Interview with GARRICK of Senioritis

Above: "Malcolm X Print" by Senioritis

The MAKING CHANGE Etsy team is for artists committed to activism. Please tell us what issues are important to you.

We are devoted to education and to helping people find inspiration in their lives. We think our world suffers from a huge amount of negativity. Our goal is to provide the public with unique and cheery art featuring inspirational individuals, and to bring some positivity into people's lives. We also hope to spark some curiosity, by introducing figures throughout history to people who may not have had prior exposure to these individuals. Our hope is that people will see our art, perhaps do some research, and start to see how many people have faced adversity and overcome obstacles to make history. A positive attitude sparks productivity, and productive, happy people are the kinds of people we like to see.

Right: "Mahatma Gandhi Coaster" by Senioritis

How is the idea of activism apparent in your art?

Our work depicts individuals throughout history who, whether well-known or not, have made a name for themselves. We do research to find people and quotes whose messages are promoters of change - mostly a change in attitude. Our art stresses hard work and positivity, and we believe that if enough people see these messages, they will start to believe them, and eventually will change their lives in positive ways.

Do you think political and environmental issues can be effectively addressed in art?

Art is absolutely an effective medium through which to address and push political and environmental issues. People look to art that has meaning. Something that looks pretty is fine; but art is something that makes people think and question their lives and the world around them- something that sparks curiosity. We work hard to create art that is both aesthetically pleasing and provocative.

Which artists do you admire who have an activist agenda?

We are huge admirers of the folks over at TOMS. While many people may not necessarily view them as artists, their creative designs and incredible business model are working to effect change throughout the world. Other objects of our admiration (perhaps more widely known as "artists") include the artist Frank Kozik, whose satirical poster art and vinyl sculptures are totally captivating, as well as Shepard Fairey, whose work captures political movements throughout time and has completely reinvigorated political art.

Left: "Linnaeus Print" by Senioritis

Tell us something about your process of creating.

Our design process is research driven; it’s pretty simple but a bit backwards. We think of a Famous Senior that we would like to pay tribute to and then look for a quote that we like. If we can’t find a quote that we like we put that design on hold until we can find a quote. Without a quote there’s no point in moving forward since the quotes are such an integral part of our tributes. Once we do find a quote we begin to design around that quote. The first step in our designing is to lay out the design, sometimes the layout is sketched but more often it’s just a mental layout. We then choose the colors we would like to work with and it’s off to the races, the majority of our work from this point on is done with software from Adobe Creative Suite; this allows for easy edits throughout the process which makes us happy.

What is the name of your etsy shop?

We are senioritis, and our line available on etsy is Senioritis Remembers Famous Seniors: An Art Tribute.