Emma Crawford
Interview by Doris Abdolian Edited and Transcribed by Maya Ash
Grade
11
Mediums
2-D Art, 3-D Materials, Mixed-Media
Classes Taken at Harriton
IB Visual Arts, Ceramics
Self Introduction
I'm a current junior in the IB program, although not planning to continue next year. I love writing, climbing, and the outdoors, and I participate in the Corinthian as well as Harriton Theater Company.
Interview
E: I am Emma. I am in IB Art SL (standard level) 1.
DA: What is your favorite medium to create with?
E: I have been using chalk pastel all year, also ink on top of the chalk pastel.
DA: Are there any mediums you find yourself experimenting with more than others?
E: I generally like working in pastels (chalk pastels, oil pastels, etc.). I like being able to manipulate it with my hands.
DA: Do you think this is an underrated art medium?
E: Yeah, I do! People get the impression that pastels are for one specific type of art like people usually use them more for portraits or drawings of animals and plants. I feel like people do not explore very much with it.
DA: What introduced you to chalk pastels?
E: Mr. Nuñez saw me fiddling with gel pens and dropped them on my desk.
DA: Who are your favorite visual artists, if you have any?
E: I like Francis Bacon. He was one of the first artists that I properly knew by name.
DA: Why would you say that?
E: I like absurdism. I like grotesque art. I like Bacon's morphed faces: he paints big eyes and removes chunks.
DA: Is this where you get your inspiration from?
E: A little bit. If I felt that I had the skill level to make something that was gross in a beautiful way, I would, but I do not have that skill yet.
DA: So, where do you get your inspiration from?
E: The writing pieces I wrote over the years inspired my art. I am trying to amplify that storybook sense. A lot of it is from music.
DA: What is your thematic exploration in IB (International Baccalaureate)?
E: My common thread is adolescence. So, most of my pieces relate to things that feel very teenage to me: drama, crushes, anxiety, and that kind of thing.
DA: Do you see yourself in your artwork?
E: Absolutely. It is all based on my experiences. I did a piece about the social exhaustion I was feeling; One of my pieces was about feeling swept up in the drama of something without really being in touch with it.
DA: That is cool. Do you think you will continue your art journey outside of IB classes?
E: I hope so! I will have more free time next year, so I hope to spend most of it creating my art. Before being in IB art, I never really devoted time to it, but I am excited to do more.
DA: Do you have any artistic goals you want to develop in the future?
E: Yeah, I jumped into it without any basis of technique, so I would like to spend more time making master studies, working on the more technical aspect instead of just the visuals. I do not want to say the artistic side of things, but yeah.
DA: Since you never took an art class outside of this class, do you have any advice for people who are too scared to jump into art making or may not have time to fit it into their schedule?
E: It can be hard to fit it, especially if you are scared to start. I know I was fearful to start it without really knowing much about art, but honestly, if you throw yourself into it and you have something you want to make, even if the technique is not there, you will create something that you enjoy looking at, or at the very least enjoy making. I wouldn't dog yourself too much about it.
DA: Okay, here are a few unrelated art questions. What is your taste in music?
E: I have a wide-taste range in music. I like Folk Rock, Rock in general; I like Bedroom pop, classical music, pop, and all kinds of things.
DA: What has been the best part of your junior year?
E: I am in IB, so it has been a weird junior year. I would say, you know, I have made a lot of friends, and I have started a lot of hobbies that involve those friends a lot more. I used to have very individualized hobbies, so I am enjoying that.
DA: What other clubs or electives have you taken at Harriton?
E: I am in the Corinthian, the creative writing newsletter. I am also in the Harriton Theater Company (HTC) as a stage crew.
DA: If you could be anyone or anything, who would you be?
E: I do not know. I do not know if I would want to be someone else, but I take a lot of inspiration from self-confident people who can enter a room and belong there without anyone else telling them.
