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If you want cold hard proof that inspiration can come from ANYWHERE… you’re lookin’ at it! Ah, this is the brilliant, innovative, and hilarious work of UK based artist @smallditch aka Martha Haversham {doesn’t that sound kinda royal/Bridgerton-ish!?}. I’ve been following Martha since her foraging/collaging journey began a few years ago, and I never get tired of seeing her “found fashion”. Um, can we talk about the cat!? I mean, COME ON! Pure gold.

Be still my collage-loving heart! This is the gorgeous {and beautifully cut!} work of New York based, South Asian artist Maya Varadaraj. In all of her work, Maya “engages South Asian material culture to redefine feminine narratives and representations.” I came across her work because some of these collages are currently included in a group show, curated by Nico Wheadon, at Sapar Contemporary in New York. Here is the gallery’s description of “Home Body”:

In ‘Home Body’, Elia Alba, Baseera Khan, Sola Olulode and Maya Varadaraj offer visions of personhood that transcend the labels, limits, and roles prescribed on Earth. Here, the body is not merely a vessel for participation in the material world. Instead, it is what poet Rupi Kaur describes as a colony of miracles—a home, or interior world, to return to and find refuge in. As we approach a year of learning to live with social distance and self quarantine, a reimagining of the body as sanctuary has never felt more timely or essential.

Ah, so well said. Happy Monday.

“Women Words” by American artist Betty Tompkins. There are decades of history behind this work, but these are some of the latest iterations of a series that now includes thousands of paintings, and mixed media pieces. These ones, ripped from the pages of art history books*, are the most recent {2017-2020}. I found so many interesting interviews with Betty, that instead of retelling the story, I just pulled my favorite bits from several places:

In 2002 and 2013, Tompkins circulated the following email: “I am considering doing another series of pieces using images of women comprised of words. I would appreciate your help in developing the vocabulary. Please send me a list of words that describe women. They can be affectionate (honey), pejorative (bitch), slang, descriptive, etc. The words don’t have to be in English but I need as accurate a translation as possible. Many, many thanks, Betty Tompkins.” Over 3,500 words and phrases were submitted in seven languages, equally split between men and women. – Gavlak Gallery

…

Tompkins had bought more than *60 art history textbooks and was tearing out pages, unapologetically defacing some of the world’s best-known paintings and using female figures as canvases for unused suggestions for “Women Words.” “I come from a family where you couldn’t even crack the spine of a book, let alone tear out a page,” she recalled, admitting that “it was a lot of fun!” – Artnet Interview

…

ELLE: A lot of anger, violence and frustration towards women comes out through this process of audience participation. How do you deal with that?

BT: I have a really good sense of humour, and I think it’s saving my life – and my blood pressure! There was one guy who had written ‘the only thing that would make her more beautiful would be my dick in her mouth’ and I thought, who is this guy? You have to laugh. Someone else had written ‘heck, most people don’t like women’ and I thought ‘okay, let’s think about this one!’ – Elle Magazine Interview

…

Words on Mona Lisa above: “POOPSIE” IS A WORD USED BY MY EX-BOYFRIEND WHICH I THOUGHT WAS SEXIST AND DEMEANING. HE MIGHT HAVE TREATED ME NICE BUT I WAS HIS CONCUBINE, BOUND FEET, DYSLEXIC, SUZY WONG OR TROPY WIFE. AFTER A SEVEN YEAR REATION, HE GOT HIS 7-YEAR ITCH. HE GOT ME ARRESTED FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AFTER I GOT LAID OFF. I WAS HOMELESS FOR 6 MONTHS. EH ENCOURAGED ME TO COLLECT DISABILITY BENEFITS WHILE HE SURFED THE NET FOR A WIFE. SHE JUST HAPPENS TO BE 29 YEARS OLD. IN ADDITION, HE KEEPS HIS 2 HOUSES IN PROVINCETOWN AS WELL AS HIS RENT-STABILIZED APARTMENT. OF COURSE THERE IS NO WORD FOR A MAN UNLESS HE IS A CASANOVA, A PLAYBOY, AND OTHER POSITIVE THINGS TO PROVE HIS VIRILITY. – via @bettytompkinsart on Instagram

Kick-ass women are my favorite.

