FER CAGGIANO

Transcription of the interview done via cast and comments on Farcaster

PKOK

Welcome to our Finterview, Fer! How would you describe your artistic style to someone unfamiliar with your work?

Fer

OMG you didn’t start with this one! 😂

Okay… I am a multidisciplinary artist who refuses to be put in a box. Even though my style is always changing, my most common ground is a strong use of colors. Although I don’t believe I have a recognizable style, I have received interesting messages from people who had seen my work in random locations (when driving past a shop window or on a TV show) and immediately knew it was mine.

I was mostly known for my heavy impasto oils, but recently, my work has been purely digital. I often tell people that if they want to succeed in the art world, they have to have a clear, recognizable style but also be willing to become trapped in it. I chose the road of freedom and no financial stability – hence the reason I am always looking for side gigs to pay my bills.

PKOK

What initially drew you to art, and how did your journey as an artist begin?

Fer

Another controversy 😁 here we go:

Most people don’t know, but my formal education is in Marketing and Advertising. I was born in Brazil, and despite getting my first gold medal in art when I was 12, I never believed it was a path I could choose to make a living of, so I went on a supposedly safer route.

My dad lost all his money when I was young (rugged by a close “friend” on a business investment), so I grew up concerned about stability. I started working when I was 15, and I went to school at night to have a full-time job.

I got married in my early 20s, and my husband at the time got transferred to the USA. My VISA didn’t allow me to work, so I decided to study art, which has always been my passion since always. So, life figured out a way to push me in this direction.

PKOK

Is there anyone special that helped you when you were starting out, and what difference did they make?

Fer

My husband, back then. He was always the proudest person in the room when my art was the focus. He believed I would be one of the greatest artists of our time, and he gave me so much support that it was the only reason I pushed on this.

But besides him, my art teacher. He was really tough on me. Not many students lasted in his class because he wasn’t an easy person. But I am the artist I am today because of him. We became friends, and he even painted several portraits of me. At one point, after my first husband and I split and I was having a hard time financially, I told him I had to quit art. He was furious! He told me I was the best student he ever had and that quitting was not an option.

Whenever I think it is too hard, I still hear his voice, and I give it another push.

PKOK

Being fortunate to have the right teacher is so helpful in the formation process of an artist! Let’s deviate a bit from the topic and go into the mundane world of the space we are all using every day. How has your fc experience been so far?

And since we are here, let’s continue the tradition of the space 1000 $DEGEN

Fer

I was an early adopter of FC (FID 12756), and I came here looking for a decentralized social media. At the time, there were very few artists around, and I felt lost here without the art community, so I wasn’t very active. It was only after they implemented frames (with the ability to mint within the app) that artists started to join.

And of course, after the tipping started, we saw a flood of artists coming in with the hope of earning that extra income. I personally am terrible at farming, never had the stomach to play hype games or focus on intentional connections to grow, so I have patiently and slowly been navigating FC and looking for genuine connections.

I am pleased to say I have met amazing people here and I do hope we manage to continue growing this as a good place for artists to meet and network.

PKOK

Speaking of amazing people, who are some of those who make your fc experience exponentially better?

Fer

One of my favorite people here is @angelikakollin (we knew each other from X already, but we only tightened our relationship here). I am so lucky to know her, and we met IRL 2x already.

Another art queen I love is @reneecampbell (we have known each other from early NFT days and I am glad we continue our friendship here)

Going into non-art focused, I am really grateful I met @wake.eth on his AF channel. He has been a wonderful person to learn from and also, great support. Another gem in the community is @robin who I had the pleasure to meet IRL on Miami Farcaster Fridays. Super nice guy, married to the lovely @gianna (happy anniversary, by the way!)

On the other way around, I met @montana on a Miami tech meetup, before Farcaster had the big influx of people and oddly enough, we exchanged contacts here. It was a funny conversation. I had never approached anyone before asking if they were on Warpcast 😆 Thanks to him, I got to meet the /miami community.

PKOK

All legends of FC! Let’s go back to your art. Can you share a moment when you felt truly proud or totally fulfilled as an artist?

Fer

I have 2 moments to share.

The first was when I lived in London and my husband’s (the first one) boss commissioned me to paint her portrait with her daughter, in Austria. She not only paid for the art, but also for the trip and supplies and she took me to see all the amazing museums in Austria! I got to see the Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze and a lot of Egon Shiele’s work.

The second, my biggest achievement to date, is the exhibition Like A Girl: Dare To Dream. Displayed at the City Gallery (a 2story museum in Charleston, SC). It took me 2 years to complete the art, and the show was in the heart of the pandemic so I couldn’t get sponsors, but I made it and it had a huge impact in the local community. They brought schools to visit. It was amazing!

