Conversation with Filmmaker Sophie Rousmaniere

Interviewing Sophie Rousmaniere reminded me that we all could probably be doing a little more to help the world be a better place. Sophie lives to create positive change and to fight for social justice. Her films are only one small piece of the work she creates to educate and speak about issues plaguing global society. In this interview we learn about the experiences she and husband Jay Minton have had through various film projects, travel, fundraising and even their life on the road with punk rock band The Elected Officials. If you want to get inspired to be the change you wish to see, then listen in to this episode and hear how Sophie Rousmaniere keeps the inspiration fueled in every aspect of her life.

Here is the conversation with Sophie Rousmaniere:

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All music featured on this podcast is performed by Sophie's band, The Elected Officials.

More about the artist:

Sophie Rousmaniere has worked as a filmmaker and freelance journalist in the US, Canada, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Guatemala, Pakistan, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. She has produced, edited and directed over thirty documentaries, short films and music videos. Sophie’s work is largely social issue based, having worked on topics from child prostitution in Thailand to environmental issues in the four corners area in New Mexico. Currently Rousmaniere is wrapping up a documentary slated for broadcast on PBS; “Yellow Fever – The Navajo Uranium Legacy”. She has also been busy working on her latest project, " Radio Taboo", a development project and documentary film about Issa Nyaphaga, an artist and activist returning to his small village Nditam, in Central Africa to build a community radio station to address human rights issues.

Learn more about the work of Sophie Rousmaniere at Iron Thorn Productions

Information on the film Yellow Fever

Information on the film Radio Taboo

Sophie Rousmaniere, Lead vocals for punk band The Elected Officials.

Sopie Rousmaniere and Hilda Bih. CRTV, Camaroon

Sophie Rousmaniere and Jay Minton on location for Radio Taboo.

Conversation with Artist Loriann Hernandez (Elle Seven)

Loriann Hernandez, also known as Elle Seven, is a roller skater, curator, artist and educator.

"My goal is to affect the fields of art and skating in ways that will bring a positive transformation to the world.  I’m an unconventional curator and so far I have accomplished this locally, but the world is a big place, I can probably keep skating, painting, curating and teaching for the rest of my life and in my 80’s finally start seeing the affects of my commitment....but hopefully sooner!" -Loriann Hernandez 'Elle Seven'

Hernandez is currently living, working and skating in Mississippi, and is creating imagery of various 'skating saints' that will become a series and also be exhibited as a solo show. I am honored to share the story of this truly amazing human being and I am really looking forward to further introducing to the world this incredible woman, skater, activist and artist!

Here is the conversation with Loriann Hernandez 'Elle Seven':

Subscribe to Art Beat Conversations on iTunes HERE and download this episode

Music featured on this podcast by the following artists: Rufus Thomas, Jose Feliciano, Portugal. The Man, SACH, Mala Rodriguez, T.V. On The Radio, EDIT, and Warpaint (Eby Le Beatz Remix).

Elle Seven at Port Orchard Skatepark Opening. Photo by MRZ. Thrasher Magazine 2013

RIDE Exhibition Opening

Tommii Lim, Cory Oberndodorfer, Loriann Hernandez, Reanna Ruby, Doug Miles

RIDE Curated by Loriann Hernandez 2011 

Photographer Heather Rose

RIDE Exhibition

RIDE Curated by Loriann Hernandez 2012

RIDE Exhibition

RIDE Curated by Loriann Hernandez 2012

RIDE Exhibition

RIDE Curated by Loriann Hernandez 2012

Whatever. Digital Mural. Elle Seven. 2006

More about the Artist: 

American Woman Series. Ink and Acrylic on paper. Elle Seven. 2010

Loriann Hernandez 'Elle Seven' grew up in Riverside, Ca where both of her parents are also from. Her mother and father grew up down the street from one another but didn’t know each other until High School because of integration. Ironically in school Hernandez still had some of those teachers that had been there since integration.  Hernandez reflects,

"I think this pushed me away from being interested in what was being taught in school and more towards the art education my family brought to me from inside of prison walls.  Some of the first things I drew were naked women and low riders and at age 11, and at that age I decided to take my art seriously.  When I took art classes, my teachers told me what I did was not real art.  Even at the college level, where I thought the teachers would have a progressive approach towards art, I was told my California prison tattoo line drawings would never be taken seriously."

Now, many years later Hernandez' “not real art”, has become a vital voice in the art movement known as, Low Brow. 

Hernandez' work is influenced by her family foremost. Her other biggest artistic influences are Patrick Nagel, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Alphonse Mucha, Religious art, Chinese and Japanese illustration, graffiti art, music, fashion, her subconscious connection to Indigenous pattern making and of course skating and her friends. 

In her work, Hernandez is currently using Sumi ink, watercolor and some gold, silver or metallic colors to transform skaters into saints.

