L. Aviva Diamond
Los Angeles, CA
Definitely over 60 : )
What keeps you excited in the studio?
Making art is a constant act of discovery and of self discovery. It’s like poetry – a distillation of perception and experience. I’m entranced by the beauty of line, the searing or subtle juxtaposition of colors, the dance of light and shadow. The effort to understand ourselves and the world and to somehow bring those perceptions and emotions into physical form, to transmit them visually for others to experience, is a never-ending source of both frustration and delight. Bottom line: almost EVERYTHING excites me!
Looking back at your trajectory as an artist, how would you say your work has developed?
That’s for others to determine. I’m just trying to see more and more clearly as time goes on – to be more and more honest. To learn.
What role do you think the artist has in today’s society?
I see everyone who open-heartedly devotes themselves to expression as engaging in a deeply healing and transformative act.
Looking at others’ art touches my soul, whether with delight or insight, compassion or disgust, pain or love. And when I create, I often feel that I am in a state of grace – fully communing with the most profound parts of my being and of the universe. The artist is, quite literally, a seer. One who sees. And who, in seeing, can help to heal.
What’s the most important advice you could give to an aspiring artist?
Just make work! When you doubt yourself, create! When you’re happy, grab a camera or a brush. When you feel homicidal, stab with your pen and hurl some paint. You will be tempted to give up a million times a day, but don’t. You’re not making this work to impress anyone or to justify your existence; you’re making it to teach yourself about the world and about you. And if you are sincere and honest about that, the energy of what you create will also resonate with others.
Does age matter in art? Why or why not?
Everything matters in art – your view of the world, what you had for breakfast, how long you’ve been traipsing around on the planet – because everything in life forms who the artist is. But also, this society is relentlessly ageist, and artists should be evaluated by the quality of their work – not by the number of candles on their birthday cakes!
What can we look forward to from you next?
Right now I’m working on my first fine art photography book, and I’ll be singing a jazz concert with two brilliant musicians in mid-August.
Is there anything else you would like to share about being an artist later in life?
Please don’t go to your deathbed with a life that has been unexpressed. It is never ever ever too late to share your soul with the world. My parents didn’t want me to be an artist, so I did something else professionally for most of my adult life. It was only in my early 60s that I finally allowed myself the freedom to fully devote my time to art and music. That was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I am now in the happiest time of my life.
http://www.avivaartphotography.com
@l.avivadiamond
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