A Q&A with Hilary Pecis

I first discovered Hilary Pecis only a few days ago, but from the moment I saw her work, I was completely mesmerized. By happy coincidence I followed her comment here on hello jupiter back to her site and was yet again so blown away that I decided I just had to write her. She was kind enough to answer the following questions about her art and inspirations:

1. Can you give me a little background on yourself and describe the themes and/or ideas behind your work?

I was born and have lived in california my who life. I went to California College of the Arts for both my BFA and MFA. I am interested in what the contemporary and post modern landscape painting would look like. My drawings depict the aftermath of a population crash, where remains a fusion between cyber space and hyper reality. The abandoned post-apocalyptic landscape in the position of regrowth is hemorrhaging consumer goods from the rock-like skeletal system. Evolution is depicted in the layers of rock, along with the gelatinous collaged pieces used to describe tumors growing exponentially. Patterns, which create order in nature, are also essential for artificial intelligence’s recognition and response. Images and shards from glossy magazine pages are reassembled to remove the familiar pseudo-event, which took place within advertisements and reposition them into a surrogate image within the drawing. Codes in both the striations of the landmasses as well as the programmed spectacle from the magazine pages narrate the future history. The space that remains is the refuge left behind with the disappearance of the human population. The land is continuously expanding with only the instruction and direction generated from its own design, resulting in a mutated environment. The space I propose is a critique of capitalism’s driving force behind the rate of technological developments and the urging of lifestyles that remains unobtainable, existing only within the spectacle.

2. What inspires you/where do you draw inspiration from?

I love looking at art and spend much time at galleries and museums. My boyfriend Andrew Schoultz is also an artist and we spend much time talking about art and critiquing it. But most of my inspiration comes from looking at nature, patterns- both natural and cultural, science fiction, and scientific theories. Ray Kurzweil writes about the shift taking place within technological development which I find very interesting.

3. What is your creative process like and what mediums do you use?

I use ink to draw the pattens in the rock like parts. Collage as well as acrylic paint accompany the drawings to describe a space that exists somewhere between cyberspace and hyperreality.

4. Who are some of your favorite artists and how have they influenced you?

Simmons and Burke are some young artists that I am super stoked on. David Thorpe, Peter Bruegel, Ernesto Caivano, Ara Peterson, Francisco de Goya, and so many more. I am definitely a fan of painting and interested in how painting operates within contemporary art (specifically Landscape painting).

5. What’s favorite band/musician to listen to while working?

hmmmm. i listen to talk radio mostly, but Do Make Say Think is a good one. Wu Tang or Can is up there as well.

6. What are you working on right now? What’s coming up for you?

I just had a solo show at Receiver Gallery, and in a few days will have an opening at Mahan Gallery in columbus ohio. also, my work will be show at the NADA fair in Miami and can generally be seen in the Triple Base Gallery flat files.

All images : copyright Hilary Pecis. To see more please visit her website.

More Q & A’s with artists I love coming soon! You can find all the past posts here: ARTIST LOVE