October Denver Made Interview Part II: Zach Burk

For the month of October we are thrilled to be exhibiting the work of local artist Zach Burk. Zach has been experimenting with glitter as a new medium, this exhibit will focus on this new series of works. Recently Zach took the time to answer a few questions for us leading up to his first Friday opening reception Friday October 7th from 7pm-10pm at Fancy Tiger Clothing. 

FT: How did you get your start with working in this medium?

ZB: I was trying to make something related to pollution and what that meant, but without representation it is kind of tricky and I sort of exhausted the usual craft-mediums that I work in but the nature of this material is polluting; I am constantly covered in glitter. I have always loved glitter in make up and worked with a lot of drag queens when I was younger; aiding them in painting there face so it seemed like a natural choice to go about "painting" with it as it has been so popular again these past few years in a lot of scenes, and always will be for the theatrical quality of it. I saw a demo on Martha Stewart and that got me hooked on shopping for glitter of all types. Now I have like 300 some colors of glitter mixed and my studio is COVERED with little sparkles.

FT: Where do you find your best inspiration for your work?

ZB: When I work on a painting I tend to look into history, biology and other artists. With this work I was really influenced by the impact light has on biology and the relationships between color and the elements. I watched a lot of Brian Cox on BBC when working on these and recent, related paintings.

FT: What music do you listen to when you work?

ZB: I listen to a huge range of music, but here is a playlist that I love right now and paint to often (sometimes with solitary-dance/sway-intervals.)

1. Austra, Her Darkened Horse

2. Wild Beasts, Lion's Share

3. Destroyer, Blue Eyes

4. Young Dreams, Expectations

5. Lykke Li, Love Out of Lust

6. Big Eagle, Anywhere the Wind Blows

7. Amen Dunes, Swim Up Behind Me

8. Malvina Reynolds, The Desert

9. Roosbeef, Volle Magen

10. Boudewijn De Groot, Vrijgezel

11. Razika, Why Have We to Wait 

12. Givers, Up Up Up

13. Bjork, Tesla (Omar Souleyman Version)

14. Little Dragon, Ritual Union

FT: What would you like people to know about your work/process that isn’t evident when looking at it?

ZB: Although it is a silly craft most relate to the 60's, drag and the holidays, it does take a lot of time to let things dry, tape, and mix the colors much like other mediums but it is meditative and therefore good for the mind and soul. 

Stop by Friday October 7th from 7pm-10pm for the opening of Zach's month long exhibit at Fancy Tiger Clothing. Come toast to the artist with beverages provided by Great Divide Brewery and enjoy a stunning soundtrack. 

See you there!

xoxo

Fancy Tiger Clothing

October Denver Made Interview Part I: Larka Designs

Although it doesn't quite feel like it, October is here and we are gearing up for our October Denver Made event this Friday October 7th from 7pm-10pm. This month we will be featuring the handmade creations of Larka Designs along with the artwork of local artist Zach Burk. Larka Designs is a locally made line of accessories and the designer behind this line, Holly Anderson, recently took the time to answer a few questions for us in preparation for her first Friday event.

FT: How did you come up with the name for your line? 


LD: I love the word lark.  I don't know why…it just sounds clean and simple, but unfortunately it is very common.  My husband is almost fully Swedish…and the Swedish word for lark is larka… not quite so common, hence Larka Designs!

FT: How did you get your start? 


LD: I am an art teacher by trade, but have always loved creating and making.  After three years of teaching…I found myself feeling a little blah.  I wanted to express myself and have time to work on my own creativity.  But the last thing you feel like doing after a day of teaching and lesson planning is being creative.  I decided to quit my teaching job, get a part time job, and explore the crafting scene.  I am still in the fledgling stages of things, but am enjoying using my hands, selling my work, and evolving as an artist.

FT: Where do you find your best inspiration for your work?


LD: I love to snoop around on the internet, in blogs, and on pinterest.  I am also inspired by a variety of textures , color combinations, and shapes, and enjoy figuring out how to bring them together to make a cohesive body of work. 

FT: What music do you listen to when you work on your product? 


LD: This is a great question.  I usually like to listen to ambient music while creating, but also love everything from passion pit, to sigur ros, to sufjan stevens.

FT: What would you like people to know about your work/process that isn’t evident when looking at it?  

LD: I use a lot of screen printing in my work.  On my wood pendants, and on my fabric brooches.  I create an image on my computer, then have some great people burn these images onto a screen for me, and voila!  I love how this process allows my work to maintain an illustration like quality. 

Join us Friday October 7^th from 7pm-10pm at Fancy Tiger Clothing, 18 South Broadway to celebrate the work of Larka Designs and meet the creator in person. Beverages from Great Divide Brewery will be on hand and as always a stunning soundtrack to complement the evening. Tune in tomorrow for our interview with Zach Burk and learn more about his new series of glitter paintings. 

xoxo

Fancy Tiger Clothing