Artist You Should Know: Megan Frau
Sorry, a small family emergency prevented me from getting this up earlier. But trust me, it is WELL worth the wait.
Linger; 2008
With all the new-fangled drawing programs and tablets for computers these days, it can be tricky to find an artist that works solely in a traditional medium. It can be even harder to find an artist that works solely in a traditional medium that’s not painting. Ceramic sculpture, the various drawing mediums all seem to be a rarity these days. But rarer than them by far is the printmaker. So I’m as pleased as wife-beating, baby-killing Punch to present Megan Frau.
3 Bird's Nest
Megan enjoys attention to line and “the ability to work with multiples and create a unique mixed media piece with each copy.” Which probably explains why mixed-media drawing would be her runner-up medium of choice. A runner-up that, unfortunately, may soon be taking the crown. “I’m probably going to go that route in the future anyway. The solvents are starting to affect my lungs. I often have trouble breathing afterwards and my chest tightens even in supposedly well ventilated areas. I might reduce the amount of work I do with prints for my own health.”
Bird's Nest (pink)
A lot of Megan’s work involves the figure juxtaposed with winged creatures. “A lot of the animals that I pick…are types that pick away at something, be it dead things or old clothes.” The angular wings, such as in the Bird’s Nest series, contrasted against the softer figure create an interesting negative space when viewed as silhouettes Her work makes me think of a jawbreaker. The same way each layer of a jawbreaker is a different color and flavor of yumminess, each layer of her work is a new kind of interesting. The silhouette of the positive space against the negative space is trumped by the rich line work and attention to detail within the positive space, which is trumped itself by the work taken in as a whole, with the careful detail within the positive space compared to the often fluid values withing the negative space.
Grind
Teeth also find their way into Megan’s work fairly often. “Gnawing and grinding, but also aesthetics. I tend to notice people’s teeth more than anything else on their face.” Consider the visceral imagery of The Hive, The Swarm, and The Wound. A primeval sort of theme or pattern seems to emerge in her work, as the “gnawing and griding” of teeth harken back to the creatures that “pick away at something.”
The Hive; 2008
The Swarm; 2008
The Wound; 2008
Megan Frau is definitely an artist to be keeping your eye on. With her MFA thesis show coming up in May of 2010, it will be interesting to watch her career as it develops. Be sure to check out more of her work at her site, and read my full interview – including her thoughts on book art and her book art internship.