1xRun Thru Interview
Confirm Title by Max Neutra
1xRun: Tell us a bit about this new series of work.
Max Neutra: Having recently had our first child, I was ready to see what kind of new work would come from it. What would baby Zoey inspire?
I quickly found that I wanted to make work that she could enjoy in her nursery. Naturally, the bunnies came to mind. They are after all about propagation. I realized that although I have done double bunnies before (two bunnies together in one cutout), I have never done a trio of bunnies. A family. So I set out to see what came up.
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Max Neutra: At first I thought “This is going to be a no brainer,” but I was pleasantly surprised to find that these bunny families ended up being much more challenging than expected. For me, the bunnies are more than cute cutouts. They are exercises in finding grace and balance. Drawing one on it’s own, you find balance within that singular unit. Drawing a pair, you find balance between the two. But drawing three together opened up a whole new level of complexity. Not only is 3 an uneven number, but the third smaller bunny is a new size that needs to fit in.
Still, I managed to discover new arrangements that were previously untapped, and was surprised to find that there was a lesson to be learned from creating this series. I felt that these bunny families reflected a kind of complexity and balance that I think most family units strive for. Like these bunnies, my new family is adjusting to find the natural ways that we all fit together. These new bunny families have way more nooks and crannies to sand and more complex edges to paint, and so does my new family. All the extra work that goes into producing these new bunny families end up only adding value. The complexity of the composition provokes a deeper appreciation of the work. I think of what my friend said to me before Zoey was born; “It will be the hardest thing you have ever done, but it will be worth it.”
1xRUN: What is like creating art with children in mind?
Max Neutra: When it came to creating some new canvases with kids in mind, it was much easier than the rabbit cutouts. I already have many giraffes making impressions on the young minds of kids of people I know, and I have seen with my own eyes how children look at my art. Having a new baby myself, I have had more time to study her reactions to things as she develops, and what they say is true. High contrast black and white images are the best. Babies dig em’ the most. So naturally I painted some high contrast images for babies to meditate on.
Hopefully these friendly beasts will provide some quality brain development time for new families out there. But, let it be known that I don’t think everything babies see needs to be “educational.” So many baby toys are marketed as “helping their development.” Like without some particular toy your kid might end up flunking kindergarten. I just think there are things to learn besides your ABC’s and 123’s. Things like balance, composition, negative space, contour, etc. I think back to a big moment in my personal artistic development. I was 6 years old and coloring in a Porky Pig coloring book. My uncle came over and asked if he could join me. I said, “sure” and continued coloring Porky Pig pink, and nice and clean in the lines.
My uncle sat down and picked up a neon green crayon and proceeded to scribble across the horses face on the opposing page, followed by purple. All crazy outside the lines. “What are you doing!” I yelled. “You’re supposed to make the horse brown! And not all messy!” and my uncle simply said, “I can do it this way if I want.” A little bomb went off in my brain as I realized that art is not necessarily about following rules. That it can be about making your own rules. I guess I hope that my paintings might help some little people make similar discoveries. Help them learn that not everything needs to be “just so.” That there can be beauty in a mess, and that good things can happen when you are open to chance.
1xRun: Where else can people find you?
Max Neutra: Website – Instagram@maxneutra – Facebook