Our editor-in-chief found Makayla Bounds’s work in the wild—at Makayla’s and our cover artist interviewer’s senior art exhibition at Salisbury University—and knew immediately that it was a perfect fit for this month’s issue. Maykayla combines stunning portraits, precise brushstrokes, and under appreciated symbols of humanity to visually capture unidentifiable emotions. As a recent graduate, Maykayla’s surreal slice of Maryland's eastern shore is a perfect fit amongst our issue of previously unpublished authors.
BRADLEY POWERS: Your works often seem like a snapshot within a larger story. I know they are all very personally motivated, so maybe they are a snapshot into your life specifically. Regardless, your ability to visually tell a story is very strong. How do you create this deep sense of story within your artworks?
MAKAYLA BOUNDS: I would say it all begins with a feeling, memory, or certain image that I cannot get out of my head. My life is difficult and convoluted and emotional, something I am not typically allowed to process for several different reasons. I like to filter these emotional fragments through sketching. I would say that I am not usually actively intending to work on a piece related to the problems that I face but it always eventually leads back to it, I am not sure yet if it is in a positive or negative manner. A lot of my process is unconscious, and my feelings have no tangible source due to my horrible memory. I use my work to fill in the gaps of my memory and create my own safe place to feel how I want to feel. I create my own pockets of reality.
BP: In your artist’s statement for your most recent gallery show, you mention being inspired by Jennifer Packer and Yongchul Kim. A connection I drew from these inspirations and your work is how you can often see the underpainting and brushstrokes in the finished paintings. While it is visually beautiful, it simultaneously brings the role of the painter into the meaning of the work. What do these painterly touches mean to you?
MB: You are completely correct about the connections that draw me to the artists I reference as inspirations. Their application of paint plays a significant role in how I would ultimately like my work to look. This seemingly simple element, texture, is something that I have been struggling to balance within my own paintings. When entering the world of painting, there are many facets that are initially overlooked. Texture, color, even composition are all things that do not have to be perfect. Something happens later in an artist’s career when a person starts to truly think about the process and take their work seriously—these elements become important but it is harder to juggle.
I have always been an overthinker, so I use some of my artist inspirations to ground myself and show that not everything with my art is within my control. Sometimes the greatest parts of my pieces must come from the unconscious side of me, not the conscious.
BP: Did you ever expect or intend your work to be sci-fi or fantasy related? What kinds of connections do you see between your work and these genres?
MB: I actually did not expect or intend for my work to be related to fantasy or science fiction but I can understand how it plays in my work. I do incorporate fantasy themes within my paintings. I depict elements semi-realistically, leaving the viewer some space for interpretation. The elements I do add, such as plant life, brighter colors, and even animal life, are used to create a false reality yet tangibility to the stories I create with my work.
Additionally, I was a bookworm as a child, so I was addicted heavily to the mystery of life, thus my semi-obsession with sci-fi. My connection to science fiction is seen within my work that does not relate to my more personal and emotional pieces. I would say that the cover piece, titled Portal, and my current work in progress, How to Stop Fish From Falling, are some of my recent works that connect more closely to my passion about worldly issues and unconventional horrors, something that I constantly pull from the sci-fi genre.
BP: “I often depict the absence of life through inanimate objects to illustrate the impact of human presence.” In this month’s cover piece, the traffic imagery brings up thoughts of habitat destruction, pollution, business, and chaos. Your use of symbolism absolutely shines. Do you have any favorite symbols or imagery to work with in your art?
MB: I would say that my favorite source of imagery are street signs. I love street signs; they have so much character. They have to convey very important information within a moment's notice. The forms are highly simplified, and the colors stand out against the backdrop of any landscape. I love that they have different shapes which each hold their own unique meanings, and it all combines into a form that still gets overlooked and under-appreciated within the modern day. I love these human touches, thus I incorporate them as inherent recognizable imagery within my work.
BP: As a recent graduate, I’m sure you have been bombarded with the question, “what comes next?” I think in most instances that question is asked in regards to your life, but I want to ask in regards to your work as an artist. What’s next for your artistic journey? Do you have plans for a specific subject or medium you’ve wanted to explore? Or on the other hand, is this the perfect moment for a break from art?
MB: Although my plan is not the clearest, I would love to explore more of the practical side of painting, such as building frames, painting on canvas roll, mixing paint, and creating more work with oil paint. I would also love to continue exploring three-dimensional work such as clay sculptures, wood carving, and even cardboard/paper mâché structures. I know that my initial time out of college will be jarring, and I will definitely feel confused about my path, but I will always go back to art. My plan is always to continue to grow.
BP: There’s no doubt that such a skilled artist and kind person will continue to grow and find all the opportunities you are looking for. Thank you so much, Makayla, for taking the time to talk and giving us a peek into the great mind behind your paintings! You can follow Makayla’s journey on her Instagram page and explore Makayla and Bradley’s senior exhibition here.
