7 - Chakura Kineard—talks rebellious art, Public education & the economy as she plans her next move / by Vivian Liddell

Chakura Kineard invites Peachy Keen into her spacious, glitter-filled studio at the Atlanta Contemporary to talk shop. She reflects on her experiences as a woman of color navigating public education in the South, her rebellious tendencies as they relate to art-making, and the job prospects for millennials in a baby-boomer's world. 

We geek out discussing her use of found objects in an art historical context, but keep it real by using the all-knowing eye of Instagram as a touchstone. Kineard shares some hilarious insights on some not-so-hilarious situations—like how to win the racists vs. non-racists "competition"—and educates us on the difference between a "loc" and a "townie" in the Athens scene.

Chakura Kineard & Vivian Liddell

Chakura Kineard & Vivian Liddell

Chakura Kineard Studio, Atlanta Contemporary

Chakura Kineard Studio, Atlanta Contemporary

Chakura Kineard Studio, Atlanta Contemporary

Chakura Kineard Studio, Atlanta Contemporary

Chakura Kineard Studio, Atlanta Contemporary

Chakura Kineard Studio, Atlanta Contemporary

Chakura Kineard Studio, Atlanta Contemporary

Chakura Kineard Studio, Atlanta Contemporary

Related Links:

Chakura Kineard at Atlanta Contemporary, Chakura Kineard Website, ART PARTY 2017

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20 - TOMMY MCCLURE SCANLIN—ON TEACHING, LEARNING & TAPESTRY /NOVEMBER 19, 2018 Artist Tommye Scanlin ( @bittersweettapestrystudio )sat down with Peachy Keen at her loom in her Dahlonega, Georgia, studio to discuss teaching, learning, and tapestry on the eve of her second retirement from teaching. We got deep into the history of the University of North Georgia art department, where she taught for 28 years and was appointed Professor Emerita in 2002. Raised by a single mother, Scanlin attended college on scholarships and learned early on to balance her teaching career with her artistic practice. She described the role that her teacher, mentor, and then-colleague Bob Owens played in shaping her career, and she passed on some serious teaching wisdom centered on the desire to learn and the willingness to make mistakes. Scanlin is a dedicated studio artist with a rigorous daily practice and uses her own paintings for inspiration as she creates large scale tapestries. She breaks down her process, how she arrives at her imagery, and how her paintings and tapestries relate to each other. When the studio gets too quiet, Scanlin listens to—what else?!—podcasts! She gives us a few recommendations.
Talked to @hayleekitties and @angela_bortone of @livingmelodycollective in ATL this morning. Can’t wait to introduce y’all to this busy group of women artists working together with purpose on Episode 21 soon... 🤓🍑🎤🎧🎤🍑🤓
Caught up with artist and educator Tommye Scanlin ( @bittersweettapestrystudio ) in Dahlonega today! Check out our convo soon on episode 20 🎧🎤🤓🍑🤓🎤🎧
Episode 19 is now live: JENNY FINE—EXPLORING WHITE IDENTITY IN THE RURAL SOUTH THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCE /OCTOBER 15, 2018 - Peachy Keen met up with artist Jenny Fine ( @fannieamericus )in the upstairs classroom of the Wiregrass Museum in Dothan, Alabama on a hot Friday afternoon in early October. ( Thanks @wiregrassmuseum 🤓) We discussed the influence that many strong creative women have had on her career—most notably that of her grandmothers (who both play an important role in her work) and of Ann Hamilton (a world-renowned installation artist who Fine studied under and then later apprenticed). - Fine elaborates on how her interest in the wet-collodion process and post-mortem photography is related to her “Flat Granny” series—which references the “Flat Daddy” photographic cutouts used by military families to help maintain a presence at home for deployed loved ones. We also get the lowdown on her performances and current stop motion film (link on Peachy Keen page in bio) as they relate to her family history and her still photography. - In our talk, Fine explains how her personal narratives have allowed her to enter a larger discussion about white identity in the rural South, and we tiptoe into the minefield of racially charged regional iconography and customs depicted in her work that include the boll weevil, peanuts, and the pageantry of local parades and clogging. - Image 1: 📷Jenny Fine. Daddy Dancing with Flat Granny, 2013, archival pigment print. Image 2: Jenny Fine and @vivianliddell @wiregrassmuseum classroom
Great chat with @fannieamericus today @wiregrassmuseum — can’t wait to share with you guys soon. In the meantime, you should check out her work— she uses film (still and stop motion) and performance to create some spectacular family narratives that are thought provoking and ask some tough questions about white southern identity.
Episode 18 with @courtneysanbornart is now live. Thanks 🙏 to @mintatl for letting us use their space to record. We had a super fun chat that included talk of painting, embroidery, penises as prehensile tails, demons AND power lifting! if you want to hear a lot of giggling this is the episode for you. Here we are in front of @kerrkerrkerrkerr ‘s work from his solo show at MINT—go if you haven’t seen it— it closes this Saturday!
16 - HANNAH TARR—FOCUSING ON PROCESS OVER PRODUCT IN THE AGE OF INSTAGRAM / JULY 27, 2018 Hannah Tarr on how Instagram has affected her process: - “I’ve deleted the app. I’ve like told myself I’m not allowed to go on it. It just makes me sad. … I’ve found that I see other people’s works sneaking into mine and I see mine sneaking into others that follow me too much lately. And I’m wanting to kind of be more secretive and under wraps at least until I have enough that I feel like I’m ready to show, or I have the opportunity to show a bunch of work. And then it’s unleashed and it’s gonna wow everyone and be awesome… - But it’s weird. I think I look at things differently. I measure up myself differently and my own work differently. I think about the product instead of the process a lot more. Because I’m just seeing these images; I’m seeing so many images. ... And I’m like “Oh this is good” and “I like this painting”… But I don’t think about what it is that gives me the subtle joys. Why I love painting is surprising myself and making little jokes in my head and having fun with kind of what turns up. And Instead when I’m like “Oh my painting looks like this” or “it needs to be this”— I get too focused on the end result. And I think that that’s a product of looking at too much right now, but not in person…”