THE HIDDEN ARTIST

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A "SLUT"

The Harlot by Andrea Monroe

You read it right. I said slut. This was not the first time or the exact word my ex-boyfriend used to insult my integrity. What he actually said was HARLOT. Now, who uses that word these days anyway? Him...that's who. But I'll get into the story of why he verbally abused me after we visit all the sexually jousting labels women of the evening have been called for centuries.

Let's begin with a little history. The "oldest profession in the world," according to Wikipedia, is prostitution or the business of engaging in sexual relations in exchange for payment. A person who works in this field is called a prostitute (and otherwise as you will shortly learn). Prostitute is derived from the Latin prostitua, a composition of pro and stature, which means to cause to stand, to station, place erect, in other words "to put up front for sale." Because most of us know what a prostitute (male or female) does, I don't need to get into details. But for the sake of keeping on point in my article, I will address  the names women have been called under the general umbrella of sex for hire.

In alphabetical order we have: ball buster, bawd, bitch, call girl, changa, chippie, cock-chafer, cocotte, coquette, courtesan, cyprian, moll, moxie, drab, fancy woman, flirt, floozy, lady of easy virtue, lady of pleasure, lady of the night, libertine, harlot, ho, hooker, hussy, hustler, scarlet woman, siren, slattern, slut, street walker, strumpet, tart, temptress, ten o'clock girl, third legger, tickle tail, tramp, vamp, wench, whore, and working girl.

The Oiran and her Pussy by Andrea Monroe

Then there's the historical terminologies: ying-chi—the first Chinese prostitutes, devadasis—women forced into prostitution in the service of the Hindu goddess, Yellamma, comfort women—recruited Korean women sent to brothels for Japanese military pleasure during WWII, auletrides—Greek prostitutes with added talents like juggling, acrobatics, and dancing, ganika—an elite tier of Indian prostitution, zonah—female prostitute of the Hebrew Bible, hetaira—high class courtesan of Athens (so great was her beauty she'd sit as a model for statues of Aphrodite), and oiran—distinguished prostitute of Japan (unlike the Geisha who were primarily entertainers).

Now, back to me. First off, I'm not a prostitute, a hussy, or a whore. Even in my somewhat promiscuous years during the sexually driven 80s did I EVER take a cent for my services—I mean affairs. Come to think of it, if I had, I'd probably be a pretty wealthy woman today (after investments in Apple, of course). But alas, I'm just a working girl of a different kind who also paints—AND tolerates insults given by frustrated ex-boyfriends. So, why did he call me a harlot? I'm still not sure. We'd been bantering in emails about something that seems so meaningless now. But I do think he got himself fueled over a FB profile picture I'd used—a selfie created by Photo Booth on my Mac of me haughtily looking at the camera, arms sorta crossed in front of me to push what little I have in the my chest area up into suppulent bosom-ness. Here's the "come hither" photo below.

I'm asking you—is this too over the top? Do you see any nipples showing? My tongue is in my mouth, right? I think its perfect for someone who is newly divorced and over fifty. That decree alone gives carte blanche to any middle-aged woman who hopes to appeal to the opposite sex. Plus—a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to get a little nookie—I mean, attention around here. All kidding aside, my self-portrait did not warrant anyone calling me a name nobody has used since 12th Century England. Needless to say, his doing so kinda pissed me off—like to no end and back and to no end again. But instead of pin balling it out there in the twilight zone of anger and despair, I decided to take that negative energy and make it (better yet—paint it) into something more positive. Thus, The Harlot series was born.

Mind you, the series is a work in progress. I've only painted three so far—two of them are pictured here. I have every intention of doing more that will evidently reflect a mixture of history, color, pattern, and my sense of humor. The only problem I foresee in getting any done in a timely manner is I have my regular non-prostitutional day job to attend to and the fact that I really don't have any more ex-boyfriends to insult me. Sometimes one just needs that little blast up the ass to get a painting off the ground. Until then, I may not be up for sale, but the paintings are. 

Prints of The Harlot series are available for purchase on Etsy. The original paintings (that are NOT small btw) are available through me at dreymonroe@gmail.com. 

