“Lizzie McGuire’s style and the wallpaper in DJ Tanner’s bedroom influence me as much as reading through illustration and art history textbooks.”

Introducing Chicago-based artist Hannah Black, a girl who knows how to cut and paste with discerning precision. Working in collage and illustration, she is able to transport us to a world where fashion, art, pop culture and design are able to exist cohesively in a singular image.

With an aesthetic Black describes as “School House Rock meets The Face magazine”, her playful and always thoughtful works give us an insight into her own artistic loves and influences. Her collages present images that are paired and mixed with her own original designs; assembled in a bold, often unexpected, and yet totally faultless way.

Black’s keen eye appears to come effortlessly as she curates new and old media together in perfect synthesis; “My favourite images are the ones I didn’t have to think much about. They come together almost instantly. I’ll look down at my computer while watching Friends and realise that the image is done.”

What we see within her work is the inspiration she gets from her deep love of magazines, fashion and social media. Through her collage and illustration, Black allows herself to be an active participant in those worlds, creating and learning simultaneously.

From the original supermodels of Christy Turlington, modern artworks by Matisse, female artists like Beyonce and Rihanna, and the runway shows of today, her ability to take cultural images and appropriate them into a new context through collage, pastel hues and illustrations is unprecedented.

For Black, refining her work and meeting new challenges in her medium are something she constantly works towards. “I definitely struggle when trying to create 100% original pieces. I love researching, referencing, and remixing so much that it’s hard to take that process away and start from scratch, but I’m working on it and enjoying finding a new creative rhythm.”

Keep an eye on this one, with a body of work this strong and a can-do attitude to lead her into the future, we have a feeling Hannah Black won’t be leaving our radar anytime soon.

http://pink-variegated.tumblr.com
http://hannahelizabethblack.com

Words / Sarina Meuleman