Photo: Rosie Pertofsky. — Photo: Rosie P.

Rosie P. is a teen artist from Los Angeles who just finished her sophomore year at Areté Preparatory Academy in West LA and tutors online with Carling at PCH Tutors. We spoke to her about how her education informs her art, how she’s incorporated art into her school assignments, how she’s been thriving in the new world of online learning, and about what she’s looking forward to. Get to know Rosie through her own words and her art - and stay tuned for upcoming shows (she may have Manhattan gallery shows in her very near future - for real!)

Where are you from?

I’m from Los Angeles. I grew up in Topanga, up in the mountains.

Where do you go to school?

I go to a pretty unusual high school in LA. It’s called Areté. It’s very small, there are probably 80 or so students and only three-12 students per classroom. I really like it because it’s really discussion based. It’s fun, and I’m able to just talk, which I’m really good at. It’s more like learning through conversation vs. someone talking at you and expecting you to understand. It’s kind of like tutoring in a way: it’s much more personal and you can ask questions, vs. being one person in a large class with no time to converse and understand.

I need to feel comfortable enough to ask questions and at Areté, I’m not scared they’re just going to do what everyone does at the other schools I’ve experienced. Like if they call on you and you don’t understand they won’t just move onto the next student. Here, if you ask a question, [the teachers] want to know where you’re coming from and how to get to the next answer. To me that’s actually learning. I’m seeing the process and the journey I had to take to come up with my answer, and then their journey to explain the correct answer. I have the time to see where I went wrong.

Tell us more about your school’s teaching style.

It’s a school based on philosophy, we have classes like The Architecture of Love and Does the Media Own Us? which I took this year (long story short, yes, the media owns us). It’s really interesting because we’ll look into it in different ways and areas and go into it. We don’t have traditional finals, we have a symposium where we do in-depth projects. For example, our end-of-the-year project for Does the Media Own Us? was to find examples in the media that are WHY this is something we do. I researched makeover tropes in movies, and explored how we as society still accept basically glorifying the objectification of women. Can women only find love and success through going through unrealistic makeovers? We made video montages with VO and video clips, basically a video essay, then discussed them in class. It was a really fun alternative to, say, writing a ten-page paper.

Our end-of-the-year project for English was an essay, but instead of doing a ten-page essay I did a shorter essay, like five pages, and then a painting that described the book we were reading. They’re so open minded to how people need to learn.

I’ve always struggled with attendance. But at Arete I had a meeting with all teachers, and they were talking about how they love when I’m in class, and told me even if you can’t bring yourself to come to class, you could video call in, and participate from home. I love that they’re able and willing to morph to the individual student so well. They understand it’s sometimes difficult to do those things. But together we can find a way, when those days come along, to get things done. They modify and work with us to help us learn in the way that is easiest for us to challenge. I started to go more often, and when quarantine hit my attendance was great!

I do have a learning disorder, I’m visual, that’s probably why I’m an artist. School was making me feel like I shouldn’t try, and the environment didn’t want to inspire me to learn or give me a passion. I was lucky enough to find a school that did do that and let me go on my free-spirited way.

What was your most challenging class this year? What have you learned about facing challenges through this class?

All the classes are challenging in their own way. I’ve always struggled a lot with science, and I’m awful at math - it’s never been my strong suit. I’m a history and English person. Math this year was difficult but the teacher’s incredible passion for math made me want to learn it and be passionate about it. I’d tell Carling, “I have to get the homework done perfectly for [my teacher]!” He says math is the language of the universe: we’re discovering math, we’re not making it. One time he turned to me after class and said, want to see something cool? Of course I said yes. He was bouncing around, so excited to show me a cool illustration of all these intricate math equations that created a whole bunch of lines. He’s amazing.

How did online learning/distance education challenge you this semester?

Well I was on time a lot more for online tutoring sessions which was great! Online tutoring actually helped a lot. We needed to adapt to a situation and learn and I think we did it well. We mostly did a lot of math. My tutor, Carling, and I got along well: she was able to handle my conversational tangents and entertain me for the appropriate amount of time and then would be like, “OK let’s get back to work.” For online tutoring, we were able to use the iPads where we share a screen and I could still get that visual aspect and converse over Zoom, so we had both visual and auditory which is how I learn. There was also lots less distraction.

Tell us about your symposium project.

Symposium is where, instead of finals at the end of the year, every person in the school chooses a topic, and does a bunch of research, all in class. In fact, you’re not allowed to do any of the work as homework. You’re in class for about two weeks, working all day with your teacher. It’s really interesting, it’s a bunch of different ideas and thoughts on whatever the topic is. I chose the relationship between religion and happiness. So many studies have been done about how religious people have higher rates of satisfaction or happiness, and I really wanted to explore whether or how religion provides people with a specific emotional culture to which nonbelievers lack access.

