Interview with Artist Noelle Fiori

AHC: Can you tell us a bit about your process, themes & inspirations?

Noelle: My creative routine usually begins when I am not making art, I am driving, cleaning, showing, running... an idea comes to me. A feeling I have the urge to convey through collage. My practice has changed over time because I am not in grad school, so I am not generating as much as I used to. I tend to let an idea really simmer and build before I execute it. I am doing more works on paper again instead of collaging on wooden panels which is also a new adventure for me. I begin by looking through a magazine and letting the textures, colors, and photography wash over me. I begin ripping out pages that draw me in, and usually start with a body part that absorbs me. Whether that be a collarbone, or a gesture a woman is making, I begin cutting out the image with an X-Acto knife and slowly piecing it together with other images to construct my monster. I assemble this monster piece by piece and when I feel it is complete I begin to create the space they live in.

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AHC: What first drew you to art? Was there a specific moment in your life or turning point where it became clear to you that you were being called to create?

Noelle: I was always an eccentric child who loved poetry and creating my own worlds with toys but it wasn't until I was in high school that I really began to use art as an outlet for creative expression. When I was making art time stopped in a sense. Drawing was the first medium I fell in love with…I love how immediate it is. My realistic drawing techniques definitely influence my collage work. I use my knowledge from drawing to show depth in my figures, to wrap certain curved elements around my monsters, and show a sense of movement in my work. I began working with collage in high school and then ventured into drawing, painting and eventually back to collage work. It is a medium I am really drawn to.
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AHC: Who are some of your artistic influences? Is there anyone outside of the art world who has had a huge impact on your work or who just generally inspires you, writers, filmmakers, musicians etc? 

Noelle: I identify most with Martha Rosler’s work; her Vital Statistics of a Citizen has really influenced my art. I also really identify with Cindy Sherman’s photography. There are many feminist writers and activists who have impacted my art such as Betty Friedan and Naomi Wolf.

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AHC: When you're working on a piece what's the environment like, do you work best with silence or with music on, what is your studio environment/vibe like?

Noelle: Depending on my mood I work in silence or with music on. I like the space I am in to be really minimalist so I can focus exclusively on the piece I am creating. 

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AHC: What is the first work of art you encountered that took your breath away?

Noelle: I remember in high school learning about Berthe Morisot. She was the first female artist I was really exposed to and I remember being struck by the expressions of the women in her paintings. She captured a glimpse of their internal thoughts which took my breath away. The difference between the way she painted women and the way men did really struck a cord with me. In grad school the artist Wangechi Mutu's collages left me in awe as well. As in my own art, Mutu’s work deconstructs the female body, producing both extremely gruesome and appealing beings. She exaggerates the female body and equates the found female form with construct and artifice, something I also strive for in my work.

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AHC: Do you have any words of advice for young artists who are just starting out?

Noelle: Keep generating large quantities of art and seek out feedback from other artists who inspire you. This process, although difficult, really develops you as an artist. My graduate program at the Art Institute of Boston required us to work with artist mentors, and their feedback pushed me as an artist and helped me decipher what I wanted to say through my work, and decide what was the best medium for my content.

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AHC: Do you have any upcoming exhibits or new projects you'd like to tell people about?

Noelle: I am starting a new venture into works on paper so I am excited to see where this takes me. Also adjusting to being a new mother, along with artist, teacher, sister, daughter, wife will be new for me. Seeing how this new aspect of identity impacts my work will be interesting.

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For more visit www.noellefiori.com/ 

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