Kathy Lajvardi describes her inspiration for “Unbreakable Queens“.
The best way to introduce you to Kathy Lajvardi is to include a video in her own words describing the inspiration for her “Unbreakable Queens” Series of works (immediately above).
Kathy is immensely driven. A career spanning blue chip Corporate graphics design, film production stills/animation links, book publishing, musical artists photography and senior art direction. My blog article focuses specifically upon her own handmade painted artworks and high quality prints.
Music is a powerfully evocative platform to communicate emotions and ideas. Like Pop Art master Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kathy Lajvardi involves music in her artmaking process. Her video explains her great love of music and culture being direct artistic influences.
We live in a tough world commercially. Women worked in a male-dominated world in the late 19th Century, even in historically colonial empires. A quick look at the Suffragettes Movement in the United Kingdom in the early 1900’s highlights that women have not always had a fair deal with working opportunities and the generalised rights afforded to men.
With oppression occurring particularly against women in various places people naturally gravitate to highly successful artists such as Beyonce and Madonna. Go-getters, trailblazers, international superstars in a predominant man’s world.
Of course, Westernised norms do not necessarily mean successful societies. Poverty, crime and inequality blights numerous nations regardless of religion, status or working opportunities. There is a swathe of populist movements/trends sweeping the globe primarily through emotional sentiments fuelled via technological communication. It is clearly wise to keep the laws of a land to avoid certain difficulties.
So what can people do with injustice?
Kathy Lajvardi has art as an outlet.
Building upon a rising backdrop of female empowerment Kathy uses symbolism within her work in multi-layered and carefully considered ways to get her message across.
Ancient Persia extolled the literal height of artistic representation along with ancient Egyptian and other Mesopotamian cultures. Therefore it is only meet that Kathy would draw upon her Iranian roots as an artist growing up in California.
Kathy Lajvardi with her “Unbreakable Queens Series” and “Unstoppable, Break” artworks.
You have planned your work, thrown your heart into the project. We should rightfully be proud with personal achievements.
Art is often surprisingly hard work. Social media allows artists to become known, personally. Their dreams, aspirations, how they feel as individual persons. Insights into their lives.
I see multi-facets to Kathy’s personality through her artwork and social media. A woman whom confidently negotiates the commercial world through academic learning, experience, networking and malleability.
“Malleability – the ability to be easily changed into a new shape.” – Cambridge Dictionary.
“Unbreakable Queens Series” by Kathy Lajvardi featuring ‘Queen Beyonce‘, ‘Queen Madonna‘, ‘Queen Googoosh‘ and ‘Queen Janet’.
Let me present to you dear Readers one of my spontaneous word associations with regards to the art I see in the “Unbreakable Queens Series” by Kathy Lajvardi:
Tackling challenges head-on, living up to expectations, responsibilities, despair followed by hope, affinity to a higher power, pensive humbleness, patience – all with stylised iconography.
“Unstoppable, Rise” and “Unstoppable, Break” by Kathy Lajvardi featured in exhibition gallery space.
Kathy incorporates Iranian history and heritage in “Unstoppable, Rise” and “Unstoppable, Break“.
The crowns in her Pop Art works represent past Iranian monarchy. The lion head is seated upon a woman’s body. Iran’s national flag colors are visible to bring a sense of hope. Kathy’s artworks are very intricate, vibrant with sophistication.
I thought I would post a photograph from Wikipedia of Googoosh from an earlier concert, here:
Googoosh performing in Tehran prior to 1979.
Googoosh is an inspiration to Iranians. A beautiful lady with a strong voice, critically acclaimed in music and films for decades. Here is a list of some of her secular achievements:
1971: first prize and gold record at the Midem trade fair in Cannes (as “Gougoush”) performing two songs in French.
1973: The best actress for Bitain Iranian Sepas film festival
2014: Best Iranian Female Singer (World Music Awards)
2017: Best Music Video For Do Panjereh (Directed by Yasmin Asha) Festigious Film Awards March 2017
2022: Performed at the Expo Festival
[Quotations from Wikipedia).
For a female Iranian performer this shows the ability for people to celebrate the value of their national pride and unique culture.
It is no wonder why Kathy Lajvardi is inspired by an Iranian artist whose fame has transcended many decades. I wanted to get the sense of Kathy’s reasons for producing her recent artwork series. Googoosh is one of those reasons. It might surprise some in Western culture to believe Iranian culture has a rich heritage in films and music.
Whilst Kathy Lajvardi lives in Orange County, LA, (her family emigrating due to the late 1970’s political and military Iranian Revolution) she has a heartfelt yearning with her Iranian hometown and peoples.
What is greater.. the freedom for girls and women to engage in secular education or the bullet and the bomb?
It was the bullet and the bomb that brought about the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970’s.
