Practical Magic: Valery Jung Estabrook
Installation shot of Thinly Worn as exhibited at SPRING/BREAK Art Show 2017. Looping digital video and painted nylon masks.
Practical Magic is an online interview series with early and mid-career creatives. Through a selection of prompts we spotlight each person’s practice and (hopefully) prove art world creatives are the real influencers of today.
interview with: VALERY JUNG ESTABROOK
interdisciplinary artist, curator
Valery’s fine art practice spans sculpture, video, installation and documented performance. Her work responds to contemporary culture and human experience, often rooted in personal experiences including from growing up in small town USA as a Korean-American. A bit more about Valery:
Valery Jung Estabrook grew up on an organic Asian pear farm in rural southwestern Virginia. She completed her undergrad program at Brown, and received her MFA at Brooklyn College. Since graduating in 2016, Valery has exhibited work both domestically and internationally. In 2018 she received the Gold AHL-T&W Foundation Award, an award recognizing artists of Korean heritage. In early 2020 she was a Vermont Studio Center Fellow, and the Sidman Fellow for the Arts at the University of Michigan. Valery currently lives in Albuquerque and teaches experimental art at the University of New Mexico.
We first connected with Valery when including her work in our 2018 exhibition It Just Sorta Happened One Day; we’ve since supported her practice from afar. Most recently our co-founder Kat Ryals was curated into a booth by Valery for the 2020 NY edition of the SPRING/BREAK Art Show. This summer we caught up with Valery as she was compelled to continued her project The Impeach Mint. Read to the end for current updates on new coins!
PP: Who or what are major influences for you right now and why?
VE: For many years I've been thinking a lot about race and cultural identity, trying my best to dissect my own indoctrination of growing up here in the United States (which is challenging to say the least!).
A recent book that really hit me hard was Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong. Hong breaks down the model minority myth and Asians' falsely perceived proximity to whiteness, all while relating her individual life experience. It was both validating and devastating to read.
For films, Sorry to Bother You has been on my mind a lot. It tackles the topics of racism and capitalism, and also happens to be one of the funniest/ most painful movies I've ever seen. I cringe-laughed the whole way through.
Installation shot of Hometown Hero (Chink), as exhibited at University of Michigan, February 2020. Chenille, poly-fill, custom furniture, and looping video. Photo by Scott Soderberg.
PP: Success & failure is subjective - what to you was the most successful moment that you’ve had as a creative, and why was it successful or meaningful to you? What was a moment of failure that you've had, and how did you overcome it?
VE: The most successful moments are when I show my work and someone tells me that it touches them personally. A lot of my work touches upon my own personal history and trauma; while I don't create work with the intention of eliciting an emotional response, if I do happen to make something that allows another person to be vulnerable, and ultimately lets them feel validated and seen, well that to me is a success.
As far as failures? I think failure and rejection are just part of putting yourself out there and taking risks. I get a lot of rejections. I'm OK with it.
PP: Where do you live and how does it affect your practice/career? What's the creative community like there?
VE: I currently live in Albuquerque. After living in New York [City] for 10 years I was burnt out, so I moved out West to find some balance. Here I've been able to afford a dedicated studio, and also have plenty of time to spend in it.
I'm relatively new to the area, so I'm still meeting folks and finding my place as far as a community. Most of my creative support remains in New York, simply because most of my friends live there. But I don't feel disconnected; I travel a lot for my artwork (when there isn't a pandemic). The more places I visit, the more good people I meet, and that helps keep me feeling connected regardless of where I am.
PP: What's your favorite article of clothing to wear and why?
VE: During the quarantine I've been living in all things one-piece: rompers, robes, Ariana-Grande-sized shirts. They're comfy and they cover the important bits.
Valery Estabrook outside her home in Alberquerque.
Val’s current fave meme
(very appropriate)
PP: Current binge-worthy tv/film recommendation?
VE: Devs!!! Dark is also really good. And my go to late night wind down TV is Golden Girls.
PP: What are you listening to in your studio or when you work?
VE: With all that's been happening with the pandemic and racist police killings I've been tackling some very challenging emotions, namely anger and grief. So in my studio I've been listening to stuff that can keep my mood and my energy up: a lot of Vulfpeck, The Coup, Santigold. But if I need to focus and figure out something, I don't listen to anything. I need silence to think. I'll even work with ear plugs in so I don't get distracted. So it's either a dance hall or a library, nothing in between.
PP: What is a typical day in the life for you as a creative? How do you structure your day/week to manage your practice?
VE: When I'm not traveling for a show my life at home is as follows: I'm woken up by my cats around 7am. I lay paralyzed, but conscious, until about 7:30. Then I get up, feed them, have my morning coffee, eat something. If it's summer time I'm probably checking my garden before it gets hot. Then I spend a few hours catching up on email and correspondence. After lunch is usually when I head to my studio, and I stay there until evening. The actual tasks I do each day vary, depending on what's on my to-do list; I'm constantly writing notes to myself when I'm not in the studio. That's generally how I manage my time in my studio, how I break down large projects: lists and notes to self.
Installation Shot of Five Twenty Two, 2018, 25 channel looping video installation.
BONUS: Updates on The Impeach Mint Project
For those who may not know, Valery started The Impeach Mint in 2018, receiving a first success of funding on Kickstarter. Inspired by the White House's decision in May of 2018 to release a coin commemorating peace talks with North Korea when real action has yet to take place, she decided to start work on her own series of commemorative coins. Valery’s goal with the project is to highlight the corruption within the United States’ current administration while also asserting a record of factual events.
Launching once again on Kickstarter, starting October 22nd Valery will seek a second round of funding to complete the project - a final installment of 6 new coins and custom cases to house the collection. You can learn more about The Impeach Mint Project on her website. And we’ll share updates about the Kickstarter campaign when it launches!
Donald Trump (IMPEACHED) coin, front side
Donald Trump (IMPEACHED) coin, back side
Practical Magic interviews post weekly on Thursdays - check back to see who we’re chatting with next.