THE KAPLAN TWINS
Allie & Lexi Kaplan
Meet the dynamic duo, Allie and Lexi, who have gone from New York to Los Angeles, to make a splash in the art scene.
They are generating conversation and making a name for themselves, as two incredibly talented and thought provoking artists.
They are generating conversation and making a name for themselves, as two incredibly talented and thought provoking artists.
Hey girls!! Okay so first thing’s first, being a twin myself, typical "twin question". How do people tell you two apart?
Well once people get to know us they can tell us apart! But we always tell people that Allie has two freckles by her mouth. It's interesting because now we know we’re identical, we thought we were fraternal up until maybe 3 years ago. We took a DNA test, and it all started because I was doing research for a project one night. I was like wow you can be exactly what the doctors told us we were, which is two amniotic sacs and two placentas, and still be identical, and just split completely. So that’s exactly what we were.
Well once people get to know us they can tell us apart! But we always tell people that Allie has two freckles by her mouth. It's interesting because now we know we’re identical, we thought we were fraternal up until maybe 3 years ago. We took a DNA test, and it all started because I was doing research for a project one night. I was like wow you can be exactly what the doctors told us we were, which is two amniotic sacs and two placentas, and still be identical, and just split completely. So that’s exactly what we were.
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Wow, that is so interesting!! I had no idea.... My sister and I should take that test.
Yeah! You guys have to. But it's like when I look at my twin, you know, I see my sister. I don’t look at her and say “Woah! She looks exactly like me!” Hahaha, but growing up we tried to be different, it kind of worked out for the best. Even at NYU or whatever, they forced us to kind of be separate, to be our own person, but then we decided to come and join forces and do it together. It all worked itself out.
Do you remember when it was, and at what point you decide you wanted to pursue this dream of being artists?
We’ve been painting our entire lives. We knew we wanted to go to NYU for art, and to just be in the city, be apart of the art world, and have access to the museums and galleries, and all that stuff, while still in school. But we actually both first went into professions behind the scenes, at museums and galleries. Both of us were eventually like wait, we don’t want to be doing the behind the scenes, writing about other artists, doing the research, we want to be the artists. Every time I’d be like “ugh that’s so cool I want to do that!” Like alright let’s fucking do it!! That’s exactly what we want to do.
Yeah! You guys have to. But it's like when I look at my twin, you know, I see my sister. I don’t look at her and say “Woah! She looks exactly like me!” Hahaha, but growing up we tried to be different, it kind of worked out for the best. Even at NYU or whatever, they forced us to kind of be separate, to be our own person, but then we decided to come and join forces and do it together. It all worked itself out.
Do you remember when it was, and at what point you decide you wanted to pursue this dream of being artists?
We’ve been painting our entire lives. We knew we wanted to go to NYU for art, and to just be in the city, be apart of the art world, and have access to the museums and galleries, and all that stuff, while still in school. But we actually both first went into professions behind the scenes, at museums and galleries. Both of us were eventually like wait, we don’t want to be doing the behind the scenes, writing about other artists, doing the research, we want to be the artists. Every time I’d be like “ugh that’s so cool I want to do that!” Like alright let’s fucking do it!! That’s exactly what we want to do.
Amazing! Did you always know you would be working together?
Even in school we would always use each other for our classes, as our muse or something. I remember I had a project one time, it was for a sculpture class. Everyone was staying up and ripping apart wood and building stuff and spent hours and hours on it. It was called a Disappearing Act, to make something disappear, that you create. I thought how cool would it be to take my twin, put her in front of a white wall, and paint her white, and make her disappear. We both ended up having the same project, so we both used this piece. It worked out though because we decided to change it up a bit so one twin painted the other so in one perspective I’m making someone disappear, and in the other, I’m being erased. So I don’t know...after that we studied abroad in Berlin together. We got really close there, we were best friends. Then we started doing all our work together and were like this is so fun! We started painting together, and as soon as we started being in the same classes we were just like wait lets just do it together.
Even in school we would always use each other for our classes, as our muse or something. I remember I had a project one time, it was for a sculpture class. Everyone was staying up and ripping apart wood and building stuff and spent hours and hours on it. It was called a Disappearing Act, to make something disappear, that you create. I thought how cool would it be to take my twin, put her in front of a white wall, and paint her white, and make her disappear. We both ended up having the same project, so we both used this piece. It worked out though because we decided to change it up a bit so one twin painted the other so in one perspective I’m making someone disappear, and in the other, I’m being erased. So I don’t know...after that we studied abroad in Berlin together. We got really close there, we were best friends. Then we started doing all our work together and were like this is so fun! We started painting together, and as soon as we started being in the same classes we were just like wait lets just do it together.
