by Nina Bellucci
I stumbled upon Trina Turturici's Instagram some time ago, and I was immediately taken by her energetic, colorful paintings and the urgency of her line. Interspersed amongst her paintings were a few monochrome ink drawings which seemed to speak more directly to what was going on in the world. Having quickly multiplied over the past year or so, these drawings lead her to create a second IG page focused solely on this work. Under the pseudonym of "Patti Raymondbon", Trina makes drawings that are unapologetically honest, funny, and even grim at times- a breath of fresh air in this age of covering up the truth and downplaying reality. Here, we learn how Trina has combined these drawings to form the zine, "Sweet Treen's Covid-19 Quarantine Zine", now in it's third iteration.
*Scroll to the bottom to find out how to obtain one of these beauties!
(scroll) from "Sweet Treen's Covid-19 Quarantine Zine: Phase 1"
1) How did the creation of the "Treen Zine" originate?
When the pandemic first began and the stay at home order was initiated I started drawing more at home to alleviate stress and to pass the time. I was not used to being at home as much because I was always at work or at my studio. The drawings started piling up and when I realized there would be no way, any time soon, to show the drawings I thought putting together a zine would be the best and cheapest way to share my work. It also felt like a great alternative to connecting with people because I was getting sick of staring at screens all day. I decided to mail the zines for free as a gift to people that needed an extra pick-me-up.
2) How important is the community outreach aspect of the zine?
It has been an especially lonely and stressful experience dealing with the pandemic so sending a handmade zine in the mail helps me feel connected to people. I have many friends and colleagues on my mailing list but I've also had complete strangers reach out to me and that has added another level of connection that probably wouldn't have happened if we weren't in this situation.Â
3) What role does the zine and drawing play in your artistic practice as a whole?
My practice has changed completely. I've recently moved out of my studio into a home studio so I've had to size down. As of now, the only medium that seems to hold my attention is ink drawing. It's immediate and raw and seems to be the best way to visualize how I'm feeling at the moment. Â Â
4) How can readers obtain a copy of your zine?
If you follow me on Instagram you can dm me for a copy. It's best to wait for the announcement of the latest phase of my zine. I will mail previous phases to any new people that I add to my mailing list (as long as I have enough copies). Phase 3 has been delayed because of various life events but I'll be finishing it up soon.Â
Follow Trina Turturici on Instagram: @patti_raymondbon
Learn more about her work in Collective Disquiet: Trina Turturici
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