Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kennedy Lindsay. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kennedy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My most meaningful projects are often the most personal in one way or another, I graduated from Art School in 2018 and although I only had a Bachelors I felt like I understood Fine Art as if I’d gotten my masters or worked a lifetime in it. Maybe that came from doing shows and being around and inspired by (in my opinion) some of the world’s greatest artists or maybe it was just hubris and ego, but I felt like I had done everything I wanted to in painting. and I was ready to tackle other mediums.

and then 2020 happened.

Toward the end of that summer my dog died. In trying to describe our relationship to them we often call dogs “Man’s Best Friend”, and in a lot of ways that’s what she was, but she was more than that. It’s something that still hurts and stays with me.

In trying to grieve and talk about it with my therapist I found that it was hard to come up with the language, Words simply weren’t enough. they were a hindrance, an obstacle, they simply just got in the way. So in trying to express this immediate personal loss as well as the global loss and absence that I and everyone else was processing I began to hit a wall artistically, whether words or figurework there was nothing that I could imagine that could capture these feelings.

So I turned to color.

I became very inspired by the work of Mark Rothko and using color as a way to express these feelings of grief and depression, painting them onto canvas and creating a more abstract form of art, the goal was and remains to communicate these feelings that I felt and still feel with the hope that others will see these concepts in themselves.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been making art my whole life but I’ve been professionally making art for the last 3-5 years. Many artists are comfortable having one style and making one kind of work about one subject and just diving deeper into it. I believe in having all the tools and language available to communicate everything I’m feeling and thinking about and experiencing in the best way visually possible. Whether that’s drawing, painting, illustration, design, comics or a number of other things.

My mantra for creating has always been to reach for the future with an eye on the past. basically using the work and knowledge of those who came before me to create and hopefuly inspire those who could come after me.

My influences are wide ranging from hip hop and other music to film and television all the way to observing the work and ideas of my friends and peers.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think part of being an artist is a constant feeling of doubt and uncertainty, it’s hard to know if you’re doing enough. Every artist seems to have a different model for success, I was struggling drawing comics, I wasn’t happy with how I was drawing and how the finished work was turning out. it became a chore, I wasn’t seeing any growth in my skill set. So I decided to completely reinvent my style.

I’m a big fan of anime, specifically Dragonball Z. There’s a running concept in the show, when the heroes face a villain that’s too powerful for them to defeat in their current state, they lock themselves in a place called The Hyperbolic Time Chamber, where they can train and prepare for the coming battle without distractions. In the chamber one day of our time equals one year in the chamber.

 I spent a lot of time researching different artists and influences and spent time practicing and practicing developing a new style focusing on fundamentals, honing skills and muscle memory, so that I could have something that felt more natural and real and fun. I treated and still treat practice like this. Because just like in life finding yourself and being comfortable with who you are is a journey rather than an event.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish that I had been given more information coming out of art school on how to succeed and thrive as an artist. I think at the art school I went to they assumed everyone was going to take the same career path: get a studio, make art and do gallery shows. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that, those are still things I’m interested in, but there’s so much you can do with an art degree. I do wish I had been exposed to more opportunities. Most of the ones I discovered for recent graduates, I discovered years after I graduated and by then it was too late.

Contact Info:

• Website: ArtofKennedyLindsay.bigcartel.com
• Instagram: @ArtofKennedyLindsay
• Facebook: Art of Kennedy Lindsay
• Linkedin: Kennedy Lindsay

Image Credits
Rachel Grammes

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