In The Fanciful Depictions of Magda Kirk Massive Deity-Like Characters Reign Over An Inter-dimensional World
In the fanciful depictions of Magda Kirk, massive deity-like characters reign over an interdimensional world comprised of emotion, self-awareness, and unlimited possibility. They are unabashedly seen strutting, stretching, flexing, or idly reclining in blissful states of reverie. In this realm, hues of fuchsias, purples, and golds radiate from within and without her subjects, spreading delicious blankets of warmth over entire canvasses. Always nude, tatted, and occasionally furry, these intimidatingly large bodies could possibly crush us in an instant, yet their benevolent appearance says they will most likely want to cuddle instead. With flowing pink hair and brawny features, they are a harmonious celebration of male and female strength. And while these gentle giants are robust and seemingly impenetrable, they also possess a tender sensibility that speaks to the multifaceted nature of humankind.
According to Poland based artist Kirk, her primary focus lies in body image. How we obsess, compare, and relate. Yet one gets the sense that these paintings go much deeper than mere perceptions of the body, and into how we characterize ourselves in general. Kirk wields her unusual forms in a way that makes us truly consider what this theme means to us, and how our notions of the perfect form needn’t necessarily stem from an earthly, material compass, but from an inward attitude. Using dramatic, extraordinary characters to illustrate this, she takes the concept of body image to a new level. They are indeed empowering, as their exalted forms defy limitation, and inspire explorations of self-acceptance. Reflections of the power we harness within ourselves, these unlikely creatures are us. “For sure on the basis of it, there is a conflict between having a body and being one. It was always my obsession and it’s my favorite theme to explore,” she states.
The inspiration for these unusual figurations hail from the embellished, idolized physiques of both male and female models, bodybuilders, and even fictional characters like superheroes, whose larger-than-life images all have their cultural impacts on our personal identities. Kirk loves playing with this idea, and the possibility of redirecting the critical self-perceptions us ordinary folk tend to carry with us. She uses a mixed bag of humor, horror, beauty, monstrosity, tenderness, and aggression to challenge this complicated relationship surrounding the body as a subject and object. She also deliberately avoids the depiction of faces, in order to keep her characters more on the ambiguous side. “Bodies in my work don’t have identity. For me they are characters full of life, emotion, and experience. I try to show their personality in ways other than in facial expression—by movement, body shape, tattoos, and color.”
Through facets of pop culture such as tattoo, trash graffiti, and cartoon, Kirk enjoys extracting iconic motifs and symbols to enhance the expression of her bodies. “Tattoos in my work are not directly symbolic, but they have their specific expression as a whole mixture of shapes and meanings,” she says. These ink scribbles overlap in an OCD-like manner over contours of plump, pinkish flesh. Their imagery is generally uplifted by friendly, cartoonish characters like grinning kittens and leaping unicorns. Yet there is a cryptic nature throughout which also gives these fleshy adornments a slightly demented vibe—much like that of chaotic, human nature itself, which is a blend of giggles, confusion, elation, and anguish.
FOR SURE ON THE BASIS OF IT, THERE IS A CONFLICT BETWEEN HAVING A BODY AND BEING ONE. IT WAS ALWAYS MY OBSESSION AND IT’S MY FAVORITE THEME TO EXPLORE.”
To further emphasize their magnitude, Kirk’s bodies often dominate entire canvases, leaving but a little room for their hazy auras to mingle with ethereal environments. Her technique of combining residual coats of subtle color with near indistinguishable doodles creates an effect simultaneously solid and transparent. Through this, she strives “… to accomplish an impression of an unreal, luminous aura that resembles an image from a dream, or blurry mirror reflection,” she explains. “I like to think about my works as mirrors. They might be like reflections of bodies in a mirror, distorted under the influence of cultural expectations. They are also my self-portraits in some way, like avatars on which I project my
own personality versions, my experiences and emotional life. I show male and female perspective in my work as I understand body experience as a human experience, which is beyond gender.”
Kirk first got into painting seriously when she was seventeen, and as is invaluable at that age for any young artist, promptly received encouragement and guidance from a seasoned neighborhood artist, after showing him some nude studies. “I was lucky, because he turned out to be a very good painter and talented teacher all in one. He said that he saw something unusual in the way I drew and took me to his studio as his only student. He taught me all the basics in a very open way that triggered great energy and passion in me,” she says.
Next, Kirk went on to study painting at the Academy of Fine Arts. She reveals, “It was the time for me to experiment and try different styles and mediums. I graduated and shortly after that, had a period of working ‘normal jobs’ and that forced me to drop painting for some time. This period was full of rather hard experiences, but very valuable, because I learned a lot.”
It was after this break, however, that she returned to the creative process with a fertile mind of ideas and enthusiasm like never before. In her newly rented studio with airbrush readily at hand, what began as playful doodles soon developed into sophisticated shapes, techniques, and ultimately, the birth of a conceptual passion which marks her distinct style today. Lured by luminosity, and depictions of ancient Venus, her experiments with airbrush, to create forms made from numerous layers of soft, fluorescent color, have turned into a cohesive procedure from which her epic bodies spring to life.
She explains her process as being a bit like sculpting. “I bring out the forms and colors gradually, which helps me accomplish specific colors and luminosity. I always leave a margin for what the process will bring. This way of working demands deep focus but also comes with a lot of excitement and emotional involvement on every stage. It gives me great satisfaction if I manage to surprise myself with a final effect. I think these might be the most pleasant moments in painting process—when I really feel that I’m entering new worlds that didn’t exist before,” she says.
I TRY TO SHOW THEIR PERSONALITY IN WAYS OTHER THAN IN FACIAL EXPRESSION—BY MOVEMENT, BODY SHAPE, TATTOOS, AND COLOR.”
In learning more about her creative process, it’s apparent that Kirk is both extremely disciplined, and well balanced in terms of honoring self needs, an important recipe for productivity. For example, she usually works seven to ten hours a day, beginning in the early afternoon and working into the night, taking into account the flow and directional process most conducive to her energy levels.
And since organization is key, she has separated her studio into two rooms. One is for the vigorous implementation of painting and holds her numerous paints, tools, and current works in progress. Here she will most likely be seen face masked in a cloud of airbrush dust. The other room is dedicated to the other things essential to the creative process, such as sketching, canvas prep, storage, and reflection—a space to either gear up or wind down from the actual execution of her ideas. Usually, she works on several paintings at a time as part of specific series, visually and thematically consistent, but evolving within different contexts.
When asked what’s next for her in her rapid moving career, Kirk says she has quite an intensive and exciting year ahead. She has just finished a brand-new series for what will be her biggest project so far, a solo show at the newly opened exhibition space at Dopeness Art Lab (Nexx) in Taipei, Taiwan in March. These paintings, she says, “focus on body in two contrary universes—our civilized, structured world; and the primitive, natural wilderness.”
Additional significant projects on the slate include preparations for solo shows at GR Gallery in New York, as well as Plan X in Milan (both of which represent Kirk). Since she is not one to wait around passively for inspiration, there is no doubt that Kirk will continue to take the creative process by the horns and deliver us fascinating bodies of work which proceed to tickle our notions of the physical self.*
“I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT MY WORKS AS MIRRORS. THEY MIGHT BE LIKE REFLECTIONS OF BODIES IN A MIRROR, DISTORTED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL EXPECTATIONS.”
This article originally appeared in Hi-Fructose issue 66. The issue is sold out but you subscribe today for our latest issue here. Your subscriptions support our independent art publication. Thanks!
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