April in The Annex
A look behind the process, inspiration and ideas of April in the Annex artists Chelsea Bradway, Natasha Dikareva and Robyn Thompson Duong.
Natasha Dikareva
IDEAS
I find refuge in my studio, creating now more than ever, despite the aura of anxiety enveloping our world today. Without the former preoccupations of deadlines and other routine errands which used to take me out of the house, I am fortunate enough to focus on my work in my home studio.
As each day looks like the other, only my sculptures continue to change and have lives of their own. We can't live in a vacuum. As an artist, I am expressing my views and emotions through my work reflecting on what is going around. I usually work in series and it takes me about a year to finish a certain theme of work.
The shell has always been an enigma for me; how does the mollusk transform such tiny particles into such a beautiful dwelling? How has it stumbled upon such intricate architectural structures? The shell represents the enigma of all creatures - the urge to live.My Shell Dwellers are the imaginative creatures who live in a shell because they feel insecure in the disastrous, unpredictable world. They peak through the shell openings if asking whether it is safe to come out. I started creating them in 2010. They were out of their shells completely transformed for the past 10 years, but lately more than ever I feel like they have to be inside their dwellings.
PROCESS
Hand built ceramic sculpture is a challenging, labor intensive medium requiring both artistic talent and expertise in a number of areas. I use a traditional process for creating my sculptures. I start with the visualization of an idea and its depiction in drawings. Then I make a three-dimensional clay model and finally move to a large, definite sculpture. Formal changes and adjustment for scale are made throughout the process. Once formed, each piece is covered and slowly air dried. Before the sculpture goes to the kiln to be fired, it has to be sanded in order to have a smooth surface and convey the feeling that the piece has not been intentionally made by hands but rather by forces of nature, such as wind, fire, and water. As a result the sculpture becomes very tactile and pleasant to touch. Now it is ready to be fired for the first time. Bisque or first firing is tricky and has to be done very slowly in order for the sculpture not to crack and explode in the kiln. If all conditions are not correct (for example, if the clay is uneven thickness throughout the piece or there are air bubbles inside the clay slab), the piece may crack and then the sculpture is ruined. After firing, each piece is stained and glazed. I usually glaze and fire my sculptures multiple times to give their surfaces an interesting layered look.
Robyn Thompson-Duong
When I sit at my easel and take up the paint brush I feel an exhilaration knowing that I am engaging in the work I am meant to do. My desire is to create work that is meaningful and beautiful. I am constantly searching for a way to symbolically represent my ideas and ways of thinking through painting. Recently, I have been focusing more on the figure and telling a story of empowerment, strength and virtue.
Robyn Thompson-Duong studio shot.
I am inspired by the natural and supernatural, the mystical/spiritual connection to nature and feminism. Drawing inspiration from the women in my family and among my friends, my current work deals with challenging the societal perceptions and stereotypes of Black femininity and beauty by depicting women of color as Mother Goddess, grand, graceful, and beautiful. In the Western canon white women have been the default for mainstream ideals of beauty and femininity, while Black women were and still are seen as the antithesis of femininity. As one of the most appropriated and stereotyped groups of individuals, I’m seeking to reappropriate the Black female image and what it means for me to be a woman of color.
As a black woman raised in the suburbs of Boston and often being the only person of color growing up, I know the importance of representation and seeing one’s self reflected back in positive and meaningful ways. I paint black women as a way of pushing back against the negative portrayals of people of color, specifically black women. A study conducted by The Opportunity Agenda states that “Negative media stereotypes...are demoralizing and reduce self-esteem and expectations.” I want my work to help counter those negative images we are bombarded with as a society.
Chelsea Bradway
The Mundanity project was born out of my love for 1940's/1950's fashion. The fashion icons, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, and Ava Gardner to name a few. It seems we do not dress up anymore like it is a hassle to wear anything other than yoga pants and a sweatshirt.
When I turned 40, there was something magical about that number, I will not mention how long ago that was. Then I decided that I can also be fabulous. I looked in my closet at all these beautiful clothes that I would save for a "special occasion" and thought to my self why can't taking out the trash be a special occasion or washing the dishes? Why wait! I started to wear vintage furs to the grocery store and immediately felt strong, beautiful, and empowered.
I began to think about how magical it would be to dress a model in fabulous clothes that I have collected from thrift stores over the years doing mundane chores. I gathered all my glamourous clothes and two of my favorite people to photograph doing mundane chores. There is still more I would like to do with this concept when it is safe to do so in the world. Stay tuned!
Another inspiration for this project and so many of my projects was due to my upbringing. I grew up with a mother who encouraged me to dream big and feel empowered as a woman and support other women. She taught me that women can be both beautiful and strong. We can vacuum the rug and read Tolstoy and still conquer the world.
I hope you find this series of photographs to be inspiring. So, go and grab that gorgeous dress, the fabulous shoes that caught your eye in the store window, and something sparkly and do absolutely anything YOU want to do. Life is short, have fun with it!