“Icy Lake – Tracing Paper version” [15th December 2022] Digital art, 2592 x 1944 pixels, by Matt The Unfathomable Artist.
“Icy Lake – Tracing Paper version” shown above is one of my favourite digital versions from the icy lake composition photographed on the same day. The original unedited composition is not shown.
You can click on any of these images to see each version in greater detail.
“Icy Lake – Starry Particles version” [15th December 2022] Digital art, 2592 x 1944 pixels, Time 0.314, by Matt The Unfathomable Artist.
With “Icy Lake – Starry Particles version” [immediately above] I made many visual changes to the artwork to find the perfect mix between stars and darkness of the icy lake. Artists have practised unusual perspectives for millenia. The idea these icy waters replicate stars or luminous particles is pleasing to our senses visually.
“Icy Lake – Shadow version” [15th December 2022] Digital art, 2457 x 1680 pixels, by Matt The Unfathomable Artist.
“Icy Lake – Shadow version” [shown above] is produced by embossing the image to varying degrees until one finds the most effective visual effect. This image looks the most computerised, digital or engineered.
“Icy Lake – Black & White version” [15th December 2022] Digital art, 2592 x 1944 pixels, by Matt The Unfathomable Artist.
By removing colour “Icy Lake – Black & White version” provides us with a stunningly beautiful image. Explaining the coldness of the wintry conditions in the most honestly efficient light.
“Hayfield Meadow Grasses” [16th August 2022] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, drawing with H, HB, 4B and 8B, signed in black ink on 280gsm 250mm x 300mm gesso primed canvas [pad], digitally edited image 2683 x 3110 pixels.
“Hayfield Meadow Grasses” is a pencil canvas produced from two photographs dated 2121hrs 8th July and 2044hrs 15th August 2022.
The main composition is produced from the earlier photo. Cottongrass (mid-centre-right) is added for artistic effect from the latter photograph. I kept the cottongrass macro-composition derived from its same image.
The artwork is in the style of plant pressings found in botanical books. Also, early scientific drawings, which date at the least throughout the past two millennia.
The artwork is made within 30 minutes.
Here is the photograph taken 2121hrs 8th July:
Here is the photograph taken 2044hrs 15th August 2022:
As you can see with comparing my artwork with the photographs, I included two buttercups and the sense of the meadow grasses moving. The cottongrass in the latter photograph features three horizontal and three vertically placed depictions of same.
Whilst I did not try to fashion a face from the cottongrass, it does seem to appear as such. Likewise the buttercups take a similar form, appearing as eyes. I absolutely love this piece. Quite honestly it’s as perfect as I would hope for in my ‘planning’ an artwork.
I write ‘planning’ [an artwork] since I rarely do so. Most of my work is spontaneous as I draw or paint etc.
In fact in my rather spontaneous mood, please let me share with you an artwork I made on/before 29th June 2022, in around one hour and ten minutes. Entitled: “Gosling Walking About”:
“Gosling Walking About” [29th June 2022] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, drawing with H, HB, 4B, 8B and charcoal stick, unsigned on 280gsm 250mm x 300mm gesso primed canvas [pad], digitally edited image 3026 x 2567 pixels.
I didn’t sign “Gosling Walking About” at the time as I was unsure if I loved the artwork. I do. Although I shall probably not sign this artwork for no reason whatsoever. Except.. I love this as it is on the canvas.
More spontaneity. Here are two dog artworks. Two different young dogs from within my family. I’m not sure I ever drew a dog before as an adult, to be perfectly honest.
The first is “Untitled Dog Portrait”:
“Untitled Dog Portrait” [24th December 2021] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, drawing with H, HB, 4B, 8B, green, yellow, blue and black pencils signed in blue ink on 280gsm 250mm x 300mm gesso primed canvas [pad], digitally edited image 2762 x 3462 pixels.
Surprisingly for the artwork, “Untitled Dog Portrait” features a very energetic family doggie.
Next we have a second family dog, a mischievous cute puppy, I shall call “Untitled Dog Relaxing”:
“Untitled Dog Relaxing” [9th July 2022] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, drawing with H, HB, 4B and 8B, signed in black ink on 280gsm 250mm x 300mm gesso primed canvas [pad], digitally edited image 3400 x 2890 pixels.
This family pup found it all rather hilarious for me to chase him as he ran around with some garden flowers in his mouth the other day. Here, he is pictured relaxing under some shade looking at me in July.
“Rusted Cart of the Nature Reserve” [11th/12th February 2022] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, drawing with black ink, H, HB, 4B and 8B pencils, signed in black ink on 280gsm 250mm x 300mm gesso primed canvas [pad], digitally edited image 3468 x 2938 pixels.
