Welcome to Curator’s Corner! This will be a weekly blog series on blog.ArtLifting.com focused on exploring the technical intricacies of some of our outstanding artworks.
The impetus for this recurring series came from a simple exclamation heard frequently from viewers who, upon encountering an ArtLifting original for the first time, could only articulate, “Wow”. These blog posts will be directed at customers, supporters, and art aficionados unable to experience our artworks in person. Each week will highlight a new piece of art. I hope you stick around for the ride!
For our inaugural post, I will be featuring Kitty Zen’s “Eagle Nebula”. Kitty Zen is an active member at Youth On Fire, a drop-in center for homeless youth in Cambridge, MA, run by the Aids Action Committee. Much of Kitty’s artwork is made from found and kicked-down materials, like discarded cardboard and magazines, reclaimed/discarded canvases, street finds of broken jewelry pieces, and some gifts of paint sets. Her color palette is decidedly psychedelic and reflective (read: lots of glitter).
ArtLifting artist, Kitty Zen
Kitty’s experience with homelessness is challenging, but she works hard to improve her situation. She shared, “I am not very gainfully employed, but I am an artist and painter. This is what I do. Making something out of nothing is, I feel, a great analogy for what art is. And I have made an art of just that; making something from nothing.”
Image 1
“Eagle Nebula” (Image 1, above) is the latest (and largest) addition to Kitty’s ‘Nebula’ painted canvas series. The original artwork measures 20”x 24” and has an unexpectedly 3-dimensional texture. Zooming in on the artwork reveals a view that appears just as complex as the larger whole (Image 2).
Image 2
Kitty’s art-making process is just as profound and intricate as her Nebula series’ namesake. She works in 3 dimensions, layering acrylics with glow-in-the-dark paints and glitter. Much of this depth is invisible to the naked eye, but take the artwork outside and natural daylight highlights unexpected coats of color. Hold the artwork under a black light and suddenly an entire new world is illuminated (Image 3).
Image 3
Kitty’s technical facility with a paintbrush is evident. She captures the essence of an interminable universe. In fact, her artwork is almost indistinguishable from an actual photograph of a nebula (Image 4). Kitty also paints pieces with more figural subjects, from people to animals to cityscapes-- all with her characteristic psychedelic flair.
