Interview Part 1 - Lena Semenkova Feature

by NDK Creative Artist

Digital Photomanipulation - is it art?

Well, let’s find out about it. The first part of my journey into photomanipulation began with one of the questions that defines ambition. It took place as part of preliminary research to determine if Lena had any idea of what she was about when it came to showing people her work. She has very clear ideas…

Defining Success; Comments and Criticism

TFA: How would you define success in terms of what your art work does for others?

Lena: I use deviantart.com as my exhibition. I’m very relatively popular there. But I’m glad that some people share my opinion and see what I see. Its the best way to communicate, don’t you think? When you pour it all into the piece of art and show it as it is. And some find it beautiful or even right. Some don’t. It’s an honest reaction, because words can and will lie all the time. Art won’t.

TFA: What kind of effects do you like to create in people with your art?

Lena: It’s showing yourself [Code Point 20]. I’m not very good with showing my true self in the real world, so it’s a good way. I trained to become a professional dancer long ago, but got a spinal injury and was left without the only way I could express myself. I had to look for other ways to save myself from going nuts. [Laughter]

“..step inside the picture”

I want people to want to step inside the picture. I have these feelings sometimes, when viewing other peoples’ art, it’s priceless. You present the alternative universe and they want to stay there for a while. It’s the greatest effect of all. And sometimes they want to buy the copy of such universe to keep the feeling with them. Which is even better because then I can buy myself a new pair of shoes and be a happy girl for a while.

TFA: [Laughter] You write very well.

Lena: I used to write. Even wrote a half of a book I dreamed to publish. Eh, too bad I couldn’t come up with the ending.

TFA: It’s just waiting in the wings. These things are like that. What kind of effects do you like to create in people with your work?

Lena: Once my suicidal friend stopped attempts to kill and destroy himself after he made a painting that made another person smile. It was a beautiful and rather surreal turn I like to remember. Can’t recover any significant moments having such an effect on myself, though.

People are very uptight when it comes to expressing their opinions about anything. It’s hard to guess the effect by the way they react. I mostly get “it’s true” remarks about what I do. If I’m able to nail the truth with rather symbolical stuff I do, I feel happy and right.

TFA: Do you have a collection of such remarks?

Lena: I don’t recover them all. I have a lot of comments on dA, there are a few priceless comments there. But then again, people mostly say “it’s cool” both online and in real life. Have you ever meet a poorer positive definition of anything than “cool”? Geez.

When I see something beautiful, I don’t know what to say, too. I usually start to babble about great colors and deep concept. When art students have nothing to say about a piece of art, they usually say: “it’s… conceptual”. Which means everything and nothing at once. [Laughter]

Stress, Conflict, Creativity and Spiritual Insight

9 October 2007 - The last time Lena and I had talked we were discussing theme and I made an attempt to pick up on this aspect but Lena’s mood lead to some interesting insight into the relationship between stress, conflict and creativity.

TFA: So how are you doing?

Lena: Yeah, not very fresh. Had a stressful day. Very weird stressful day.

TFA: Can you tell me how stress such as those sort of events affects, if at all, your creativity. Do you find it does affect your creativity?

Lena: Stress is just another impulse to jump into imaginary world. Well, I feel more motivated and alive when I’m stressed, actually.

TFA: So you use the stress to stimulate creativity or the stress is a stimulus to creativity? Both?

Lena: I was in a state a specialist would define as depression a few times. I was really surprised to find out that feeling down is not actually a depression. Depression is a state when you just lay down and don’t want to do anything and don’t feel anything. It’s the most horrible state I was in. Ever. So I prefer to feel anything except that. Even constant stress.

TFA: Thanks. So tell me about the new artwork.

Lena: The Kingdom.

Feature Index

1. Lena Semenkova - Camouflage of Contradictions
2. Digital Art and Photomanipulation
3. Review: The Imitator
4. Review: The Waiting
5. Review: Superstar
6. Interview Part 1
7. Review: The Kingdom
8. Review: Like a Bird
9. Interview Part 2
10. Review: Ghost Rider
11. Review: All the snowflakes must die
12. Interview Part 3
13. Review: Red Skull
14. Review: Prisoner of Conscience
15. Review: War
16. Conclusion

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If you'd rather we did all the hard work, you're in luck. Here's a list of articles that are related to this one:

• Review: Superstar - Lena Semenkova Feature
• Review: Red Skull - Lena Semenkova Feature
• Review: The Waiting - Lena Semenkova Feature
• Lena Semenkova - Camouflage of Contradictions
• Review: Prisoner of Conscience - Lena Semenkova Feature