Robin Schnepf

We chatted with artist Robin Schnepf about her artwork, style, and process. Here's what she had to say!

Make sure to check out all of her artwork here.

DISSOLVING FILM: What is your process like when you are creating new pieces?

ROBIN SCHNEPF: In general, my photography can be described as a "roving eye." I like to have my camera on me while moving around and capturing the things I see in grocery stores, parking lots, forests, walking down the street, etc. In "Soft," I was thinking of the different ways in which people can experience softness, in every sense of the term. I hope to show some less obvious places to find comfort, such as a flashing neon sign, against more indisputable beauty, like a carefully-tended terrarium. I would describe my work as "tongue-in-cheek environmentalism," where I pair the clear beauty of nature with the less appealing effect humans have on their environment. I think this comes out in "Soft" as well, especially in images such as the indoor plants being reflected onto a computer. In my most recent work, like "Artificial Habitat," I make more of a conscious attempt to place these elements into one image, while my other projects are meant to be viewed as a series.

Digital collaging is the most intuitive way I've found to process images. While I often present straight photographs, I feel as though ANY of my pictures can be used as source material for my collaging. This process is a way for me to work outside of the traditional constraints of photography. When working digitally, I have the freedom to alter the original content and intent behind the images and rework them into something unrecognizable and new.

Who or what inspires you?

I think everyone, artist or not, initially takes inspiration from their backgrounds and the world around them. Everyone on earth has had a different living experience, down to the second. Everything I create, whatever the medium, passes through the lens of the things that I've done and seen before. I try to find and am inspired by subtle moments happening around me. I want to create an experience for my audience, to show them how I view the world.
Of course, there are certain artists I love that I really believe influence my art. Martin Roth, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Alex Wallbaum are among these.

Have you always known that you wanted to be an artist? What is your earliest memory of wanting to create?

I've certainly always been creative. As a kid, you could always find me with a crayon in hand. I don't think there was ever a doubt in my mind that I would pursue a creative field, and when I was younger, I dabbled in writing, music, and languages as well as visual art. Though, it really wasn't until my junior or senior year of high school that I decided to fully go for visual art and applied to art school.