Jenny Odell grew up in Silicon Valley, an influence that is evident in her illustrations, designs and photographs. For example, her recent photography project, The Satellite Collection, is a series of birds-eye images capturing swimming pools, shipyards, and buildings in a Google Satellite collage. When she isn’t getting inspiration from Google Maps, she creates a wide array of quirky pieces, like her font made out of dirt or her illustrations of prehistoric bugs. Learn more about this energetic artist in her 10 ANSWERS below.
1. How would you describe your work in three words?
Obsessive, nostalgic, measured.
2. Who is your creative role model?
Tibor Kalman, because he had a sense of humor and managed to do some legitimately new things.
3. If you had an extra hour each day what would you do with it?
Walk. I can never get enough of walking, especially in a city.
4. What place in the world most inspires you and why?
I don’t know if airplanes count as a place, but I’m never more inspired than when taking off or landing. I’m miserable if I don’t get a window seat.
5. If you could do a different job for a day what would it be and why?
I would be some kind of courier, because the one thing I hate about my current job is sitting in one place all day.
6. What is your favorite homemade gift to give?
I’m terrible at making objects, so I usually don’t, but I always make my own cards.
7. What is your favorite object in your home?
A really bizarre round box made out of bone, with something like skinny prairie dogs carved into the sides. When you remove the top, their heads come off. It is just the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. My uncle gave it to me a long time ago. I have never figured out what’s weird enough to keep inside of it.
8. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
From my dad: that if he could go back and change anything, he would have spent less energy worrying about things that time was going to take care of anyway.
9. What websites do you use for inspiration?
– of course!
10. When do you consider a piece of your work complete?
I have no idea– it’s a mystery. I just keep adding things and moving them around until any additional change becomes totally unbearable.
RSS - Posts