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Cissi Efraimsson
1k Plays1 year ago
Wag your tail to this one! Listen thru for the addicting pleasure of the song "WAG IT!"
Cissi Efraimsson is a Swedish LA-based artist and director working in the fields of stop motion animation, sculpture, painting and music.
Efraimsson graduated the MFA program in Experimental Animation at the California Institute of the Arts in May 2022. She received a BFA in Fine Arts from the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm in 2018.
Efraimsson works at the borderline between reality and the surreal/supernatural. She often uses elements from folklore and places them in the real world, within a contemporary context inspired by pop culture. Efraimsson works on the border between the ordered and near-perfect and the skew and absurd. The atmosphere she creates is often a balance between the ugly and beautiful, and Efraimsson mines events and dialog from her own life – with a certain degree of twisting and turning. Recurring themes include fantasy, escapism, magic, and the subconscious, while humor and a playful energy course throughout everything Efraimsson creates.
Her musical output is vast, and Efraimsson currently sings and drums in punk-pop trio Vulkano, having previously drummed in Those Dancing Days.
Wag it, gonna wag it, gonna wag it, 4u . . .
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Transcript
Introduction & Book Recommendation
00:00:00
Speaker
Host Ken Vellante here. I want to talk to you about Boyant, a book by Susie DeVille, which is the entrepreneur's guide to becoming wildly successful, creative, and free.
00:00:12
Speaker
I've known Susie for a couple years and have taken her class and have read her book twice. Boyant is an incredible book that really delves into the art practice, talks about things of stress, mindfulness, betting creativity in your job and looking for opportunities to be creative in what you do from day to day.
00:00:39
Speaker
It's been remarkably helpful and established in my practice of doing morning pages, engaging in movement and mindfulness. But it's really helpful for folks who want to kickstart their art, their business, to move out of the
00:00:56
Speaker
position of just doing and actually experience more joy and opportunity in their life. Could not recommend this book more highly.
Meet Sissy F. Ramson
00:01:06
Speaker
Everybody, please check out Susie DeVille's Boyant available on bookstores near you. You are listening to something rather than nothing. Creator and host, Ken Valente. Editor and producer, Peter Bauer.
00:01:31
Speaker
We'll get you ready for your, you got some photos coming up too? So actually this is my first animation that I'm collaborating with a photographer instead of like taking all the photos myself so he's coming in to set up the next shot.
00:01:51
Speaker
yeah so everybody this is ken velante with the something rather than nothing podcast and like i'm i'm just really excited to have uh sissy f ramson uh of uh of uh the band volcano uh uh drummer uh singer um sometimes uh provocateur it seems and uh art uh artist um uh animator
00:02:18
Speaker
I'm so excited because I've seen the stuff that you've done and I'm glad to be able to talk to you directly. Sissy, welcome to the podcast. Thank you. I'm so happy you invited me. Yeah, excited to have you on. Tell us to drop us into your world. I came in contact with your stuff.
00:02:41
Speaker
the juxtaposed magazine. And I was able to just see a lot of the visuals and see some of your words talking about your art. But I see somebody like you. I'm like, there's somebody who's always been cranking artistically. But when did you see yourself as an artist? You always come out that way or what?
Artistic Philosophy & Process
00:03:03
Speaker
I think so. I've always just
00:03:10
Speaker
made stuff and I think it just makes me very peaceful to be in a creative flow. I think I've become, I've always done it, but then the older I am, the more aware I am that my wellbeing is super connected to creating and
00:03:34
Speaker
being in a flow. So like, I'm trying to put as many hours as I can to be in a flow per day. That's like my goal. Yeah, I talked to a lot of artists and it's something I almost each and every episode I connect to as far as what, what art does for the people who are receiving it or, you know, connecting with it or creating it. A lot of what I've
00:04:01
Speaker
been thinking about lately has to do with the movement of creating, moving the body and forming, which I see in yours with the particular type of animation style, the clay and these disparate pieces, but forming and moving. So you could feel it like that kind of kinetic feel. Can you just bring us into talking about your videos and how you put those together?
00:04:30
Speaker
take us into creating those beautiful pieces? Yeah, so I mean, I'm working in several mediums. I guess, yeah, most of the time I do stop motion animation and ceramic sculpture.
