Artist Interview Leah Foster

What is your name: Leah Foster

Do you have a formal art education or are you a self taught artist: BA in Art and Performance from the University of Texas at Dallas

What is the style of your pieces: Kitschy Cupcake Installation

What is the medium in which you work:  Installation: cupcakes, cake batter

What started you on your path as an artist: I was studying to be a graphic designer and realized that I would end up working in advertising, helping rich companies make more money. I decided that I needed to do something to actively contribute to society, and knew that art was the platform where I could achieve these ideals.

What is one of the most important things that art has brought to your life: Art gives me drive and direction. It brought me to NYC. It is what continues to push me, and gives me a platform for social advocacy.

What is your favorite genre of art besides the one you work in: Any form of art that I can touch, feel, taste, embody, and experience. Felix Gonzalez Torres is my favorite artist of all time. His candy spills revolutionized my conceptions of art.

Do you have art showings, and if so what are they typically like: Cupcakes! Lots and lots of cupcakes! When you walk in to the room, the smell of cupcakes knocks you over. You could smell the cupcakes from the street at my last exhibition. It consisted of 10,000 cupcakes strung and hung from the ceiling to create an entire cupcake environment.

Do you have a certain set of clothes you make art in: I collect aprons, and usually wear one of my aprons while baking my cupcakes. At the openings, I tend to dress to resemble a cupcake.

What has been the most frustrating part of being an artist? Writing my bio. Everytime I sit down to write my bio, I realize how much more I need to accomplish before I have a bio worth reading. As of now, my bio reads "Tabula Rasa"

What is your favorite sandwich of all time: Turkey ham on a roll.

Has this year brought about any changes in your work, and if so what are they: I moved to NYC in August, and don't have a studio. My head is fuuuuullll of ideas that I can't execute, because I have nowhere to practice them.

Who is your favorite artist alive or dead: Felix Gonzalez Torres. I love love love love love him.

What is the most moving piece of artwork that you have seen in person: Felix Gonzalez Torres' Candy Spill at the Rachofsky House. It took me four times seeing it before I had the courage to take one of the pieces of candy.

Do you have any animals, and what do they think of your work: I have two bunnies (Tyra and Prozac). They love anything sweet! They're back in Texas, and I miss them terribly.

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions you would like to share with us: I am in a group exhibition at the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMaA). The show is Women in the Heights:Perspectives. It opens March 3rd from 6-8, with an artist talk March 8th. I've attached the card for the show if you want more info on it.

Web address: www.LeahFoster.carbonmade.com                    

email : LeahNadineFoster@gmail.com