Artist Review: Indigo

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Some of you may know her as a stencil artist, some of you may know her as a graffiti artist, some a dancer, and some of you will simply know her as the artist. All these combined, what do we have? A great person and an inspiration to nearly everyone within her reach; oh yes, she does reach far.

Me, as an observer, would define Indigo as a relentless worker who cannot say no. You can see it in her eyes (or hair)! It’s a drive that only people filled with life carry with them, like a little gerbil in a cage, tirelessly running on its little spin wheel. Time, location, hunger.. these are things that do not effect these types of people, and Indigo is definitely tested; starving artist she be.

Her artwork is graceful. You know the feeling you get when you watch an eagle soar through the air? Kinda like that. It just has a being, an existence to it. A natural essence that seems to say: “Yes, this is how it’s supposed to be, can’t you see?”

This artist is also an incredible writer. Read for yourself some of her blog posts. Her stories put you in places. I like those kind of stories, I like those kind of places, a realm of reality that you know exists there, or has existed in the past, but you’re just taking a break with a cup of tea right now on your dreaming to take you there.

One of her latest projects has been the wooden boxes and shelves that you see here. She touches on her thoughts of why she has started this project on her blog.

Indigo once told me when we were in discussion about stenciling (maybe illegally, maybe not): “It’s not just making the stencil cool, it’s about placement. You don’t just stick a little stencil in the middle of a giant wall, it just doesn’t fit.” These words just make sense for all art. Whether it’s stenciling on a wall, or in a collage, pasting onto a sign, dancing to a song, or painting on a canvas if it doesn’t fit, it’s not a proper piece. Yes, granted many artists push these  boundaries to new levels that expand the mind to immeasurable heights, but you still look at it and go: “My that looks easy,” or: “My that fits there.” Her art fits there.

Her artwork is easily available through her Cargoh storefront, but I mention this because they have just created a artist bio video of her, thats simply brilliant.

One of her recent projects is curating an art show at Becker Galleries in Granville Island here in Vancouver, you can see a bit of what to expect with this video:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq6k_2djVZs&feature=player_embedded]

Her next venture is a 4week stint in South Africa where she will be part of many great projects that range from desert festival group paintings, to teaching youth the art of expression, to showing in a few galleries that you need to follow her blog to stay updated on!

Note: All photos are courtesy of the artist.

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Artist Review: Hazel Dooney

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I have recently stumbled upon (no not using stumbled upon) the artwork of Hazel Dooney. To say the least, its inspiring. Hazel is from Sydney, Australia and has artwork on her website from 1995. From reading as much as I can of her blog, I understand why she claims she’s: “emerged as one of the Asia-Pacific region’s most controversial female artists.” This much is evident when her latest blog post starts off: “I am not a ‘joiner’. I am not a ‘people person’. I am solitary, prickly, and on most days absorbed in my work. I don’t like to be distracted. I don’t respond well to those who try.” Oh how this makes me squirm!

Her enamel stuff, one of which is shown above from her Dangerous Career Babes album, is not her stuff that I love the most.  A brief background on enamel: highly toxic and a carcinogenic material. The works of hers that I am awed by are her watercolor stuff. Its raw, very imaginative, and very free.

Her latest series is Flesh Eaters. I have taken a few of her pictures here that are the least provocative, yet still highly contagious. I highly suggest you go to her site to find more of her work, for I personally am in awe of this stuff. It’s just amazing. It reminds me of a the old statues with no arms and heads but just busts.

Hazel has received a lot of publicity from her highly suggestive and sexually extroverted works of art over the years, being banned from showing at certain galleries, which in reality only makes her work more stronger and interesting to the public; which is a good thing.

I have read on her blog that a lot of her work is being sold to China. I’m not sure what it means, but I really do associate the top enamel work with art that one would expect to see coming out of there. Its very precise, very exact, no errors, which is also why it shocks me to see them in contrast with her watercolors, or sketches. It’s very interesting to see such contrast.

From what I have read on her blog she is an extremely powerful and strong woman. She isn’t afraid to search what her mind can bring in a realm that most people blush and shy away from: Sexuality, nudity, feminism, and soft porn. To me, having an image, having a voice, having your own niche to sit in and dig deeper into the confines of (pop) cultures stereotypes or limitations is what artists are meant to do. Being able to spread the boundaries between what is thought, what is real, and what is something you have never dreamed of before is something I admire in an artist, and I definitely gravitate towards. This is what makes me sit in awe and amazement at the end of the day, and this is what Hazel does.

Her watercolor stuff, which I have only showcased one of, is simply amazing. When I sit looking at a raw blank canvas, this is what I wish would be accomplished. The colors are brilliant, and run in an amazing blending pattern that isn’t smooth, isn’t natural, but leaves so much up to the imagination its unreal how inspiring it is.

I hope you can find inspiration, as I have, from this work, for I’d like to ask you: what thoughts come to your mind when you look at them?

 

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