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Angry/Forest (2011) |
It is not just the fact that Ariel Mitchell's work is new and different that makes it worth getting excited about, but more important is her work's excellent expressive quality with which she connects deeply to the viewer, practically on a primal level. And there is also the fact that Mitchell doesn't just toss her ideas away after completing a piece, but rather that she develops each idea through a whole spectrum of media, until she has created a complete multimedia study on a single theme. It's a gripping body of work no matter how you look at it, because, to put it in a single phrase, Mitchell puts her whole being into it.
Take her Angry/Forest photograph, for example. It is a photograph of Mitchell's performance attempting to express "frustration at a lack of communication". It's a great art-piece, largely because of the unexpected juxtaposition of the ordinary and the theatrical, the bare white walls and simple rug against the dramatic headgear and white face-paint. The headgear and makeup draw our attention to the source of the energy: we see the character's blocked eyes, the muffled ears, the back-tilted head, and the open mouth in
the middle of a throaty primal yell. We can even see the frustrated energy trickling down her arms to her
tensed hands. It's an important emotion to express, especially because it is one that is too often stifled. It is also one that is difficult to express well, with many performances slipping into either excessive negativity or smirking humor. In this performance, however, Mitchell expresses it honestly, deeply, and purely, without a hint of exaggeration.
But the story doesn't end there.
"Angry/Forest is part of a much
larger piece all in the attempt to express frustration at a lack of
communication," Mitchell says. "It includes video and movement, and
hopefully in the future, it will include painting and sculpture, if it goes
that way."
That is Mitchell's new method of working. She gets
the idea of a feeling to express, usually one that is felt by many but not often communicated.
From there, she designs and makes one of her iconic sanctuary helmets, one of which
you see in the photo, and then she puts it on, dresses the part, and expresses the
feeling through a physical performance. After documenting the performance
through photography or movie camera, she then sometimes creates adjoining
pieces by digitally manipulating the image. And then sometimes, after that, she uses the
digital image as the model for a new drawing, painting, and/or sculpture. By my
count, that's at least five interconnecting pieces on the same theme, all overlapping, all building upon the previous piece.
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Angry/Wyoming (2011) |
For her Angry/Wyoming image, Mitchell used
a tall rectangular photograph of a Wyoming forest as the backdrop, she
photoshopped in the Angry/Forest photograph, and then she added what looks like one
single pink digital brushstroke to tie the two images together.
Another point of interest in some of Mitchell's work is the theme of sound. Often in visual art, artists create without any
thought about sound, creating a piece of work that only stimulates the eyes.
But Mitchell often uncannily stimulates our sense of hearing as well. In Angry/Wyoming, for instance, our hearing is stimulated through the open-mouthed operatic pose of her character, through the pink
visualization of the decibels or soundwaves of her scream, and also through the
image of the Sanctuary Helmet which by blocking her character's hearing, brings out the impulse in us to cover our ears, as if the aural volume were coming right through the image.
Mitchell's pursuit and documentation of feelings shows her impressive dedication as well as a tremendous creative spirit. When asked how she came to tap into such creativity, Mitchell says:
"I grew up as a classical ballet dancer,
and have always had a relationship with my body. I lost that, kind of, when I
went to art school. I thought I should focus only on painting, so I could be a
painter. That worked for a while, until I really felt the need to move. During
my residency in Finland, I came out of my shell, and realized the best way to
express a feeling was to literally express it through the body. The
residency was a safe place to really explore who I am and what I do, and that
verified my beliefs. For a while though, I wasn't sure what was happening. I
thought I might be developing some crazy alternate personality thing," she
laughs. "But then I realized after creating these works that I am more
myself than ever."
When asked where she gets her ideas and inspiration from, Mitchell explains that much of it comes from yoga:
"I have noticed also that when my yoga practice gets
strong, so does my art, because yoga gets you to that place where intense
art-making can get you to. In other words, the more I practice yoga, the
more inspired I become to create."
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Enlightenment/Beacon (2011) |
"Enlightenment/Beacon is about that feeling
when you know something, although people are trying to convince you
otherwise," says Mitchell.
The image is a collage of a performance done at
Torrey Pines, photoshopped into a picture taken on Mitchell's honeymoon in Nova
Scotia. And the slight image on the left side is from a performance in
Finland.
"I like the idea of combining time and
place through collage, and I realized the performances can act as characters to
one another, forming relationships," Mitchell says.
When I asked Mitchell what she thinks
about people creating their own stories around her pieces, she said: "I
love when people make up their own stories about the work. I think when people
make up their own stories, it makes the piece more accessible and more
fun."
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Dark (2011) |
Dark is certainly a piece that demands
some storytelling on the part of the viewer. For me, the story balances mystery
and humor.
"The original performance for this photo was called Dancer,
and it was about seeking freedom. I wore aluminum tape, originally used to patch
ductwork, and goggles and a shower cap to restrict my vision and hearing. I
tried to dance gracefully, although unsuccessfully. I love absurdity and humor in art, yet I try to retain a
seriousness."
The wealth of characters and theatrical elements in Mitchell's work calls to mind the work of Cindy Sherman, about whom Mitchell says:
"I Love Cindy Sherman. I think because she, also, combines art and life through
the medium of her body."
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Dog Circle/Where We Came From (2011) |
"The Circles are about coming full circle,
in one's life, in the seasons, and life in general," Mitchell says. "I was also trying to relate
people to the natural world, another theme that still runs with me. Dog Circle is made of embroidery thread, glittered canvas and fur from my
dog Jack. I used to collect his fur after I brushed it, intending to stuff a
pillow or make a tea cozy or something, but it turned into art," she
laughs. "It's supposed to emit the feeling of some kind of galactic
explosion."
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Rabbit/Hand Circle (2011) |
About the eerily beautiful Rabbit/Hand Circle, Mitchell says: "Rabbit/Hand Circle is kind of like a life
ring, two hands of different people reaching for each other."
Mitchell is currently applying to graduate schools, both in town and abroad, but wherever she goes, we can be confident that she
will continue her evocative dance through media. We remain grateful for the
tremendous gifts she has shared with us, which fortunately have the tendency to
linger long in the mind and the soul.
[Ariel Mitchell currently has a studio in the prestigious
Space4Art complex in Downtown's East Village. Some of her prints will available
at their Holiday Show and Sale this Saturday, December 10th. For more information on that event,
see the Space4Art website. And
for more info on Mitchell's work, feel free to visit her website, at arielmitchell.com.]
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