"I’m a vertical quad roller skater and besides some coaching from veteran skaters, I’ve taught myself everything. I didn’t start skating parks seriously until I was in my mid 30’s.  Being a female on roller skates in a male dominated skateboarding world has been a challenge.  Occasionally a guy might find it funny to knock me down while I am skating but I try understand because it is their world I’m imposing on.  It is pretty dangerous to be knocked down on skates because you have your wheels attached to your feet so I work hard to earn their respect and after they see my skating abilities I’m usually left alone.  This situation makes me reflect back to my origins and at times really feels like another form of integration.  But I don’t think about it too much, if I did, I would probably be too intimated and never show up to the park.  90% of the time I am the only female skating at the park and 99% of the time I am the only roller skater.   Having the right to be a lady skater at male dominated skateparks may not seem as significant as racial issues or for females to have legal say over their bodies, but it is an underground way to fight against people’s misconceptions, stereotypes, even beliefs about themselves.  Lots of people my age watch their kids at the skatepark but none of them would dare even try to learn because they think they are too old, and then they find out that I am 39." 

Currently, Hernandez is working on an image of pro skateboarder Mike Carroll and more skating saints for a series and solo show.  The last painting Hernandez completed was for a friend who is the only other female vertical roller skater in the State of Mississippi.  

"We (roller skaters) are such a small family, world wide there are only about 700 in our 8 wheels ramp riding family.  No matter where you go, as long as there is another vert rollerskater, then you have family and that is the only reason I agreed to move to Mississippi from California after accepting a job." -Loriann Hernandez

Follow the work and skating of Elle Seven HERE!

Conversation with Artist Patrick 'Cloud Face' Burnham

Patrick Burnham, better known in the art continuum by the handle Cloud Face, is a Navajo/Hopi painter, musician, dancer, dj, producer and all around true expressionist.

Cloud Face

Much like the constant evolution of form and direction we see in a cloud making it's way across the sky, Cloud Face the artist, possesses the ability to enter an environment and enhance every aspect of his surroundings, shape shifting seamlessly through his crafts to create an inspiration that is comparable to a modern day renaissance man, now often known as the B-Boy . 

"A cloud, changing shape across the sky..."

Here is the conversation with Patrick 'Cloud Face' Burnham:

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All music featured on this podcast is from Cloud Face's own debut album Secrets of the Invisible.

The heart knows. Painting by Cloud Face

Painting by Cloud Face.

The 12th Letter. Painting by Cloudface

Hopi Girl. Painting by Cloud Face

More about the Artist: 

Cloud Face representing indigenous art crew XFRX

From live painting, to dance, from Dj'ing to teaching, from composing, to collaboration, Cloud Face represents community and the true definition of a B-Boy. Obsessing until he feels he understands each fundamental aspect of Hip Hop, he then adds each piece carefully to his tool bag, to be incorporated with elegance and jaw dropping precision visible in all of his work. Cloud Face has a new and visionary approach to surviving and thriving as an artist, proving, with his shear will and skill, the ability to maintain self sufficiency and to survive as an artist is possible. By using his hustle, learned at a young age from growing up in an artisan family, mixed with his self determination, and a hit of what I like to consider 'soul', Cloud Face stands out in a crowd, or actually he doesn't stand at all, he is too busy getting down to stand around, but if he is involved in a project you will take notice, his style requires our attention. Cloud Face is currently an active creator in the indigenous hip hop scene in New Mexico, incorporating whichever element necessary to create his artistic dialogue. Always in motion, as a cloud floating through the heavens, inspiring us all to keep creating.

Follow Cloud Face on Tumblr

Follow Cloud Face on Facebook

Purchase work from Cloud Face

Conversation with Artist Jamison Chas Banks

Jamison Chas Banks in his film Cibola.

Jamison Chas Banks born in Kansas, USA, is a dual citizen of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe, and the Cherokee Tribe of Oklahoma.

 "I have been an artist first and foremost since I first started thinking. I am also Native American. I live in this time, not in the past, I cannot make art that seeks to simulate my Native ancestors’ work or designs....I would characterize my work as ‘Attempting to clean an American turkey with a J. Edgar Hoover vacuum cleaner.’ I seek to subvert histories and ‘re-codex’ the American imperial sphere.”-Banks

The work of Jamison Chas Banks incorporates pop culture and indigenous iconography with military and political propaganda. He tackles intense historical tragedy with an urgency and irony that implores the viewer to focus in and think, to look deeper than what was taught, further than what we are told to hold as historical truths. Banks works in all mediums, and seems to use whatever tools necessary to convey his vision, from film to printmaking, from the canvas to massive mural work, there are no limits for this inspiring, activism based indigenous artist.

Here is the conversation with Jamison Chas Banks:

Subscribe to Art Beat Conversations on iTunes and download this episode.

