Interview with Betty Kovacic
Lost and Found Memories
Can you share a little bit about yourself and your practice?
As an intuitive, process-based artist, I am in constant "dialogue" with my pieces. I discover and explore current and past images, forms and various elements that seem to appear when needed. My creative journey adds an element of play and the unknown to my art making. My fascination with humanity started at an early age. As the daughter of a Yugoslavian woman who survived the Nazi concentration camps I have always been aware of the contradictions in human nature. I continued to observe humanity from the present and the distant past.
Portrait of the Artist in her Studio
When/how did you begin working with vintage photographs? What is their significance within your work?
I started working with vintage photos years ago. For my Millennium Project, I decided to depict and preserve the life stories of 10 women and 10 men who were born near the start of the 20th Century. The demographics were widely varied and with each subject's permission, I created and used drawings derived from their old photos their respective paintings. The aesthetics and mnemonic nature of the photos continues to inspire some of my current work. I feel found, recycled, and salvaged objects are imbued with hidden histories and memories. They fuse the present with the past. In re-inventing their identity, I embrace their history while transforming them with new meanings and unexpectedly profound aesthetics. Their imperfections, scratches, and scars are metaphors for the life experiences of all beings.
What draws you to a specific image(s) when you begin a new artwork?
I am not sure I can be clear about the elements that attract me to an image since much of it is intuitive. I sense that the photograph or parts of the photograph will add another layer of meaning or possibility to my work. Thinking back, It is often a person's pose, their expression, and even the background that catches my attention. I do not plan out my pieces. I start with an image I find intriguing and intuitively develop the piece around it. Sometimes a vintage image is just the element needed in a more abstract piece.
Shadows of the Past
Do you work with found photographs or family archives? If you work with both, do you have a different relationship to the pieces while creating them?
I do work with both found photograph that are in very old books or images found or given to me. I also incorporate old family photos. I treat all with respect and wonder. I also love using antique objects such a milk crates, trunks, wooden boxes, and anything else I find. These historical objects make intriguing supports for my paintings.
History Trunk
How do you manage your studio time while balancing everyday life?
I have set times and days when I work in the studio. I call them my Sacred Studio Time and protect them fiercely. I try very hard to avoid any other activity or appointments during these times. I also let others know that unless it is a serious family health matter or something very significant, I am not to be disturbed. During periods of deep inspiration and deadlines, I will work into the night. I must admit that even when not creating art or writing, I often continue to think about my current project or dream about those to come. I write the ideas on post-its so that I do not forget about my ideas.
