Junk Prints: New Junk City
My style is a sign of the times — it's an amalgamation of having access to ton of information, culture, music and technology all balled up into one big mashup.
Believe it or not, Chanel Kennebrew still does art for art's sake. But don't be jealous of art, she still does it for the sake of all of us who appreciate things that make the world look better too. The Inglewood, CA native and multimedia manipulator is the reason that Junk Prints exists. A multi-faceted and multifunctional artistic entity, Junk Prints is the umbrella under which Kennebrew does illustrations, art direction, makes awesomely weird denim skirts and puts colorful designs on everything from backpacks made from coffee bags to skate decks. To say that the 28-year-old artist is a renaissance woman would be more than an understatement, and what's more, she's just getting started.
"My style is a sign of the times — it's an amalgamation of having access to tons of information, culture, music and technology all balled up into one big mashup," says Kennebrew.
Brands like Nickelodeon and Pepsi have recognized these times and called upon Kennebrew for her unique brand of visual confetti. But she mostly focuses on her own company, regularly filling orders from all across the map and ever balancing the delicate relationship between passion and profit.
"Over the past few years I think I've started to develop a happy mid point for art as biz and art for art," she explains. "My goal is to create a business that has some wiggle room for just making dope stuff...just because. The way I see it is that I started the business as a catalyst for my art and passion."
In an effort to share her talents with the masses, Kennebrew sometimes open up her studio, which she affectionately calls The Junkyard, to fellow artists and consumers where she offers up her limited edition pieces to all of those who are savvy enough to recognize genius. But it’s not only an artistic message that she is trying to convey with her work, it's also a message of unity.
"The stories and perspectives particularly of people of color are just generally ignored or distorted to fit an agenda and my work explores how toxic it can be to marginalize people in our own communities." She continues, "We can be better, we just have to include more folks into the 'we' part of the equation."
Now that's art official intelligence.
