el duende

Kassie / 17 / NYC An artist inspired by the human figure & social activism. - "El duende" is the spirit of evocation. It is the ability art has to move a person. "The duende, then, is a power, not a work. " - Federico Garcia Lorca

[choodraws]

well shit 

[kas-portfolio]

process shots for a painting I’ve been trying some new techniques out on. this piece is pretty important to me, not just because it’s been stretching my abilities, but because it’s an addition to my black lives matter series. I started this after talking about the recent death of alton sterling and others at dreamyard, and the conversation has further reenforced the significance of talking about the issues that matter to me, and making sure I represent the voices and lives of people who have had the opportunity to do so taken away from them. it’s always enraging and upsetting to hear about people of color being mistreated, hurt, and killed all because of a flawed biased structure that's put in place to systematically target them instead of protecting them. however, for me, it isn’t discouraging. if anything, it’s empowering- the news brings the community together even more and gets people acting. commemorating lost lives and working to protect the rest of our own lives is so incredibly important, and this is what inspires me to work on pieces that show victims in a symbolic, raw, real way that gets the viewer to reflect and hopefully go on to make changes of their own, in whatever manner that may be. this is sorta ramble-y, but I’m hoping the finished product will be able speak for itself and everyone it aims to represent.

[kas-portfolio]

“Koi”, oil on canvas, 2016

my first painting of the summer at BAC's summer intensive!

[kas-portfolio]

"Belle", oil paint on canvas and mixed media, 2016 For this piece I focused on the paradox that occurs between beauty and representation. Art has always been used to show the beauty of people throughout history. Portraiture was especially used to represent the standards of beauty that existed at the time. However, although people of color were rarely ever depicted in art, this is not to say that they didn’t exist. Black is and always has been beautiful. That is why I’ve painted a young black woman, Belle, in a classic portrait style. She now has an entire space in which she can exist and be acknowledged, timeless and beautiful.

[kas-portfolio]

some process photos for my next "paradox" piece!

[kas-portfolio]

"We All Bleed Brown", oil on canvas, 2016 These two pieces represent the long and often painful journey of accepting one’s worth and beauty. Many young people of color, including myself, struggle with coming to understand that their culture and appearance is not any less than that of someone else’s. It is said that beauty is pain, but it also understood that it should not take suffering to reach a point of loving yourself. It’s a cycle of both physical and emotional self-harm, represented with the bleeding wrist, and self-love, shown with the blooming lotus flower. They exist simultaneously and thus create a paradox.

[kas-portfolio]

“It Is Unclear”, oil paint on canvas, 2016

I’ve felt unsure and nervous about the future recently so this piece was my way of venting a bit. 🔮

[kas-portfolio]

“Untitled", oil paint, 2016

My take on representing the concept of institutional and interpersonal racism.

[kas-portfolio]

Claude Monet "A Corner of the Apartment" Oil on Canvas, 1875 I saw this painting in the Musee d'Orsay with my fellow Dreamyard participants. Monet's "A Corner of the Apartment" stood out to me with its unique composition and his use of color to show dimension. I was drawn to the warm bright colors of the plants in the foreground and then even further immersed into the painting because of the cool tones and illuminated window in the background. The obvious brush strokes and layered paint add a realistic texture to the leaves of the plants, the drapes of the window, and floorboards. I've always admired this almost care-free style of painting and after seeing this piece, I think I'd like to try my hand at it someday. The scene depicted here is actually of his wife and eldest son in their home near Paris. The glow-like light coming from the window sets a calm mood for the piece and the composition makes it as if we the viewer are looking into a quiet almost-intimate moment in the Monet household. The work pulls me into the tranquility of the scene and reminds me of the slow lulls that come mid-day, when my family is quietly resting and the sun casts shadows in the living room. It's very much a cozy and mesmerizing piece.

[moma]

Is this art? Marcel Duchamp, born today in 1887, challenged the definition of art itself. Bicycle Wheel, created in 1913, was Duchamp’s first Readymade, a term he created for a common object that has been slightly altered. By simply selecting prefabricated items and calling them art, Duchamp subverted notions of the artist’s craft and the viewer’s experience. What do you think of Bicycle Wheel?

[Marcel Duchamp. Bicycle Wheel. New York, 1951 (third version, after lost original of 1913). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. © 2015 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris / Estate of Marcel Duchamp]

[kas-portfolio]

   This summer was my second time at BAC’s summer intensive and I’ve spent these past two weeks learning how to use one of my favorite mediums, oil paint, in new ways. I started out the program by making a self-portrait using only one shade of paint. I then added in my features and details by rubbing out the paint with turpentine and linseed oil. After trying out this admittedly difficult technique, I did two self portraits with intensified color. I discovered how much I love using and blending cool colors and decided to bring this to my painting of an interior. I chose a lounge with glow-like lighting and experimented with glazing for the first time. Although this was difficult and quite frustrating I came through in the end and I’m happy to say that even though I struggled with the process, I am satisfied with the result and now have a new skill under my belt!

[kas-portfolio]

working on a self portrait with intensified color

[kas-portfolio]

Doris Salcedo

“Disremembered”

Silk, thread, and needles 

   This past Friday BAC went to the Guggenheim museum to view Doris Salcedo’s solo exhibition. There were paintings and sculptures along the walls that each conveyed a story and the process of deconstructing each piece and finding its larger significance gave me a lot of inspiration for telling stories with my own artwork. Doris Salcedo’s work resonated with me the most and I was drawn to the intricate weaving and composition of her pieces. “Disremembered” stood out as particularly profound. The silk shirts on the wall seemed harmless from a distance but I was surprised to see needles woven into the typically soft fabric. This piece, like most of her work in the museum, looked as though it had taken a long period of time to meticulously make. Her attention to detail left a lasting impression and it felt as though she was paying homage to the deaths she put months into researching. Aside from this particular piece, all of Salcedo’s work spoke of society’s inability to mourn the passing of individuals’ loved ones and the space it’s presented in serves as a public space of mourning. To me, the seemingly normal silk in “Disremembered” represents the detachment of the public from news of people dying and the needles symbolize the pain that occurs closer to home for those who have lost the people in the news. This piece has inspired me to pay more attention to details in my paintings and drawings. I want to focus more on telling a story or paying respect to something with symbolism in my work instead of just plainly depicting an image.

[leuc-deactivated20150726]

Frida Kahlo, Self-portrait with thorn necklace and hummingbird, 1940.

[kas-portfolio]

Titus Kaphar’s Behind the Myth of Benevolence is a painting that inspires me because of the awareness it brings to the lack of representation of black people and specifically black women in history. The portrait of a white man is peeled back to reveal a portrait of a nude black woman. He creatively manipulates his pieces to paint an even bigger picture: history is rich and full of outstanding people but it revolves around the accomplishments of white men and we rarely get a look at the struggles and achievements of people of color. His ability to expose this is something that I admire and aspire to do as an artist and student of color.

[kas-portfolio]

first day back at dreamyard for my second time at the BAC summer intensive! made a quick silly gif with a portrait I did of megachinasdoll using charcoal on paper.

[marinaesmeraldo]

Dionisio I by Marina Esmeraldo, photography by Lucas Dias