Li-Hill: An Exclusive Interview with A.I.M.O.

I find your work hard to put into a category which is really exciting for me! How do you explain your work to others as it marries so many different mediums and genres?

Thank you, I try hard to blend a lot of influences without pulling too much from one single source so it’s nice to hear you notice that. I usually just give a blanket statement like “I use paint mainly but a lot of different mediums” and “I create murals, installations and depict a lot of motion in my work.” Then after looking interested or confused I just show them some pictures from my phone. I am really thankful for that new development.

What is your preferred medium of choice and why?

Aerosol would definitely be my favorite medium. I would use it even more in my studio practice if it weren’t so toxic. It has really interesting properties, it is the only medium where you don’t physically touch the surface you paint on. This takes away all friction and frees up the line, you paint with your whole body and is very physical. For me it’s the perfect medium to express motion because you literally are painting with air.

Your work all feels sculptural to me yet your sculptures are even more intense than your murals and canvases as they literally bring forward the 3 dimensional aspect. Where are you sculptures on view now?

Thank you! Right now I have a permanent installation at the Ipic theater down on Fulton st in Manhattan. Besides that, most of them have disappeared or are in different countries. Very soon I will be exhibiting at the From the Streets show up in White Plains and will be showcasing an installation there. The show opens April 8th I believe.

If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be with and why?

That is a tough one but the first artist that comes to mind is Cao Guo-Qiang. His work is incredible and has this sense of weightlessness and motion that I strive for in my work as well. But his work is different enough in approach that it may not clash. It creates a really interesting piece in my imagination.

Where do you like to paint most and how does the environment around you inspire you?

I don’t really have a specific place, I guess you could say abandoned buildings because they have so much character and you have to adventure to see the finished work, but I don’t really do that as much anymore. I just love creating in the environment the piece is shown in. There is a great feeling and energy in creating work like that. The environment always has something that changes the work, which I love. It could be compositionally or contextually and the best is when it is both. I try and learn what I can about a place, any stories about the neighborhood, the wall, the city, anything really. Something that might inform the work and make it about the place it is in, not just me. When approaching a spot, it feels like a math problem, because it is not a blank slate, there is always some sort of issue/opportunity and it’s so fun to find ways to utilize the features of a space.

What is next for you?

I have a lot of things on my plate such as exhibitions, mural projects and installations. Only a few things are set in stone so I’ll keep them under wraps for now but as I mentioned I will have a major installation at the From The Streets Show which should be really interesting. I hopefully will be heading to Poland to create a really major installation/ Mural and also my wedding is this summer, also in Poland so I’m really excited for that!

Where can our readers find out more about both you and your work?

My website Li-Hill.com or Instagram @li_hill