipted. If it wasn't I really wouldn't want to get in trouble for it. I would probably defend my work and then get more in trouble for being a woman and speaking my mind.

9. Why is it important to you that you continue producing work (in any medium)?
Difficult to answer...I can't really explain it. It just is important to me.
10. If some crazy accident happened tomorrow that prevented you from continuing your current work would you continue to make work (in any medium)?
I would. It would be more important to me in that instance.

11. What is your ultimate goal for your art?
I really don't know. I mean what painting student wouldn't like to see their work in a gallery/museum.


12. What is your ultimate career goal?
I don't know. My life is in flux often.

13. If you never reach your ultimate goal what else want/could/would you do?
Have a family? That an awful answer, but that it. Very average.

14. In a perfect world was a viewer think and feel when looking at your pieces? Why?
I would drive myself nuts being an activist. So in an ideal world I would want people to understand how I felt when I make them, hopefully recognize it in themselves and feel the need to right wrongs, act up. Fix things. Believe that things will be better if they get involved.

15. Do you think or feel that generally the viewer understands what your are trying to get across?
No. Well, depends on the viewer. Someone in my painting class could understand, but some Joe schema off the street that will at best look at my painting for 30 second

s I doubt would understand. I look at a love of references when making a painting and even on a good day I know my exactly intent and purpose isn't getting through I don't expect to be understood. Which can be very frustrating? My ego tells me that I do have an interesting point of view and that I should keep working on my visual language so people can understand me more readily without dumping myself down. But...i do wonder if that’s too egotistical.

16. Has there been a time when you felt a piece was successful, but just about everyone else disagreed?
Yeah, I had a crib where everyone ripped me a new one. I had 2 things in that crit. A large piece and a piece made up do about 12 smaller canvases. Now I knew the latter sucked, I did it because it was the assignment, But the I thought the former was fairly successful. No one liked it, or thought it had any value. I wasn't crushed or upset. I understood that they weren't personal attacks. I was just wondering how I went to wrong. But from that, the next pieces I did were far more successful as a result of the bad crit.

17. Did you feel that you needed to change a lot of elements in the piece to make is successful? Did you change it?
I did need to change a lot for it to b

e successful. I did not change it. It's a nice reminder of what not to do. Plus, I might paint over the canvases so I can re use them.
18. As a whole do you feel that your work is cohesive?
To some extent. I tend to keep dealing with figures. And I tend to keep dealing with women’s issues. But I tend to keep trying new techniques or materials which I think keeps my work from being very cohesive.

19. What elements do you feel aren't cohesive and how do you feel you could improve those elements?

I don't think improve is the right word. Change is the better word. I never feel a deep need to make sure my work is cohesive, or that it all needs to fit like a puzzle. My thoughts are very scattered. So one piece can take my down a road, and then the next will take me down a path miles away from the other.

20. In the future what do you wish to explore and how?
I don't know yet. I don't like planning things like that. I like letting things evolve naturally. As for how.....I generally like the experiment with new techniques and materials. So this probably how.