To
say that Jude's work was different would be an understatement. The three other
artists' works were confrontational, in gaudy colors and bearing heavy messages.
Jude's work was bursting with a quiet tranquility and elegance. An Interview With Jude' Silva
by Justin Engle
I first became aware of Jude Silva's work at an exhibition on the USC campus titled "Colorado Installation." The show was comprised of four installation pieces, each as individual as the artists who created them.
Each wall was an experience unto itself. One wall had a circus sideshow, the next wall had a large collection of woven creatures that looked as though they exploded from a petri dish and grew at a rather violent rate to be the size animals. The next wall was designed to look like a small theater with an audience of corrugated plastic and a small plastic boat. The last wall had three pieces by Jude Silva.
To
say that Jude's work was different would be an understatement. The three other
artists' works were confrontational, in gaudy colors and bearing heavy messages.
Jude's work was bursting with a quiet tranquility and elegance.
She attended a closing reception, and I got the chance to speak to her. Somewhere in the middle of her life, she is composed and tranquil, not unlike her sculptures. I asked her if I could interview her and she immediately agreed.
Q. When did you first become interested in installation art?
A. I became interested in installation art when I was working on my BFA at San Jose State University in 1981. I did not attempt any work along those lines until I was in graduate school in the early 1990s.
Q. Was there any one person or group of people that opened your eyes to installation art?
A. When I was at SJSU, the art department had about 6 student galleries that you could sign up for. You had the weekend to install whatever you wanted, as long as the gallery was back in pristine condition by Thursday night of the following week. I saw some exciting concepts worked out during my time there. There were times when installations would appear outside of the gallery confines.
I also had about three professors that encouraged their students to stretch.
Q. Who are your influences?
A. Magdalina Abakanowicz, Eva Hiesse and Andy Goldsworthy. Abakanowicz's scale of work and her ability to thrust the weaving media into the foreground of contemporary art, plus do powerful images. Eva Hiesse and her boldness in materials and simplicity of form. Andy Goldsworthy's directness and respect when dealing with natural materials within their particular environments.
Q. Are there any specific ideas that you have in your mind when you create the objects for your installations?
A. Sometimes and Sometimes not. Often times the idea is first, but also the work can lead me to a conclusion.
Q. Are you originally from Colorado?
A. No, I was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and moved to California's Bay area when I was about two. I grew up in Los Altos and spent my adult life in San Jose. My husband and I moved to Buena Vista in 1995.
Q. What made you decide to live in Buena Vista?
A. My husband and I were on a trip and came down Trout Creek Pass in late Spring and were captivated. That was about twelve years ago. We bought property about ten years ago and moved here about six years ago. We have never regretted it.
Q. Do you create works other than for installations?
A. I paint, draw and make handmade pare, mold paper bowls and do mixed media pieces. I do whatever interests me.
Q. Are there any specific ideas or pieces that you keep returning to?
A. I keep returning to fiber materials in some form. I also like the tension between man made and natural materials.
Q. From my understanding of installation art, the main principal behind it is to create a space or an environment that the viewer can interact with. Do you find that this holds true for your pieces? Do you encourage audience participation?
A. I agree with your definition of installation art as a whole, but I think there are subtleties involved. The action/reaction of the viewer can be physical and/or a psychological interruption. Many installations do not let you into the space or do not invite you to interact, but do challenge you in other ways.
Q. At the 'Colorado Installation' show at USC you had three pieces, each with separate titles. Do you consider your pieces to be separate entities/objects, or must they always be shown in multiples?
A. I feel I was the marginal installation artist in the USC show. Yes, all three pieces are separate and individual. The willow braid was definitely an installation piece. It is different each time it goes up depending on the space it needs to adapt to. It could even be installed outside. "Veiled" and "First Winter" are stand alone works. Although, I have found that because of their fluid qualities, they need special attention when placing them in any environment. They can look like crap if not placed well.
NEXT:
More about Jude's motivations and her "words of wisdom."
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