Bayou Boogaloo Homepage | Entertainment Lineup | Authentic Bayou Chefs | Authentic Bayou Artists | Unique Bayou Activities & Events
The Cultural Stylings of Bayou Boogaloo…
The Bayou Boogaloo would not be complete without the talent, unique artistry and culture found at the Arts Market New Orleans! For the eleventh consecutive year, the Arts Council New Orleans and Norfolk Festevents hand-pick the most unique and one-of-a-kind artists from Louisiana to share their stories, culture and craft. This year, several artists in various mediums including art, jewelry and sculpture will be on site selling and displaying their works. http://artsneworleans.org
“The Bayou Boogaloo is probably our favorite event of the year. The Arts Council is honored and humbled that so many citizens of Hampton Roads share our love for the culture of Louisiana. We’re bringing top artists from the Gulf Coast to show their artwork and join in the fun.” - Gene Meneray, Previous Director, Arts Business Program, Arts Council New Orleans.
Calvin Walton
Christopher Kirsch is an accomplished printmaker, papier-mâché sculptor, painter and photographer born and raised in New Orleans, LA. His love for the history, cultural traditions and beauty of his native Louisiana is evident in his career as an artist, which began as a self-taught painter and eventually evolved into his true calling, printmaking.
The artist’s relief prints reflect the sublime natural surroundings of the South Louisiana landscape, inspiring a sense of awe in a delicate world that remains hidden from our daily lives. He uses a combination of linocuts and woodcuts to produce his prints, and his process is time-honored and perfected, allowing for the unique development of each handcrafted piece. He exclusively employs American-made tools and paper, a conscious choice that reveals his uncompromising commitment to high-quality craftsmanship.
The artist’s work is influenced by the bold lines of Walter Anderson and the intricate etchings of Chuck Close, and he derives inspiration from the work of political printmaker José Guadalupe Posada and pop artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Liechtenstein and Keith Haring. He also admires contemporary printmaking masters such as the mobile print studio Drive By Press of Brooklyn, NY, Evil Prints of St. Louis, MO, and Burning Bones Press of Houston, TX, for their unconventional modern styles and use of printmaking material.
But it was a trip to Mexico in 2008 that transformed his artistic vision. When visiting Chiapas, the artist was introduced to the work of Taller Leñateros, an indigenous print collaborative that uses recycled materials and traditional dyeing techniques to create books, posters and prints. Witnessing firsthand these committed artists dedicating their lives to paper-making and printmaking, as well as reviving Mayan artistic techniques, compelled him to ultimately choose printmaking as his focus.
The artist is a member of the Louisiana Crafts Guild and the Arts Council New Orleans, and he showcases his work at several arts markets and festivals in New Orleans, Mississippi and Virginia. His art can be found in private collections around the world and spotted in the backgrounds of movies and television series such as Treme and NCIS: New Orleans. You can also his work at http://www.bare-bones-studio.com.
