Incubus’ Choice: Close-up on Vivian O'Shaughnessy

What message(s) do you want to express through your work?

I want others to see and feel my passion expressed as the drawings are a landscape of the soul, the key to conscious/unconscious.

Which artists inspire you?

(in order/living)

Tracey Emin, London – Text, line
Mary Frank, London/NYC – Monotype, line, triptych
Raymond Pettibon, Arizona – Text, line
George Baselitz, German – Upside down, line
Jenny Saville, London – Large, bodies, sometimes hers
Cy Twombly, Virginia USA – Text, line, mixed media, large scale on paper
Robert Crumb, Philadelphia – Sketch book 1968-69, cartoonist
Jack Pierson, NYC – Ink lines, photographer
Antoni Tapies, Spain – Feet, line
Dan Perjovschi, Romania – Huge wall drawings, Nioma

Who are your masters?

(in order/deceased)

Picasso, Spain – All works
George Grosz, German – Triptych, line
E. L. Kirchner, German – Ink, pastel, line
Otto dix, German – Line
Eugene Leroy, north of France – Line
Francis Picabia, France – Overlays, lines
Dekooning, Holland – Lines
Bill Brandt, English – Nudes, body parts, Photographer (perspective of nudes, 1961)
David Smith, USA Ohio – Sculpture, nudes-in/lines

What have you gained by being on the internet?

Just as drawing is the most democratic of all art forms and thusly, connects us to artists globally, so does the internet which connects us to the creative process worldwide.

Did the internet enable you to meet new models, to find new exhibit places?

Not really a help to find new models but definitely to find new places to potentially exhibit, especially when I am planning to go and prospect abroad like I’m about to do in France.

Has your work ever been censored? If so, how did you deal with it?

What projects mean a lot to you at the moment?

Refrain from any verbalization(s). Keep going! Comments motivated me to continue and view the graphite revelations unfolding!
Some remarks: “dick queen”, “dirty old lady stuff”, “What do you do that? (that defined as penis, feet, lime green pubic area, man shaving, body parts…)”, “Put some yellow there (cunt) to make it erotic”, “vulgar”, “your work is not appropriate for our clientele”, “being sitting/standing near you caused me to do this (nude image)”, “aren’t you afraid of pervert bothering you?”…

What projects mean a lot to you at the moment?

Live drawing in my groups
- The center (gay) Saturday 10 am to 1 pm
- Art Students League – Daily open sketch
- Drawathon – Saturday 4 pm - 1 am
- Society of Illustrators – Tuesday 6.30 - 9.30 pm
Papermaking from pulp approximately 12 sheets, for printing and drawing purposes, monthly in a 3 hour session at Dieudonne Papermill.
Dry point etching (on plastic) favorite drawings for printing later
Monotypes (hand printed) at home
Re-visiting large/wall drawings
Frequent visit to galleries/museums (from on-going lists from magazines, media and friends)
Illustrate Paul Verlaine - women/men
Seek a writer to collaborate with drawings

Could you tell us a few words about the place you live/work in?

I reside in New York city, in an apartment. At home, I think/plan/prepare drawing tools/paper for life drawing groups.
My art references are orderly arranged. At least one hour per day is devoted to reading current periodicals and I spend a day or more per week in galleries/museums/lectures.

Close-up on…