Opening April 28th to May 23rd, 2011
Together Gallery presents
“How Did I Get Here“… SCUBA : Sandra & Crocket, a painting duo from San Francisco
Here’s an interview by Timothy Karpinski

Name / age / location / website / turn ons / offs etc…

C: Crockett Bodelson 27 drawingwhiledriving.com Cultural Independence and things that are free. Things that are self serving and disposable.

S: Sandra Wang 28 drawingwhiledriving.com Useful things that have a hidden useless function, like a backpack that turns into a stuffed hamburger. Turn offs: people who don’t appreciate camping or fast food.

Please talk a lil’ bit about the general idea behind your new work / install for the upcoming solo show opening april 29th, 2011 at together gallery titled: “How did I get Here”

S+C: We’ll use the gallery as a large vessel, connecting each individual work to room installations. Many paintings will act as a location, kind of an answer to the title question. Hopefully we will make the viewer think about how they move throughout the space. We’d like viewers to navigate the display like a giant map.

You are both from SF? how’d ya meet? how’d you end up in there?

C: I am from New Mexico and moved to the Bay Area twice. Second time around I was here for better intentions and was in a big group show. We met at a camping trip that was put together from the group show.

S: I’m from New Jersey and I also moved to the Bay Area twice. The second time was a break from working in science. I worked on a study that looked at how acupuncture affects the brain. I really liked the research, but the hospital wasn’t the right space for me. So I moved from Philly in 2006, met Crockett and I’ve been making art ever since.

If you had an unlimited budget and time was not an issue, what grand artistic vision would you look to bring to life?

S: I would build an underwater maze, half plastic, half coral. People would have to scuba-dive their way past traps, sunken treasures, and fake sea monsters. There would also be a café.

C: I would build mini blimps that people would ride to observe a large-scale painting that would be made out of different colored plants and flowers.

What’s an average day like for you?

C: Every day is totally different, not to say that I am not average, because I like to watch TV while I drink coffee and work on stuff. I would say on average we wake up and just hang out in bed talking.

S: That sounds about right.

What do you consider your biggest overall influence?

S: For imagery, I love Paul Klee. For composition and color, I look at mini Persian paintings.

C: Folk Art and design. One uses whatever material around to make art, while the other thinks about the best material for the job.

I’ve notice some repeated imagery in your work, care to explain?

C: Buildings Cars bikes squares triangles ropes plants ladders fish birds food dogs bugs people motorcycles circles trees tools I think my mind just catalogs it all and when it comes time to paint its like a jukebox, I just put a token in and one selects its self.

S: I like reinventing structures, man-made and organic, I’ll often integrate the two.

how do you like collabing, do you only work together or also solo?

S: The process of letting someone take your work in a different direction is exciting. I paint about every day and need a dynamic environment to draw inspiration from. This is probably why I like moving, changing studio spaces, and traveling. Having someone who you can constantly exchange ideas with is invaluable creative fuel. We also work solo, and then it’s just nice to paint alongside your partner.

C: I think that everyone is collaborating on everything we just take it one step further. Yea we work solo on one painting or together sometimes the fact that we don’t have one way we do it, allows for more and more work to be created. I am not concerned with being an artist for myself but to just make art. This is a happier way to make it for me.

Do you listen to music while painting/drawing? If so, do you have a current favorite that inspires?

C: I think it will start with radio and then we put some music on then a Movie. I think that Music will let us go really crazy and sometimes it’s good, while other times we want to slow down so a movie is better. Examples, hmm well we listen to all genres, I realized last night that I really wanna get into classical, it just makes you relax and think.

S: When painting, music and radio are like the sounds from the waking world that you sometimes hear in dreaming. I’m usually not paying too close attention to what’s playing, but I’m receptive to it in case I need inspiration for a painting. So I’m not too picky, right now on my playlist is a lot of classic rock – early Rolling Stones, T. Rex, Beach Boys, John Phillips, happy music. If I’m in the mood for classical, Ravel piano.

What are your thoughts on portland? portland art? have you seen portlandia?

C: I have never been to Portland, but everything that I have heard kinda makes it sound like an amazing place to see, I am excited. Someone sent me a link to portlandia, ha it looks funny. Our friend Bill said that when he was living in Seattle in the early 90’s if you were cool you knew about Portland.

S: My last time in Portland was playing a music show at Reed for a crazy campus-wide drug fest. I couldn’t believe this was a college sponsored tradition. It was fun, the city was very green, and I ate good soul food. Portland reminded me a little of Philly, it’s pretty mellow but there’s a lot happening in the arts.

coffee, tea, beer, whiskey, kombucha?

S: first the caffeinated drinks, then the hard stuff, then beer. I’m not big on beer. Kombucha any time.

C: In that exact order, I guess that will work, Kombucha is good for hangovers.

What drew you towards art making, who, what, where, when why?

C: My mom, she would draw with me, and then I just started drawing everything like Indiana Jones and TMNT.

S: Growing up, my parents sent me almost every weekend to a free art program for youths at the Met Museum of Art in New York. My best friend and I would bring big sketch pads and draw in the galleries on Saturdays. Then on our own time we’d craft fan packages for our favorite TV teen stars.

Interests outside of art making?

S: origami, playing piano, visiting places with animals

C: I like to make music and collect instruments. Recently I started learning how to build an electric car. Making French food and playing basketball too.

Do you make a living off art or what, how do you pay the bills?

C: We both live off our art.

S: We feel so lucky.

Why SF?

S: My sister lives in Berkeley, that was a big reason for moving. I also wanted to know what it felt like living in a vacation town. People are always lying around on grass, eating well, and doing something fun at night. Then I discovered that I’d rather stay in and paint! I appreciate what’s around me, but Crockett and I are now ready to pick up and move to the countryside.

C: I originally came here for CCAC but then realized that San Francisco was an amazing place to live. It has a really great cultural scene that is hard to understand unless you live here. You have to live on a hill side and that can really shape you.

Whats next? Summer plans? 5 year plans? next 5 minutes?

C: We are moving to Santa Fe, where we are going to work on shows for the next year. While keeping a studio in San Francisco, build an electric car, finish this cup of coffee.

S: We are going to finish a book about a bat boy and his nighttime adventures. Then we’re going to convert our moving truck into an adobe house on wheels that churns out art and donuts. I’m waiting the next 5 minutes for Portlandia to load on my slow-ass internet.

Thanks?
ALSO at Together will be Portland artist Scrappers!