Tag Archives: Artist

Out Artist Nicole Eisenman Announced As Winner Of The MacArthur ‘Genius Grant’

The MacArthur “Genius Grant” winners were announced yesterday; and top of that list was out lesbian painter and visual artist Nicole Eisenman.

Eisenman, the fellowship for “expanding the critical and expressive capacity of the Western figurative tradition through works that engage contemporary social issues and phenomena.”

Eisenman has been showing in New York since the early 1990s. She is famed for using an incredible skill-set, which is fairly traditional in many ways, but for years turned out pointed paintings on paper, collages, pictures of sexism and lesbian love.

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On the award, Eisenman says

I was totally surprised; I never thought I was the kind of person to get a grant like that,”

Cartoonist Alison Bechdel Countered Dad’s Secrecy About His Sexuality By Always Being Open About Hers

Since coming out as at the age of 19, graphic novelist Alison Bechdel has made it a point to be open about her sexuality.

It was a decision she made consciously as a reaction to her father – who was gay and closeted – who sadly died four months after Bechdel came out.

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Talking Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross, Bechdel says

In many ways my life, my professional career has been a reaction to my father’s life, his life of secrecy. I threw myself into the gay community, into this life as a lesbian cartoonist, deciding I was going to be a professional lesbian. In a way, that was all my way of healing myself.”

Also read: ‘My Old Flame’ by Alison Bechdel

In 2006, Bechdel’s “healing” took the form of a graphic novel called Fun Home, in which she details her own coming out, and how she grappled with her father’s death, which she suspects may have been a suicide.

Alison Bechdel 03

Fun Home has since been turned into a Broadway play, which recently won five Tony Awards, including the award for best musical.

Bechdel says seeing her life story put to music was a visceral experience:

I was kind of blown away. I was not at all prepared to hear the music. … It was much more emotional than I had been anticipating.”

Listen to her interview below, where Fun Home lyricist Lisa Kron and composer Jeanine Tesori join Bechdel in a conversation about the play.

Broadway To Have its First Ever Lesbian Lead Character Next Month

Broadway is to have its first ever lesbian lead character from next month.

Award-winning musical Fun Home, about family, sexuality and acceptance will open at the Circle in the Square Theatre on April 19, following an extended run off-Broadway.

The musical is based on the graphic memoir Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel. The coming-of-age musical revolves around Bechdel’s dysfunctional family and relationship with her late father, who as a closeted gay man who ran a funeral home and taught English in rural Pennsylvania.

The musical, a finalist for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for drama, begins previews at the Circle in the Square Theatre on April 19 after a sold-out, extended run Off Broadway.

Also: Book Review | Fun Home – A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

Director Sam Gold told Reuters:

“It is the first lesbian lead character in the history of musical theater and that is a story that needs to be told. It feels like a very good time in our culture to give voice to that character.”

Tony nominee Lisa Kron has adapted the book and provided lyrics to Jeanine Tesori’s music.

The non-linear play will star three actresses as Bechdel. Beth Malone will play the adult version, while Emily Skeggs and Sydney Lucas will play younger versions.

“All of these things are swirling around Fun Home as we tell the story of the detrimental cost of shame, and that is ultimately what this is about, and the redemption that comes from forgiveness and living in truth.”

Beth Malone

Tony winner Michael Cerveris will play father Bruce Bechdel.

“I think people are able to identify with the struggles of these characters, the aspects of being a family. They are not focusing solely on Alison’s or Bruce’s sexual orientation.”

Michael Cerveris

Taste and See – New Exhibit by Cornelius Browne

Cornelius BrowneDid you know that the average person has about 10,000 taste buds and they’re replaced every 2 weeks or so?

Cornelius Browne – a once successful art director and illustrator, and now teaching specialist training for young adults with Emotional Behaviour Disorder – is exhibiting his latest work at The Mind Café in London. Since 1987, Cornelius has used his skills to explore different ways of using art to meditate on scriptures. He also runs workshops that teach these skills.