THE HIDDEN ARTIST

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A "THRIFTY" WARDROBE STYLIST

I know a woman with an amazing theatre background from the east coast. You'd automatically think, "Ah—she must be so cool and stylish," but to see her at first glance, you'd think she never shopped at any place but WalMart—and I mean the sale rack at WalMart. I've stood next to women dressed in Prada jackets all the way down to Gucci shoes. Most of them set off their outfits with some version of the same stupid brown leather bag stamped with someone's (but I won't say who's) initials all over it because they believe their image can only be dictated by the small percentage of fashion designers who sell them their identity. Be it WalMart or Barneys, there are a lot of women (yes, and men too) who lack something called style.

Style, according to Merriam-Webster, is a distinctive manner of expression, or custom of behaving, or a manner in which something is done, created, performed or worn. I don't know about you, but that screams uniqueness to me, not cookie-cut, regardless of who's name is on the label and no matter what the current fashion trend is. Don't get me wrong. I'm not down on fashion, the trend, or the designers who produce it. I just can't, nor will I, pay top dollar for something I most likely can create on my own. That's where thrift shops come in. Without getting into whether they are for profit or not, I personally want to thank God for Goodwill, Out of Closet, NCJW Council Thrift, Valley Thrift, and Salvation Army to name just a few.

Perhaps, you're muttering under your breath, that people like me are blessed with something often referred to as "a sense of style." Granted, my background experience is heavy with retail fashion work (both high and low) and I've spent most of my life here in Los Angeles working in the TV industry as a costumer. But my so-called sense began with these words, "I don't give a shit what you think." Of course, that mindset can be pretty dangerous when used out of context—like blurting out insults at your supervisor during a morning meeting. Although, I never did that, I haven't cared much for following the herd, especially when it came to how I dressed.

Hypothetically, I'd like to take you through my day at the thrift store. To begin with, we must start with the attitude "I don't give a shit what you think." That means not caring what your friends think of you for exposing yourself to such degradation or you minding who you might be shopping next to in that isle of moth-holed sweaters because you WILL most likely run into some woman who is having a small episode with Tourette's Syndrome. Basically, you create a bubble around yourself and begin your hunt. For me, the hunt is in the kill. The kill, to be specific of me only, is a designer item or something of great quality that is in good condition in my size and is under $15. Back in the day, I could bring home bags and bags of clothing being the size 8 I was. Naturally that made me broke, but "KILL! KILL! KILL!" was my motto. Now that I'm older, menopause does not a thrift store junkie change—only her body. Thus the kill means A LOT more to me if I find something in a large/extra-large or size 14.

Now, that we have your new attitude in check, there a few basic guidelines to help you find your kill, or kills (given you are lucky enough to be smaller than myself). Know what neckline looks best on you. Deep U-shapes and V's look great on me. Round looks nicer on other women. I don't buy tailored collars, but mandarin style. For one, a tailored collar is way too conservative for someone who doesn't give a shit what other people think. A mandarin style is—well, different. Next, know what it is you want to show off and what you want to hide...like those muffin tops. Something blouson and gathered into a hip band is a perfect camouflage for that. Have a general idea of what your flattering colors are. Are you Spring—bright, sunny, turquoise, salmon, watermelon, or Summer—pastel rose, periwinkle, sage, or Autumn—earthy, natural moss, terra cotta, rust, or Winter—crisp, distinctive jewel tones, black, and white? Learn a little bit about fabric. Used to be we only had purity to contend with—wools, silks, and cottons, then came polyesters and rayons. Today there is so much crap out there that it makes me want to scream. Basically, they will found in Chinese manufactured labels from cheaper department stores like WalMart, Kohl's, Target, Sears, etc., but they've made their way to H&M, Forever 21, and even Chico's. Basically, I still go for the pure—cashmere, wool, cotton, and silk, which is finally making it's way back to replace those hideous polyesters. As far as brands go, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Gap, some Target items, and Ann Taylor are pretty good mid-range labels to buy. If you are familiar with the designers carried at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Ave., Barneys, specialty boutiques, or even some of those at Macy's, you've pretty much made a score. 

