We’re happy to announce that today marks the one year anniversary of Howl Magazine. Our goal in starting this magazine was to showcase the works and thoughts of artists that inspired and moved us. We’re proud to report that 52 artists were featured in our first year alone. Below is a year in retrospect; revisiting insightful moments from those interviews. Lastly, we want to take this opportunity to thank all the artists we were able to work with and to those of you who followed, read, and supported us throughout the year! More exciting things lie ahead for our magazine and we hope you continue to support us going into the future.
“[A few days ago, Trump became president] so i’ve been drawing a lot from these circumstances, making work about staying hopeful, about fighting for your rights, and about standing by and helping one another”
“I am concerned with the body as a language;
the restriction of that as well as the celebrations”
“The transmutable nature of identity; the struggle to assert yourself, especially in adolescence; controlled madness”
"There’s a difference between being a photographer or a painter or a writer, and an artist. You need a clear statement. Anybody can do anything aesthetically pleasing, but art goes beyond that now. It’s not about the medium. It’s a matter of knowing your reality, your struggles and what’s behind them, the world and your ethics"
“Most of the time good work will find its way to the top and get noticed.
The internet creates a true democracy and levels out the art world playing field”
“[The art world] is ridiculous, but it’s not a bad thing. It is no more ridiculous than anything else and at least it is true to itself”
“I think having two mothers pass away from cancer in my youth pushed me into trying to create art that brings levity and laughter to this scary experience known as "life"
“We tend to put human beings in boxes , impose rules and restrictions which leads to adults feeling repressed and dominated by the urge of power and recognition.”
“The internet allows people to see and experience work that they may never have been able to see in person.One drawback is that people may be less likely to seek art experiences in real life since they can find so much of it online. It’s important to see work with your own eyes if possible – there are nuances and details that are just not as apparent on a screen.”
“By claiming that we are strong all the time when we aren’t, we create a certain distance from our own feelings and experiences.The more we are willing to make vulnerability our own, the more we dare.”
“A lot of my generation are taking things into their own hands and not relying on the big dogs to make their work known. There’s a real DIY approach going on at the minute that I think is really exciting”
“I was going to ‘stick it out’ but realized that as soon as you decide to ‘stick something out’ that’s probably the moment you should stop doing it.”
“Fat people can be sad and skinny people can be sad. It's your insides that need to be right.”
“Watercolor has an essence of hydration — I like the idea of using water to paint a female body”
“When I was much younger, my Mum said she's raising me to be a human rather than a man.”
“[In comedy] You do something and people have a physical reaction to it, it’s amazing. I never feel more powerful. A show can erase an entire bad day”
“A woman can be sexualized for herself, for her own energy, not just for the viewing pleasure of a man.”
“The second Trump called Clinton a Nasty Woman, I was like YES THATS IT THATS MY NEXT PIECE. I decided I was going to reclaim the phrase , and I originally intended to make it a funny piece; but the more and more I researched the issues I wanted to discuss, the more serious and emotional the piece became for me. I couldn't stop writing”
“I use images appropriated from pornography to hijack the patriarchal sentiments and flip them into feminist narratives”
"Well the combination of Meryl Streep and food is both peculiar and somewhat fool proof? If that makes sense?"
“I had a rough time with anxiety, body image, and sexuality when I was around 20 and that’s when I really started drawing and painting for passion. I drew to make sense of my thoughts, and started to use my art as therapy”
“Ultimately you represent your generation [through art]”
“Objectification and perfectibility of the human body will continue to prevail until art explores the oppressive stigmatizations associated with disability identity”
“Truth-telling seems to be under assault these days, so I think artists need to redouble their efforts. We don’t need to be polemical; we just need to be truthful”
“I took a liking to drawing real, nude women in everyday situations. They look comfortable and powerful– they are creating their own narrative"
“There is a stereotype of a the tortured artist, that one must be troubled to be creative. That might be true for some, but I have never been more prolific than when I’m actively seeking help for my illnesses through therapy and medication. It isn’t easy to make anything if you cant get out of bed”
“Photographing post-pubescent perspectives of femininity, my work surpasses the struggle and shame of conformist ideals of beauty, into a celebration of diversity”
“Having always been interested in women’s bodies this presidential election, once again, made it apparent how women’s stories of sexual subjugation are socially minimized and repressed.”
