How has this whole experience been for you?
Really scary! Really, really scary!
But you've been here watching the process for years. You've seen all the shows. And you volunteered.
That's just it. I've seen you put up show after show after show. You were really nice and I began to think that I could do this.
What about showing really bothers you?
I'm really rather reclusive and introverted. And I can be a rather harsh critic of other people's work. After taking so many art classes in college, I know what it takes to create a piece. I can see when artists take shortcuts, and it bothers me. But now, I'm on the other side, as the artist who's work is on display, and it really is scary to think of people being critical of my pieces. I'm concerned about what people will do if they don't like it. It's hard to put yourself out there. Sometimes people can be harsh. It's hard to take that kind of criticism about something so personal.
What do you mean by reclusive?
My favorite place to be in the store is in the roasting room. I can sit there for hours and not have to engage with anyone. After being a roaster for a while, I found out that most roasters tend to be introverted, like me. They like to spend lots of time alone. When I'm in the roasting room, I can see everything that goes on in the shop, but I rarely have to talk with anyone.
Do you engage in other creative pursuits?
I like to write as well as do art. Actually I prefer to write. I was an English major in college. In fact, I've written a novel, but haven't had it published. The thought is too scary. I usually use pen names. This is the first time I've put work out into the world under my own name.
Why do you prefer writing?
I am partly color-blind, and can't see skin tones that well. That's why my drawings of people ("Peter Rhinehart") are in black and white. I like working digitally because all the colors have a number assigned to them, and I can use the numbers to differentiate tones.
What experiences have influenced your art?
When I was growing up, my mother was an artist. She creating very large, photorealistic, oil paintinngs... larger than life works. I was an English major in college, but I took a lot of art classes. I used art as a way to relax and destress. I've had cancer for 4 years, with 4 major tumors. I just finished my last round of chemo on Monday. Hopefully I am now cancer-free. Doing the art has been a creative outlet throughout the process. In college, I also took classes in electrical engineering and arson investigation. You never see a class on arson investigation. Of course, I'm going to take that. Not that I ever get to use what I learned in the arson investigation class in my life. It took me five years to graduate because there were so many interesting things to learn. The administration was telling me to graduate already, but I wasn't in any hurry. Isn't that what college is for—to take the time to learn things?
Like so many of us, you are a transplant to the area. How long have you lived here? What do you like about the area?
I grew up in a Filipino community in California so I really like the Asian food. I've lived in several places (California, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia). I moved to the area about four years ago. One of the things I love about this area is the food. It's so easy to get good Asian fare in Annandale. I am very partial to Korean and Japanese. I can put sashimi away like there's no tomorrow. And I really like that I can walk to work.
You have a variety of media in this show. Let's talk about some of your pieces. Can you tell me about the photographs?
The photos of the sails ("Sheets" and "Lines") are from a boat we no longer have, and were taken while sailing on the Potomac. My husband and I spend a lot of time on the Chesapeake bay sailing... We recently docked the boat for the winter and won't be sailing again until March. It's another thing that I love about living in this area—there are plenty of opportunities for sailing! And I have a couple pieces that relate to coffee roasting ("Roastering" and "Time and Temp"). A lot of my photography relates to things I enjoy doing in my life.
Can we talk about the piece, "Time and Temp"? It's more than just a photograph. It's got vials with coffee beans.
That's right. The piece contains a photograph of part of the roasting apparatus. In front of this are ten vials, each filled with some beans from points along the way in the roasting process. Each vial has a little tag with the roasting temperature written on it, hanging off the vial. Progressively, you can see that the beans get darker as the roasting temperature and length of roasting time increase. It allows the viewer an intimate look into the roasting process and the stages from green, inedible beans, to the beverage so many love to drink!
I think the most intriguing, and risk-taking, piece here is "Petals." Are those real teeth in there?
Yes. They are real teeth. I named the piece petals, because the shape reminded me of flower petals. And the jeweler's loupe in the piece is a metaphoric way of inviting the viewer to take a closer look.
So where does someone get teeth to put into a piece of art? Did you get them from your dentist?
No. I actually bought them on the internet. I don't know where they got them, but they are definitely real. There's even some silver and gold filling material in them. They were pretty dirty when I got them, and I cleaned and polished them for this piece. I still have a bunch left for future pieces!
Thanks for the conversation, Corinne. It's been great talking with you, and hearing some of the stories behind the pieces. Your show is anything but regular!
There will be an Artist Reception for Corinne this Saturday evening. Here's the details:
Evolution of Art presents "Regular Show" by Corinne Hiland.
Corinne's work will be on display at Beanetics through Tuesday, January 18, 2011.
Stop by and let us know what you think. Leave a comment here, or if you prefer "old school" methods, jot a note on one of the colored comments sheets and leave it in the Art Comments Box on the counter.
Everyone is invited to the Artist Reception
Date: Saturday, January 8, 2011
Time: 7-9pm
Bring your friends and family. Come hang out. Have a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. It's the perfect way to spend a cold winter evening!
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