Doris Abdolian

Interviewed by Elly Dawson and Maya Ash

Grade

Mediums

2-D Art (Painting, sketching, charcoal, printmaking, etc), Digital Art and Graphics, Film/Videography, and Photography

Classes Taken at Harriton

Film-Photo 1, Film-Photo 2, Film-Photo 3H, IB Visual Arts (SL), and has attended an open art studio class outside of school

Self Introduction

I am a soon-to-be graduating senior who enjoys art, music, politics, and anthropology. I am bilingual (English and French) and interested in learning new languages and learning about various cultures. I also have a passion for cooking and trying out cafes and restaurants. Since I come from a multicultural background, my work often—though not always—reflects my background and my views.

Interview

Art Focused Questions

What's your favorite medium to create with?

I enjoy working with digital media. I like editing photos in Lightroom and Photoshop or making digital art in Procreate or Illustrator. I prefer using digital mediums, but I like using oil paint, charcoal, or doodling with a fine liner and regular pencil in traditional art.

Are there any media you find yourself experimenting with more than others?

I experiment the most with Photoshop. There are so many tools and things you can do in Photoshop, but I still have not had a chance to try them all yet. I also enjoy Procreate. I know it's a running joke that people have a library of brushes but only use 5, and to be fair, I do the same. However, every now and then, I like to try a new brush and see how it alters my work.

What other art styles are you interested in?

I am interested in ceramics and textile work. I don't think a lot of people know, but I used to take pottery classes. My parents still have some of the things I've made, but I stopped when I focused on getting better at drawing and painting. I still want to get back into it one day. I was actually supposed to take ceramics during my freshmen year, but my mom spoke with my counselor, who was able to switch me to a film-photo class. When it comes to textiles, my birth mother and my dad sew, so it was something I grew up around and was interested in. I then learned how to knit by making a scarf from my neighbor, who also helped me sew a pillowcase and stuffed animal. I wonder where I'd be if I kept up with it.

Who are your favorite visual artists? Why?

I love Saul Leiter. I discovered him about 2 or 3 years ago, and he has become one of my favorite artists ever since. He was a street photographer in New York, and there is just something about his work that I love. Whenever I see his photos, I am inspired by his use of light, shadow, color, and motion—just his ability to compose and balance his work as a whole. What attracted me the most to his work was his ability to abstract the ordinary. I honestly aspire to create photos that resonate with people the way Leiter's pictures resonated with me. I also like Paul Strand for very similar reasons as Leiter, and I like Fernand Léger and Renoir, who have been some of my favorite artists since I was little. Aside from them, I love the work of modern artists like Cho Gi-Seok, Marina Williams, Kim Junggis, Faizal Westcott, Suzanne Saroff, and Sam Yang. I know it's a lot, but I love discovering new artists that inspire me in different ways.

From where do you derive inspiration? How does that affect your artwork?

I get inspired by the artists I follow on Instagram and those I learn about by watching artist spotlight videos on YouTube. I get inspired from my own experiences and the artwork I see in museums. I get inspired by work from those around me. In terms of messaging, I get inspired from my political and anthropological views. I also love storytelling and writing and sometimes come up with cool concepts I visualize in my art or writing. I mainly take compositional inspirations in terms of their use of light contrast or colors. I also take conceptual inspiration, especially from artists who create more conceptual work. I think so many things inspire my work, so I am interested in discovering new artists, no matter their field.

Favorite Quote or idea from something/someone who inspires you

It is not necessarily my favorite quote, but it is a quote that helped me put things into perspective. It is a quote by Ansel Adams that goes as follows: "Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop." Although this quote is specific to photography, but I feel it can apply to any other medium. Sometimes, there is this pressure to create masterpieces after masterpieces after masterpieces; sometimes, that is not always the case. Especially with digital photography, where you can readily take thousands and thousands of photos at no additional cost, there might be pressure to have more than a hundred good photos. In reality, you may have 100 really good pictures, but you might also have three photos that you love. I know this happened to me when I did not believe the quote, but at the end of the year, I ended up only loving one of the photos I took that year. This made me realize that a lot of art is about repetition and practice. Looking at my photos and art in general over the years, I've come to realize how much I've improved. I now create more work that I am happy with, and I am working till the day I even have 12 photos or artworks that I am most proud of and love in a given year.

What is your sustained investigation or thematic exploration?

During my IBVA class, my common thread was my Ghanaian heritage. Aside from that class, I feel like my work tends to revolve around the idea of identity or tries to make some sort of commentary on the human condition and the realities of our world. Right now, I want to improve on my skills rather than do work with super clear messaging. Of course, every once in a while, I make art with a deeper meaning, but it isn't currently my top priority. For the longest time, I had a complicated relationship with art and feelings of inferiority. I think it was because I wasn't making art that I was most satisfied with, especially when I compared myself to others. Recently, I've developed a stake-free and more honest relationship with my art, where I don't take failures as a direct reflection of my artistic capabilities.

How do you see yourself through your art? Do you see yourself?

