Kristin Cofer - Design That Kills

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“I love imperfections because they are what makes a thing absolute”
-Courtney Brooke

Name: Courtney Brooke
Occupation: Daydreamer, & burglar of souls.
Location: The hills of Massachusetts

When did you start taking pictures?
When I was about 16. I had come to be friends with a canon AE1 and I just couldn’t put it down

Why do you take pictures?
It’s like a drug, some people use drugs to escape reality I use my art… in them anything is available to me. For that fraction in time this is how the world is… it’s how I want it to be. It’s my medium. I was into doing installation pieces but they take up a lot of room and although they are wonderful because they typically only live on in the minds of those who experience them, an image lasts on.

What is your artistic background?
As an artist, I started wanting to be a painter, and make lovely romantic portraits of people in nature. I grew out of that though when I was about 16 I started taking classes for photography and I had a blast. I never had the hand for painting any way and I found out how to create those portraits with out paint. In the process I also delved into sculpture and then doing installation pieces.

I wanted things to actually exisit in space in time the way I wanted them too. I eventually ended up going to college for art education, which didn’t last long because honestly I hated school. I don’t care too much about what other people are doing in the “world of art” I needed to know what the people in the world of literature, politics, science where doing I needed more then just art, I needed the world. I think that’s important too, to not just be a train on one track but to be universal, be multi-faceted, have some depth to who you are.

Favorites? Artists? Music? Anything that moves you.
.The light at dusk
.Fresh snow and it’s silence
.Heavy drumming
.Super novas
.Physics
.Alchemy
.Hyperboreans
.Grail Quests
.Arthurian legend
.Fairy tales
.Folklore
.Roller-skating
.Glitter
.Days on the lake
.Fractals
.Singing and dancing
.Cuddles
.Woodland adventures
.Vinyl Via Headphones
.Honey
.Red Wing Black Birds
.Bon Fires
.Royal Lipizzaner Stallions
.Gardens
.Hellenistic Egypt
.Tin types
.The Importance of the soul
.Fidus
.Bare feet
.Dandelion and Milkweed seeds in the breeze
.I love imperfections because they are what makes a thing absolute
.Wind in my hair
.Playing with light
.Running with my pack of dogs
.Laying in grass
.The view from heights
.Antlers
.Salty air
.Places I have yet to see
.Unicorns
.History as a story
.Alternate realities
.Fairy rings
.Brass
.Lips
.Men (the beer drinking, grass smoking, denim wearing facial hair growing, big handed, sleezy, boot wearing men)
.Framboise lambic
.The Smell of Autumn,the feel of Winter & the taste of Summer
.Tip toeing
.Found objects
.Tarot
.Eclipses
.Corn on the cob
.Geodes
.Feathers
.The Unexplainable
.Swans
.Fog
.Fireflies
.A Gentle touch

Thats just a snip it of stuff too I also love playboys from the 70’s, Vogue magazine, I love films I would love to make a film someday, a friend of mine keeps talking about doing one together, we will see how that goes. Some of my major inspiration comes from these movies though,The Holy Mountain, Zardoz, The Wicker Man (the original one not the horrible nick cage rip off), Haxan,Freaks, Young Lady Chatterley, Heavy Traffic, Popeye, Vampyres, Godspell, Die, Monster, Die!, The Dunwich Horror, Sleeper, Lust for a Vampire

Bacchanales Sexuelles, Wonderwall, Dracula A.D. 1972, Dragonslayer, Blow Up, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, The Shiver of the Vampires, Caligula, Dune, Return to Oz, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Fire and Ice, Barak, .Altered States, Barbarella, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Suspiria, Alegro non Troppo, Alice, Cabaret, Photographing fairies-

Describe your personal style-
I still don’t feel like i have a style I just know what i like and i go after it. I like warm light, I like long eyelashes, I like tall grass… I have no clue honestly.

Do you shoot film or digital? Both?
Digital these days, people always assume I shoot film, and I did for a long time. I ran out of space is what happened I moved into an old barn and i just don’t have the area for all that gear… and being digital was like a new hurdle to overcome. I think digital goes bad when the person doing it has never stepped foot in a dark room or has no concept of color theory.

What is your feeling on inspiration and art? How do you start a project? I realized recently that I use the word “inspiration” far too much- So I’ve been trying to think of other words to describe how I’m feeling-
Sometimes a project is no more then me being bored. Other times it’s from me spending to much time in the sun daydreaming. I often drive around and I will see a lovely landscape or a well lit alley and say now that would be amazing if this charachter was in it, and then I place that character there and off I go. I like to create little stories.

