“Microcosm,” opening reception November 13, 7-10pm; shows through December 8
I’ve fast become a fan of all the neat things going on at the Paia Tattoo Parlor; so I just can’t help myself in sharing what else is new at the shop. Especially when this month’s featured artist, Valentin Miro — a Maui-born high school senior at Seabury Hall — has interesting things to say about his work:
“Microcosm is a series of illustrations that aims to question [both] our relationship with technology and culture,” says Miro. “Reflecting [upon] the emergence of a digital and international identity; it explores how a technologically connected world shrinks our understanding of what is foreign and exotic.”
Within his collection, Miro says, “Many of the pieces draw inspiration from advertisements, hieroglyphs, and propaganda that span history.” He adds, “In the same way that fast food has permeated our society’s nationalized symbol of food, so has advertising become a new model for art… This juxtaposition is intended to make us question our own cultural identity: at what point does standardization destroy American culture and tradition, or is it just a unique and efficient culture in itself?”
Though I have yet to see the show, two images were attached to the press release, including Neon Spirit, pictured above. A few initial reactions: I love the use of ink blots, both as a provocative nipple censor (and howz dat wicked geometric neathage?!) as well as mirroring of shapes in the woman’s accessories. Speaking of mirroring, the globular watercolor shadows do well in emulating the shape of the light bulb-esque staff-topper, as do the more geometric patterns in the hyper-neon body painting. I could go on, but I digress. All in all, it’s a piece that gets me excited about this up-and-coming artist — feeling a little like bouncing on a Day-Glo Myalar parachute, to the rhythm of the tabla drum.
[However, I will say that I found it fortuitous that the second PR image, titled Fame, was so high-res I couldn’t resize it for this blog. All good and well as I found it a piece that made painful reminder of the fact Miro is still in high school. When I do go to the show (it opens Saturday!), I hope to find that piece lonesome in likewise styling.]
See. I told you I was a fan. But, I also told you they’ve got neat things going on. Proof:
CLICK HERE to read a Kula Kid installment about getting a skull tattoo for Halloween
CLICK HERE to read the September This Week’s Pick about artist Ghalib El-Khalidi
CLICK HERE to read the October This Week’s Pick about artist Aimee M. Waters and Isaac Martinez
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