Our world abounds with millions of visionaries and creators who are blessed with the ability to take their unique perceptions and portray them in a visual form.
However, the pathfinding artists of modern society are often overlooked for more mainstream creative outlets, and their work does not always receive the amount of acknowledgment it clearly deserves. Below are a few names to watch in the world of visual media and art:
Kate Bonner’s photo sculpture Every Point is the Center. Bonner is known for her innovative sculptural photography installations. (Photo Courtesy of Kate
Bonner)
Every point is the center
Digital prints on MDF
30 x 35 x 2 inches
2014
1) Kate Bonner: A flat photograph can do a powerful job of enhancing a subject and enlightening a viewer, but the angular abstraction of Kate Bonner's work adds an entirely new dimension to the medium. In fact, it is difficult to categorize her creations into one set medium or title, and this intentional ambiguity is what sets her apart as an artist. It is also what makes her work so beautifully difficult to put into words. Her photos can be cut, stretched, bound or shifted in a number of ways to fit the dynamic shape of the medium that holds them. In a 2014 interview with Complex magazine's Cedar Pasori, Bonner described her work as "simultaneously an attempt to expand space and to bar entry." This vision is loud and clear throughout her entire body of work, so it's no surprise that she was selected by Art Los Angeles Contemporary as one of their nine artists to watch.
2) Dario Robleto: If art were perceived as a collection of unspoken languages, Dario Robleto would be multilingual. One glance at his body of work exemplifies the mind of a man who knows how to embrace artistic diversity without sacrificing his true voice. Robleto has not only created visual works in the form of sculpture, drawings, cut paper and prints, but has produced profound writings that enhance the impact of his artwork while still providing a very fresh, thoughtful perspective on various emotions and aspects of life. His work is difficult to categorize under one umbrella term such as "postmodern," "nostalgic" or "vintage," and this diversification is what makes his a name to remember. For these reasons, it's very easy to see why his work has been featured in myriad exhibitions, including the infamous ACME of Los Angeles.
(Photo courtesy of Kristine Larsen)3) Alice Aycock: It's rare to find an artist whose work can bring clarification to the irony of the term "modern nostalgia," but that's exactly what Pennsylvania native Alice Aycock accomplishes. She does this primarily through her series of sculptures that exemplifies the dynamic designs of each era from the 1970s to the 2010s. She has also completed many vaguely architectural drawings as well as strongly patterned design drawings. Her work is not saturated with color, but the few colored pieces she does produce utilize only a few simple shades.
4) Joachim Brohm: German-born landscape photographer Joachim Brohm is another artist whose work brings a visual definition to an ironic phrase. In his case, it's his ability to create a feeling of complex simplicity in his work that sets him apart from other photographers. His photos are taken in many different locations with different stories that may not stand out in the original environment until illuminated by his lens. They encourage the eye to shift perspective and the mind to wonder, a mark of every exceptional photographer.
(Photo courtesy of Daniel Kanu)5) Daniel Kanu: ASU graduate student Daniel Kanu is an example of an artist whose life experience and outlook is a work of art in itself. Kanu says his work is inspired by experiences he had while assimilating to American culture as a child after immigrating to the U.S. at age 13 from Sierra Leone.
"Moving from a third world country to one of the world's most advanced societies could spell a collision of social archetypes," Kanu explained. "In order to avoid standing out, I tried to immerse myself in the 'American' lifestyle by dressing, speaking and acting like every group I was around."
His current body of work, he says, is "reiterating the same idea to the ongoing situation of young black men and America." His art reflects a deep desire to disprove the negative stereotypes surrounding his culture in an attempt to create a positive perception within society as a whole.
"My take in the situation is for us young black men to rethink our image; we must try to unfit the gang member, thug, misfit profiles," Kanu explained. "We should try and change the negative stereotypes by proving them to be wrong. Also, we must start changing positively if we are asking the the entire country to change its perception of us."
Kanu's most recent body of work, "Unfit the Profile," can be seen at his MFA thesis exhibition, which will take place at the Harry Wood Gallery from Feb. 23 - 27.
Tell the reporter about your favorite artist at celina.jimenez@asu.edu or on Twitter @lina_lauren.
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