Interview with Kira Elasky
Fresh Eye Arts staff Analeise Jarvi-Beamer sat down with Kira Elasky on January 17th, 2024 to discuss her painting practice. See Kira’s art in Brushwork, on view at Fresh Eye Gallery until February 18th, 2024.
AJ: Would you introduce yourself for the Fresh Eye website and tell us a bit about your art?
KE: My name is Kira Elasky and I like to do paintings and drawings that are based on musicians and movies that I like. I also have a lot of stuff to do with the occult in my artwork.
AJ: What movies and music do you like?
KE: There’s such a wide range! I like all genres, but my favorites right now are Machine Gun Kelly and Johnny Gilbert. My all-time favorite movie is Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas.
AJ: Many of your paintings tell a story or show a fantastic scene. I’m thinking of Cats In Space and Bite Me Daddy. Do you think about the events leading up to/following the moments you paint?
“Cats In Space”
Acrylic on Canvas 2022
ID: An acrylic painting of a science-fiction scene. A schoolbus driven by a cat marked "High School: District 420" flies above a desert planet where two cats stand in front of a rocket. Nearby float a bunny, puppy and snake wearing space helments.
KE: Yeah. I paint a picture in your head of what’s happening in the story.
AJ: I’ve also noticed that many of the figures in your paintings are making eye contact with the viewer instead of looking at the extraordinary things happening around them.
KE: I like doing that. It makes you feel like you’re including the person that’s come to look at the paintings
AJ: How did you get started painting?
KE: I started painting when I was in school. All through school I struggled with book learning. It was not easy for me, anything that had to do with remembering. I started doing more culinary and art-based stuff when I moved into High School. They started offering me more of [those options] and I liked that a lot. I became a CNA, but then I developed Fibromyalgia and it got really, really bad and I needed something to do to occupy my time. Being physical like I used to be was not something that I could do anymore, so I had to change hobbies.
AJ: Do you explore any other mediums?
KE: Yes! I like to do clay, and I mess around with making clothes out of old clothes and turn [them] into something new or create something entirely new.
AJ: For your portraits, how do you choose your subjects and reference images? For example, in your painting Megan Fox and MGK why Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly and why that specific photo of them together?
KE: It’s intriguing and shocking. I like shock value; I like painting stuff that’s different, that people don't typically see.
AJ: What other artists are you inspired by?
KE: Ralph Steadman is a big one. Salvador Dali...there’s an artist who goes by Jordan who actually is a blood painter, who inspires me a lot. I think that’s a cool, interesting way to create art.
AJ: Do you have a favorite painting that you’ve created, or maybe a top 3?
KE: My Fear and Loathing one where they’re turning into lizards, [titled] Peanuts, man! Is probably my favorite.
“Peanuts, man!” Acrylic on Canvas, 2022
Kira’s favorite painting
ID: An acrylic painting of a scene from Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. A man sits on a barstool surrounded by anthropomorphic lizards.
AJ: And that painting is featured in Brushwork (on view now at Fresh Eye Gallery!)
KE: Yep! My second favorite is Seedless. That’s just out of my brain. This is what I think aliens would think if they came to our earth, the things they would want. They would want our music and our peace but they wouldn’t want our bad things. They wouldn’t want the war.
AJ: What do you like doing when you’re not making art?
KE: When I'm not making art, I enjoy listening to music and singing to music a lot.
AJ: Is there anything else you want to talk about?
KE: Just that MSS has really helped me open up as a person, and I’ve met so many good friends here!