I've long been captivated by the work of pop surrealist darling Audrey Kawasaki. Her lithe and doe-eyed lovelies are both moving in their childish innocence and disquieting in their subtle eroticism.
I read an interview that quotes her as saying, "I paint them because they are distant, elusive, and unobtainable, and slip right through your hands. They are something I chase after, and that I grasp onto for a mere moment, and am forced to let go, and that is what keeps me painting."
I love that description of the moment of connection between artist and muse. I love that she paints the girls on wood and uses the grain in the image, which gives them a lovely organic feel, and that she tends to pale and washed out colors, like faded vintage ephemera.
It's the juxtaposition of opposites in her work that's most enchanting to me, and I especially love it when remnants of the natural world slip in ~ bones, feathers, sea creatures.
And the blush of swirling-haired art nouveau brings to mind echoes of another of my favorite artists, Alphonse Mucha, or the waves and flower-petals of Hokusai.
And look... tentacles, just for me.
You can immerse yourself in Audrey's exquisite world at her Web site, and keep up with her via her LiveJournal blog.
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2 comments:
These are absolutely stunning. I love them all, but especially the tentacles one. Great find ^_^
I did a Friday Favorites post about her awhile back...couldn't help it, her work is so enchanting. I love everything about it, from the subject matter to her unique color palette, to the way she slowly builds up layer upon layer of paint to create her signature effect. It is lovely and intoxicating work. I love the images you chose for your post.
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