 

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Gasp! It’s a teeny tiny magical fairyland! This is the delicate, meticulous work of Swiss artist Mathilde Tinturier. I wrote about her a couple of years ago {2019}, but every time one of her creations scrolls by in my Instagram feed, I catch my breath. Bits of nature – from colorful feathers and seed pods, to found petals and old leaves curling over on themselves – covered in homemade confetti, beads and pins all dangling from the ceiling, being gently moved by the wind. Aaaaand, exhale.

{Her work is available via Le Salon Vert, Geneva.}

Okay, now that image is exactly how you start a post about an artist who creates “locative collages”! It’s art. On a lily pad. Floating out into a lake!? This can only mean one thing… yes, Angela Gobbens, aka @miss.printed, is on the podcast this week! She’s a Dutch artist who now lives in a little red house in Norway. However, before she started placing tiny people out into the big wide world, she studied politics and didn’t consider herself an artist. Yeah. Listen right up there under that floaty fellow, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and or Spotify.

First up, some of Angela’s “locative” collages that I posted a few weeks ago:

Aren’t they fan-frickin-tastic? Little bits of joy in the most unexpected places.

Now, maybe it’s because it’s snowy and cold in Norway and Canada at the moment, or perhaps it’s the excitement of seeing art battle the elements… either way, I have to show you a few of Angela’s collages IN. THE. SNOW:

Gah! I love those “locative” shots! Those people are so tiny… out there all alone on snowy fence posts, outside Angela’s backdoor, and frozen into puddles. LOVE.

Speaking of LOVE, here’s the Scandinavian Collage Museum in all its glory:

Seriously, I HAVE to make this happen in my tiny town! {I’m working on it and will keep you posted.} And then of course, there are the many other projects Angela has on the go:

Ha! That lil pink slug. Alas, his journey has come to an end, but FEBRULLAGE 2021 is about to start this MONDAY {do it!}, and The Collage Garden is ongoing as well. Hm, I forgot to ask Angela when she sleeps. Next time.

And finally, as promised, after we chatted Angela bundled up and stepped out into the cold Norwegian landscape with a lovely {and about to be very cold} mermaid:

 

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Ahhh, magical! Imagine going for a walk and seeing this little lady lying in the snow? *Sigh* And with that, I will say thank you so much to Angela for sharing her story with me, and thanks to you for listening! There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Angela on Instagram, aka @miss.printed
2. The Scandinavian Collage Museum
3. Februllage Prompts for 2021 {in partnership with Edinburgh Collage Collective}
4. The Collage Garden
5. The Pink Slug {no longer happening, but oh so sweet}
6. Kolaj Magazine

As a mixed media artist myself, I’m a huge fan of Austin based artist Deborah Roberts. AND – talk about good timing – she has a huge show opening at The Contemporary Austin THIS WEEKEND, Saturday January 23, 2021! (ps. tickets are required because of social distancing… get them right here). I had so many questions for her about, well, everything from process to the underlying message in her very powerful, stop you in your tracks work. I read part of her artist statement during the episode, because it just so beautifully explains why Deborah does what she does, so I’m going to put it right here too:

“Wading through my work, you must look through multiple layers, double meanings and symbols. My process combines found and manipulated images with hand drawn and painted details to create hybrid figures. These figures often take the form of young girls and increasingly Black boys, whose well being and futures are equally threatened because of the double standard of boyhood and criminality that is projected on them at such a young age. The boys and girls who populate my work, while subject to societal pressures and projected images, are still unfixed in their identity. Each child has character and agency to find their own way amidst the complicated narratives of American, African American and art history.” ~ Deborah E. Roberts

See? So good. You can listen right up there under “Hip Bone”, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and or Spotify. Okay… first up, a few of my favorite girls:

Oh my goodness… that final piece! It’s titled “Fighting All the ISM”. Look at everything that goes into each piece… drawing, painting, flat patterns, and zillions of photographs all coming together in perfect harmony.

As Deborah mentioned, the boys needed to be included too. Here are just a few of them:

Gorgeous! It’s their expressions that get me… which is kind of amazing since each face is made up of so many bits from so many people.

Now, I just mentioned this quickly, but yes, Deborah’s work has also graced the the cover of Harper’s Bazaar UK:

Gah! I love those two girls so much. Obviously, I had to include this shot of Deborah in the studio with these pieces because, SCALE!

