The way we see the world around us influences and shapes our creativity. Those who grow up with exposure to multiple landscapes, cultures and languages have a rich palette from which to paint their view of the world. Today we look at the work of two multiethnic artists, Ana Serrano from Los Angeles and Joe Feddersen from Omak, Washington.
Ana Serrano lives in Los Angeles and takes her inspiration from Latino neighborhoods there. She makes cardboard models of shops, residences and other buildings, painted in bright colors with extraordinary attention to detail. This elegant video features her Salon of Beauty show, commissioned by the Rice Gallery at Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. I am particularly fond of her rendering of potted plants and the joyfulness apparent in her work.
Joe Fedderson is a member of the Colville tribe of Washington state. His original training is in printmaking, but he has branched out into working with many different media, including glass. Like his ancestors, Joe takes images from the world around him and places them on objects. The world around him is different from that of his ancestors, expanding from the beauties of the natural world to include power lines, tire tracks, parking lots and HOV lanes. He finds beauty and symmetry in these as well. In this video, Joe speaks humbly of his glass objects inspired by Native American baskets. Make sure you see the set covered by tire track patterns– they are fantastic.
Video via museumofglass on Youtube.