“I create topical and humorous illustrations responding to pop culture and topical news stories every day”
"We are fortunate to have things be forbidden, allowing us to have the beautiful feeling of disobedience.”
Sexual preference does not appear in a packaged, standardized form– Queer womyn are everywhere, we are not anomalies on the fringes of society, seldom seen and often unheard. We are not objects of the male gaze, or fictional characters. We are real and our stories should be told!”
“I feel that living in this global, internet-driven world runs the risk of an artist falling into the trap of creating work that appeals to a mass number of people on simply a surface level because it gets a lot of likes”
"I try to examine themes of masculine vulnerability and tenderness quite often. [...] Sometimes I take a different turn and examine my own anger at being a vulnerable girl in a patriarchal world.”
“I’m maximalist. There is humor in these images. They are kitsch. They are new way of still lives”
“Sadly a lot of people still need to be reminded, in this day and age, that refugees and immigrants are not here to take your jobs away and that feminism does not equate to men hating.”
“Although my paintings do not clearly depict a political environment, my subjects matter floats around this idea of woman fighting back, feeling suppressed and the acknowledgment that something is very broken, both personally and on a socioeconomic level”
“[My Art], at its core, is about sampling both old and new technologies and the way this merging speaks to how we combine online and offline experiences in our daily lives.”
“We’ve been told to calm down, we’ve been called names, we’ve seen people in positions of power act as if women are merely props for their pleasure, and it’s time for that to end and it starts with girlhood.”
“I use symbology associated with mysticism, occultism, alchemy and astrology”
“Unsubstantiated Nostalgia: Things that feel close to you but you don’t know why”
“Art has always been political. So have women’s bodies. Women’s bodies have been blamed for inciting sexual violence that is enacted against them. Breastfeeding has been deemed “indecent.” Birth control has been regulated by politicians who have never menstruated.”
“I am a dissident of the imposed morality, the reality created by the system, the machismo rooted in the reality, the canons of fascist beauty, gender roles, and everything normative, that judges and punishes other forms of being, thinking, bodies, sexual practices, etc. not understood and punished by the system and governments.”
“Intangible mystery, youth, unattainable body image, billionaire lifestyle– viewers/consumers want it all. A desire that is not for the beauty of the garment or accessory but for the dream, the status, the tribal membership, a badge that says ‘I’m a dedicated follower’ or just to say ‘Look what I can afford.’”
“By taking the female form and manipulating it into fleshy abstract forms, I think my work forces people into conversations that may be a little uncomfortable, bringing up ideas of sexuality and equality”
"There is nothing particularly interesting in my creative process. I wake up and make."
“Art can be a tool for self-discovery, for the artist as well as the viewer.
“We are a country of immigrants. Our nation is a tapestry of many ethnicities and cultures. The current climate is one of fear, one of uncertainty. We must fight against the ignorance, and raise our voices in support of the American dream and against racism and white elitism. I am deeply disturbed by the things I hear our president say.”
“While grounded in present day, I re-imagines our universe as a vivid supernatural playground– incorporating primitive art traditions with postmodern sensibilities. I touch on themes of faith, sexuality, rebirth, and inner-growth.”
“The 2016 presidential election has brought to the surface extremes of sexism, racism and discrimination. Many women are deeply disturbed not only by the negative stereotyping and sexist attitudes towards women that have surfaced but also the threats to roll back women's rights. Right now more than ever women need to unify and work together to ensure that our rights, which were fought for with blood and tears for many decades, are not only assured, but continue to progress.”
“True beauty comes from within, it does not have a face, it is headless”
“[Having mental health issues] can make you feel like you will never be that person who you wanted to be. However, it’s important to remember that You Are Not Your Diagnosis. You are you. You make your life what you want it to be”
We attempt to challenge the Fashion Industry's politics– we're looking towards installations in the near future aimed towards hacking the "classic, boring presentation of the current Fashion Week"