We were lucky to catch up with Venessa Monokian recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Venessa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My current iteration of this work was inspired by a recent visit back to my hometown South Florida. While there I decided to take a nature walk and photograph. I found myself walking into what I can only describe as a magical fairy forest.  Lush and green, the light streaming in to illuminate miles and miles of heart shaped vines coating everything. The vines enveloped every bush, palm and even climb to the top of the trees. What initially felt magical started to feel odd. I did not recognize this vine from my childhood and its loving embrace seemed suffocating. I later learned that this was an invasive plant called the Air Potato Vine. The reality was the vine was choking everything in its path. This vine has found its way not just to South Florida but also my new home of Southeast Texas. Where it is the worst in South Florida my hope is this work can act as a visual warning for the viewer. In these new works, I use the reflection of color to highlight the areas of the image where the air potato vine is. I picked a neon pink color as a visual marker because it is something unnatural and almost toxic looking. With each image in this collection the color/vine slowly engulfs the landscape. The aim is to use this visual experience a as way to help the viewer more easily recognize this plant and to use my talents as an artist to allow this knowledge to better penetrate one’s mind more deeply. In the larger scope for those who don’t live where the potato vine is the work can still function to prompt others to learn more about their local ecosystem and the things that threaten it.

Venessa, 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?

Currently I am a member of an artist run community called Box 13 ArtSpace in the east end of Houston. I also teach at the university level remotely for Florida International University where I am an adjunct professor. I enjoy teaching how to communicate through visual means to others because of what it has contributed to my own life.  I have always been interested in the visual arts. As a child I was quite shy, and this form of communications seem most natural to me. It has become a kind of adaptive learning tool for me to investigate the world around me and share my findings with the viewer. I also use my practice to explore new ways to use photography often cutting, painting, and manipulating by hand the initial image. How you as a viewer physically interact with the works is an essential part of the experience.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I enjoy that you used this word ecosystem as everyone plays an important role in the survival of the local creative community. Even if you are not the maker of art, your interactions with the art and the creative community that makes and sustains the art also has an impact.. Going to art exhibitions, shows and talks is a very simple way to offer your support. Posting our events online and helping to facilitate connections with others also is a small way to foster the survival of a creative you believe in. Buying work from local artist is also extremely helpful. As a creative we spend quite a lot of time developing, investing and producing our works. When you buy an artwork, you are making a statement that this art or theme is important to the community as it has meant something to you, it helps that artist have the funds to continue to create works and to allow them to be more ambitious with their goals. We often hyper-focus on the artist but others play a large role in the promotion, guidance, and support of what we do. There are galleries, exhibition spaces, or non-profits that offer spaces to show work and allow the public to interact with the artworks and artist. Also, curators aid in providing focus on a topic by facilitating discussions with specific artist or editing artworks for a show. By also finding ways to support those individuals and organizations you again can help the artist in your community. Finally, we have different publications like this one you are reading now they too are key in supporting artist offering us a platform to connect with readers and share parts of our personal stories that you would never learn just from looking at are artwork alone.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative in your experience?

I know I am extremely blessed to have the ability to continue to make my work. That I every now and then get to share my work and its message with others and the interactions I make offer something truly impactful to them. I see my work as I did as a child to communicate with others and the fact that after so many years, I still get to do that just amazes me every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: Monokian.com
• Instagram: vmonokian
• Facebook: Venessa Monokian
• Twitter: vmonokian

Image Credits
Venessa Monokian