The NO FUN ZONE interview

April 24, 2026Interview

Siouxzee Daniels (a.k.a NO FUN ZONE) is a multimedia collage artist. She creats a unique style combining pour/marbling paint techniques with collage. She is based in Rochester, NY. Her art is currently on exhbit at Abundance Co-op Cafe. Her next show will be at @rocstreetphoto , opening reception is June 26th, 2026.

Do you want to give more insight into the tag “No Fun Zone” I see around town and there is actually a reddit post tucked inside r/Rochester that has a bunch of questions about this?

Well.. I mean, it’s up for interpretation. Everyone sees it as something different, and I REALLY love that! It’s not necessarily a political statement, but it can definitely be.. and maybe it should be taken as one, at least sometimes.. idk, it has different meanings. It’s a fun name because it can be used to make a statement, but also it’s just absurd. I like that it makes people react in different ways. Part of it I guess is me saying fuck you to “the rules” and it’s my statement to the “No’s” in life. It’s weird being known as No Fun Zone… cuz I really like fun. lol but that’s a part of it too.. I like the irony.. and maybe I’m daring people to defy it. Hahaha idk. It really depends on the situation and the place and my mood. That’s why I say it is up for interpretation.

Your insta handle @nofunzoneartznjunk the description lists: Art. Cuz art. Multifaceted Art weirdo. Art all the things. No Fun Zone. Bog Witch. What is a bog witch?

a bog witch is a witch of the wetlands!! My friend and I spent a summer floating on the creek at Ellison Park and started calling Ellison “the bog” and calling ourselves bog witches. I actually googled bog witch, tho and google says a bog witch is: “ a figure in folklore and modern spirituality associated with wetlands, nature, and healing, often portrayed as a solitary, liminal being. And I definitely identify with that, lol.

What is the original medium of art you started with? (paper and pen (doodling), paint, spray paint (graffiti), collage?)

i originally started just doodling and writing on shit. I used to write poems on the bathroom walls in high school. My folders would be covered in doodles and random words. And I have always loved collaging.

What is your preferred art mode? tool of expression?

it depends on the situation, i guess. I mean if I’m going tagging I like a nice grease marker or an ink mop. I’m not good with spray paint but I am trying to do more with it. And if it’s a chill night in, I’m probably working on a collage or cutting stuff out to collage.

Who are your inspirations? (both locally and or worldly)

oooooh there’s soooooo many!!! Definitely Basquiat, Shepard Fairey, and Donald Topp for “worldly artist” and honestly there’s so many amazing artists, in all mediums, in Rochester! When I first started dabbling in graffiti, Taro was a big inspiration. I’d see his tag everywhere! Also, Nova! I really love how he collages pictures of his pieces!! That’s next level!

I found a quote by Donald Topp: “I play off the nostalgia of a recongnizable image or toy, but make it in an avatar of a much deeper cynical message of society.” Have you seen his work up close because his work is definitely reminding me of some of your collage themes…

I haven’t see any of it up close, only on Instagram. The algorithm brought him to my attention. And I was completely obsessed after! Definitely an influence!

Are there any mentors or teachers you would like to credit for getting you into this?

I’d like to credit my all of my artist friends who continue to inspire me, no matter the art they do. Having a great community of people to be around and learn from and to be inspired by is amazing! Graffiti has been in my life for a while now. I went to high school with Cruk and he was always writing his tag and it was always so amazing to watch. Plus all the other graffiti artist I have met over the years have been super inspiring. As for the collage stuff, I remember doing it in school and loving how it allowed me to express myself with both words and images. When I started doing the pour painting I really felt like that elevated my art and expression. I have to thank my friend Lel for showing me it!

Would you be willing to describe a bit or summary of your political viewpoint (independent of your art) and then perhaps art as an outlet for political expression?

Anarchy! This 2 party bullshit is not cutting it. Also free Palestine! and FUCK ICE. Free Luigi! And fuck Donald Trump! The American government is like watching WWE. I can’t believe this is the timeline! Like, what the actual fuck. I am disappointed in this country, I can’t believe that we’re on the precipice of world war three, in my opinion, as a distraction from the Epstein list. I can’t believe it. This whole existence feels like the wrong timeline.. and we’re all just still going to work.. but I mean we have to.. it is so freaking expensive just semi-existing these days.

I really can relate to this you said: “and we’re all just still going to work.. but I mean we have to.. it is so freaking expensive just semi-existing these days.” So speaking of just some biographical info: did you grow up in Rochester, what high school? and what do you do by day for work now?

I grew up in Rochester, in the city. And I went to Wilson. I’ve lived all of the country and I traveled a bunch when I was younger, -hitchhiking.. Cruk and I went to Wilson til he got kicked out.

Do you think artists have an obligation to be political, or conscience raising in some way?

hmm. Yes and no. I think that everyone needs to be aware of the political situations but I don’t think there’s an obligation with art. I feel like it’s a choice. And I hope artists want to raise people’s consciousness. In my opinion art should make you think… make you see things in different perspectives..

