Interview with Aubrie Costello

A graduate of Moore in 2007, Costello, an installation artist, has exhibited extensively in galleries and boutiques throughout Philadelphia including Projects Gallery, Tower Gallery, Studio C, Mew Gallery, Top Hat, Bus Stop Boutique, and The Random Tea Room. Along with three other Moore Alums, Costello founded the ladies artist collective The Other Woman in 2006 to plan exhibitions, group critiques and discussions in an effort to create new outlets and opportunities. Aubrie was interviewed by BSA students Amber Callahan, Christine Ferri and Chriztie Kaufmann.

Whenever you and the other members of The Other Women Collective exhibit together, do you work within a common theme or are all of the works of art independent from each other?  We know where our work is going individually but we gather throughout the year to throw ideas around about themes. It's a creative process that takes time and four people to really nail down a good, cohesive idea. 

In your artist statement, you mention that your inspiration comes from the "sex industry," "human desire," and the "uncomfortable things in the world." What about these topics intrigue and inspire you? As a woman these things fascinate me:  this male driven society, sexual outlets for men and how women are objectified. I’m fascinated with ideas about what makes a woman perfect in society's eyes, the role of the physical body of women, and how this emphasis on the body effects the psyche and intrigues men and women. 

Do you get a lot of negative criticism for portraying this side of life? No, but I sometimes feel it's the calm before the storm. I really want to start making art that might push the envelope a little bit. I want to put it out there, but not be so over the top so that people can't see past  surface to the deeper thought process behind my art. There are many artists who produce exciting and really crazy pieces, and I am trying to find the place that I am comfortable with, to be talking about those topics.

Are you worried? Is that why you haven’t gone there yet?

I think so. Darla [The Other Women Collective member Darla Jackson] and I call it being “Jersey nice.” I don’t know where my work is going next but a lot of it will be about sexuality and a women's place in the craziness of this world.

Can you talk about the importance of your material choices?

I use materials like glitter and silk that will evoke an idea or emotion that tells a story. I think that materials that are sparkly, pretty and girly furthers the story and gives the viewer an idea of where I am coming from. I like using ballons to show the passing of time, like deflated balloons say "the party is over.” Through the use of different materials I can further the story or mood for the viewer.

What would it take for your group to go from exhibiting in other peoples spaces to curating in your own space?

First we’d have to get a space! We’ve dabbled with this idea but right now I think we’re more excited about finding new places where our work fits. We would love to do more guerilla style exhibitions, such as the four of us going into the woods or abandoned houses to create installations and documenting them. We would like to curate shows with other artists but we still need to continue showing together to develop our voice a little bit more before we would curate within our own space. We're still not 100% sure we would do that. 

Is making art your full time job, if not, do you have hopes for it to be?

Making art is not yet my full time job. I actually support myself by working three other jobs and I haven’t really figured out the process of having art be my full-time career.   I'm scared of it becoming too much of a grind and I don’t want to lose that passion. I make my art from a very emotional place, as a lot of professional artist do, but I'm still trying to figure out how to feel comforatable with making it a career and still having that fire that drives it.  I want to see the world, I want to travel and I think after some of that soul searching I will be able to figure out what I want to do. 

I am still young and I need to figure myself out some more to know what I want really want to be doing. I am always searching within different mediums and I think that once I really develop my voice as an artist I will know. It is an innate part of me to doodle these weird things, and want to do these projects, and I am constantly coming up with ideas. If that becomes a career, then that seems kind of amazing. 

I think that’s why I am in this collective. The other members are a little bit older than me and I just look up to them so much. All I am doing is being a sponge and observing their paths. Darla is very professional and I share a studio with someone who is really making a career out of this art thing, so it is really interesting to observe what that takes. When I put myself in those shoes I go, "Okay, well maybe I could do that."

Do the other women have outside jobs as well?

They do. Darla is teaching at Fleisher Art Memorial and she taught at Stockton College for a little bit. The two Laura's (Graham and McKinley) have other jobs, as well. We are all juggling a lot, while being a part of this collective and we are still figuring it out. This collective was formed in 2006 so we are still in our infancy---developing where we want to be and who we are individually and collectively. 

Do you ever have creative differences and disputes? How do you settle them?

