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Verdugo Magazine interview |
| Art & StyleEight years and 50 shows later, Wax Poetic Gallery is still showing strong, with its latest exhibit by Aaron Kraten.By Julie RiggottEvery couple of months, Wax Poetic Gallery in Burbank mounts a new art exhibit in its bright, sleek and modern space that houses, besides the gallery, a beauty salon and spa.Since Wax Poetic opened in Magnolia Park in 2000, it has hosted around 50 exhibits, showcasing everything from drawings on paper to paintings to photography.Owner Kerry Hite kicked things up a notch in 2004 when she tripled the size of her salon, spa and gallery to 3,000 square feet and added an Elixir tonics bar."We hope to be a community space.People are welcome to come check out the art anytime," says Hite.Unlike other galleries, Wax Poetic is open seven days a week, and its white benches and Elixir bar encourage browsers not just to cast a cursory look but to fully experience the art. |
| Unlike other galleries, Wax Poetic is open seven days a week, and its white benches and Elixir bar encourage browsers not just to cast a cursory look but to fully experience the art.Each exhibit opens with a reception where people can meet the artist while enjoying refreshments and tunes from resident DJ Jag.When it comes to booking shows, Hite says she looks for an artist who has already shown in galleries and developed something of a following, and there must exist a cohesive body of work available for display.For Hite, the most important elements are originality and talent, whether or not she personally likes the art."I like to choose artists that have a vision of their work," she says.The paintings currently on display in the gallery are the work of Orange County artist Aaron Kraten.The exhibit opened in March and will continue through the last week of May.Kraten's mixed-media works on wood have a collage aspect to them, made from Polaroid and magazine cutouts combined with acrylic, oil, spray paint and even ink and handmade markers.He says his style is influenced by skateboard culture and graffiti. |
| He says his style is influenced by skateboard culture and graffiti.Though there are recurring images of recording equipment and computers, the subjects most often repeated are girls with short, stylized hairdos and hip, experimental fashions worthy of the runway.Their dresses are strong on pattern, with stripes and free-form shapes, angled or ragged hemlines and the occasional decorative heart or frilly ruffle."The girls are fun and hip, and I love the fashion aspect," Hite says."I want to create one of the dresses he's painted."Kraten learned about fashion while working for a seamstress for a year." I learned how garments are put together, did a lot of sewing and grading [making a garment into different sizes].By doing that, I was exposed to fashion in a new way," says Kraten, who also designed a bag, shoe and sweatshirt for the Etnies skateboard footwear company last fall.The 34-year-old artist also designs phone and laptop skins, which reflects his fascination with technology. |
| By doing that, I was exposed to fashion in a new way," says Kraten, who also designed a bag, shoe and sweatshirt for the Etnies skateboard footwear company last fall.The 34-year-old artist also designs phone and laptop skins, which reflects his fascination with technology.He says that the smaller collage details of his paintings emphasize the positive effect technology has had on our lives."I guess my work is about the times we live in, like how we communicate or use devices like computers, how our society is using these machines, and how people are expressing themselves on this digital media.I also believe it's empowered a lot of people that usually wouldn't get their work or their vision seen," he says."Mostly I think my work is a celebration of individualism and how people are all really unique and creative."Kraten drew for 10 years before he started painting in 1999.His figures have a look reminiscent of comic book art but, surprisingly, Kraten doesn't use a pen or even a paintbrush; he paints entirely with his fingers.You could say that happened by accident or out of necessity.While working as the manager of a thrift store, Kraten took some paint he'd used on the walls and some wood that a Urban Outfitters store next door had thrown out and, with no brushes at hand, started finger-painting "colorscapes.""I did it for fun when no one was around and I'd get this dead time where there was nothing going .. |
| While working as the manager of a thrift store, Kraten took some paint he'd used on the walls and some wood that a Urban Outfitters store next door had thrown out and, with no brushes at hand, started finger-painting "colorscapes.""I did it for fun when no one was around and I'd get this dead time where there was nothing going ..it dried, I started illustrating with ink on top of that, and I didn't have any brushes.I just had my hands and the ink I used to fill my pen up with, and I used other elements, like white-out and markers, and I would put paper on the paint while it was wet and started making mixed-media collage while I was at work," he recalls.When the owner suggested he hang them up in the shop, people took notice."I sold the first two pieces for $1,000 a piece," he says.From there, he acquired temporary space at no cost, set up a gallery and was catapulted into the art world.Despite such a short career, he has exhibited in group shows at prestigious locations such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Laguna Art Museum and the Orange County Museum of Art."I only found out recently that he paints with his fingers," says Hite, who first invited Kraten to exhibit at Wax Poetic in 2005.Like the artists Hite discovers, the gallery too has a following. |
| Despite such a short career, he has exhibited in group shows at prestigious locations such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Laguna Art Museum and the Orange County Museum of Art."I only found out recently that he paints with his fingers," says Hite, who first invited Kraten to exhibit at Wax Poetic in 2005.Like the artists Hite discovers, the gallery too has a following.Hite says she is now booking artists a year in advance.When Kraten's modern, fashion-influenced work comes down, Valerio Ventura's cartoon-like art and prints will go up, with an opening reception set for May 31 from 8 to 11 p.m |
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