Interview: Deema Bayrakdar

What is it about working with mixed media that interests you most?

I started doing collage at a young age -- I would cut up pieces of paper and use found objects to create collages that were sometimes sculptural. I remember coming across Dada and the photomontages of Hannah Hoch, and really feeling inspired by how Hoch placed juxtaposing images within the same space, often making commentary on industrialization, race or gender. Romare Bearden’s collages also inspire me, and his use of color and amazing cut outs, which create palatable atmospheres and moods. There’s something about the simultaneity of collage that turns me on; I like seeing different shapes and images living together that are at times, powerful, ironic, chaotic or just funny. As I explored collage, I started experimenting with different materials and how they could coexist within the same space. Mixed media appeals to me because I like the element of experimentation involved in working with and mixing different materials. I remember doing little experiments with ink, ground graphite, turpentine, rubbing alcohol and bleach, and observing the results; it was like being a creative scientist. Like humans, I like how materials have their own inner workings -- sometimes they flow together, create tension, coalesce or resist one another.

How has living in Brooklyn influenced you as an artist?

One of my favorite things to do in Brooklyn is to walk from neighborhood to neighborhood, let’s say from Fort Greene up Atlantic Ave. to Carroll Gardens and Gowanus and end up at Prospect Park or I may walk through Fort Greene Park over to Myrtle and end up in Clinton Hill where my community garden resides. Or walk through Brooklyn Heights end up by the water and DUMBO and find my way back to Flatbush Ave. I pay attention to the landscape, how spaces are structured, and intersected by different elements, such as the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, old buildings, and the elevated G train with its flickering lights, that pierces the sky. I am inspired by how Brooklyn neighborhoods are connected and how we move through them. When living in London, I used to map my movements through the city and explore the shape of my movements. I am interested in doing similar projects here in Brooklyn because I am fascinated by how neighborhoods are connected or disconnected, and creating personal maps reflecting movement through the city.

How would you describe your style?

I feel like my textile designs are modern with an emphasis on color, texture, and movement, influenced by organic and geometric forms. I think that my drawings, paintings and even some of my screen prints also evoke movement, and are gestural, curvilinear and calligraphic, more immediate.

If you could pick only one, what medium would you work in and why?

Well, I love to draw and play with line quality, so I think that I would stick with pencil and paper, or an ink pen and paper. Sketching with pen/pencil on paper is a wonderful way to express ideas and work quickly without getting too precious, without my mind getting in the way. I appreciate instinctual, initial gestures because they work as a starting point, they help me develop and organize my thoughts and ideas.

What's in the future for you?

I would like to work on a series of map drawings using collage and mixed media. In regard to textiles, recently, I have thought about starting my own product line by digitally printing or screen printing my textile designs in yardage, and constructing accessories such as pillows and handbags. I am also collaborating with a graphic designer, and we are in the process of developing designs for graphic tees and apparel. I also have a few teaching gigs at LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC) and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). At LAGCC, I teach Adult Literacy, and at FIT, I tutor a few art history and Photoshop students, and I T.A. a couple Photoshop courses. Human relationships, the learning process, dialogue, and the theater that unfolds in the classroom spark my curiosity. The same way that I’m interested in mapping movements in space, I am interested in mapping human relationships and our interactions. In this way, I feel like there is a correlation between my teaching practice and creating artwork.

What kind of role has Carbonmade played in your life?

I learned about Carbonmade while editing and organizing my portfolio, and it seemed as though Carbonmade would be a viable place to display my on-line portfolio. When I apply for design related jobs, or write cover letters seeking freelance gigs, I always refer studios to my site so that they can learn more about my aesthetic and design point of view. After seeing my site, I have received some positive feedback and e-mails from studios about potentially working together. It’s been a great way to disseminate my work! Also, through Google Analytics, I’ve learned about the kind of traffic my site has received, and how individuals find my site, whether through Carbonmade or through other search engines. In a few words, it has been really helpful to have a site where all my work is organized and displayed to which I can refer people. Thanks!

Thanks for chatting with us!

For more of Deema's work check out her Carbonmade portfolio: http://deemab.carbonmade.com/