Chick Art, Vol. IV

It's time for more Chick Art. Politics has been a huge digression lately, but as we return to optimism, so must we return to art. I have been curating an online show featuring Chick Art, which I have previously defined here. Here are more fine examples. Be sure to check out Vol. I - III. Hope you enjoy!

I adore the illustration of Ali Douglass, so much so, that I had a hard time selecting only a few images.

Junko Mizuno is world famous, so doesn't really need any words. But here's a few anyway. Her images are cute and down right nasty. I've described the yearning that is present in some chick art - none of that is present in Junko's work. Just strength, life, death, feminine power. Junko is obviously channeling Kali. Her work is impossible not to look at. Fans of Junko will know that I've selected rather tame imagery to display. But I dig it all. All I can say to Junko is - You Go Girl!

Image from Gallery Notcot.

I gotta thing for mermaids. And what can be better than a mermaid with blue hair? Junko's is particularly sexy. Image from Viz Media.

And like any hip, self-respecting, world-famous artist, Junko has designed some cool toys. I love her Qee and Dunny. Images from Milk Doll.

This item sold out so quickly on Fugitive Toys. Believe it or not - I was an ebay virgin. I wanted Junko's dunny so badly, I ordered her from ebay. My first ever order on ebay. Guess I should have stayed a virgin, my first transaction with ebay was not a good one. I paid for this item over a month ago (and paid a lot more than the Fugitive Toys' price) and I still have not received it. Oh well, that's a post for another day. I have an outstanding dispute with paypal. Every day I come home from work breathlessly hoping she is waiting at my door. I am still hopeful she will arrive. See the other cool toy I bought from ebay here.

I've already written about Jennifer Davis below. But I just had to feature her new work. Isn't this cute! Geeks have never been so hip. These would make great vinyl toys! Kidrobot, I think you should produce the whole set. Man, wouldn't that be a cool job - to be a talent scout for Kidrobot?

Bell is an artist I discovered on flickr. I've been following her set for a while. I have watched her work evolve and take on an individual style. She never ceases to fascinate me.

Love it, want it, wish I'd painted it.

I adore her custom I, WZL ninja.

She does groovy street art and works on a lot of groovy colabs. She and her boyfriend, Ciah, are artists to watch. I predict rapid rise to fame. Bell, baby, you need a blog.

Yearning is a big part of Chick Art. Lori Early's art defines yearning. In fact, her sublime work makes feminine yearning tangible. Sexy.

Images from Lori's flickr set (link).

Andrea Heimer's work is recognizable due to its popularity. Definitely, influenced by Lichtenstein, Heimer has elevated sad, romantic comic book chicks to an iconographic level. I love seeing her work featured with mid-century decor. Her new work is a bit of a departure from this style and infinitely more complex. Chicks yearning are still present, but the colors are amazing. Beyond technicolor. The forms are rather classic, but reinterpreted with a new philosophy of color. I dig this new direction. I will be eagerly watching her flickr set (link) to see her new works.

Wish I'd painted that!

Opportunities

The morning of November 5 was a jubilant one. Walking to work, people were smiling and had their heads up. Many were cheering. And everyone was saying good morning!

Indeed it was a great day. An optimistic day. At the stoplights people remarked that a new day had arrived. I have seen so much in my lifetime - a man walk on the moon, the invention of CD players, DVD players, the internet and cell phones, and now a black man elected president. But the election is not about that. It's about the hope and vision Obama brings. It's about the end of old boy politics. And I hope to see in my lifetime - the end of war.

I want to be a part of the recreating of America. For the first time in my adult life, I am excited about politics. Thank you for that great gift, President-Elect Obama.

I have already written about our responsibility to help our new president.

Here is one thing we can all do that is very simple. Change our language.

Let's replace the word challenge with opportunity. Instead of saying Obama has great challenges ahead, let's say we have great opportunities ahead.

We have a great opportunity to recreate America. And it can be fun. It doesn't have to be work.

Politics is Art, Art is Politics

I hope my readers will forgive my digression. As a sensitive, artistic soul, I have found it impossible not to be focused on politics of late.

I cannot stress enough that we must help Obama recreate America. He can't do it alone. He needed our votes and now he needs our support.

What does this have to do with art? Well, everything is art, and everything is political. Through this blog, I hope to demonstrate an integrative theory of art and politics. Politics needs the tempering of art, and art needs to be political. Art and politics go hand-in-hand. And how could they not? All things lead to the same path. We are all one. Or as Obama puts it, "Our similarities are greater than our differences."

Make no mistake, this election was not about race. It was about change and optimism. Old boy politics is over. Americans want and need change. And the only way to bring about the change we need is with love and compassion.

Obama's image is already becoming an iconographic representation of optimism and change.

Jenn Ski is one of my favorite artists. I love her illustration of Obama! For more iconographic art, see my previous post here.

Image by Peggy.

A touching moment from the rally in Columbus.

And another. This one says it all, doesn't it? Images from Obama's flickr set (link).

Opportunities Lie Ahead

Do some Good.

The energy lightened in the United States last week. Tangibly. On November 4, as I walked home from work, the sunset over Lake Erie was one of the most beautiful I'd ever seen. It wasn't necessary for me to watch the results, I knew. I knew Barack Obama was destined to be president. Not just because of his tenacity, but also because of the tenacity of voters.

