Erika Iris Simmons

My name is Erika Iris Simmons and I like to take things- random things- like what you would find at a garage sale or in a thrift store- and make them into composite art. Most of my pieces become portraits of people associated with the item I’ve chosen. I don’t really add any paint or pigments… I usually just take things apart and re-arrange them in weird ways, cutting away pieces when necessary. A lot of my art is made with cassette tapes and old film reels in a series I call “Ghost in the Machine.”


“The Ghost in the Machine” series was inspired by some strange ideas. How at one level we are cellular beings and another we are a single “self.” The single cassette tape I thought of as representing the mind. The tape ribbon represents our thoughts, the data within. Taking that data – those bits of memory – and rearranging them to form what we see as a face is my way of finding a “ghost in the machine.” I also liked the fact that when you look at a portrait like Jimi Hendrix out of a cassette tape, you can almost hear the music in your head – so your own “data” is responding to what you see.


Right now I’m based in Atlanta, working full time as an independent artist- commissioned by companies and individuals. I graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2006 with a Russian major, then attended make up school after (which was a good art lesson). I’m currently working on a few projects and hoping to find the time to experiment with several new techniques and materials this holiday season. I’ve got a box of broken guitar strings I’m dying to get to. Also a broken typewriter. Its a mess in here but very fun.


Thanks for stopping by and feel free to contact me with any questions or just to say hi


Best wishes from Atlanta


ERika
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LINK:
behance / flicker 裡面有更多更棒的作品!


我猜他的許多作品都需要先於描圖紙上畫出草稿
然後找出想要勾勒的素材,
仔細的慢慢割下(如樂譜)or取出(如錄音帶)
之後再一一貼上拼湊出想要的感覺


我上次的可樂瓶系列也是這樣的方法:
先買一手可樂>大家喝完後依不同程度捏形>打光拍照>
ps修圖>列印>描圖紙慢慢勾勒線條(完成五張輪廓包含色塊分布陰影等)>
>翻面用6B描繪一次>翻面再次描繪於五張畫布上>壓克力上色.....
超繁複


很喜歡這種超執著於計算演練出來的某種程度的'精準'繪畫感
有種偏執狂的感覺


不過他真的是太有創意了