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Thursday 13 August 2009

The Girl Who Paints Girls - - An Interview pt. II

'Ullo, the second part of my interview with Patricia Grannum is out. I'm posting it below. Thank you Patricia!
Life's been changing! Lots! Most good...actually, right now, it's all good. Ainsi soit-il...
Also, The Boy, Rodell Warner is promising to launch his website soon. Promise.


Intro: Last week I interviewed Brianna Mccarthy about her lovely illustrations. Read to find out even more about her..

Do you seek to convey a particular message with each piece? Is that a part of your creative process?

It’s about emotion, a feeling, a mood - all in an effort to know and understand who I am and to understand the sum of my experiences and how they have refined what I am. I think all of my work comes out of whatever I may have been feeling at the time; I tend to be a sensitive person; I notice subtle things. Which I think is the case for most people who make things.



Anger, disappointment, fear, happiness, a sense of peace or even of fullness - those stimulate me and make the work. The sentiments are not usually obvious, which may or may not be a good thing. I don’t know if I want to blow the whole thing open and spell out what I’m experiencing.

It’s not so important that people see smudged mascara or tears; for me it’s finding a balance between creating a thing I think is beautiful and not attempting to box in what I feel. Earlier in life, as if there could be an early period for my work since I just started the madness, the predominant question I was asked was “why are they all so sad”.



I used to say “they’re not sad, they’re just not smiling.” I think perhaps, I prefer to be reserved so much that I have learnt to put the feeling on paper but not spell it out. I want people to see whatever they project onto the girl. It isn’t about me after it’s done. I’ve vented and what is taken from the product is totally at the whim of the viewer.

I read that you recently participated in Erotic Art Week(T&T) What piece(s) did you submit? What did you think of the event? How did you think your work was received?


My installation was called 12 Girls. It was essentially a series of 12 postcard sized pieces of girls with their eyes closed and their mouths open. I leave the “what they doing?” part up to the observer. I started the process of participating late and I must say thank you to both Dave Williams for his patience and to Rodell Warner for the encouragement.


I was in Tobago on business and actually completed the bulk of the pieces at night or whenever I wasn’t working. I thought that the Erotic Art Week events were fantastic. I thought that for the first of its kind, it did extremely well and provided opportunity for discourse. I was thrilled with the response that the User Operated Photo Booth by Rodell Warner received.

It was exhibitionism at its best. With regards to my work, I was really surprised at how well it was received and by the feedback I got. I don’t do the social butterfly thing very well so it was a bit overwhelming at a point; very much appreciated but overwhelming.

Where can we see more of your artwork?

At the moment I have my blog and an online portfolio at http://briannamccarthy.carbonmade.com. That’s as far as I’ve gotten at this point!

Parting words/Thoughts?

Thank you!

All pictures courtesy Brianna Mcarthy's blog here. (My thanks go out to her again for a great interview)



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