For some women, classic styles are best. Let's face it, how many different ways can one fashion a button-down cardigan? You might as well hold on to those for half a century. For people like me, a little quirk is better—a zipper at the shoulder or an asymmetrical body. My only advise is to steer away from trends that thankfully left the current market. Like those oversized butterfly sleeves or the irregular printing technique on pressed-in wrinkles that found its way to every high and low-end department store a few years back, or worse, those God-forsaken cardigan sweaters with all that stupid front-flowing lapel work. What? Three years of that shit wasn't enough? Jeez. But do use some fashion faux pas to your benefit. Those extremely oversized XS tops from two years ago will fit a larger woman today and have her in the current style trend at the same time.

And here are some thrift store hints. The more organized the store, the quicker the shop. Places like Valley Thrift, some Goodwill stores, and NCJW Council Thrift Stores itemize by colors and length of sleeves. Sometimes you might even find a plus-size section set apart from all those anorexic fitted styles. Keep in mind that places like Out of Closet and Salvation Army aren't as organized, but they tend to have "designer" sections and with a little bit more patience you might still find a treasure in the mill. 

In closing, I want to say the best part of thrift shopping is recycling it back in—and its guilt free because you didn't spend hundreds of dollars. Fashion trends are so short-lived now. It used to be our country's world status and economics dictated womenswear—hemlines, shoulder pads, and hats. But today, anything goes. And if anything goes, you might as well have a little fun creating something yourself. As for me—I'm gonna leave this world when I'm done dressed like little ol' me...or better yet, Iris Apfel.

Iris Apfel courtesy of Vanity Fair Magazine.

THE HIDDEN ARTIST: Chloe Cumbow

CONNECTION TO NOHO:  She was a "geeky teen who used to live there"

MEDIUMS: painter, photographer, textile artist, and jeweler

WEBSITE: https://www.flickr.com/people/chloe-and-ivan/

Chloe Cumbow is about as hidden from the world as any artist can be. A somewhat recent L.A. returnee, she settled in Reseda where you will find evidence of her beautifully painted utility boxes that have begun to dot its streets. Chloe can be seen in the late hours of the night perfecting the wings of a swallow flying among the oranges of one her box paintings or removing yet another sad incident of tagging on her most recent box of the world map gloriously painted upon it. She's at every local art event with her Nikon camera, snapping pictures of other's works and the onlookers enjoying them. She draws on the lives of artists like a sponge—learning from them and living among them. But the best association that can be made to Chloe Cumbow is Fun-A-Day. 

Chloe at work on her utility box in Reseda

Chloe gave Fun-A-day to Reseda by way of Rhode Island. She learned of it from someone who brought it there from Philadelphia, where it was originally created by a group called The Artclash Collective and is now in its twelfth year. The premise is simple. After the holidays, wintertime is sluggish, so why not do something? They invited people to participate in Fun-A-Day by encouraging them to do one creative thing EVERY day for the month of January, only with these few rules: it is free to participate in, you can make anything (art, written word, music, etc), it's for all ages, it's not juried, and it's noncommercial—meaning no judgements and it's not done to make money. After the month has passed and the participants take their thirty items or the one item they spent thirty days making, they install their own work at a designated pop-up gallery that has been publicized, and have a no-admission-paid art opening for the community. This is usually scheduled for sometime in February with dates and location TBD. Why do this? Cuz it's FUN!

A participant in 2015 Reseda Fun-A-Day

It takes a lot of hutzpah to put on any event, but just because Chloe is, well—Chloe, she's been able to oversee three of these by now. She does so with diligence, dedication, and the determination to keep Fun-A-Day as it originated—with the same rules and allowing the participants to be hands-on and not mandated by anybody else's guidelines. It's sorta like letting go of all formality—having nature take its course as a free-for-all. But it works and it's fun at the same time. I sat in on the planning committee for the upcoming Fun-A-Day and listened as Chloe asked the group to think about the diverse mini events they might have within the main one—what musicians to invite to play, the possibility of poetry slams, perhaps some belly dancing, who would help with promoting it, and who would volunteer snacks and beverages. The show of raised hands was all the evidence needed of who would follow the leader. From the looks of that meeting, this Fun-A-Day is certain to be much more than just fun!