His new exhibition explores the incredible human ability to taste and features original oils of different tasty visuals. It was inspired by a workshop he facilitated in May on the neuro-anatomy of taste. The works produced in one of the workshops took hime back to my early days as an artist which involved rendering reflections in wine glasses. A few of the works on show
reflect this early passion of mine.

KitschMix: What inspired you to create these?

Cornelius Browne: I run regular workshops on neuro anatomy with the aim of helping my clients to manage their emotions. Art is one of the tools we use in the process.

Recently I did a session on the anatomy of taste. The outcome of the art workshops led me to engage in a full-blown collection of my own.

KM: Visually the collection is extremely realistic. How did you cope with the challenges of creating such realistic looking pieces?

CB: This was not a challenge at all. In fact it was fun. In recent years my art style has been abstract and semi-abstract. Realism was what I reveled in when I was in art school. So it’s rather refreshing and a bit nostalgic.

KM: So how long ago was at school?

We are talking about 1976 – 1979

KM: Could you tell us more about how your creative flair developed?

CB: I started painting seriously from childhood. In a sense I am self taught. I attended the University of Benin Art School in Nigeria. Then worked in advertising as an Art Director until 1986. I did some stint in local government as senior designer for Newham Council and lastly as Graphic design manager for Barnet Council.

I also did some post graduate studies at the London University of the Arts.

KM: What medium have you used to create these pieces?

CB: The medium is mainly oils, but one of the pieces is acrylic.

KM: I must say the images are delightful, why the title ‘Taste and See’?

CB: ‘Taste and See’ is a scripture from the Bible. Precisely Psalms 34: 8

KM: So is the Bible your inspiration then?

CB: It is a lot deeper than that. I am a co-founder of a Christian Cognitive approach to managing the Mind (The G.Y.M.)

The Art is one of the tools we use in meditation.

KM: Tell us more about the G.Y.M.

CB: The G.Y.M. stands for Guard Your Mind. My wife, a consultant psychiatrist and I came up with the idea about 8 years ago. It  uses contemporary developments in neuro-science with a faith based approach to facilitate optimum emotional well being and performance.

KM: So how long is the exhibition for?

CB: It starts with a private view on Thursday 3rd July at 6.00 pm. (which all your followers are welcome to) and ends on 31st July 2014.

Cornelius-Browne

‘My Old Flame’ by Alison Bechdel

Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist, best known for the long-running comic strip ‘Dykes to Watch Out For’.

She began ‘Dykes to Watch Out For’ as a single drawing labeled “Marianne, dissatisfied with the morning brew: ‘Dykes to Watch Out For’, plate no. 27”.

Over the years Bechdel’s comic strip involved into multi-paneled strips introducing a regular cast of lesbian characters – Mo and her friends, and a serialised storyline. ‘Dykes to Watch Out’ For was the origin of the “Bechdel test,” which has become a frequently used metric in cultural discussion of film.

Since Dykes to Watch Out For, Bechdel has produce other graphic memoirs, ‘Fun Home’ and ‘Are You My Mother?’. The focus of ‘Are You My Mother?’ was Bechdel relationship with her mother, and ‘Fun Home’ chronicles the her childhood in rural Pennsylvania, United States, focusing on her complex relationship with her father.

Bechdel is featuring in the The New Yorker, and their love-stories-themed Summer Fiction Issue.

This new comic – ‘My Old Flame’, has Bechdel reflecting on an old flame. Bechdel came out as a lesbian at age 19 and her sexual identity are a large part of the core message of her work.

“The secret subversive goal of my work is to show that women, not just lesbians, are regular human beings.”

Alison Bechdel

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Amazing Life-Sized Drawings of Animals by Fiona Tang

Fiona Tang is a Vancouver-based art student who creates amazing, life-sized drawings of animals that appear to pop right off of the paper.

