Artist Kathy Servian (Updated)
Congratulations to Kathy Servian for earning her place as a winner in the Monthly Art Award (October 2022)!
To read Kathy Servian’s previous interview, click here
Who are you?
I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember. Even as a child, I was always drawing or making something. Sewing was my first love and after training in fashion design and technology in the early 1990s I worked in the apparel industry for over 25 years including having my own clothing label. Looking for a new challenge, I retrained in jewellery making and had a successful jewellery label for a few years. Then I decided to try my hand at writing a novel, which I did (four novels, in fact). I completed a diploma in creative writing and found some success with my work placing in several writing contests.
It was during the process of trying to find a decent image for the cover of my third novel, a historical set in NZ in the 1850s, that I decided to make a historically accurate costume and asked a friend to photograph it. At this stage, I didn’t own a camera and had only used Photoshop a little. This process sparked my interest and I bought my first camera and proceeded to make and photograph more costumes and sell the images on stock sites. My photos now appear on hundreds of book covers and I recently completed a diploma in photography.
“Couch Potato” (Winning Work)
Photography
By Kathy Servian
What inspired you to utilize photography as a medium?
My dad was a commercial photographer so I’d always been around the industry. I was also the client on numerous shoots during my time working in fashion. When I picked up a camera it felt right. Creating digitally composited fine art images began about four years ago. I found myself compelled to use photography for more than just recording what was in front of me. I wanted to explore idea and tell stories.
How would you describe your work?
Story telling is an integral part of the fabric of human society and exists in every culture. My surreal tableaux vivant images draw on the visual narratives of myths, fairy tales, and
popular culture. They are designed to provoke thought and discussion about personal and shared experiences. Each image is real because it’s a photograph, but is also impossible and that juxtaposition interests me. In the surrealist tradition, viewers are encouraged to tap into their unconscious to explore the symbols and messages contained within each image. My early composites were inspired predominantly by fairy tales (the original freakishly gruesome ones which contained all sorts of weirdness and hidden messages, not the modern sanitised Disney versions.) The illustrations of late 19th and early 20th century artists such as Arthur Rackham and Warwick Goble also inspired me as did the work of the Pre- Raphaelite artists of the late 19 th century. I’m drawn to images that appear delicate and beautiful but have an undercurrent of darkness and menace. It’s important to me that I work in an ethical way. I purchase the majority of my fabrics and props from charity shops so I can reduce the environmental impact of my work and support local charities.
“Solitude”
Photography
By Kathy Servian
Can you discuss the inspiration and thought process behind “Couch Potato”?
I was completing the portfolio paper for the photography diploma earlier this year during lockdown and was required to produce 20-30 images on a theme. I realised I had to come up with an idea that could be done at home with no contact with anyone outside my bubble. Covid seemed the logical subject matter as it was dominating our lives at the time. I began creating a series of surreal tableaux vivant images featuring just Sam my 13-year-old son, as the subject. I used a plain black background in every image to give visual unity to the collection and to represent the social void around us Covid had created. Sam turned out to be a fantastic collaborator on the project. He was not only a great model, but he also contributed lots of great ideas. I researched many different aspects of pandemic life and worked to create images that commented on individual and shared experiences of Covid.
The final 23 images in this collection represent a shift away from the fairy tale / fantasy aesthetic of my earlier work towards highlighting contemporary issues and encouraging thought and debate. ‘Couch Potato’ came into being as a response to research I did around the mental and physical health effects of extended lockdowns. Dramatic increases in over eating, alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence, and self-harm were all indicators that many people were struggling in isolation. While the image may initially appear comical, the message behind it is a serious one. Viewers are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences of the lockdowns and to think about how they can develop heathy coping mechanisms for future stressful situations.
“Down The Rabbit Hole”
Photography
By Kathy Servian
Can you walk us through the technical steps of creating ‘Couch Potato?’
To create this image, I first shot Sam, in my studio sitting on a box holding a bucket of KFC. I then shot a 1:12 scale second-hand dollhouse sofa I bought online with a potato sitting on it. Finally, I shot a bottle of wine with a surgical mask draped over it. When I began to composite the images of Sam and the potato, I realised that it looked wrong with the potato being ‘nude.’ So, I made a tiny pair of Y-front underpants, pinned them to the potato and re-shot that element.
The final image was created in Photoshop with Sam’s features and limbs masked onto the image of the potato. The potato skin texture was then wrapped around Sam’s limbs. The couch was ‘aged’ and the wine bottle and mask added.
“The Guardian Angel Narrative”
Photography
By Kathy Servian
Can you talk about your biggest learning experience during the process of creating your work?
The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is to trust my creative intuition. It’s easy to be distracted by the plethora of images, information, and opinions on social media. When I was working in fashion, it was vital to keep in-step with current trends and to create for the consumer. This engendered a ‘hamster-wheel’ mentality with all meaning sucked out of the creative process. With hindsight, I think that’s why I moved away from fashion towards becoming an artist. I came to the realisation that my best work happened when I ignored the ‘noise’ and worked at my own pace concentrating on expressing the flow of ideas inside my head. I make work that tells the stories I want to tell. If other people like and understand it, that’s great, but if they don’t, that’s fine too.
Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?
While my work has placed in lots of competitions over the years, I don’t make images to win awards or impress people. My biggest success was the realisation that I can use my style of imagery to express ideas and comment on issues I think are important.
“What Would Jesus Do”
Photography
By Kathy Servian
What are you currently working on?
Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to work on new projects for the past few months due to a health issue. I had started a new series of images titles “The Tears of Eve’ which was to explore issues relevant to women. I hope to continue with this project when my health improves.
What is your dream project or piece you hope to accomplish?
I would love to have the money one day to create something really big with a budget for models, props, costumes, and even an assistant. However, that seems unlikely to happen so I must continue to create on a shoestring budget.
“All Guns Blazing”
Photography
By Kathy Servian