I went to meet David Mollett at Site 250 Fine Art located on Cushman St. downtown, where he was picking out slides to show to a class on Art Appreciation. He has taught part-time at the University for 11 years. David does painting, drawing and printmaking, and has won several awards. I asked him about arts in Alaska.
N.L.: Are there very many artists in Alaska?
David: Per capita, yes. I think we have a lot of high quality art here in Alaska, there are quite a few painters and fiber artists in Fairbanks, sculptors in Anchorage.
N.L.: What sort of recognition have you gotten for your work?
David: I've won first prize several times at the 64th Parallel show, but the best one I've gotten is Governors' Choice for the Arts. Thats a recognition for work done for the arts in Alaska. In '92 I won a fellowship and went to France for 5 1/2 months, I had a place to live near Toulouse and nothing to do but paint. It was great! I stayed 7 months.
N.L.: Where is your work shown?
David: I've got something in every museum in Alaska, The Alaska State Museum in Juneau, The Museum of History and Art in Anchorage, stuff up at UAF, and in the Decker Morris Gallery (formerly the Stonington) in Anchorage.
N.L.: How long have you had the gallery?
David: 4 summers, we've had a new show every month for 3 1/2 years, that's alot of shows, were open in the winter, too.
N.L.: What sort of art do you support here?
David: Basically I'm into personal expression, I like Alaskan art, what interests me is stuff that isn't simply financially motivated, but comes from the soul.
N.L.: What is your artistic philosophy?
David: I like work that stems from Nature. Originally all my paintings of the last 20 years are done from life, from what I see, whether its an apple or a nude, and I take liberties in terms of what I emphasize and de-emphasize.
I don't use photographs. I try to draw accurately in terms of proportion. I like realism. The actual colors you see in Nature cannot be captured, so I look to create an equivalent interval between them which gives the same sort of reaction. Its the interval that counts, not the absolute color.
I paint what I want to. I sometimes have sales in the back of my head when I'm painting, but I never design my paintings in ways that I know will sell.
I like the outdoors, when people go out it's usually to do active stuff, hunting, fishing, hiking; I like to paint outdoors, its an alternative to a purely active approach. Its a meditative thing, to become receptive and open to the environment.
My style is influenced by my surroundings, like this print, (he shows me a print of a landscape, it reminds me of Northwest Coast Native American Art) I think you can not help but be influenced by your surroundings. I try to be open, to be a sort of conduit for the energy of the place, and allow that to flow into the paintings. It's very important to be open to the experience.
I think artists impose themselves too much on their work.
I think its important not to judge the painting while you are painting it..
N.L.: There's that right brain left/brain thing..
David: Yes! I think that's why "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" [By Betty Edwards] is so successful, because you get people totally out of touch, who think they can't draw at all and get them doing great drawings.
N.L.: Have you ever been bothered by animals while you were working outdoors?
David: Every time I've been up to the North Slope I've seen bears. Once a caribou tried to knock over my easel.
N.L.: What about the function of art?
David: The function of art has changed alot over the centuries, from primarily religious in purpose, done by clergy and so-on, to self-expression in the 20th century.
N.L.: What do you feel will be the new trend in art?
David: No- I don't see any dominant style emerging..I think artists are influenced by every period in history, from cave painting to pop art. There are so many artists producing now that the major cities have 'seasons', what's popular one season may be humor, the next political, its speeded up to a level of intensity that's up to the minute; so its really wide open.