In this in-conversation I speak with Caterina Leone about her silverpoint artwork and the ways in which she uses social media to showcase her work. Caterina explains a little about her art and the meaning behind her work, whilst also discussing her preferred social media platforms with regard to showcasing her artwork and the future of social media as a platform to showcase different forms of art.
Can you please explain a little bit about your art and the meaning behind your work?
I work in silverpoint, which is a largely forgotten, pre-graphite way of drawing with precious metals such as silver and gold. It is incredibly beautiful, and much of the time, incredibly frustrating- you can’t really rub it out, so mistakes are permanent- not easy when you’re also drawing realistically, and with a lot of detail! But I always come back to it, like a moth to a flame perhaps!
My work deals with themes that are hardly new: I’m very much continuing the work of any and all feminist artists who have come before me. But I don’t believe art has to say something entirely new and unique to have value, because what I’m exploring has not been said enough. I explore societal notions of gender and the expectations of femininity, and my own somewhat fluid gender identity in doing so. I insert myself through self-portraiture into the religious, mythological and art historical iconographies that have obsessed me since childhood, but which, due to my biological sex, hold conflicting connotations of exclusion and reverence.
How have you used social media to showcase your work?
I mainly use Instagram. Facebook’s strength definitely lies in clickable links and event promotion, so I maintain a presence there, but Instagram is the both the most intimate social media platform, and the most suitable for visual artists. Intimate in that it allows for an ease and authenticity of interaction that facebook has lost. To be honest I’m much more aware of Instagram’s potential than I make use of. It’s still a difficult thing to wholeheartedly embrace as a major introvert! But I do use it to share works as they progress; the little disasters and successes along the way; and update followers on life changes or inspirations that affect my art practice. I know I need to share more videos, especially ones demonstrating the widely unknown medium of silverpoint; I should probably work out what Instagram live is; and I should post much, much more frequently! However, I still manage to sell the majority of my work through the platform, and in doing this is far more successful than my website or galleries, be they online or physical, with the exception of solo shows. It erases the borders of distance: I sell predominantly to overseas followers through Instagram, something never an option in a purely physical space.
In your opinion, which social media platform has been the most successful platform?
Definitely Instagram. Admittedly it’s the only one I really use but that is for a reason: it is the most visual, scrolling your home feed is like a virtual gallery of sorts, yet much less formal, and you get to see not only the finished artworks, but their progress, and snippets of the artist’s life and inspirations. I believe part of Instagram’s success comes from the aforementioned intimacy: followers feel like they get to know you through the things you choose to share (or not share) and the way you write captions. And because emotions and stories are the key to attracting followers and supporters, Instagram is the best for that.
It’s not just about sales too: the interactions I have with followers on Instagram are often very beautiful and memorable. It’s important to feel valued and that your artwork is making a difference, and Instagram is perfect in facilitating that; people reach out to message you as it’s easy and informal, but they wouldn’t go to the effort of sending an email to say they love your work.
Do you think that social media will become a more prominent platform to showcase different forms of art?
I think the recent coronavirus pandemic has shown the necessity of online spaces for all types of art. Not just so that artists can continue to show work, but so that we can feel part of a community. Art-making can be very isolating, and social media, especially Instagram, remedies this, and as such the mental health benefits can’t be ignored. I am, however, somewhat too old-fashioned to believe social media will ever erase the need for physical galleries. Nothing beats walking into a room, surrounded by artworks that call to you from all directions. Nothing beats the autonomy of choosing how you walk around the space, how closely you peer at the works, how long you spend, whether you talk to anyone else there. Social media is still too self-directed, and can negate, in part at least, the viewer’s importance in completing the work.
That said, I look forward to seeing – and being part of – the ways social media and online spaces can provide alternatives, especially as international travel is now restricted, and should be in future regardless of corona (environmental impacts).
In your opinion, how can social media platforms (I.e. Instagram) be updated / reconfigured in a way that better serves artists?
Popularity algorithms need to go. Comments, at least the artist’s own caption, should be able to include clickable links. There should be in-built protection against copyright violations and people shouldn’t be able to share your image without credit. I am no tech-head but I feel that can’t be too hard to program into the app!
To find about more about Caterina and her artwork check out Caterina’s Instagram: @caterina.leone.art
You can also check out Caterina’s website: caterinaleone.com
Eliza Scobie 