Emvergeoning

EMV: So, tell me about “Tiny Acts of Immeasurable Benefit” and how you came up with this new body of work.

KP: I have been thinking about making this body of work for a couple of years. After “Bitchen [Pell's art installation at Artpace in 2007],” I thought I had solved my problem of how to frame my work- kind of to work as a story teller and flesh it out with artifacts and documentation. But sometimes I just get a small idea- kind of a flash image and want to make a piece that breaks my heart- and I am interested in describing a culture of acceptance and cooperation. So, that’s what these pieces are. Sure, there is bitterness, too, but that is because we are looking at the pieces through our own eyes. We project the irony on them. They don’t point out any sort of contradiction within themselves (except for the prints). Sure, maybe I will make sort-of-narrative shows like “Bitchen” in the future…

EMV: I saw you walking around La Tuna inside a mirrored box. it’s a playful and striking piece that seems half architecture and half Dadaist costume. Why did you make this piece and how is it connected to your ongoing work?

KP: I have been interested in the re-emergence of the Islamic headscarf by second generation Americans and Europeans as a way of asserting a religious identity, especially since a lot of their moms don’t wear them. How much of it is simply rebelling against parents, a new identity, or is it the same impetus that makes teens still wear the black trenchcoat after Columbine (oooooh an arab, scary)? I know it is also a profound religious resurgence for many, but I’m sure there is a mixture going on- then I extended it to the burqa. And thought, what if I made a burqa that had the opposite effect from wearing one would in San Antonio today- one that actually made the woman wearing it become a reflection of everything- so that it fits in everywhere and everyone loves the wearer because it reflects the viewer? But i didnt make a flowing burqa because thats diadactic and not funny. So i made a box, then it looked like a disco-ball-duck-blind-confessional, so i called it “Blind for Everything.” Then it had a sort of cool wordplay, you know: blind, camouflage, another piece about how we build ourselves by making choices out of what we see (like Mick , like “Bitchen”).

EMV: How has your vision changed, if at all, since your residency at Artpace?

KP: I have made the same work since I was a kid- about how I see myself and how class and background combine with the sort of dreamy role-modeling we can create from literature, TV, magazines and religion. To me, the most typical thing an American can say is “I’m not your typical american,” to think you are not a type, to think you built yourself out of dust , to see yourself as a Horatio Alger of coolness, artistic integrity, wealth, musical tastes, fashion. I haven’t had the budget I had at Artpace so I have to put some of my more expensive projects on hold till i can save up.

EMV: Do you think that the Residency at Artpace opened up opportunities in the national/international art world that wouldn’t have manifested otherwise?

KP: I think being on the short list was super valuable to me because before that no one ever visited my space from out of town. I am sad I don’t get those visits any more. It was super reaffirming as I felt a lot of those pros could see what I was getting at before I did. They are so smart! Before that, I felt like people saw me as maybe a local booster at best and I couldn’t figure out why. So, seeing a neutral curator was empowering. I got a lot of money from Artpace and a supplemental grant from the department of art and cultural affairs and got to do what I wanted , which was huge. I was reviewed – the opportunity to make and document a big show was helpful and I love Artpace for their generosity.

EMV: What are you most interested in when you look at other artist’s work?

KP: What is it about? How have they considered? How it is going to be viewed? Is this art for the art crowd? Are they really trying? Why is this work in a gallery (if it’s in a gallery)? What is for sale- or how are they paying for this? Are they trying to win me over? Why not? Does this art need an audience, or could it just be made and left at home? Is this art about something outside of the art dialogue?

Basically, I tend to look at art as a maker and historian. I am impatient and don’t like to look at art on a TV screen unless it is, like, a short movie. And I think empty space around a work is not always a powerful statement. Hard work and sincerity makes a lot of bad work forgivable, but if you’re going to do some sort of minimal statement… have something to say. What are the chances we haven’t heard it a million times? And don’t make fun of the president. It’s like shooting puppies on qualludes in a cage. Unless you do it as part of your installation on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.

EMV: What’s up with Mick Jagger?

KP: When I was 9, my neighbor gave me a Stones album with a photo layout (high tides and green grass in mono) and when I saw Mick, I realized he was like me- skinny, ugly, big mouth, British, not exceptionally talented. But through sheer will he built himeself into a sexy, magnificent superstar and he never whines, goes to rehab, gets into a cerebral relationship or decides he’s too old to go to bimini to do coke with a model. He enjoys his fucking unbelievable timing and luck !!!!!! He is my super hero and I love him more every day. If I try hard enough I think through his brain and act accordingly. I used to bartend and I quickly realized that talking about celebrities is a risk free way to talk about yourself. I mean, it’s easier to say Cher is an old whore than to say I am am a conservative who believes in the social norms of age related behavior… you know what I mean?

EMV: You use a lot of flora and fauna in your drawing and oftentimes the animals reciprocate the viewer’s gaze. Could you tell me more about that process and how you choose subjects for your comics and paintings?

KP: My comics are pretty autobiographical (from my childhood) or about people like me- girls from art school and the suburbs. I am uncool and I can’t claim any hard knocks. But I am a bullshitter, so that’s what I use the comics for- either to tell some poignant and profound story from my childhood or to tell a slightly tall tale. I love drawing with the pen and ink. I never read graphic novels or comics though because I don’t like them usually(too dry or sexy or dark) and if I found one I like I would probably copy it. As far as the animals in my last three bodies of work, they were inspired by the adoration of the magi images from those old Jesus books I saw as a kid- mostly made in the 40’s-60s with Jesus sitting on the modern bed of some girl who has cancer or something and the animals looking in the manger with a combination of love and wonder. I wanted my animals to look at you that way… and birds, mammals, little tree frogs and rodents are adorable! Admit it! You don ‘t want to be adored by fish or hippos…well, maybe hippos.

EMV: What are you reading these days?

KP: Right now I am reading a goofy book called Lamb about the childhood of Jesus Christ, told through the voice of his best childhood friend, Biff. It is light reading to say the least, but these days I seem to need to be really enticed to read anything that’s not about history or (yikes) other peoples art. And you know I’m a big fan of explorations of our saviors mortal nature. Even semi-saviors like Gandhi, Gordon Matta-Clark and Mick Jagger. Especially Jesus though, since I can hardly be expected to emulate his divine nature, but then again there’s the other half.

For the record, I have no beef with Jesus.

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