Chloe Cumbow is a strong example of what community should strive to be. During our interview, she said, "Home is where I live." If you think about that statement, she's absolutely right. We don't just live in our apartments or houses, we live in community with others—our social family. Thankfully, Chloe is helping to remind us of that by being that family and making it fun at the same time.

Learn more about the history of Fun-A-Day at Artclash.com. Everyone and anyone is invited to participate in Reseda's January event and you may learn more about that by visiting its Facebook page. 

2015 Reseda Fun-A-Day

 

THE HIDDEN ARTIST: Preston Craig

CONNECTION TO NOHO:  Former gallery manager of the Lankershim Art Center under the umbrella of the L.A. Printmaking Society

MEDIUMS: Acrylic and digital paint

WEBSITES: http://www.prestonfinearts.com and http://www.twistedteddys.com

My interview with Preston Craig, otherwise known on all his promotional material as Preston C., was set at a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on Ventura Blvd. Although I had some difficulty locating this CBT (for I rarely dose myself with caffein at any coffee establishments), I didn't have any difficulty finding the 6'5" artist as he sat waiting for me near the window. Preston had been referred to me by an artist friend. She told me if anyone needed recognition, is was this man who had recently created a series called Twisted Teddys. Twisted Teddys, I asked? Yes, she said, you know—a teddy bear drug addict, a teddy bear dominatrix...teddy bears like that. Sounded twisted to me. But as it turned out, Preston's Teddys aren't that twisted after all. The "twist" comes in how he plans on using the images of them. 

"Napa Red" by Preston C.

First, a little about Preston. Originally from Louisiana, he earned his MFA from the Academy of Art in SF and a BA in Applied Arts from the University of Louisiana and has traveled the world to do his scenic work. To look at his fine art examples though, you wonder how the same artist would paint a series of Teddy Bears. 

"Gangsta Teddy" by Preston C.

As it turns out, these chubby characters, painted in the guise of an image we hold dear to our hearts, were the brainchildren of Preston's master's thesis project. He needed a relatable model to bring awareness to social issues he has cared deeply about for a long time. Thus Cruci Teddy, inspired by his Catholic upbringing, addresses childhood sexual abuse, Gangsta Teddy; gang life, Homeless Teddy; the increasing homelessness in LA as well as everywhere, and Porn Star Teddy because he knows personally of porn stars who have gotten trapped in the lifestyle and can't escape. The list goes on. He went on to say that the imagery touches on our childhood innocence that sadly gets tugged in directions we sometimes can't control because of of our environment. Ultimately, it is Preston's goal to have his otherwise not so innocent Teddys marketed in several forms, from trading cards to plush toys, to help support and benefit non-profit organizations with programs that address these social issues.  

 

"Steroid Teddy" by Preston C.

After my meeting with Preston, void of any coffee at all by the way, I gave some thought to the cross-over of his fine art landscape and portrait paintings to his pretty controversial hipster-looking Teddy Bears. I realized this gentle giant had done something he probably hadn't expected. He grayed a fine dividing line between people of all ages—the ones drawn to his more conservative work and the young who only wish they could paint like him—by bringing them together about the social issues that affect us all—whether we have had personal experience with some of them or second-hand exposure via media attention. I guess Teddy Bears are kinda like the heroes of our childhood, but take a look at Preston's. Maybe his Teddys will be the heroes of our future—a more, helpful, integrated, and aware one—I would hope. 

THE HIDDEN ARTIST: Alyse Hart

CONNECTION TO NOHO:  Had long distance relationship with a guy who lived on Cahuenga Blvd. and married him.
MEDIUMS: Up-cycled canvas, mixed media, and acrylics
WEBSITE: http://www.alysehart.com/

Alyse Hart at her home studio.

Hallelujah! I met another phenomena of a left and right brainer—Alyse Hart. Quirky, personable, and a great story teller, Alyse revealed her creative journey (still in it's toddler stages) to me as we sat in her living room slash gallery tucked in her home atop an actual hill in Woodland Hills. Although still a mystery to both of us, we'd become friends through some mutual acquaintance on Facebook and had been watching each other's work voyeuristically. I was initially drawn to her use of bold colors, but after our interview, I discovered I was dazzled by much more—her uninhibited ability to allow a canvas to come alive on its own.

