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Tag: figurative art

Innocence Forsaken: Isabelle Chapuis

Do you truly remember what it was like to be a completely innocent child? Free from guile and not yet succumbed to the pressures of the adult world? For so many, that innocence is taken away at a younger and younger age. This series of photographs by French artist Isabelle Chapuis illustrates the striking juxtaposition between the push and pull of childhood innocence and the lurking aggression of adulthood beneath the surface.

When left to their own devices and free from outside pressure, kids will be kids. All they want to do is play games, eat candy, enjoy and revel in a world without responsibility. But in so many cultures, including our own, children are being raised with the expectation of becoming tiny versions of the adults by whom they are surrounded. The overachieving mom expects her daughter to excel in every way, the young boy growing up around gang culture finds it hard to buck against those influences.

There is a sadness about these photographs, even when the boy is taking a more “aggressive” stance, it seems to be a putting on of an act– there is a true feeling of reluctance and hesitation in each photo. He seems to be a boy who is being coerced into a world in which he doesn’t belong, a child who only wants to enjoy the sweetness of life while it is still possible to do so. Adulthood comes calling soon enough, unfortunately sooner for some than others.

To see more of Isabelle Chapuis’ work, please visit her website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

February 10, 2014
Fashion Victims: Jonni Cheatwood

OK, I admit it. I like fashion and all its trappings as much as the next girl. But there is something that doing this traveling thing is teaching me– how to not just live with less, but to desire less. I found these collages by Jonni Cheatwood, acrylic and mixed media applied to the pages of a Neiman Marcus catalog to call attention to our need to chase the latest trend.

As a single girl, I was definitely a bit of a fashionista. Always a bargain shopper, I didn’t spend massive amounts of money, but being single, I had a lot of time to spend hunting down just the right pair of boots or the latest jacket cut. But when we prepared to embark across the country and begin traveling, I had to pare down like crazy and then before we left Seattle, I had to purge even more ( everything we live with right now fits in the back of our car ) and it was painful. Clothes had been such a crutch for me– you see, when I was young, I knew what it felt like to be the girl in class in the hand-me-down clothes, the girl who only got one new outfit for the first day of school, not an entirely new, on-trend wardrobe. So when I was an adult and earning my own way, fashion wasn’t just an indulgence for me, it was a way to get past the feeling of being the girl with the holes in her shoes.

We still find we need to pare down just a touch more, so more purging is occurring. What I’m learning through this process is that there are certain items of clothing I own that I love, not because they are in keeping with the latest trends, but because I love the way they fit, the way the clothes look on me and, most importantly, how I feel in them. Paring down to just what I love is a perfect way to ensure that every piece of clothing is worn and that I feel beautiful and special in everything in my closet. Shopping is hard to resist still, but when I do indulge, it is for something that I know I’ll love and feel good in for years to come. And with the paring down, it has to replace at least one ( preferably two! ) things already in my closet. Not as much thought goes into choosing an outfit for the day, freeing my mind to concentrate on other things and cultivate new, more important ideas. When you chase trends, fashion changes so much, you’re constantly feeding the need for the latest thing. I’d rather fill my life with things that aren’t so easily replaceable.

How about you, Artsies? Are any of you recovering fashion-addicts? How did you overcome?

To see more of Jonni Cheatwood‘s work, please visit his website.

All image via the artist’s website.

February 6, 2014
We are the Wild: Christoffer Relander

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you might have caught on that Mr. F and I are hikers. Not quite in the super long distance-backpackers way ( though Mr. F could do it and has! ), but when the weather is good, most of our weekends are spent winding our way through the woods. We love winter time, the cold and the snow, but the chillier season means that we go for long stretches without out woodsy walking. And that can make us a mite antsy. In these in-camera(!!) multiple exposure portraits, UK photographer Christoffer Relander reminds us that even in dormant seasons, there is a wilderness in each of us.

It only had to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles for no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rock, rivers and grasses, sunrises and sunsets.
— Cheryl Strayed, Wild

I’ve been reading the book quoted above lately and so much of it rings true for me. How we start out on each journey with so much baggage, slowly stripping ourselves of what isn’t necessary, how much nature welcomes us and takes care of us. And once we spend time in her presence, how every other place no matter how welcome, feels foreign and cold.

I’m hoping Mr. F and I are able to get out into the woods a little this weekend, my soul needs a bit of a recharge. Hope you have a wonderful restful weekend, too! Perhaps you’ll be able to embrace a bit of your own inner wilderness.

To see more of Christoffer Relander‘s work, please visit his website.

All images are via the artist’s website. Artist found via This is Colossal.

January 31, 2014
Artsy Lately: Clare Elsaesser

I love writing this blog so much. One of my favorite reasons? An excuse to follow the artistic journey of so many amazing artists. California artist Clare Elsaesser was among some of the first artists featured on Artsy Forager and her work just continues to evolve and grow. This latest body of work is so stunning, I couldn’t wait any longer to give you a peek.

Clare’s work is moving into a more complex, narrative direction with these, yet still retaining the simplicity and graphic style that is her artistic trademark. There is so much visual texture and depth and the emotionality that is always present in her work really takes center stage. It feels like we are being given short glimpses into not just a moment in physical existence, but a visceral, intimate look into the spirit of a moment.

