In my most recent “Hello Masterpiece (art appreciation)” series, I juxtapose the character, Hello Kitty, with famous images from art history. The paintings are postcard size, similar to those found in a museum gift shop. The famous paintings become pop culture icons akin to Hello Kitty, and the paintings’ appeal as take home sized objects reinforces their context as commodities in a market. In these paintings Hello Kitty is often taking a tour through art history and dressing up to “match” elements of the famous painting. Hello Kitty becomes a toy version of Cindy Sherman, capable of changing identities by transforming her outer appearance. However, her “toyness” and her obvious overlay on the image disrupt any illusion that she actually fits in the scene of the artwork.
In other images from this series, Hello Kitty is pointing toward social or political issues, such as war, genocide, or gender identity. I rely on her to charm the viewer into looking, but her innocent, playful appeal contrasts with the serious adult subject matter. With this contrast of adult and childlike content and these “high” and “low” cultural icons, I hope to elicit laughter and irony.
Hello Change 2009 oil on canvas
Hello Frida (brace) 2008 oil on canvas
Hello Frida (Diego on my mind) 2007 oil on canvas
Hello O'Keefe (black iris) 2008 oil on canvas
Hello Picasso (Blue Guitar) 2008 oil on canvas
Hello Pollack 2008 oil on canvas
Hello van Gogh (irises) 2008 oil on canvas
Hello van Gogh (irises) 2008 oil on canvas
Hello Lichtenstein (Drowning Girl) 2008 oil on canvas
Hello Dali 2007 oil on canvas
Hello Hopper 2009 oil canvas
Hello Matisse (goldfish) 2009 oil on canvas
Hello Venus of Willendorf 2009 oil on canvas
Hello Starry Night (twirl) 2009 oil on canvas
Hello van Gogh (night cafe) 2009 oil on canvas
Hello Magritte (pipe) 2009 oil on canvas
Hello Michelanelo (creation hands) 2009 oil
Hello Marie Antionette 2009 oil
Hello Picasso (hair wringing) 2009 oil on canvas
Leslie Holt Biography
Leslie Holt is from Bethesda, Maryland but considers herself a naturalized citizen of St. Louis, MO. She earned her BFA in Painting at Washington University in St. Louis in 1992 and her MFA in Painting at Washington State University in 2003. Between undergraduate and graduate school, she worked in St. Louis as a social worker and advocate for people with developmental disabilities, mental illness, and people receiving welfare benefits. These experiences have influenced her work, and she has an ongoing interest in the intersection of art and community. Leslie currently lives in St. Louis, MO where she teaches art and art history at Fontbonne University and Lewis and Clark Community College. She has exhibited her work in various locations nationally and internationally.
To view more of Leslie Holt's artwork visit her website here.
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