LđđKING THROUGH PROFANE GEMSTONES
A quick chat w/ Bel Fullana
In her paintings, we often C 2 figures âdoubles, twinsâ as if the overbearing intensity of personhood had summoned a legion of clones to express the conflicting drives of the self, ie. âalterego selfiesâ (?).
Blinged out w/ delicately drawn tattoos, ice and #nostalgic stickers, they blazeđ phantasmagoric gemstones in the night đđ„
2 get some insight into the stories of these [baby-faced rascals] wreaking havoc, đ contacted the artist via IG 4 a chat!
Bel Fullana: đ guess, my POP! influences R predominantly movies from the â80s & â90s, đ Terminator or Nightmare on Elm Street, Gremlins, Biker Mice from Mars, Tales from the Crypt & Childâs Play. That absolutely terrifying look that reigned at the time, đ Iron Maiden album covers Ă which were sinister and mocking @ the sameâ±!
Also, the whole UFO phenomenon! Like the E.T. movie, showcasing the humanization of that [amorphous being] coming from outer space â„â„â„â„â„⊠Just like Howard the Duck, a movie from â86 that featured an alien duck that came to earth and fell in love with a girl w/ whom he even had sex⊠if đ remember correctly?! What a super-weird thingâŠÂ Iâm pretty sure all these influences â fantasies bustling w/ humanoids, Âœ aliensâÂœ cyborgians & nocturnal beings, etc. â were important for many artists of my generation!
P+L+U+S the representation of the â warrior like Sarah Connor, Barb Wire, Lunch or Bulma from Dragon Ball: the »iconic rebel women« who donât fit into the conventional canons and navigate in an abyss of darkness đ!
The 1s who further inspired my perspective on this feminine aspect (especially in the last few years) were artists predominantly from the â« music scene â«, ~ Grimes, ~ Tomasa del Real, ~ la Zowi & ~ Hofmannita. The Spanish interdisciplinary artist MarĂa ForquĂ©, aka Virgen MarĂa, is also an important influence 4 me!
As 4 #cuteness, đ was unaware of this entangled theory of cuteness and horror until very recently when the curator đ„NĂșria GĂłmez Gabriel đ„ â w/ whom đ âve been working 4 a few months for an exhibition, told me about it! She catalogued my work as cute-terrorist & the truth is đ â„Lâ„Oâ„Vâ„Eâ„ the term!!!đ„ However, 4 me, the characters in my paintings R more cute than terrifying! They look aggressive, violent and militant, but they R just pretending!
Bel Fullana:Â WHITE MAMI â± 2023 â±oil and spray on canvas â± Photo courtesy of the artist
BF: đ‘m not theoretical @ all, nor do đ turn 2 the theories of others 2 create my đšs… đ simply let myself B carried away by a.e.s.t.h.e.t.i.c. trends & tendencies that attract me, and react 2 them by creating my own images.
PT: Did U know U R in Kunstforumâs supertheoretical #Cuteness issue?
BF: Yes! I know!!! Â It makes me happy đđđ
PT: How did U #personalise the [G]rand [M]edium of [P]ainting to create UR’s very own fictional universe đ? R U interested in the #neo-surrealist #disneyfication / #theme-parkification of art?
BF: đ think about my đšs as a universe of characters (~ cartoons), and đ think thereâs a tendency, as U say âa #neo-surrealist one, & đ would add a #figurative oneâ which may have something 2 do with #disneyfication, but đ wouldnât use this term because #Disney has many connotations đ really donât đ. (UGH!)
đâd say that U can C this tendency of the artist creating thematic universes, for example, in the works of Kenny Scharf / Jon Burgerman! âș
đâve been painting 4 around 20 YRS! (!), trying to find my own voice. There have been times when đ painted very differently, so much so U wouldnât even recognize it, but little by little đ have been developing this language that đ really feel is mine & represents me. (It may continue 2 mutate over the years!â±)
đ‘m very interested in [⌠childrenâs art âŒ] and primitivism, but its [âșfreedom in shapesâș] & [dooodles] clashes with my method, which is more #meticulous and #detailed. 4 a long time, đ tried to free my stroke, but it didn’t come naturally. So over time, đ chose 2 work on a childish language of unbalanced and amorphous forms without sacrificing my need to leave everything closed and finished.
PT: R there any [contemporary painters] who R interesting 2 U technically? đš
BF: Lately đ ‘m in â„ w/ Christina Allanâs paintings, she has a magical technique that đ don’t quite understand and surprises me! đ don’t know if she uses airbrush, but she certainly doesnât use it like SO MANY other artists do nowadays. She makes it special! Another artist that drives me crazy is Austin Lee, đ â„ his work! đ think he also uses the airbrush, his paintings are so #soft, #rounded, #cute and #endearing!!! And so are his sculptures! Awesome! đ see many artists on Instagram using airbrush & it really grabs my attention w/ its attractive, supersoft finishes. But these 2 artists use it in a very special way!
PT: â§Where does this attraction 2 â§shiny things ⧠come from?
BF: đ would say that the attraction đ feel 4 â§BLING! BLING! ⧠comes from aesthetic trends present in fashion, urban music & trap. The jewelry and accessories âthat some of my aesthetic idols wearâ, as well as the decoration on their nails, teeth, hair and clothes⊠Right now, thereâs glitter wherever U look! These shiny things R an object of desire 4 me.
BF: They are much more đ than âč to me, and the truth is đ HATE it! I don’t want my paintings to be a jokeâŠ
My paintings R very simple, they’re reduced 2 representations of âalmost always solitaryâ figures, w/ minimal space/scenario. It wasnât really a choice 2 do it this way⊠Earlier đ used 2 leave the background blank & only intervened w/ the figure. đ guess đâm incorporating simple, non-prominent elements such as,
â the #gradient that simulates a space sky
⥠the simple ââlineââ of the ground (2 place the figure in space!)
âą fences đ
⣠some planets in the background…đ
But lately, đ feel đcreating paintings w/ more elaborate backgrounds: placing the figures in landscapes and perspectives. Letâs C!
PT: What R U working on @ the moment?
BF: Right now, đâm working on an exhibition đ have in March @ Es Baluard Museum in Palma de Mallorca. Later on, đ‘ll B showing at NBB Gallery Berlin and Allouche Gallery NY as part of a group show. At the end of the year, đ have a solo show scheduled at Piermaq* Contemporary Art Gallery in Sydney. A lot of work 2 do! đ„đ„đ„