I myself don’t follow a specific religion. My family by culture is Jewish but we don’t follow Judaism. It’s who we are but not something I consistently follow. My goal of the project wasn’t to promote religion but it was to learn why people follow it. Community has a lot to do with it but it comes down to the idea of the faith. People who follow religion find faith, to always be looking toward a better thing, hope. You don’t have to necessarily believe in a god. I found that in order to have the same life satisfaction of a religious person, you have to care for yourself as a person you love.

Faith in yourself is the underlying role of happiness: if you can’t love yourself and have faith that you can do the things you want, be the person you want, you have faith that even if you don’t have the most valuable items, you can still be satisfied by life instead of constantly striving to be the best. Those people are the ones who are able to go much further in life.

It was a lot of fun and interesting to do all the research. A lot of the time, I don’t find what I believe about a topic til the end of the project. I’m interested in my writing, but I don’t necessarily have my thesis until I write the rest of the paper. Then I finish and realize unconsciously that “this is what I was leaning,” and I’ll go back and write the thesis and make it pretty, clean it up, use Big words.com - not really, but if that’s not a thing yet it should be. And then I get to do the thing I like to do: present it in front of people.

How has your education informed your art?

Well for example, in advanced literary analysis (why can’t they just call it English?! They’re so extra) we were reading We’ve Always Lived in the Castle, looking at the Blackwood family through various lit theory lenses, and dissecting it. I looked it at it through an ecocrit lens and psychoanalysis lens from how [the main character] is constantly talking about the wilderness and the moon. It was cool to try to see the world through her eyes, which was psychoanalytic in a way, and helped me write the essay. When I could use art to see the world through her eyes, I was able to write how I was connecting it.

Ever since quarantine happened, my whole room turned into an art studio for a time. My parents didn't like it, they said the turpentine and all the chemicals were killing all my brain cells. So I cleaned out our garage - it was not fun, I even found a dead rat - but eventually turned it into an art studio for myself.

There’s a lot of relation to learning and art but also just like art is always evolving so is learning. People who get stuck in one way of working, those are the people who will never really succeed because art should be constantly evolving, you should be learning about different artists, and different ways of art, and incorporating these techniques and styles in my own way. Sometimes I just start painting or get an idea in my head that will inspire me. I’ll paint for hours or go days without painting.

What art styles or techniques are grabbing your attention right now?

Recently I’m obsessed with color. I’ve been doing a bunch of research on artists, books, and learning about color theory. My amazing art teacher is always cheering me on. I’ll text her pics of my art, and she sends me reviews, ideas for artists to look into, styles, brush strokes, the way they work, and suggest checking them out to see if it’s a development for me. It’s how I keep going. I look at art and will think “I really like that, I love those colors someone used and I didn’t even think of that, I want to put those colors in a different way.” I’ll start researching, look at B&W, contrast, the way they can brush and make it pop like that. A lot of that comes from learning about the artist as well, who they are, emotionally and personally. Asking why would they do something like this. I’ll look at art and say “That seems aggressive or sad.” I want to know how they’re able to show this so strongly, scream at me their feelings. Then I’ll start building more emotions into my paintings. It’s about learning in a way and trusting your gut.

For the longest time I couldn’t fully develop a style. I had an idea that certain art is correct vs. incorrect but I’ve learned that’s not the case. I used to have a difficult time drawing hands. As a result, I went months without working on a huge project. Then I just decided to go for it, I made silly hands that went into the arms, and I looked at it and I liked it. That’s how I work: a mix between developing and learning and keeping true to yourself and your art and what you want to portray.

How have those projects informed the way you view the activism happening in America right now?

If I’m looking at the news or reading about something and it evokes strong emotion I want to get that emotion out. Rather than going fighting and being aggressive or doing something a lot of people turn to, I’ll go and paint and express that anger into canvas and share that. There’s only so much I can contribute. It matters what you do and how you act to try to change it. For me the strongest way is through my wart, it’s who I am.

My sister was going to a protest. I’m a little freaked about getting sick but I wanted to be part of that. So I made posters for her and her friend who went to the protest. They said DEFUND LAPD. Whether we defund or completely take them apart and recreate the idea of police - something needs to happen and change because something’s not working. Police are given an insane amount of power and immunity and invincibility without any consequence - that is something that nobody should have.

