Sage Fiss: REMNANTS
“There’s no wrong way to observe art, but trying to make it fit in a box is a tiring process.”
Spring 2023 Artist-in-Residence at the Montana Natural History Center
Sage creating artwork at the Montana Natural History Center
How was your experience as an Open AIR Artist-in-Residence?
My Open AIR experience bolstered my confidence as an artist. I tested the limits of how much time I could spend working on art and came away with two of the largest pieces I’ve done fully finished. I felt very supported by Open AIR and the staff of MNHC. Drawing in such a different space than I’m used to, with children running around and curious people watching me work, was refreshing and encouraging. I accomplished things I was only partially sure I could do before my residency.
Artwork created by Sage while at MNHC
What was your research process during this time?
My research developed over the course of my residency, with most of it happening towards the end. The first piece I made was inspired by a model of a T-Rex skull on display at the Montana Natural History Center. I’ve always loved dinosaurs and decided to draw a bunch of birds from around the world having a summit meeting in the mouth of the Tyrannosaurus. I didn’t research much for this one, as the premise was straightforward.
I researched several bird species I used to get a more global bird group. Creating this piece made me wonder how birds evolved, and I spent most of my research time studying the late Cretaceous period (66 million years ago). It was during this time that modern birds first came around. I wanted to accurately create a scene from this time period, including dinosaurs, insects, and plant life. I also wanted to have an Archeopteryx, a species that links velociraptors with birds, represented. I read many articles on how Archeopteryx may have looked and behaved, but the best knowledge we have is hypotheses based on their body structure. I took the information and created my best interpretation of the creature.
Artwork by Sage inspired by MNHC
What are you up to now (post Open AIR)?
After Open AIR, I’ve continued to create art as much as possible and have had an incredible summer. I’m currently working on the third part of my Open AIR bird series. This one is a conceptual piece of how birds may look 66 million years in the future. The series has been a fun journey from known to unknown. In the first piece, Meeting of the Birds, I was working entirely with known creatures and remnants, with plenty of visual references. In the second piece from 66 million years ago, NeoAvian Sunset, I worked with partially known species/references and filled in some of the blanks myself. In this futuristic piece, I’m working almost entirely from imagination with slight reference. It’s taking me longer to create than the first two did, but I’m really excited to see it finished.
Artwork by Sage
Can you talk about the difference between being a maker/director of your own work and being a viewer?
I find this difference to be one of the most fascinating parts of making art. I believe that the meaning of art is entirely decided by the viewer. When you interpret a piece of art as sad and dark, it doesn’t matter if the artist intended it to be funny. I get extremely invested in how I compose a scene and the ways I want it to feel while I’m creating it. It was difficult when I first started showing my art publicly to have things interpreted far differently than I meant them, but I’ve really learned to let go of that desire, and now I enjoy hearing the diversity of people’s interpretations when they look at my art. As a viewer, I remove myself and try to see my work from other perspectives or focus on single criteria like lighting or how a piece makes my eyes move. There’s no wrong way to observe art, but trying to make it fit in a box is a tiring process.
How do you think about color in general?
I think about color in two ways. First, I decide on the subject matter’s colors and fit the background colors to complement the subject. Then I think about the light in a scene and how all of the colors are influenced. As I work a scene, I try to throw a few of the same colors all around in subtle ways to tie everything together. This is a process that evolves a bit every time I draw.
Artwork by Sage
To learn more about Sage, check out his Instagram @rage10000 and visit his website www.mffineproductions.com
