Album Reviews: |
|
 |
O Pioneers!: Neon Creeps |
 |
North Lincoln: Midwestern Blood |
 |
Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown |
 |
Rancid: Let the Dominoes Fall |
 |
Shock Value: Shock Value |
 |
The Menzingers: Hold On, Dodge |
Artist Profile: Jessica Izzaguire |
|
|
|
Jessica Izzaguire, also know by the online handle, “Sweetji,” is a beautiful artistic force to be reckoned with. She resides in an apartment just off the trash-littered streets of North Philadelphia. The place stands out amidst the empty beer bottles and wild, screaming children. It is also marked by a candy pink painted TV sitting broken on the porch. The inner dwelling of the apartment itself exudes a creative force emanated from the artists, writers, and musicians co-inhabiting the space. |
I was first exposed to her work while visiting a friend at the apartment. I was drawn to the artwork covering the walls. Her strangely feminine, hyper-sexual figures lured me to her paintings. She's currently in her home country of Venezuela, but the wonders of the digital age have made it possible to interview her remotely. She discussed with me current art projects, the Surrealist movement, the philosophical connotations of being an artist, and the lure of Philadelphia. When did you first become an “artist”? What does creating art mean to you? I always enjoyed drawing and painting, ever since I was a kid, but it wasn’t until I was in college for computer engineering that I embraced being an artist. I grew up with the belief that artists live and die poor and hungry, so I always thought of drawing as a hobby. But in college, there was one class that was about culture, and I could take painting for one semester. The teacher, Antonia Gamboa, was amazing. I had so much fun and learned so much. I enrolled in Saturday lessons with her after the semester ended. She taught me that even though art as a living can be tough as a calling, if I felt I could do it, I shouldn’t escape from it. And so I didn’t run anymore. |
|
|
"For me, it is like taking a surrealist movie to the next level, or a comic book turned art piece."-Jessica Izzaguire |
How do you feel about the Surrealist movement? What do you take out of it? Do you identify with the movement in your own work? When I first read about Surrealism my first thought was: Where have you been all my life? Surrealism is a way of thinking, or re-learning how to think. I think it’s something that everybody in the occidental world needs. We are brought up with a series of linings and delimiters that shape our “reality,” and some people never get out of them. That is terrible for an artist. Surrealism shows us, and with it, we artists can show others different realities, opposite realities, anti-realities, dream world realities. Through this, we can accept “real world” reality as only one option. I do identify with Surrealism in my own work, even though sometimes I qualify it as fantasy as well, like in my latest works, “Armageddon” and the series “Batki Scenes.” I selected parts of my surreal creations, like characters or landscapes, and made an entire new world and story out of it. For me, it is like taking a surrealist movie to the next level, or a comic book turned art piece. The idea of putting things together that usually don’t belong and seeing what comes out is also a surrealist technique I apply a lot, mixing found objects to compose collage or installations, or mixing mediums like acrylics, oils, markers and spray paint. Do your surroundings affect your creativity? Have you been inspired by the city of Philadelphia at all? My surroundings definitely affect my creativity, as much the place as the people. I have made great friends in Philadelphia, and I feel that there is a good amount of people that generate ideas and want to be involved in the process of making art. I have also seen a good deal of acceptance for new things. There are also many galleries and places that are open to show new art and give a chance to upcoming artists. I love going to First Friday and checking out what are people doing, or going to the theater and concerts, like in the Danger Danger Gallery where you can also show your art. It is great how much creative input you get from this and how much you can also give back. I am originally from Valencia, a small city in Venezuela, where being an artist is as hard as you can imagine. I did start my career there, and it’s a beautiful place with beautiful people and amazing upcoming artists, but the possibilities of getting recognized and even making art are getting slimmer and slimmer. Philadelphia is a big step forward for me. I only moved here last year, and I am already developing many projects. For instance, I am part of an art group with my fellow artist and musician, bibble (bibble.deviantart.com), called clouds4sale (check us out soon on www.clouds4sale.com). We are combining traditional and digital art to make an online comic and his music videos. For more information and to view Jessica Izzaguire’s art, visit www.sweetji.deviantart.com. |
|
Editorials: |
|
| DIY Organizations Make a Difference Locally | |
B. Fanelli |
|
| Self-Definition | |
R. Vega |
|
| Columns: | |
| Film Review: Public Enemies | |
A. Posocco |
|
| Indie Media Review: CounterPunch | |
C. Mondics |
|
| Smashionista: Taking Over, Casually | |
L. Phillips |
|
| Just Us: Rise of the Geeks | |
C.Mondics |
|
| Narratives Among Nations: Raising the Bar on Justice | |
A. McNany |
|
| Savage Politics: The Lunatic Fringe | |
K. Zwick |
|
| Made In Japan: Campfire Blues | |
G. Rossetti |
|
