8 Questions with Susana Aldanondo

Susana Aldanondo an internationally-renowned artist from New York featured in Al-Tiba9 magazine ISSUE04, interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj.

Susana Aldanondo embodies in her work the joy found in the human connection, focusing on the positives through gestural abstraction, splattered and dripped paint, large and thin strokes, straight lines, and loose curvilinear forms. She creates movement and energy that stand out in her paintings. Through her art as an Abstract Expressionist and Conceptual Artist, she expresses a deep connection to identity and spirituality, appealing to deep feelings of connection to ourselves and others while highlighting the strengths in others and the world around us. Being an immigrant artist, some of her work reflects upon that, contrasting life in the city and in isolated areas of Vermont.

Aldanondo participated in many exhibits and shows in the US and abroad, including The Other Art Fair London, MvVO Art Show at the Oculus - The World Trade Center in NYC, Tokyo, and Switzerland, and in exhibits curated by The New Museum NYC, Sotheby's, The Andy Warhol Museum, ArtBest. She is also a winner of juried competitions judged by The Mirken Family Foundation and The Newport Art Museum.

www.susanaaldanondoart.com | @susanaaldanondo

Why are you an artist, and when did you first become one?

I have been exposed to art my whole life. My father was an artist and a muralist who worked out of his small apartment in New York City. He sold his art in the streets of Soho, NY and made paintings and murals for several restaurants and event venues in NYC. My memories of him include seeing him make his paints, stretch canvases, make prototypes and carry his paintings up and down the stairs in the NYC subway stations as he commuted to sell them during weekends. Art was always a part of me, but I kept pushing it aside out of the fear of struggling financially as my father struggled. There was also a real pressure to paint up to my father’s standards which kind of made me decide not to pursue my passion for abstract art until many years later.

What kind of education or training helped you develop your skillset?

I studied art at The Art Student’s League of New York, I also took abstract expressionism and history of art, Abstract Expressionism in Society, Art & Identity offered by the Museum Of Modern Art (MOMA) in NYC. I also hold a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences & International Policy from Nord University and a Translator & Interpreter degree from Hunter College, NY.

During 2016-2018 I also obtained Certificates in Urban Ecology and Climate Change through Cornell University. I believe everything that I’ve studied has contributed to help me create works that convey messages that can appeal to audiences across different cultural backgrounds, holding an open heart and mind while so doing.

What themes do you pursue? What inspires you to work?

I always focus on conveying a positive message through my work. I’m inspired by many aspects of life and by music, the elements: rain and wind in particular play a role in my creative process. I’m also inspired by the subtle opportunities that are found in the hardships we face in life. I’ve faced a few.... and among them is the real struggles that immigrants face, oftentimes injustices and discrimination, however, I focus the attention of such themes on the positives, for instance, Hardships and the almost unrecognizable opportunities they offer inspire my process and what I intend to convey in most of my paintings. In my page I state I focus on the positives, and this is a summary of the above. For instance, in my life, I’ve faced injustices including discrimination, but instead of allowing that negative situation to steal my energy, my process, the message of my painting, and how I choose to ‘show up’ in life, I chose to highlight the beauty found in diversity, which is based on recognizing our differences and celebrating them, learning about other cultures and embracing those differences and what we also share as humans, our equality and our right to be treated equally and fairly. In my painting “Across The Ocean” I sought to convey the idea that sometimes what sets human beings apart is a geographical setting, the place where life’s synchronicity has placed us, where it takes us, and how we choose to show up in life. Sometimes the side of the ocean or geographical area or what side of a border where we’re born in, or our life’s path takes us, is the key factor into how our lives turn out, what opportunities we have, how we’re treated, and what future we can access. The same is for my painting “Melting Pot” which I created to highlight the beauty found in diversity, showing what seems to be a crowd, each individually unique and beautiful, they all make up the beautiful scenery as a part of something bigger, part of a bigger picture and an important part of that scene.

What is your creative process like?

I usually pick out the colors that I want to use, if I’m in the city I take every opportunity I get to paint outside, if it is raining I incorporate that into my process, I enjoy standing in the rain and allow it to create marks on my canvases. I am also inspired by the winds near the East River in Queens, the movement and energy of wind is something I hope to paint about and let its energy become a part of my paintings. I rarely paint without music. I have to have music playing to be able to paint, otherwise, I feel my painting ends up lacking energy, movement, emotion, that I convey through thin and thick brushstrokes, gestural lines, and the combination of colors. Music is always playing while I paint I can’t paint if there’s no music playing.

Music is always playing when I paint, and I oftentimes find inspiration in music even while not painting. Music from around the world inspires me, I love French Arabic music, as well as Flamenco which has Arabic roots. Tango is part of my identity, as well as Jazz. I also like to listen to pop music, During my artist residency in Iceland, I painted under the rain and while listening to French-Arabic music. Rhythm is a big part of my identity as a person and as an artist, it defines me and my work.

Why do you use circles so frequently in your work, especially in the paintings? 