What do you see yourself doing in the future? What about current trends? How do you feel about club photography and the plethora of “photographers”?
The future.. I don’t think to much about it.

Curent trends I am not a trendy gal in fact I ussualy can’t stand them. I find myself out of the loop most of the time any way.

Club photography…. please no. I don’t like clubs, I don’t like the colors, I don’t like the music, everything about it is my polar opposite.

the “plethora” just because you happen to have a camera does not make you an artist.. there can be a million people out there calling them selves “photographers” and fine let them be that. I don’t see myself as one anyway I made a concious discision years ago to be an artist, there is a huge differnce too, so sure they are out there thinking that because they have a poloroid they are making art, most of the time they are just documenting life as it passes them by, in my opinion real art is when you see real life, say “yeah thats great but I know just the thing to make better” I am just not interested in reality, it bores me.

Any advice to aspiring photographers-
Know what you LOVE, study it, learn everything you possibly can from it and then make it your own.

This woman is amazing, check out more of her work here and read our collaborative article (CB shot the photos, I compiled the interview) about our friend hae from Lullie Vintage in the latest issue of N.E.E.T. magazine!

in my 9-5 world we are deep in holiday wonderland, so i have been more than a busy design doll- but i have not forgotten about you, electronic darlings-

photo by parker day

i have recently found myself meeting and working with some really talented san francisco musicians. currently my ears can’t stop listening to veil veil vanish, all six songs on their album just flow together like one long beautiful storybook.

last week i designed a poster for a small san francisco independent label, tricycle records and my friend alex’s band, the red verse, who soon will be releasing a new piece of musical art. i am excited for this event.

jessica-m is just an amazing artist and inspires me every day, italian vogue is my new favorite eye candy, a friend showed me that the cure greatest hits dvd has SECRET videos, including this one, which is one of my favorite cure videos ever- robert smith, palm trees, polar bears, and snow?  love.

i decided to invest love in san francisco, i think it needs me. the sun has been shining, the moon full, i have been wearing little scarves, designing, plotting photo shoots, wearing high heels, dancing, meeting new fantastic faces, and being happy.  how are you?

this sesame street film on how crayons are made is nostalgic and beautiful to me.

courtney brooke’s photgraphy for summer lullie vintage are full of color and beautiful; i am so inspired to shoot with film again!

the art and design of chris ryan

for against, which is a really amazing post punk band from nebraska- i have not been able to stop listening to their song, “autocrat”-

my photographer friend duck who recently moved from san francisco to new york and has a new portfolio site, check out his clean, pretty work-

my bloody valentine is coming to san francisco in september!

fashion photography by julie pike i am especially inspired by the image of a girl holding a bunny mask.

brocade home has a really inspiring design and art blog look at it daily for eye candies! this post did it for me- that photography style is gorgeous-

naked on the vague is a dark, pop duo from australia

being spontaneous, dancing by myself and being ok with that, wearing a new pair of my favorite nude fishnets, playing with a puppy puggle, enjoyment at my day job, tartine bakery morning buns, and moving forward-

favorites and inspiration oh my!

the beautiful anonymous poster and postcard designs posted on creative review

i forgot about the beauty of this suede album cover designed by peter saville and posted on FFFFound!

twitter is extremely addicting.

jordan crane reprints two of my favorite posters!

the magick daggers being dark and sultry in my headphones!

yes, i want pantone stairs!

i can’t stop staring at these new david lachapelle images.

this image by jessica-m which was right in synch with my recent rope girl work!

more your earbuds, san francisco band veil veil vanish are lovely and i’m meeting up with one of them tomorrow to discuss future evil art plans!

i watched the 2005 movie “the lost” and found it visually stimulating and great acting by marc senter who reminds me of my other favorite man, crispin glover.

the illustrations of jason thielke

my coworker, anna main, is a secret talented poster designer.

being stopped on the street for the SFstyle blog, the cure’s “entreat” on headphones, warm san francisco days, nude fishnets, and much needed heart peace are making my lips turn upward this tuesday.

these images arrived in my electronic mailbox over the course of twenty-four hours, this girl is a similar soul and i do adore her- i can see her creating many spectacular pieces, she has that familiar drive and i was speechless when i saw the final product- jessica- m is amazing. and if you know me in real life, i think you can figure out who these two characters are… and if you are really good, you know what movie she depicted below- (which is one of our favorites…) thanks jessica-m, now dear readers, go heart her art!

jessica-m continues to inspire me and this last week provided the support and friendship i needed for daily survival, thanks girl.