00:04:58
Speaker
and I mean for me it's all about fantasy and you know like I'm always trying to like grab onto magic and like let the let it take me to like some like fantasy world um and so I don't know I I always I always work and
00:05:28
Speaker
pretty bright colors. Um, I'm a Virgo. I feel like I'm always like trying to do like, like reach perfection, but like, which you can, which I never can do. Like, but I like that cause I'm also like, I'm really into like punk music and like, so I also am like also at the same time obsessed with like having things looking like
00:05:58
Speaker
funky and like weird um which that's i guess that's a little bit why like i'm so attracted to clay as material because you can never like get it perfect and especially like claymation
00:06:15
Speaker
It's like, it really has the material really has like its own world and language and like, just like, you know, as an animator and sculptor, I'm just like trying to tame it, but it's just completely, you know, taking me like, I mean, I feel like we're like working together, like it's a collaboration, but we definitely have like different wills.
00:06:43
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. Well, and that's where the energy is. I think it's, I love talking to artists when you drop into that of the energy or what like that, you know, writers talking about that character. It's like, they're talking about this character and like, oh, I can't stand this character. Like they're engaging emotionally. I'm like, you're writing the next line. Like you're doing the dialogue. They're like, no, that character lives, but that struggle back and forth. And I can think about it, you know, for you and,
00:07:11
Speaker
you know, what you sculpt and what you form there, you know, like going back and forth with you is is clay more? Does it feel more forgiving for you as you're working with it as far as, you know, yeah. Yeah, I think so. Like, compared to painting, like I've done some paint, I mean, I'm doing painting sometimes too, but I feel like there
00:07:38
Speaker
there are like, I don't know if it's like because you're there's like such a history of like, you know, and cultural like, that the paint that painting is like the highest form of art or something. So it's like, yeah, it's more pressure. And like you have seen so many like perfect paintings and
00:08:00
Speaker
I feel like with sculpture I can just be more free and yeah, so I would definitely say it's more forgiving than some other art forms or materials.
Musical Journey & Band Formation
00:08:12
Speaker
Well, and I think it's, even in framing our discussion, Sissy, I mean, I think I do have to say, you know, like talking to, you know, as drummer, percussionist, as singer, as, you know, princess punk, that, as sculptor, as claymation, as painter, you know, so it's like, that's, you know, talking about all of that. But all those things that you do,
00:08:39
Speaker
You know, I think you're a thrilling artist, but what's art for you? What is art? What are you doing? I mean, I feel like it's... It is an energy that... I think about it as an energy without sounding too crazy, but... Well, this is my view.
00:09:09
Speaker
Um, there's like an energy that like, I think all humans can tap into. Uh, but maybe, you know, artists are like more like maybe like in straighter contact to this energy. And, uh, I mean, so I dunno, in a way I'm like, I really believe in that idea that the artist is just like sort of a messenger
00:09:39
Speaker
Um, so I, and I think like, um, I dunno, I, I think that's why I have like, you know, a lot of artists has like, there's the same ideas without even have like talk to each other, you know, like, and I think it's just cause we've just like grabbed stuff from like the same pool or something. I dunno. And then.
00:10:07
Speaker
Um, so that, and I mean, I do, you know, I make music, I make animation, I do, you know, all those stuff, but I feel like it's sort of the same source, like, but, um, just like different expressions, you know, different tools, like sound is like instruments is one tool and.
00:10:36
Speaker
But I mean, I do take like, you know, certain, like, I feel like certain ideas that comes to me like, have, I can be like, okay, so this is like, this could work for a song or like, this is actually like a story that could work for a film or
00:11:03
Speaker
This is more like something visual that I need to express. Like that doesn't have a sound. Like it's something that has to be still. And then sometimes it's an idea that like moves from one medium to another to another. And it's like it becomes like this reoccurring theme or character that like, you know, walks through all my pieces.
00:11:33
Speaker
No, I'm following. Yeah, I was in the guilty of following too closely along with what you were saying. Yeah, I was no. Tell us about the volcano. Tell us about you playing drums. Tell us about I've seen I've listened to the music. I've seen some wonderful live performances as well. And I think you've articulated some couple comments that I made of the
00:12:01
Speaker
how things might sound live at times and how things sound, you know, in the studio. But tell us, tell us about, tell us about VOCANO. Yeah. So it's me and two of my, like, oldest friends. They're more like, you know, we're more like sisters or I don't know, it's feel like, yeah, Rebecca, I've known her since I was four and
00:12:30
Speaker
Lisa, I know, I've known her also for a very long time. And, um, and actually we have like a fourth new member now. So she is good with some new blood, but, um, but, um, I mean, we, um, I've, I've been always like playing drums. My, my big brother, um, got a drum kit when he was 15 and I was five and, uh,
00:13:00
Speaker
he like made me watch him drum and then like every time he drummed he wanted me to look at him and then after a while he was like why don't you drum and I was like oh yeah and then I started drumming so like it's always sort of been with me I hardly like remember
00:13:20
Speaker
not playing music. And we've just like me and Rebecca and Lisa have just like play started our first band when we were 14. And we've just like kept playing we had like, probably like my biggest, my biggest commercial success was when I was like, in my early Yeah,
00:13:43
Speaker
Late teens, early 20s, we had a band called Those Dancing Days that was like very popular in Europe.
