Get into “#?@&*$!” with Madison Krieger
Interviewee: Madison Krieger / Interviewer: Amanda Villegas / Editor: Ash Alexander
Madison Krieger (PHOTO ‘17) sits down with fellow alumna Amanda Villegas (PHOTO ‘22) to talk tips, upcoming projects, and her love of the antihero.
1. Before delving into your art and process, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
My name is Madison Krieger. I am a 27-year-old portrait photographer & visual artist from Los Angeles, California, and my hobbies include collecting photo books and space-age furniture. I graduated from Art Center’s Photography & Imaging department in 2017. When I’m not shooting, I work in production for fashion advertising. My favorite food is sushi, and my sign is in Taurus.
2. As an Art Center alum, can you share how studying Photography and Imaging impacted you as an artist?
Being thrown into an environment where everyone has the same interests was probably the most meaningful influence for me. I was very lucky to have a closeknit community at school.
Art Center’s professional approach to art is aligned with my values. Supported -- and even more so challenged -- in my work, I was taught be intentional with my decisions. I was formally trained in every aspect of the medium and the recourses + references that I received from my professors were invaluable. Art Center gave me the confidence and discipline in both my work as an artist and professional life.
3. Your work is very stylized and mod; where do you draw inspiration from?
I am heavily inspired by the visuals and aesthetic of the 1960s. I love mafia and bank robber movies. Women. The Antihero. Cartoons. Exploitation. Ennio Morricone, Los Angeles. Nobuyoshi Araki. Psychedelics.
4. I love the illustrative quality and textured layers of your Line Zine series, as well as the creative take on everyday signs. What inspired you to make this work? Can you tell me more about your multi-media approach?
LINE ZINE is my first printed zine. It is an ongoing series, a self-portrait, my friends, family, fears, experiences – it’s a timeline. 8” x 8” inch with a 36” inch Z foldout. Street signs are graphic, directional. I love to pull them out of context. The traffic signs and traffic paraphernalia move the masses down the line.
I grew up looking at Where’s Waldo by Martin Handford, who is such an interesting artist and one of the strongest refences in my work. The detail and humor in Handford’s work is so engaging and I wanted to implement that same communication in LINE ZINE. My hope is to grow old with LINE ZINE and release it in volumes. Volume 1 coming soon.
5. I appreciate your distinct and unique approach to image making. Do you have any advice for fine art photographers who are struggling to maintain their voice in a commercially saturated industry?
Get a day job. Take the financial pressure off making all your money from your art, so that you can start making fine art for yourself – with no strings attached. Avoid conforming to what’s visually trendy and make something that you would personally buy. All you can do is hope that someone out there appreciates your point of view.
6. Are you working on any new projects? What is next for your photography?
I am currently working on a series called “#?@&*$!” opening at the Leica Gallery in Los Angeles on March 2nd. Stylized portraits inspired by 1960’s exfoliation films, cartoons, and the ‘Dark Feminine’ -- which is the Yin side of femininity: birth, death, transformation, rage, violence, jealousy, seduction. The portraits comment on the extremities of these feelings, an exploration of my own womanhood.
RSVP for Madison’s upcoming exhibition “#?@&*$!” here
Explore Madison’s work: madisonkrieger.com + Instagram
