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One must admire the ability of an artist who can make you feel movement in stillness-whether in a painting, a photograph, or form of mixed media. Ekko's images capture authentic individual moments with a vision that is shared by all. Ekko has gained international attention with her commissioned portraits, but her work ranges from mixed-media photography to pen drawings and metal etchings.

Interviewing Ekko was incredibly easy because she is clear on her work in its past, present and future. Upon meeting her, her aura of stability and calm immediately put me at ease: this is the mark of a person who's self-journey has brought them to a place of peace through creativity. What struck me was her physical beauty and grace, which is reflected in her work. Intense energy emanates from her petite frame; her dark, almond eyes gaze with exotic serenity and without judgment. This same energy allows you to be honestly affected by her work.

Didi: Why did you become an artist?

Ekko: I was born to be an artist. I was depressed as a child because I couldn't have an outlet for my energy. People are always saying how intense I am and my art is freedom work for me.

Didi: What is the motivation for your work?

Ekko: I do my work because I'm tortured. I need to have an outlet to stay focused. My art is that outlet and why I'm still here. I am releasing a lot of dark energy into a very beautiful, tangible form that is more acceptable by society. People can get more of me from my artwork because they can't handle my intensity.

Didi: Describe the experience of one of your shows.

Ekko: At my last opening, I watched people come in socializing and smiling. And my work ripped the smiles right off of their faces (laughs.) They stood there looking at my paintings with their mouths open. My work is very dark.

Didi: That's interesting to hear you say that because I didn't get that at all. I found it to be uplifting and soothing.

Ekko: (Chuckles) People who have a dark side don't think my work is dark.

Didi: (Raised eyebrow) Well, there is that… What do you think 'ripped the smiles' off of their faces?

Ekko:I have so much anger and my artwork is a very powerful release of the non-corrupted soul in me. I think that's what stirs people to be able to get in touch with their own pure emotions from that untainted-soul place. My work rips off the surface and gets right in there. My paintings are huge; some of them are about four feet tall. At one of my openings, a big, tall, blonde European woman asked where the artist was. When I was introduced to her, she looked down, surprised to see little me, and with an expression of disbelief that I created these works. People must expect me to be some huge person. They are always surprised when they see me.

Didi: Maybe they're wondering how this relaxed, gentle person could create works that stir up their emotions.

Ekko: I don't think I'm relaxed! I am one of those people who is born with acute sensitivity levels. I always have so much energy stirring inside of me, needing to get out. I think my work reflects that frustration and people relate to it.

Didi: Perhaps they see your work as sort of a self-reflection and it's difficult to meet someone, a stranger, face-to-face, who peeked into their personal, hidden space and put it on a huge canvas for everyone else to see.

Ekko: What disturbs me about society and triggers me to do my art is that people are not in touch with themselves. I want people to have an energy exchange with my artwork and get into their own personal interpretations.

Didi: What about your portraits?

Ekko: I like to get to the essence of the subject. For instance, a very wealthy diplomat - you know, the very pretentious type - commissioned me to do a portrait of his wife for her 60th birthday. I think because of my appearance that he became even more pompous. His wife was a very beautiful woman but the lines in her face gave her a weathered quality. But she was still very beautiful. Anyway, I spent a week interviewing her about her past and present and asked to see photographs of her throughout her life. I wanted to see who she was on many levels, how she used her facial muscles in her expressions, how light played on her face when she talked, etc.. I photographed her while she discussed her history (she didn't photograph well at all) and scanned all of the photos from her lifetime. I layered the photos and when I painted her, I put in only the important character lines in her face. It was like I broke her lifetime down to the barest minimum and recreated it. The result was this genuine moment, an expression that represented her essence, all of her throughout her lifetime. The portrait was 4 feet tall and she loved it, her husband loved it, and everyone was pleased. They were amazed with the genuine reflection of whom she is that I created in her portrait.

Didi: What do you mean by getting to the essence of your subject?

Ekko: I ask people the right questions to bring them out of themselves.

Didi: How do you know what the right questions are to ask?

