Yvonne Doll

Yvonne Doll is our featured artist this month. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 1992), Yvonne has been immersed in the Chicago visual art and music scene for over 20 years.  Her medium is primarily oil on canvas, and considers her work to be "lyrical abstraction…. The imagery is abstract but there is always an underlying storyline rooted in the human experience.”
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In addition to visual art, Yvonne is the lead singer and songwriter for the indie rock band The Locals who have performed everywhere from LA to Milwaukee at some of the top venues and festivals. She is the longest tenured active member at FSC and is one of the featured artists at FSC’s next art exhibit, Divine Femininity, opening on November 13th.

Interview with Yvonne Doll:
Was there a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your passion for art?
— I can’t think of a specific pivotal moment, I just had a deep love for and a strong desire to pursue art ever since I was a little kid. That said, I think high school was when I really started to feel that art could be something that was wholly mine and a safe place for me to express myself. 
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What kind of consequences, if any, have you experienced for your pursuit as an artist?
— Well, I think that when I’m “following the muse” I can sometimes miss out on other things happening in the lives of the people around me. Touring with the band, being knee deep in different art pieces, can make me, sometimes less present with those that I love. 

Can you tell us about the process of making your work?
— It’s pretty free form. I rarely plan a piece, I may have a mood or a very very high level theme I’m thinking about, but I do kind of let the piece reveal itself as it goes along. I tend to work in a series of very thin layers in a continuous cycle of adding and taking away. 

You are a musician as well and have been playing in Chicago clubs since the 90s. What are similarities and differences between the Chicago music and art scene? If you had to pick one to pursue, could you?
— Oh man! Don’t make me choose!! So far as the difference, you know I always say that being an indie musician is like having a really really hot girlfriend but she’s really really mean! But visual art is more like this lovely old friend who you can always count on! But I do love them both equally. I will haul my gear across the Midwest to play an awesome little dive bar any day of the week, and you’ll have to pry that #9 fan paint brush out of cold dead hands! 

What obstacles, if any, has Covid 19 presented to your work?
— Well, thankfully the studio is still accessible, so physically doing the work is not a problem. I have found, however, that Covid has affected my desire to make work. The world is so insane now, it’s taken me a few months to process and feel like painting again. 

​You are the longest tenured member of FSC. Why have you stayed so long?
— FSC is an amazing community of artists. It makes me feel like I’m still in art school! Joe and the whole group that run the collective are just very altruistic in their support of the arts. Good people, that’s the key. I also love how engaged FSC is in the arts community. We always have really cool events and positive outreach to the community.  
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What were your thoughts when FSC moved to its current location five years ago?
- I loved it! I really love the new building. I mean I did like the Fulton spot as well. Having acoustic musicians performing in the freight elevator was really cool. But I think the new spot feels a bit more connected to the arts community just by virtue of the other artists in the building. 

Are there moments when you question your career?
—No. I make art, I play music. This is who I am. It makes me whole. I do work a day job, now I question that all the time! 

Do you have a favorite book, film or painting, which inspires you?
— Book: The Alchemist Painting: Painting: wow time pick only one?? I’d go with anything by Mark Rothko 

What are you looking forward to in 2021?
— A vaccine for Covid! ...Being able to travel. 

As an artist what do hang on to for hope and solace during this time?
— Science. Friends. Family.