Interviews
Interviews

Vian Borchert

Where do you live: Washington DC area
Your education: Graduate and “Notable Alumni” from the Corcoran College of Art and Design George Washington University, Washington, DC
Describe your art in three words: Dreamy, Innovative, Transcendental
Your discipline: Visual Artist / Painter
Website | Instagram

Your artwork is described as a form of visual poetry. Can you elaborate on how poetry influences your creative process?

Yes, I’ve always described my artwork as a form of visual poetry from early times of my art practice in the 1990’s till now. Ever since I was young, I had taken to the written word along with the visual world. Through writing poetry, I was able to write down my thoughts without expressing them out loud in words. And, through drawing and painting it was also a means by which I can express myself visually without speaking out-loud my thoughts. I grew up in traditional times, and I was a very shy child and I am still shy even as an adult. Thus, resorting to writing poems and creating images of my thoughts, I was able to express myself in a creative manner transported to the canvas while the words, sentences and stanzas become lines of poetry. My childhood experiences of being a quiet child who found a sanctuary in creating art and writing poems become mélanged together in my art practice and the art that I do. Hence, naturally, when describing myself as an artist, poetry makes center stage in the introduction. I remember throughout growing up, when I was sad, I would go to my room and sit at my desk and write a poem. Other times, I would go to my studio and paint the day away. Escaping to the varying forms of art be it poetry or painting has been a therapeutic and meditative process for me from early on and till now. Moreover, I grew up in an art household where my mother (an artist herself), we were always surrounded by intellectuals and thinkers. I remember visiting my mother’s friends who some were poets and there would be piles of poetry books in their homes, and I would just start reading their poetry and taking in this unique way of expressing themselves.  Other times, they would recite their poems over a cup of coffee. Conceptual thought always fascinated me. Hence, my upbringing and childhood experiences clearly created the person and the artist that I had become.

Many of your works are inspired by nature. How does nature influence your emotions and artistic expression?

For me everything stems from my childhood and how I grew up. When I was a child and as far as I can remember, my father would take us kids to the countryside where we would roam free and play, and hike and explore the wild so to speak. I remember going on picnics with my cousins in the countryside and exploring what nature has to offer. We would climb hills, mountains, discover fields of wildflowers, smell the roses that crossed our paths and look out to nature and its offerings. The love for nature is almost genetic for me, it comes from my father’s side. My uncle and even my cousins all love nature. Growing up in California, we would go to the canyons overlooking the Pacific ocean while exploring the flora and the habitat of the area. Even my grandmother was a nature lover, I would sit next to her on the balcony overlooking the beautiful ocean views of the Pacific Palisades beaches while listening to her sing folkloric songs about the beauty of the sun as we look over at the vast ocean and its endless horizon line that laid in front of us. When I plant in my garden, just going through the dirt and smelling the earth reminds me of my childhood and the nostalgia of all the beautiful moments I shared with my family along with my own experiences as a child exploring nature. For me, nature ignites my senses, not only through the visual experience but also through the olfactory receptors as well. Naturally, the emotions and all influences and experience of my voyages and walks in nature make an appearance through my art. 

Vian Borchert, Two Happy Clouds, 2023

Your pieces have been showcased in prestigious venues worldwide, such as the Louvre and the Venice Biennale. How do you feel your art resonates with international audiences?

I have always believed that strong art is relevant everywhere and in every space. Additionally, I firmly believe that effective art is also a form of visual language and dialogue meaning that good art resonates with all types of people. I feel my art doesn’t belong to a specific country or reflective of a certain nationality. I’ve always felt my art is global and transcends borders turning into a blanket that covers all. I am the type of artist that aims for her art to be universal and not limited. My vision is for all who see my work to feel emotions of rejuvenation and elevation while allowing the art to transcend one into a higher elevated world. I am very grateful, honored and delighted to have seen my artwork in prestigious venues such as museums like the Louvre and in the Venice Biennale, and other esteemed world museums. All of these wonderful experiences and appreciation along with admiration of my art make me want to give more of my vision and art back to the world. 

You mentioned that art serves as a universal language. Can you share an example of how your art has connected with viewers across cultural boundaries?

