32: Sue Chenoweth
Sue Chenoweth is an artist and an undercover educator. She has an extensive inspiration wall. In May, Chenoweth transformed the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art into a whimsical board game (Wynter Holden reviews it here). Chenoweth's whimsy and imagination plays a large role in what she paints.
Read more about Chenoweth and her love of Phoenix after the jump ...
1. List five things on your Inspiration Wall (real or imagined):- The intersection of biological sciences and fine art. This is where I am going with my work ... I don't know how this will play out but it will and has already to some extent.
Artists:
- John Isaacs - he floors me
- Annette Messager - the animals
- Neo Rauch - Which way is he going?
- Thomas Hart Benton - swirls, color and scale
- and of course my favorite, Winslow Homer - the KING of the Eastern seascape.
History, Places and things:
- The History of Coney Island - bits and pieces of the three turn of the century amusement parks. I am using imagery from this in my next show.
- The History of Whaling in America - Nantucket to New Bedford
- The Vatican Museum Map Room - My favorite place in Italy
- American Estates of the Gilded Age- I like to explore the sub-basements, mezzanines and beyond
- Secret passageways
- See estate houses
- Gray Whales - their migration from Baja to Siberia
- Sperm Whales - Moby Dick, and the Whale ship Essex, Bamm Whammm! Longing and obsession. I want to be face to face with one.
- Blue Whales - Big Want to swim next to one...someday. Or at least see one.
- Grizzly Bears - Timothy
- Polar Bears
- Great White Sharks - They are so beautiful and graceful. My life was changed when I went cage diving with them for 5 days.
- World War II - How people survived in Nazi Germany.
- Magical Childhood memories
- Fairy Tales - see Magical Childhood Memories above. Tiny Tree houses and stairs. Remember STORY BOOK LAND that used to be at Disneyland?
- Universal Subconscious - those in the art world know about this so well
Books:
- Moby Dick by Herman Melville - STILL after all these years. The best American book ever written.
Last Big Project:
Spyhopping: Adventures with Sue Chenoweth and the Permanent Collection at The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (It's up until Sept. 19).
Next Big Project
What Goes on and What Takes Place at the Modified Arts. It goes up in February.
Why Phoenix?
Because I live here and have a bond with this place. It is where I have my family, friends etc. Also smells and memories. Those of us who have been here forever can smell the cooler pads when the cooler was turned on from our past. We can smell the manure on the winter rye grass. The smell of a summer night. The light. The air. Memory.
What is something you want Phoenix to know about you?
Two things:
I take this art thing very seriously and it is everything to me.
I also take teaching very seriously and want my students to understand that they can have lives full of engagement and serendipitous wonder.
What's something you don't want Phoenix to know about you?
I know that I can make people uncomfortable sometimes. Sorry about that. I am working on it.
The Creatives, so far:
99. Brian Boner
98. Carol Panaro-Smith
97. Jane Reddin
96. Adam Dumper
95. Mayme Kratz
94. Daniel Tantalean
93. Yuri Artibise
92. Lisa Starry
91. Paul Hoeprich
90. Betsy Schneider
89. Mary Shindell
88: Gabriel Utasi
87: Tiffany Egbert
86. Angela Cazel Jahn
85. Dayvid LeMmon
84. Beatrice Moore
83. Michelle J. Martinez
82. Carrie Bloomston
81. Paul Porter
80. Rachel Bess
79. Karolina Sussland
78. Aaron Abbott
77. Mary Lucking
76. Erin Sotak
75. Greg Esser
74. Matthew Mosher
73. Mark Klett
72. Tony Carrillo
71. Paul Morris
70. Joe Pagac
69. Alison King
68. JJ Horner
67. Kim Porter
66. Marco Rosichelli
65. Heather Hales
64. Amy Lamp
63. Kevin Vaughan-Brubaker
62. Lindy Drew
61. Robbie Pfeffer
60. Neil Borowicz
59. Lynn Fisher
58. Tanner Woodford
57. David Tinapple
56. Casebeer
55. Tom Leveen
54. Patti Parsons
53. Tedd McDonah
52. Mike Maas
51. Chris Todd
50. Monica Aissa Martinez
49. Stefan Shepherd
48. Jenny Poon
47. Matt Moore
46. Andrea Hanley
45. Julie Hampton
44. Ted Decker
43. Saskia Jorda
42. Michael Bergfalk
41. Scott Baxter
40. Carrie Marill
39. Kobina Banning
38. Suzanne Falk
37. Jon Haddock
36. Kade Twist
35. Cindy Dach
34. John Wagner
33. Roy Wasson Valle