End track featured on this podcast titled 'Fratres for Eight Cellos' by I Fiamminghi & Rudolf Werthen.

Red Scare, Blue Venom. Acrylic serigraph on paper. Edition of 60. Jamison Chas Banks, 2014

More about the Artist: 

Artist Jamison Chas Banks takes on symbols and turns them on their heads. He readily admits, “My art incorporates a multitude of symbols. In the end, everything can be maintained as a symbol. I often advance my own imagined personae into representing some other idea or thing, in that, the personae become symbols.” He goes on to assert that “symbols have continued to define and enrich cultures and traditions.” The Cherokee/Seneca artist exudes a certain optimism when he talks about what he perceives as a time of change: “We stand headstrong into a new arena of symbols and mythos, this is a time of renaissance and renewal. It’s safe to assume that Banks is a part of this “renaissance” and that his work is tinged with a subversive hue. He states plainly, with a hint of sarcasm, “I would characterize my work as ‘Attempting to clean a American turkey with a J. Edgar Hoover vacuum cleaner.’ I seek to subvert histories and ‘re-codex’ the American imperial sphere.

Also prevalent in Banks’ work is a military motif that is highly contemporary and relevant--- while acknowledging the tradition and importance of military service that span’s his family’s history. “Most men in my own family, have not only served in the military, but participated during active conflicts,” he explains. Yet, the paradoxical brilliance of his work comes through loud and clear: “patriotic fervor of World War II,” was preceded by harrowing boarding school experiences which literally tore families apart. 

When asked specifically what the word “tradition” conjures, Banks says without hesitation, “Tradition is a cycle of behavior or belief built up over generational lengths of time. Tradition can be seen as a colonial term, but so can ‘dog’ and ‘cat’ for that matter. I imagine now anything spoken in English can be seen as a colonial term. It’s a really loaded question because, I think, most art can be defined so differently, depending on who’s defining it. In my experience, there is nothing that can be absolute.”

-Barbara Ellen Sorensen, Tribal College Journal Vol. 25 No. 1 Fall

Follow Jamison Chas Banks on his blog.

Follow Banks' film work on Vimeo.

Conversation with Artist Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski

Artist Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski, mural collaboration with Artist Rebekah Tarin in Penasco, NM. 

I am so proud to present a conversation with artist Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski. A passionate activist and visionary, DeJesus Moleski possesses a positive, humble and gracious presence that is whole and rare. Her work is refreshing and unique, inviting the observer to engage further, to look deeper, to feel the warmth in the the color palate, and to further explore the integration of the various mediums she chooses. DeJesus Moleski invites collaboration and conversation through her art, asking the viewer into a complex dialogue threaded through her work. Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski focuses on futuristic femme myth as it relates to marginalized communities.  She primarily works in 2-D media and performance, and is based out of Oakland, CA. In this conversation we are able to further understand DeJesus Moleski's inspirations and share her process, unfolding how she developed her ability to balance beauty and activated resistance in such a precise and elegant manner. 

Here is the conversation with Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski:

Subscribe to Art Beat Conversations on iTunes and download this episode.

Music featured on this podcast, listed in order of appearance: Sylvio Rodriguez, Angel Haze, Immortal Technique, EDIT ft. The Grouch, REG ft. Medusa, Fernanadindo, Alice Russell, and ending track 'Revolution' by J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science/Lyrics Born/Mamaz.

'Instructions for a Storm'. Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski

More about the Artist:

Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski was born in France but spent her life moving around the East Coast, Down South, and Midwest of the US.   DeJesus-Moleski has received awards and honors in the areas of visual art including the ArtLA Student Artist of the Year, All College Honors, and is an Alumni of the AICAD New York studio residency program.  Her work explores the tensions between private tenderness and public defiance, specifically within communities that are typically depicted as stressed and vulnerable.  She has been working with organizations such as the Brown Boi Project, Strong Families, Third Root Health Center, and the Estria Foundation among others.  DeJesus-Moleski has exhibited work in New York, LA, and the Bay Area.  She is currently working on a solo show called Thick Dig, which focuses on futuristic femme myth as it relates to marginalized communities.  DeJesus-Moleski aims to practice the integration of multiple art forms as a way to make myth and tell the truth. She is an experienced muralist, performance poet, playwright, youth organizer, and visual artist. She is the co-founder (along with Cynthia Ruffin and Jessie Workman) of the B.R.E.A.T.H (Building a Revolution of Expression through Heartwork) program in Albuquerque, NM that teaches poetry and performance to incarcerated youth as a means to heal, resolve conflict, and uplift.  Amaryllis has dedicated her life’s work to stand with countless others in the movement that intersects the arts with activism, using creativity and expression as the tools necessary for community liberation, and the means by which we may all realize our most potent dreams.

Learn more about Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski on her website.

"Thick Dig (Ghost Sighting)". Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski

"Weave (for spell)". Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski