Megan Warden

The Insanity Behind Warden’s Art

Artist Megan Warden on creating the unconventional cover art for the first issue of SOVO// Magazine and basically why art is life.

You might not be familiar with the name Megan Warden just yet, but after the March 10, 2018 release party for [ Issue 1 ] of SOVO// Magazine, you won’t forget her name any time soon. The first issue of SOVO// features nine reversible panels, which together form a single 42” x 84” piece of art. Warden illustrated this artwork, which both highlights the [ Issue 1 ] contributors and retains her unique voice and personality. We can’t wait for you to see it!

Warden’s art is an extension of her innermost thoughts, offering viewers a glimpse into the intricate workings of a complex mind. “I hope that people can understand my insanity through my art,” she explains, “because it’s kind of my brain vomiting onto a piece of paper. That’s how my brain works, not as simple as other people.”

Whenever Warden puts ink to canvas, she intends to remind viewers of art’s ability to invoke thought in its most simple, stripped down form. In a time when more and more artists are pushing the perimeters of artistic expression, Warden fits right in. “I feel like a lot of times when I’m speaking, I have to be careful of what I’m saying — think twice about my words. But with art, I don’t really have those boundaries or borders. People don’t want you to hold back, so I have more freedom of expression.”

SOVO// got to talk to the budding artist about the three things that inspire her right now, why she chooses to work primarily in black-and-white, how she created the poster art for [ Issue 1 ], and what she hopes people learn through her art.

THE INTERVIEW

Q: I want to start at the beginning, with your artistic background.

A: I’ve studied art my entire life. My parents put me in watercolor classes and different art classes when I was a child. I went to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, but I’m self-taught. I kind of started drawing the way that I draw now throughout school. I used to draw during class, rather than take notes, because it helped me to remember better. That turned into the illustrations they are today.

Q: Who have been some of your inspirations?

A: I definitely have a few different artists that I love, but I don’t know if anybody really inspired the whole black-and-white part of it. But I really like KAWS, Takashi Murakami, and Kenny Scharf.

Q: The art scene in LA is booming now more than ever, especially in places like Downtown LA (it’s about damn time!).

A: I think it is rapidly growing. There’s always been artists downtown because artists have to live in the cheapest neighborhoods, and that’s what downtown has been for a long time. But now it’s expanding and becoming more of an international city for art. There are a few galleries that have been here for years and years, but there are a lot of undeveloped areas. There are more and more art galleries popping up. Art Walk is becoming bigger every month. LA’s not a big visual art city like New York is. New York has tons and tons of galleries; LA’s more film and music. But now there’s more visual art becoming more popular in LA.

Q: You did the poster art for the very first issue of SOVO// MAGAZINE. What inspired you to create something so out-of-the-box?

A: If [ my pieces are ] going to be commissioned or if somebody wants a custom piece, I ask them for a list of symbols, words, and things that inspire them or that represent what they want the art piece to be about. Farida Amar, SOVO//’s Creative Director, and Allen Sovory II, the Founder and Editor-in-Chief, gave me a long list of different words and sayings and just different moments that inspired them. I started by thinking of symbols that would represent those words. That’s what kind of inspired the whole piece. Then, I go back on top of all those symbols and put in the patterns and shapes to make them fluid.

Q: Was this your first time doing something like this?

A: Yeah, definitely. I think this is the first time that anybody has done anything like this!

Q: How did you feel about the whole process? What did you take away from it?

A: It was amazing. I learned a lot about myself because I haven’t done one this way. Normally when I draw, I just do ink on canvas or paper or whatever. But this time we made it into a digital form, so that it was more perfect for the final piece…it’s a different process that we went through in different steps than what I’m used to. It was awesome, and I learned some new techniques and new materials. And it was cool to draw something to represent so many different people. Normally when I draw a commissioned piece, it’s for one person. This one represents all the artists inside of it, all the creators, and myself.

Q: Earlier you mentioned asking people who commission you about words that inspire them. What are three words that inspire you right now?

A: Artificial intelligence. People. Feelings.

Q: What else are you currently working on?

A: I’ve always drawn on canvas or paper or anything flat. Right now, I’m starting to draw on other objects. So those are going to be for sale on my website. I’ve done clothing in the past, so I’m working on that too.

Q: Where do you see yourself going as an artist?

A: I hope to be recognized for my style of drawing, and I hope to be recognized by my art — not by my face.

Q: What does art mean to you?

A: It kind of means everything, because it’s really my thought process. It helps me think. I didn’t start drawing because I was so in love with art. I started drawing because it helped me learn in school and remember things…even when I’m going through a situation, it helps me think through it. What art means to me, I guess, is life.

— Written by Keldine Hull