kimberlee traub

my first exposure to the art of kimberlee traub was through the pages of the non-fiction oddities publication, "morbid curiosities", and i was immediately impressed by her darkly cartoonish creations which seemed to hide something sinister beneath their surface. after first having contacted her about contributing some work to an ill-fated horror zine that i was working on, i decided to ask if she would just answer some interview questions and let me use a number of her illustrations to accompany them. fortunately, she agreed to this and you can find out what she had to say by reading on.

a. Since I was very young. I remember playing in the woods behind my house, making up stories, and illustrating them. It was standard fantasy for little girls.

a. BFA in Fine Arts, Trenton State College. Computer Graphics Associates from Bucks County Community. Most importantly, a lot of trial and error through life experience.

a. hmmmmm.... I don't really remember. My guess is it would have been in some little zine in the early 80s (my middle school years?) I was a "Duranie", so it may have been a drawing for a fanzine for Duranduran! (my sordid past finally comes out!) That's when I started drawing androgynous creatures.

q. with your work obviously being inspired by goth culture and the darker side of life in general, would you mind listing some of your favorite musicians, authors, artists, etc?

a. There is so much! I love darkwave to early jazz, industrial to Mozart, new wave to soundtracks. It all depends on the mood. David Bowie and Skinny Puppy are the foundations to a lot of my favorite music. Artists include Aubrey Beardsley, Edward Gorey, Giger, the Symbolists, Art Nouveau (spelling?), surrealism... art is all around and I am very easily visually stimulated from excellent design work in an ad to the most precious and rare artifacts and all the history of fine art and craftsmanship in between. Authors: Dave Mckean, Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite... oh, I am currently obsessed with Harry Potter!

a. I was a DJ for a college radio station playing Gothic and Industrial music in the early 1990s. I was also heavily involved with zines. I forget if I ran across an ad for them in a zine or Fact Sheet 5, but I contacted them and they were receptive to me doing some interviews. I eventually moved to Chicago for a while to work with the editor. I finally decided I was spending too much time promoting other people's art and not my own, so I interviewed NIN, then quit to move back East.

q. your art appears regularly in the magazine, morbid curiosities, and has also been featured in a number of other small press publications. what are your requirements for contribution?

a. I am not sure I understand the question... many zine editors are my friends. Some people just ask for stuff and I help them if I can. I try to get paid as often as possible, whether that means through favors, trade, exposure or cash!

q. you create and make available for purchase, a number of themed items including coloring books, cards, and calendars. please tell a little about these.

a. I wanted a way to expose my art and to connect with people. I really feel I have a unique quality in my work, so I am struggling to find a way to make it work for me, so to speak. It's really a lot of homegrown stuff now, but I would love to have a business some day selling my prints, books, etc.

q. your cover for the "zann" cd compilation is the first work of that type that you've done. is this something that you would like to continue doing?

a. I am about to set out into the world looking for some graphic design experience in the work world. Doing CDs snd such would definitely be an interesting way to gain such experiences. I love music, and it inspires me a lot.

a. I don't get nearly enough time to work on my water colors and acrylics, but some day I will get to explore those mediums to more satisfaction! Color is a complex and wonderful realm.

a. Most people are really into it and intrigued. My angels usually evoke the most positive response and the psychos really like the harder images... gotta love obsessive stalker types (not!). Some people think I'm a Satanist. Others think I'm a witch. The Goths think it's wonderful. The main stream doesn't always get it.

q. in the past, you have worked as a college radio dj and actress, among other things. what else do you presently do besides devote time to your art?

a. I am the art handler for a local college's art gallery, which includes setting up a traveling children's museum. I do picture framing. I create freelance illustrations and design work. I work at a haunted house run by a theater production company for 2 months every year (acting and set design). I work too much!

a. Dec. 2000 is busy with several local shows in the Philly Goth area. I may be working on a publication with the 13th Child, a Gothic promotion group in Philadelphia, on a magazine and other creative outbursts. I am also planning on hitting major metro area (NYC and Philly) with my portfolio in hand. I want to talk to any art director, etc who will take the time to see me. It's a time filled with crazy scary change, upheaval of emotion and a chance to really go for it. Wish me luck!

