LongBeachCulture.org CenterStage Blog

From her days playing drums on tour with 2 Unlimited (their big hit was Get Ready For This), music has always had an important role in the life of Monica Fleming. Right now, she’s preparing for her first solo gallery exhibition, titled Colour Music, which opens this Saturday, June 2nd, at the Steven Janssen Artspace in Palm Springs.

LBC: If you don’t mind, lets start with the show in Palm Springs. Can you tell me how this opportunity presented itself?

Monica: I had done a previous show with an artist I was impressed with, at a gallery on Melrose, a few years back and I was curious what he was up to so I ‘googled’ him and found out he was showing at the Janssen Artspace in Palm Springs. It looked like a compatible gallery, and opportunity, so I sent the gallery a link to my site.

LBC: Tell me about the show.

Monica: This is a really exciting show for me because, in this one, I am allowing my love of music to be presented as the main inspiration for why and how I do what I do. I can’t help but feel tremendously optimistic about the show. Steven Janssen has been so easy to work with, plus I get to ‘solo show’ my way into a new fresh market with some pieces I’m really excited about. I’ve been working since February on this show so I’m excited to share it.

LBC: How does music inspire your painting?

Monica: Music and painting have always run a parallel with me. I was a professional drummer for 10 years but I realized at some point that I was a much better painter than musician so I paint music. Kinda like hanging sound on your wall. It usually starts with a piece of music that really touches me and matches my emotional state. Then the colors just present themselves and, from there, I play the piece or entire disc uncontrollably loud and repetitively until the painting takes shape or just happens.

LBC: What kinds of music do you listen to?

Monica: I’m a big fan of Radiohead , jazz, or anything fresh, new, mildly complex, with amazing textures.

LBC: So, going back a bit, when did you figure out that your painting could become a career?

Monica: I lived in a huge warehouse in Dallas, TX. where some friends had a sort of art collective. I noticed that one of my friends had really gained momentum and was having this amazing career solely as an artist. It wasn’t until then I realized “wow, this can really happen!” I had been painting, although not seriously, since I was a kid. I sold my first paintng when I was 11. Friends and family always wanted paintings from me so I new all along I had the ability.

LBC: Right, but being a successful artist isn’t always just about ability. What did you do to move into being a professional?

Monica: I created an inventory of paintings I truly believed in, developed a marketing plan, and started pounding the pavement. I did my first show in a restaurant and my second at a bookstore here in Long Beach until I honed my skills. Rejection was my constant companion.

LBC: Did your work evolve during this time, was it your skill at marketing that changed, or a shift in the market itself, which allowed you to find success?

Monica: I think it was a combination of things. I was able to find people who supported and believed in me, so word of mouth was a powerful thing, and my work was evolving as well. It’s great because people are anxious to see what I’m gonna do next, plus the market itself has made a dramatic shift. There is a resurgence of attention being paid to the artist. It’s become cool again I suppose.

LBC: please forgive me for struggling with this next question… My understanding is that painters create in a variety of ways… There are some who have a very clear idea of what it is they’re going for, and work toward that goal. Others are more process oriented, and focus on how the work is made rather than having any specific intent about the result. Do you see any significant difference between these two methodologies, do you practice both, and if not, why?

Monica: I think on some levels and at some point some attention needs to be given to the result, whether great or small, depending on your goal as an artist, but I can only speak from my perspective. Different processes work for different painters, and successfully. I can say that, sometimes, I have a very specific vision I am working towards and am maniacal about executing it properly. There are other times when all I have is a song title or a mood or a color scheme idea with no idea how I am gonna produce the end result. To me the end result is extremely important.

LBC: So, with a piece like The Eraser, from your Graphite Gray and Black series, how does that fit into this?

Monica: That’s one of my favorites. That’s an example of a piece that started with absolutely no intention but I was really vibing with the graphite at the time. I was really happy with the result, and surprised. I can’t wait to develop that series.

LBC: How does Long Beach play a role in your life as an artist.

Monica: I’m constantly inspired by the city’s cultural diversity, plus the people have been extremely supportive, all the way down to my art supply store. Long Beach has some amazing artists here. Time for us to stand up, and for the world to take notice.

LBC: Have the more ‘established’ art centers, like Santa Monica and LA, started to pay attention to what’s happening here?

Monica: I believe so. I do the LA Brewery Art Walk twice a year and have been doing it since ‘03 . Long Beach had a bit more presence at that past one. The consensus overall is that Long Beach is coming up but has a ways to Go. We could use more venues to showcase art, small independent galleries maybe or more restaurants. Live/Work spaces would help, as would local art publications and magazines.