NYC tattoo artist Amanda Wachob is the latest artist collaborator to contribute to the Zadig & Voltaire Art Is Hope program.
Wachob’s bright and sunny studio based in Williamsburg set the scene for our interview.
Creating is my therapy. It’s a daily practice for me, a commitment I show up for even when I may not feel particularly inspired, because it’s something I have to do in order to feel healthy. Focusing on a new idea can immediately quiet my mind and pull me out of any sort of rumination.
Can we find a connection across technology? A lot of galleries have switched their exhibitions to online viewing rooms. Like most industries, I think it’s going to take some time for the art world to recalibrate. I have a show opening up at a gallery in Boston this September, and we are brainstorming about having a Zoom opening reception for it.
I chose NAMI-NYC because with all of the turmoil going on in the world, mental health is extremely important in this moment.
A rainbow is a symbol of hope. They always feel like a good luck charm when they appear. I thought it might be nice to have one to carry around when a moment like that might be needed. The rainbows have actually been tattooed permanently into the leather. So putting the jacket on and taking it off, is like having a removable tattoo! The colors that appear in the rainbow have been pulled from the palette of the new Zadig &Voltaire collection.
Zadig & Voltaire is committed to philanthropy and bringing awareness to organizations that augment the state of communities around them. In response to this year’s tumult we have launched ‘Art Is Hope’ a campaign that highlights and supports these groups. So far we have partnered with National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City, Black Art In America and L.A. Dance Project.
Art is a core pillar of the house and is also the source of positivity and inspiration during uncertain times. In collaboration with artists such as; Jormi Graterol, Amanda Wachob, Najee Dorsey, Khalif Thompson and Benjamin Millepied and many more we have been able to share the missions of these organizations and their formidable work.
Khalif Tahir Thompson is a New York City based artists represented by Black Art In America. Thompsons work can be found in prominent private collections nationally as well as the permanent collection of the David C. Driskell Center. Zadig & Voltaire’s Head of Creative Ryan Gendron recently had the pleasure of visiting Khalif in his NYC studio to discuss the world today. Scroll down to read the full Q&A.
Between a global health crisis, and the continued racial injustices pervaded by law enforcement particularly against Black Americans, I have felt at times unmotivated to work. However, in maintaining my mental health, I have looked to my creative practice for solace and comfort. I have been compelled to transform my surroundings and express myself during this difficult time.
Art is a core pillar of the house and is also the source of positivity and inspiration during uncertain times. In collaboration with artists such as; Jormi Graterol, Amanda Wachob, Najee Dorsey, Khalif Thompson and Benjamin Millepied and many more we have been able to share the missions of these organizations and their formidable work.
This crisis has forced the art community to reimagine itself and navigate different ways of communicating art to the public. In response to the closing of major art institutions and cultural centers, much of our community have begun to create more accessible spaces online. I foresee more events and programming being implemented on Zoom and other virtual platforms. As well as online exhibitions and studio visits. I think this global crisis will increase (DIY) programming by artists and creatives, expanding diverse viewership/ conversations on art.
Art is Hope is a mantra I live by every day, through the consumption of music, painting, writing, ritual making, papermaking, film, etc. I foster hope and inspiration to create.Art has always been my survival and lifted me when down. Art is the greatest gift and hopes I carry, motivating me to start the day.
Going out to a restaurant outside for the first time, I love food. I'm also a huge thrifter, collector of plants, and I'm a city kid, so I've enjoyed going downtown for some walking and shopping.
Founded in 2012 by Benjamin Millepied LA Dance Project is comprised of 12 full time dancers but its repertory features multidisciplinary collaborators such as musicians, film makers and composers. We collaborated with LADP in July by highlighting their stable of artists and contributors below you will find excerpts of their interviews and images taken by the artists themselves or by Josh S. Rose, L.A. Dance Projects artist in residence.
To me art has always been the perfect representation of HOPE. Art has the ability to transform negative things and feelings into positive. It has the ability of making us see beyond the problem and create and envision a future filled with positive ideas and energies. Art can do a lot of good in societies and communities that have experienced traumas or difficulties. When people have the possibility to do something that gives them hope and a sense of meaning, that might make a difference for them.
Art has the capability of making you feel that you exist and organically connects you with everything that is essential, resulting in hope that changes your mindset for the better.
There are perhaps no better two words in the vocabulary than Art and Hope. As an artist I use my creative imagination to document our existence and envision a world that I want to exist. Hope is a resource, something precious to hold on to that allows us to dream and believe in things that may seem insurmountable. Art and hope has been the Crossroads I've traversed my entire life. It is the blessing I wish on humanity.
For me art makes you dream, and sometimes when you go far away maybe you suddenly realize that life is actually not so bad after all. It can help you reconnect with reality again. And hope is the only motor that makes you move forward, so Art is hope.