these are the coolest horror film festival poster designs i’ve ever seen, by a london designer with a “fetish for typography”, rick banks

michelle’s soul mix is amazing go listen!

the fashion and charm of the dark comedy film, the heather’s- “If you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn’t be a human being; you’d be a game show host-”

by chance finding a beautiful portrait of an old friend, marcelo cunning, on the flickr fashion photography pool

great post about typography resources by the lovely nubby twiglet

joy division’s unknown pleasures was voted the most iconic album cover of all time by music fans at this site

moving on, growing up, adding color, and being ok, not looking back, but doing great things- tell me what opened your eyes this week. xo

1. dead daughter in the river, 2. mystery bruise, 3. your babysitter, 4. Untitled, 5. death set, 6. Untitled, 7. your fever is safe with me, 8. multiple, 9. alone at night

i met this beautiful girl in two thousand four when she modeled for one of my first fashion, sixties mod styled photo shoots- we always have remained electronic friends and recently had a friendship awakening. jessica is such a talented artist and illustrator, i am so inspired by her fashionable, dark, retro ladies- they all have such meaning behind them, you can see it in their water colored eyes and blood stained cheeks-

(dtk) describe yourself:
(jm) I am a self-taught, semi-trained, illustrator of women in trouble. I love zombies, suspense, and big hair.

(dtk) when is your birthday?
(jm) april 15th 1984

(dtk) ten favorite things? (anything)

1. old samsonite luggage
2. white gouache
3. red and turqouise
4. travel
5. horror movies
6. valium
7. coffee
8. David Lynch
9. Speedball #104 Extra Fine Litho Point pen nibs
10. technicolor

(dtk) earliest art memory?
(jm) I have no idea! I recall being in the third grade and doing what I thought was a Picasso cubist painting. It’s of a little girl reading a book with her mother, the girl is crying and the mother is smiling. It’s very strange, I found it in my garage a few weeks ago.

(dtk) favorite shoes?
(jm) Cream colored leather peep-toe pumps with yellow snake skin. They’re probably from the early sixties.

(dtk) describe your working process from start to finish-
(jm) I like to save old photos, weird photos, and neat things that I find. I try and write down ideas when I get them, but I have forgotten at least 50, 896 amazing ideas. They always come to me when I should be doing something else. I like to do gestural sketches first and then ink the lines in. Ink is messy and I am prone to accident so most of the time I end up doing two drawings, or sometimes more. Then I paint over the drawing with watercolor. I like to use watercolor with white gouache.

(dtk) do you consider yourself an artist?
(jm) yes!

(dtk) how did you evolve to what you do now?
(jm) As a child, I always made art. It’s the only thing I have ever done. I used to illustrated little short stories that I would write. I drew patterns for clothes that I would make for my dolls. I didn’t live near any other children. I would draw on my homework, during class, even during recess sometimes. After high school I went to California Institute of the Arts- San Francisco. I excelled in design and illustration but did not enjoy the pattern drafting and construction classes. After two years, my mom became ill and I decided to come home. When I left school I decided to abandon fashion design/illustration and attempted to go back to a more traditional way of drawing, doing figure drawing, still life, and sketching with charcoal and all of that academic stuff. Then about two years ago I tried pen and ink and decided to go back to fashion inspired drawing because I never was able to break away from the nine-head model. I still do straight fashion illustration gestural sketches to warm up.

(dtk) favorite song of the moment?
(jm) TSOL “funeral march”

(dtk) describe your personal style (you and art)-
(jm) Sweet, old-fashioned, and morbid.

(dtk) where do you want your art to go?
(jm) In the near future: I am slowly gathering suitcases and handbags that I intend to paint on with enamel. I also plan on getting into printing soon. I want to make stationery, cards, posters etc. I have also been working on larger pieces recently. My best friend is working on a children’s book (she is so talented) and I am illustrating it.

(dtk) advice to other illustrators?
(jm) It’s the same advice everyone gives but I feel it’s relevant to me. If you want your work to be authentic, draw what you love. Love always comes through. Don’t forget about all that composition stuff too, it’s totally important.

links:
jessica-m has a blog that i love to read, my favorite entry is this one

she is on flickr
and the evilspace

yes, yes, yes!

thanks print liberation, you inspired me today. i need these reminders to make it through the hours and days.

created by mashushka

more like, morbidly adorable.
from street anatomy and heather- what a great idea.
wool sculptor’s stephanie metz’s, teddy bear skulls!

oh how i want one- love love love!