B E H I N D . T H E . S Y M B O L
with Annie Crabtree



Welcome to a new issue of Behind the Symbol, the news article which aims to go behind the dashes, at signs, beta tester and subscribers symbols to find out more about the deviants we all know (and not know!).

Behind The Symbol has been silent for some time now, but here is a one off interview with the beautiful and talented `SeaFairy . I may return full time at some point, but for now I hope you enjoy this article.



Lia Saile is an artist I have admired from my first few days here on deviantART. I’ve followed her work for almost 2 years now and I enjoy watching her grow and develop. She has influenced and helped me in so many ways as well as being a kind and generous friend. What I love about her work is the emotion, character and life that exudes from it and the way in which she is never scared to experiment and try something new. Her work reflects her wonderful personality.

I have wanted to interview her for some time, and finally, here it is. Enjoy!



So, tell us about yourself - on deviantART we mostly know you as the experimental photographer, but I know there are more sides to Lia Sáile. Who is the deviant behind the symbol?

It is funny that you state I am known as the "experimental photographer", because I gained popularity through very melodramatic almost gothic work in the beginning. I was very young and had just started trying out photography and digital manipulation (which many people state to miss in my current submissions) and then, within the first 2 years at DA, I slowly learned what my personal way of expression could be, how visual arts can be used and how I can make it a tool of communication.

By now my work has change a lot, I did indeed experiment a lot, especially outside of DA so it is difficult to go into detail. Many people noticed I followed a path to Polaroid photography and Super 8 filming, but I am simultaneously working on music, experimenting with sound, simple acoustics and voice, but also doing covers and "straight forward" music.


You have a passion for many art forms, and we get just a taster of this in your gallery - how did you come across your love for the arts?

The answer to that is very simple: my parents and my inquisitiveness. I had parents who took me to museums, discussed literature, prose, paintings, movies and music with me, allowed me to learn to play the violin, to have singing lessons, who supported me in any step I wanted to take, not only in arts. If you are the kind of child who is inquisitive and eager to learn, willing to experience and willing to try things out with gameness and endurance, lucky to have parents who support your way, it is not a miracle I ended up doing the things I do.


Inspiration plays a key part in our own artistic development, who has inspired you to create the most?

Such a difficult question...I would start with Frida Kahlo, Dali, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Abramovic, Goethe, Shakespeare, the list of classic inspirations goes on and on.

Let me try to answer with my current inspirations and influences instead. Currently my life is taking new - or rather old - directions again. I find myself returning to the musical and cinematic acting area and since a few weeks I am highly influenced by Chopin's piano pieces, ranging from ballads to polonaises. His work, depending on who brings his sheet music to life, is driven with such force and explosive images or emptiness that I find myself listening to his work almost constantly.

The current movie, going hand in hand with the previously mentioned music, which inspires me and my acting mind is "The Pianist" which provided so many answers as well as new questions. I have always been very interested in history, especially my personal German history. My German roots become more and more important to me and my identity the older I grow. It might have to do with the fact that I no longer live in Germany; I moved to Vienna two and a half years ago, am now moving to Malta for a year and am not planning to return to Germany any time soon, but will finish studies in Vienna before leaving for NY, England or France. Living somewhere else is bound to inspire you, it forms you and changes your perspective on many aspects of life, identity as well as personal exchange. Those things definitely result in subconscious as well as conscious concepts of work.

So I cannot really reply WHO inspired me the most; it changes. There are and have been genius' in the world who will always stay an influence, there are people coming and going, there are memories, music, experiences, scenes..

I think at least in my case its is a symbiosis of never-ending reception and never-ending internal processes.



You have been on deviantART for some time now, would you say it has influenced you and your art work over the years?

Yes. Definitely. Especially in the beginning. But at some point I began unbinding myself, which also helped re-broadening my idea of "art" and visuality, as deviantART is a rich flourishing lake, yet its way of "democratic" selection keeps the jewels away, so you need to go outside of it to learn what visuals are about. The moment you return it is easier to handle the flood of images and time to start ignoring the daily deviations and concentrating on people who you personally find to be interesting and rich in variety and/or expression and/or communication. I did that even before I distanced myself, but I think this is what many people here are lacking. It keeps DA from opening and growing creatively I think. But on the other hand it provides a lot of help, inspiration and connects people, so that is what DA, in my eyes, is actually about in the first place; not necessarily "the art", but the platform it provides.


