The Subtracted Dimensions of Lisa Snellings
01/08/2004 . Source: Paul Barnett 

The hugely admired kinetic 3D creations of fantasy sculptor Lisa Snellings are a constant source of fascination to those lucky enough to own them, or to visit the people who do. A new development - Snellings-as-fantasy-illustrator - has come about through the creation of an anthology of original stories.

PB: Sculpture is an unusual medium for a fantasy artist to work in - off-hand I can think of only two other Fine Artists (as opposed to people who produce novelty objects and figurines) who work in 3D. What took you into it?

LS: What took me into sculpting is still something of a mystery to me and sometimes seems sort of accidental, but I was already a sculptor before I started working in fantasy and horror themes.

It was, because of years of reading horror, fantasy and science fiction, only a matter of time before those themes emerged in my work. I've never thought of myself as a fantasy artist, just an artist who likes to think stuff up.

(c) Lisa Snellings

PB: When you go to places like the World Fantasy Convention and see all the dozens of 2D artists exhibiting and hardly any other serious 3D work on display except your own, do you ever feel a bit out on a limb?

LS: There are nearly always fewer sculptors than painters in any genre convention art show, mainstream gallery or art museum. The conventions I exhibited at earlier were awkward for me because the 3D art was put on tables in the backs of the galleries, usually against the loading doors or some other equally elegant background.

Later on I got bold and began asking for better space, which led me straight to that limb you mention. Now, after asking for the floor, I needed to exhibit sculpture that could hold its own among the paintings. So, yes, there is some pressure to "perform" when I show at conventions, though probably, I put most of it on myself.

PB: It seems to be a Snellings trademark that the information slip beside one of your pieces always says "mixed media". Is this the way you deliberately prefer to work, or does it just always turn out that way?

(c) Lisa Snellings

LS: Most of my sculptures are either resin, polymer clay, wood, cast metal or papier mache, but sometimes they can be made of any two or three or all of the above - especially the kinetic pieces.

It would be difficult to make a moving sculpture without gears, motors, gaskets or other doodahs - sometimes even real insects, or parts of them - haha. (Note: I never kill insects, or anything else, with the exception of black widow spiders in my home.) "Mixed media" fits better on a bid sheet than a list of ingredients.

PB: And where do you find those "mixed media"?

LS: Ha! Run - nothing is safe in my presence.

PB: I know that Jane and Howard commission you for an annual piece for The Frank Collection. Do you find it difficult working to commission like this?

(c) Lisa Snellings

LS: No, because they allow me complete creative freedom when adding pieces to the carnival collection and no, because I love doing them. Yes, because each commissioned piece takes several months to complete, and that kind of time is getting harder to come by.

PB: Do you find it difficult to find, for example, corporate clients and the like who can afford your works and have the space to show them off properly?

LS: What clients? Corporate what? What what? Truthfully, I haven't had time to look, so don't know. Because people outside the "speculative genres" (ugh) sometimes find my work disturbing, collectors tend to be writers or other performers more often than accountants.

Most other collectors buy limited editions, which are smaller and more affordable. When I'm out of space and overrun with huge pieces, I'll figure something out.

PB: This year at the World Fantasy Convention you were exhibiting some of your 2D work, the illustrations for the collection of short stories based on Crowded After Hours, your fantasy ferris wheel. I really loved these pictures. Are you a bit nervous about coming out of the closet with this 2D work after all this time being known as a sculptor?

LS: The World Fantasy Convention was the first time I'd shown any 2D work, ever, so naturally I was a little nervous bringing it out. I was worried that fans might think I was getting bored, or losing focus. I'm not.

As always, my focus is the subject matter I'm exploring. Viewing a three-dimensional piece, reading a short story and peering into an illustration are experiences different from each other. I'm attracted to the concept of employing different "messengers".

PB: OK, OK, you're busting to tell: please walk us through the anthology.

LS: Of course I am - this was the perfect project for me to bring my "different messengers" concept to life. (I have to digress for a second here. Recently I found one of the most interesting books ever that deals with how the form a message takes effects the message - it's Leonard Shlain's The Alphabet Versus the Goddess.

(c) Lisa Snellings

Sorry, it's so very cool, I have to mention it.) The anthology is called Strange Attraction, is edited by Edward Kramer and contains stories and poetry by an amazing list of authors, including Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, John Shirley and on and on . . . They each (24 in all) wrote a story or poem based on a specific character on the wheel.

Those who couldn't see the wheel worked from photographs. Then, I read their stories, and illustrated them. It ended up being an immense creative circle. There are two limited editions of the anthology available now - one actually comes with a statue and ride token. Anyone interested may find information at www.bereshith.com, or at my Danger Media Guild site, www.dangermedia.org/harlikn.

PB: After the book, do you plan to expand on the 2D side of your work?

LS: Most definitely. I'm working on my own very, very illustrated book about a little girl named Ana and a cat, sort of, named Eleven. It's sweet-natured, but actually quite spooky.

I'm also doing some illustrating for another anthology project, a poetry collection and some personal pieces. And then I still have plans to do a very strange art book with Neil Gaiman. We have quite a few pieces done for it, and one day in the not-too-distant future will hide somewhere and finish the thing.

PB: And what's the 3D piece that's currently on the stocks?

LS: I'm in the middle of completing one of the commissioned carnival piece. It's a "punk show" called The Tinker's Children that is whimsical and melancholy and scary, in places.

After that I have another large piece I hope to be done with by LunaCon in March. In between and after, I plan to work on making toys. I've wanted to make toys for several years now and dammit, this year I am making some very, very Lisa Snellings toys.

PB: Lisa Snellings, thank you very much.

LS: Oh, and you could give my e-mail address if you liked, in case people wanted to order prints or something.

PB: OK. It's Harlikn7@aol.com

A version of this article originally appeared in The Snarl, Paper Tiger's reader zine. Many thanks to Snarl's Editor extraordinaire, Paul Barnett (www.papertiger.co.uk), for letting us play with his prose.