Influences and Art History
There are so many great artists out there! Here are a few that have influenced and inspired me.
Adonna Khare
As a part of my 2019-2020 Drawing Class I did an Art History presentation on an artist from art history. Very recent art history and newer artists were included. I was given a long list of artists to pick from. After looking up most of the names on the list to see whose work struck me the most, I noticed Adonna Khare’s work. I admired her amazing skill at drawing photorealistic animals and objects. Her work felt so real it could almost have been breathing. I loved her mix of these photorealistic animals with strange objects that may go unnoticed at first glance. The strange atmosphere of her work was captivating and it went on to inspire my own. You can find the presentation I did on her below.
Photo is property of Eric Minh Swenson.
Colleen Atwood
Colleen Atwood is a well known costume designer who’s work has been an inspiration to me for some time. She has a distinctive talent for combining the historical and the strange and fantastical. I first noticed her work in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland but I would not properly take note of her work until I was a bit older. I admired her distinctive use of color and distinguishing color palette that allowed the characters to stand out while also complimenting and contrasting each other. I revere the attention to detail she puts into her designs and her key understanding of the characters she designs for. I am inspired to continue to bring those skills into my own work. I admire and am inspired by her style as it has come to influence my own over the years.
Photo is property of Raphael Pulido.
Remedios varo
As a part of my 2020-2021 Painting Class I did an Art History presentation on an artist from art history. Very recent art history and newer artists were included. I was given a long list of artists to pick from. I noticed the name Remedios Varo. I friend had recently introduced me to her work and it resonated with my own style. I loved her strange ethereal style and vibrant characters. When I was doing my research on her I found about how she often painted alter egos of herself, reflecting her thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This concept deeply resonated and was very familiar to me as I do something very similar in my own work. She soon became a great source of inspiration. You can find the presentation I did on her below.
Sandy Powell
When I was first discovering my love of costume design and the Victorian era at the age of 10, I watched the film The Young Victoria with costumes by Sandy Powell. The beautiful designs further established my deep love for the time periods clothing. Around the same time that I first watched it Sandy Powell did a talk at the Ghetty Center about the costumes for The Young Victoria and I got really excited and I went to listen to her. I remember coming back home thinking of her reverently and inspired by what she said and more apprehensive than ever to become a costume designer. Her work is an inspiration to me and is something that stuck in my mind through the years. If I remember correctly her talk was the very thing that made me decide to be a costume designer rather than a fashion designer because she mad me realize that I could work more closely with and pay tribute to historical clothing. Her style is also another that truly stuck with me and influenced my own.
