I wanted to share about one of the collage pieces I’ve been working on for a few weeks. I’ve been feeling more at home in my new body, post radiation, and it’s been nice to feel inspiration and creativity awaken in my body like a sleepy, hungry little bear after a winter of hibernation.
During my Radiation Rendezvous (my friend Chandler coined that little diddy) I watched “Frida” for the first time and was absolutely jolted with energy by the visuals and, of course, Salma’s acting (honestly SNUBBED at the Oscars!!). I did the deepest dive I’ve ever done into Frida’s work and while down that rabbit hole, found myself being drawn to even more painters and illustrators.
People have often asked me where I draw inspiration for my work, and my truth is that I find inspiration in almost anything that visually entrances me. Historically, I have mostly used other photography or realistic mediums to inspire my photography and collage art. My collage art started off imitating old Tiger Beat magazines and more recently I find myself trying to create worlds within my pieces.
Lately, I’ve been drawing inspiration from paintings and illustrators. I love the textures I see in illustrations. I love line work and how it can range from thin to thick or smooth to scratchy. I love that line work can become unique to an illustrator and help them create their own style. I love how some painters, like Frida, use symbolism in their pieces to describe emotion or tell a story. I love how paintings can be like visual metaphors. And if you hadn’t noticed, I love a metaphor. I love similes. I love painting pictures with my words. Suddenly, I want my photographs to look like paintings. I want to make films that look like a painting that got up and painted itself in front of you, in real time.
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