Interview: Otieno       "Time be thine and by thy best graces use it at thy will" Hamlet I:ii [Otieno's favorite quote] CHOLER:  How did you get started in art? Otieno:  I guess a better question would be when did I get serious with my work, as I couldn't begin to tell you how I got started.  I really decided to exploring my abilities about 6 years ago when I was back in high school. CHOLER:  What medium do you like the best? Otieno:  I used to have a thing for pencil, but I discovered the wonders of ink about 5 years ago and have been hooked ever since. CHOLER:  What medium(s) do you not like? Otieno:  I have a passionate hatred for charcoal and I tend to avoid color.  It's not that I am physically / psychologically unable to work with it, I just don't particularly enjoy it. CHOLER:  What future plans do you have for your art? Otieno:  Right now I'm just working to refine my skills.  There are few things I enjoy more that creating whatever comes to mind, but I have no real plans to become a professional artist. CHOLER:  Where do you see your art going in the future? Otieno:  Sculpture, more bio-organic style work. CHOLER:  What artists do you look up to the most? Otieno:  H.R. Giger, M.C. Escher, Albrect Durer, Da Vinci, but most of all Mother Nature. CHOLER:  Looking at your art it's mainly ink work, and flat panels. Do you see yourself going in to a 3D medium like metal working or sculpting? Otieno:  Definitely;  I've always wanted to take some of my tribal style tattoo work into the third dimestion, it's mostly been a matter of time investment.  I've some sketches along those lines and can't wait to get a chance to play with them, most likely with some metal medium. CHOLER:  What are your plans after college? Otieno:  I'm still narrowing down options, along the lines of my artwork.  I've been considering architechtural school on and off and one other possibility involves the biology degree I'm working on and going into biological illustration, drawing all of the cool pictures you see in your textbooks.  Most likely I'll go into something involving my intersest in botany. CHOLER:  When growing up was there anyone to help and drive you towards art? Otieno:  My father and mother.  My father was on has way to architechtural school when he changed his mind and my mother used to do watercolors.  Both of them made a point of always encouraging me with my work, be it good or bad. CHOLER: Your work is mainly abstract and erotica. Do you plan to go deeper in these disciplines? if so whats next? if not what are you going to explore now? Otieno:  I'm going to stick with the vein that I'm in now, as the anatomically derived work I'm doing has limitless possibilities.  I haven't pushed it anywhere near far enough.  I think that I may explore plant anatomy, specifically flowers instead of human as a route to a more erotic side of my work.  Unlike most human anatomy, the parts of a flower have only one purpose.... CHOLER:  What non-visual art interest you and does this have an impact on your art? Otieno: Maybe this is my own limited experience, but the only form of non-visual art I can think of would be music (unless you want to go as far as to classify food as olfactory/gustatory art and sex as tactile art).  I have ecclectic tastes ranging from Helmet to Handel, Portishead to Puccini etc, Right now I'm on a big Skinny Puppy kick. There is always a particular set of bands/songs associated with each of my works.  My bone series for example was accompanied by Switchblade Symphony and Tangerine Dream.