The juxtapositions of uber-traditional garb and the ultra modern in these paintings by Andy Price really caught my eye. See more from this artist in my Artist Watch over on Escape Into Life today!
Andy Price on Escape Into Life
Image via View Art Gallery.
Have you ever thought about how certain fabric patterns remind you of someone? Crazy mod-retro prints make me think of my sister-in-law, who loves all things vintage, while subdued plaids in soft blues and greens make me think of nature-loving Mr. Forager. Seattle artist Jane Richlovsky uses patterned textiles in her work, incorporating them in such a way that the personality of the era shines through.
The artist depicts domestic scenes from the mid-twentieth century, actually painting on found vintagey patterned textiles. The result is a interesting visual style– one in which some details of the scene show depth of space, while others, usually the shapes on which the patterns come through, are flattened as the patterns appear more as cut-outs of the forms rather than strictly conforming to the shape it is covering.
Richlovsky’s work reminds us that not all was as it seemed in the “good ol’ days”.. the flatness of the patterns meet the Norman Rockwellish technicolor scenes of life we remember from movies, yet there is a cynical and almost sinister undercurrent to some of the paintings.
To see more of the work of Jane Richlovsky, please visit her website.
While visiting with friends in San Diego recently, somehow the topic of self-worth came up. My friend Veronica mentioned that the Dalai Lama didn’t understand the Western issue of low self-esteem– we are not born thinking negatively about ourselves, yet something sinister creeps in. The work of Boston area artist Jane Maxwell uses vintage fashion, advertising, and pop-culture ephemera to deconstruct the messages being sent to women and young girls by the fashion and entertainment industries.
Our body image issues don’t always begin with someone actually telling us we’re too fat, too skinny, too pale.. we are inundated daily, especially as women and young girls, with images of stick thin fashion models and actresses, being held up as the current standard of ideal beauty. Maxwell chooses to use silhouetted versions of these iconic figures, deconstructing them so that they become an anonymous “every woman”, which could help us to see the somber truth that these women have indeed become pawns in this game of idealized beauty.
This standard of beauty seems to fluctuate with each generation, remember the days of Reuben and his voluptuous figures? Or the curvaceousness of the iconic beauties of the 1950s? When will we reach a point where women of every size, shape, and color are held up as quintessentially beautiful? Maxwell’s work recognizes that struggle within us of that longing to be lauded for our unique beauty yet we continue to strive to attain the ideal.
What are your thoughts on Jane Maxwell’s work or on self-image in general? Where do you see the struggle?
To see more of the work of Jane Maxwell, please visit her website and Facebook page. Her work can be seen in galleries throughout the US, you can find a list of her representing galleries on her website.
Artist found via Lanoue Fine Art. Images via the artist’s website and Lanoue Fine Art.
You know that old saying “Good fences make good neighbors”? There is much truth to be gleaned from that quote. Freedom and space is important, but boundaries and divided spaces can help create a sense of protection and privacy. In a painting, divided spaces can create a sense of balance and compositional interest, as in the work of Arizona artist Sherri Belassen.
In her paintings, Belassen utilizes line and color blocking to create shadow, shape, and texture within the layout of each canvas. Figures are connected to each other and their surroundings, creating a sense of visual depth and the suggestion of surrounding spaces.
Her figures take on almost a monumental, landscape-ish quality, as if these are giant canvases we are glimpsing from high above.
To see more of Sherri Belassen’s work, please visit her website. Her work may be seen in person at a number of galleries around the US– see the list here!
Hammock and Divine are via the artist’s website. What If is via representing gallery Jules Place and Love is in the Air is via representing gallery Elizabeth Gordon Gallery.
One memory I have of my grandmother is of she and I in her dining room, sewing patterns spread out over fabric, pinking shears in hand, as she cut out the pieces to yet another new dress for me. The crunch of that brown tissue paper is now always associated with those times together. Austin artist John Westmark incorporates paper sewing patterns into his work, reinterpreting them as he explores feminist narratives, mythical figures, and the segregation of stereotypes.
Not only does the artist incorporate the patterns into his work as a means of literal and visual texture, the patterns and their associations are the catalyst behind the explorations of themes in each series. For instance, in his Folklore series ( including Corona below ), Westmark references the traditions of story telling, incorporating the instructional verbiage of the patterns themselves. While in his Double Bind series ( including She-Crab below ), he reinterprets these instruments of traditionally feminine work into images of female mythical heroes and warriors. Adding an additional level of interest, he adds to the patterns custom text from contemporary feminist writings– creating work not just to be seen but to be experienced.
For his Flight series, Westmark continues the visual conversation between the feminine and masculine by creating a bridge between the typically female sewing patterns and the mechanical drawings of aircraft, usually a more masculine endeavor. Each patterns upon which to build and construct, looking very similar upon first glance– it is only when we examine more closely and determine their origin that we assign a stereotype to each.
