We recently interviewed artist and illustrator Vivien Mildenberger on her unusual artworks and where she’s taking her creative practice.
Hey! Please introduce yourself and what you do!
Hey there! I’m Vivien Mildenberger, illustrator, artist, collector of curiosities and maker of silly things.
What is it about your practice that you find so exciting and keeps you hooked?
I try to play a lot in my studio. I like to get in touch with a more childlike creative side where it’s more about getting lost, having fun, and experimenting rather than being concerned with making something “good”. I also really like making mistakes and trying to incorporate randomness into my work, that always keeps things fresh and interesting.
If you could experiment with any other medium, what would you choose?
I recently got the equipment to get my own small ceramics studio going. I love making dimensional objects and little toys and things, so I’m very excited to start being able to make more ceramics. I’m really interested taking illustration further than just a drawing on paper.
Where do you get your daily inspiration?
I draw a lot from childhood memories and history. I love to learn and I try to know a little bit about a lot of things and bring them all together in the studio.
When is your favorite time to work?
Definitely, when it’s grey and thundery outside and warm and cozy in my studio.
What makes you wake up each morning feeling pumped to create some new work?
The satisfaction of getting into bed at night knowing you’ve made a lot of things that day that didn’t exist before.
Are there any artists/photographers/writers/filmmakers or musicians where you have in mind when looking at creating new works?
I try to look at as many things as possible all the time, as I think most creative people do, so there’s definitely a lot of images bouncing around in my head all the time. I especially love to go to museums and look at medieval illuminated manuscripts because they’re so wonky and wonderful.
What are you currently working on that you just can’t get enough of?
I’m working on my first children’s book right now, which is really exciting. It’s about a little knight who is tirelessly optimistic.
What’s next for you?
New York! New work!
Website vivien.mildenberger.com
Instagram http://instagram.com/vvberger/
Tumblr http://vvberger.tumblr.com