An artist cannot create without instruments, what are your ‘tools of the trade’?

Well, cameras in the first place. I started with the Sony dsc-f 717, then changed to the canon 20d which I still love for where it lead me. Then my Polaroid cameras, of course, play the current greatest role when it comes to tools. Some might know my acrylic paintings, some watercolour paintings, some drawings with ink or pen. Actually I modelled my third sculpture lately.

But actually in my case the tool seems to be almost secondary.


We all have our own opinions about DA, what is your personal opinion at the moment?

As stated above I respect and appreciate DA for its communication platform, for its ability to provide space for people to connect, exchange and interact.

There are many odd things going on here. The nudity-policy is very very contradictive. American laws simply show through in a very prude and double moral standard kind of way. Things that are allowed and things that are not allowed contradict each other constantly. But I know why they think it is necessary and I think I do prefer their method to careless anarchy, yet there are some things that really should be taken more care of, especially in the fetish area.

But who may judge..that is always the difficult question. Borders are dodgy, so I do understand DA's choice for a very "obvious" law arrangement to handle sexuality.
But Daily Deviations as well as Top Favourites and Features simply make that work ridiculous again. Sexism, violation, paedophilia, sadism, degration…the very blurry and thin edge between "ok" and "not ok" on DA is very vague and questionable. I think it is necessary to have official statements about the issue and to re-think the way images are featured by staff and officials as well as the submission guidelines and limitations should be taken care of.


What do you find to be the most fulfilling and aspect of your art?

Communication and expression.

My sharing triggers communication, exchange. I give and I receive. In rare cases the things I receive are mind-blowing, but even a "hey great!" does do its part. I know many people here hate to read "good", "great", "nice work" all over again, but I have honestly come to appreciate it. I do no longer expect tremendous criticism. interpretation, suggestion and analysis. As said, I have come to believe DA is about connecting an communicating. So "Great" is communication. It is an honest, short and simple expression of a thought. As well as "this sucks". And behind both short expressions stands a person who looked at your work and found the feeling or thought a picture raised intense enough to leave a remark. That's already something.

So, fulfilling is the moment your work is shared. No matter what. Creations are meant to be seen/heard/tasted/tried. If only from one person or 5000. Its not created for yourself only, or rarely is. The moment you "release" something, you receive something back, even if it never really reaches you directly. Knowing people are confronted with it is of great value already.


If you had to choose between making money from your art or growing as an artist, which would you choose?

Growing. Of course. I myself fear dilettantism more than anything.

So I work hard. Creation means growing. Stagnation cannot be creation in the long run. At least not more than repetition and a shadow of the previous. Which also results in the end of expression and exchange. Which to me would be horrible.


We keep seeing new and wonderful things from you, what are you artist plans for the future?

As previously mentioned, I am on my way back to acting and singing.

But I will always continue doing visuals, be it polaroids, digital work, paint, sculptures, installations or filming moving images.
I plan to share some music soon, so, anyone who is interested should check my future journals.


Any final words for us?

Thanks for the questions, thanks to anyone who takes their time to read my words.
3AM is already over and this felt like a very comfortable way of being interviewed so these have been very casual and relaxed answers where there could have been deep mind-blowing words, so thanks for your efforts to keep these interviews alive and easy to read for anyone, Annie. People surely appreciate your work.

And: There are too few women in art galleries, Even in NY, London & co. Check the gorilla girls for more!



Thumbs and Fun

Name your top fav deviants of the moment:

~temabina, *jinnwoo, ~SnjezanaJosipovic, ~FigoTheCat, :devinato:, ~sanna, *myownself, *kea-etc, `hbynoe, ~wasted-photos, *zort, *krecha, :dvealexoym:, ~ARoulette

Any thumbs we should check out?

Millions!

Sadly, Lia gave me so many many thumbs I couldn’t post them all. But here a few:



Really, I could go on and on! Check my favourites and my journal features if you are interested. Thanks for caring!

Any museums, art galleries, art exhibitions you think are worth seeing?

All of them. Even the "bad" ones. You always learn a lot from those visits.

Any useful/interesting/fun websites worth going to:

polanoir.com
dictionary.com
wikipedia.com