Your Custom Text Here
With the passing of time, our personal and collective perspectives undergo monumental shifts. What was once undeniably avant-garde and innovative becomes imbued with hidden narratives and histories. Fiona Kain approaches how the stories we once knew, the visual languages we create, and our relationship to the world of art shift with each passing day.
In this series, she presents a series of paintings of artists' smocks. Inspired by the Mr. Freedom British Summer Collection from 1971, their bold contrasting colors become a symbol for the artist. Her distinctive use of clean lines and planes of color combined with her plays of typography and amalgamated imagery to transform each utilitarian garment into a portal through time. In a conflation of imagery, she reframes the history of modern and contemporary art.
Adorned with feathers, clocks, text, and geometric shapes viewers decipher a story of the past retold through new eyes. The story of Ana Mendieta, a notable artist pushing the boundaries of the body and performance, has become one of the great tragedies of modern art. To date, the ambiguity surrounding her death and the possible role of her husband, renowned Minimalist artist Carl Andre, remains a mystery. Kain asks us to revisit this story with our contemporary consciousness, asking us to rethink our relationship to each of their artistic works.
The bizarre geometries at the base of each smock become references to the work of Andre, such as his piece “Magnesium Square 144”. Within each smock, floating feathers allude to Mendieta’s 1971 photography series “Blood and Feathers”. Feathers transform into quills, a symbol of their marriage contract, a declaration of love, and chopsticks transform the hands of the clock, transporting us back to her fatal final night. This reimagined story is compounded by the repeating words of Marina Abramovic’s memoir, “An Artist’s Conduct in His Life”. Abramovic stresses the role of the artist not to fall in love with another artist and not to kill.
As Kain’s feathers fade into transparent forms, they echo the sentiments of disappearance and remembrance. In her entrancing yet haunting reinterpretations of the historiography of art, her viewers are confronted with the personal turmoil of appreciating these marvels of modern art, reconciling the darker histories that loom beneath their surfaces, and understanding how our perspectives on these stories exist in a state of continual flux.
Alice Adventures in Wonderland Series
As a young child, my earliest introduction to Alice was through the animated 1951 Walt Disney movie: the vivid images of Alice falling down the rabbit hole, the always late white rabbit, the disappearing Cheshire cat, the talking flowers and the queen playing croquet with a flamingo as a bat and porcupine as a ball. Later, as a young art student in Melbourne, I was introduced to the Australian artist, Charles Blackman, and his 1950s series of paintings of Alice in Wonderland. I love the rich surreal way in which they were painted and his personal take on the story.
The reason why Alice is so appealing through the ages is that the way the story is written is timeless: Alice’s journey through Wonderland could have just as easily have happened 150 years ago as it could have today. Carroll takes us on a visual journey with his words, with each chapter drawing the reader to a new place or situation, be it falling down the rabbit hole, talking to a Cheshire cat, a mock turtle or a caterpillar. Alice continually keeps herself in check despite the bizarre situations she finds herself. While she maintains a level head in some circumstances, her sense of adventure and willingness to explore makes her character resonate with many of us.
New work about Florence Broadhurst. This work was motived by International Women’s Day and the recent murder (and response) of Sarah Everard in South London 2020.
I had a daughter living in South East London, so it felt real! While this all sounds gloomy, the painting is not…
In 1977, in Paddington, Sydney, Florence was found dead in her studio. Despite her murder nearly 45 years ago, the Broadhurst case is still a cold case. However, this painting is a celebration of Broadhurst, with symbolism linked to the murder.
Florence Broadhurst was a master of disguise but a talented artisan no matter what she put her mind to. From being a dancer in Shanghai, to Madame Pellier in London or as we know her in Sydney; Florence Broadhurst Wallpaper Designer.
Her story is intriguing and colourful and yet there is this other side to her story through the unsolved cold case. Another female in our society fallen prey and for reasons we can only guess… A woman who was able to live under any guise before Big Brother and has left a legacy of designs for us all to marvel over.
Alice in Wonderland Book
Having never read the book as a child, I started to read the book to my own daughter. Within a few pages, she was totally confused. But I was thoroughly fascinated by the story. That reading opened my eyes to the amazing imagery that lifted off the pages, so I finished the book on my own. I have been hooked on all things ‘Alice’ ever since.
I have been working on the book, on and off, forever!!!!
It’s had many revisions and I'm constantly tinkering to get the right look, paintings and typography. I put the book down for several weeks and then come back to it with fresh eyes. Even now, when I am really happy with where it is at, I can see more images and ideas to add. I really need a deadline!
Short animation created by artist, Fiona Kain, for Melbourne Library Services (MLS) exhibition
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed vel urna at nibh posuere facilisis at in magna. Vivamus rutrum ante tempus est auctor ullamcorper. Fusce a ligula vel risus imperdiet condimentum at sed nunc. Duis nulla ante, consequat non volutpat ac, egestas eget felis. Suspendisse eu accumsan est. Nunc commodo feugiat molestie. Etiam aliquam mollis sem gravida ultrices. In vitae lectus erat, quis pellentesque augue. Vestibulum sed lobortis tellus. Pellentesque sed risus eu felis tempor condimentum eu ac justo.
Photomedia works based on the characters from Alice Adventures in Wonderland
2012-2013
Tip of the Hat
The Art of Driving
Artomobile is for anyone who drives, fallen in love with or simply loves the look of cars – not just car enthusiasts but those who appreciate the aesthetic of the automobile. The concept of Artomobile stems from a long relationship with classic cars, from her childhood through her father’s eclectic assortment of cars, to more recent adulthood experiences of owning classic cars. You can see me driving around daily in her 1959 Triumph Herald Coupe!! Cars evoke memories of people, places and childhood, representing a time and place and journeys past.
I founded Artomobile because I love Classics cars, and drive classic cars.
Artomobile not only helps me survive as a full time artist, it also gives me a lot of pleasure bringing to life and commemorating some of these classic, that in some cases are forgotten. I love how the customer curates the show. I never know what I am going to paint next? From a Shelby GT 500 to a MGY Tourer.
It’s rewarding to illustrate and paint something so personal for someone.