Larry's Girl, 2023

soft pastel and watercolor on paper

20 x 30"

Referencing an affair between an amphibious man seeking refuge and an isolated housewife in Rachel Ingalls' 1982 novella, Mrs. Caliban, Larry's Girl catches an interspecial lovers in a moment of embrace. 

Placed against a hazy black background, two figures are pictured in profile from the waist up. The figure on the left is muscular, bald, pale green, and has no visible features besides an eye, ear, and suggestion of a mouth. The eye is a soft blur of black. The figure’s hand is placed on the lower back of the other figure.

The figure on the right is pale pink in colour with long, straight blonde hair parted on the side. The figure wears a fitted white dress with sleeves that end at the elbow and a translucent white veil that reaches from the crown of the head to the upper back. Like that of the left figure, the face is bare except for two blurs of black for eyes and a blur of fuchsia for a mouth. 

About Natalie:

I'm a Victoria-born artist based in Toronto. I graduated from the Fashion Communication program at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2019 and have worked in fashion since, which has largely informed my art practice. The other large influence of my work is the macabre. Halloween, true crime, folklore, horror movies, and other fear-inducing aspects of the human experience are very alluring to me. I'm perpetually fascinated by the intersection of femininity and horror, a theme I often explore through my work.



About Natalie:

I'm a Victoria-born artist based in Toronto. I graduated from the Fashion Communication program at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2019 and have worked in fashion since, which has largely informed my art practice. The other large influence of my work is the macabre. Halloween, true crime, folklore, horror movies, and other fear-inducing aspects of the human experience are very alluring to me. I'm perpetually fascinated by the intersection of femininity and horror, a theme I often explore through my work.



Interview

et:

We're excited to have you here. To start off, we'd love to
get to know you! Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do!

Natalie:

I'm a Victoria-born artist based in Toronto. I graduated from the Fashion Communication program at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2019 and have worked in fashion since, which has largely informed my art practice. The other large influence of my work is the macabre. Halloween, true crime, folklore, horror movies, and other fear-inducing aspects of the human experience are very alluring to me. I'm perpetually fascinated by the intersection of femininity and horror, a theme I often explore through my work.


et:

How did you approach the theme of first encounters in your work? What initial ideas or experiences guided your creative process?

Natalie:

In creating my First Encounters piece, Mrs. Caliban came to mind, a 1982 novella which follows a love affair between a lonely housewife and an amphibious creature. While the narrative reflects first encounters in a literal sense, it also explores novel experiences that exist between fantasy and reality, partnership and loneliness, and desire and repulsion. Prior to 'Larry's Girl', my work rarely depicts multiple figures. For a change, I wanted to explore an encounter that occurs within a piece, as opposed to an encounter between a subject and viewer.


et:

In exploring the theme of first encounters, does your work convey the sense of discovery or novelty? Are there specific techniques or elements you used to capture this experience?

Natalie:


I'm unsure of whether my work conveys the sense of discovery or novelty. I methodically planned this piece as I would my others, though I was very spontaneous and experimental in executing it. The painting materialized through layers of water and soft pastel that I mostly manipulated with my fingers, which each revealed new textures and effects.


et:

Is there a particular message or feeling you hope viewers will take away from your work in the exhibit?

Natalie:


I try to maintain a sense of mystery and ambiguity in my work, as I want to leave room for a variety of interpretations and don't want to impose a singular narrative upon the viewer. Though, I will say this piece may inspire the viewer to consider themes of intimacy, isolation, and the unknown.


et:

In exploring the theme of first encounters, does your work convey the sense of discovery or novelty? Are there specific techniques or elements you used to capture this experience?

Natalie:


I'm unsure of whether my work conveys the sense of discovery or novelty. I methodically planned this piece as I would my others, though I was very spontaneous and experimental in executing it. The painting materialized through layers of water and soft pastel that I mostly manipulated with my fingers, which each revealed new textures and effects.


et:

Is there a particular message or feeling you hope viewers will take away from your work in the exhibit?

Natalie:

I try to maintain a sense of mystery and ambiguity in my work, as I want to leave room for a variety of interpretations and don't want to impose a singular narrative upon the viewer. Though, I will say this piece may inspire the viewer to consider themes of intimacy, isolation, and the unknown.


et:

Do you think digital technologies have changed the art world? If so, in what ways?

Natalie:

Certainly. I think digital technologies have altered the art world and will continue to do so, for better or worse. Personally, I appreciate the platform and expansive audience technology offers artists like myself. Some aspects of technological evolution worry me, such as those that can diminish analogue artistry, like the increasing employment of AI-generated 'art'.


et:

If you could collaborate with any fictional character, who would it be and why?

Natalie:

I'd love to collaborate with Miss Piggy because she's one of my favourite style icons! She has an unapologetically feminine and glamorous approach to visual identity.