Written by Greysen Strumpler Images via the artist
Zoee Rasso is a contemporary painter and art student at Columbus State University. Zoee’s work explores environmental issues and how they affect animals, specifically birds. In her work on birds, she also explores their symbolism, meaning, and perception across cultures. In addition to exploring environmental issues that negatively affect animals, she also explores the commonly ignored beauty of everyday creatures and nature in our own area. Zoee has explored multiple mediums that inform her work such as painting, animation, illustration, and even papermaking. Although she usually paints, she has a passion for creating mixed-media works because of the experimentation and freedom it
provides. This is evident through her experience with different forms of creation, as well as the learning opportunities she has participated in, such as participating in internships and study abroad programs through Columbus State University.
Zoee’s exploration of environmentalism in her work takes broad ideas that can many times feel impersonal to us, and brings them to the streets of Columbus. She asks us to examine our place in nature and among creatures in ways that we may not even realize.
The following interview has been edited for both length and clarity.
Q: Zoee, you aren’t from the Columbus area – how did you come to be at Columbus State University?
A: While in high school, I attended the Columbus State University Art Throwdown. When I came over, I was so in love with the campus, and the faculty and staff were so impressive. Now, compared to larger colleges where you aren’t close with professors, I have many of my professors' phone numbers, and we can talk when we see each other on the street. It’s so cool that we have such a tight-knit community.
Initially, I was an animation student but became a painting student.
Q: I didn’t know that you were originally an animation student, but that makes sense after seeing your work. I’ve seen many of your pieces, specifically many with birds as a subject matter. Could you tell me more about your work and what you intend to capture with your work?
A: Movement is very important to me in my artwork. I really try to carry the feel of movement from animation into my work. I can visualize the movement of a painting in my head and how it comes to life. With birds, it’s movements are things like turning their heads or flapping their wings.
Q: How did you become so passionate regarding birds and environmentalism?
A: I have always been very drawn to birds. They are by far my favorite animals. I like what birds represent like flying and having a free spirit.
When you have an animal as prevalent as birds, people don’t pay attention to them. When people walk down the street, they don’t take time to notice sparrows or pigeons on the sidewalk. They are largely unappreciated and pushed to the background. I’m trying to get people to realize that we aren’t the only creatures on this planet.
Now, my work has become addressing the negative stigma around birds and trying to paint them positively. For example, one of my recent pieces of a pigeon was discussed in a class critique, and people were like “I don’t think I’ve ever considered a pigeon as beautiful, but I can see that you love them, and the love is being shown in the painting.”
Beautiful creatures should be respected. Now, there are certain types of birds like the passenger pigeon that have gone extinct because of things like deforestation and pollution. I’ve done many pieces on these issues recently and how they affect us and the birds, such as birds moving into urban spaces.
Q: So, now that I know your work revolves around nature and environmentalism, what specifically inspires you? Are there any artists, people, films, or anything else?
A: I was and still am inspired by many nature documentaries. It was what I watched most as a kid. I learned about deforestation, pollution, and how that affects nature and animals.
I am also inspired by Walton Ford. He is an artist who paints scientific illustrations. His work is so detailed and captures the essence of every animal. He also does scientific illustrations for fictional creatures. One of my favorites that he has done is one of a griffin.
Q: How do you see your work evolving in the future?
A: I am trying to take the illustrative parts from my other work and work them into my paintings. I’ve been portraying birds in a realistic aspect, but I also have a different body of work that is illustrative. I’ve been considering what would happen if I merged them together. Since getting back from Italy, I’ve been focusing more on color and lighting after looking at Renaissance paintings.
Q: Who at CSU has had a big impact on you as an artist?
A: Definitely Professor Orion Wertz. While being on the painting track at CSU, he is the professor that I have had the closest relationship with.
Professor Julianna Wells (Cowsert) also impacts me as an artist. I adore her work, and she’s such a talented painter, plus she’s very down to earth. She has been nothing but helpful and supportive throughout the semester.
Professor Hannah Israel has also been impactful. She was the first person I met at CSU and had interactions with. She inspired me to loosen my style as a painter and lean into the abstract, the sketchiness, and the motion. On a recent field trip to a museum, she walked up behind me while I was staring at a painting, and unprompted, she said “you need to loosen up your painting style,” so I did, and people really responded well.
Q: You were able to go on the study abroad trip to Italy with Professor Israel. How has studying abroad affected you as an artist?
A: It was absolutely insane. Every time I turned a corner, there was another famous painting from a textbook. Getting to see the art history textbook up close and personal was an incredible opportunity. Really being able to look at how I can portray form and color has really been fuel to the fire in terms of inspiration.
Q: What other opportunities for learning have you been able to participate in through CSU?
A: I took a lot of classes with Professor Joe Sanders, and I was able to do two internships with him. I took classes like bookmaking, papermaking, and drawing with him. I was able to be the papermaking studio intern, and later I interned with him, focusing on learning about archiving his works and his personal studio practice. I was also able to be an intern for Professor Wertz, and I was able to learn more about his studio practice and the habits of an art professor.
Q: Where do you see yourself heading in the future?
A: I would like to get my Master’s degree and become a college professor. I have assisted Professor Wertz and Professor Sanders with their workshops during the Art Throwdown. I really enjoy being able to teach, talk to, and encourage artists. I want to foster the passion in them that many art teachers fostered in me. In addition to this, I definitely plan to continue my studio practice and will continue trying to get into more galleries in the future.
Connect with Zoee:
Website: https://zoeerasso.wixsite.com/Zoee
Instagram: @zoeetm
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