Never Alone by Alyse Hart

To understand  her art, we must first touch upon Alyse's life and career. Originally from New York, half of her family (mother and sister) took a creative route while her father and she settled into business. Alyse made a successful career in sales, but after speaking to her, I got the distinct feeling that her right brain (the alleged creative side) had been grappling with her left (the logical side) for quite some time. As a matter of fact, she even wrote a workbook about it called A Woman's Guide to Corporate Recovery, a pre-flight plan to help women map out an alternative lifestyle. But Alyse's own right brain take-over didn't begin until she participated in a hippy-styled Topanga art experience where the painting instructor guided Alyse onto her own creative path.

Electric Angel by Alyse Hart

I have to admit, Alyse's story made me giggle as I imagined her in the middle of Topanga Canyon beneath a tent with sage smudge wafting around her head. I mean Alyse's general appearance is as far away from any granola-munching hippy if ever there was one. But as she spoke, I realized there was a much deeper level to this picture. She told me she'd actually gotten physically sick in her class, excusing herself many times with an upset stomach. But it wasn't the sage that made her ill. Alyse was having a breakthrough—her artistic self was fighting to get out. And it did in a flurry of pink paint. Pink, I discovered, puts people in touch with their nurturing side and gives them a sense of hope—that everything will be okay. If pink is what Alyse began her journey with, it is certainly the color that enabled her to trust in herself.

Untitled by Alyse Hart

I'm taking liberties here to say I'd like to be the one who coined the phrase "we are all expressions of something larger than ourselves." I'd also like to add that if anyone is evidence of this it is Alyse. Her objective, void of any of her physical discomforts (she admits to actually having sweats) before a canvas, is to lead herself to freedom—to be metamorphosed into her authentic self, inside and out. She stays true to her out-of-boxness and does not hesitate to do as she is being directed by the ethereal energy that surrounds her so as not to lose her spontaneity. She remains alert to what her canvas is trying to convey to her. In other words, she'll use the remnants of an image on an up-cycled canvas she salvaged from the curbside and let it be the inspiration for a new piece or if a hint of something—say a fish—is poking about in the paint she's just covered the canvas with, well, a fish it'll be. The results are colorful, fresh, and inspirational—a no-bars-held look into Alyse's world...a world that definitely needs to be shared. 

   

  





  

THE HIDDEN ARTIST: ELLEN RUNDLE

CONNECTION TO NOHO:  Installed tile at the NOHO Park Aquatic Center and loves the thrift shops there

MEDIUMS: Ceramics and mixed media

WEBSITE: http://www.myfandangle.com/

I stumbled upon Ellen Rundle on my way out of the Canoga Park Art Walk the other week and was immediately drawn to two ceramic boxes in front of her jewelry display. Being a fan of  3-D art, I was taken by her ability to take what could've easily been a 2-D painting and give it depth—drawing the viewer into an altogether other dimension, albeit an 8x10 inch one. Needless to say, I bought one of her pieces. The focal point of mine was a Joshua tree tucked inside a small box on the side of what appeared to be the cliff side of a mountain centered in the desert. And like all art interpretations, it reminded me of my time in New Mexico and warmed my heart. 

Ellen's one of those surprises in life. To look at her rather conservative style on the outside, I never would have thought all this curiosity and self-expression would be on the inside. It turns out she is one of those left brain-right brain phenomenons; a woman who spent almost twenty-seven years in IT and as an art director/graphic designer, finally leaving her last position twelve years ago at the Getty to become a full-time fine art ceramicist. But as it turns out, clay has always been her first love. 

Her home is a gallery of sorts—hers and other favored artists' wall hangings and assemblages stretch all the way from the outside of her front door, through the house, and onto the patio. She is constantly creating in her studio (which consists of potters wheels, a glazing station, and a kiln) arts and crafts jewelry from years of bead collecting, abstract wall sculptures from recycled clay and glass, and all her ceramic wonders. 

