RESPECT. Interview: Artist Polyester Talks Inspiration Behind Doing Art, Her Creative Process And Much More

Image Credit: Polyester

Get into the interview below.

RESPECT: Where Did You Grow Up?

Polyester: I grew up in Montevideo (Uruguay, South America) in a neighborhood called Palermo, that is best known for its music, particularly a genre that goes by the name of candombe. I used to live in front of an abandoned house that was taken by people who would go out on the streets and spend all day drinking wine and playing drums by the door.

What Inspired You To Do Art?

‌In my opinion mostly pain and fear, as well as things that I don’t understand. I need to put them in paper, just to do something about it. Transform it into something else or just let it out. I tend to feel too much and usually don’t get anything about life, so I like to play around with that nonsense. Absurd excites me.
Also I get a lot of pleasure through my eyes, just by the act of watching. So, in conclusion, I guess I need to make something out of my experiences, whether it’s feelings or just images I get. I would become insane if I couldn’t draw. It is also a way of sharing with people and creating my own world, which is infinite because anything is possible there, in fantasy, and I’m crazy about exploring my inside and all those possibilities.

Image Credit: Polyester

What are some Art accomplishments for you so far?

Well I started sharing my art just a few months ago, and it’s been a great ride so far. It took me to great people and I got to expose my art in many opportunities, not like I’m in the MoMA, but it’s great to see how people can relate to my work and invite me to share it or ask me to do personal stuff for them. That honors me a lot and I’m pleased to do it. Recently my drawings went to Sao Paulo (Brasil) to the Plana Festival thanks to Sara and Mariel that are two cool uruguayan artists as well, and having that chance of people meeting my drawings is great for me. Even though they don’t ever know me, I like the fact that people can have an exchange with my art. It’s like having short intimate phone conversations with strangers. Images are communication. Art can be a question, an answer, or both at the same time. Sometimes a knife, others a relief. Sometimes just an observation, others a point of view displacement. Other times just nothing. But always communication. Because even nothing tells you something. There’s too much social pressure on art for it to be something. To be beautiful, big, smart, or say important things. But it really shouldn’t. Art is just another thing that humans do. And it should be just what you want it to be.

What Is Your Creative Process When You Do Your illustrations?

Generally I see things in the street that inspire me and then I go around that image and mix it with some other ideas in my head and end up drawing that result, or I just draw ideas that come out of the blue. Like I said before, art to me is like a world that’s being constantly created, it’s a game made of ideas and emotions, so I play. And then when I play, something else comes up, and so on and so forth. I have a lot of fun. I never want to stop.

Image Credit: Polyester

When Exactly Did You Start Doing Art?

I draw since I was little, I guess that my parents being architects may have something to do with it. During my adolescence until last year, I used to draw once in a while and then like 30 minutes later watch what I’ve done and hate it already. I would say last year I started really focusing on it, learning not to judge it so meanly, and finding a language I feel identified with. But I’ve been studying -most of the time without knowing it- my whole life to find that.

Who Are Some Artist Growing Up That Influenced You To Do Art?

There’s probably lots of incredible inspirations that I’m gonna forget, but now I can think of The Beatles, Daniel Johnston, the argentinian painter Antonio Berni, the great Saul Steinberg, Henry Darger, Yanagida Masami, Kot Bonkers, Fabio Rodríguez, Martín Lorenzo and my great friend Lucas Butler. And lately Andy Warhol, who helped me give less of a shit about everything and not take myself so seriously. That’s important.

How Much Time Do You Devote To Your Art?

I used to devote myself to it a lot. Now I can’t because I work everyday and also study Visual Communication. So I use my time between those three things. Anyway, I don’t think art is only done when it’s literally put together materially. I think art is being done mostly all the time inside and outside me. I’m always watching around and playing games in my mind with what I see, even when I’m in the bus going to work.