We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Indigene Theresa Gaskin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Indigene Theresa, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?
I truly wish I had started my creative career sooner, instead of listening to naysayers. I remember as a much younger person speaking about being an artist and being told, that you would not be able to make a living, especially as a Black Woman Artist. I would be best suited taking up a career that I would be able to take care of myself.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a mixed media assemblage artist who grew up in the Bronx, NYC and currently live in the greater Philadelphia area.
I’m a visual storyteller and hoped that anyone viewing my art/work finds a story they can relate to. As an artist, you’re often asked what’s your favorite piece that you’ve created, and for me, it’s usually what I’m working on currently! I’m proud of work I’ve created in the past, but hope to create even more stellar work in the future. I recently worked on a magazine for an organization that is celebrating urban gardening and foraging in public lands. I’m consciously aware of the environment and the climate. As a person of what I deem a great age (60+). I’ve had the benefit of seeing beautiful natural environments and want that to be available to future generations. I am also an avid believer in social justice and want my work to mirror my values, belief and journey through life..
I’d like my art to be used as a conduit to explore bold fearless, thought provoking work which draws its inspiration largely from my life experiences. I create using photo montage, found objects, paint, raw materials, old books, vintage magazines and collage. My aim is to arrest the viewer and transport them to a world that is rooted in truth.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
One of the things I wish I knew early on as an artist was that I didn’t need to go to art school to be an artist, as well as learning that there is more than one way to make a living as an artist. There are so many more career paths that one can pursue in the creative field, that quite honestly weren’t talked about in my generation. Outside of being an artist or an illustrator, there wasn’t much else spoken about as an artistic career. I didn’t realize that there were so many other creative pursuits that were available to me.
I think the generations after me have the benefits of social media, art activism and role models, that were not available during the 60s and 70s. Just having informational interviews with someone in a creative field is a boon, as far as I’m concerned. They may have been available back then, but you’d have to know about the career, in order to talk to someone about it. This is why I like being a resource and helping others.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is having an idea and conceptualizing it in a form that others can see. It’s about also creating a story, in which others are a part of, just by viewing it or imagining their own place in the image and sharing that with me.
I’m always amazed when I’m in conversation with others about my art and they share what they feel or see, especially when they present an aspect that had not occurred to me! I also love it when they want my art to live in a space within their life!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://indigeneart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indigene_theresa_gaskin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indigeneart
Image Credits
Indigene Theresa Gaskin