I have been doing art for decades now, and I can attest from my own observation and of course my expertise and experience that art is 100% a universal language by which all comprehend. Similar to music which is also a form of universal language where as well comprehend. Case in point, by listening to a piece such as a classical one, let’s say Beethoven’s 9th symphony, one feels the emotions of the ups and downs and the power of music and its transformative ways. Same thing like art, good effective art can take one visually to places, memories and experiences. To illustrate, sometimes in art openings I stand in the distance to see how visitors react and gather around my art. I’ve seen total strangers become friends while conversing about the piece ahead of them – my art definitely becomes the conversation pieces that ignite connection from the viewers. I am the type of artist that wants this experience for the audience, for the viewers on their own to connect with the work and allow themselves to be immersed in this artistic experience. I am all for the viewers to express themselves and interpret the art from their point of view. Art, after all, is a form of expression. In such, it is definitely pleasing to see that my art manages to grab the viewer and connect with them across cultural boundaries. 

Vian Borchert, Clouds Over Ocean, 2024

Your works often convey themes of time, movement, and memory. How do you approach these abstract concepts in your art?

I’ve always liked abstract thought rather than literal representation, that is also the reason why I like poetry and write poems since it is through the lines and words an abstraction of a theme and a story emerges. I like my work to be suggestive where the viewer can fill in the blanks so to speak rather than give you all there is through absolute realism. Realism doesn’t interest me. Dreamy representation via my abstracted style of my memories and past nostalgic experiences are what I seek. My abstract work allows my subconscious to make an appearance onto the canvas and come alive. My art encompasses my past memories, my current present and my aspiration for an unknown future all mélanged in one – that is the experience of a Vian Borchert painting. It is the overtake of all in one, the emotions of love and the trepidation of an uncertain future vis-à-vis the concreteness of the now all take place in my work. In a gist, my work is a philosophical take on existentialism, my own journey of what I was, what I am and what will become of me. Such philosophical thoughts occupy my conscious and subconscious mind and influence my art. In earlier writing about my art practice and concepts on art, I concluded that for me abstraction is the vehicle that connects me to my subconscious and to infinity and beyond.

What role does your educational background at the Corcoran College of Art & Design play in shaping your artistic philosophy?

I am grateful that I have the proper education and structure to spring out into my art career and my artistic journey. At the Corcoran, I was blessed to have great professors, some who no longer are with us today and in their own right acclaimed and distinguished artists. It is through the teaching of some of my professors and their guidance that my art took shape and my style became more refined. 
As an art instructor myself with over a decade of teaching experience, teaching adults painting and drawing in the DC area, I see firsthand that my philosophies, my teachings and art have profound influence on the budding artists and prove to inspire them for years to come as they embark on their artistic journey. I see it over and over again, budding artists echoing what I have taught them… it is totally a domino effect. My art and philosophies become almost like wildfire reverberating through communities near and far. A good education is essential in shaping one’s direction in life.
Vian Borchert, Into the Sky, 2024

As an art educator, how does teaching influence your own artistic journey?

I’ve been teaching for over 18 years. At the onset of my early teaching days, my DMV community was almost like a small town where people who liked to dabble in art took classes. It is safe to say through my teaching career and throughout the years of giving it my all, art in my community has come a long way from its sleepy days to its current vibrant happenings. For me, art was always serious because for me art is holy and essential. I teach art similar to the old masters, I want people to be knowledged about their materials: what they are made of and what they can do, as well as teach them the techniques and skills needed to transform them from a novice to an advanced artist. I’ve seen my community grow so much through my teachings and through the influences of my philosophies. I’ve seen my community bloom and develop into a vibrant one where art and its practices become more serious, not just a passing momentary thing. I have seen students come back to me over and over again to thank me for opening their eyes to see the world in a different and more elevated way. I recall a student telling me that when she drives, she now looks at the moon in a totally different light, to see its beauty, its luminosity, its shape and its importance. I have students who battle with depression and after taking my classes, they thank me for the therapeutic aspects that the class has given them. Some start becoming even more social and open-minded. Art is truly wondrous and can change lives.

Vian Borchert, Malibu Shore, 2024

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