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I love that, that is so awesome.
How would you describe your artistic style?
It’s really celebrity based and it’s a lot of like exploitation. We like to think about how the media can manipulate stories so we like to create our own stories and our own narratives. Just changing the context. So this is an image of Paris Hilton’s sex tape It was a film still of it, but now it’s a painting. So it’s not porn anymore, it’s now a work of art. And it’s permanent now, and it’s forever. We also always use ourselves in our work, and it’s a little bit sexualized. Or even in our new series we are working on, with the naked selfies, we always put the black bars in it, as the images are from the internet or from your cell phone. We find them from the internet, so we want it to look like that’s where you first saw it. It’s not like i’m inviting Paris Hilton to the studio to film her sex tape and am like, “wait let me take some photos.” We would love at some point to have celebrities come in, and lay them on a couch or something, like back in old Renaissance days where the women would pose. But I think that’s the style too, like adding bars to make it look like exactly like where it came from. We paint very controversial moments and very in-your-face pieces. We want to generate a conversation and to create stuff that people can recognize. So it’s like maybe you’ve seen Kim Kardashian’s sex tape, like okay your brain will recognize it. Or maybe you haven’t seen it, but you remember people talking about it. We just want it to be recognizable. It’s kind of in the way Andy Warhol did his soup cans. Those were very recognizable to everyone. These are just more naked, more promiscuous, more provocative soup cans.
How would you describe your artistic style?
It’s really celebrity based and it’s a lot of like exploitation. We like to think about how the media can manipulate stories so we like to create our own stories and our own narratives. Just changing the context. So this is an image of Paris Hilton’s sex tape It was a film still of it, but now it’s a painting. So it’s not porn anymore, it’s now a work of art. And it’s permanent now, and it’s forever. We also always use ourselves in our work, and it’s a little bit sexualized. Or even in our new series we are working on, with the naked selfies, we always put the black bars in it, as the images are from the internet or from your cell phone. We find them from the internet, so we want it to look like that’s where you first saw it. It’s not like i’m inviting Paris Hilton to the studio to film her sex tape and am like, “wait let me take some photos.” We would love at some point to have celebrities come in, and lay them on a couch or something, like back in old Renaissance days where the women would pose. But I think that’s the style too, like adding bars to make it look like exactly like where it came from. We paint very controversial moments and very in-your-face pieces. We want to generate a conversation and to create stuff that people can recognize. So it’s like maybe you’ve seen Kim Kardashian’s sex tape, like okay your brain will recognize it. Or maybe you haven’t seen it, but you remember people talking about it. We just want it to be recognizable. It’s kind of in the way Andy Warhol did his soup cans. Those were very recognizable to everyone. These are just more naked, more promiscuous, more provocative soup cans.
HAHA yes!! Totally.
So do you come up with your new ideas and projects together? Or separately and come together later?
It depends! Usually together. We flush out the ideas together, but obviously one of us will have the initial idea, and then we work it out together. But someone’s always like, “oh lets do this!” Then it changes and we work it out together, and it forms into something new.
And when you’re working on some of these big pieces, are you both painting at the same time? Or do you take turns and switch off?
Yeah we do them at the same time. So when the canvas is horizontal, it’s easier because I’ll just take a side and she’ll take a side. But then maybe I’ll get bored on my side and we’ll switch. We’re kind of just moving all over the place all the time. I’ll be like “okay I want to do the right boob now, you do something else!” And when the canvas is the other way, vertical, it gets a little more difficult, it’s tighter. Someone’s working on the top, someone's working on the bottom.
I can see differences, like I can see what I’ve done and I can see what she’s done. But I think for a lot of people it looks like one person’s done it.
Yeah, looking at these pieces if I didn’t know you, I would think it was all done by one artist! There's so much unity in your pieces, the brush strokes look the same, same color scheme.
Exactly.
So do you come up with your new ideas and projects together? Or separately and come together later?
It depends! Usually together. We flush out the ideas together, but obviously one of us will have the initial idea, and then we work it out together. But someone’s always like, “oh lets do this!” Then it changes and we work it out together, and it forms into something new.
