Interview by Tristan Calleja

 

TC: How would you define yourself as an artist?

 

KR: I relate to the terms multi and inter disciplinary, though there may be better ways to define what I do. I started in theatre and writing, expanded into painting, performance, audio, installation, assemblage and video. I seem to return to painting as a base, and then move into another medium that best communicates what I want to say. Sometimes the materials bring to surface what I want to say. I might work in the dark, relying on my subconscious to lead the way. I relate to the surreal, but as an expanded version of the term.

 

TC:What is the most common myth about the profession and how does it differ from the actual work?

 

KR:There are the myths that artists experience and early on the biggest is probably that success is defined by a specific path. The arts are incredibly complex with many ways to succeed. From the outside, the most common historic belief still at large is probably that artists primarily paint and sculpt. Of course this is disproved by the evidence of critical thinking, problem solving and writing skills, scores of varying media and, depending on the scope, project management and knowledge of specific technologies. The profession requires the expertise of others and the intelligence of collaboration. Psychology and other fields play a part in artistic practice which we know is much more intricate than the ability to draw or work an inevitable way.

 

TC: What do you generally do on your spare time? Does it usually revolve around your practice?

 

KR: It’s usually when I’m doing something such as walking or washing dishes that I’m solving a problem or letting new ideas in. Most of my time does revolve around my practice, but, I also read and watch films that are unrelated. I love to road trip.

 

TC: What contributions do you find your profession gives to society?

 

KR: I’ve always been interested in providing and participating in alternatives to mainstream and popular culture. There is no system that can’t be subverted. To me that is a necessary attitude with art making.

 

TC: Where do you see yourself in the art world, 5 years from now?

 

KR: I’d like to continue on the path of connecting with people on thoughtful and complicated projects and ideas. I’m really at the beginning of connecting on an international level and am interested in seeing where that leads. There aren’t an endless number of people interested in the kind of work that we do, and I’m thinking in particular of the 253469 project which I help coordinate. Working with others and finding others to expand with is something I want to progress and elevate.

 

TC: Are the types of works you are currently doing impacting the works you would like to do in the future negatively or positively?

 

KR: Probably both. I can be stubborn about things that don’t necessarily work, but then I’m also flexible. It’s important to continually challenge the process and not get locked into a strategy at the expense of a complex experience.

 

TC: Do you think that the artist needs to be passionate about the work in order to be successful on a personal and a professional level?

 

KR: Passionate, maybe. Enthusiasm helps. Discipline, for sure, but also non-attachment, purposelessness and play.

 

TC: What do you enjoy most about your medium and your works?

 

KR: I enjoy the freedom of the approach. I’m not closed in to being one thing or doing one thing, which reflects contemporary life in our culture and the practice of contemporary art.