Forest/Trees

So you started on Wall Street. You haven’t always been doing photography and painting?

I was doing stocks, but I was always doing other things on the side. I mean, I modeled for Playboy.

That’s cool.

Thank you! I don’t get that a lot. But I was always doing that kind of stuff—photos, paintings… I can’t not be creating, no matter what else I am doing. When I was doing Wall Street stuff, I was so stressed out. I was painting voraciously, nothing good, just mess. But my husband, he came home and saw this fucking painting I did of the fucking guy who picks his finger in The Simpsons. He was fucking crying, saying, "You’re meant to be an artist...do THIS."

Lucky you. That's amazing you had that support.

I mean, I was just like, "I love you." I was miserable. So I quit, and then I got my first doll to sit for my paintings. Photography came and distracted me though. And then Richard Prince found me on Instagram.

High praise.

Fuckin’ amazing. My whole solo show had come about because he posted one of my doll photos on his Instagram. I went from zero to hero. He's my guru. It’s all his fault that I am so exposed, anyways.

Exposed?

I feel so exposed with this show.

No pun intended.

Never. But I mean, it’s strange because my photographs, they're so much worse than this. Some are just… Porn. I mean, some is classy shit. But some is really bad.

Porn can be classy, though.

Not some of this shit, though. But I’ve done serious stuff. Anyways, the painting is a whole new thing.

Are they based on dolls?

No, but I could take a picture of a girl, human, in a fashion shoot, and it could be the most obvious human, but everyone would say, “Ooh, she looks like a doll.”

So there is no sex doll inspiration. Totally separate.

I mean, no, but whatever you want to think—whatever. If you like dolls, sure.

No, no. I came at it first with no thoughts. I saw the paintings before I had connected it to your previous work. I didn’t associate it with the dolls until after my first glance at them.

Good!

Did you think they were realistic?

Almost, I saw them as mostly realistic apart from the eyes. Something not cartoonish, but simulated in some way.

And the background makes them seem a little paranormal almost.

Yes, I heard ghosts, I have heard everything.

Well, then, I drew the connection with your previous work and now it’s hard not to associate them with dolls, to be honest.

I think everything I do for the rest of my life will be associated with dolls.

Do you resent that?

Not at all. Dolls are my babies. They were my friends growing up. Only child.

Me too. I also was obsessed with barbies.

Really? Yeah, I couldn’t wait to get to my Barbies. I also couldn’t wait to look like one. I mean, I would look like a total whore if I didn’t have this dude who does my lips because he stops me. He has to literally hold me back. But I would be a real life doll if I had my way.

That's kind of awesome.

I think Kylie Jenner is smokin’ hot. She was cute before, but I think the fake-y look is gorgeous.

Nice, a non-traditional opinion.

And my mom wasn’t traditional, either. My mom thought it was cute to have her three-year-old roll a joint for her. She was 20 when she had me. Picture if Casey Anthony didn’t murder her daughter, that would be my mom. She just wanted to party all the time, and I was a total fucking inconvenience.

So, question, do you find yourself attracted to sex-dolls?

No, but I mean, if I am doing a day-long shoot and there’s this tight-ass synthetic vagina there, I will start thinking, “DAMN, that shit looks good.” I’m human. But I mean, it’s still a doll, so I just get horny and watch Seinfeld or some shit.

'Nerves' is on show through June 11th.