It was Gustave Flaubert who once said, “Le bon Dieu est dans le detail”, and it was this phrase, simply meaning ‘The good God is in the detail’ which came to mind when I first saw the work Denise Santillan Moreno.
It was her concentration on drawing the subject matter of human hair which got me intrigued, the sheer painstakingly detailed approach to her work, and the obvious intent to create beautiful pieces which reflected this detail on a large scale.
At 9 feet tall, and created with ink and pen, the work created for her show, ‘La Bataille’, are just as much a work of patience and dedication as they are illustration.
I caught up with Denise and talked to her about work, her obsession with drawing hair, coming from Mexico, and the role betwixt an artist and a designer.
WWB: Can you tell us a little about yourself Denise?
DSM: I was born in Mexico, from Mexican and Argentine parents, and have lived in Canada most of my life. I’ve been drawing all my life, and went to an arts high school where I got to explore a bit of everything and really learn and develop skills. I did a degree in political science, and after studying politics in Buenos Aires, I came to my senses and went straight into a Design Art degree, which I finished about a year ago. I’ve been doing some freelance design work and working on my own art projects.
WWB: Your design work seems to steer well clear from hair, but your most recent shows have a real concentration on it. Why?
DSM: I’m not sure if it’s a Mexican thing but I have a lot of hair and it falls off my head so much that I should be close to bald by now. It’s been a constant fixation in my life, with anyone that has shared an apartment or a bed with me (not-so) secretly wishing I was bald. Also as a little girl returning to Mexico, hair was such a thing. Women were so well and carefully coiffed. There were clips and bows and hairbands and puffy things that go around your pony-tail and endless gel and hairspray. People didn’t seem to care about it much in Canada… I always brought these things back to Canada from Mexico and I loved having all these new and different hair accessories to tame my hair.
It’s always fascinated me that while it’s on your head, hair is in many ways considered to be the epitome of femininity, beauty, and grace, but the second it falls off your head into a brush or the floor, it becomes disgusting. These standards of beauty and ugliness interest me.
WWB: One aspect of your work is so very primitive, in that you are working simply with ink and a pen, while your design work, obviously utilising computer software, is so far removed from this. Would you say that the invention of the computer has pushed illustrators, such as yourself, into the world of design, or are they two very different aspects of art for you?
DSM: I think they’re different disciplines but there’s always that grey zone where work can be considered in both realms. My first love is drawing so it’s what I always come back to, but often my design work tends to be in that grey zone, it’s created in a different mind-set. I have to consider different things and have a different process.
I can only speak for myself but I don’t think that the two disciplines are interchangeable. Being a good illustrator does not mean you’ll be a good designer and vice versa.
WWB: The figures you draw are often representative of the stereotypical looks of South American women, yet the men you draw are not. Is this conscious?
DSM: Hmm. That’s a really interesting question, I’ve never been told that before…I’ve been asked a lot if they’re supposed to be me though. I don’t think there are stereotypical South American looks, quite honestly. Maybe dark hair? But you’re right on some level that the women I tend to draw do not necessarily have Caucasian features…I don’t think I’ve ever drawn a blonde. I wouldn’t want people to think that I’m drawing a specific race though, the women I draw aren’t rendered all that realistically because I don’t think of reality when I draw.
WWB: How do you feel about the job title ‘Artist’ as opposed to ‘Designer’?
DSM: I’ve been wondering that myself actually. I think that they’re different disciplines, but I do both, so I can be both job titles. I think I would get bored doing just one thing and end up resenting whatever it is I do. I want it all.
WWB: What is your passion besides design/illustration? What makes you tick?
DSM: Art in any form. Recently I’ve been on an old movie kick. I’ve never really watched that many old movies so I feel like I’ve just discovered this amazing new thing. I love how all around simple they seem to be compared to today’s endless plot twists to keep up with our short attention span. I also love hanging out in pharmacies and grocery stores, and road trips.
WWB: What are you currently working on?
DSM: I am making work for an upcoming group show, and preparing my escape to Mexico, where I want to stay for a few months and work on some new drawings.
You can see all of Denise’s work on her website, here.
