Studio visit with artist Birds Are Nice

This year we are sending our gallery committee around to chat with some of the artists exhibiting this year in our library gallery space. For our first visit we sent Dr. Jackie Kern to have a chat with Miami artist Birds are Nice.

Birds are Nice will be showing August 20 – October 15, 2010.

JK: Who is behind the wonderfully fun and refreshing Birds are Nice (BAN)? Why not use your real name?

BAN: I am an artist splitting my time between Miami and Palm Beach. I have been exhibiting for a few years with my real name. I became extremely bored and tired of being pigeon-holed as a particular type of artist. I just decided to forget everything I learned in art school and approach the work from a more fun, branding model.

JK: How do you feel this will be received in the fine art market? How are you marketing your work? Will BAN be seen as applied art or street art?

BAN: Probably and hopefully (to the street art thing)! I think once again my work is somewhere in between all types of art- so people will categorize it as they see fit. It is hard to break through any art market. So I figure if I am enjoying what I do, that will eventually get noticed by someone. One thing I have been running into is that it is really hard to be anonymous. The system is not set up for it. It confuses people. That is ok. I like to keep people thinking.

JK: Are there any agendas or themes in your work?

BAN: The only agenda I am going on this time is fun with visual/graphic appeal. However, that being said, I do have very strong opinions so they will probably keep trying to come out in the work. My main goal with this work is to make people see things they normally may not think is art and hopefully smile a little. Everyone is so serious all the time. Lighten up people! Fun is good.

JK: Tell us more about what we might see in your artwork that will make us smile and have fun? Who or what influences the work and how long has BAN existed?

BAN: THere are many unusual every day objects attached to the work. BAN has officially existed for about three months. I have been thinking about it for a while now. Besides, I was totally jealous of those graffiti guys all having fun names!

JK: What and who inspires Birds are Nice?

BAN: I really still enjoy Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol (I am getting back into screen printing), and several “urban-graffiti guys” such as Word to Mother, Os Gemeos, Know Hope. I like Dave Kinsey. There are a million.

JK: Tell us about your art background and experiences in making art? Have we seen your work before?

BAN: My degree (BFA) is in clay sculpture but I haven’t been doing that for years. My ideas don’t really fit into what the clay allowed me to do. Plus it takes too long. I am very spontaneous. It was very annoying waiting for clay to dry and fire. I consider myself a self-taught artist because I do a lot of digital illustration, screen printing and use materials I learned nothing about in school.

JK: What’s on the horizon for BAN? Where can we see BAN next? What can we expect?

BAN: I have a show coming up in September at Calix Gustav Gallery in the Wynwood Arts District, Miami. I have some plans brewing for some outdoor work in conjunction with Art Basel. Hopefully that will work out. After that? Big plans : )

For more info on BAN go to http://www.birdsarenice.com