When I moved to New York a year and a half ago, I feel like I really was able to access my sense of humor and personality through my work for maybe the first time. The city has a really nurturing, positive kind of reinforcement...for young artists. Nothing is considered weird. Nothing is frowned upon. It's sort of a free-for-all in terms of experimentation, and I think that's a really great environment for someone who wants to work in a multimedia modality.
Chloe WiseI've been creating in some capacity forever. It was always usually painting and drawing, but I've been exploring more video and sculpture in recent years. But they're all kind of the same thing to me, in a way. They're all forms of production and output. As a creative person, sometimes you can't live without creating or producing something.
Chloe WiseI think art is beautiful. It's decoration and adornment. But art is also a really important vessel for social change, and social change begins with thought. And so if you can find humor in something and take a moment to rethink it, you can take a step back and look at your values from a different angle. I think that's a really important way of carrying on with life. I think the best art for me is funny and the best comedy for me is art. Some of my favorite artists are comedians. Comedy is art, and art can be comedy, and the intersection is vital - at least for my own work.
Chloe WiseThere's nothing wrong with commercial art. There's nothing wrong with consumer society. There's nothing wrong with advertising. There's nothing wrong with shopping and spending money and being paid. There's nothing wrong with any of these things. These are things we do. I just think it's important to look at them from a different perspective - to see how bizarre and banal these rituals we partake in are. It's just important to think about them, I think, and to carry on. Life is about retrospection, and I think that goes for every facet of life.
Chloe WiseTo be an artist, you're basically a crazy person. You're extremely narcissistic and emotionally expressive. The idea that the world needs to listen to you is an insane thought.
Chloe WiseMy tiny baby blossoming art collection is comprised of works by artists I have either assisted or been mentored by, artists I am friends with, or artists I have traded with. As much as I want to and aspire to acquire works from established artists, I love acquiring works from my contemporaries in order to participate in this moment in time. The advice I would give is know what you like, take your time, and invest in things you feel connected to, as opposed to buying something because it seems cool or "of-the-moment."
Chloe Wise