I have a lot of strong emotions. I’m a super emotional person, with so much built up inside me and art is how I express what is deep inside me. Even for abstract art, as a viewer you can see and sense emotions of the artist. Even if you’re not seeing exactly what the image is, it feels really powerful.

What gets you excited / gives you all the feels?

It’s one of those things where sometimes I’m sleeping and I’ll wake up at 3 am and want to paint this thing that popped into my head. Or a photo or image will stand out. I see someone sitting in that position and I want to paint and morph it into something else. Or watching a show or movie and it will ignite something so strong in me. The news makes something inside of me feel so broken and sad that this is happening or has happened and I need to get it out in a way.

I pour my emotions onto canvas. Anything can spark that in me. A lot of history will inspire me. It’s just so many things. A lot of the time what I’m pouring out on the canvas, is the world through my eyes but through my emotions. A morph of what I see and feel. Sometimes I’m listening to music or somebody will say something and it will make me think about it. Maybe I’ll go do research, especially if I don’t know much about the topic. It will spark something in me and I’ll think, “Oh I need to learn more about this so I can paint it.” It helps me understand the world a little bit.

Do you have any mentors that you look up to?

My art teacher Jerolyn. The way that she cares for my art, the way she wants me to develop it and help me. She will look at a painting of mine and say, “That’s amazing. Have you thought about thickening lines?” Or, “Let me show you this or that.” She’s also the kindest person I’ve ever met. She encouraged me to make my own canvases, and now it’s one of my favorite things to do - I can make them textured, and all kinds of things. She helps me build this passion. I have this fire inside, but she’ll throw gasoline on it, and help me continue. I’ll always have my family’s support - I do look up to my parents also - but to have someone so confident in me and who is also an artist I respect means so much. She’s somebody I look up to, that I wouldn’t have gotten this far without.

What are your hobbies right now?

I’m kind of an old soul. I eat Cream of Wheat, and I’ve taken up knitting and crocheting. I love to create and do small activities - I got really bored so I made a few sock monkeys. I need to be constantly moving, busy, doing five things at once or switching back and forth. I paint shoes for people. I’ll be knitting during a horror movie, and when it gets to a scary part I’ll start aggressively knitting. It’s fun. Dad and I might watch a movie but every night we watch an episode of Queer Eye. Every night. I want to meet them and be their friend. They don’t even have to give me a makeover!

What is an accomplishment or area of work that you are most proud of?

A woman in Manhattan has had an interest in doing a gallery showing for me, which is something really cool that has made me excited and more inspired to continue and keep working. People hearing what I’m saying makes me want to continue and express myself more. Artistry is a way of being heard. An artist is basically having a conversation with the world. Somehow I can understand what other artists are saying in another language, it’s powerful, I understand not necessarily the words but the emotion and they’re interpreting. And vice versa, when people see my art. Maybe I’m yelling in anger but maybe they’re seeing it another way.

What excites you the most about the future?

During quarantine I think I’ve changed a lot, in good ways. I’ve developed my art so much, and also as a person. I’m excited to go back to school and make more friends and learn more and develop and be in that environment I love so much and be around my teachers and friends. I’m excited for the future.

What scares you the most about the future?

Junior year. The future. I’m growing up, things are changing. But the things I fear about the future are also the things I’m excited for. I’ll be ok, I just need to keep doing my thing and not be too worried. I have a great community to fall back on, and I have faith in the future. Everything is gonna be okay.

Where do you see yourself two years from now?

That’s tough. If you’d asked me two years ago, I wouldn’t have any idea I’d be here. I wasn’t confident about art like I am now. I would have said something like, “I don’t know, be in high school?” But in two years I’d like to be continuing in a good place and continue working hard. Whether or not I turn into an artist and be successful or I’m a struggling artist, but I hope two years from now I still have faith in my art and am still developing art in the same way.

What is the biggest thing you’ve learned in high school?

High school is that place where you kind of start to become the person you’re going to be the rest of your life. The first couple years you’re being someone you’re definitely not, testing the waters of who you want to be, figuring out what you enjoy from people around, making mistakes.

Before high school I figured, “I am who I am, I can’t change.” But that’s not how life works. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that that’s ok, I don’t need to be super sure of who or what I am, I can be happy with who I am in the moment. That’s gonna change, maybe for the better, sometimes a little for the worse, it’s ok to make mistakes, just continue. If I make mistakes, I can avoid them in the future and change and build off my success and continue developing who I am.

Who you’ve been doesn’t define who you are or who you’ll be. It’s not about never making a mistake again, it’s about learning from them and learning what makes you happy. It’s about supporting yourself to keep growing even when you don’t like something you’ve done.

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