Although the artworks look incredibly three-dimensional, each piece is actually a completely flat and 2D drawing, created using a variety of technics such as charcoal, acrylic paint, conte, and chalk pastel.

A regal deer looks straight at the viewer; a whale emerges from the wall to battle a menacing shark; and a crocodile pokes its snout out from the wall.

The technique behind these drawing is called trompe l’oeil, which uses realistic imagery to make 2D objects appear 3D. This technique, combined with Tang’s expressive gestural method of drawing, make for impressive, eye-popping artworks that seem to have a life of their own.

I am an Artist in progress living in Vancouver and am currently attending Emily Carr University of Art and Design. I started doing art a couple of years ago, and despite my parents disapproval, I have stuck to and fought for my art. I love sketching, to the point where I will catch myself looking at my surroundings as sketches. Art is not only my passion, but also my outlet and therapy; it always manages to cheer me up. The posts with my tumblr link on them are made by me. You are more than welcome to reblog them but please give me credit =] If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Nice to meet you all and welcome to my little art world!

Fiona Tang

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Image source

Powerful Campaign Addressing Gender Based Street Harassment of Women

In 2012, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh started her campaign Stop Telling Women to Smile in hopes of addressing gender based street harassment, and to create a safe street environment for women through social impact.

For many women, just walking down the street can mean being subject to harassment by men; from subtle comments to overtly hostile remarks. Fed up with such treatment, Tatyana decided to speak out. Her response was an illustrated of her self with a caption “Stop Telling Women To Smile” and plastered copies all around her Brooklyn neighbourhood.

Since then, Fshe has created more posters with each piece featuring a different woman, and a caption that reflects their own experiences with public harassment.

With $35,000 raised on Kickstarter, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh has now taken her project on the road to Chicago, Boston and the West Coast.

The project consists of a series of portraits of women – women who I have sat talked with about their experiences with harassment. The portraits are designed into posters, including text that is inspired by the subject’s experiences.

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh


Synopsis

Stop Telling Women to Smile is an art series by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh. The work attempts to address gender based street harassment by placing drawn portraits of women, composed with captions that speak directly to offenders, outside in public spaces.

Tatyan Falalizadeh is an illustrator/painter based in Brooklyn, mostly known for her oil paintings. Having recently branched out into public art as a muralist, STWTS was born out of the idea that street art can be an impactful tool for tackling street harassment.

STWTS started in Brooklyn in the fall of 2012. It is an on-going, travelling series and will gradually include many cities and many women participants.

Street harassment is a serious issue that affects women world wide. This project takes women’s voices, and faces, and puts them in the street – creating a bold presence for women in an environment where they are so often made to feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

Who the f*ck is Metafor?

I’m just a kid speaking my mind through quotes & sh*t.

Take  a closer look at I Am Metafor. The concept is simple – its a collection of inspiring quotes to inspire the young (and old) people everywhere. The style is real and the messages are true. We at Kitsch are inspired by the creativity of a young and talented mind.

My aim is not to please. I’m just speaking my mind through quotes, I’m on a journey to find myself…

Image source – www.iammetafor.tumblr.com

Get it while it’s hot! Valentine’s For Pizza Lovers

Choosing the ideal card for your Valentine could be an overwhelming assignment. Well maybe, until I cam across these beauties; pizza-themed Valentine’s Day cards. This is an ideal gift for those who cherish pizza and love.

Photo: Etsy

Grayson Perry talks fashion

How would you relate the concept of ‘fashion’ to the one of ‘style’?

Fashion is a way to orchestrate the spectacle of ideas. You can get someone who is fashionable but not terribly stylish, and the other way round. I can poo-poo fashion, but it actually plays out in the same way as art: we need the freshness, we need the novelty. As human beings, we are addicted to novelty. Part of being stylish is surprisingness. Part of being an artist is surprisingness. If there are ingredients of beauty, it certainly is one of them. Surprise is like a spice on the meal, it makes you say: “woo”.

From – http://www.anothermag.com – The Best of Intellectual Fashion