Interview With Alisa Yang [aka Sammy Sundae]
Alisa Yang is an artist with a sense of humor. Kids who grew up in the late 80′s or early 90′s will instantly connect with her work because of its great use of nostalgic imagery and sense of fun. In the following interview you’ll learn about the beauty of Tetris, Yang’s alter-ego named Sammy Sundae, and why August 28th should be national Power Rangers day!
Daniel Rolnik: What got you hooked onto art as a kid?
Alisa Yang: My family was poor, the only thing I really had for toys were paper and pencils, I remember stealing paper because I ran out of surfaces to draw on. I was also a very shy, socially awkward, and quiet kid ( I still am actually), so naturally I drew as my preferred way to communicate and express myself.
DR: What’s the story behind your alternate identity as Sammy Sundae?
AY: It was a character in a narrative piece I did in school that ultimately became my altered ego. Basically she’s a badass girl who ran away from home to lives in a forest filled with strange creatures, she spends her afternoon cutting tails off of menacing wolves and foxes, making them harmless and docile without their tails.
DR: Why is one crocodile $300 and the other only $5.99 [http://argotandochre.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Screen-shot-2011-05-19-at-10.45.40-AM.png]?
AY: The one of the left is the real Lacoste brand and the other one is a knock off (which they just flip the logo).
DR: How did you create the paper for your Arcade poetry series and how much of your work is edited digitally?
AY: Everything, including the background was found in coloring books, nothing was edited digitally. It’s important to me to preserve the integrity and purity of using only one source material, reconstructing by re-arranging the outlines and images to create something new. For this series in particular, the purpose was to take these pop culture icons out of its context and juxtapose it in an entirely ridiculous but relevant situations.
DR: What’s your video game of choice?
AY: Tetris, it was the first game I got addicted to and I love its simplicity.
DR: Why did you draw a connection between whales and mental health disorders?
AY: I was obsessed with drawing whales for 2 years when I was 9; even my bedroom wall was covered with whales. I just figured it would be a funny way to depict the different mental disorders and re-visit my obsession with drawing whales. On a side note, they also look like sperms swimming up into the panties.
DR: If you could post an entry on the Power Rangers blog what would it be?
AY: I would announce August 28th as Power Rangers day, since that was the date in 1993 when Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers aired its first episode. It would be a day to celebrate being a power ranger by dressing up, fighting invisible monsters, and help old ladies cross the streets.
DR: What brought you to the Santa Fe lofts?
AY: It’s a hidden haven in the industrial city of Vernon near downtown LA. I was drawn to the community of artists and the affordable live/work lofts. I share a big warehouse with three other artists, it’s an amazing space, and we often throw events here and host weekly figure drawing workshops in the common area.
DR: What would happen if you hugged Godzilla?
AY: Godzilla is no longer angry, you save the city from his temper tantrum, and everyone will be envious of your new best friend.
DR: What are you going to unleash in 2011?
AY: More collage works with coloring books for an upcoming show, new comics and zines under Sammy Sundae. I’m also going to experiment with video and animation for fun, I’ve never tried it before so hopefully it won’t be a disaster.
Questions by: Daniel Rolnik
Answers by: Alisa Yang
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
One Response to Interview with Alisa Yang [aka Sammy Sundae]
Leave a Reply
- Follow Us
Sammy Sundae's COMIC 
[...] by: Daniel Rolnik Answers by: Athena Kargeui Related Posts :Interview with Bob Dob Bears with Tommy-Guns Pipe Design [...]