Episode 14: IsIdora Monteparo

March 12, 2019

I was asked the other day why I paint what I paint. And I thought it was a great question, because people usually ask me why I love painting; but don’t ask me why I paint nude female figures specifically. In the moment I suppose I didn’t have a great answer, since I was never asked this question before! But when I thought it over, I realized the reason I paint whatI paint is because of beauty. Because of power. Because of sensuality, love, passion. Women are amazing. We are capable of so much, we possess so much, and I suppose painting women is my way of expressing gratitude for these things. I once read a book about the life of Michelangelo, where he continually sought to sculpt the beauty of the world through the human figure, because nothing was comparable to the divinity of the human form. The world is full of such beauty; and, like Michelangelo, I can’t help but take notice of it too. I may not remember that thing you told me twenty minutes ago, but you better believe I’ll remember the color of your eyes, your jawline, and the quirky way your smile bends when you laugh. I love to stop and appreciate the smallest of subtleties. The things that are often unnoticed, or taken for granted. The things that are left unappreciated for the beauty of their simplicity, and yet somehow their complexity. Beauty is everywhere in literally everything, you just have to look for it.

My grandmother initially got me into painting when I was three. She took me to an art class and taught me how to sketch an apple; and to this day, I still have the drawing. Honestly it’s a pretty terrible apple; but it was the first piece of many more that would come. I feel I’m picking up where my grandma left off, like I’m pushing her legacy; and I see a lot of her in myself, especially when I paint. Whenever I make a new piece, my whole heart goes into it. And when it comes down to giving one away, it’s hard to part ways. Each and every work is literally me, giving a piece of my heart away to someone else. One of my works, “Loving Embrace,” was made for a close friend who had a difficult time starting a family. She ultimately adopted, but then miraculously become pregnant as well, and now has two children! She reached out to me and asked if I would do a commissioned piece of a woman breastfeeding; and I agreed immediately. The process of making the piece was extremely collaborative, and it was amazing to be able to weave her ideas together with mine. When it was time to wrap up the piece, my heart broke; I knew it was going to a good home, but I found myself giving another piece of my heart away. But when I saw how happy it made her, I smiled and realized that my contribution had made a real difference. And that’s just it; the point of making art is to make others feel something. You could have a hundred people look at the same piece, and each person would have a different interpretation of it, depending on personal experience and perspective. Art makes this world a better place; afterall, “earth without art is just ‘eh’”, because the world intrinsically needs art. Whether you believe it or not, art finds its way into every corner of life.

Joining the military was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I joined the Air Force (not the Army) when I was only 17. There were times I loved every minute, and times I hated every minute; but regardless, the military molded me into the person I am today. When you’re running in the Texas heat with 50 pounds of gear, or crawling under barbed wire and not being able to shower for three days, you grow some thick skin. You learn to work in a team, to become disciplined, to be there for each other. But most importantly, boot camp made me mentally tough, it made me strong; it made me realize the potential I had within myself. In the Air Force I served as a medic, and I knew I wanted to be involved in medicine to some capacity. After my time in Texas I moved back to Albany, NY, and worked on the base clinic while I attended school at the University at Albany. Needless to say, I was either in school or working, so I had little free time. Everything from the right side of my brain; art, music and literature, was placed on the backburner of my mind. It was only until the last semester of my college career where art re-entered my life, since I was able to find some spare moments for myself. I decided I would latch on to art and never let it go; not this time. I decided I would paint what I wanted to paint; not what others would expect of me. After encouragement from a friend, I started my own website, artbyisidora.com. It serves as a place for everyone to see what I do, and what I believe in. It’s a way for others to experience what I see through the world in a more tangible way. People can love it, they can hate it; either way I couldn’t care less. I’m staying true to myself; because if it’s one thing I know, you were born an original, don’t die a copy.

What are your 5 Most Recently Played Artists on Spotify?
The Neighbourhood, Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey, Nicki Minaj, Bazzi

If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose?
Teleportation, because you could travel anywhere in the world at any given moment.

Pick something or someone from NYMC to give a shout out to!
Shout out to Matt Holstein for conducting this interview, and to my awesome-sauce roommates; Camila, Madeline and Jood!

If someone wanted to talk to you, they should lead with…
“Hello” :)