~David Wylie~
Struck by sudden inspiration, Alana Archer quickly turned her house upside down, gathering the hodgepodge of items she needed to re-create an image of artist Frida KahloB次元官网网址檚 1941 painting Me and My Parrot.
Instead of four brightly plumed birds, Alana posed with neon-green household productsB次元官网网址攊ncluding a jug of laundry detergent and a tub of dishwasher podsB次元官网网址攑erched on her shoulders and embraced in her arms. She substituted the cigarette between KahloB次元官网网址檚 fingers with a thermometer.
Archer posted her photo to Instagram and on the popular website Reddit, where it fast became one of the dayB次元官网网址檚 top posts, viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.
B次元官网网址淚 was hoping to just make people laugh for a little bit. The symbolism was there and colour was there,B次元官网网址� Alana said. B次元官网网址淭he response was incredible. It just took off like wildfire.B次元官网网址�
The Kelowna artistB次元官网网址檚 image was inspired by the Getty Museum Challenge, an online callout to re-create art using a small number of objects lying around the home. The challenge went viral during the first couple weeks of pandemic isolation, and social media feeds were populated with creative and funny interpretations.
People commenting on AlanaB次元官网网址檚 posting quickly pointed out the reproduction was missing the original artistB次元官网网址檚 distinct unibrow.
B次元官网网址淭here was so much controversy about the eyebrows, and it was interesting how people were interpreting it,B次元官网网址� said Alana. B次元官网网址淪ome people were taking personal digs at me and saying I completely missed the mark. I took it all with a grain of salt. It was fascinating seeing peopleB次元官网网址檚 spectrum of reaction.B次元官网网址�
Inspired, Alana delved deeper into KahloB次元官网网址檚 art and re-created another piece, Self-Portrait with Braid. She included the unibrow this time and incorporated a PlayStation controller as the necklace. AlanaB次元官网网址檚 play on that portrait was printed in People Magazine. Her re-creations were also featured through PBS B次元官网网址Hour.
The exposure helped her pick up more fans and followers on social media at an important time in her art careerB次元官网网址攐ne that has involved going through her own transformation. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in her being laid off from her job in interior design. As a result, she switched her focus to her own art.
READ MORE:
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 keeping up with my personal projects. IB次元官网网址檝e been running a separate art and painting company on the side for a few years. ItB次元官网网址檚 been a bit of a hobby, but now itB次元官网网址檚 getting my full attention,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 think thereB次元官网网址檚 lots of opportunity right now for people to just jump in and be a little bit entrepreneurial and make opportunities for themselves. And I think now, more than ever, people are wanting art to feel connected, and for things to be exciting again.B次元官网网址�
SheB次元官网网址檚 stayed busy on Instagram and her website, getting updates done that she had previously put off.
B次元官网网址淓veryoneB次元官网网址檚 getting really creative in different ways.B次元官网网址�
Alana tries to express a humanitarian message through her work.
Her dad is from the Republic of Chad, in central Africa, and her mom is Canadian. They were B次元官网网址減retty nomadic,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淚 was back and forth quite a bit throughout my childhood.B次元官网网址�
Alana has spent time in France, Spain and PortugalB次元官网网址攃onnecting with family and exploring. She said experiencing different places and cultures, especially Third World countries, has helped her appreciate things more.
Her dad worked in construction and she spent time around the different trades. Her mom enjoyed experimenting with artistic pursuits, switching up mediums oftenB次元官网网址攆rom pastels to sewing.
B次元官网网址淚 got the best of both of their worlds, I think,B次元官网网址� she said.
Alana pursued interior design after high school, studying at the Centre for Arts and Technology in Kelowna. Still, as much as she loved interior design, she found it incredibly fast-paced and detail-oriented. The construction side of the business also has its own inherent challenges.
READ MORE:
B次元官网网址淗aving my layoff now, IB次元官网网址檝e been given the opportunity to just dive full force into my own artwork,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been diving into a lot of resin art recently. ItB次元官网网址檚 one of my more exciting mediums to play with because it has a mind of its own and it will not be controlled. ItB次元官网网址檚 like watching a story unfold right in front of your eyes.B次元官网网址�
Art using resin is a big investment of time and materials. There are multiple layers on top of each other that can be manipulated, or left to level out.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a material that you have to listen to. ItB次元官网网址檚 definitely interactive. There are times it co-operates and times that it doesnB次元官网网址檛. IB次元官网网址檓 still learning how to tame it. Everything has a lot of energy, a lot of colour.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 also a delicate material; resin reacts to chemicals in the air and to temperature.
One of her more complex pieces is a round, abstract work with six materials creating cohesion in chaos. It plays together and reacts. Another piece, called Extraneous, was displayed recently as part of the Kelowna Art GalleryB次元官网网址檚 exhibition for local artists.
SheB次元官网网址檚 recently been working on a 30-inch round birch canvas, layering it with resin and also incorporating mirrored glass.
All of the proceeds from this yearB次元官网网址檚 sales of AlanaB次元官网网址檚 art will be donated to the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation.
For more information, visit .