I was told this is something that is found on many of my paintings, however, I don’t usually intend the lines to create circular shapes, the lines that I make are continuous in long strokes that create swirls, oftentimes those swirls are inspired by the wind, at other times they convey the idea of continuity in life, the twists and turns we sometimes call destiny, and what drives them: synchronicity which is a concept that fascinates me and I often explore and meditate about. So the lines, either straight or connecting to form circular shapes suggest the concept of synchronicity, destiny, and our willingness or unwillingness to keep going, even when we don’t see where the road is taking us, or even when the road takes an unexpected turn. It all also falls back onto the idea that life has unexpected turns, making us step outside of our comfort zones, sometimes it tests us in unforeseen ways, yet, we always have a choice: the continuity of the lines suggest we should always keep trying and never give up. The lines as a group and as part of a bigger picture suggest we are not alone and everyone is tested in different ways, everyone’s life follows a path and encounters turns, twists, surprises, both good and bad ones. Music also influences the brushstrokes and lines seen in my paintings. The idea is to offer hope, continuity and to focus on the big picture.  

What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?

Lights and shadows, lines, colors that work well together. Colors can ‘make or break’ a painting. During my residency in Iceland, I had very limited materials to work with, and it tested me to find ways to make the materials I did have available work for me. I remembered what my professor Frank O’Cain from The Art Student’s League often told me: use color to create light. So light and shadows are a very important part of the process and affect the final result in my paintings. I pay close attention to priming my canvases as well, the base to a good work of art consists also of ensuring the surface will enhance the colors for years to come. The quality of the canvas and the paints I use are extremely important to me because I don’t want to show nor sell a work of art that is not high in quality.

You have a unique relationship with the rain. Please, share something you would like the world to know about you? 

Yes, rain is a big part of my creative process. Making abstract works of art is very different from creating realism works or any other kind of painting really, it allows a freedom of expression unlike any other and the marks that rain creates on my paintings become part of the abstract expressionist work that I do. The rain has always been a part of me, growing up in Buenos Aires until the age of 14, the rain was a big part of my life then, we have lots of rainy days in Buenos Aires. Then my family moved to Queens in New York City, where rain also abounds. I never liked using umbrellas, and as an adult, I’d often walk back from work and arrive home soaking wet, and I remember always feeling that anyone not experiencing that at least once was missing out on a truly unique experience. Since I’ve been painting, and as rain has been such a part of my person, I incorporated it into my creative process. I’ve painted under the rain on the Brooklyn Bridge, which is something I’ve become known for.

I find beauty in the rain. Most people find it a nuisance, but again, I find so much joy in finding opportunities that often go unrecognized, and rain offers that kind of beautiful opportunity. I find beauty in the rain. The elements such as rain & wind, nature such as the ocean, are all inspiration to me, about movement and energy, but they also act as reminders that we all experience them, and there seems to be a magical thread that creates connection within that thought. The process of abstract expressionism leads to freedom in the creative process, and using rain as part of my process is part of that freedom I allow myself to work with, and abstract expressionism allows for me as an artist. The process of using rain as a process of my work also holds meaning to anyone seeing my work, acting as a reminder to always free ourselves from preset ideas. You can’t truly be or feel free if you don’t allow new ways into how you live your life and how you detach yourself from any prejudice or preset idea of how something or someone should be, act like or do this or that like. I consider myself detached from preset ideas and prejudice, painting under the rain also happens because I feel free.

Any specific places in New York or the U.S in general where our readers can find your work? 

My work is found in private collector’s homes in New York, London, France, Brazil. I have paintings shown during different art exhibits, one coming up on April 20-26 is in Tribeca, NY. I’m part of a group exhibition dedicated to showing works of women artists from around the world, my piece “Unbound” is part of that show. I also have an image being shown at The Bandit Cafe in New York City through Art Takes Armory Show, ongoing from March 4-26. I also have two works that are shown at the Saatchi Gallery & Museum in London, UK as part of their newly launched digital exhibit since July 2019.

Can I visit your studio?

Yes. Visits are welcomed, but really, as I always say: ‘the world is my studio’ and with that in mind, I am willing to travel to paint.

Any shows, galleries, or publications where our readers can find your work?

Yes, Art Takes Armory show at The Bandit Cafe in New York City on March 4-26, 2020. Women Of The World Group show in Tribeca, NY April 20-26, 2020 through South Art Dealer. A portion of my work is dedicated to helping organizations dedicated to helping others in need, so you might see my work again in London this year, last year I donated a work of art to help raise funds for The Calm Zone in the U.K., an organization helping people who deal with mental health issues. They raise funds for their suicide prevention campaigns, through The Other Art Fair London. I also contribute to other institutions in the US. I only mention this because art collectors interested in my work can also purchase a selection of them while contributing to a good cause. My work is found in online galleries such as Singulart and I may also be found on other galleries in the future. I like to think of my art as independent and I believe the internet has opened so many doors for artists who in the past had to be listed by the ‘brick & mortar’ galleries, which in turn translates into financial investments for artists.