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Name: Daria Endresen
Black Cat: aka Didi: Hi Daria, please introduce yourself. Could you tell us where you’re from and how you got started in the field?
Daria Endresen: I am a digital artist, based in oslo (norway). my interest for visual arts got its roots in my childhood - my grandfather was a painter and i used to spend a lot of time in his studio. my passion for photography started with acquiring my first DSLR but after a while i switched my attention to digital art and have been developing my skills ever since. i am self-taught.
B.C.: Give me a visual of your work area. What are your tools of the trade?
D.E.: I don’t care much about equipment at this point although i do admit that the good supply of it can make your life easier. I use the same old DSLR, canon eos 20D and a 28-75 tamron lense, together with the natural light from the window. for post-processing my favourite soft is photoshop CS3 and CS5, plus of course a tablet.
B.C.: Your art work is something between the photomanipulation and the digital painting. Please walk me through the typical process of making one of your amazing work.
D.E.: the forming of idea may take weeks or even months before i actually start doing anything. I don’t own a studio, so usually I shoot at home. a self-portrait includes more work and more takes, since I can't see what I actually shoot, and it all comes down to countless efforts until I hit the right pose. then its photoshop work which also varies greately, from 4 days to several months, depending on the difficulty of the image and the availability of additional material.
B.C.: How would you describe your style, in a sentence or two?
D.E.: I don’t like definitions - they are restraining. and it’s rather hard for me to describe my style which I think is not quite defined yet - I believe I am still in the search for my ways of expression. I'd prefer my works to talk for me instead.
B.C.: “Closing in″ is a brilliant art work with some unique realistic visuals. Please talk a little about the process of creating it and how you came up with this concept.
D.E.: I love mirrors, I am fascinated by them – it’s an endless source of various interpretations of who we are and what we see (or don't see) in the reflection. i was inspired by a work of a russian photographer, depicting a girl holding a huge mirror. there was something very dark and mysterious about it, and thus i came up with the idea of my own. the image comprises two exposures, put together - the real me and my reflection, and some minor photoshop work on top of that. i wouldn’t like to delve deep into the meaning of this particular image since it's very personal, and i prefer the viewers make any conclusions by themselves.
B.C.: What aspect of your digital works do you really focus on the most? Is it realism, colors, or something else? And why do you focus on this aspect more than anything?
D.E.: I can't single out anything in specific - each and every aspect of my works is equally important to me.
B.C.: Can you talk me about the collaboration with Eric Lacombe?
D.E.: Eric has been one of my favourite artists for years, and when i approached him on facebook, he to my great surprise agreed to my proposal to collaborate. we did 4 works together, and each of them was a wonderful experience - Eric is a very humble and sweet person, and is very easy to work with. i was lucky to meet him in person last year while i was visiting in Paris, and I've been to his exhibition in February. i sincerely hope we will create together again in the future.
B.C.: What do you hope viewers take away after experiencing your artwork? Do you have specific messages or is it more open-ended?
D.E.: most of my works are very personal and serve an emotional outlet or some sort of a therapy for me. but i don't expect my viewers to understand me literally and instead hope that they will manage to "see" the stories of their own, recognise themselves in them and thus relate to what i am trying to express.
B.C.: What is your most defining characteristic?
D.E.: as an artist I would say - perfectionism.
B.C.: What upcoming series, projects, shows etc do you have coming up?
D.E.: I am currently working on a project together with a young talented designer from Oslo - she will create a custom outfit for my next image. i am very excited about this since it’s my first experience with a designer! i am also preparing for exhibitions in France and Germany, which are going to happen in May/June (more details on my blog soon).. in general this year promises to be very productive!
B.C.: Thanks again for sharing your thoughts with the xlegion’s readers and good luck for your work!
D.E.: thank you for the feature, i am glad to be a part of your wonderful magazine. my best wishes to the readers and lots of success to xlegion in the future.
