Understanding “Hearts”

Finding people who express themselves through creative outlets is something we love doing. So much so that we wish to strip back the strokes of the paintbrush to see what inspired the creator. We talked with high school artist Samantha Page about her piece “Hearts”, here’s what she had to say.

Most of my work depicts the human body; I believe that the body is the purest and most powerful form of art. The human body is central to how humans understand themselves and each other. Our bodies are canvases that allow us to convey how we want to be identified, we can wear certain types of clothes and cut our hair certain ways to appear as we wish; but we cannot alter our body parts (with the exception of plastic surgery, which allows people to be perceived in a way that they wish to be identified as). I have always found appearances interesting as many people choose to appear differently than who they truly are; this has influenced my work greatly. I associate body parts as the purest form of true identity and I consciously incorporate the concept of true identity into my pieces.

How long have you been producing art?

I’ve been producing art for as long as I can remember, I used to roll around in paint for fun as a kid. I loved creating art from however old I was when I could first hold a crayon to probably around the age of 9; that’s when my self judgement kicked in. I found that creating art was really painful for me from age 10-13 and I strongly resisted and resented creating any type of art, at that point in my life I thought that I would pursue politics and wouldn't ever have to deal with art or the floweriness of the art world. Now here I am, I produce art on a daily basis and am truly happy when I immerse myself in creating any and all types of art…and I definitely take part in and am constantly inspired by the “floweriness” of the art world-i also have no plans to become a politician…ever.

Are you surrounded by a creative family or is art your own interest?

I am definitely surrounded by a creative family. My parents both have very creative minds, as well as my brother who is in the modeling industry. He’s always very up to date with the newest fashion trends-the lines, colors, and simplicity of some of the clothing he wears inspires my art. Also, almost all of the women in my extended family are also artists, so I guess art is in my blood.

What inspires you and your artwork?

Beat poetry, Ukiyo-e printmaking, The Smiths, the way sunlight looks at different times of the day, cloudy skies, and graveyards are some of my biggest inspirations.

Where do you wish to see yourself and your artwork in the future?

Whatever happens, happens. I don't like to set goals or try to mould my future, you just have to live and see-it’s much more fun that way.

Any upcoming projects?

I have been writing a lot of poetry lately, schools out for summer so I've been able to stay up late and write. I have a lot of ideas for other projects, I've been very inspired lately.

#art #samanthapage #DIY