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| | | Mia Mäkilä Interview
Vivianite: Who is Mia Mäkilä?
Mia Mäkilä: Picture Pippi Longstocking and swedish movie director Ingmar Bergman having a love child. That's me. I guess everyone's calling me a "horror artist" because I deal with difficult emotions and themes such as fear, angst, rage and sorrow in my art. But I use a lot of humor at the same time. Making my demons having fun on the canvas. Told you I was like Pippi and Bergman, didn't I?
There are a lot of symbols, icons and fantastic combinations in your art? How do you stay fresh and creative?
I always use my own life as a starting point for my creative force and I guess since I'm always evolving - my art is also ever-changing.
Where do you find those vintage photographs, do you only look for old ones?
I find them at flea markets and at Internet auctions. And yes I'm only interested in the vintage ones, it gives the horror portraits of my demons that special haunting and fairytale-like quality.
You are a frequent blogger, how important is you website and blog for your art?
It's very important for me to have a direct dialogue with my fans and give them a sense of who I am and what I stand for, since my art is so personal and connected with my inner persona. I love to enterain and to give people something to think about and I think I can do that with my blog. That mix is what I'm all about.
Whats your favourite choise of media?
Mixed media; no rules allowed, no limitation and no thoughts censored. That's the perfect media.
You must have a nice horror movie collection, can you share any favourites.
You know, it's very hard to find REALLY good horror movies since I hate when they're too obvious and too over-narrated, so I don't like the B-movies and all the splatter films, I like it subtle and psychological intriguing. My favouries are "Darkness" (2002), "Tale of two sisters" (2003), "The Changeling" (1980) and "The Innocents" (1961).
For some reason I'm thinking of tattoos when I see your art do you have any or thinking of getting any?
No I don't want a tattoo, but if I would get one, it must be the little devil that Ingmar Bergman used to sign his name with.
Hieronymus Bosch, one of my favourites also! How do you think he was as a person and a painter?
I think he was a really religious guy, maybe he was scared of life and all the harm it can do to you. I think I'm a quite nervous person and I always make up worst case scenarios in my head. Maybe he did that too? And he must've had a great sense of humor. Dark and cynical. Just like me. I guess we would be lovers if he was still alive. Haha. He was a fantastic painter and I think he would have loved the collage and mixed media technique that I use today. It wasn't used when he was alive.
What music are you listening to while creating?
I always listen to music when I paint and create. But the music vary a lot - it depends on my mood and state of mind. It could be some opera by Mozart one day and the other day I could play some really good ABBA songs and the next I might listen to jazz. But I have a really soft spot in my heart for Angelo Badalamenti's music.
When is a painting finished?
When it's perfect, when you know that the next brush stroke is gonna destroy the whole sense of the painting. That's when.
How interested are you in other artists art?
VERY interested. It's like food to my brain.
I know that you love Ingmar Bergman. How has he influenced you in your art?
In so many ways. He was never scared to deal with his own demons and used a wonderful mix of darkness and light and I think that has been the biggest influence. Bergman always told stories about his life and his own experiences and wasn't afraid to deal with his shortcomings and issues. To tell the whole story, with all the flaws and the ugliness. And to have fun with that.
"Evil", Acrylic on Canvas, 2007
I really like your painting "Evil", can you tell us something about it, who are those little guys?
I was thinking about the concept of evil when I did that one. I wondered about if you could be born a evil person. Or if this world makes you evil? It's like the hen and the egg.
The kids in the "Evil" painting are the embodiment of evil and darkness. But were they born that way?
What about the haunted house you live in? Does those ghosts give you any tips on how to paint?
Haha, no but they keep me inspired. My house was build in 1886 and there are a lot of weird things happening here. My neighbours feel it too.
What would you say to an artist just starting out?
To try things that scares the bejesus out of you and to constantly push yourself a little bit harder all the time. Never stand still at a comfortable artistic level. And to forget the idea of having a lot of money for a LONG time. |
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