To see more of Clare Elsaesser‘s work, please visit her website. Prints of Clare’s work are available in her Etsy shop!

January 30, 2014
Love in the Details: Stephen Wright

Our memories of the people we love aren’t full scale photos, but more the recollections of the details that made them special to us– the softness of a grandmother’s hand, the freckles on a child’s face, the little particulars that make us unique. In his work, New York painter Stephen Wright gently records the minutia of a face, a lock of hair, the turn of a neck.

Occasionally, when we sitting together, holding hands while watching Colbert or a movie, I am struck suddenly by the realization that when we’re old and perhaps Mr. F is no longer around, that my hands will remember what his felt like around mine. That those physical memories will be more precious than any photograph could be.

Stephen Wright zeroes in on the minor details of his subjects bodies, we get the sense that we can almost feel what that skin is like, soft, maybe cool to the touch, or we feel the sharpness of a clavicle, the roughness of hair gone grey. I love that his compositions often crop out the subject’s face, after all, we know the hands, feet, the shoulders of our loved ones just as well as their faces, but often fail to really think about how integral they are to our memories of them. What about you, Artsies? What details do you remember most about those you love? I can still smell my grandmother’s perfume and know every freckle on my niece’s cheeks!

To see more of the work of Stephen Wright, please visit his website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

January 27, 2014
Homages to Hopper: Richard Tuschman

Edward Hopper‘s body of work is one revered and admired by many artists and art lovers, including this Forager. New York photographer Richard Tuschman found himself drawn to the painter’s method of visual storytelling, saying so much with so very little. He created the series Hopper Meditations as an homage to the renowned artist’s work, yet these are not exact recreations, Tuschman tells Hopper’s stories in much of his own language.

The paintings of Edward Hopper focus on scenes from the stories that unfold in everyday life and just as minutia takes center stage, Tuschman methodically recreates Hopper’s compositions creating dioramas into which figures are painstakingly photoshopped. It isn’t surprising that a photographer should find such inspiration in the work of Hopper, his paintings having an almost photographic, slice-of-life style of composition. Yet, in Tuschman’s images, there is a softness to the light and a warmth to the palette that yields a sense of intimacy to the scenes, whereas Hopper’s originals seem much more cooly detached.

To see more of Richard Tuschman‘s work, please visit his website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

January 24, 2014
Artsy Chatter: He Said with Jon Davenport

I’m excited to bring you a new feature, Artsy Chatter, in which I chat a bit with creatives to find out more about how they live, work and balance it all together. You might recognize this month’s Featured Artist, Christy Kinard but did you know she is married to an equally talented artist, whose work you saw here yesterday, Jon Davenport? So much creative energy in one family! Two career families are tough to manage and two artists building a family and a life together is no different. I knew there had to be some lessons to learn from them, not just for artists but for husbands, wives, partners and families. So I asked them both to answer the same set of questions, knowing each would give us their own unique perspective on being a part of a creative couple.

We’ll hear from Christy tomorrow. Today, we chat with Jon!

artsy | Christy is from the American South, Jon, you’re from the UK. How have your backgrounds influenced your own work and has each of your backgrounds influenced the other’s work?

he said | Working in as grand and bustling a city as London gave me a great appreciation of the Visual Arts – From ‘crazy’ installations at the Tate Modern and the Saatchi Gallery to high end boutique design shops as well as all the ground breaking advertising agencies. But it wasn’t really til I met Christy and moved to the south where I found that good art is created, purchased and appreciated by a much larger section of the community. She has made a hugely successful career out of it and that has really spurred me on. In terms of creative influence, I just love that how, she embraces her whirl of creative chaos, where great textures and colours come together in the most perfect of storms.

artsy | Do you share a studio or work separately?

he said | A bit of each, we have our own workspaces in our basement (away from the kids!) but there tends to be a bit of encroachment on my part when certain paints, brushes and extra bench space are needed, when a show is coming together or things are getting a bit hectic.

artsy | Do you talk about your work together, give each other artistic advice of any kind?

he said | Yes she is my first port of call when it comes to any issues I have or problems that seem unsolvable, She has such a good eye when it comes to art, she should probably run her own gallery.

artsy | Being an artist especially in the internet age, is often an around the clock job. How do you balance your work and home life?

he said | Definitely around the clock, sometimes I’m painting at 6 in the morning or late at night, (I don’t try to make a habit of it though!) just so I can fit in going to the supermarket or fitting in 15 minutes playtime with the kids or another urgent errand. But I feel that helps with the creative process, I think as long as you can embrace the creative urge when it strikes, you’re not really losing out. Plus 9-5 jobs arent all they’re cracked up to be!

artsy | Every marriage is a balance of gifts and personality, each partner bringing with them their own strengths and imperfections. Are there certain areas where you each excel and others in which you find yourself helping each other out?

