Summer Intern: Russell Pirkle

Joining the NCLAC team this summer is I, Russell Pirkle. Having recently graduated from Louisiana Tech with a BFA in studio art, I now go on to the work of grant writing and weekly NCLAC member interviews for this blog. I start work even now, as I type, by interviewing myself. Why did you decide to intern at NCLAC?

Well, I’ve always enjoyed writing . . . Not just as a thing to do, or even as a thing to read, but also as a thing to ponder and explore and appreciate. I’m interested in what words do, how they perform, how they can and can’t change reality. So when I saw that NCLAC needed a grant writer, I jumped on the opportunity to be a part of a community of artists and do it in a way that lines up so closely with my interests.

Where are you from?

I grew up in West Monroe, but I’ve lived in Ruston for five years now as a college student, and it’s really become very much more of a home to me in a lot of ways. I’ve lived in a variety of places here. I know where more things are. I met most of my friends here. Most of my big life decisions I made here. So, while it’s not my hometown, it’s my favorite home.

What kind of art do you do?

I’m a visual artist, and I do a lot of process driven drawing and writing, and sometimes performance, with an emphasis on the concepts behind the work, and the artistic or literary context around the concepts.

Who is your favorite artist?

Andrea Zittel. She makes these weird modernist habitats for herself to live in and is just really interested in how we experience art and what role it has in our lives. I also love Josiah McElheny. Van Gogh. Tintoretto. Rembrandt. Harrell Fletcher.

Any hobbies?

Hm. Well my new favorite thing to do is listen to an audiobook while washing dishes. I also like riding my bike and jogging.

Look forward to more interviews (with members other than myself) here every Wednesday!