And when you’re working on some of these big pieces, are you both painting at the same time? Or do you take turns and switch off?
Yeah we do them at the same time. So when the canvas is horizontal, it’s easier because I’ll just take a side and she’ll take a side. But then maybe I’ll get bored on my side and we’ll switch. We’re kind of just moving all over the place all the time. I’ll be like “okay I want to do the right boob now, you do something else!” And when the canvas is the other way, vertical, it gets a little more difficult, it’s tighter. Someone’s working on the top, someone's working on the bottom.
I can see differences, like I can see what I’ve done and I can see what she’s done. But I think for a lot of people it looks like one person’s done it.
Yeah, looking at these pieces if I didn’t know you, I would think it was all done by one artist! There's so much unity in your pieces, the brush strokes look the same, same color scheme.
Exactly.
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So you aren't just painters....
No! We do performances and we do videos too! We just like to insert ourselves into it.
For example, in the Boy Toys piece, it was more about creating that story. Showing people on instagram, having fun with it, and we were like “Oh we slept with these toys.” We are putting out these stories about it, that’s what it’s more about. Creating characters for them, then people are commenting and again, it’s generating conversation. A lot of our other work is to just get our personalities out there, because we want people to not only see our work and know that we can paint, but we also want them to know who we are as people; creating our own brand. It’s like Warhol, you recognized his work but then on the street you recognized his face. It’s so cliche when people are like “oh who’s your favorite artist?” But I think Andy Warhol just embodied so much more than just a fine artist, because he really just did everything, he was everywhere. He’s Warhol! I don’t know, I feel like in that sense, artists are not celebrities, where they can walk down the street and you are like “I idolize you. I recognize you. I love your work but i also love you!” So that’s why we put our personalities and our faces in all our work. It’s a mixture of everything, it’s not just the object hanging on the wall, it’s the whole thing.
No! We do performances and we do videos too! We just like to insert ourselves into it.
For example, in the Boy Toys piece, it was more about creating that story. Showing people on instagram, having fun with it, and we were like “Oh we slept with these toys.” We are putting out these stories about it, that’s what it’s more about. Creating characters for them, then people are commenting and again, it’s generating conversation. A lot of our other work is to just get our personalities out there, because we want people to not only see our work and know that we can paint, but we also want them to know who we are as people; creating our own brand. It’s like Warhol, you recognized his work but then on the street you recognized his face. It’s so cliche when people are like “oh who’s your favorite artist?” But I think Andy Warhol just embodied so much more than just a fine artist, because he really just did everything, he was everywhere. He’s Warhol! I don’t know, I feel like in that sense, artists are not celebrities, where they can walk down the street and you are like “I idolize you. I recognize you. I love your work but i also love you!” So that’s why we put our personalities and our faces in all our work. It’s a mixture of everything, it’s not just the object hanging on the wall, it’s the whole thing.
Amazing, I love that.
What is a typical day for you two?
A day in the life....well today we are doing this amazing photoshoot and interview, haha! But typically, it depends. So with this series that we’re working on now for the show in June, we’ll be in the studio pretty much every single day, just to crank those out. But it depends, some days we’re in meetings, some days we have photoshoots like this, we’re always planning. Allie’s like, “We have to plan! We have to organize!” Well we do! We’re always working though.
Crazy. And you moved out here from New York, pretty recently correct?
We graduated in May, 2015. Then moved out July...August maybe?
Have you noticed any differences in the art scenes?
I think it’s a little more laid back here, just because it’s new and emerging, in a way. I feel like the art scene here used to be a lot of street art and graffiti. I feel like that’s changing a bit because more artists and young artist are coming out to LA. And just compared to New York, there it’s “the New York art scene”! It’s there, it’s kind of systematic, but I don’t know. I think LA is good for us. You can merge art with entertainment, which is what we are trying to do. It’s new territory to disrupt. We were in New York for four years and we were like okay let’s do something new let’s go to LA! It’s warmer here and we need a change, and you kind of have everything here. It feels right.
What is a typical day for you two?
A day in the life....well today we are doing this amazing photoshoot and interview, haha! But typically, it depends. So with this series that we’re working on now for the show in June, we’ll be in the studio pretty much every single day, just to crank those out. But it depends, some days we’re in meetings, some days we have photoshoots like this, we’re always planning. Allie’s like, “We have to plan! We have to organize!” Well we do! We’re always working though.
