MOST Magazine Fashion MAY-JUNE'15 ISSUE NO.9 | Page 84
MM: I love how the emphasis of your
work is influenced by fairytales,
pop culture and cinematic icons.
What are some of your own
favorites?
MM: Who are some painters who have
inspired you?
BM: My inspiration always stems from
both photography and painting.
Caravaggio taught me about light
and dark ‘chiaro scuro’, Gregory
Crewdson showed me the wonderful
fantasy world of narrative through
photographs dark and apocalyptic
imagery. Helmut Newton forever
intrigued me with his love hate
relationship that shines through
his pictures of strong women. The
Pre Raphaelites taught me about
romanticism through brush work
and Lichtenstein inspired me though
his ability to regurgitate, re- contextualise
the existing low art and transform it into
high art through Pop Art.
BM: This stems from my fascination
with popular culture and the
notion of what is ‘popular’ and
therefore regurgiated in an endl ess cycle of human appetite for
the familiar. By using the Pop
idiom I can play around and recontextualise these repeated
stereotyped icons and interfere
with notions of what belongs
where, and mix high art with
low art, forcing the viewer to
think outside the box. In terms
of my favourite, I always go back
to the 40’s and 50’s era, where
male and female actors, Characters
and cartoons were dramatically
stereotyped. I loved the extreme
vulnerability of the 40’s film noir
diva, always strong and seemingly
in control of her sexuality, but
helpless when it comes to her
leading alpha male love interest,
whilst remaining glamourous from
tip to toe. These type casts are a
wonder for me to play around with.
“I loved the extreme
vulnerability of the 40’s film noir
diva, always strong and seemingly
in control of her sexuality, but
helpless when it comes to her
leading alpha male love interest...”
MM: What if anything do you hope admirers and
collectors feel when they see your work and
what do you hope they understand about you
as an artist?
MM: How did you begin painting on handbags?
BM: The process was partially organic and part
planned as to how I started painting on
designer bags. I love painting on unusual
canvasses and learnt to paint on leather just
under 2 years ago, painting initially on vintage
bags, and it was my friend and owner of Joubi
Jewellery who asked me to paint on her Hermes
Birkin of which I was initially terrified, but she said
“I trust you Boyarde’ and that’s how it started. After
that i became natural to paint on the more valuable
fashion accesories, I think my clients respect that
there is value in my artwork as well as enjoying it’s
aesthetics, and that a valuable canvas goes hand in
hand with that.
MM: Who are some of your favourite style icons?
BM: I tend to look to the classic icons from the
past, again the 40’s and 50’s era, I love the
glamour from Joan Crawford and her suits
to Lauren Bacall’s effortless cool.
84 ||
FAS HI O N
M A G A Z I N E || MAY / JUNE 2015
[email protected]
@Boyarde
BM:
It’s important that they enjoy the art.
I am a visual artist and on the surface
my art is bright and aesthetically pleasing.
And if you want, you can go past the colour
to find an interesting narrative that gets you
thinking beyond the superficial. At university
I was always told my art was heavily aesthetic
and perhaps too literal. Over the years I found
a way to embrace these ‘weaknesses’ and turn
them into my strengths, where the visual art
becomes so literal, like a slap in the face; but
the meaning is there, under the layers of literal!
MM: Do you have any Boyarde handbags
for sale, or only by commision?
BM: Currently there are no ready-made bags
available as I have so many comissions!
My waiting list for bags keeps me busy.
I am starting to work with new company’s
that will ready-made Boyarde Art Bags and
I will have to keep you posted on that!