A major force in contemporary poetry's underground scene, Matina Stamatakis possesses an uncanny skill in her ability to master a variety of mediums. Among her many talents, she writes, records, edits, publishes, and constructs unique visual art spaces. Her work reveals an intimacy in the way she discerns connecting forces among the disparate. As a writer who demonstrates a spontaneity and playfulness with words, Stamatakis’ prolific online presence reveals just how this veteran is weaving her mark.What is currently influencing your work?
What ever my eye takes in. I approach everything, and by everything am influenced.
What projects are you currently working on?
There are a number of projects I'm working on at the moment. As far as collaborations go, I am working on a group of images with Jeff Crouch. Some of which have appeared in the e-zines Admit 2, Otoliths, & forthcoming in Moria.
In addition to the collaboration with Jeff, I'm also working on a full-length book of "lysic" (lyrical nonsense) poetry with Kane X. Faucher, and another book of poetry with John-Moore Williams. I respect both of these writers greatly. I am extremely pleased to be in the position to work with them in creating, in my mind, works of art, both indicative of the times, the now, yet extremely different from each other in every way.
Aside from collaborative work, I've also been engrossed in another full-length project, Gutland, is a very personal epic poem broken into ten parts—one of the most personal poems I've ever written. It is not a memoir, but more of a look into my past and present life shrouded in experimentation. It is proving to be the greatest poetic challenge of my life. Which makes it, in my mind, all the more pertinent.
What should a viewer notice about your work?
There are two things I'd hope the viewer would notice about my work:
1) Transformation. Every piece of work (excluding extensive series like Grapyrus and Phos), is not like the other. I try to change my visuals because my ideas change—they're never stagnant or immovable, but pliable. I usually ask myself two questions before I get started on an image: “How can I express things differently?” and “How can I approach an already existing object and give it a new life?” Because I believe in placing life in lifelessness—to animate the inanimate. Change, for me, is a necessity.
2) Layering. There is not a single piece of work I've created which doesn't incorporate the use of multiple images. As with all of my work, there is a certain intangible tangibility. One has to look at the image, rather than just glance at it in order to get the full effect.
What should the viewer appreciate about the process of your work?
Hopefully the viewer does appreciate the work , not so much the process itself. That's all I could ask for.
How long does it usually take for you to complete an individual piece?
For the digital works, not very long. Maybe an hour, two hours tops. For the images where B&W photography is involved, it takes a bit longer.
Can you tell us about the journal with which you are affiliated, Venereal Kittens?
I started Venereal Kittens in 2006. The whole idea of the collective came about after I ran into other artists' blogs—poets like ek rzepka, Robert Chrysler, Carmen Racovitza, Ted Warnell, who opened me up to a whole community I never imagined existed! And there I was, barely out of the school of poetic form and structure, only to be thrown into this sort of cacophonous indulgence. Surely I had to create an outlet for these kinds of experiments. Needless to say, I was looking for more participants in the beginning, but am pleased to have been given the opportunity to feature some of the poets/artists I deeply admire. All in all, it has, and continues to be, a wonderful experience.
Interview conducted by Alexander Jorgensen, Managing Editor.
