Meet Kim Farbota | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kim Farbota and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kim, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
For me the biggest thing has been understanding the difference between motivation and discipline. No one is motivated all the time. No matter how passionate you are about a project, relying on motivation to accomplish a major goal is a losing battle. Having the discipline to keep going when you can’t find an easy flow state is the difference between success and failure. Motivation starts projects, but discipline finishes them.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a painter exploring the ways in which realism can emerge from and through abstraction. I had two prior careers, first as a neuroscientist and then as an environmental attorney. My transition to art was catalyzed by a realization that the incremental scientific lens was insufficient to capture the profound interconnectivity that exists between the workings of the physical universe and the subjective human experience. I want it all, intellectually speaking, and I want it now.

My upcoming exhibition grew out of a need to process the grief I felt after years of working as an environmental attorney. I was dealing with the realities of climate change, and for a kid who grew up on Fern Gulley and Captain Planet, it proved too much to handle. But when I started embodying this collective grief in paintings, I didn’t find hopelessness. I found revelry, realignment, curiosity. I dove into the concept of evolutionary acceleration. Apparently, in times of environmental stress, adaptive processes that usually take millennia can occur on the order of decades. In the last 30 years, snail shells have evolved from dark browns to pinks and yellows, absorbing less heat from the sun, and mostly-white tawny owls have become “tawnier,” blending into habitats now devoid of snow. Embodying these victories in paintings, I started to develop a longer view of the Earth’s journey. Yes, a lot of species are dying off, and watching these intricate biomes collapse is devastating. But in time, new species will emerge. New ecosystems will grow out of the old. These works reject despair and explore how hardship can engender adaptive metamorphoses.

“Rapid Evolution” will run from June 15 thru July 13 at Dorado 806, located at 806 Broadway in Santa Monica. RSVP to the opening reception, taking place on June 15 from 6-10pm, here: https://www.dorado806.com/exhibitions

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’re staying in Santa Monica. (I’m a bad driver who rarely crosses the 405.) We’re biking down to the Rose Garden at Palisades Park for a picnic. Champagne, cheese, ocean view. If we’re up for more adventure, we’ll continue down Ocean Avenue, enjoying the views and the breeze from Montana to Broadway, turning left and heading inland before hitting the crowd of tourists at the Pier. Next stop is Bodega for orange wine and pizza, before going next door to see whatever the current art exhibition might be at Dorado 806. (If this whole interview feels like a love letter to Dorado, that’s because it is.)

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Amelie Laurice and Meghan DeRoma, the artist-curators who founded Dorado 806 Projects in Santa Monica. Getting your foot in the door in the art world can feel like an insurmountable hurdle. These two make space for new voices, hosting and curating group shows that mix art sourced through open calls with specifically selected works from well-established artists. Dorado was the first gallery to show my work in LA. The same has been true for several artists who are now making the gallery rounds. I could not be more grateful to Amelie and Meghan for seeing me, supporting me, and making space for my work.

Website: https://kimfarbota.com

Instagram: @kim.farbota

Image Credits
Kathryn Shearer