Archive for August, 2008

CarmineMagazine: What drives you to create? Also, what inspires you and your work?
Arlene Rieneke: I think the drive to create comes from my need to tell a story in a way that everyone can understand. I tend to have a very short attention span, and often find myself extremely bored while waiting for buses or queuing for a long time. I fill those blank spaces in my head with all manner of stories, images, sometimes from the songs that I listen to, a book that I read, strangers I encounter during my daily trips to and from work, beautiful random passages, or other people’s creations. My teachers taught me to never take everything I see, no matter how ordinary or trivial they seem, for granted. Those are my inspirations.

CM: Were you formally trained in art or self taught? Do you think it has helped you or hindered you?
AR: I studied art and graphic design formally in college, and I think it definitely helps, though perhaps not in the way I expected it to be before. I believe that the real education in art and design happens in life after and outside the confines of formal institutions, yet, at the same time, going to an art school really helps me to reshape the way I view the world and process my thoughts just by sharing opinions, collaborating, and competing in a creative environment. It opens my mind. While I appreciate the education culture in my country, they are often very rigid and one-sided, where you should consider that everything your teacher says is correct, or else. There’s no room for discussions, debates, controversial or politically incorrect opinions. There is such a strong emphasis on marks as well…going to an art school helps me to rid of those narrow-minded thought processes that would have left me an unimaginative person. They encourage me to take risks, be different, and push my potentials. It may seem clichéd, but it’s true.
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