A Conversation with Ally Zlatar: Artist, Curator, Activist & Everything in Between
Worthwhile Magazine recently interviewed Ally Zlatar - artist, curator, and activist. Born in Mississauga, Canada, Zlatar shares theoretical concepts about body image, embodiment, animals, and ethics. She strives to convey the complexity of the human condition while making a difference in society. Her explorations in curating and art-making acknowledge that there is power within the un-well body and tremendous value in examining these subjects. Currently, Zlatar is pursuing her Doctorate of Creative Arts with the University of Southern Queensland.
The Conversation
Worthwhile Magazine (WM): What first started you on the professional path in the Creative Arts?
“Momma Is In Jamaica, Bake Your Own Fucking Cake is rather self-explanatory, I felt abandonment from my mother. She left me in my time of need, and she never could give me the emotional support I needed from her. With that being said, she did not give me what I needed but rather showed me. She is the strongest woman I know. She endured so much hardship and pain, and I truly have so much respect for her. Although emotionally we both have our own maladies she has been resilient through it all and this painting emanates the fact that you need to be strong and endure life’s trials on your own. “
Ally: My interest in this area started in my adolescence, where I was always mesmerized by ancient cultures, literature, and visual art. My predisposition for drawing, sculpture, and painting led me to major in a Bachelor of Visual Arts at Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario). As a visual art student, I gained first-hand experience working with classical modes of art making such as painting, life drawing, and working with contemporary and complex art materials – like fiber-casting, computer animation and time-based media. Being exposed to this studio experience has provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the design process, the formation, and the artistic rationale behind the objects, which I believe is vital when trying to understand the objects.
Due to an allergic reaction to organic solvents, I was no longer able to pursue my degree in the studio setting, as my health would have been compromised. However, this gave me an opportunity to pursue more theoretical based content in an Art History Bachelor’s Program. I have completed diverse cultural courses ranging from antiquity to modernity of art as well as courses that provided instruction of the sociocultural connections of art such as Feminist Art Theory, Issues in Contemporary Art History and Existentialism, and Art and Moral Issues in Modernity. My university education has thus prepared me for my proposed studies, as I have already acquired a solid foundation to further research the evolution and impact of art.
WM: Among the multiple mediums you work in, is there a particular medium that you find personally resonates with you? Do you find that certain mediums feel most natural for you when tackling certain subjects?
Ally: Absolutely, I think acrylic painting is my preference of choice. I think what I am able to achieve with the medium creates some of my most impactful work. The vibrancy, smoothness and realism I can derive from acrylics tend to be the most potent. It can not only draw your attention but immerse you fully into the painting.
WM: Can you tell us about your involvement with “The Starving Artist” project?
Theory
Ally: In Glasgow, I completed my Masters in Curatorial Studies and Contemporary Art. I received the top student award and a distinction for my thesis. The dissertation was the starving artist which is a research-based work & art collection that brings together a variety of individual experiences, mediums, and contributors. "The Starving Artist" that explores our understanding Eating Disorders, body image, and being unwell within Contemporary Art. It features works by over 25 International Artists and these individuals examine the unwell body.
WM: "The Starving Artist" project seems like an apt example of your beliefs in action, including the power of art to create positive social change. We understand that sales of "The Starving Artist" book are used to provide "financial assistance to individuals who are seeking inpatient or partial hospitalization program, but have limited resources and are in financial need." Did you intentionally envision the structure and impact of the project as an example of this concept?
Ally: Initially, it was meant to be a lot smaller scale but, as popularity and interest grew, it allowed me to expand upon my vision. I found that my role existed in between the pages and equally outside of the bounds of the book. My role entailed everything from maintaining communication, negotiating contracts, and writing about art and artists, to studio visits, debating with publication and printing formatting, and brokering relationships. Over the course of the project, I realized that I went above and beyond what I wanted to achieve. I was able to collaborate with such a diverse range of artists and contributors. We created a positive impact on the community, and it reaffirms me to further develop these ideas and various others I have in my curatorial vision. In the larger context of curating, this experience has truly helped me expand my knowledge of the systematic structure of the art world.
WM: Both the concepts of the body and ethics seem to be themes in your work. Can you expand upon that?
Ally: The body and particularly value ethics have played a big role in my research. A question that may arise is why do we value thin? Value examination is critical to this conversation since many with eating disorders face severe health ramifications and often face near death since their values revolve around their illness. Due to such extremes that these values can have on someone, what things can be so powerful to exert so much influence on an individual’s actions and what makes it worth it to continue to live in the illness?
Sometimes Memories never leave your bones
Some eating disorder sufferers have difficulty recognizing that they are ill or appreciating the severity of their situation. Still others may desperately want to stop their behaviors but find some sort of meaning in their lives through the illness. When people develop eating disorders, the importance of body size heavily impacts the sense of intrinsic worth. Despite this, countless individuals can struggle with letting go of their way of life. This need to cling on to the eating disorder raises questions about what the value comes from clinging onto the disorder. Is it pressure for approval from societal and cultural expectations that reinforce ideals about weight?
Maybe the value can come from self-satisfaction by being able to defy our natural physique and biological needs? Or possibly eating disorders have value in their comfort, by being able to support individuals to help gain some form of control in their lives. People may value their bodies because it is a way to fit cultural molds and gain social approval. I continue to explore how conformity and acceptance can play a role in our values.
WM: In addition to your art, you also work as an assistant curator and art broker. Do your various roles in the art world inform each other? How so?