Educational Path & Current Projects
00:13:52
Speaker
And after that, we were just like, like commercial music and
00:14:00
Speaker
started volcano. And I don't know, it's just like, for me, music is quite social, like a social form of art. It's a really, really sweet way to hang out. And it's like, it's nice. It's nice that you don't have to use words or language to communicate. It's like another way to communicate, which is really beautiful.
00:14:30
Speaker
No, I agree, particularly in that performance. So you're from Sweden. You go to art school in LA. How did all that happen? How did you end up going to art school?
00:14:52
Speaker
I mean, I had been to LA a couple of times through doing music here. And I was just like, wow, this is so cool. Like, I don't know, coming from Stockholm where like, you know, it's small and
00:15:12
Speaker
I had lived there my whole life and it was starting to feel like really, really boring. I mean, but like, I'm spoiled because it's also really, really nice. But you know, sometimes you just need to move. Yeah, everybody's minds different. Yeah. Yeah.
00:15:31
Speaker
So I applied to the master program at CalArts in animation. And it was great, but it was hard work. I don't know if all education in the US is like that. It was pretty hardcore.
00:15:55
Speaker
like it was a lot of work all the time like for three years and not that much sleep. I feel like I aged a lot but like but I learned a lot too. I learned so much so like I feel like I came out like on you know like beginning and then going through that and coming out it's like changed my my practice a lot and
00:16:22
Speaker
was super cool but I'm like so happy it's over. It can be like that sometimes maybe you squeezed I don't know five years into that amount of time too it can it can be it can be pretty intense I mean you know advanced study it's it's it's it can be a weird world it could be a highly competitive world it could be a world of which you're entering into and
00:16:46
Speaker
don't understand the players or how to navigate or what's true. It's a big thing. You got to make it and do it or not. Yeah, totally. It was really intense.
00:17:05
Speaker
I don't know. My friend visited me and I was just like, just so you know, I don't have any time. And she was just like, yeah, yeah, sure. And then she was here and she was like, Oh my fucking God. She like, cause I would just like get up super early to like start casting silicone fins for my fail. And then like keep working the whole day, like,
00:17:32
Speaker
And then in the evening, I would like, you know, set the last molds and you know, it would just like be fucking crazy.
00:17:43
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, it's uh, well you made it you made it through it. So what uh, so so so, you know, not to reveal everything but like what's what's what's you know, what's what's next you do a lot of the Animation i've seen your your sculpture. I mean in and of uh, you know itself and then uh with music music touring what's what's what's coming up so um i'm Right now i'm um working on a
00:18:13
Speaker
music video for Viagra boys. It's like, I don't know, do you know who they are? No, but I think I feel I should at least with the name. Yeah, you can. They're really good. It's a Swedish band. They have become like really popular here. So it's fun. I'm making a stop motion video for them. And what else?
00:18:40
Speaker
I mean, I have a lot of, I'm constantly, like, what I think is the most fun right now is making sculptures in ceramics. So that's what I'm like trying to assume, like, in the evenings and weekends and stuff. That's what I do. I'm hoping to have a show. I'm going to be a part of a group show on Saturday in L.A. at La Luz de Jesus.
00:19:10
Speaker
Oh, what a great gallery. I haven't been there, so I can't say that, but I've, as much as I can try to interact with everything there as possible, I've done that. I'm so excited to hear that for you. That's a great place for your stuff. Yeah. Yeah, it seems so. I'm super excited. Um, and I mean, we're going to do, I'm going back to Sweden in August and we're going to do some shows with volcano.
Philosophy on Existence & Creation
00:19:37
Speaker
Um, yeah.
00:19:40
Speaker
So that's my plan. Yeah, yeah, that's now that that that that sounds that sounds most wonderful. Got to hit you with one of the weird big questions of the show, which I think you already hit on like with some answers, but why is there something rather than nothing? I want to know like the big the big answer. Wow.
00:20:03
Speaker
from, from, from, from Sissy. I mean, the, you know, you're, you're tapping it. Wait a second. You said earlier, you know, there's this, there's this kind of like maybe one source, something like that. People, you know, my radio, your radio antenna is like really hooked in sharp to like these art things. And so that's going on. So is it related to that? I mean,
00:20:33
Speaker
What is nothing? Nothing is like... Nothing sounds really boring. Nothing is like... Nothing. Nothing is really lame. That's the first time somebody's answered it like that and it's reasonable. Nothing's really lame. Nothing's really lame, so... So I feel like something...
