Existing comment:
Iconic Stimulant #1 & #2
Nichole Mango Smith, 24, Graphic Designer
Fairfax, VA
"Art has become more about work than a form of expression for me lately," says graphic designer Nichole Mango Smith. "I knew this competition would be a great chance to break the mold of what I normally do and try something new and get my creative juices flowing…an opportunity to create art for myself again."
Smith, who won her first award for illustration when she was just five years old, became fascinated with graphic design while attending the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. She subsequently received a BFA in visual communications from Winthrop University and has been freelancing ever since, serving companies from coast to coast. For her Washington entry, Smith knew that she wanted to reference pop art, and while Warhol first came to mind, it was the work of Shepard Fairey that ultimately sparked her concept. "I wanted to keep it really raw and use all parts of the can," Smith comments, "I think there are a lot of interesting places where your eye can travel throughout the piece, which comes from my interest in abstract art like Pollock. It was refreshing to work with a material I've never worked with before – a good challenge |