Ekko: I am very introspective. I believe that the more you know yourself, the more you know people and that deep, unadulterated self is not very different from person to person. That's the part of each of us that is not corrupted by conditioning. I just kind of tune in to that part of the person and the right questions come.

Didi: Of all the mediums you use in creating your work, what is your favorite?

Ekko: Photography, definitely. I have no patience and photography gives me instant gratification and the opportunity to create so many different things with the computer. And I can create many kinds of effects.

Didi: You use so many types of effects in your work. What do you do?

Ekko: Well, now with some of my photography pieces, I print them on transparencies and add textures. I will, for example, take a photograph of rust or grass or something with an intense quality and add it, perhaps, by scanning it on the computer or directly layering it on top of the original photo. Then, I may add more texture with say, a razor blade or a paintbrush. And I keep adding stuff until it feels finished.

Didi: What do you look for when you take photographs?

Ekko: I believe that the human body was meant to be in motion. I always have the models moving because it's the only time that a person is truly natural. I like to catch that moment of expression that connects to the pure self. I love to catch that part of the model that is not posed, but a reflection of the real self, you know, that uncorrupted self.

Didi: What direction are you taking your work now?

Ekko: My new work is about Yin/Yang energy. I am focusing on showing the duality of two opposing energies that are part of each other. I want to show balance and have people experience that dynamic relationship in my work and in themselves at the same time.

Didi: How do you envision creating this presentation?

Ekko: I want to have a show, if I can get enough models. I like to work with a model a few times to get their true energies to come out. As people become more at ease with working with me, they can relate to me, and what I want to bring out of them. Then they can freely express their natural, pure energies and I can capture their truths. There is always balance in truth: darkness and lightness, happiness and sadness, pain and pleasure, weakness and strength, courage and fear, and so much more. I want to capture those moments of truth to show the balance in nature that is in each of us and that makes up existence.

Didi: How does S&M fit into your life as an artist?

Ekko: I think that I'm almost scared of my own potential because of my background and conditioning, which makes me an uptight person. This is one of the reasons I do S&M because I'm doing an act that isn't condoned by everyone in society. But people who relate want this sort of back and forth interaction and we're each giving permission to act out with a willing partner. And that's the thing that's good about S&M, is that you're able to reconcile and accept all sides of yourself.

Didi: OK, now for the standard mush question, that really isn't so mushy at all. I believe it gives further insight into the creative mind. If you had one wish for the world, what would it be?

Ekko: I guess, for people to communicate more openly; with tact and consideration. Because you can communicate with brutal honesty really without feeling for other people's emotions. People are not in tune with the energies and their perceptiveness is diminished. Art heightens your perceptiveness because artists observe. Art is not petty, especially high art.

Didi:One wish for yourself?

Ekko: That I accept myself. I am struggling with accepting aspects of myself. So that's why I continue to do my art because it is the progression of my inner self. I love sharing my art. And people evolve on their own terms from my work.

Didi: What else would you like to say?

Ekko: One of the problems of living in society is that we all coincide right next to each other, but we're functioning on the surface, you know, dealing with superficiality. When I do art for people and share my art, they feel things. It's almost like they can reach a form of resurrection of some sort and bring themselves out of hiding.

Didi: I think that's similar to the value of BDSM. It enables you to evolve.

Ekko: Exactly, and it creates the balance between the inner world and being able to function in society. It is one of the creative ways that people can discover their true feelings and unadulterated souls, if they allow themselves to. Sometimes, people treat S&M as if it's twisted, but it's really another one of Nature's balances.

Didi: Well, when you look at the symbol for Yin/Yang, it is twisted and each part has a part of its opposite.

Ekko: And Yin/Yang represents the balance of energies, which is one of the biggest things that life is all about. That's what I want to portray in my work. I want to bring people beyond what's given on the mundane, conventional surface level and let them get in touch with their true inner souls.

You can view Ekko Katzen's artwork at: www.katzeyes.net

Ekko Katzen

Spirit

Tatooback

Ghost

Black Siren