Abby Sin, Underwater (video still), 2014

Interview: Abby Sin
Luca Curci talks with Abby Sin about Pixels of Identities – Spain.

Abby Sin is a multi-media artist located in Los Angeles, CA. She studied FineArt at Art Center College of Design where she received her BFA in 2013. With background training in professional photography and a love for the contemporary art scene, she also does fine art exhibition documentation and works at a historic Artist Colony in downtown Los Angeles.

Abby Sin, Underwater (video still), 2014

Luca Curci – When did you start practicing art and why?

Abby Sin – Art has been a constant in my life from a very young age. I have always been drawn towards creative forms, like playing the piano and modern dance. As a 10 year old I can remember often “borrowing” my parent’s old camcorder and being entertained for hours on end, staging and filming humorous vignettes with my friends.

 Abby Sin, Synapse to synapse, (video still)

L. C. – Can you talk about your artistic work? Which are your inspirations?

A. S. – My work explores liminal states, such as consciousness, memory, and dreaming that reveal out-of-body perspectives. In my video works I employ pro-filmic experimentation, or in lens effects to evoke a dream-like and fluid atmosphere. A lot of my inspiration comes from the early experimental video work of artists’ who have pioneered this medium, such as Stan Brackage, Gary Hill, and Bill Viola. I also work in painting, photography, sculpture, and installation developing a visual language of voids, spatial atmosphere, the body, and time cycles ranging from the planetary to circadian. I am interested in colliding perspectives from both the microscopic scale of the biological to the cosmic scale of the universal, presenting the boundaries of “self” as softened and the body as fluid in space and time.

Abby Sin, Sci-Fi Romance 1, paint, fabric and canvas on wood panel

L. C. – What are you currently working on?

A. S. – I am currently working on an underwater video art piece. Over the course of a three night video shoot, I held my breath and took my camera for a plunge experimenting with reflections and flickering lighting effects created through the water’s surface. The effect is ghostly; the suspended figure seems to waver and dissolve in this black space-like atmosphere. I wanted to create a challenge for myself by filming in a completely different environment, but also to capture those inherent qualities of weightlessness, fluidity, and depth.

Abby Sin, Underwater (video still), 2014

L. C. – What was the best advice given to you as an artist?

A. S. – Simply, to love what you do. I always get excited about the projects I am working on and I believe it’s this energy and enthusiasm that propels my vision forward and generates interest from others.

L. C. – What is art for you?

A. S. – For me, art goes beyond an individual object or literal idea; it is a way of seeing. My everyday experiences and observations become synthesized. It is how I connect information, build relationships, and ultimately make meaning.

Abby Sin, In The Same Breath, (video still)

L. C. – What do you think about International ArtExpo organization?

A. S. – The International ArtExpo organization has a curatorial eye for cutting-edge contemporary artworks. They really care about finding interesting new artists to showcase and deliver to art communities internationally.

Abby Sin, Between, (video still)

L. C. – Do you think International ArtExpo organization can represent an opportunity for artists?

A. S. – Absolutely. They provide invaluable opportunities for artists to connect and gain exposure for their work with exhibitions at prestigious venues throughout many parts of the world. They have a quality over quantity approach that showcases some of the best emerging contemporary artists from across the globe.