Artist
Calamity Cole is a fine artist and political cartoonist out of Oakland, California. She was raised, like so many of her generation, on sex and violence. Her paintings reflect this with a certain sensuality and raw, carnal nature. Figurative or portrait in nature, her work describes society, culture, and religion with an ironic, dry sense of humor. She tends to use a technicolor palette that creates a vibrant, intriguing world and is hard to ignore. Her work consists of a wide variety of medium including oil, acrylic, ink and crochet on canvas, illustration board, dollar bills, and wood panels. “ I am constantly grasped by both the tragedy and comedy of being human. I love studying the duality and hypocrisy in people. I am constantly searching for the antidote to injustice and worldly atrocities and find that there are a wide variety of subjects to breach upon. I would like to think of my art as my social critique of the world and hope that in some way through my work I can have a part in showing people what they did not see before or for some reason ignored.” Her work has been described by Los Angeles Times columnist as “hip, offbeat and intriguing.”
Calamity’s collection in progress, ‘Nuclear Gluttony’ is currently being reviewed by CAA Museum in los Angeles. Her work is featured as artist of the month in May on OsullivanTheatre.com which broadcasts information on local events and artists for the Bay Area. Three of her political cartoons can be viewed in the April 2009 issue of Trigger Magazine out of San Francisco. Her last collection, ‘Technicolor Revival’, was displayed in Well Gallery in Oakland the entire month of July 2008. She has displayed in the underground traveling art show ApARTment out of Chicago in 2006 as well as private showings in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Calamity Cole was raised in the small, artistic community of Topanga Canyon which sits in the hills within the large, smog engulfed city of Los Angeles. This gave her a view of two clashing lifestyles. One of the rich and famous on the streets of Beverley Hills and one of bleeding heart liberal ex-hippies settled since the 60s in the hills of Topanga. Having great lover’s of art and culture throughout her family, she was immersed in the arts from an early age. She grew up in the presence of the masters, her grandmother being a docent for LACMA and the Getty. “I can’t remember a time when I did not know Degas’ Ballerinas or Picasso’s Blue Guitarist. I almost feel as though they are my family.” Calamity has been drawing since early childhood and first picked up paint and canvas at age 9. She developed her talent on her own through middle school and high school, drawing inspiration from her peers and surroundings.
After High school she attended the Art Institute of Chicago from 2004 to 2006 and then, through a fateful turn of events, found herself transferred to the San Francisco Art Institute. She attended for a semester before coming to terms with the apparent fact that art school was not for her. “ I did not quite art school because of laziness, lack of money, skill or motivation. I quite because I disagreed with their method and perhaps art school in general. I felt that both schools I attended offered a unanimous art scene. So I chose to pursue my art without the help of an institution or instruction. I believe that inspired art can not be learned.”
Many who have seen her art are excited and inspired by her unique perspective and mastery of the subject matter and color palette including artists such as noted artist Laddie Dill and syndicated cartoonist Mel Lazarus. At her last show, ‘Technicolor Revival’ her first piece of work sold within an hour of being hung and the second within the first day.
Calamity Cole is currently hard at work in her studio putting the final touches on her latest collection entitled, ‘Nuclear Gluttony’. When asked to describe pieces in her newest collection Calamity said “ Nuclear Gluttony is all about destruction. Destruction is the essence of creation and both are utterly beautiful. I find that this cycle found in nature translates into other aspects of life as well. For example revolution as destruction eventually leads to the rebuilding of society and the creation of new thought and new laws. My new collection symbolically depicts the destruction of childhood innocense, feminism and other current issues.” She is currently looking for the appropriate and like minded gallery in which to display her latest collection, also within the coming weeks she will be inking her latest series of political cartoons. If you are interested in her art work seen here, she is one of the last few remaining painters who will do commissioned pieces for negotiable fee’s. With her latest work in ‘Nuclear Gluttony,’ Calamity Cole has created a fully realized collection that is the culmination of where she’s been and where she’s going, and one that is sure to capture the attention, and wonderment that is demanded by the depth and quality of her beautiful artwork.