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Meet Publisher Ayn Frances dela Cru Paper Monster Press Founding Editor Ayn Frances dela Cruz’s works have been published in Oddball Magazine, My Favorite Bullet, and Gone Lawn Journal. She generously shares with LFF about finding the inspiration to create her Press, how her hometown is a good place for women in art, the upcoming issue, feminism and humanism and much more… Where are you from? How did you get into art? I’m from Cavite, Philippines. I actually got into art as a direct result of the art scene from the area. Lirio Salvador organized and regularly held “eksenas” in his artist-run-space called Espasyo Siningdikato. Hundreds of people come for talks, music jams, and poetry sessions. It was like a hippie commune that served vegetarian food and thought/sound to starving souls. It literally nourished the need for art/love/life in our community. And it was there, that I found inspiration to start the love of my life: Paper Monster Press. Tell me about your inspirations/ processes. Paper Monster Press was made as a response to our D-I-Y culture, and also because I loved books. We first started as a ¼ page poetry pamphlet, irregularly stapled and served up to people who would buy our love offering for Php 50.00. This was because years ago, I read a biography of Vachel Lindsay (creator of The Congo), who was fired up by the experience and the act of selling his poems (which he handwrote himself on paper and sold for 20 cents each). He never made much money by this but the experience of talking to people, reaching out to the mass of humanity as it were, made such an impression on him, as it did to us. Tell me about your current/ upcoming show/ exhibit/ project and why its important to you. Atlantis is Paper Monster Press’s upcoming issue which will be released sometime in September 2014. It deals with water, lost cities, drowning, and forgotten species. This is already our 11th issue, and important to me because we have gone from ¼ photocopied pages to an art magazine, full color-glossy covers with a music CD. We have explored and embraced the transgenre art fully and this shows in our recent issues where cutting-edge lay-out, iconic covers, and timeless words all combine to create what will someday constitute the locus of Paper Monster Press’s work and our message to humanity of the timeless ideals of peace and love as expressed in our books. Do you think your city is a good place for women in art? Do you show your work elsewhere/ is there a difference in how your work is received? I think Dasmarinas, Cavite is a very good place for women in art. There are many women artists here making waves in different and diverse artforms like Mary Ann Jimenez-Salvador (textile/visual art), Valerie Faye Bautista (sound art/film), Heidi Sarno (multimedia art), Jeanilyn Kwan (publishing/ music), Dyeng Tario (theatre/poetry). Paper Monster Press has not been shown elsewhere, but with Atlantis, we will put technology at our service and publish it as an e-book, so people from all over can buy and read it. I am looking forward to seeing how people receive and respond to Paper Monster in this format. Are you tenacious in your work or life? How so? I guess you could say that I’m tenacious. Making books cost time and money, organizational and management skills that at first, I didn’t have. I wanted to make an impossible dream come true, and I dived in feet first. Over time, technical difficulties arose, editors came and went, issues of money and publishing costs always looming somewhere at the back of my mind. But all these things are secondary to what would eventually be the passion, the purpose and the mindset of my life. I only want to make beautiful books, and God willing, I will do so till the day I die. Hahahah. Does feminism play a role in your work? I don’t consciously think of my work as feminist, although most people would probably say I am. I am more interested in the title “humanist." To give a chance to all people as diverse and equal. I try to find that diversity in every issue that we come up with. What advice do you have for aspiring artists? If art does things to you, makes you see and feel things, makes your heart beat you know, if you live it and breathe it, then maybe you could have a fuller, happier life in pursuing it. On the other hand, not pursuing art can also be a good thing. Growing food is a good thing, and if you put your mind and your heart into it, growing food can be your art. Facebook.com/PaperMonsterPress Les Femmes Folles is a completely volunteer run organization founded in 2011 with the mission to support and promote women in all forms, styles and levels of art with the online journal, anthologies, books, exhibitions and events; originally inspired by artist Wanda Ewing and her curated exhibit by the name Les Femmes Folles (Wild Women). LFF was created and is curated by Sally Deskins. LFF Books is a micro-feminist press that publishes 1-2 books per year by the creators of Les Femmes Folles including Intimates & Fools (Laura Madeline Wiseman, 2014). Other titles include Les Femmes Folles: The Women 2011, 2012 and 2013, available on blurb.com, including art, poetry and interview excerpts from women artists. A portion of the proceeds from LFF books and products benefit the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Wanda Ewing Scholarship Fund. ***This piece first appeared in Les Femmes Folles and was republished here with permission. *** #Real #VisualArt #BookArts #Publishing #Feminism #FeministArt #HumanistArt #FemaleArtists #WomenArtists #Art Visit our shop and subscribe. Sponsor us. Submit and become a contributor. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
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