Seven Questions with Artist Autumn Ahn

Autumn Ahn is a Boston-based artist who works with various medias including painting, printmaking, glass art, and installations. With a degree from the College of Fine Arts at Boston University, her works have appeared in many exhibits all over Massachusetts, and even down south in Virginia and across the pond in Italy. This pretty lady has also been known to do a bit of fashion modeling on the side for Boston-based publications and businesses like T-Shirt company Dance Party Massacre. To find out more about this amazing femme fatale, I decided to interview her only to discover that she is truly one of Boston's hidden treasures.

What is your name, age, occupation(s), location(s)?

My name is Autumn Ahn, I'm 24 and work as an artist in Somerville, MA. I also work in arts administration with organizations focusing on digital and experimental art.

Why do you do what you do? What inspires you in general and in your work? What makes you stand out from other artists?

I make art to celebrate the ridiculous nature of modern human interaction and it's often my own everyday experiences that I bring back to the studio. Those experiences can be really powerful. Social culture today takes place in so many different arenas that encourage indirect communication. My work is a response to this flux.

I believe that there is an inherent desire to learn from socializing and communication. It's a common game that we all understand and I try to make work that encourages shared experiences and that fosters conversations. My goal is to diversify and enhance the environments I work within and to challenge those who occupy them to adapt and be imaginative.

I have been especially inspired by religious art. Religious art was made for the illiterate. It turns visual art into a narrative language. It's organization and narrative structures are qualities that I like to reference in my own work. I believe that art should evoke beauty and curiosity without an accompanying handbook for explanation. Once my work is seen, its ideas change at the whimsy of those who see it, and when this happens my work also belongs to that person.

What are some current projects you are working on?

I am getting back to making some 2D work for an upcoming solo show/installation at the Lily Pad in Inman Square (Somerville, MA) for November. I just finished my first public installation called "Carousel" for Union Square Plaza (Somerville, MA). The project was built on site in about 2 weeks with help from the wonderful folks at Somerville Local First, some friends from Other City Builders and members of the community.

What are you hoping the future will bring for yourself and your career?

More of what I'm doing right now, and some travel. The community in Somerville is so active and inspiring. I'd love to see where this is also happening in new places.

What are your favorite places in the general Boston area?

Sitting on the train bridge on the Charles. Riding my bike to the wharf via fountain-hopping. There are great playgrounds all over the city (my favorite swingset is in brookline). The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum; Open Studios events; Bodega/ Fourth Wall Gallery; Stel's - any activity outside on the river (there's free Beethoven & movies!) and Central Square is great for dancing :)

What's it like to be a creative in a city like Boston? Do you feel happy, sad, stressed, paranoid, etc.?

Boston has often gotten a reputation for being conservative. I don't disagree with this statement but it implies that the people are conservative. This is not true. There is so much growth and creativity going on all the time here, but it's not quite as hyped as other cities. Because of this I don't have to go to my studio to escape the spectacle that can surround a creative scene. I love that here, an artist, a designer and any other creative professional can co-habitate without one group predominantly taking over. Being in a city is stressful enough, the low-key atmosphere maintained in Boston gives me a chance to work without any influence making too much noise.

Also, the seasons really help me regulate a structure for balancing working with everything else. I would like to travel to other cities, but Boston has treated me well, it is my home.

Do you have any advice, life tips, suggestions for the Ladies Lotto community?

Pursuing something that you love is work. Self-discipline is really difficult to maintain and requires a lot of practice. You must work honestly and passionately for yourself. We can all start projects--lots of them, but finishing something is hard and when you do, take pride in it. Explore constantly and if you use the experiences you have proactively you can't become jaded.

The global community is bound to create a polarizing effect on our generation. Although this community is important, where you are, the world you can see with your own two eyes, is not just another video, it's real, and should be used as a resource. Be involved and you'll get more of a response back than you can imagine. Let the immediacy of your surroundings surprise you and be celebrated.

For more information on Autumn's works and upcoming projects, please check her website out at www.autumnahn.com. Also, feel free to contact her autumnpatricia [at] gmail [dot] com.

Seven Questions is a Q+A segment I, Susie G, will be doing EXCLUSIVELY for Ladies Lotto. Seven Questions will be featuring female artists, creatives, and the like from various locations worldwide. The goal of this is to introduce creatives to the LL community and the interwebs, and hopefully create potential collaborations, networking opportunities, etc. All interviews are done via e-mail correspondence. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have suggestions for future interviewees @ d j s u s i e g [at] g m a i l [dot] c o m.