As someone who grew up poor, as she describes, it makes sense that she would refine her practice to the essentials, stripping away anything no longer necessary in the pursuance of her vision. The use of external references in her earlier work, which were a necessary gateway for her to access these moments and feelings in time in order to create them, are less critical to the process. Now, as she’s grown in her practice and in her own self, she’s working from the inside-out. She explains that people were always trying to guess who the paintings were of, because there was indeed an undeniable familiarity which drew you in, but deliberately no close enough representation to put a finger on it. Using a particular frame from a movie or music video, she would digitally manipulate the reference, though as she continued deeper into the work, the digital manipulation became short-hand in paint, rendering the need to alter the reference unnecessary to achieve the desired outcome. In her earlier work, Aineki focused on creating physical representations in paint of being ‘in her feelings,’ vibing out while drinking, and watching music videos. She now lives and practices in Atlanta with a studio at MINT Gallery, showing work in, “The Privilege of Getting Together III,” at Swivel Gallery in collaboration with RegularNormal in Brooklyn, NY, a three-person show at MINT, and The Swan Coach House Gallery in Atlanta. The school was perhaps not the best fit for her after all for various reasons, she admits, but it helped her cement the fact that painting was her true love. “We didn’t have majors at Sarah Lawrence,” she says with a laugh and an eye-roll. In long car rides to various Atlanta art openings, we would discuss her work and her time at Sarah Lawrence where her concentrations were painting and film. I was immediately drawn to her work, but also her spontaneous, fun-loving nature. It invited the viewer to enter into the painting and place their own meanings upon it while also sharing in universal elements. Distorted and blurred, her portraits referencing film stills of cult-classic movies and music videos, created a sense of welcome familiarity that the viewer couldn’t quite put their finger on. It’s fitting that after living so much of her life in the company of others that she should have this room to herself, and in it, a mirror of her own making.Īineki Angelita Traverso and I came to know each other three years ago through a group show where her paintings were well-received by the crowd. Then she steps into her immense self-portrait, brush in hand. ![]() Mid-way through mixing her own recipe of mediums, she asks if she can just buff one thing out. She walks over to her palette in the corner, a well-used, paint smothered glass table. One of her larger paintings, taller than either of us leans against the wall. This is a place that feels loved and safe-a refuge from the struggles of day-to-day life, and of working two day jobs. ![]() ![]() The skylight above her paintings lets in bright, clear morning light as I take in the tufted sofa, the end table stacked with art books, the cart with a coffee pot, the house plants, and the assorted beers (mostly Modelo). Whether she’s joking around in her light-hearted manner, or delving into deeper topics like this, authenticity is a constant in her demeanor and consequently, her work and studio. She sits on a stool in front of me, and has decided on a black suit jacket and pants earlier a ballgown dress had been discussed in jest over text. Artwork, excluding the postcards, will be available for purchase online as well.ĭuring the event, drinks and snacks will be available on our outside patio, and all in-person partygoers will receive a reserved timed ticket for the event, wear masks while inside, and maintain social distancing.“I don’t know if we’ve ever talked about this, but I’ve never had a room to myself,” Aineki says. MINT remains committed to artists determining and maintaining the value of their work, and therefore all artwork will be available for purchase at retail price, ranging from $50 to $5,000. The evening will feature works by 50 of Atlanta’s best local artists and our Annual Postcard pin-up show. We will be partying in person on June 26th in our home at The MET, and will have virtual options for all guests who prefer to participate remotely. Welcome back to the party, either in person or remotely! This year’s event will be organized a little bit differently in order to maintain COVID-19 protocols for the health and safety of our visitors, staff, and artists.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |