Visionary Annie Poon

Annie Poon is a true gem. I admired her work before becoming good friends with this wonderfully talented woman. She is entirely genuine and absolutely brilliant. She makes art about clocks, tiny furniture, puppies (https://ohpuppy.net) and even has an animated video in the MoMA’s collection. Her show ‘The Split House’ will be at the Writ & Vision gallery in Provo, UT until July 4th.

Why did you pursue art?

I pursued art because my mom and oldest sister were examples to me. My mom even took me out of kindergarten to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She taught me many techniques like embroidery and toll painting. The furniture she built for my dolls also inspired some of the works in this show.

How did you come to have this show?

I was invited by Glen Nelson and Brad Kramer to have a show a year ago. I am LDS and Writ and Vision specializes in that kind of work. I really believe in making the best work you can and letting people find you instead of focusing so much on who will like the work and what to do in order to be discovered. That is exhausting.

Why is this show important/meaningful to you?

This body of work directly articulates what it is like to be a person with mental illness. I think this show is important because people who have these issues and see the film have very personal reactions to it and are moved in a way that surprises even me. It is gratifying to see the hope it can give to others.

What is a joyous moment that you’ve experienced recently?

Simple moments of understanding with my husband have meant a lot to me recently. For the first time I felt compelled to write a song about him. I can’t wait to finish it.

Did you have to give anything up to pursue a career in art?

I gave up being signed to a record label with my friend’s band ‘Laguna Meth’ to finish my painting and drawing degree. It was a very hard decision until my sister reminded me that I had wanted to attend SVA for so long and had busted my butt to get there.

Besides this, what is another hidden talent?

Seriously, I used to be very good at limbo. Scary good.

Passion, or hobby of yours?

I’ve been writing lots of songs lately using garage band. You can play any and all instruments now with the help of the computer.

Animal I Would Want to Be Most:

I would want to be a monkey because it’s fun to jump from tree to tree and have a tail. Also I like bananas.

Morning Routine:

If I make it out of bed before nine I head over to the Highline and jog to the Whitney and back. It’s a beautiful luxury but unfortunately I usually get up too late.

My Dream Collaboration:

I just did one! I got to collaborate with a super rad cartoonist ‘Jon Burgerman’ on an animation this week about sleepy junk food that doesn’t want to go to work. We came up with a funny punk song to go with it. I would also like to collaborate with Mike Perry and Jeremyville.

Favorite Comedians:

Jim Gaffigan, Anjelah Houston, and Mike Bribiglia.

What is the most traumatic thing you’ve gone through?

Having major depression as a teen and not understanding why life was so terrifying. My relationships at that time were very damaged; people didn’t know what to make of me.

If you could tell everyone in the world something, what would it be?

Don’t let your job determine whether or not you pursue your passion. Find a way to do it even just in the little free time you have. And it’s never too late to be an artist. I love seeing lists that say things like ‘Gauguin was a banker until he was 35!’ And some of my favorite folk artists started making art in their old age. For instance, Grandma Moses and Howard Finster. I have some pieces by Howard Finster on my desk and they remind me to be bold and think different.