Aside from my art that ties directly to my Ghanaian heritage, I try my best not to represent myself in my visual work. I do that mainly in my writing. Instead, I create visual art that can be used as a mirror of the lives of others or to understand different cultures and perspectives. That is something I want to get better at doing. Of course, my work is inherently through my lens and viewpoint, so it is not necessarily objective; however, I try my best to use it to explore many of the different things I am interested in. But, when I look at this question, in a way, I can say that in terms of the subjects I capture or the themes I like to explore, in a way they are interesting to me because I can relate to them or because they reflect some part of who I am. Honestly, I can't quite say as of now if it does or does not.

How do you plan to continue your art and incorporate it into your life in the future?

No matter what I plan on doing, I want art to be a part of it. I intend to major in graphic design or maybe double major in that and something else. Even if I don't major in art or have a job that is super involved with it, I plan on continuing it on the side. Photography is my favorite medium of art, and I believe I can always continue it even if it becomes more of a tool for documentation.

What advice do you have for students who want to be involved artistically, but are unsure if they can fit it into their schedules in and out of school?

Honestly, I couldn't always fit art in my schedule. Film-Photo was my favorite class, and I tried my best to fit it into my schedule. I spoke with Ms. Witman, my film-photo teacher, who allowed me to follow along with her class challenges and projects. Although it didn't count for credit, I would join her class when I had free time and would often do some of the creative challenges at home. I took film photos for 3 years but only took credits for 2 years. I couldn't fit in my senior year, and it became a lot harder to do when I did my sophomore year. But my point in saying this is that the art teachers have time and time again shown me how committed they are to supporting students. If you want to explore art and it doesn't fit into your schedule, reach out to them. Even if you don't have fees to join in on their classes, you might be able to come in during lunch and learn, and even if that is not possible, you can receive their guidance and work on your art at home. It is important to reach out and communicate with them while respecting what they can and can't do. Honestly, reaching out to my film-photo teacher was one of the best things I have done. In my senior year, even though I don't have time to take a formal art class or do art on the side, I participate in the school's art clubs, such as Zenith, Art Club, the Unity Mural Design Team, and National Art Honors Society (NAHS). I also sit in Mr. Nunez's IB Visual Arts (IBVA) class during my free time, which allows me to stay connected with the art department and work in an environment with other creatives. Even if you don't have time or an interest in taking an art class, I encourage people to pursue art on their own, whether it is in an open-studio class outside of school or whether it is doodling at home. There are so many different types of art classes at Harriton, so you're bound to find one (or more) that you enjoy; I know I did.

Less Art Focused Questions

What’s your taste in music and/or what do you listen to while you’re creating?

My favorite genre is Hip-Hop, and when I say Hip-Hop, I don't just mean rap. It has always been since I was little and will probably always be. Mostly, I like any sub-genre of Hip-Hop whether it is jazz, rock, alternative, glitchcore, etc. I enjoy listening to music from artists from various places around the world and am always open to new genres and artists. I will listen and add a song to my playlist if I like it, regardless of the genre. I actually pride myself in listening to new artists and always look forward to seeing how many new artists I discovered during my Spotify Wrapped. I do listen to music while I paint. I usually put on my regular playlist or put on a YouTube video or a TV show. I don't have a specific playlist for painting because I only make a yearly playlist where I add everything I like in that year. It doesn't necessarily influence my work, though. Well, at least, I don't think it does. Maybe it does, but subconsciously. Honestly, I don't know.

What are the clubs or electives you participate in/take at Harriton?

Zenith, The Writing Center, SAGE, which means Students Advocating for Greater Equity; NSBE, which is the National Society of Black Engineers, Principal Advisory Board, Black Student Union, National Art Honor Society, National Honor Society, World Affairs/Model UN (WAC/MUN), Art Club, and Asian Culture Club. I also used to be active in Yearbook, Trivia Club, and Corinthian but had to drop them because of time commitments and to prevent me from being overwhelmed during lunch and learn or after school. I enjoy being in many clubs because I get to meet so many new people and have a space for many of my interests, but it gets overwhelming. There are clubs like Zenith, the Writing Center, and WAC/MUN, which I am a lot more committed to than the others. Also, a lot of the clubs I take part in meet on different days at different times, which lets me go to them all for the most part. Some clubs only meet once a month which makes it easier to be a part of because they are inherently low commitment. Honestly, would I recommend doing as many cubs as I did? No. But, I do recommend joining clubs. You can even just go to clubs that meet during lunch and learn. They are great ways to meet new people and explore hobbies or interests you are interested in but may not be able to explore outside of school.

Favorite place in the Philadelphia area/Nature?

My favorite place is definitely Chinatown. It just has so much good food and is near the city hall, fashion district, etc. I also really enjoyed my time at the Spruce Street Harbor. Aside from that, I also went to a YMCA near Temple University. I enjoyed going there because there was a Tech Center which encouraged creativity. I met a lot of cool people there and did multiple film programs where I worked with a group of people to create several short-films.

Speed Round

What is your favorite food?

Rice

Favorite drink/coffee/tea?

Ice Chai Latte and Brown Sugar Boba (specifically Mr. Wish’s Black Tiger Tea)

Favorite restaurant/ dining location/fast food chain?

Wendys or Chipotle for fast food. My favorite restaurant in the area is So Korean Grill.

Favorite Pizza or ice-cream/frozen yogurt Topping?

Pizza Reine and Classic Tart flavor for frozen Yogurt

Favorite Animal?

Bunnies, monkeys, tigers, honestly all

Favorite Song?