LEVITATE

by Rin de la Pena

The lead Visual Arts editor on style, symbolism, and Chainsaw Man.

Copyright Erin Fitzsimmons 2017

RDP: So, Greg, what made you decide to apply for the position of Lead Editor of the visual arts section?

GW: Well, actually, I applied for editor-in-chief, and then creative nonfiction… and fiction lead editor. But during my editor-in-chief interview, Ms. Ferin and I talked about how she thinks art might be a little more suited to me. And when she described this to me as getting to pick the cover and choosing the aesthetics and all that stuff; it kind of felt more up my alley. I mean, throughout the rest of my interview, I still fought for editor-in-chief. But she thought I was better placed in the art section, so that’s what I got, and I was really happy with it. ‘Cause I do understand aesthetics and how things work together.

RDP: Huge throwback, but back in freshman year, I remember we had to pick one word to describe ourselves or our identity, and you said “stylish”. Do you think your fashion sense is influenced by your eye for aesthetics?

GW: I definitely think so, because with my fashion sense and the way I like to dress myself, I definitely go for a certain look, a certain vibe…and I think when you’re doing that with clothes, and with fashion, that’s putting your understanding of aesthetics into reality and making it more physical, you know?

RDP: Definitely. When looking through your visual art submissions, do you want to make them look cohesive next to each other, or do you just pick ones that look good?

GW: Because of our Dossier theme, Lost and Found, I know that we’re not supposed to strictly follow the theme for the visual art section because that’s for the dossier section to focus on. But I like to have at least some of the art that we pick to have a bit of what we want to incorporate into our theme. With Lost and Found, most people think it’s gray and stuff, but we don’t mind colors or a little bit of color, or sometimes a gray piece does come out looking really nice.

RDP: Are there certain motifs or patterns that you keep an eye out for?

GW: Maybe childhood and nostalgia. With something like patterns, I would say not really, I haven’t seen any patterns with that vibe yet, but I think it’s something for us to look out for.

RDP: On the topic of childhood, I want to segue into talking more about books. What books do you remember reading as a child, and how do you think they influenced you as an artist or a person?

GW: I didn’t really read many books as a kid, but a book I read last summer for the first time was They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. I really liked the story and the fact that they incorporated a gay couple. And at first, when I picked it up, I didn’t even know that. And I really liked his writing and the motives of the characters, and his way of doing it. So I think that all influences me, like Silvera’s writing style. I haven’t read any of his other books outside of the They Both Die series, but I definitely like the way he manages all that. I think it’s really good.

RDP: I know you said you don’t read that often, but I know you mentioned being a fan of Chainsaw Man, and you’ve talked about how Fujimoto incorporates very direct symbolism into his manga. Do you wanna talk a bit about that?

GW: I love symbolism. If symbolism worked as well in everyday life as it did in stories, I would love it. It would be amazing. I think when talking about Lost and Found, when incorporating symbolism, it could refer to loneliness or a happy reunion, or to put it in more physical terms, like puzzle pieces or binoculars. I think that’s good symbolism for Lost and Found.

RDP: The beauty of having such a wide theme is that you can interpret it however you want when picking out art submissions, and in turn, the viewer can interpret the published pieces however they want. 

GW: Most definitely.

RDP: It’s been a nice talk, Greg.

GW: Thank you. Thank you, Rin.