Ellen explained to me how working at the potters wheel has always been a kind of meditation for her, bringing her into a place of sensitivity and sensuality—keeping her centered. And that's where she began her ceramicist journey, throwing pots at a studio on the westside during the early 80s and selling them to nurseries from the trunk of her car. In fact she still does that, but she's added so much more to her resume in the way of her slab artistry—tile installations to floors, fountains, and showers seen here on her more architectural website, www.ellenrundle.com and her most recent steam punk assemblages she created for a themed show at La Galeria Gitana in San Fernando, a gallery that tends to peak Ellen's interests in unexpected subject matters leaning toward the mystical to the macomb. 

It is a pleasure for me to own one Ellen's pieces and I encourage you to visit her work at  La Galeria Gitana's upcoming exhibit, Reflections of LIfe, running from July 18- September 18. 

Ellen is also available for any graphic design needs and you may visit that website at www.erundledesign.com. 

  

THE HIDDEN ARTIST: Jacqueline Myers-Cho

CONNECTION TO NOHO:  A Jacqueline's Coloring Book party was given by a friend who lives in NOHO

MEDIUMS: acrylic, oils, and mixed media

WEBSITE: http://myerscho.weebly.com/

Rumi said, "There is a voice that doesn't use words. Listen." And this is what Jacqueline Myers-Cho said to me: "I go to my studio everyday, and I ask it and my art how I can contribute to you today. I listen and I work on that until I feel I need to work on something else." True to own her words, Jacqueline's studio walls and surfaces were lined with ongoing projects––portraits of animals to celebrities all with pensive eyes or gritting-teeth smiles, printed fabrics ready for assembly into aprons, bags, or dolls, and numerous sculptures.

Many thoughts came into my head while I interviewed Jacqueline––trusted intuition, natural process, circular flow, passion, marketing guru. She sat across from me at her work table with a set of handmade mermaid dolls in front of her. She held up one with more curl in its tail than the others and turned it over in her hands a few times, contemplating it. After a moment, she told me she would give an explosion of delightful color right at the tip of it––a decision she made based on a creative instinct she uses to do all her work. If, for instance, she's used a zipper in one of her mixed media pieces, she will ultimately incorporate the effect of those metal teeth somewhere in one of her paintings. She often repeats images she's used, reducing or enlarging them, allowing the observer to see her art within her art. One project lends itself to another as if one medium indiscernibly speaks to the other and she is the instrument in which it manifests. Jacqueline, quite simply, is a living example of the old phrase, "goes with the flow." 

Jacqueline Myers-Cho does indeed flow where her heart tells her to go. Beginning as a costume designer in theatre, she listened to her calling and entered the art world instead. She's lived in Minnesota, in the south, and Hawaii where she made a successful career as a painter of the Islands' beautiful flowers. But after she married and had her little girl in California, she developed her notable characters called "big heads" and has been at it ever since. Yes, they are slightly reminiscent of Margaret Keane's doe-eyed beauties of the 60s, but unlike them, Jacqueline's girls are playful and romantic...almost magical. No wonder her clients often commission her to have portraits done of themselves or their animals.

 

What struck me most about Jacqueline was her innate intuition to market her work. Rather than implementing a typical by-the-book business strategy, she uses pure and simple people skills to engage her Facebook audience. And because she wears different hats all day by working on several pieces at a time, everyone just naturally wants to know more about what's cooking in the kitchen. And on an even broader scale, she's published Jacqueline's Color Book Vol. One (big headed girls) and Vol. Two (Monsters). But Jacqueline's ability to seduce her viewers doesn't stop with social media or publishing. She is ever present at many open air art performances, painting for her audience at venues like Ladie's Night Out in Burbank.

On many levels, I was impressed with Jacqueline. Why, on my own Facebook page it reads, "We are all Ambassadors of the Universe here to express something larger than ourselves." Not only do I believe this, I think I actually found a living archetype of it in Jacqueline Myers-Cho. 

