8
Sep 10

Talking with the Glitterbombe Artist Cherry Poppins!

category: Sassafras Lowrey No Comments

I first saw Cherry Poppin’s fantastic portraits of queer folks in glitter online and knew I needed to talk with her for Femmes Guide, after all I know there are few things more femme in my world than glitter! The picture above is one of her portraits- and you can see more of her work on the Glitterbombe facebook page

Sassafras: I guess we can go ahead and get started - please if you feel like I’m not asking stuff I should interject! I guess to start I’m wondering if you can just talk a little bit about yourself to give readers a glimpse into the life of the femme behind the glitter art etc :)

Cherry: totally. I'm known to most as Cherry (Poppins), from my work in drag and femme communities. I also go by and don't mind my legal name, Allison Stelly.

I'm 30, a queer femme, and I live in San Francisco, but I moved here half a year ago from Austin (Texas).

Sassafras: nice! I'm planning on linking to some of the pictures of your work that you have up on facebook- but I have a feeling photography doesn't fully capture all the sparkle of your work :) can you describe it to folks?

Cherry: You're so right. The sparkle doesn't quite come across in photos. Basically, it's all glitter. I like to use the superfine glitter, which has intense, vibrant color, and it's very very sparkly.

Sassafras: someday I really want to see your work in person! What would you say is the biggest inspiration for you artistically?

Cherry: Hmmm. I started doing this after I had seen an Austin artist who does celebrity portraits. I wanted one, but I was broke (big news for artists, huh?). So I figured out the process, and I painted a Marilyn Monroe portrait for my room. Then I started making larger pieces, sexy pieces. I like painting boots, maybe my own fetish. And I also like painting my friends, because they are so fabulous and sparkly - performers, femmes, drag kings, genderfuckers.

Sassafras: that sounds incredible - and i share your love of boots!

Cherry: Treating my friends like the celebrities they are.

Sassafras: that's the best quote! I also love that this was something you taught yourself. I've got major DIY roots so that totally appeals to me

Cherry: Totally

I have some fine art background, and I've been an artmaker and crafter my whole life, but I love teaching myself skills.

Sassafras: nice. Which I guess brings me to the question of how do you actually do this - I mean glitter is messy, how do you get it to do what you want?

Cherry: hah! I use glue (like generic school / craft glue) like paint, painting in where I want a color of glitter to go.

Sassafras: that's so cool! I can't imagine how much patience you must have

Cherry: I learned from trial and error to let it dry between colors- that keeps it tidy. Well, on the canvas. It does get everywhere. I have ADD, but I get so hyper focused on art that is repetitive, like this. My lifetime art has a theme of repetition. I'm happiest doing things that involve tons of the same things, tiny parts. Like fantastical costumes that involve hundreds of identical objects sewn on.

Sassafras: *swoon *

How do you think your femme identity factors into your art?

Cherry: First. The obvious: the love for and tolerance of glitter. A fine sheen of glitter coats my floor and my boots, always. I trail it everywhere.

Second, the love of the dramatic (I don't mean in the life-drama way. But in the bigness). I like working large, and I have dreams of massive canvases covered in glitter, lifesize, full body portraits of some of the sexiest people I know.

Sassafras: that sounds incredible!

and sexy!

Cherry: And then my subject matter, of course. Being femme and painting femmes and drag stars and other gender rebels. It's delicious.

Sassafras: I bet! So if a reader wants to get their portrait done in glitter... what's the best way to make that happen? What do you charge?

Cherry: Just email me! glitterbombe@gmail.com. I'm pretty flexible and want to keep art accessible to everyone, especially low income folks, other artists / performers, etc. I've usually accepted $120-$175 for a medium piece (about 18x20), but it's variable depending on complexity.

But I know that's a lot of money, and I like to work with people.

Sassafras: very cool. What do you hope people will take away from looking at your art?

Cherry: It's interesting. I'm very radically political and do a lot of activist work in the rest of my life. But then this work is just so shiny and delicious. I feel full of joy when I make these pieces, and I love them hanging on my own wall. I think these are about joy and beauty and celebration.

Which I think is an important part of the revolution.

Sassafras: that's beautiful!

I think those are all the questions I have at this point, is there anything else you want readers to know about your work?

Cherry: Oh, I wanted to mention in pricing / commissioning work - I don't need payment all at once. We can work it out. At the same time, I think it's important to support art and value it as labor, but my labor isn't more valuable than anyone else's.

Sassafras: Thanks for clarifying that; I imagine that helps some folks out

If you haven’t already you should head right over to facebook and check out more of this great glitter art!!!

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