Q&A with Artist Ruby Anderson

Freshman Ruby Anderson brings a contemporary style in her artwork to reflect on the themes of today’s pop culture.

Lucy Wagner, Reporter|January 14, 2016

1) When and how did you first become interested in art?

I have always been interested in art. Throughout [my twin brother Eli’s] and my childhood, my mom always had us painting and provided us with opportunities to do a lot of creative stuff.

2) What influences your art?

Anything from my mood to my music, honestly anything that I see can inspire me. I recently did a plaster sculpture called “Bliss and Alice” and it’s inspired by this rapper I recently started listening to – Tommy Boozewell. He plays with the positive and negative sides of his personality, like a yin/yang. So my piece was based upon a yin/yang.

3) Do you believe your involvement in ballet has influenced you at all?

Yes. Ballet helps me with a lot of artistic aspects, like with my musicality and visually – how you want things to come off, how you want people to read things. The visual references help to make movement in art and the way things flow and come together.

4) Do you pursue any themes in your artwork?

Not really. Everything I do is really random.

5) What is your favorite type of art to make? (Ex: Drawing, painting, molding…)

I usually like to do pencil and sketching, but recently I really like working with ceramics.

6) What is your favorite piece you’ve created so far?

I made this skull called “Fresh 2 Death”. It was a challenge, but I’m really happy with how it turned out!

7) Do you plan on continuing art throughout high school and college?

Yes. I don’t know how I would survive school without art.

8) Do you have any tips for upcoming artists?

Don’t think too much about what other people think about your art. It’s important to be considerate of how things will come off, but not to be influenced by critics.

9) What is your dream project?

My dream project would be to somehow mix dance, music, and physical or stationary art in order to produce one mega piece. I don’t know yet how I would do that though! But maybe a multi-media kind of fusion? Similar to some of the thesis projects I have seen some dance majors do.