I love New York. Everywhere you go, you find someone with a unique life and an awesome back-story. I met an amazing artist during this wild and hot summer in a specialty beer store and had the amazing opportunity to interview her. Enjoy!
Name: Lena Landegger
Age: 24 and a half
Tell me a little about yourself.
Hi! My name is Lena Landegger, and I’m a mixed media artist from Westchester, New York. I am multiracial – half Filipino/Chinese/Malaysian, and half German/Russian/Austrian/French. I went to Georgetown University where I majored in French and Studio Art, with a concentration in printmaking. I also studied at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, and have worked abroad in the design industry in China and Nepal. I currently reside in Mamaroneck, NY, and I work locally in many different capacities, some of which include strategic planner, photographer, screen-printer, ceramic artist, and friendly neighborhood beer girl. I started a feminist apparel line called BRUTALHONESTEES with my two good friends, one writer and one designer. We are a clothing company striving to develop a community of honest wearers as a symbol of inner strength and self-awareness. We believe that being brutally honest is the only way to avoid being boxed in by the traditional expectations of society.
Favorite drink?
I love Founder’s Backwoods Bastard, which is a bourbon barrel aged scotch ale.
What inspires you when you create art?
Emotional vulnerability is what inspires me. I get excited by the raw moments and poignant situations in which people let their guard down and function honestly without bending to the expectations of others. I like to create art that soothes me while making it, but depending on what I’m feeling, the graphic impact of my work might be light and whimsical or dark and heavy. Right now, I am very inspired by the cultural politics of emotion, which relates to the influence of emotions on the body and the way that bodies relate with communities, and end up producing social relationships that determine the national rhetoric.
If your art could speak, what would they say about you?
“She drools in her sleep.”
How have technological advancements aided you in creating?
The internet and digital photography have had a huge impact on the way I see the world around me. From my work as an assistant to Photographer Carol M. Highsmith, to my love of CMYK screen-printing, to my obsession with Tumblr and Instagram, digital processes and media permeate my daily routine. Rapid information sharing inspires me to live more artfully, and to create better work, which I definitely couldn’t do without my Spotify playlists. You might say that I’m addicted to Spotify.
What are your goals for the future?
My friends and I started the New Rochelle Arts Collective, and we have been programming events in our area to boost networking and spark creativity amongst local business owners and creatives. So my goal is to keep growing our community, and to come up with bigger and badder events to bolster artistic activity and reinvigorate New Rochelle’s scene. One possibility is finding an appropriate space to build a DIY music and arts venue. I would also like to plan a series of community impact projects using art as a bridge between individuals. We want to give people of all ages opportunities to connect through art in a safe space. So far, we have held printmaking parties, drink & draws and group panel discussions on the future of our community. I like working with this group of artists because there is always lots to do, and we are hell bent on throwing the most fun and dynamic events possible.
Beyond the collective, my biggest goal is to work with at-risk communities using expressive and movement arts therapy. I’m currently applying to graduate programs in Art Therapy, and my wish is to create healing experiences for individuals of all ages who have been through trauma.