3 Questions With Artist Ajay Leister
Ajay Leister, the Philadelphia based artist, works with fabric and a building material similar to cement called structolite. His material choices illuminate the horror in the day to day, such as “typical actions like answering a telephone.” He is currently working on a new drawing series influenced by weapons found in Horror Films. “As part of the 3QuestionsWith.Us series, I caught up with my old friend Ajay to discuss why he makes what he makes, and what the day to day of artist is really like.
1. In your day to day life as an artist, when do you think “I’m doing this because I’m an artist”?
Hmmm. This is a tough question. There are things I have done in the past where I can say, oh i definitely did that because I am an artist like collecting coffee cups for a year but at the present time the answer is not so clear. Largely, just allotting time to create new things and staying self motivated is when I realize most that I am an artist.
2. As a kid you were amazing at Sega Genesis, and specifically Mortal Combat. You also were always on the up and up with the next new gadget. I’ve recently been watching a lot of Black Mirror. It’s great at creating horrific worlds caused by technology and technology’s effect on social interactions. I mention it because your artist statement (entitled “BODY BAG”) reads, “When thinking about my process and material choices I to gravitate towards the creative visions of seminal Horror film directors such as John Carpenter or Bob Clark who have the ability to find terror in the most common of spaces like a home and typical actions like answering a telephone. The uneasiness they instill in highly familiar places is what I do with the use of ordinary fabric to create bags that are essentially bodies…” Modern horror movies cannot escape the technology of the time, but horror obviously will forever run deeper than social media. How do you see the effects of social media and technology changing the way your art is made, and perceived?
First of all, I am a huge fan of Black Mirror and find it more terrifying than most horror movies that are coming out today. Especially in the episodes that are so close to the boundaries of reality. In regards to my art, I do not see much effect in the materials I choose to work with as a result of social media or technology but the increased prevalence of streaming media has definitely provided me an almost endless source of research since I am largely influenced by horror movies and horror film theory. This past summer I went on an 80’s slasher binge which was made possible thanks to platforms like netflix, hulu and amazon. Also, podcasts have been super beneficial tools in shaping my research, as well as, the platform academia.edu. In thinking about the way my work is perceived in this technological age, there is this immediacy of sharing artwork soon after it is finished or posting images of a show for people who are unable to attend. As a whole, social media has changed the way all of us are able to experience and perceive because we no longer have to go to a gallery to see new things. However in contrast, the way that images have the power to seduce a person into attending an exhibition is quite amazing as well. I had the opportunity to work at Ann Hamilton’s recent installation here in Philadelphia, and social media was a powerful tool in driving attendance. Many patrons who came through said they found out about the exhibition from their facebook or instagram feeds.
3. If you could have any other job in the world other than artist, what would it be and why?
I have always wanted to star in or direct an infomercial. I love how over the top and absurd they are and how everyday tasks are made seemingly impossible. It is a bit nonsensical but I also enjoy how creative the commercials are in exaggerating the difficulties of typical chores and injecting an element of comical horror.
Visit AjayLeister.com to learn more about the artist.
3QuestionsWith.Us is an original series by AMI Publications, profiling those who push commerce, technology, and creation forward.
