Colleen Herman
Where were you raised? Has the landscape of that place influenced your work in any way?
I was raised in Baltimore, Maryland. The landscape is very beautiful in some parts, but I've lived out of my hometown for much longer than I was living there.
The landscape of Dutchess County in upstate New York, and the vibrancy of the streets of Oaxaca, Mexico have influenced my work the most. And of course the beautiful mess of New York City.
How do you re-charge your creative battery?
Recharging creatively always involves moving. Taking dance classes has helped me get out of my head and into my body, which is a starting point for my abstract pictures.
Visiting artists in their studios always always re-charges me.....dialogue around practice and hearing firsthand about someone's process inevitably helps to reframe my own.
What book are you reading?
Feelings Are Facts, Yvonne Rainer's memoir
What was the last thing that you fell in love with?
I fell in love with a rouge tulip growing up in the beach grass. No one could have planted a bulb in the dunes, but there she was - standing tall and strong amidst the dry brown grasses.
We figured out that after Hurricane Sandy, backfill was used to overhaul the beach during repair. This beautiful rebel bulb planted herself in the ground and rose up. Gorgeous.
What do you love most about yourself?
oof. love most about myself ! i think the capacity to make fun of whatever is going on, despite the circumstances. I'm grateful for a deep well of positivity and lightness, which surely came form my mama.
What do you think is the most important quality in a human?
Participation ! Showing up is not enough.
Do you have a spiritual practice?
My spiritual practices have ebbed and flowed over the years. I grew up Catholic, attending all girls Catholic school. And then turned to Eastern religions in college for a new perspective. As an adult, I've delved deeper into the South Asian religious traditions. Today my practice is sort of a mix of Yoga, walking meditations and Hail Mary mantras.
Who are your role models?
My role models are people who respect the Earth, maintain a sense of curiosity, and have a distinctive and unapologetic sense of self. My father is my biggest role model. My niece. Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, Stella McCartney, Jessie Chrastil, Lucinda Childs, my brother Davis Lindsey.
If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be?
In a time such as now, to think of changing one thing....oof. I would change the leadership in this country. The past few weeks have been a nightmare for so many. I have been heart broken that Bernie dropped from the race. To think of our country being led by someone who has devoted their whole life to fighting the good fights. It was just too good to be true it seems.
Is there a individual or an organization doing work in this area that you want us to know about?
The visual artist Hannah Beerman has created @artistsforhumans. which is a not for profit instagram account cum art gallery that shows artists' donated work for sale - with all profits going to a rotation of organizations during this precarious time. Right now sales are helping the Coalition for the Homeless.
Before I die I want to…. Fill in the blank
Before I die, I want to see Matisse's masterpiece, the Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence in the South of France.
All photos courtesy of Colleen Herman
