Fresh Bread

1. Please tell me a little bit about yourself and your practice.

I was born in Calgary, and I’ve been making art most of my life. I work for a junk removal company which has turned out to be a great decision. I have seen some of the most horrible places people call home, and after removing everything they at one time valued, I get to stand in their empty house with them and write up a bill. It’s a side of people I’ve never encountered before, and there have been many days I’ve felt like a ghoul or some sort of scavenger. Routine horror like that is starting to influence my work.

2. Where did you study? What kind of an influence has this had on your practice?

I studied Drawing at the Alberta College of Art and Design and for most of that time failed to make a single drawing. I’m learning how to draw now, two years after graduation, and I generally keep them hidden. I wouldn’t have a practice if it wasn’t for the people I went to school with, and I’m grateful for the five years I spent with every single one of them. The professors I had were all excellent. I had a lot of interesting crits with Stuart Parker, Sondra Meszaros, Don Kottman, Derek Besant, Miruna Dragan and so forth. I even took advantage of the design classes and completely destroyed my GPA with messy color charts and bad craft, but I’d say they were a net benefit.

3. What have you been doing since graduating?

Since graduating I’ve tried to find jobs that intrude into my studio life as little as possible. I work in the studio every day, and when I’m not working in my studio I’m trying to make it a better work-space. Every once in a while I take my studio apart and re-assemble it from the ground up. It usually takes a few days, but after I do it my practice evolves. The things within arm-reach are now across the garage, and vice versa. It’s frustrating, but worth it every time. I’d say I spend over half of my time in the studio cleaning up after myself. A year of art making and a year of cleaning sounds about right.

4. What struggles do you face in your practice? Do you have any insecurities while making your work?

The administrative part is terrifying to me. Taxes, submissions, all of that frightens me. As for insecurities, I have plenty. I think some of them are pretty conventional, and I think we’re all afraid that we’re not good enough, but I’m afraid that I’m never going to make this work. I worry that I’m not entrepreneurial enough, that I’m not organized enough, that I’m not a hard worker… all of those things. I worry that the only thing I do with confidence is something I’m not actually good at.

5. Do you find yourself attracted to work that is unlike yours, or work that is very similar?

I prefer work that’s as far from mine as possible. If I met the artists, I’d probably have more questions than anyone could answer, and it would be a very one sided experience. How do people think up these amazing things I don’t understand? I love looking at something and being confused and surprised. I find that work similar to mine is usually far more impressive to me than my own- another insecurity.

6. Who are some other Calgary-based artists whose work you are interested in? Artists in general who you are influenced by?

There’s a long list. A few of the people I’ve seen work from recently would be Sarah VS, Sage Wheeler, Nate McLeod, Cassandra Paul, Randy Niessen, Jim Laing, Caitlind Brown, Lane Shordee, Pam Norrish, Elijah Escalante… too many to count. I recently saw daveandjenn’s new show and spent a very long time wishing I lived inside one of their pieces. Janet Cardiff, Kim Ondaatje, Alex Janvier and David Altmejd are incredible as well. Janet Cardiff’s piece The Forty Part Motet(below) is my favorite piece of art.

7. What music do you listen to while working in the studio, if any?

I watch a lot of TV and listen to astronomy and science podcasts. I don’t even really listen to it anymore, I just find the sound of someone talking in the background to be relaxing. I’m also insecure about my taste in music, so if anyone else is in the studio they get to share my complete silence.

8. What are some of your favorite things to do in Calgary? Places to eat? Way to spend a day off?

Fish Creek Park is my answer to all of the above. I love that place. I’d get takeout and bring it to the park. There used to be an orange lawn chair and an ikea end-table bike-locked to a tree on top of this horrible ridge. You scramble through trees and mud up this hill until you’re standing on a two foot wide peninsula with half a patio set on it. I used to eat lunch there and watch deer graze. I came back the next summer and someone had thrown the chair and table off the cliff. I haven’t been back since.

9. Do you have any upcoming exhibitions or projects?

I’m starting a new series of drawings, but it’s going slowly and the subject matter I’ve chosen isn’t allowing me to sleep at night. I’ve thrown away more than I’ve kept so far. I’m not sure if it’s a series or a psychological problem at this point.

10. Website?

grahamkrenz.com