It is a young artist looking for confrontation by the way she display the world in her works. Her art has a dual dynamic that inspires horror and at the same time inspires a great stylistic beauty. Generates disgust, but draws the viewer into a surreal narrative, full of character.
How do you define your artistic universe?
Ana Gomes: It's based on what I see and interpret. All this around me. I do not think too much on concepts, or theories. I like to understand what is around me, what I can bring and what I can feel it should be. If I see a person, for example, with more ordinary look, with an expression or stance different of usual, all that conveys emotions and an image that I try to transmit thru my work. I like to create a narrative around the characters, with the color, and its composition. Sometimes they are literal, others are not. I leave that to the viewer.
Many of your characters have characteristics taken from insects. Remind me of the pictures of these little animals, but magnified.
AG: Yes, I love insects. They are alien creatures we have on our planet. Seeing them with the naked eye I cannot see how they are. Indeed, in these photographs of which you speak, there are thousands of things, eyes, fur, shells and various joints.
You do a detailed search?
AG; Yes, I am constantly searching for strange animals, insects that are discovered recently. Above all, use these images to get ideas. They are based in the real world.
I note that you do many album covers for bands. How do they find you?
AG: When I started working with bands, including Karnak Seti, it all started because I knew some members and they liked my illustrations, so I started to develop a joint work. They gave me a lot of creative freedom, because they were very fond of my imagination and my draw. From there I started doing illustrations for them. After that has been a sequence. Other bands have seen these works, my portfolios online and contacted me.
What is the feedback that you will get the general public when it comes to your so unusual illustrations?
AG: The comment I hear often is, this woman is so ugly, but it is beautiful. People like the work itself, but are afraid of the creatures that represent the darker environment. They love the drawings and say it's beautiful, well-made and executed, but they feel afraid.
That's what you looking for? This reaction?
AG: Yes I have always had a passion for the beautiful ugly, which is a beauty almost marginalized, which is not nice to everyone and I like to define my audience who appreciates my work to this point, they see how beautiful these creatures are, regardless of their physical appearance. Then I take a more human expression to the most abhorrent creatures. Today, society lives for a stereotype of thinness. With the arrival of summer, people get crazy, because they want to lose weight to look pretty for others. Indeed, we live in a society like this, I try to educate the gaze of others to show that not everything that is beautiful to everyone, is beautiful to me, learn to look at another kind of beauty. Do not go with the flock. Look around you and see something different from others. But also accept that what we see is also beautiful.
Who are your artistic references?
AG: I like the great masters of classical painting. The work of Caravaggio, Da Vinci and Rafaelo. Then I have another reference that influences my designs since I was fifteen years old, Geiger. The artist who created alien and he has a cutting edge imaginary with regard to aliens as well as he explores the world of insects.
What is next?
AG: I left the idea of the long-term objectives, because it is not worth it to be very ambitious. I try to look to the future with short goals, want to finish my masters, better at a technical level and continue to do what I like.
http://artofanagomes.carbonmade.com/
