(above Specimouse with creator: Anney Fresh!)
Was very excited to have Anney Fresh in the show, I've admired her work years back with her giant Space Kitty costumes ( you guys have to check: www.anneyfresh.com ). Her piece grabbed a lot of attention opening night & you can see why~!
Q: what was your inspiration for your piece?
A: I'm obsessed with cats and mice so I wanted Buddy to catch some kind of mouse creature. I was thinking about how cats play with their prey. The fun is over when they kill it so I wanted to create a piece that prolonged Buddy's experience. My idea is that the SpeciMouse is already dead and Buddy's method of taxidermy gives him life. SpeciMouse is kept in a cage like a living creature. He is shackled and muzzled as a safety precaution. The lights in his mask make him seem alive. When Buddy or the viewer pulls the chains and animates the SpeciMouse, the fun of toying with the prey is back.
Q: what are you presently working on or what do you have coming up we should know about?
A: I have been wanting to learn how to 3D model for 3D printing for the last year. The SpeciMouse piece was my first solo project that combined 3D printing and fabric puppets. I'm going to continue with my Blender program tutorials and see what other awesome stuff I can make on my MakerBot 3D printer!
(above: one of three layered glass dioramas from Victoria Semarjian)
I've had the pleasure of having Victoria's work present in another group artshow I had awhile back. Her style has a very unique signature and for this show she made three creations!
Q: what was your inspiration for your piece?
A: As of late, I've been working on layered glass 'dioramas'. They're inspired by traditional cel animation and in some ways replicate that process through drawing, tracing & layering to create dimension.
When the Buddy's Den opportunity arose, I imagined how these creatures might have met their fate. The medium lent perfectly to seeing them from Buddy's perspective. Through the weapon scope just before their cute little hearts ceased to beat forever.
Q: what are you presently working on or what do you have coming up we should know about?
A: I'm in process of working out how to create these dioramas on a large scale as the frame construction & glass cause the pieces to be incredibly heavy and in turn, restricts the size. My hope is to be working at 3-4 ft minimum soon.
Additionally, much in the spirit of Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli, I'm working on zoetropes which will allow me to bring my illustration to life without the use of modern technology.
I have an installation exhibition in the pipeline for 2013 that is currently top secret, but info should be available soon.
And lastly, Girliepants is looking forward to a collaboration with Peter Kato in the near, near future.
Q: I (peter kato) am extremely excited & looking forward to the collaboration with Victoria Semarjian and Girliepants! Go check these awesome undies for yourself @ http://girliepants.com/
Tomorrow is the last day of the show~, last chance t take a look at all the great artwork!