THE HIDDEN ARTIST: Joshua Levine

CONNECTION TO NOHO: Lives, fathers, and works there

MEDIUMS: sculpture, digital collage

WEBSITE: http://www.copyright1972.com/index.html

If life is art, then is art a mutation of life? I’d say yeah––in the case of Joshua Levine’s work. At first glance, his beautifully painted resin sculptures are automatically recognizable to the viewer. It may be a Chihuahua, a fawn, a lizard or something larger as a Panda Bear or a Longhorn Steer. As a matter of fact, Joshua’s living room walls were lined with all of them––“trophy heads,” as he calls them. In juxtaposition to all the toys scattered about the floor when I arrived (Joshua is full-time artist and a dad to a twenty-month-old energetic little boy), these heads sort of melded into the daycare scene. But as playful on the outside they may have appeared, their conception originated in the mysterious realms of science technology, specifically genetic manipulation.

Take for instance, his exquisitely gold leaf-like painted “4 Ocular 2 Auditory Golden Horned 3 Face” in which I made an association to a deer. Now, I might have simply called him “Fred,” but Joshua created this animal hybrid from a more methodical place and named him as if he was indeed scientific experiment. As a reference for me to better understand where part of his inspiration came for his creations, he mentioned the Vacanti mouse, the lab mouse that had what looked like a human ear grown on its back. The Google maniac that I am, I found out later this was an experiment “created to demonstrate a method of fabricating cartilage structures for transplantation into human patients.” All in all, this example only touches lightly on the world of genetic engineering or what Joshua may know of it and uses in his fantastic art.

More interestingly, I was touched by what Joshua brought into his work from his Jewish heritage, specifically the atrocities at Auschwitz by the maddest scientist of all, Josef Mengele, whose inhumane medical experiments are known around the world. I guess one cannot help but connect the worst examples of genetic altering to the most progressive today. And although six eyes, four ears, and five horns, on an animal you would otherwise consider a pet, might feel a little disturbing, Joshua gave them human eyes to soften the palette––pointedly, blue ones marked for the Aryan Race, something Mengele supported and executed thousands of Jews to help create for Hitler. In this sense, Joshua’s work is asking us to be aware that science has its place in history, good and bad, but we must always REMEMBER what happened.

So much lies in our imagination. Why, I’ve always said if a person can think it, it’ll most likely happen. This theory of mine starts way back to the old SciFi movies about space travel––and look at us today. A Star Wars reality with hybrid creatures may not be as far off as we think either. Just think of it. The idea of being able to genetically engineer a cow with more udders to feed us or a puppy dog who can lay on two laps at once. And as Joshua suggested during my interview with him, science may very well develop what he's already touched on in his sculptures––backup appendages and body parts. When one fails, grow another...ear, eye, leg, finger, or er, you know. Whatever is in store for us in the scientific future, thank you Joshua for opening our minds to just those possibilities. 

You may follow Joshua on his Facebook page for his newest experimentations. 

THE HIDDEN ARTIST: Kristine Schomaker

CONNECTION TO NOHO: Looked for artist studio in NOHO Arts District 

MEDIUMS: acrylic on canvas, new media, sculptural

WEBSITE: www.kristineschomaker.net

One of the most curious aspects about Kristine Schomaker’s real life is her second life––literally. Known as Gracie Kendal, an avatar she created to represent herself in a virtual world called Second Life, Kristine has been able to blur the line between virtuality and reality. Before we get to that though, we have to start with Kristine’s beginnings and her inherent love for art and community.

As a young girl Kristine was exposed to her uncle’s art collection where her initial love affair began with the arts. But Kristine didn’t want to end up a “starving artist” (which by my own estimations sometimes means going “at it” solo), so she schooled for a MA in Art History. You can’t stop a true artist from emerging though. After viewing the spontaneous and gestic dripping artwork of Sam Francis, she became inspired to paint and was quickly drawn into art “community” instead. Fresh out of CSUN, she and her artist peers fashioned a critique group where they painted and supported each other on a monthly basis and soon after she moved into one the most humming art communities of all in LA’s downtown Brewery where she is now the President of the Brewery Artwalk Association.

But what of Gracie Kendal a.k.a. Kristine Schomaker? Well, with the help of Second Life’s various tools, Kristine was able to create colorful abstract “skins” for her avatar, much like the paintings she did in her real life, and the Second Life community ate them up. Soon Kristine found herself selling digital copies of those skins to real people for real money and not just for virtual currency from their avatars. Yet, Kristine’s success story isn’t as quite as simple as that. There’s always a story beneath the story, you know.

