My journal project: eco-friendly journals made in Canada with covers screenprinted by me in my Vancouver studio.
Para desterrar el mal humor – This Spanish phrase written by artist Frida Kahlo in one of her sketchbooks inspired a composition for my journals and a pocket mirror. The translation is “to banish a bad mood.” It is no secret that Kahlo drank a lot and that the reasons for this were the incredible amount of physical pain she endured since her street car accident, and her stormy relationship with muralist & painter Diego Rivera. The image of the woman advertising ‘aguardiente’ (brandy/whisky) is from an ad painted on a wall in Guatemala — many ads are still beautifully painted on exterior walls in the country. For me the juxtaposition of the phrase and the happy lady promoting the drink presents one side to ‘booze.’ The truth though being that for some, engaging with aguardiente can have heavy consequences.
The pattern image is from another photograph of a tile wall I have taken in Guatemala. All the design elements come together to offer a visually rich composition but with undertones of something else inferred. There’s always something else below the surface.
At the moment I have printed only a very limited edition — only 3 or 4 of each composition. I may print more depending on how they’re received. I will have these at the Culture Crawl (Nov 18, 19, 20) and the One Of A Kind Show in Vancouver (Dec 8 – 12).