And finally, the boys and girls all together with…

… the woman who painted, drew and collaged them into existence! Thank you so much to Deborah for taking time out of this very busy, pre-show, week (so exciting!) to come on the podcast; and of course, thanks to YOU for listening. There will be more ART FOR YOUR EAR next weekend.

Other links:

1. Deborah on Instagram
2. “I’m” at The Contemporary Austin: Jan 23, 2021 – August 15, 2021 {reserve tickets}
3. Gallery shots above: Stephen Friedman Gallery, London
4. Susanne Vielmetter Gallery, Los Angeles
5. Harper’s Bazaar UK

Sigh. This is the gorgeous collage work of Tanzanian-Nigerian, Atlanta based artist Marryam Moma. Her artist statement is just as powerful & beautiful as her work, so I’ll hand it over to Marryam:

“At the core of my art practice, I aim to empower and uplift the black female body. Unveiling the magic within this race of people breaks collective contemporary stereotypes, thus changing attitudes and perceptions of black women, allowing society to discover her beauty, ability to add value, appreciate and celebrate her. My collages are focused on elevating the importance of the black experience and this body, in a commitment to exploring the space where spirituality and higher consciousness, gender, race, and sexuality intersect … It is my intention to change the dynamics of how the black body is viewed in a society that is divisive versus inclusive. My work raises awareness that sparks discussions around traveling back into the higher self through racial reconciliation and gender equality. I hope to create a space in which the black body is celebrated.”

See? Beautiful.

*bio photo by @timberhousefilms. Thx to Clare Celeste for pointing me to Marryam’s work.

Ahhh, the super weird and wonderful work of LA based artist Debra Broz. I’ve written about her before and – fun fact – that duck-dog up there is a result of Debra being on my podcast five years ago! Yep, after we recorded, I sent her that dog head from a thrift shop in my town, and she turned it into art! Some of her mix-mashed critters are part of an upcoming group show, titled “Salvage” at Paradigm Gallery + Studio {Philadelphia}, curated by Christopher Jobson, the editor of the fabulous arts & culture site Colossal. Here’s the statement for “Salvage”:

“In a culture awash in disposable objects and materiality, it is seemingly impossible to determine what has finally outlived its usefulness or nostalgic pull only to be relegated to storage, the thrift store, or finally, the landfill. This faded sentiment is just the beginning of the journey for this group of four artists who use their abilities to miraculously salvage fragments of tradition and culture that were destined to be lost, relegated to the periphery, or buried forever.”

There’s a virtual opening and live Curator and artist Q&A on Friday, January 22, 2021 • 5:30pm EST Tickets available, RIGHT HERE.

Found images ‘n embroidery… one of my most favorite combinations! Also one of my favorite things… work that focuses on empowering women. This is an ongoing series by Seattle based artist Renee Nixon titled “Recombombulated”. Here are her words about this project, and how you can purchase a piece:

“These ladies are, quite literally, my attempt to work through harm done to myself (and so many others) by callous, entitled, powerful men. They are also a direct representation of the work we have done, and continue to do, to stitch our lives and ourselves back together. There is no going back, but perhaps there is a new kind of beauty in the strength to move forward.”

So powerful. Now, if you’re thinking you’d like to buy one…  “I’ve had offers to buy some of my ladies, but it felt a bit like a betrayal to sell something so intrinsically tied to myself and my experience. Instead, I’ve decided to gift them in exchange for a donation to the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, or something similar in your local area if you don’t live in Seattle. There’s no minimum donation, but I do hope that you’ll give (very) generously. Just tell me you donated today (or any future day), and I will send you a lady. Requests for specific ladies will be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis.” Amazing.

Well this gets the heart racing on the first Monday back to work, no? ART YOU CAN WEAR! Oh my word, I love every single one of these fun ‘n fabulous pieces {notice I kicked things off with Chuck and Di, obviously}. Mouchkine Jewelry is a collaboration between two French designers, Anne-Christine Nadal and Jean-Marie Boillot, who are also partners in life. Exquisite kitschiness, high and low materials living in perfect harmony, each piece handmade in France. Sigh. So, so fabulous. ps. Don’t you think Frida Kahlo would’ve worn all of this?