Tasya van Ree steps out from her signature monochrome portraits and presents A State of Mind & the Affairs of its Games a hued-visual narrative, serving as an explication of the modern human mind. For one balmy Los Angeles evening, a salon was held in the penthouse of Chateau Marmont giving collectors, friends and fellow artists a desirable environment to appreciate her newest body of work. Twenty-one photographs in total, printed on metal, with images of dolls, toy trucks, Cracker Jack boxes, and other depictions of childhood entertainment. Titles of pieces include: The Glorified Self, To The Point of Being, and Sparks When Struck. The depth and attention to detail in the collection of photographs is grounded in a intellectually vivid perception that has underlined Tasya's photography throughout her career. Tasya graciously made some time to answer a few questions.
Autre: What inspired the narrative behind this exhibition?
Tasya van Ree: I wanted to visually translate society's function on the human psyche.
Autre: What was your childhood like?
Tasya: I was a wild and curious child with a lot of freedom. I experimented with everything that I could get into and everything that I could get my hands on. It's not much different from my adulthood.
Autre:Were your parents artists in any sense, did you have mentors early on, that had an artistic nature about them?
Tasya: They are artists in the fact that they have great imaginations, and they've always been a great inspiration to me. They both chose careers outside of the arts, but to have grown up with both parents showing you how to tap into your imagination was all I needed to know exactly what direction I wanted to pursue in life.
Autre:What is currently inspiring you?
Tasya: The intelligence of the human body.
Autre:Does music and/or literature play a role in your creative process?
Tasya: There is always a creative conversation between art, literature and music. They are all moving pieces to a bigger form of consciousness. I can't help but be inspired by all of these parts when trying to interpret my own vision.
Autre: Does Los Angeles play a role in your work?
Tasya: I think Los Angeles has a high frequency of creative energy and I've found myself swimming through its channels.
Interview, text and photos by Douglas Neill. You can see more of Tasya Van Ree's art here.
