Below is another old tumblr post of mine, this one from sometime in late October/early November 2015 on allowing yourself to learn from other artists. Nowadays we have trends like #inmystyle that actively encourage creators to imitate as a form of practice. Something I wish I felt comfortable with much sooner! This advice from fellow printmaker and friend, Elmer Ramos, on finding your voice through imitation was so helpful along the way. Elmer Ramos is a mega talented, multi-discipline, maker I first met when he was the print shop tech at SCAD Savannah. He’s like my printmaking big brother, always so helpful and kind during my time in school, and many times in the years since. If you’re interested in more of his thoughts and to see some of his incredible work, check out his website here, or find him on instagram.
Get Naughty With Art
Originally published Fall 2015
Today I asked our shop tech, Elmer, the question: how do you know what you want to make art about? “I use my art as a way to understand myself better.” He explained, telling me to think about and research the things that I like, and ask myself why I like them. “Make art that answers that question.” “No one knows you better than you,” he continued, “Don’t try to make your process unique–you’re already unique!” However, he went on to explain how when he gets stuck, he copies. Whether that’s copying old masters, or scrolling through the instagram accounts of artists he admires and sketching: “There’s nothing wrong with copying to gain influence, it’s only bad when you claim it was you.” This was a really interesting perspective. I think as artists–particularly young artists like myself–we convince ourselves that everything we do has to be completely unique, and the idea of copying work (even as practice) becomes taboo. Yet for hundreds of years it was common practice to learn how to be an artist by creating copies of other artist’s work! Copying seems like a great way to imitate styles you admire/and or want to incorporate into your own work, and although it’s definitely a sticky topic, I would like to see more people embracing the art of the copy. “Get naughty with art,” Elmer laughed, “I hope that helped.”
