Paintbrushes are a staple in every artist’s creative arsenal. Interestingly, San Francisco-based artist Rebecca Szeto goes beyond just using them to render her ideas onto the canvas. Her ongoing series entitled Paintbrush Portraits showcases the remarkable transformation of these bristled tools into renaissance muses.
The artist draws much of her inspiration from her previous experience as a faux finisher and Diego Velazquez’s 17th-century painting Las Meninas. Repurposing discarded paintbrushes, her works revolve around “notions of re-forming beauty and value.” She reimagines the instrument as a woman’s body form, with the handle representing the face and the ferrule and bristles as the dress.
“The paintbrush is self-referential, acting as both subject and object. It refers to the history of painting, through the medium of paint, using its own tool.”
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Rebecca Szeto’s Paintbrush Portraits series showcases the remarkable transformation of discarded paintbrushes into charming personalities
Her figurines typically feature prominent women in art, history, geography, as well as contemporary society. Apart from paying homage to them, using these personalities also serves as an invitation to the audience to dive deeper into the nature of the work.
“These lady-like portraits are a playful strategy I use to draw the viewer into a more refined conversation about the nature of the work – in slowing down and observing the ordinary, however small, the most profound things are discovered.”
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Aside from working across multiple art disciplines, Szeto also delights in finding accidental art in everyday objects. Feel free to check out her Instagram page to see more of her intriguing discoveries and captivating works of art.
Source: Rebecca Szeto Website | Facebook | Instagram