Interview with Regina Choi

FORMERLY from Korea, Regina Choi first came to America when she was 19 years old. Many will be surprised that she was actually a Chemistry major when she started college. Regina went as far as pursuing the chemistry field by working in a laboratory producing test kits, later she even moved up positions in the laboratory where she was able to develop anti-body. However, she started to realized that she has never lost her passion for art and believed that art was really her true calling. So she bravely decided to drop all her science classes and came to Rutgers to take drawing and design classes where she felt she was herself again. 

What is your favorite medium to work with and why?

Last semester, I used transparency paper and plexiglass to create layers. I don’t have any persistence with specific medium. I just pick something that I can handle and familiar or help me to get what I want.

Do you like working on a large scale or smaller scale?

Frankly speaking, I like a smaller scale because it’s easy to handle and done quickly. So I can see the result fast. But I think a large scale gives off more effect. A large scale of work takes us into the space and makes us to focus on the piece more. Due to the effect of large scale, I gather small pieces as a large piece. 

  

I see that you working with transparency a lot and overlapping, what is your inspiration behind that?

My first inspiration was Julie Mehretue. When I saw her work at MoMA, I was so into the painting; the deep space, scale, lines, planes, and speed. The space was composed on the canvas with lines and color planes by layers. Accordingly, I created the space to paint geometric shapes with perspective on the transparency paper and overlapped them on a frame. At that time, creating space was only my consideration. I think layering is same as how I live. My thoughts, knowledge, and feeling were accumulated and lay on myself and became matured and profound. 

And most of your works are done in bright colors? Is that your personal style?

I like bright colors but especially I picked rainbow colors. People recognize only seven colors from light; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, navy blue, and purple. These are primary and secondary colors. I thought the relationship of the colors is interesting. It’s like relationship between people. Some colors are in same category but some don’t. Some colors are in two different categories and opposite another category. If layer is representing me, the colors are representing my relationship. Like…. in and out of the category (relationship). So…. It might be a personal thought. 

I see that there are a lot of geometric shapes in your work. Can you explain that? Are you interested in architecture?

I am interested in architecture. I wanted to study in architecture or interior design. Those are based on art and I thought I need to enlarge my point of view of art. 

Can you name some of your favorite artists and how they relate to your work?

Julie Mehretu, I want to mention about a bit of Julie Mehretu. I know her works are based on political ideas. But besides the idea, I love how she creates space on a huge canvas.  And Franz Ackermann, Frank Stella, and Bridge Riley (and some of optical illusion artists) were my inspirations of my works. I started dealing with space and went to the optical illusion later. I express my own interpretation from their works by different materials that they didn’t use. For example, I cut transparency paper, twist the strips on a color plane to create the optical illusion. 

A painting of Julie Mehretu

 Have you done other work besides installation pieces? Such as painting or drawings?

I have done painting and drawings and I am taking photography.

 Where do you usually go to find inspiration and ideas? Books, websites, blogs?

Mostly websites, books, magazines, and TV. But usually from my instructor first. I don’t know many painters. I mean… I am really bad at memorizing people’s name. When I go to galleries or museums, even while reading books, I was impressed by many works, artists. But couldn’t recall their names. So my instructor would tell me the artists’ name and I would research them or their 

specific work.

  Have you thought about what you’re going to do for thesis? Any ideas on how it’s going to look?

I want to do installation art. Paint would primary or secondary material. And I want make work for people who don’t have much knowledge about art. I want them to smile at my work and enjoy the time with it.  

What do you think about Thesis class so far? What do you think you will get out of this class?

I don’t know yet but I’ll do my best.

Closing remarks: Aside from the questions, Regina also discussed her familiarity with design as she learned how to some of the Adobe programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator. She also mentioned her curiosity about typography and her struggles with typography. As last we came to discuss about our individual workflow or her approach to making an art piece. "My answer was that I plan too much before I paint, or do my work, so I always end up doing my work at last minute and mess up sometime due to the too much planning."