We had the good fortune of connecting with Klara Maisch and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Klara, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As someone who spends a lot of time outside in remote areas, I usually think about risk in terms of physical and group safety.For example,I invite risk by choosing to ski in avalanche terrain, but I mitigate this exposure by paying attention to weather, terrain, group dynamics, and digging snow pits to see and feel the interactions between different layers of snow. Sometimes these observations mean I turn around or choose to ski a more mellow line.
This is in contrast to how I approach risk as a visual artist. My creative risk threshold is much higher because there is more room for trial and error. Art is all about experimentation and curiosity. When I feel curious, it’s an experience of the unknown paired with the impulse to learn more. I see curiosity as an invitation to step out of my comfort zone. Painting outside is a way to directly engage with my surroundings and let curiosity lead. Many people refer to this mindset as a flow state. Tapping into this headspace doesn’t always lead to my best work, but it’s become the backbone of my visual inquiry and conceptual growth as an artist.
When I think specifically about my career as an artist, the idea of “risk” becomes murkier. I often feel pressure to create imagery that is “safe” or “sellable” so I can pay the bills, and at this point in my career, that is typically not the work that feels the riskiest to make. I minimize this pressure by leading a simple lifestyle and maintaining the more experimental parts of my practice when I can.
Whether backcountry skiing, painting or managing a small business, I think the key to various forms of risk is to remain flexible and regularly re-assess.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I specialize in painting large oil paintings outside for extended periods, throughout the seasons, and in all weather conditions. I continue to develop technical outdoor skills and a specialized art kit to access remote locations via ski touring, hiking, floating, and occasionally a bush flight. I paint outside because this immersive approach to place allows me to feel out the movement and tempo of a landscape and translate that experience onto canvas.
This work is rooted in a long history of painting outside (often referred to as “plein air” painting) and painting from observation. I see my work on that continuum and hope to push the idea of what it means to paint outside, especially regarding the loaded history of how we relate to and understand the natural world. The moment the work feels easy, I know I am not growing. Sometimes “easy” is needed and fun, but it’s more often a sign that it’s time to try out a new approach, method, material, or concept.
Choosing to live in Fairbanks means I am very isolated from the main hubs of the art world, but I also know that Fairbanks is my community and the location best suited for the lifestyle my partner and I want. I am still learning to navigate the advantages and disadvantages of not being on an academic art career track and the pressure of earning a living wage. Luckily I have a low cost of living, no kids, and a partner who understands my boom/bust income. I’ve had a lot of odd jobs and seasonal work to support my career as an artist and will probably continue to need to do that on occasion, but I am dedicated to carving out a sustainable career as a visual artist.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Many people visit Alaska in the summer and don’t go any further north than Denali. I think visiting the Interior and Northern Alaska in the winter is a unique opportunity to experience a very different kind of landscape than most visitors get to see. Dressing warmly, packing snacks, and carrying a hot drink allows you to stay outside and admire the long shadows of low light, the winding Boreal Forest trails, and the intense sunrises/sunsets that last for an hour or more.
I love visiting Venue in downtown Fairbanks for the local art, modern vibe, and a delicious warm drink. From there, you can walk along the Chena River to the Morris Thompson Cultural Center, a few blocks away. Stop in for a delicious beer at Black Spruce, Hoodoo, or a cocktail at Ursa Major, all places where you can mingle with locals. “Explore Fairbanks Alaska” is a great online resource for Interior Alaska and also has ways to check the Aurora forecast. Arctic Wild is a fantastic guiding company that offers trips throughout Alaska if you decide to visit in the summer. Winter or summer, I always encourage people to get off the main roads and enjoy some of the north’s lesser-known but equally gorgeous landscapes.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I could write a 20-page list of people who have impacted my work in positive ways. Regarding my early development and learning to work outside, Igor Pasternak, David Mollett, Bill Brody, and Lynn Larsen rise to the top. For their ongoing support and camaraderie, I am grateful to lean on and be inspired by artists Sara Tabbert, Katlian Stark, Rose McAdoo, Tim Musso, Sheryl Maree Reily, Jen Moss, Elizabeth Ero Irving, and Gail Priday. I feel fortunate to have family who put up with my weird business hours, existential aesthetic jibber-jabber, and emotional responses to specific shades of blue. This list is way too short!!
Website: www.klaramaisch.com
Instagram: @klaramaisch
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/klaramaisch
Twitter: @KlaraMaisch
Image Credits
Images 1-3 are by Tobias Albrigtsen (Untraceable Global)