Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rhiannon Aarons. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Rhiannon, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Working on the feature in development Red Wings is presently the most meaningful project I’ve worked on. I’ve been very privileged creatively in that most of the projects I’ve worked on have been deeply meaningful. Red Wings is specifically meaningful because it’s a female driven team, which is rare in the film industry and especially horror. One of the most important things about Red Wings is that it uses the power of cinema to fight menstrual stigma and raise issues about misogyny in health care through the lens of comedic genre horror.
Rhiannon, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’ve been an artist since I was 19, and have a BFA in painting and an MFA in printmaking. I think what I learned in these programs informs my entire practice in a certain way. I started working on narrative films after using video documentation for the performance art pieces I was involved with. It was an unexpected next step that happened pretty organically. I still consider myself an interdisciplinary artist and express myself through a range of media. I think talking about creative work and culture is just as important as making things, which is why I continue to work as a lecturer for various colleges and universities. Being included as a subject in Nina Menkes’ documentary “Brainwashed: Sex, Camera, Power” was a major personal achievement. I also feel that this documentary as a whole marked a significant cultural shift for women and non gender conforming people in cinema.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I think that my journey would have been accelerated if I had felt entitled to take space as an artist during my early career. Most of the artists I was exposed to during my art history classes were cis males. When I started teaching art history I discovered a very rich history of female painters and sculptors going all the way back to the Renaissance. It was an illuminating lesson in how academia has supported historical erasure based on gender. Most of the art history course outlines I see don’t make room for non-male or BIPOC artists and I am actively working to change this.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Something that I think a lot of people don’t understand is that having a career as a creative requires serious entrepreneurial commitment and skills. Unfortunately most art degree programs don’t teach the business side of working creatively. I was incredibly fortunate to work in Alexis Smith’s studio when I was younger and see how she managed her studio. Even with this insight, it took me a while to find my footing and career path. Creative careers are nuanced and unpredictable. You often have to carve a niche for yourself, and that takes time and patience. I think the best advice I can give is to support the creatives in your life however you can. The most direct way to do this is to buy their art or invest in their practice, if you’re in a position to do this. If this isn’t something you can do, helping them make connections to get clients, investors or gallery representation is another way for non-creatives to support the arts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://RhiannonAarons.com
- Instagram: @rhiannon_aarons
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/tempestarts
Image Credits
Personal photo by Stephanie Cornfield