Crazy. And you moved out here from New York, pretty recently correct?
We graduated in May, 2015. Then moved out July...August maybe?
Have you noticed any differences in the art scenes?
I think it’s a little more laid back here, just because it’s new and emerging, in a way. I feel like the art scene here used to be a lot of street art and graffiti. I feel like that’s changing a bit because more artists and young artist are coming out to LA. And just compared to New York, there it’s “the New York art scene”! It’s there, it’s kind of systematic, but I don’t know. I think LA is good for us. You can merge art with entertainment, which is what we are trying to do. It’s new territory to disrupt. We were in New York for four years and we were like okay let’s do something new let’s go to LA! It’s warmer here and we need a change, and you kind of have everything here. It feels right.
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So with all this planning and creatives energy stirring, do you have any upcoming projects to look forward to in the future?
We are working on some things….we have a big photoshoot thats coming out that we can’t really talk about yet. And then we have our solo show coming up in June, with this new Naked Selfie series. I guess they’re more the leaked nudes of celebrities..... It will be at De Re Gallery. And we’re also doing a coloring book! That will be good because we want to share our art with a lot of people and have it be accessible. A lot of the time art isn’t really approachable to a lot of people, so we wanted to do something fun. It’s an art object but also a coloring book!
That’s so exciting, I can’t wait! I'm definitely buying one.
Any advice for other artists?? New and upcoming artists? Or something you wish you knew when you were just starting out?
Utilize social media, utilize instagram, and put yourself out there! Don’t be afraid to take risks and show others who you are. There will be a lot of people out there, but you can only advocate for yourself. The more you put it out there, the more you will have people come knocking at your door. Create your own opportunities!
Wish we started using social media earlier. We only started our @The_Kaplan_Twins instagram account last December! And it’s all just built super organically from there. Also, not being afraid to reach out to people and collaborate is a big thing! Going out and having fun, but also always creating work. It’s a hustle. We’ve been creating work for so long I just wish we were putting it out there sooner!
Yeah, I totally agree. Anything else you wish people knew about you?
I hope when people see our work they know that we are having fun with it. We’re not trying to piss anyone off or offend anyone. I hope when people look at even the sex tape stills that it’s not offensive. Even if it is, it’s okay a little bit. People will always have their opinions. We’re not making these pieces to be assholes about it. We really think these are iconic moments. The reason we do celebrities is because it’s always in your face and so relevant, and recognizable. We have fun changing the context of it. Like yes, maybe these photos were leaked on the internet and someone got ahold of these personal items. Now that it’s out there, let’s reclaim those photos and make them beautiful, and turn them into art!
We are working on some things….we have a big photoshoot thats coming out that we can’t really talk about yet. And then we have our solo show coming up in June, with this new Naked Selfie series. I guess they’re more the leaked nudes of celebrities..... It will be at De Re Gallery. And we’re also doing a coloring book! That will be good because we want to share our art with a lot of people and have it be accessible. A lot of the time art isn’t really approachable to a lot of people, so we wanted to do something fun. It’s an art object but also a coloring book!
That’s so exciting, I can’t wait! I'm definitely buying one.
Any advice for other artists?? New and upcoming artists? Or something you wish you knew when you were just starting out?
Utilize social media, utilize instagram, and put yourself out there! Don’t be afraid to take risks and show others who you are. There will be a lot of people out there, but you can only advocate for yourself. The more you put it out there, the more you will have people come knocking at your door. Create your own opportunities!
Wish we started using social media earlier. We only started our @The_Kaplan_Twins instagram account last December! And it’s all just built super organically from there. Also, not being afraid to reach out to people and collaborate is a big thing! Going out and having fun, but also always creating work. It’s a hustle. We’ve been creating work for so long I just wish we were putting it out there sooner!
Yeah, I totally agree. Anything else you wish people knew about you?
I hope when people see our work they know that we are having fun with it. We’re not trying to piss anyone off or offend anyone. I hope when people look at even the sex tape stills that it’s not offensive. Even if it is, it’s okay a little bit. People will always have their opinions. We’re not making these pieces to be assholes about it. We really think these are iconic moments. The reason we do celebrities is because it’s always in your face and so relevant, and recognizable. We have fun changing the context of it. Like yes, maybe these photos were leaked on the internet and someone got ahold of these personal items. Now that it’s out there, let’s reclaim those photos and make them beautiful, and turn them into art!
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