PATTERNS AND TONES

Back in March, I began constructing a costume which I was creating for  Joan Agajanian Quinn . You can read all about the process and construction of the garment  here . A few weeks ago I photographed her in that costume. The moment we put the hat on it screamed baker but I knew the final results would elevate it to Queen Nefertiti's headdress! With images of Joan shot by Hurrell , Mapplethorpe  and Rolston in the back of my mind and elements of my recent Paper Ballet series draped on her shoulders, I approached how I wanted to craft my own image of Joan by tipping my hat to those who captured her likeness before me while at the same time conveying my own style and approach to portraiture. When I went to go to visit Joan the other day she asked why it was taking so long to create the image. Part of it is due to working for Picassso full time and the other half is due to the process I chose to use. Hand "painting" the photograph took several weeks to comple...

Joan Agajanian Quinn is a power house. The first time I saw Joan, I could feel her energy from across the room. She shines brightly and it is palpable. Her involvement in Southern California contemporary art has had a big impact on the thriving scene here. From her television series "The Joan Quinn Profiles" , which in an interview format has been capturing artists, designers, directors, musicians and actors talking about their craft since 1993, to being the West Coast Correspondent for  Interview Magazine , as well as being the founding West Coast Editor of Art Review Magazine, Joan has always kept a dialogue with artists open. Last summer an exhibition titled " Joan Quin Captured " showcased portraits of Joan by renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Shepard Fairey, Jean-Michel Basquiat ,   Robert Mapplethorp , George Hurrell, Mathew Rolston and Helmut Newton (among many others) at the newly refurbished Brand Library and Art Center in Glendale...