a. A favorite quote I usually use to compel the reader... I borrowed it from Clive Barker's Candyman: "Give them something to be haunted by..." oh, and check out my website: http://www.voicenet.com/~eeek


	pindrops and cathedral bells \| home pineal ventana \| chad rullman \| praying for oblivion \| lockweld \| mark hejnar \| warcom media \| gaya donadio \| den of iniquity \| kimberlee traub \| lux mammoth \| whitehouse \| necrophilia \| horace walpole & julius evola \| nicolo paganini & ancient roman creation beliefs \| reviews \| distro \| links kimberlee traub my first exposure to the art of kimberlee traub was through the pages of the non-fiction oddities publication, "morbid curiosities", and i was immediately impressed by her darkly cartoonish creations which seemed to hide something sinister beneath their surface. after first having contacted her about contributing some work to an ill-fated horror zine that i was working on, i decided to ask if she would just answer some interview questions and let me use a number of her illustrations to accompany them. fortunately, she agreed to this and you can find out what she had to say by reading on. q. to begin with, at what point in your life did you first develop an interest in illustrating? a. Since I was very young. I remember playing in the woods behind my house, making up stories, and illustrating them. It was standard fantasy for little girls. q. how long after this was it that you realized that you wanted to make it a profession rather than a mere hobby? a. Since the end of my first round of college in the early 90's. It took me a while to really develop my own style. q. what education have you had in the field? a. BFA in Fine Arts, Trenton State College. Computer Graphics Associates from Bucks County Community. Most importantly, a lot of trial and error through life experience. q. when and where was your first work published? a. hmmmmm.... I don't really remember. My guess is it would have been in some little zine in the early 80s (my middle school years?) I was a "Duranie", so it may have been a drawing for a fanzine for Duranduran! (my sordid past finally comes out!) That's when I started drawing androgynous creatures. q. with your work obviously being inspired by goth culture and the darker side of life in general, would you mind listing some of your favorite musicians, authors, artists, etc? a. There is so much! I love darkwave to early jazz, industrial to Mozart, new wave to soundtracks. It all depends on the mood. David Bowie and Skinny Puppy are the foundations to a lot of my favorite music. Artists include Aubrey Beardsley, Edward Gorey, Giger, the Symbolists, Art Nouveau (spelling?), surrealism... art is all around and I am very easily visually stimulated from excellent design work in an ad to the most precious and rare artifacts and all the history of fine art and craftsmanship in between. Authors: Dave Mckean, Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite... oh, I am currently obsessed with Harry Potter! q. how did you become involved with industrial nation? a. I was a DJ for a college radio station playing Gothic and Industrial music in the early 1990s. I was also heavily involved with zines. I forget if I ran across an ad for them in a zine or Fact Sheet 5, but I contacted them and they were receptive to me doing some interviews. I eventually moved to Chicago for a while to work with the editor. I finally decided I was spending too much time promoting other people's art and not my own, so I interviewed NIN, then quit to move back East. q. your art appears regularly in the magazine, morbid curiosities, and has also been featured in a number of other small press publications. what are your requirements for contribution? a. I am not sure I understand the question... many zine editors are my friends. Some people just ask for stuff and I help them if I can. I try to get paid as often as possible, whether that means through favors, trade, exposure or cash! q. you create and make available for purchase, a number of themed items including coloring books, cards, and calendars. please tell a little about these. a. I wanted a way to expose my art and to connect with people. I really feel I have a unique quality in my work, so I am struggling to find a way to make it work for me, so to speak. It's really a lot of homegrown stuff now, but I would love to have a business some day selling my prints, books, etc. q. your cover for the "zann" cd compilation is the first work of that type that you've done. is this something that you would like to continue doing? a. I am about to set out into the world looking for some graphic design experience in the work world. Doing CDs snd such would definitely be an interesting way to gain such experiences. I love music, and it inspires me a lot. q. you've also undertaken painting. how is that coming along? a. I don't get nearly enough time to work on my water colors and acrylics, but some day I will get to explore those mediums to more satisfaction! Color is a complex and wonderful realm. q. what has the typical response been to your exhibits? a. Most people are really into it and intrigued. My angels usually evoke the most positive response and the psychos really like the harder images... gotta love obsessive stalker types (not!). Some people think I'm a Satanist. Others think I'm a witch. The Goths think it's wonderful. The main stream doesn't always get it. q. in the past, you have worked as a college radio dj and actress, among other things. what else do you presently do besides devote time to your art? a. I am the art handler for a local college's art gallery, which includes setting up a traveling children's museum. I do picture framing. I create freelance illustrations and design work. I work at a haunted house run by a theater production company for 2 months every year (acting and set design). I work too much! q. is making a living solely off of your own work a goal that you would like to achieve? a. So very much! I am happiest when I am creating my drawings. q. what can be expected from you in the upcoming months? a. Dec. 2000 is busy with several local shows in the Philly Goth area. I may be working on a publication with the 13th Child, a Gothic promotion group in Philadelphia, on a magazine and other creative outbursts. I am also planning on hitting major metro area (NYC and Philly) with my portfolio in hand. I want to talk to any art director, etc who will take the time to see me. It's a time filled with crazy scary change, upheaval of emotion and a chance to really go for it. Wish me luck! q. are there any words that you'd like to say to end this? a. A favorite quote I usually use to compel the reader... I borrowed it from Clive Barker's Candyman: "Give them something to be haunted by..." oh, and check out my website: http://www.voicenet.com/~eeek morbid curiosities: http://www.charnel.com/automatism/morbid4/index.html