Artist Emily Barletta can’t see past red.
In an interview for mrxstitch.com she says: ‘For years now, red has been the only colour that makes sense for me. Any other colour in an artwork is secondary. Usually if the object I’m making is red, then other colors present denote a secondary object or idea invading into the art, like a problem or a disease… Struggling with form and marks is a challenge enough, and presents a multitude of options. Sticking to one color, especially with my new drawings (works on paper) keeps me focused.’
Emily is in the company of other well-known artists with her monochramatic tendency. Yves Klein created and patented Klein Blue. Anish Kapoor has a passion for red. His love of red he traces to his Indian ancestry and ‘Of course it’s the colour of the interior of our bodies. In a way it’s inside out, red.’
Brooklyn-based artist Barletta, who has used her art to help her cope with spinal disease, explains: ‘Now I think about my artwork as a more vague expression of everything I am experiencing in my day to day. It has moved away from an expression of a specific pain, but it is still there for me when I need it that way.’
Finding time to stare at the wall is one of her many time management challenges: ‘Time. Making the time, finding the time, using the time wisely. I work 4 days a week at my job and all I really want to do is sit down and sew when I get home, but I also want to stare at the wall, cook dinner, go out and see things, and spend time with my friends and family. It’s hard to find balance. I don’t find it all that often.’
At least Emily is not wasting time choosing colours.
Quotes from interview by Joetta on 4 November 2011 with Emily Barletta in mrxstitch.com
Anish Kapoor quote from John Tusa interview on Radio 3 in 2003.
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