Ally: From my experience, and mostly as a curator, the labor of curatorial facilitation forges connections between artists, writings, concepts, spaces, organizations, and viewers.
These considerations are of course not unique to Eating Disorders or my own curatorial practice. But they require additional urgency here because our art scenes are desperately misunderstood and perceived through a very narrow frame. My curatorial voice comes from a profound understanding of both the illness, philosophical knowledge, and educational institution experience. This combination has led my curatorial voice to be a voice of curation as both thought and action.
Curating, it seems to me, might best be understood as a mediator between the public and the art world. Rather than being merely a philosophical voice, curatorial voice has the capacity to participate in cultural discourse. I wanted it to exist in the everyday. The scholarship helped address the subject of publications and bring the works of art to light. I think that in the publication and the scholarship, the artists chosen all cohesively illustrate my vision and create an impactful project.
WM: It seems that you strongly believe in the power of art to encourage social change. How do you hope your work as an artist and curator will create agency?
When my father looks at me he sees himself
Ally: This project taught me how to think about public engagement and how to connect more deeply with audiences. It also taught me how to expand this community to include members of the public who have not yet experienced the subject matter and allow artists to share their stories effectively. Furthermore, what I learned about my own practice was how powerful the role of a curator can be. My experience, which has been conspicuously limited, led me to learn one of the most important elements of being a good curator is passion. Sometimes, being a little giddy and excited goes a long way. The passion and fire that lies within a curator drive them to dig deep into the subject matter, pose new questions, and really make them interested in the project.
Another key element that I learned through the creation of the publication is to question the structure of curatorial authorship. The artwork is, of course, selected and revised by myself. However, I really did not want to force my hand strongly. I wanted the artists and the artworks to speak for themselves. It did not matter who’s who. Rather than labeling the artist as an artist, or a curator as a curator, if a curator is an artist, or vice-versa. I think these roles are a very outdated and very constraining narrative. In my project, I opted to see roles more loosely. Because of this, I found my experience and collaboration with the individuals involved to be very rewarding. It made the publication more innovative with a more seamless navigating of the various artistic voices. Going forward, I think we should apply similar modes of exchange, possibly through additional publications, discussion groups, workshops, or creative collectives to challenge the current definitions of eating disorders and social engagement with the arts.
WM: Are there any other artists or artistic groups working to promote social change that you are particularly excited about right now?
Ally: Where do I even begin! I think my two favorites right now are Kelvin AtMadibrata who explores masculinity and eroticism in South East Asia and F U T U R E R I T U A L is a performance and research project considering the place, use and function of ritual within contemporary performance and queer cultures. The project positions ritual as a technology, asking how artists might use ritual technology and to what ends.
Do you Not Think God Sees
WM: Do you have any advice or recommendations for artists who are hoping to utilize their work to create a lasting impact for a cause dear to them, but who are feeling overwhelmed? Where should they even begin? Do you have any tips or encouragement gleaned from your own experiences?
Ally: I think from my experience, if you do not try, you may not never know. I reached out to so many people who I considered out of my league, as I was a small fish in a big pond. Once I explained my project and the traction gained, I actually received a lot of support from those same individuals I was scared to reach out to. Just make bold moves, and go for it, honestly that is the only advice I have!
WM: From an outside perspective, it seems that the UK is experiencing a shift in art education. How do you hope it will evolve?
Ally: What I realized is that, in the contemporary arena, there is a strong focus on technology and innovation which retracts our attention from the arts and often receives more funding and publicity. I hope instead of neglecting one or the other we can continue to grow both to possibly coincide with each other.
WM: Do you have any thoughts about the long-term impact Brexit will have on arts in the UK?
Ally: I think currently, it poses a lot of uncertainty. Especially with many EU subsides and EU Grants that are slowly being shut down or withheld since we do not know the long term impact. I think right now it definitely constrains collaborations as there have been so many initiatives within the EU for artists and organizations that will now be stopped, which is very disheartening.
WM: You have lived and studied in several countries: Canada, Scotland, and now Australia. Do you have any thoughts about differences in cultural attitudes about the arts between the nations, and do you think your international training has influenced and expanded your own creative vision?
“It was always her is about how I was not enough to keep my boyfriend and sought my eating disorder to help direct control over the lack of control in the relationship onto food and weight.”
Ally: I think each nation brings its own voice, identity, and values to the global art conversation. In my practice, having training from multiple countries has taught me that the value of art and culture to me not only lies within grandeur or aesthetic, but also in its profound meanings; it gives us the capacity to glimpse into the vast complexities of the human condition.
By studying in various locations in the field that I love, it has allowed me to further extend my knowledge and develop my passion of interpreting, communicating, and facilitating the theoretical concepts of art. It has opened opportunities to fulfill my interest in making a difference in society. It has provided me with diverse opportunities and has broadened and enriched my knowledge of art and culture, while also supplying different outlooks on life from historical, economic, and social aspects of daily issues, all within the new environment. It has enhanced my perspective on life in understanding the integration of many cultures in society, something that is typical for the Canadian landscape I call home.
WM: How can our readers learn more about your work and also check out "The Starving Artist" project?
Ally: To learn more about the book, visit is the website: https://thestarvingartist.pb.studio/
Please purchase a copy to show your support! https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/9549187-the-starving-artist
Various Ink Illustrations
Many thanks to Ally Zlatar for taking the time to speak with Worthwhile Magazine™. You can learn more about her artwork and studio by following the link: https://ally.pb.studio.
© Worthwhile Magazine 2020