Vol.116_BFGF
BFGF
Lilian Martinez
from Los Angeles, United States.
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Please introduce yourself to MAPS readers.
Hey :~) My name is Lil. I am a visual artist.
When and how did you start BFGF? What did you do before BFGF?
I started BFGF because I wanted to make functional tangible objects. I studied photography at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Before BFGF I worked as an e-commerce photographer in Chicago.
How has studying photography affected to your life and artwork?
I love creating images. Photography was the first artistic medium that I learned to use to compose an image. I struggled with it because I felt I had very little control over light, composition and perspective. With painting and drawing I feel more free creatively. I use photography more as a tool now to archive my work and to create images to share my pieces with the world.
Could you describe your creative process?
When I am creating a new image for a product like a blanket or a pillow, I work digitally. I don't usually sketch because it’s so easy to erase and modify when I am creating an image in a computer. When I am working on a piece for a show like a painting on paper or canvas there is more planning and sketching involved. Overall I like to explore themes that I feel are beautiful and humorous.
Does your painting lead to product design or are they separate?
I regard them separately. They exist in the same world but the processes are very different for me.
What kind of impact do you hope that BFGF has?
I hope it bring joy into people’s everyday lives. I hope that there is a connection and inspiration. I hope that it is an accessible way to introduce art into peoples home space.
What do you think is the most important when you compose figures?
That it feels right. That it fits into the space I create for it comfortably.
Do you have your own routine?
I'm a slow riser but I don’t like to skip breakfast. I alternate my attention between my personal work and my online shop depending on what projects I am working on at the moment.
What is it like to live in LA as an artist?
It’s a good place to be an artist. There is a creative community of people here working really hard and doing things they enjoy. There is a lot of inspiration and room to explore here I think. Lately I have been spending a lot of time working in a desert outside of Los Angeles. That is one of the things I love most about Los Angeles. You are only a day trip away for the desert, the ocean, the forest or the mountains :*)
What is good taste to you?
Whenever I admire someones taste it is usually minimal, functional and visually interesting.
What do you usually do when you don’t work?
I like to travel, eat, read, nap, and go to museums.
What makes something art?
I think art is intentional. Anything can be art if there is artistic intent.