If you’ve ever glanced at the fantasy world of Second Life, you realize instantly that it allows you to create the dream version of yourself––that ultra magazine-styled mannequin-like avatar with perfect body measurements, hair, and clothes. Like most of us, guys and gals alike, Kristine is a just regular kinda person who bumps and grinds through life. But when asked by a teacher to delve deep inside herself to explain why she lived such a colorful second life, Kristine discovered she had an issue with her own self-acceptance and an eating disorder to boot. That’s when her colorful digitally painted Gracie Kendal crossed over into reality and became a series of 3D mannequins. They’ve become a large part of Kristine’s life and have been photographed all over LA––their “skins,” a sculptural representation of her painterly work. And the process is ongoing. Soon her slim-lined mannequins will be a more realistic plus-sized version and an additional credit to her own self-respect and acceptance.

I’d like go back and mention again Kristine’s involvement in community––especially that of the arts. She helps other visual artists become a presence in the art world with her firm, Shoebox PR. Born in the throws of social media, Kristine figured out a way to benefit other artists by mapping out marketing strategies for them, further feeding her passion for "making it happen" and adding balance to her own life. She is also the social media coordinator for the Southern California Women’s Caucus of Art. It's been a pleasure to know Kristine. It just goes to show that what appears to be colorful on the outside, like that of the skins of Gracie Kendal, is most likely vibrantly interesting and colorful on the inside––like positively-driven Kristine Schomaker.  

You may follow Kristine on Facebook and Twitter. 

THE HIDDEN ARTIST: Jennifer Gunlock

CONNECTION TO NOHO: Lives and breaths and "trees" there

MEDIUMS: mixed-media, photography

WEBSITE: http://www.jennifergunlock.com/

I’ve always been enamored by trees.  As a child, I collected leave specimens into my tree album from my Chicago neighborhood, and I still have it to this day. Trees have also been focal points in my own artwork, but no tree that any artist or I have ever depicted quite stands out like Jennifer Gunlock’s.   

My interview with Jennifer was at her one room apartment, which also served as her art studio. I entered through a piece of pastel-colored tulle she’d cleverly hung to keep the bugs out from the small, sparsely furnished guesthouse she lived in. I immediately noticed half of the room provided her with her basic needs; a bed, a computer, bathroom, and kitchenette, while the other half was clearly dedicated to her work. For along one wall, only a few feet away from where she slept, hung six large pieces of art paper placed side by side to make one huge canvas and on it were the beginnings of a mixed-media project that would represent perhaps only one-fifth of what was to be an over 20 foot mural for the “Fires of Change” exhibition (a collaboration between the Southwest Fire Science Consortium, the Landscape Conservation Initiative, and the Flagstaff Arts Council) in Flagstaff, AZ next September 2015.

"Smoke Signal" Jennifer Gunlock

Its no wonder Jennifer was chosen for the exhibition given these perennial wood plants have been a central theme to her work for a few years now. At first glance, that’s exactly what you see; images of tall conifer-like specimens contrasted against a sparse background. But a closer look reveals Jennifer’s trees have taken on an urban quality; shaped and textured by none other than her own photographs of often overlooked designs and all found within our own natural and city environments. For the “Fires of Change” project she used such images, overlapping them to become the trunk and branches of her trees; sunlit reflections of a skyscraper’s windows, blown-up details of a fire engine grill, or the charred remains of an ancestor tree lost in the Kaibab National Forest.

"Mothership" (sequoia) Jennifer Gunlock

Jennifer’s trees are hybrid transmitters. They still own their natural state, but then you'll notice an antennae or a resemblance to a cell phone tower. There’s something timeless about them; nostalgia crossing over to futurism, all of which gives the viewer a unique opportunity to delve deeper into her urban forest and wonder if they are trying to communicate something to us. And that they will, when her “Fires of Change” mural is complete and on exhibit at the Coconino Center of the Arts in Flagstaff next September.

In the meantime though, Jennifer Gunlock’s work is on display from November 23 to December 19 (artist reception December 6) at the LADCA/Canoga Park Youth Center. Come see her forest for the trees.