Christopher “Frump” Ernst is 32 and can assemble a wheelbarrow in less than 5 minutes.

ML: Your mentor was Christina Cahill [Deputy Director of Editorial Features and Representation at Getty Images]. How was your experience with her?

CF: Christina was really cool to me.  She’s insanely busy and was still very generous with her time.  She’s also a real straight shooter and gave me a lot of real world practical advice.  Because of her background, she was able to offer a much different perspective then I’m used to getting, which was quite helpful.

ML: Can you tell me something about the work you exhibited?
CF: The three pieces that are in the Mentor’s show are part of a project I’ve been working on for the past year and a half.   I love how that type of mural wallpaper can really add a bizarre and surreal dimension within a space.  I also find it fascinating that the majority of the people that own these spaces never see it that way. 

Tracking down spaces with that wall paper is not always easy.  It’s not something you can just type into a search engine and find locations for.  It requires a lot of leg work, a lot of asking around, and a lot of luck. But I love that in 2011 there are still things that you can’t just quickly obtain by searching on the internet. It’s like hunting for treasure.  

ML: What was your most memorable moment at SVA?
CF: It feels strange to be answering that question when I still have a month and a half of SVA left.  All I can think about right now are the projects that I still need to finish and turn in. 

That being said, my first semester is what would stick out to me the most.  I came to SVA when I was 29. I had only owned a camera for about a year and a half at that point.  Quitting my job to go to art school was probably not the most sensible move at the time but it made total sense to me…and it still does. I had no idea what was going to happen or if it would even work out.  It was just really exciting to take a risk and do something totally new.

ML: What are you going to be doing this summer and onwards?
CF: Well, hopefully I will find a job.  Beyond that, I’m looking forward to making and showing some new work.  I have a few new projects that I want to get started on.  I will also be doing the Affordable Art Fair in May and hopefully doing a residency with Dave Ackerman in Austin, TX.