Kniqui Nimbus is beyond art, or maybe I should say what I see as a perfect artist. she is philosophical, science minded, iconoclastic, multifaceted, multiface’d, and brave.
I first met her on-line and entered into many spirited debates, she seemed to want to teach as well as learn, to challenge and be challenged… another reason, she makes the perfect artist.
eventually Kniqui invited me to dinner and a place to rest my head as I passed thru her area, I of course took her up on the offer, what kind of road dog would pass up a meal and possible great conversation?
the conversation was beyond great and Kniqui surrounds herself with amazing and talented friends, the unifying factor, huge heart and mind… she reminded me of warhol and, in a rare moment, I was into joining her factory collective… I am fascinated by her and her family of creative cohorts.
find out more here: http://www.kniqui.com/
and here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Hypgnosis
and this set of videos, I’m not saying it is or was co-produced or features kniqui & her biggest insperation… but i’m not saying it was not produced or features kniqui & her biggest insperation: https://www.youtube.com/user/10ofWands
what is underground art?
I consider underground art a synesthetic expression of self and ideas that are unconventional, unpopular, uncomfortable and largely uncommercial.
are there rules or a set of ethics to the underground?
Rather than rules and ethics I see commandments such as: Create! Question! Destroy! Expose! Exclaim! Explore!
what is selling out?
I suppose that selling out is what others accuse an artist of doing when the artist has commercial or popular success, especially after deviating from his status quo. If an artist is constantly asking himself if he is selling out, he might struggle with wanting to be a commercial or popular success, or possibly he has a fear that his fan base might accuse him of doing that if he tries something different. In any case, worrying about being a sell-out compromises art as much as actually selling out. That is why I think being overly self-conscious about whether or not my art is underground or above ground would distract and dilute it, Speculating whether or not someone else’s art is underground or above ground is irrelevant. What matters to me about art is how it provokes me and what it evokes in me.
can underground go above ground and still be underground?
Art that is intrinsically underground remains underground no matter how it is exapted, co-opted or exploited.
have you ever sold out?
If only I knew how to and could sell out with any success, I would do it just so my work could be a Trojan horse and poke people in their ideologies. That is not actually true, as I am too lazy to figure out how to sell out and compulsively poke people including myself in our ideologies.
is it possible to steal an idea?
I am the wrong person to ask. I don’t even know if it is possible to originate an idea. Inspiration, like breathing in, is not merely voluntary, it is more often autonomic. While I feel like I create things, because ideas come to me and I shape them and put them together, I also understand that the universe of images and ideas are like puzzle pieces that I see as important and I compulsively connect them in ways that seem meaningful. I am told schizophrenics do the same thing.
your biggest artistic regret?
Destroying past works.
your biggest artistic inspiration?
My Mirror Flame 10ofWands (Laughing Nimbus). Our connection and exploration of life, death and everything in between and beyond is the most intense I have ever experienced.
what is dangerous art?
Dangerous art differs from decoration. It invites censorship and incites violence. It can be the kindling and sometimes even the accelerant to riots and revolutions. What defines the danger is not the art, but the dominating attitudes of the populace.
bonus question…
nature or nurture?
By nature I cannot help to do what I do and by nurture I do it. I didn’t start the fire, but I feed it.
XOXO <3 Kniqui Nimbus
Posted In: art talk..., questions answered
Tagged: art, genius, Kniqui, Kniqui Nimbus, master artist, mensa artist