This week from the Cat’s Eye:
Art. Life is the means by which we create, evaluate and collectively pursue art in our day-to- day lives. Why is it then that along with this necessity comes the constant underlying theme of death amongst its creators? Centuries of art prove that artists have continually struggled with their own mortality, frustrations and incapacity to cope with the very life they explore through creation. I sat down with a colleague, Nicole Turner to discuss our views, experience and outlook towards what it means to be an artist and how to perpetuate life through art and avoid complete alienation.

Nicole, a 23 year old L.A. based artist, has had her share of ups and downs, both creatively and emotionally. Inducted into the art scene at a very young age ( she was commissioned by the Getty museum at the age of 17) she has rapidly seen her evolution which has been both rewarding and challenging.

Cate: You’ve been a creator since your youth, and you are still young. Do you consider yourself a professional artist? You’ve achieved some recognition thus far...

Nicole: Yes, I have been striving to support my life through the arts. I feel like I’m on the cusp of breaking through. Having been recognized so young, before really knowing myself...it left other areas of my life void, like relationships and communication for instance. I say I’m on the cusp now because I feel more comfortable integrating myself in the world and avoiding the isolation I felt as a youngster. Art for me now is something that I feel is part of a larger whole, something beyond the mere painting or thing you’ve photographed.

Cate: As friends and fellow artists, we’ve had discussions in confidence concerning our personal struggles emotionally as they are effected by being artists. I know that you went through a period in your life of contemplation and hit some pretty scary road bumps. Could you describe how the role of artist has played in these times of turmoil for you?

Nicole: I was told at a very young age that I was a sensitive person and a true artist. I educated myself on art history and discovered that artists through time have held up certain characteristics that they seem to pride themselves on. That any given artist can be just as prolific as their precursors by being unstable, demented....by internalizing their emotions. Sometimes the pressure of being an artist and feeling that you HAVE to create can stir up desperation and sadness. Simultaneously art has been a vehicle for handling such emotions and turning them into something positive.

Cate: Yeah, I can definitely empathize with that trend. Although, early recognition hasn’t played a role in my development, I think that we can all share that feeling of having to live up to others before us. As artists we are inherently sensitive. Once you call yourself an artist the pressure is on...even more so when others label you as such. When was it that you hit a brick wall? Were there specific events that led up to this?

Nicole: About a year and a half ago I moved to mid-west. I felt I needed to get away, I needed a change and I actually thought about giving up my art. While I had a wide group of supporters, there was a whole other group pressuring me to be “normal”...get a real job, stability and quit being so flighty according to them. I took their advice to heart and really had a moment where I thought that I was supposed to be something else. A year of not painting and trying to fit those standards...ended with me trying to murder myself. The passion had been driven from me and I reached a point where I felt like there was nothing for me to do...and that “me” didn’t really exist.

Cate: And now you sit before me, almost a year later!! I, for one, am certainly glad you “woke up”...and in more ways than one. Now you’re creating again and you’re back in it. I personally find the pressures of being an artist overwhelming. We have always faced adversity and criticism from our peers. But, what is the purpose of art, if not to comment on these adversities and overcome them? Art can potentially be THE vehicle with which to create a solid state of mind, no?

Nicole: Yes! The criticism is still there. It will always be there. The difference now, the thing that will keep me from ever going down that path again, is that I know that who I am is valid. Art is just as valid a profession and a pursuit as anything else. And that who I am, the thing that allows me to communicate and give back to the world is my art. It’s this communication, the creation of beautiful things, which will allow me to be a vessel for others. Although I think that other life choices are equally valid, my role as an artist is to give new perspective and to allow others to grow while I grow with them. The ideal of the “tortured artist” is no longer relevant. The torture is either there or it’s not. I fully anticipate further mountains to climb...but I don’t strive to be a tortured artist. I strive to communicate and understand the world and my role in it. My art is the thing that will allow this communication to occur.

Nicole Turner, a young woman of talent, heart and passion is continuing to pursue her career as an artist. She will be opening an art gallery in 2007 as my business partner. It will be a place of communication, collaboration and creativity to nurture the artist, educate the public and strive towards a life. Death? Psh..aww....