Animated Works & Inspirations
00:21:02
Speaker
is definitely better than nothing. Because I mean, yeah. The only follow up question or comment related to this that I have to ask you, tell us about the mermaid you create with the animation. Yeah. So it's a short film.
00:21:27
Speaker
called Sea Angels where it was my master project and well it became more than that because I didn't manage to like finish the whole thing in time because it was like way too ambitious. So I'm still like I've animated everything but I'm like editing like
00:21:50
Speaker
doing like some last stuff. But it's about mermaids living in a pool in LA. They have come up to the shores. This is in the future, so it hasn't happened yet. They have come up to the shores and humans are like, what the hell? There's mermaids. They're real. They're not mythological creatures.
00:22:19
Speaker
And what happens is like, you know, some people, some people take care of them, but a lot of people like, you know, put them in zoos or like put them, you know, eat them. It becomes like a delicacy with like mermaid meat and mermaid eggs. And it's like, and there are demonstrations and, you know, people who want to rescue them.
00:22:49
Speaker
So there's a movement where they all become like gathered and get shelter in this pool in Los Angeles. And that's where my film like takes place. And it's a mockumentary where I'm like, as a filmmaker, like follows three of the
00:23:13
Speaker
main mermaids and like you know get their perspective of the situation and the you know this place it's called sea angels and it becomes like a sort of like a sea world event place where like humans pay and you know come and you know experience the world of mermaids they party with them and like
00:23:42
Speaker
see like acrobatic shows and yeah so and so it's like a really dark comedy i uh appreciate the world you create that's why i've asked you onto the podcast thank you for your work in creating them one cool thing in uh portland i i remember one time i uh in portland oregon i was i went to uh
00:24:06
Speaker
It was a performance, a show, a nice, you know, a nice performance Saturday or Sunday afternoon. It was really nice. It was summertime and it was in the 85-90 degrees and it was so fantastic because outside the venue is a park with some kind of raised pools of water, you know, you got some streams coming down, some splash and it cools you off and there were three, four
00:24:31
Speaker
mermen and merwomen mermaids around with you know kind of the full you'll see the full uh outfit and everything just there and it was just so fun just to hang out like because like
00:24:47
Speaker
I don't know. It's just you're sitting next to somebody like that and be like, hey, I'm gonna slash some water on me. It's like, I just saw a play inside. I go outside and hang out with the mermaids in Portland.
Closing Remarks & Where to Find More
00:24:58
Speaker
I appreciate that. I'm the type of person who wants that. So when you, you know, I wanted to hear what you were working on there. It's such, I love the, you know, seriously and absurdly too. I love the fantasy that's in, I like,
00:25:17
Speaker
in your videos and in the visuals with the band, you know, things being oversized and be like, oh, this is, you know, and there's this, it's just, you get a good shaking up of like, you know, fantasy and in proportion. So I've been talking about some of the bits and pieces that I've seen, but can you tell the listeners where to find
00:25:43
Speaker
you know, your videos and about the band, about volcano. Yeah. Yeah. So, volcano is spelled with a Swedish spelling. It's called V-U-L-K-A-N-O. It says with a U and a K. Yeah. Sort of Swedish.
00:26:05
Speaker
And I mean, we have a bunch of videos. I directed most of them on YouTube. But also you could follow me on Instagram. I post a lot of my stuff. It's CC, a frame song. C-I-S-S-I-E-F-R-A-I-M-S-S-O-N. Or just Volcano the Band. Yeah, and uh...
00:26:33
Speaker
That's where I hang on the internet. Yeah. Well, it's, it's one of the things in the conversation to hear, you know, a lot of the hard work you do put into the art. It's always like, there's always this piece as a, an enthusiast being like, you know,
00:26:52
Speaker
take your time and rest and also be like, I want to see the shit you're working on too. Be somewhere between those two things. Thank you for hanging out, Cece. Just really a pleasure to talk about the things you create and just know that I appreciate them. And I'm actually really excited for the listeners who haven't come in contact with the band yet or your individual work
00:27:22
Speaker
to go check out what you do and to enjoy the fantasy and the fun and smiling. Thank you. And smiling. That's what I want. Yeah, I dig that. Thanks for coming on. It's been a great pleasure to talk to you. Yeah, thanks so much for having me. It was really fun to talk to you. All right, take care.
00:30:02
Speaker
This is something rather than nothing.