PKOK

Yes, we remember that moment from 3 years ago! ‘Like a Girl…’ made waves, and we congratulate you for the exhibition. Looking back at your entire career, how has your art evolved over the years, and what has stayed consistent?

Fer

Thank you! I appreciate the kind words and that you remember about it.

I think my art has evolved a lot – as everything should, with anyone – but I think this is something interesting from an outside perspective and I would love to hear this from you (or anyone, really). As an artist, we are one with our work, and talking about its evolution is directly related to our personal journey. I could share about all the mediums I have explored, all the influences in my life, but at the end of the day, each phase in my art journey is a reflection of where I was physically and emotionally when I created the art. It would take a very long conversation to explore the nuances of each transition.

The only consistency is the constant change.

PKOK

It appears that the majority of the artists featured in this Finterview are conscious that change is the only thing that is constant in this world. And this is fantastic! Let’s move on to the next question: what do you want people to feel or experience when they see your work?

Fer

My answer would vary depending on the artwork.

I believe art is supposed to create an impact on people and promote change, but that can mean so many different things! Each painting is like a portal, a window to another dimension/mindset. I have created art with the sole purpose of pleasing the mind. Like Matisse once said, he wanted his work to be like a comfortable armchair for the person who got back home after a long work day. (paraphrasing, please look up the quote).

On the other hand, I have created art with the intention of making people question an important matter and rethink their position – 2 examples are the Dare To Dream project and also The Hive, but I have done this a lot since an early age.

Funny story: as a kid, I decided to paint posters to help spread awareness about recycling (a “new” concept when I was little), so I took my tricycle and placed handmade art posters in our neighborhood – not knowing I was wasting so much paper doing so, but you get the idea 😆

PKOK

Is your inner child still there? Do you still allow her to appear? We are primarily discussing innocence and playfulness here…

Fer

The better question would be: is there a grown-up in there? 🤣

I am 47, and I still have no filter when I talk to people. Last Christmas, when I was visiting the family, we were all getting ready for a group photo (some 50 people), and I suggested: how about we all get naked for the picture? 😆 No one took me seriously, but I really think it would have been an awesome shot.

Of course, as a mom (a solo mom, for that matter, with no help or other parent involved), I have to put the adult in the driver’s seat and make plans, figure out how to pay our bills, and make sure my son is growing up to be a good human, but other than that, the child is often driving this vehicle.

PKOK

What a beautiful thing is this! Speaking of beauty, what does it mean to you as an artist?

Fer

Beauty is 100% relative.

Looking at history and analyzing what people saw as beauty in women, for instance, we will see that it is 100% related to local standards and how people were “taught” about what it meant. That is an easy one to see, but it is valid for everything, really.

One of the hardest things, as an artist, is to break our minds from the perception of concept and be able to look at things as they are: shapes, form, lines, colors, dynamic. I believe that it is only when you break out from concepts that you can truly appreciate beauty as it is: everywhere, in everything.

This takes us back to the child. They are great at that!

PKOK

The lack of complicated concepts may be the children’s secret recipe for finding beauty everywhere. As you said, an adult need to break out from concepts as they are so many. How about failure? Can you talk about a moment of failure or doubt in your journey, and what it taught you about your craft?

Fer

I think we better not talk about failure because that happens all of the time 🤣 More often than not, we create something we are so proud of, and it gets nowhere. Our favorite pieces are often the last to sell or to be appreciated. But we still hold it as our banner with pride 🙈

The biggest failure for us artists, in general, is the difficulty of making sales. We bring so much beauty to the world! Art surrounds us all every day, and people seem to take it for granted. People have a hard time putting money into art. We are expected to be “the starving artist” because we do what we love, and somehow, that diminishes the value of getting paid for this.

So, there is not a “moment of failure” there is a lifetime of constant failures, and because of that, I suffer (like many others) with the Impostor Syndrome. I question myself EVERY FREAKING DAY. What I learned was to ignore that voice and keep moving ahead, the best I can.

PKOK

Isn’t it more about our personal perception of failure or the perspective we take on failure? We both know how Van Gogh was a terribly poor, ignored painter while alive, but nothing of a failure. He was only way ahead of his time. What about creative blocks? How do you handle creative blocks, and what helps you find new inspiration?

Fer

Failure and Success are personal perceptions for sure.

I rarely struggle with creative blocks. My mind is an ongoing creative machine that won’t stop. It is so bad that I struggle with insomnia 😆

But when it happens, on rare occasions, what I do is feed my brain. I have a large collection of art books, and those are my first aid art kit. I look at my favorite artists, I feed on the legacy they have left behind. If I am able, I go take a stroll at a local museum or art galleries. Maybe I even watch some Youtube videos or an art documentary.

