“Man thinks he is superior to all other beings here on Earth, but man can only view other beings from man’s own perspective. Therefore, man is again and again surprised by the abilities and skills of other beings. Man must learn to show humility concerning each other, other species, and life on Earth if man is to survive as a species.”
“The Dangers Lurk” Linocut Printed on Paper by Britta Ortiz.
WAS THERE A PIVOTAL MOMENT WHEN YOU DECIDED TO FOLLOW YOUR PATH AS AN ARTIST?
“I have been creating art since I was young and still in elementary school. I would have liked to have gone to the art academy, but my parents were against it because I was very good at school. That’s why I came to study medicine at university. During my university studies, however, I found out that I needed to create art if I was to function optimally, as my brain needs me to use both brain hemispheres. Although I have created art all my life, I only started showing my art to the outside world in 2010. Here I participated in an exhibition where employees exhibited their works, and to my surprise, there was someone who was so excited by my art that he bought a work.”
CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK FOR US?
“I work in several different art forms but am best known for my graphic prints – especially lino prints. I love the challenges when producing graphic prints as I have to imagine what the finished image will look like as it only fully reveals itself when I print the first print. It appeals to me that each and every cut has a meaning for the result. It matters which knife I use, which direction each individual cut has, and how much I cut away. I work a lot with black and white prints, but also color prints of various kinds, as they pose other challenges for me and my technical and artistic abilities.”
Britta Ortiz – Star Of The Week.
“The Cycle Of Life” Linocut Printed on Paper by Britta Ortiz.
WHAT DOES YOUR WORK AIM TO SAY?
“My art reflects my experiences and reflections about the world we live in. Humans are, in many ways, the greatest threat here on Earth. We make war and destroy nature. People often think they are doing something good, but it later turns out that it is not. It has happened in the past but also in the present. The world’s leaders say we must go through a green transition to use less fossil energy and more green energy. Therefore, they ensure that wind turbines and giant solar cells are built, and the number of electric cars must increase, but they forget the long-term consequences. The wind turbines benefit the environment here and now, but not when the wind turbines need to be replaced. Solar systems create vast deserts of ugly solar panels that disfigure nature and are a very foreign element in our nature. Electric cars benefit the environment in the Western world but create enormous pollution where rare metals are extracted from the underground. With my art, I would like to show how beautiful nature and wildlife here on Earth are. Man thinks he is superior to all other beings, but from my perspective, he is not. We are all created as specialists in each of our fields. When man believes that he is superior to all other species, man only manages to judge others from a human perspective. Therefore, man becomes once surprised by the abilities and intelligence of different species. Man is destructive, and even if we, e.g., can implement some high-tech things, it is not sure that it will be wise. This applies not least to the medical world and artificial intelligence.”
HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR WORK FITS WITHIN SOCIETY IN OUR PRESENT TIMES?
“My works are a child of the times we live in. There is interest in my graphic works among people of all ages, and they fit into the world we live in, but otherwise, I don’t care whether my works fit in or not. I produce the works I want because it is a necessity for me to express my thoughts, reflections, and feelings through my art – regardless of what people think of my works or not.”
WHEN LOOKING BACK, WHAT ARTWORKS COME TO MIND THAT MOST RELATE TO YOUR LIFE STORY?
“All my works are part of my life story. People can only sometimes immediately see what thoughts lie behind a work if they know me very well because I often express the messages behind a work indirectly.”
WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES?
“I can’t say who has inspired me the most to make my art. My artistic expression is a product of who I am, my experiences throughout a long life, and all the artistic expressions I have experienced. I get new impressions all the time. Instructors can teach me techniques but have yet to help me with my artistic expression. When I have had lessons, I always afterward have to spend energy finding the core of what it is that I want to express and how.”
“The Forest Trip” Linocut Printed on Paper by Britta Ortiz.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
“Even before I begin my work, I imagine what it is that I want to express and how. When I make linocuts, the process is carefully planned. I always start by making sketches and work on them until I’m satisfied. If it’s printed in black and white, the sketch is transferred to the linoleum board, and I start cutting until I think the work is finished. I then make a test print to see if there is more that needs to be cut away. I then print the completed works. I constantly produce a maximum of five pieces of my work. If it is a graphic work with several colors, the process depends on whether a print is produced via several different linoleum sheets or a reduction print. Both require a lot of planning, as I have to be able to imagine in my head what the finished cut will look like and how I will bring out this expression concerning what needs to be cut and when.”
WHAT VISUAL REFERENCES DO YOU DRAW UPON IN YOUR WORK?
“I don’t know, but I studied Vincent van Gogh’s drawings quite closely when I was young. They are fantastic, and they have inspired me artistically. Apart from his works, I am unaware that other artists have influenced my artistic expression. I have never copied other artists’ work, nor would it ever work for me. In the situations where teachers have tried to get me to produce something unique or, in a particular way, do something, I have always ended up painting it over if it is a painting or discarding it. I have never been taught how to make linocuts. It has always been my very own medium. Of course, I get inspiration for my works by looking at the results of other artists. Still, it is mainly about the techniques they use, which I would like to try in my works, so the inspiration does not come concerning the expression of their works but in relation to the technique they use.”
ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS?
“I never talk about projects concerning my art. I am constantly producing several works in different art forms because it is necessary for me.”
0 Comments