Qué Eres? Shelbie Pettiford

will try to materialize in whatever mean possible, by doing so, the work of art will solidify a and actually right now is the moment in which I am finally being able to manage my artistic vision or idea of the artist that allows us to understand reality in a more complex way. So I am and academic persona. I am finally getting to realize that not everything has to be as black or really interested in that type of art and in that type of artist one who work tirelessly in their white regarding art production and the definition of an artist. studio night and day achieving the grasping of reality. So I think that calling yourself an artist

is a completely ethic related experience, you need to call yourself an artist when you really S: I understand that you completed an artistic intervention at UABC and at UCSD; do you think believe you deserve the title, you don’t need to wait until somebody acknowledges you. So in that that action wasn’t artistic and academic at the same time?

the end that is why I cannot call myself an artist, because I don’t have the time or space to do M: What happens is that I am really annoyed by the idea of art as an inspiration driven looking for inspiration, all that to me is very unpleasant and unreal. I think that art is a real continue with another type of non-artistic job hardly can call themselves artists.

S: Have you ever tried to stay a whole day producing art? S: If money factor wasn’t involved in the picture and someone told you that you have to produce perspective would change?

that, produce everyday and in a studio because all my time and energy is spend in my teaching M: I do! And that is just what I was saying earlier that I am discovering that maybe art activities. educators and artist could coexist in one person because at the end I do realize that what I am doing. It’s not easy, it requires a lot of work and I am beginning to realize that you don’t need

S: So, you believe that an artist by definition is that one that stays locked in from dawn to dusk to be on a lock down to produce art, that I can also accomplish it in open spaces, with people, producing art? talking and creating pieces. So right now, I am blissfully getting to know that I can play

phenomena, expression like an enlightening muse of the bohemian who goes out to the streets S: What is your favorite art technique?

profession, it requires hard work, it requires investigation and the constant reminder that not M: Watercolors, because is a technique that allows a lot of freedom and spontaneity. It reminds everything that you produce will be art, you need to see what works, the aesthetics, the me of Bob Ross when he said that sometimes we could encounter ourselves with “happy composition of your piece and the importance within the world and how you want to express accidents” So I like the tranquility of using watercolors, to not worry about water running over. that importance through it. And I think that someone who paints for one hour and proceeds to That is something that I enjoy very much when I am working, the satisfaction.

between the two maintaining my rules for artists.

S: Do you believe that there are several types of artists?

M: It’s hard because for example, I do see a difference between a chef and a cook and I also see M: That requires a super intense discipline, and I sometimes feel like I am not that disciplined, a difference between someone who is a good painter and someone who is an artist. To handle so through that I realize that I greatly admire people who can accomplish that. I can lock myself an adequate technique does not make you an artist. When you really discover something about down and paint all day and I enjoy it a lot and I get excited and the hours pass by and I don’t reality that no one else had seen before, a new observation or idea and you offer that something realize but I don’t see myself doing just that everyday rigorously. I found that very hard to do, new to somebody else to experience by any means, that makes you an artist. So for me being an and I believe that it has to do with my personality because I rather be on exteriors, talking to artist could come in very different shapes like someone who knows how to work with hair, or people, I rather doing more dynamic activities than being locked down in front of a canvas. a fashion designer or a chef all of those people could be artist because they bring very

four paintings a month and that all your living expenses were covered, do you think that your S: What does loving art means to you?

interesting proposals of something they want to say and how they want to tell them.

M: I don’t know what it means, but what I can say is that I can spend day after day after day M: I think it definitely would change, my position regarding producing art nonstop has a lot to and forever talking about art, researching artists, talking about my understanding of art or hear do with money and actually trying to make a living out of it and here in Mexico is a really hard what other have to say about it. I can do all of that all day long and I don’t get bored, it does not task. So if somebody came up to me and told me that I don’t have to worry about money when weigh heavy on me, I never get sick about it! I believe that the chip is already on my system, producing art full time, it would be a dream come true. But then again I love to teach, I love the because whenever I learn about other topic, I immediately related it to art, for example if I see

57 university environment, I love the fact that I get to share experiences and working space with fellow professors that enjoy art as much as I do and that we can work together to solve issues that have to do with art production. So it’s really weird because I really like both experiences a documentary about chefs I would think about composition of the plate or his interpretation of cheese or vegetables. I don’t know, it’s just something that I can no longer take apart from me and I think that answers the question. ● DRAW YOUR THOUGHTS visit: www.collectivemagpie.org/book for another interview conducted by Shelbie Pettiford and to download the full collection of 82 interviews

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

This publication was developed with the binational project Globos by Collective Magpie

Published on the occasion of the exhibition In A Close(d) Relationship at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, January 25- April 8, 2018

Collective Magpie = Tae Hwang & MR Barnadas + Participants

Preface • Tae Hwang & MR Barnadas

Introduction • MR Barnadas & Tae Hwang

Contributing Essay • Melissa Fisher

Copy Edit • Lissa Corona, Cris Scorza

Border One | 14 Conversations

Conversations • Marina Kleit, Gianna Zamora, Clint Evangelista, Nicole Gonzalez

Copy Edit • Hot Air Balloon A Team

Chapter Design by Adrian Orozco & Abigail Peña

Copyright • 2015 all Border One Authors

Border Two | 15 Conversations

Conversations • Kevin Lau, Michelle Johnson, Shawn (Yuxuan) Zhang, Dan Qiao, Devin Sheridan, Gabriel Maldonado

Copy Edit • Hot Air Balloon B Team

Chapter Design • Adrian Orozco & Abigail Peña

Copyright • 2016 all Border Two Authors

Border Three | 36 Conversations

Conversations • JP Falstad, Audrey Borger, Luis Espinoza, Marcelle Rico, Amy Kittisoros, Patrick Yip, Christian Linney Arturo Martinez, Estefany Gonzalez, Maria Poblete, Paul Esteban, Jonathan Gonzalez

Copy Edit • Hot Air Balloon C Team

Chapter Design • Adrian Orozco & Abigail Peña

Copyright • 2016 all Border Three Authors

Border Four | 17 Conversations

Conversations • Valeria Ortega, Grant Chinn, Joel Goldsmith, Ulyses Ramos, Shelbie Pettiford, Martha Salazar Cintora

Copy Edit • Hot Air Balloon D Team

Copyright • 2017 all Border Four Authors

Cover Design • Adrian Orozco & Abigail Peña

Supplementary Design • Collective Magpie

Print and Bound • Diego & Son Printing Inc., San Diego

Copyright • 2018 All Authors

ISBN • 978-0-692-04998-3

ISBN 978-0-692-04998-3

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9 780692 049983