Six Questions With … Laura Deljanin

The thing I’ve always loved about Deep Cutz is that Milo has always been able to transcend the music scene and write about any facet of art that hits the Detroit area. Here’s me throwing my hat in the ring…I’d like to do this more and we’ll see how it goes, but here is the first installment of Six Questions With ... It features local artist Laura Deljanin, who has taken the power and put it into her own hands by booking all of her own shows and setting up exhibitions for other artists as well. Check out her one day show tommorow, April 18, at the Octane Gallery in Ferndale, which will feature work from Edward Vauth, Mike Chizzy, Brian Taylor, Judy Cho and many more.

Six Questions With … Laura Deljanin

Question One: How did you get into art? What did you set out to do in the art world?
LD: I got started like every little kid drawing with crayons. It started in first grade [laughs]. From there I went to CCS and Henry Ford. I started in Graphic Design and I did that for a while. I remember one of my counselors was like, “What do you want to do?” and I said, “I want to be a commercial artist.” His face got kind of mad. He was like, “No, you don’t want to worry about selling the artwork, you should just worry about the artwork.”

Question Two: Who do you look to as a hero in the art world or someone you have learned a lot from?
LD: The people that are masters or that are people to watch are not dead or in a textbook. They are alive.

Question Three: So, don’t look up to the Dalis and Warhols of the world?
LD: No … I mean, that’s what got me started in art. I’m just saying a lot of people that should be watched are not ghosts. They are with us right now. Instead of buying old stuff, why not buy something local from a local artist.

Question Four: Explain your style of painting and graphic design …
LD: When I do my artwork I keep it very technical and precise. I’m old school where if you didn’t know to draw … that was part of graphic design. I always knew how to draw and paint I just never got rid of. I’m doing a lot of drawing and painting right now. A lot of painting.

Question Five: What inspires you right now to wake up and work on your art everyday?
LD: My son, right now, is my biggest inspiration. He’s five and half. He’ll tell you five and seven/twelfths. The whole fact that you ask him, “What does mommy do?” and he says, “My mommy is an artist.”

Question Six: How did you end up deciding to become an artist full time? Why did you want to put shows on and help others out?
LD: I was with a group and it was just kind of like an art social club and I was like, “This is stupid. I need to be doing this myself.” I started doing the PR all myself and everything by myself. Now, it’s a year later and I’m doing two shows a month. When I do these shows … I do everything … It’s the fact that I just want perfection. I want to be like an inspiration to kids in art school and then I want to keep the vets on their toes.

Laura Deljanin • 4/18 • Octane Gallery