ART OF ADRIENNE

Interview with Craig Merchant

How did you start creating art?
I started creating art as far back as I can remember. I spent a lot of time with my grandma as a child, and we would often create together. She is a painter, and although she won’t admit it, she is very talented. My parents recognized my passion at a young age as well and gave me many great opportunities to explore my creativity. I was not interested in sports like my brother, so instead of doing sports, I focused most of my free time on art.

Where did you grow up? How did your upbringing or growing up in that city influence your art?
I grew up in big house deep in the woods with no close neighbors. It was not a nice house, but I didn’t know that as a child. I remember my dad would always be chopping wood because we heated the house with several wood stoves. We didn’t have a lot of money so we took advantage of what was around us. I remember one day a pheasant flew into our window and died, so we ate it for dinner. It was normal for us to do things like that. I have a great appreciation for nature. I spent many days flipping over logs looking for bugs and salamanders. As an adult, those creatures have appeared in my artwork. I often represent animals and insects using subjective colors to show them in a unique way. I depict the creatures alongside human figures to represent that relationship.

Have any personal struggles or triumphs inspired any of your pieces?
I’ve been through a lot in my teens and early 20’s. It has never felt like a lot until interviews like this one when I take time to look back and reflect. I struggled accepting who I was through my entire youth and into high school. I never wanted to be different and I was terrified of rejection. When my parents found out I was gay, I felt that rejection. I always loved my parents and I am very thankful for the life they have given me, and I can’t begin to imagine what is like to raise a child. I remember having horrible internal thoughts about if I would feel freer if I didn’t have my parents around, and then one night my dad died in front of me while we were playing cards and things came into perspective. At 18 years old I went out and bought a foreclosed house for $16,000. It didn’t have running water or a kitchen, but it was mine. I spent the summer working on it and trying to turn it into a beautiful old farm house. I was at work one day when I got the call that my house had burned down. But it wasn’t just a fire. It was arson. It hurt me so bad, but physically I was okay and I moved on. I saved one large piece of lumber from the house. It was pretty much the only thing that could be saved. I have held onto that piece of wood for 13 years. This year I made a large sculpture out of that piece of wood that I will be showing in ArtPrize. I’ve always known it would have a purpose, and I feel like that piece of wood represents so much of my life.

What piece of artwork are you most proud of?
I am most proud of an installation I created called “Movement”. It was 300 inflated latex gloves floating and moving through a large reflection pond. It was a simple concept that I feel the viewer could appreciate in different ways. It was whimsical and fun to watch the hands moving through the water and at night they lit up different colors. But the piece itself had a deeper meaning. It was designed to represent a movement: A group of people working together to advance their shared political, social, or artistic ideas. I hope the viewer was inspired to translate the artwork into their own life and current events in our society. “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

What is your favorite medium or artists tool?
I studied printmaking and drawing in college. I took one sculpture class in my last semester and I was hooked. Since graduating college, I have been exploring different sculpture techniques. Because I didn’t receive a lot of formal training I have been able to make a lot of mistakes that have taught me how to be a better artist. Most of my art tends to be mixed media in nature with elements of sculpture and drawing fused together.