We do, and when I first started in the collective I was freaked out because I knew I hadn't really gone full force yet. As I mentioned, I knew I wanted to do some crazy stuff. I was scared that these girls were going to be like, "This girl's putting vaginas on things!" "What is she doing?" or "Why does she have glitter all over the place, what is going on?" But they are really supportive and I think we really want to push the envelop in the coming years. I keep encouraging everyone to do so. I love when the girls do crazy stuff , I say, "Please make it crazier, do something insane!"

Do you do most of your work here, in this studio?

It is just Darla and me here. Laura Graham has a studio in New York and Laura McKinley has a studio right outside of Philadelphia.

What are the advantages of being in a collective rather then on your own?

We are all in it for different reasons. It was the winter before I graduated from Moore and I knew when I left college I wanted to feel like I could make art in collaboration with people. You kind of need that push after you graduate. You don’t know what you are going to do and I predicted that I would feel that way, because I was searching in school regarding where I wanted to be and what I was doing artistically. And the other girls were already out of school and making amazing work,  but they wanted to make work more often and wanted to get involved with planning events. 

That’s the advantage of a collaborative situation-- if I didn’t have the other members  I would sometimes feel like a chicken with my head cut off. I get a lot of ideas but sometimes I don’t know where to show things or who to approach about showing things, and it's awesome when one of the girls say, "Let's do a show here!" Now I can make this crazy piece that I want to make and it will have a place where it can be seen. Its really good because we give each other feedback and get each other excited about projects, because when you're in your own head and thinking about your own work, you don't always have a clear vision. After a while it's good to have other people to talk to.

Does it cost a lot of money to show in places?

Yeah—and to make your own stuff it's ridiculous! Even to get my work framed I wonder, "How am I going to do it?" I have a huge drawing and I wonder how I am going to frame it? Luckily, we all have our strong points and there are specific members that are very good at being treasurer and keeping things very organized, and keeping the expenses straight. It hasn’t really caused any issues--we all know making art costs money.

Do you get grants or do you just pay expenses from your own pocket?

We’ve been paying for everything out of pocket but we do want to start applying for grants. The people who get grants are very diligent about doing it. We haven’t had major expenses yet--but as our exhibitions get more ambitious--we know that we would have to apply for grants to be able to pull them off.

Are you talking about the materials that go into the works or to actually present the exhibition?

Once you decide to do a huge show you have to get very organized and if you find a venue you may have to pay something for it. But if you get a grant and there is a venue that you land a spot in, you may get in that time slot when they are sure you can show and then most of the grant money can go to the making of the work. We have only been able to pay ourselves through selling our work.

The galleries don’t usually charge you for showing there?

No, they don’t but they’ll take a percentage of sales. Some galleries get 60% and you only get 40%. That’s why pricing is so difficult. That’s one thing we do in the collective—discuss potential sales and ask each other what price we should ask for our work. The pricing of your work is really hard because you have to create a system. Darla and I have the same way of figuring out how to price pieces and you really have to do math to figure it out because you can’t just make up a number. We consider labor, costs of material and the “preciousness” factor. Someone said recently, "Oh, artists, they just throw a number up on something." But, no, a lot of artists really sit there and figure out how to price each piece and a lot of times you feel bad if something seems too expensive. However, if the gallery is going to take 50% you have to recoup something for yourself.

Is there anything in general that you feel like we (emerging artists) need to know or that you feel like you would have liked to know when you were just starting out?

Did you ever see that movie from the early ‘90s, Reality Bites, with Winona Rider? I was watching that and it really got me thinking about being in your twenties and trying to figure stuff out in your life and being lost.  I think the only thing I could say to young people that are trying to be in the art world--something that’s difficult for me--you have to be open to letting the universe, or whatever, make things happen and if there’s a big change in direction, try to open yourself up to it. I think you graduate with a degree and you think that you have a degree in this or that, so you need to be doing something in this field or that field.  I think that’s important, but you also have to let things happen naturally, while having an idea of who you are. I feel like I'm still figuring it out. I graduated in 2007 and it freaks me out sometimes--I'm like, "Crap, I was a 2D major and I want to make these weird installations." That can make me feel like I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, but then I think, "Wait-- there isn’t just ONE something you're supposed to be doing!" You just have to be open to trying new things.