Art News
Meet The Others: Lisa Krannichfeld
The Game Changers. The Rule Breakers. The Innovators. Discover some of the fantastic emerging talent showcasing their work with The Other Art Fair.
Meet The Other Art Fair exhibitor, Lisa Krannichfeld, who depicts her women as powerful over pretty and isn’t afraid to make her muses snarl. The Little Rock based artist picks poses that intentionally depict strong confident women, addressing a long history of passive women who primarily served as decorative ornaments in art created by male artists.
Your work addresses the problematic passive female sitter, with the women in art history being presented as primarily decorative. When did you start addressing this in your work?
In college, I was primarily focused on figure drawing because I loved drawing the figure. But all the figurative “masters” in the art history books I was supposed to learn from were mostly men drawing pretty, passive, and poised women. Or, on the flip side, they were portraying hypersexualized women serving only the purpose of being an object to desire. It was all that I was exposed to, which is the case with a lot of young artists in academia. So naturally, the trend perpetuated in my early work. The older I got, the more comfortable I got with the art not needing to follow what came before.
Releve, Lisa Krannichfeld
Do you think this is still a problem in art?
I think the problem is getting better with more and more diverse viewpoints being shared in the art world. However, there needs to be a constant effort to enable artists of all demographics and economic means to make their art and to make that art accessible for an equally diverse viewership.
What women inspire you, artists and other?
I have loved the work of Njideka Akunyili Crosby for quite some time. We both have an affinity for figures and patterns. I recently became a mother (he’s now 4 months old), and am becoming more and more inspired by mothers. I now fully understand how amazingly difficult it is to be a mother and I just think every woman who has ever been one is an unsung superhero, which I aim to sing about as often as possible.
Jacket (in shades of blue), Lisa Krannichfeld
Can you talk a bit more about the intricate pattern and prints in your work?
The patterns I incorporate into my works are composed of a mixture of Asian papers, acrylic paint, and cyanotypes. The cyanotypes are specifically made from a digital pattern I create first using an image of an animal – usually a fierce, aggressive one
What are you working on at the moment?
Since I’m taking care of a new baby my work is slow going for the moment with only one or two pieces going at a time. However, my work is still aiming to portray women in a strong, assertive, and confident way.
How are you staying inspired?
It’s tough staying inspired with both a global pandemic halting regular daily life and taking care of a young baby. But I find that even if I can get in 30 minutes of art-making I am reenergized to make even more art. It is truly a thing that makes me realize my purpose in life while I’m doing it. It lifts my mood and outlook on life like magic.
Lisa’s work is featured in The Online Studios brought to you by The Other Art Fair. A new online platform offering art lovers around the world access to over 800 Fair artists, The Online Studios will keep our community feeling inspired, engaged, and continue to spread joy through art.