he said | I’m hands down the best cook, particularly skilful at building brilliant lego robots and have a very comfortable shoulder to cry on when things get too much. My problems luckily lie where Christy’s skills begin, she’s a wonderfully loving mother, she makes sure the kids and the house run like clockwork, bills get paid on time, and she’s the toughest negotiator, I’ve ever met, great for getting deals and taking down some jobs worth in customer service. But we both share the dirty nappies duty, no one deserves to do that on their own!

artsy | You have three young ( and adorable! ) sons. Have any of them shown an artistic inclination? If one of your sons told you he wanted to become an artist, what advice would you give?

he said | They all seem very talented in their different ways, William has an unbounded imagination, James is amazing with the letters and numbers, but Charlie is the one with drawing skills, he can draw a perfect circle and even create surprisingly accurate faces of people at 2 years old. I think my advice would be to embrace what you love doing, if that turns to be art, the do you best to pursue it. Life is too short to be stuck in a career you don’t love.

artsy | What do you see as the most important characteristic for two creative people in partnership to cultivate?

he said | Four words. Talk to each other! Communication is the key whether you’re happy, sad or even stressed up to the eyeballs. Being creative comes with lots of peaks as well as plenty of troughs, so just be there, communicate and have lots of empathy for you’re partner.

Thank so much, Jon for chatting with me! We’ll hear what wife Christy had to say tomorrow.. To see more of Jon Davenport‘s work, please check out his website and be sure to follow him on social media!

All images via the artist’s website.

January 22, 2014
Southern Comforts: Jon Davenport

I’m a Southern girl. You may not know that about me, since we’ve been all over the Northwest during most of Artsy Forager’s existence. OK some may not include Florida as the Deep South, but North Florida is pretty dang close to South Georgia, which is pretty dang Southern. Mr. F is a Southern boy and while we definitely feel more at home in the Northwest, there are things about the South that are so incredibly identifiable and iconic, that only Southerners, whether by birth or transplant, truly understand. Artist Jon Davenport came to the US South by way of the UK where he grew up well versed in Southern iconography, but it wasn’t until he was fully immersed in its culture that he began his artistic exploration of distinctly Southern tastes.

Jon, who shares a similar style to his wife, this month’s Featured Artist Christy Kinard, creates heavily textured, layered work filled with vintage advertising imagery much of which built up our ideas about life in the South, for better or for worse. Some of these icons can still be seen as faded paintings on the sides of buildings, especially in small Southern towns. In many ways, there is a fierce desire to hold onto the past in the South, where Sunday dinners at grandma’s and yes ma’am and no ma’am are still the norm.

Yet behind the fun and frivolity and charm, there was a darkness that would best be forgotten and which many Southern cities are still fighting to overcome. Many strive to overcome lingering stereotypes and “Ol’ Boys Networks”, while seeking to maintain the best of what it means to be a part of what has been a troubled region. Davenport’s work with its bright but slightly faded palette and layered drips and splotches of paint remind us that time marches on, ideals fade, but hopefully what is left is our favorite, most positive parts of ourselves.

To see more of Jon Davenport‘s work, please visit his website. His work can be seen in his solo show at Matre Gallery in Atlanta through February 8th. Stay tuned over the next few days for interviews with Jon & Christy in a special “He Said, She Said” feature on what it’s like to be half of a creative couple!

All images are via the artist’s website.

January 21, 2014
Delicate Gestures: Hiromi Moneyhun

Our modern society has such a fascination with speed and we are constantly feeding our need for it with faster internet, cars, food, you name it. But once upon a time, most cultures valued things done with meticulousness and care. Florida based Japanese artist Hiromi Moneyhun hand constructs elaborate and delicate paper cuts using a methodical and time consuming process, hearkening back to the careful artistry and precision long cherished in the Japanese culture.

Drawing upon characters synonymous in traditional Japanese culture for their artful deftness such as the geisha and oiran, Moneyhun carefully drafts these complex paper-cuts first as line drawings. It is only after the initial drawing is complete that she begins the slow, methodical process of cutting around the lines to create sculptural drawings that delicately float, an interesting juxtaposition to their bold lines and composition.

To see more of Hiromi Moneyhun‘s work, please visit her website.

Artist found via Florida Mining. First image via Aethetica Magazine, all other images via the artist.

January 20, 2014
This American Life: Matthew Conradt

In one way or another, we all buy into the idea of “the American Dream“, we strive for success and prosperity. And if we haven’t achieved it, we’ll fake it ’till we make it. Or we’ll just fake it. In his mixed media work, Brooklyn artist Matthew Conradt looks at the contradictions we’ve built in our pursuit of the prosperous dream.

We buy McMansions with more space than we’ll ever need, filling them huge flat screens and designer knock-offs. We stand in line to upgrade to the latest phone, we trade in perfectly running cars for new. We’ll present ourselves as successful and prosperous, even if we are drowning in debt in our pursuit of a facade.

Conradt’s work begins with the collection of found imagery symbolic of American Life. The images are then reconstructed and transferred onto mylar in large scale form, reinforcing the “bigness” of American culture. The resulting images focus on the contradictions we find in our culture and how they creep into our subconscious.

To see more of Matthew Conradt‘s work, please visit his website.

All images are via the artist’s website. Artist found via Little Paper Planes.

January 17, 2014

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