Making Connections Between Materialism, Spirit & The Purity of Nature w/ Kassondra Friedman: Artist Spotlight
Artist Bio
Kassondra Friedman, also known as Kaceesix (or just Kacee to her friends) is a creator and modern-day witch working just outside of Atlanta, GA. She grew up a part-time framer in the backroom at her family’s shop and art gallery. The Picture Framer, in Woodstock, GA then hosted adult painting classes taught by her Mother’s friend and contract employee Debra Tidwell. Throughout her young life, she was always engaged in learning and creating art. Kassondra was always surrounded by those who are truly passionate about a creative life, and always had the dream of being a great Artist.
She went to school for fashion and film, where she worked for most of her adult life. After having her son ten years ago, Kacee became a full-time visual artist. She works in series, and in past series has created moody landscapes with text, foggy roads, and women in high-end fashion.
She is currently working on a high-end fashion series that uses fashion shoot references (found in magazines and on the internet) in front of her own photos of her everyday life. The final painting is a dream-like creation that doesn’t hold too close to her reference materials. The result is a moody painting that encompasses a certain feeling state rather than realism. This exploration questions how these “luxury items” work in her everyday world. Her work is used to question and explore her relationships with consumerism vs. the grounded energy of mother earth. Questioning how these two can live in harmony inside of herself and on this earthly plain.
Artist Statement
I create paintings to recreate the mood of one present moment. My intent is to capture my feelings rather than a replica of an environment or person. I make connections between materialism, spirit and the purity of nature. I’m a spiritual seeker, and my quest to live aware and fully in the present moment inspires me to create pieces that capture those experiences. I most often work from themes that are peaceful, ethereal and a bit nostalgic. I express the push-and-pull of my love of nature to my love of material things, with elements of high-end fashion and architecture reoccurring in my work. That balance (or sometimes imbalance) is a core life lesson for me and contributes strongly to my subject matter.
I work mostly in acrylic and oil paint, sometimes utilizing mixed media elements such as paper or pencils. Most works are created on deep canvases with their sides painted in a colour that best suits the mood I’m trying to create. I use colour palettes that feel “right” rather than “true,” and they are often slightly too bright or unnatural. I often use my photographs as references or backgrounds, sometimes adding text (often in the form of signs) to further conversation.
Find the Artist on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaceesixart
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