Leslie Diuguid, artist
Through July 2 , artist Leslie Diuguid exhibits her installations and collage-drawings of her “version of the apocalypse” at Bemis Underground (details below). Here she chats with Les Femmes Folles about growing up having drawing contests on her porch, being inspired by glitter and fashion, her obsession with the process of printmaking, her random process for titling work, and how Omaha is a great place to be an artist. Diuguid will also be showing her talents live at the Sandbox July 8 (details below; yes, painting live!).
Tell me about your background. Where are you from?
I grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City, MO. In the summertime my sister, Adrianne, and our neighbors, Susan and Sheri, would have drawing contests on our back porch. We’d draw girls from Vogue and Elle after my mom finished looking at them. I was 4 years younger than the other girls so my drawings always ended up with gigantic heads and misplaced nostrils. The other girls were eleven and thirteen and drew very well. My mom (the judge) usually chose mine as the winner because my drawings were so strange and unpretty. I think those contests really shaped my idea of what art is.
Where did you go to school?
I went to the Kansas City Art Institute and majored in printmaking. During that time I became obsessed with process and fell in love with screen-printing.
Tell me about your work.
I like combining unlikely pairs into one image to make people look at things in a different way. More specifically I’m inspired by fashion and how it relates to trends in the art world. Lately, I’ve been using Photoshop and Illustrator to compose reference sketches. I work very indirectly. There is a lot of tracing, projecting, and transferring that goes into the final product. I hand make most of my work, but as I do it I pretend like I’m still using Photoshop. Images will be broken down into layers, transparencies, and flats. In the end I call them collage-drawings.
What is your work about?
I don’t have a specific message with most of my work. I like leaving room for the viewer to make their own interpretations. Sometimes I’ll reveal my opinion about what’s going on in the titles, which are usually quotes from movies. It’s a pretty random process.
Tell me about what you’re showing at the Bemis Underground.
I have twenty-five collage-drawings and two installations at the Bemis. I’m basically showing my version of the Apocalypse. It’s pretty tame and hilarious. Since 2012 is around the corner and the Rapture on May, 21st already happened, I figured now was a great time to present this crazy idea. If everyone who worships God has been “saved” during the Rapture, then what will the rest of us revere? Athletes, sports, and supermodels Hallelujah!
So do you think being female has had any impact on showing your work or did it in school?
Not really. I’ve been in a few all women shows. If anything being a girl has helped my art career thus far.
Does being a female have any impact in your work?
I know it does, but I figure if I were born as a boy (my mom would have named me Yogi) I would have been the gayest boy in the universe. I love glitter, fashion, and America’s Next Top Model (guilty pleasure) all of those influences have a big impact on my work.
Do you think Omaha/the midwest is a good place to be for female artists?
Yeah, Omaha is kinda nice actually. There is less competition here. On the coasts I feel like there is a certain pressure for men to make macho work and women to be feminine that doesn’t exist here. Artists can blur whatever lines they want not be scrutinized for it.
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Leslie Diuguid: Power Tower is on display at the Bemis Underground, 724 S. 12th Street, through July 2. For hours and information visit bemiscenter.org.
LOUD: Music, Art & Party featuring live painting by Leslie Diuguid is July 8 at The Sandbox, 2406 Leavenworth Street starting at 9p.m. Admission $5 21+, $8 18+; for more information visit their Facebook invitation.
