Presenting ... Siobhan Vivian!
If you're into mixed media art, a story about a small-town girl discovering a big city, or feeling your own heart throb as she meets a boy who kind of makes you go all gooey, then Siobhan Vivian's Same Difference should totally slip into that pile of To-Be-Read books on your bedside table. Siobhan herself is as sweet as a chocolate-chip cookie and writes a fabulous yarn, so I'm delighted to welcome her to my blog and so excited to share this interview with you!
How did you figure out the artistic specialties of each character (Fiona's shadows, for example, or Emily's collages)? Was there much research involved in depicting their art so well or was it more a matter of exposing yourself to different genres?
I'd have to say that it was a combination of research, reflecting on my time at art school, and just making stuff up!
Fiona's shadows were inspired by an artist that would make chalk drawings in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. As for Emily's work in collage, I had sat in on a paper arts class when I went back to the summer art program that I had attended in high school. But I definitely made a conscious choice for both my characters to have mediums that were more abstract, because that would give me a bit more freedom to draw connections between their art work and their life.
Have you looked beyond the barn door of Duchamp's The Waterfall, the piece of art that was super-enlightening to both Emily and Fiona? What was your reaction?
Heck yes I have! I remember seeing that piece when I was in high school and it was totally haunting. I went back to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see it again while I was doing research for the book, and I had the exact same response. Knowing what was behind the door did very little to calm my nerves. The experience is so amazing. You actually feel panic, nervous. Basically, Emily and I have the exact same reaction to the piece. Before The Waterfall, I never knew "art" could make me feel so many things.
Next to writing, which artistic pursuit are you most drawn to, and why?
I am really, really into sewing right now. My boyfriend bought me a sewing machine for my birthday and I have been going crazy making stuff and collecting cool fabrics. I also love to do embroidery, on either fabric and paper. I like to give handmade gifts! There's something so nice about giving someone something that you've created. And I guess, in that way, my artistic pursuits and my writing dovetail. I'm essentially taking raw materials (words, fabrics, pretty string) and creating something beautiful (hopefully?!) and then sending it out into the world.
How did you decide how much detail to include about art and art classes in Same Difference?
That was a tough decision. I needed to include enough to make Emily's experience at art school feel real, but I didn't want to alienate someone who didn't want to read a book about art. It was a tough call, and I cut a lot of stuff back. Luckily, Emily was new to this world, so through her, I didn't have to go into a ton of detail. She was an outsider, and it felt authentic to gloss over a lot of the more nuanced stuff that I could have put in.
What was the strangest experience you had at the art program you attended as a teenager? The most unexpected thing you learned about art? About yourself?
Hmm, I guess the strangest experience I had was just being thrown into a city and treated like an adult. The program I attended was very progressive in that way. My life had always felt so controlled and stifled in high school, but life at the art program was really different. No one cared if you cut off all your hair, or got something pierced or decided that you were gay. It was really liberating.
The most unexpected thing I learned about art was that people actually could make a living from their art, that it was a serious career choice that I could make. At the time, I'd never met any "creative" adults. My parents were both blue-collar workers, as were most of my friend's parents. So people who were actual writers and painters and dancers and actors all seemed like a mythic few. And then, at art school, I met so many people--teens and adults--who were doing art For Real. It was beyond inspiring.
The most unexpected thing I learned about myself was to hear people tell me that I was good at something. That sounds really sad now, but I was having a lot of trouble in school. I was totally unmotivated and didn't feel like I excelled at any one particular thing. So to hear from actual artists that they thought I had talent...well, it completely changed my life.
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Feeling the artist/writer/creative-type in you tingle? Head on over to Siobhan's blog for juicy tidbits like a video of chalk drawings reminiscent of Fiona's, or check out her contributions to The Longstockings' blog, or, heck, just pop onto her website! Better yet, take your lunch break to go to the bookstore and/or library and check out Same Difference for yourself.
Thanks so much for joining us, guys!