Every creative being has their inspiration, and one local artist has brought hers to life as a reflection of her own values.
Through September 1, Venice-based artist Victoria White is giving the area a deeper look into past icons via solo exhibition "Legends in Monochrome." Held at the Fabrik Projects Gallery at Bergamot Station Arts Center, the series of monochromatic portraits is a celebration of musicians, actors and other modern figures.
White experimented on legends like Bob Marley, Albert Einstein, Audrey Hepburn and Dolly Parton, using their unique features to point out precious personality traits.
"I’m painting portraits of their values and their character, [reflecting] what I want to say about my own self, because there’s a part of me in each portrait that I paint … I started reading biographies and doing a lot of research on the people that I painted, and so it became very immersive for me." White said.
She added that the top characteristic she wants to convey about her subjects, and herself, is "authenticity" and mastery of their crafts.
"One big connecting factor of all of these people [is] discipline and the pursuit of excellence through hard work and creative expression … Pablo Picasso said that painting is not an aesthetic operation, it’s a form of magic, and I believe that every form of creative expression is a form of magic … that’s why we gravitate to a beautiful painting, or a beautiful song, or someone that can ride a wave perfectly," White said.
Born in New Orleans, White rode the creative wave growing up, but pivoted to law school after college and practiced for 10 years. When illness forced her to retire from the profession, she made a commitment to doing "one creative act per day," ranging from poetry and photography to playing the guitar. The canvas eventually became her calling, but she needed a signature style to get ahead in the competitive creative industry.
She finally connected to the monochromatic style after inspiration from a Mark Tansey exhibit, realizing it was "a whole look" that she hadn’t seen before. Starting off with monochrome portraits of local musicians, she extended her catalog to more well-known figures like Lil Wayne and The Notorious BIG as well as taking requests. One such request, a portrait of singer John Prine for a friend’s brother, gave her the confidence to take the style nationwide.
"He just started crying … at that moment, that guy made me believe in myself with his emotional reaction to my artwork," White said. "[He] really made me believe that I had something and that I should pursue painting portraits in this style."
Hustling to make her new signature sizzle, her first show was local at Resin Gallery in Hermosa Beach, but she eventually made it to the East Coast via a solo exhibition at Aqua Art Miami for Miami Art Week. Conquering both coasts, White has made herself a hot item in Los Angeles, recently exhibiting at the LA Art Show and the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach.
Now at Bergamot, she noted that the show is a "celebration of color," with different shades of yellow used as an overarching theme. Along with the wall portraits, the centerpiece is a piano painted blue with a portrait tribute to Paul McCartney, her third such piano paintjob after previous tributes to Elton John and Freddie Mercury.
"I’m so grateful, because I wasn’t really one to show my work or anything, and I didn’t think it was particularly impactful, but I’ve learned that it really is," White said of her rise.
To pursue White’s collection or purchase any of her works, including smaller giftable items like puzzles and ashtrays, visit victoriawhitecreates.com.
thomas@smdp.com