My sketch above, “Rusted Cart of the Nature Reserve”, consists of approximately an hour-and-a-half to two hours of sketching/drawing work.
I took the photograph for the sketch composition earlier that first day, here it is:
“Rusted Cart of the Nature Reserve – photograph” [11th February 2022] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist.
This is a sketchy mood-style artwork rather than drawing out intricate details. The composition is kept as true as possible. Areas that looked like eyes, in my sketch, have become highlighted for effect.
Although whilst I was happily sketching to reference the shade and branches, I do believe the idea of eyes is correctly placed into the landscape.
“Untitled Photograph #1“ [30th October 2021] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, artistically edited photograph in black & white, digital image 5373 x 6248 pixels.
I took this photograph at 1850hrs on 30th October 2021, whilst Jupiter and Saturn watched from afar, above the night skyline. A human-like shadow appears to cast a glow of itself, below the urban lights.
Here are photographs of the celestial sights to the South South East, South that evening:
1848hrs:
Photograph taken at 1848hrs of the bright celestial body by Matt The Unfathomable Artist.
Photographed by me nearer to the urban lights whilst I stood upon the smooth concrete, at a junction. All light objects below the two central celestial bodies (shown in the image just above centre, centre-right) are manmade.
One celestial body is hardly discernible, without zooming for a close-up.
1851hrs:
This was photographed at 1851hrs, whilst I stood upon smooth concrete, further away from the urban lights pictured. Yet, standing near to where my original photograph was taken one minute earlier, entitled “Untitled Photograph #1”, urban lights without colour.
Here is a close-up of 1851hrs, shown immediately above:
To the imagination, this could resemble an alien face.
“Pop Art Egyptian Rabbit with ISBN & Barcode“[9th September 2021] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, Pop Art sketch with 3H, HB and 3B graphite pencils on 280gsm 250mm x 300mm fine art gesso primed canvas [pad], 7279 x 6004 pixels in digitally edited image shown.
At the lower-right corner of this artwork the 13-digit ISBN numbers read, in their English alpha-numerical conversion – ‘Earth Sale’.
The machine code numbers, made of a series of 0’s and 1’s, are replicated from my previous artwork – ‘Surreal Egyptian Rabbit with Venus’.
Nucleic and astronomic ideas feature without a predefined actuality.
“Surreal Egyptian Rabbit with Venus” [8th September 2021] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, surrealist sketch with 3H, HB and 3B graphite pencils on 230gsm 270mm x 195mm fine art paper, 7599 x 6033 pixels in digitally edited image shown.
This artwork “Surreal Egyptian Rabbit with Venus” is a new composition inspired from ‘Surreal Egyptian Rabbits’.
[Please note I have not fully cropped the image above.]
“Surreal Egyptian Rabbits” [7th September 2021] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, surrealist sketch with 3H, HB and 3B graphite pencils on 230gsm 270mm x 195mm fine art paper, 7289 x 5559 pixels in digital image shown.
This artwork is a first edition surrealist sketch from my own Impressionist artwork entitled “Two Rabbits Munching” (see sketch image below). Three rabbits of the field have become ancient Egyptian representations in symbolic form. A sword appears as a shadow to the pathway with a scythe or axe-like appearance snaking over the grasses below.
One rabbit’s head is hiding or partly obscured. Vegetation eyes look at us within long grass stalks growing at the feet of a moth. The letters SOS can be seen in the mid-ground grasses.
“Two Rabbits Munching” [6th September 2021] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, sketch with 3H, HB and 3B graphite pencils on 230gsm 270mm x 195mm fine art paper, 7223 x 5392 pixels in digital image shown.
This sketch is composed from a spontaneous photograph during a breezy thought-walk all around my local Nature Reserve.
These particular hedgerow rabbits frequent Buzzard’s Wood Hollow and the Meadow Three grass verges.
Hilariously, further along the obscured mid-placed path there are some adventurous rabbits that use the smooth flat sculptural Water Vole Ground Stone as their convenient dropping offerings place!
As if hunger-laden grass is far too improper for their furry behinds.
Here is the grainy photograph from whence the sketch is derived. I included the vagueness of the rabbits in the sketch although I chose two rabbits rather than three for the composition:
Photograph from Hay Meadow 6th September 2021 [mobilephone camera only]
Notice how, just as in my sketch, the far left rabbit is poised for running.
“Self Portrait within the Universe” [20th/21st June 2021] by Matt The Unfathomable Artist, sketch with 3H HB 3B pencils signed in iron gall ink on A4 250gsm Artist’s paper.
Artwork includes luminary light with digitally edited photography to create this image.
The title for this artwork is based upon an ancient quotation. “Self Portrait within the Universe” includes direct visual references to unfathomable phenomena.
The Unfathomable Artist 