To see more of the phenomenal work of John Westermark, please visit his website. His work can be seen at Stark + Kent, a contemporary art gallery in Palm Springs, where I first spotted these extraordinary works, or at Gilman Contermporary in Sun Valley, ID, where his solo exhibition, Into the Fold, is showing until January 20, 2013.
Artist found via Stark + Kent. All images are via the artist’s website.
Mr. Forager and I are forest & woods people, with a bit of the ocean on the side. Which is a big part of why we love the Pacific Northwest so much and can’t wait to get back there ( only 3 1/2 more months! ). The quiet, the depth and darkness of the woods is a salve to our souls. Artists Anke Schofield and Luis Garcia-Nerey aka KOLLABS, are two artists who work collaboratively, exploring the role of humans within the forest and the environment as a whole.
In their work, KOLLABS often shows human and animal interaction, but taken out of the literal context of the woods. As in Conversations ( above ), it may seem that the bear, shrunken in size, perhaps to belie its power, is there to entertain the wealthy woman. Or perhaps she has invited the bear in, to try to get to know him and his ways so that she might better serve him.
As so many of us live far removed from the woods, usually only glimpsing wild animal at the zoo, photographs, or other media, it’s easy to forget that these creatures once ruled. That they, along with their forest homes, were treated with reverence and respect.
After all, they were there first. To see more of KOLLABS’ work, please visit their website. You can see their work in person in several galleries across the US, including Diehl Gallery in Jackson Hole, WY, Gilman Contemporary in Sun Valley, ID and Lanoue Fine Art in Boston, as well as Whistler Village Art in Whistler, British Columbia.
Artist found via Diehl Gallery. Images via Diehl Gallery and Gilman Contemporary websites.
For eons it seems that with a certain level of success in the art world, comes a level of celebrity most artists will never know. Especially today, artists are selling themselves as a brand almost as much as they are selling their work. Australian artist Emma Gale turns the tables to feature celebrated artists as the subjects of her work.
The artist takes these immediately recognizable artists and reinvents them in her own style, yet each one retains the essence of the personality we’ve come to associate with them and their celebrity.
Yet, we’re left to wonder.. how much of our perception of the celebrated among us is based on spin and branding? If we were to meet the famous in person, would they be just as we imagine them or would we be surprised to find how different they are from their image?
To see more of Emma Gale’s work, please visit her website.
All images are via the artist’s representing gallery, Anthea Polson Art.
Do you ever wonder what it might be like to be the subject of a painting? Would you be content to let the artist interpret you as you are or would you try to clothe yourself in your own chosen persona? The subjects in the paintings of UK artist Mary Jane Ansell seem to be playing dress-up, yet we are left to wonder, is this who they are or who they wish to be?
In these quiet paintings, we are offered a glimpse into a moment, a fleeting feeling, a pause in the life of the subject, the life of the artist and one of our own.
They are quiet, contemplative portrayals, yet within each is a sense of anticipation. The stillness and peace that comes just before we discover something amazing. Perhaps it might be within ourselves that we find the revelation.
To see more of Mary Jane Ansell’s work, please visit her website.
All images are via the artist’s representing gallery, Fairfax Contemporary.
Mr. Forager has just completed a course on Women’s Studies, in preparation to pursue a Master’s Degree, so we’ve had some interesting discussions around the dinner table of late. There’s been talk of women’s rights, gender equality, etc. It seems as women, we still struggle against the fairy tales we grow up with versus the reality of living as a contemporary female. In her New Realm series, Louisiana artist Amy Guidry weaves a new kind of story, as surreal as any myth yet grounded in modern strength.
The heroine of Guidry’s tale embraces her situation. Instead of being helpless and afraid, she is empowered to embrace the opportunity for transformation. Knit throughout the series are symbols of growth and change, such as the butterfly and snail, as well as signs of freedom such as a bird in flight.
This heroine is not wallowing in her plight or withering away in a cage. She is in control of her own story, her own destiny.
To see more of Amy Guidry’s work, please visit her website. Be sure to check out the video for the New Realm series here!
All images are via the artist’s website.
So much of our communication these days is in a non-face-to-face fashion. We text, email, Facebook, and Twitter each other, but the subtleties of expression and eye contact is lost, making these a poor substitute for a live chat over coffee. Perhaps too, that may be why we find ourselves drawn to work like that of Polish artist Anna Bocek. We long to see another face gazing back at us.
Bocek chooses to isolate her subjects against a usually colorful, vibrant background, yet it is the person we focus on. She captures each figure in the midst of movement, their motions as fluid as a dancer’s.
The flesh of her figures is painted with a vibrancy and warmth, making them come alive as if the canvas was taking in breath.
If you enjoyed Anna Bocek’s work, be sure to visit her website to see more!
All images are via the artist’s website.