It doesn’t take long to be overwhelmed with new ideas again.

PKOK

How about chaos? Can you describe the relationship between chaos and control in your creative process?

Fer

This is a good one! For every piece, I start with the illusion of control. I have an idea, and I get it rolling, but before I know it, chaos takes over. I spend hours at a time painting before I even realize the time has passed, and the art took a path of its own, reveling a result very different from the first imagined concept.

PKOK

However, you are the one who’s painting! Your mind, your will, and your hands are involved. And still, you are saying the art takes a path of its own, out of your control. Is this the secret power of chaos?

Fer

Yeah… maybe we could get into the “subconscious mind” or even get into a more.. humm… spiritual view. Perhaps chaos is the secret power because we are simply a tool, and the best work comes out when we allow chaos to flow through.

Did you know that often, artists who are not directly connected to each other start working on similar pieces? I think there is a study that talks about the collective mind or something, and it explains a little bit of this phenomenon.

PKOK

There are still many mysteries in the world. Speaking of the collective mind, if you could work on a project with any living artist, who would it be and why?

Fer

With a living artist? Tough to pick.

Since we started on web3 and digital art, I have been working on collabs, and I love it. Most of the time, people approach me, and I accept. I haven’t truly given a thought to who I really would want to do a project with.

But to give a name: Madonna 😁 She has been an icon and inspiration since I was a kid. I can’t even imagine what working with her would be like, but I am sure she’d blow my mind!

PKOK

Is she painting??? We didn’t know that…

Fer

Haha! Not that I know. But she is an artist and a very creative mind. I didn’t think we were talking about painters (or photographers perhaps) only. We can collab on so many levels!

PKOK

Well, this would be something very interesting to see haha. But let’s say you’ll have a superpower as an artist. What would it be?

Fer

Manifest my ideas right from my mind into a palpable piece of art. 🙌🏻

PKOK

Hopefully, chaos will strongly pour consciousness into the world; otherwise, humanity evolved through the ages in baby steps.  What’s one piece of advice you’ve received from another someone that’s stayed with you and you would like to pass on?

Fer

One very special piece of advice (or learning) I heard once was from the Tibetan I dated when I was a resident at the Buddhist temple. I was upset with him for giving something to a friend, that we were gifted. I told him the person who gave us (that tea) wanted us to have it and enjoy it together. He told me this was the most special thing he had to gift to this person for helping him, and when you receive a gift, it is yours to do as you please. I understood at that time, when I give anything, it should never come with strings attached, expecting what the person will do with the gift. We give, and from that moment, it is up to them, not to us, what to do with it.

In summary: give freely, with no expectations of the outcome.

PKOK

Yes, the quintessence of giving! 1000 $DEGEN

What additional valuable lessons did you learn from your time at the Buddhist temple that eventually shaped or inspired your art?

Fer

That was a very precious period in my life, and I could write a book about it (oh, wait, I am writing a book 😆)

But if I had to say one thing as an inspiration for my art, it was to be humble. When I first started as an artist, I was very presumptuous and I thought I would conquer the world. I wanted to settle for nothing less than having my art hanging on museums.

After I left the temple, I worked as a muralist for years, and I focused on painting baby rooms and other temporary and decorative spaces. It brought me joy (and income) by creating those spaces where people were happy. I did a lot of art with the simple mission of making people happy.

A humble servant 💙 and I was fulfilled 🥰

PKOK

Fer, we enjoy our chat so much and your stories are highly inspiring, but we are getting close to the end. For this part of the game, let’s return to FC. Which is your favorite frame? Tag the creator.

Fer

I change my favorite frame often because people are always making cool new ones. I mostly use them to check allowances, and @compez.eth does a great job with the ones for $RARE

PKOK

If there’s one thing you could change about fc, what would that be?

Fer

Having storage sponsored so we don’t have to keep buying. I stopped buying storage, and my early casts are probably gone by now. I haven’t checked in a while, and there is no warning of when we are low, so the whole point of web3 social kind of gets lost.

PKOK

Thank you so much, Fer! We appreciate you spending your time and energy on us! It has been a treat to learn more about you and your journey. We hope the very best for you! Have fun this weekend!

Fer

Thank you for this opportunity. It was great to give it a thought about my journey again. I used to be interviewed a lot, but since I shifted to NFTs I’m usually the one interviewing. This was refreshing. 🥰 Have a fabulous weekend and thank you for your constant support 💙

PKOK

🫂 🫶

Click here if you want to read the original interview on Warpcast