Alicia DeBrincat Q&A

Please describe your recent artwork. My paintings are where I vent and delight in the complexities of being a woman in contemporary society. My recent work has gotten lighter, more whimsical, yet at the same time more “titillating,” as one viewer commented to me at a recent show. I love that word. I’ve been having a lot of fun with my art lately.

What are you currently reading?

I just finished “Autobiography of My Mother” by Jamaica Kincaid. Very poetic and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed it. I just picked up “In Me Own Words,” an autobiography of bigfoot. I guess my reading tastes are a bit all over the place.

Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m 28, live in California, got married recently, am a feminist, like gardening, slam poetry, Hostess cupcakes…um, this question is really open-ended…

What type of planning and preparation do you engage in before starting on a new project?
I usually begin with a vague idea of either an image or a concept for a new painting. I then post an ad for a model on local websites, hire the first woman who responds to the ad, do an informal photo shoot with her to gather reference images, then go into the studio and see what happens.

What interests do you have other than art?
Other than gardening, slam poetry, and Hostess cupcakes (see above), I love going to community fairs and festivals, hiking, biking, cooking, traveling, especially to places I’ve never been before, and most importantly spending time with friends and family.

Favorite short story or poem:
I too am not a bit tamed,
I too am untranslatable,
I sound my barbaric yawp
over the rooftops of the world
-Walt Whitman, from Leaves of Grass

Favorite lyrics to a song:
What a fun question! I usually listen to music in Spanish, and my favorite lyrics are from a song by Joaquin Sabina:

“Lo nuestro duró lo que duran dos peces de hielo en un whiskey on the rocks” It’s kind of hard to translate, but basically says “our difficult thing lasted as long as two ice cubes in a whiskey on the rocks” He’s an amazing songwriter and has a voice like gravel, but in a melodic kind of way.

To contact Alicia, or to see more of her work: http://www.aliciadebrincat.com/