Artist Interview: Ronnie Ahlborn

Ronnie Ahlborn is a digital artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work attempts to capture the sensation of dreaming, calling into question what is real and what is imagined.

She attended Dartmouth College, studying Studio Art and Human-Centered Design. After studying and working professionally more in graphic design, Ronnie pivoted her primary medium to digital art.

At the end of her college career, she was awarded the prestigious Perspectives on Design Award, given to the senior project deemed most worthy of recognition by the Studio Art Department, being the first digital artist to do so. Now, Ronnie lives and works in New York, building out her art practice and her body of work, and has recently shown in her first New York gallery.

We asked Ronnie about her art, creative process, and inspirations.

*completely left open I by Ronnie Ahlborn*

Can you tell us about your background as a digital artist? How did you get started in this field?

Hi! My name is Ronnie :) I was always one of those kids that drew on the walls, doodled in class, etc., until I got more serious about art in an academic setting in high school. I went on to study Studio Art in college, while working as a freelance graphic designer. As I became more and more interested in graphic design, I started to take some Digital Art classes in the Computer Science Department. Then, for my senior capstone project, I took the technical skills I had learned from my Computer Science classes and combined them with my artistic skills from the Studio Art department, and my dreams project was born. Now, I’m living and working in New York City, building out my body of work, showing in galleries, and working as a freelance graphic designer and 3D artist.

What inspires your art? Are there any particular themes or subjects that you enjoy exploring through your artwork?

My work attempts to capture the sensation of dreaming, calling into question what is "real" and what is “imagined."

“Dreams are only experienced by the dreamer; they are deeply personal and yet so intangible. There is no taking pictures, and there is no way to really describe it to anyone. Dreams are so much more than plot; they are emotional, visual, heartfelt experiences that feel just as real as “real life.””

— Ronnie Ahlborn

I have decided to pursue this work through a digital medium because of the life-like, yet uncanny, feeling 3D graphics provide. This format also allows for repetition of motifs throughout my work, just like a recurring dream. The main colors used are colors that are not found in nature to constantly remind the viewer that this is a different universe entirely, where nothing makes sense, and yet it is hard to question what is in front of you.

Can you tell us about some of your favorite pieces or a past or upcoming project? What makes them special to you?

My best work is always deeply personal, which is why I started pursuing my dreams as a source of inspiration in the first place. The one thing I know I’ll always be the expert on is the way my brain works. Through the past year and a half of this dream exploration, I have been forced to truly look deep into my subconscious, and it’s been perfectly timed with some of the biggest transitions of my life. It’s an amazing practice that I would recommend to anyone wanting to get to know themself better. The art is just a manifestation of all this work. It’s all very special and exciting to me, turning my innermost thoughts into something that can be shared with anyone.

What materials, software, and tools do you typically use for your digital artwork? Are there any specific programs or techniques you specialize in?

I use Maya for all of my work, either to create stills or animations. I believe my work needs to be 3D to give the viewer one split second of pause when they first see it, debating if it’s a photograph or a digital rendering. That moment of pause is very important to me to show how delicate the balance is between our dreaming world and the world we experience while we’re awake.

I love to use the bifrost fluids Maya allows, as water is one of the main recurring motifs throughout my dreams. The fluids definitely make my laptop work hard but I think it’s worth it for the amazing results!

bullseye pool by Ronnie Ahlborn

What does your creative process look like? How do you approach brainstorming and conceptualizing ideas?

To truly enter the state of mind of a dreamer, every morning when I wake up, I immediately roll over and speak my dream into my phone. Usually I’m still half asleep, so when I’m explaining the dream it all still makes sense to me, and I’m not passing any judgment on what I saw or felt; it’s still my reality.

Listening back to my voice recordings later in the day allows me to recall and re-live the dream from an entirely new perspective. I take what I hear my dream-self say and transcribe it, translate the visuals I remember into quick drawings, and make notes to myself based on what I hear. This is where I get all my source material.

How do you balance technical skills with artistic creativity in your digital artwork? How do these two aspects complement each other in your work?

I believe the caliber of my technical and creative abilities relative to each other really ebbs and flows. Sometimes (oftentimes), I feel limited by my technical abilities as my ideas grow too quickly. But, that’s the perfect motivation for me to go out and learn something new, which is how I’ve learned a lot of different softwares and skills. Sometimes it’s the other way around. If I’m in a creative rut and I just see a cool tutorial online, I’ll try to find a way to incorporate the new thing I learned into an art piece. It’s a great way to always keep things fun and stay excited about my work. The best part about working digitally, I think, is that you can never stop learning new tools or new ways to use the tools you already have.

Are there any specific projects or goals you're currently working towards as a digital artist? What do you hope to achieve in the future?

A current goal of mine is to collaborate with musicians to create music videos or visuals for concerts! I’ve always been incredibly interested in working with music, and I believe visual artists and musicians working together always makes something magical.

What would we most probably find you doing if not creating art?

When I’m not working, you will probably find me dancing, gallery hopping, cooking vegetarian/Chinese food, running, thrifting, practicing yoga, and of course spending time with my incredible family and friends.

ice cream animation by Ronnie Ahlborn