| Much of our work is made up of found objects, so first and foremost, collecting is the initial step. What we find eventually becomes our materials, so we have a preference for what we can get in abundance. At the moment, it is predominantly clothing. Acquiring vast quantities is the basis of our larger sculptures and site-specific installations. Such works are tailored to the space in which they are to co-exist. |  |
Guerra de la Paz – Steven Psyllos
Steven Psyllos: Describe the process of creating a work.
Guerra de la Paz: Much of our work is made up of found objects, so first and foremost, collecting is the initial step. What we find eventually becomes our materials, so we have a preference for what we can get in abundance. At the moment, it is predominantly clothing.
Acquiring vast quantities is the basis of our larger sculptures and site-specific installations. Such works are tailored to the space in which they are to co-exist.
Gathering and sorting out by specific colors, textures and sheens establishes our palate for such works. We approach these sculptural pieces as three-dimensional paintings, engaging Impressionist color theory to emphasize visual space, depth and definition. Each garment is like a brushstroke within the composition.
Constant dialog regarding the projects is a fundamental step when beginning a work. From concept development to engineering to production, we keep an open forum endowing us with the foresight to circumvent problems that we may encounter. This, in turn, allows us to focus on the conceptual integrity of the work, while establishing a platform for experimentation.
Once our individual perspectives meld into one vision, we begin to work on its physicality.
We usually work on each entity simultaneously. Some of it can be extremely repetitive, time-consuming and tedious, so we take turns or divide the work up by individually focusing on the separate elements and then unite again when putting the final composition together in a synergetic fashion.
A single intrinsic garment can trigger a new concept almost immediately. These items often evolve into artwork that just seems to be subconsciously thrown together without much effort, as if we are the vehicles through which the work manifests itself.
Both methods keep the creative process spontaneous, since we can’t control what we find.
SP: You create such fresh and wonderful work, I would love to hear from where you draw inspiration.
GDLP: Our inspiration, like our medium, can come from almost anywhere. Ideas are pulled from personal experiences and/or a general consensus of the moment.
Living in Miami, you can’t help but be inspired by the lush tropical landscape and how it’s juxtaposed by rapid urban growth and the fleeting moments of “here today, gone tomorrow” during this transition.
We are intrigued by life’s infinite capacity, its cyclical patterns and by how, through continuous regeneration, nothing is wasted in contrast to the refuse created by a consumer-driven society. This stands as evidence of the perpetual battle between nature and the man-made.
We are also interested in the reoccurrences of certain ideologies and failures in human history, and in the parallels between the past and the present—between recorded history and predictions of the future. We are intrigued also by ancient civilizations.
SP: Describe the beauty and difficulties in creating three-dimensional works.
GDLP: We are fascinated by the ability to transform unsightly junk into art. The personal history and encapsulated energies of those objects and the way that they allow us to take a glimpse at the social identity of those who once possessed it are relics of contemporary culture.
The work allows us to use traditional imagery in an unconventional manner. We can make compositions that are as quickly identifiable as their mass-produced building blocks, creating a shift in perception between the final composition and its components. We have had the privilege to witness viewers take in a piece as a whole, then focus on a particular item with which they have a personal connection and then to tell a story about it.
The most difficult factor in creating our work is its physical demands. Some of the larger installations often take a toll on our health.
SP: How did you both start working together as a group?
GDLP: We both moved to Miami from Chicago, about 12 years ago. We had met briefly in Chicago and were familiar with each other’s artistic backgrounds. Once reacquainted in Miami, we learned we had more in common than we thought, and just hit it off. About a year later, we decided to look for a space where we could share a studio and found one in Little Haiti. At the time, the entire neighborhood was teeming with businesses that exported secondhand clothing. Our intention was to work individually, but we were so visually stimulated by the area on a daily basis that we began to collect and/or photograph things from around the neighborhood, such as distressed wooden boards, weather worn and ripped billboards and heaping mound of clothes, establishing a new vocabulary in our shared visual language.
Perhaps, coming up with a name that could represent what we do as a single entity was our first collaboration. Combining our last names, Guerra and de la Paz (which translates to “war of the peace”) immediately made us a team, as we have been ever since.
SP: What are the benefits of working this way?
GDLP: We’ve created a cooperative interaction that defines a yin and yang approach to our work; stripping our personal ego and striving to create imagery that reflects contemporary issues and concerns.
There is a built in support system. We can reinforce each other and there is always a second opinion, although compromising is a must. All of the benefits that come with having two minds and four hands—twice the brainpower and twice the speed—have come in handy and have allowed us to create work that we might not have attempted if we had worked independently.
