"Arizona"
I chose these images because I am deeply interested in cowboy culture, as many of my favorite media—movies, games, and even SpongeBob episodes—are based around the “wild” west. I wanted to pay tribute to Red Dead Redemption 2, which won several awards at the Game Awards last year (2024) for its soundtrack and story. This piece is a recycled digital painting from my time at Ringling College of Art and Design (2022), representing a nostalgic version of myself that I enjoy revisiting and repurposing into my current work. I titled my piece "Arizona” because that’s the name I chose for my save file for my character in Red Dead Online as it is a bit indulgent to use my nickname Ari in both game and real life. It connects to my other works, as I have previously drawn cowgirls. My interest in this theme is ongoing, and I’m always exploring art references related to culture and aesthetics. These pieces are 11 x 14, created on a variety of different French papers, including kraft texture, bone, and pure white. Shina wood relief print, in an edition of 20 as I didn't know when to stop, and I struggled to create a piece I liked until about halfway through the printing process.
The original piece, the stencil/repurposed piece/ wood block