U.S. citizens should be very proud of themselves for protecting their right to vote this election. Our last two elections may have been stolen from us, and we have been approaching fascism. Many volunteered at the polls to make sure Americans' votes were protected. When poll workers turned voters away because they were at the wrong site, a fleet of cars was available to take voters to the correct location. Lawyers volunteered at every site to resolve any discrepancies onsite.

For my international readers, I would like you to know that the majority of Americans are opposed to the war in Iraq. Yet, we were rendered powerless during the last administration.

The current foreign policy and its over- zealous attitude toward "terrorists" is bordering on witch-hunting. In the last eight years we have lost civil rights, and these must be regained, otherwise the terrorists have indeed won.

WTF? He looks like robocop! Who exactly do we need protection from? This is an example of one of the many armed forces in the United States. Frightening isn't it? Was this guy protecting the citizens of the U.S? No, we was watching a small peaceful group of homosexuals exercising their constitutional right to assembly. The U.S. is dangerously close to becoming a military state. It seems we did not learn the lessons of Eisenhower.

Americans are not complacent, nor lazy (after all most of us work 50 hours per week and never take vacations). They are afraid - and with good reason. However, we need to set aside our fear and recreate our beloved America.

The only people who didn't lose jobs in America during the Bush administration were cops. One night a friend and I were counting the number of armed forces that we knew of. City cops, state cops, county cops, FBI, DEA, ATF, Homeland Security, CIA, Secret Service, Department of Treasury..... I know I'm missing some. Then the universities have their own police forces, the RTA has its own police force, the metropolitan housing agency has its own police force. Yet, any time I have ever needed the assistance of the police, they never came.

What's the point of all of this? The point is Obama cannot do this alone. We must help him.

Optimism Has Returned to the U.S.

Congratulations to President-Elect Obama!

"From this day forward, politics, politicians and the people they serve will never be the same." Historian John Baick of Western New England College.

Barack the Vote!

Dear Barack, my heart goes out to you on the loss of your grandmother. What a bittersweet day for you. I know she will be with you during the challenges ahead.

The first political rally I ever attended. I love Barack so much I braved a crowd of about 80,000, stood on my feet for about eight hours and got rained on. And I'd do it again. This election is that important. I had to be a part of the optimism.

Once we've Baracked the vote, we must remember to continue to support Barack. Barack, I pray for you everyday.

For the first time in my adult life, I feel enthusiastic about a candidate.

Chick Art, Vol. III

Chick Art is the theme of the week here at Creative Influences. No discussion of contemporary chick art would be complete without mentioning the enigmatic Kathie Olivas. Kathie's rise to international fame has been exceptionally rapid. She is, perhaps, the queen of cute and creepy.

This brings up a very interesting point for me as a curator. I find all art fascinating, even if I don't find it aesthetically pleasing. The act of creation itself is fascinating. As an artist myself, I know that Olivas is creating what she must. But why?

This is the first time I have featured work that I do not find beautiful. In fact, I find it disturbing. Her images of ghostly children with nailed up mouths are at once compelling and repulsive. I would love to discuss this work with fellow artists, but I could never hang it in my home.

Images from Circus Posterus.

Olivas obviously resonates with a huge crowd, her popularity cannot be denied. When Olivas has a show, it sells out immediately. Witness her current show at My Plastic Heart entitled Uninvited Guests. The show opened on October 17, 2008 and is already sold out!

Images from Olivas' blog (link).



Okay, I admit it. I find her character Winston kinda cute.

But I still wouldn't hang this piece in my home. Image from My Plastic Heart. I would love to hear from my readers. What do you think of her art?

Chick Art, Vol. II

This is a subject I am fond of. Last week I promised more on this subject. See previous post here. I guess I should backtrack a little - Chick Art is art featuring chicks or done by chicks that appeals to the feminine psyche. It's a little cute, and a little creepy too. In my previous post, I quote Merriam Webster's definition of creepy. "That which produces a shivery anticipation." Good chick art has just the right amount of creepiness to offset the cuteness, rendering the work more edgy and complex. Just like a sexy, mysterious woman.

Probably the first, and most famous, artist to produce this type of work is Frida Kahlo. Ruthlessly unapologetic and biographic, her art speaks to the soul of feminist artists.

Images from OCAIW.

Frida said that she painted self-portraits the most because she knew herself the most. Through these remarkable portraits of agony, passion and longing, Frida has rendered herself an icon in the contemporary art world. Many contemporary artists paint Frida's image, lovingly paying homage to her very recognizable brow. The contemporary artists tend to create cuter images, but maintaining just the right amount of creepiness.

Artist Mara Cardenas Ruz (aka Lunara) is one artist who creates fascinating, loving images of Frida.

I adore these! What a fine tribute to Frida. Love the big eyes. Cute, but complex. My favorite is the blue one. I would love to have it. Even more than that, I wish I'd painted it. You simply must check out her other art, it is sublime. Mara's flickr set is here, her blog is here and her Etsy shop is here. Oh and Mara - Amelie is my favorite movie too!

Charming Frida collage by Heather Sleightholm of Audrey Eclectic. Heather's flickr set is here, Etsy shop is here, and her blog is here.

Viva Frida! The Frida in Heaven Series by Bethann Shannon available at Etsy.

Frida paintings by Tascha. Her Etsy shop is here and her blog is here.

Tomorrow we will look at the queen of creepy. Stay tuned.