Art Exhibit: Donnie Danger
A friend of mine had her first solo art exhibit. I bravely tried to get this published to give her some deserved attention, but alas…
What would happen if you mixed Mad Magazine, Felix the Cat and Betty Boop together with Vodka, shaken not stirred. You would be served a hallucinogenic cocktail called, Donnie Danger‚ AKA Emma Bertoldi, Who is a Brisbane artist mixing graffiti, stencils and old school cartoons together, creating very unique art.
Emma Bertoldi graduated from QUT in 2005, holding a degree in Fine Arts. Her main inspiration comes from reading through her father’s huge pile of Mad Magazines as a kid. The wackiness of Mad has been fused together with old school cartoons from the silent film era. This made her start inking her own comic, Everyday Formula. Self-published and published in Phatsville’s, a comic book with local underground artists. From there, inking her own comic, she decided to explore a different way of expressing herself through art.
On Friday 8th July, Emma Bertoldi had her first solo exhibition. Displaying artwork that depict “moments of joviality and randomness” of her group of friends. A very interesting use of ink and acrylic on wood. Not only using the wood to display her artwork, but integrating the texture of it with the art. The exhibition was held at Shøøting Gallery in Spring Hill, a very intimate gallery, hidden away in a narrow alley from the busy streets of Brisbane.
Also at the event, DONNIE DANGER, Emma Bertoldi’s apparel label was launched. If you can’t afford any of her artwork, you can still be a cool cat by wearing one of her tees.
She has left her mark around in Brisbane, Melbourne and even abroad, by putting up legal and commissioned graffiti pieces. Of course, Emma Bertoldi isn’t sure about where all her graffiti art can be found, because some of it might have been painted during nights of drunken madness.
Emma Bertoldi has planned to go abroad to fuel her creativity. Her first destination is Berlin. Going there in May next year and staying during the summer. She will most likely leave between August and September, to avoid having her “nipples frozen off” before the cold European autumn ascends over Germany. The next destination will be in a town that is a bit warmer and has a very rich art culture, San Francisco. She hopes to call San Francisco home for while, but will “just roll with whatever happens.”
Photos from the exhibit can be viewed here.
