I remember when my cousin, who’s a photographer, introduced me to the waterproof Fujifilm camera. Messmer : I’ve utilized water as a primary tool for my work for almost 10 years, and I’m still deeply enamored with the process and the outcomes. ![]() Can you tell us about that interest? Was there a specific moment when you knew water would be central to your practice? With all this change, however, I’m thankful that Grand Avenue has grown at a slower pace and that its unique character has been preserved. I ride my bike around the city often, and there is always a new condo or apartment building being constructed. I’m grateful Arizona State University moved one of its campuses downtown because it increased density and livability here and sparked the creation of new places, opportunities, and food experiences downtown. Messmer: Since I moved to the Valley, I’ve always had a studio on Grand Avenue between Roosevelt and Van Buren, so I’ve watched downtown change dramatically over the past 18 years. PhxArt: What are some differences in the local art community today compared to when you first arrived in Phoenix? Also, the heat itself pushed me toward making art in the water, so the desert has been very influential to my art.Ībbey Messmer, My mind filled in the blanks, 2018. The desert can be very dreamy, and when I’m hiking in certain areas of Phoenix, the terrain often leaves me imagining life at the bottom of the ocean. If you don’t live here, you think the desert is a dusty array of tans and browns, but the Southwest is full of stunning color and striking natural beauty. I am certainly inspired by the desert, its vibrant colors, and the specific ways we, as humans, adapt to the heat. This helped to anchor me, and the transition was very smooth. During visits to Phoenix before I moved, I met some key folks in the downtown Phoenix art community. My aunt and uncle lived here at the time, and they offered me an opportunity to explore beyond the environment I grew up in, which I would recommend to any young person. Messmer: I moved to Phoenix in 2002 after graduating with a degree in painting and drawing (and a minor in anthropology) from the University of North Texas. PhxArt: When did you move to the Valley of the Sun, and what brought you here? Do you draw any inspiration from the desert? A high school art teacher encouraged me to pursue art in college, and I’m grateful for that direction and overall acceptance of art as a legitimate passion to pursue.Ībbey Messmer, The Question Will Determine the Answer, 2019. I went to magnet schools and was able to have a specialized focus on art.Īs a teen, I remember cherishing visits to the Dallas Museum of Art and being totally captivated with figurative work and surrealism. My grandfather was a woodworker and craftsman, my grandmother was a quilter, and my aunt was an interior decorator. What was your first inspiration?Ībbey Messmer: I feel lucky that family and teachers were supportive of my artistic interests as a child. PhxArt: Tell us about who you are and how you came to be an artist. We are constantly manipulated and transformed by the world around us, and I’m interested in this elastic experience and the effort by which we try to control or embrace it.”Ībbey at Joshua Tree. “I’m fixated on distorted imagery because it reflects the absurdity of reality…. Here’s Abbey Messmer, in her own words, on what inspires her and why she’s still completely enamored with water. From 2012-2015, she was a member of Eye Lounge, an artist-run contemporary art collective in downtown Phoenix, and in 2015, she received a Contemporary Forum Artists’ Grant, now the Phoenix Art Museum Artists’ Grants, which afforded her the opportunity to exhibit work at the Museum in 2016.įour years later, we’re checking in with Abbey to see how her process and work have evolved. ![]() Messmer, who works on Grand Avenue in a shared studio with three other artists, moved from Texas to Phoenix in 2002. Her painted images and installations featuring pools of icy blue water make us want to dive right in, whether to cool off from the desert heat or cleanse ourselves of any and all bad vibes. Oct, 20, 2020 Artists Community PhxArtist Spotlight Abbey Messmer: In Her Own WordsĪs residents of the Valley of the Sun, we find Abbey Messmer’s artworks refreshing to say the least.
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