Almost to provoke people out of their status quo mindset… It seems you have an element of escapism in your art too, like sci-fi stuff which your collages seem to venture into as well? I am tyring to survey all your art that is out there, but do you see yourself as someone who does mostly abstract political messaging or direct? And can you reference any examples of your work?

I’d say it’s mostly abstract political messaging.. even with me tagging no fun zone.. cuz it’s my interpretation sure, but it’s also the viewers interpretation as well. I also have made a few collages that definitely have some political undertones.. the one collage called SUPERNOVA for sure. Plus I have a a few in the works that are kind of political. One or two may be featured in an upcoming zine I am putting out with a new friend!

What is your first memory or epiphany moment when you said to yourself ‘oh i can do this’ this is what I want to do in the art/pollical expression world? was there a singular moment that drew you into art-making?

Art has always been an outlet for me. And I always “left my mark” places… but I really started getting into it when I quit drinking in 2013 and I needed something to do with myself. I needed a new routine and obsession and something to do so I started to go on walks and explore places with my friends. It was just kind of a different way of coping with life. I wouldn’t say there was one moment necessarily..

Talk a bit about collage? I find your collages quite a perfect mixture of paint and cut-out imagery? What is your process? Do you have an idea first and then look for the images? Do you come up with the paint backdrop first? Do you use paint or colored pencils? And the paint almost looks marbleized technique? (however you want to take this question go for it? Just looking for some background information on your process, tools, and materials).

Most of my collages these days are on pour paintings. A friend of mine showed me the amazing art of pour painting and I became super obsessed with it but then I had a ton of canvases just laying around so I decided to collage on them. I use the colors from the pour paints to get me inspired. Sometimes I have an idea I want to get out or sometimes it’s just based on the random cut outs I have. I also use paint markers and paint on the images sometimes, as well. I am always interested in trying new things out and I am super obsessed with bright colors.

What is your typical source material for the images (what magazines, books?) and where do you get them from (meaning – friends, libraries, ebay, magazine subscriptions).

I use a lot of what ever I can get my hands on lots of times I use Playboys, Rolling Stone Magazine, Time, Maxim, and Vanity Fair.. I will use whatever tho! I love a great picture book! And I have these magical children’s encyclopedias from the 80s that have fun pictures and words and stuff. I have gotten a lot of great material from them. I get the magazines and books any way I can! I have a bunch of friends who are always collecting them for me or donating them to my cause. I also find stuff in free libraries or in the cheap or free things places. Estate sales are usually where I get older stuff! I’m always on the hunt for all different kinds of stuff though and I will take what I can get where I can get it especially cheap or free! Some friends and I found the children’s encyclopedias originally in an abandoned house, and they were so great I searched everywhere for them again and randomly found them at an estate sale.

I really love how you source/scrap your resources and that your community helps with your collection. But do you have like stacks of magazines in your living space? Does it look like an artist lives there!?

My living room is full of magazines and books and signs. And markers.. and everyone who comes over for the first time always says they can tell I am an artist just by looking around lol

Are you self-taught or receive formal training in art?

I am self taught… no formal training!

If you could change one thing about Rochester what would that be? (or two or three things if you can’t come up with just one)

I love Rochester, but I think we need to do more for the homeless. Destroying the homeless camps over and over is just downright cruel in my opinion. Yes there are some homeless shelters but that’s not always a good option for people.

Do you ever get so burnt out and depressed that you have artist block, during these dire times? Does your artist/friend group pull you through? Or are you motivated to do more art because of the drama in your life or outside of it?

Definitely I get blocked and disillusioned with these dire times. It gets hard to continue sometimes when it’s kinda like what’s even the point. My friends, both artist and not definitely help keep me going. My artist friends are so damn inspiring. I love being able to make art and just hang and chill with my friends. The drama in my life definitely fuels my art. And when I am able to pull myself out of the doom funk from the state of the world I allow it to fuel me too, because art is what I can do. At least for now..

What skills are you obsessed with learning currently and where will your art go next? What are your plans for the next year or hopes and dreams? I don’t know if i follow through with even 5% of my plans! But it is cool to think about what if we didn’t have to work and what we would be doing with our time?

I want to get better with spray paint and with paint in general. I have always been obsessed with the delicate beauty of watercolor and eventually I plan on trying it out… hopefully soon! Plans for next year is to learn something new in terms of art, put my art out there more by answering more calls for art, and collaborating with more people on art and art shows. I do have a show with @rocstreetphoto coming up at golden supply for the “last Friday” thing the have been doing. The opening night is June 26!

If justice and political equality and we did have a utopia where all homeless people had housing and the Elon Musks and Trumps were dealt with, what would your dream job or how would you spend your time?

I would spend more time creating and learning about different arts and cultures! I would like to learn more art forms, and more art theory so maybe in a perfect world I would try art school. I’d say a dream job would be art therapist. Or something where I could travel. I miss being on the open road. I miss the freedom! It’s not an easy life but it is so freeing! My job now is at a computer refurbishing place and it’s not exactly making a difference in life but it does give the space to create and do things for my art because my bosses are really awesome and my friends and they totally support my art. I am very grateful for them!