by Lorie Lewis Ham
It is almost time for Rogue Festival again–it will be taking place March 6-14 in the Tower District of Fresno. Throughout the month of February we will be publishing many Rogue Festival performer preview articles. This year we have added a special category where you will be able to find all of our Rogue Festival articles. During Rogue we will be reviewing shows as usual, and we also have a Rogue Festival event page with more information!
This past week this year’s Rogue Festival Muse was revealed. It was created by local artist Kristina Störk. The Muse is chosen by the Rogue Festival’s Executive director, who this year is Amber Strid. This is what Amber had to say about choosing this year’s Muse-“The muse is the one bit of the festival that I have any part in choosing. Everything else is left up to luck. Although I did not have a specific piece in mind, I had a specific artist chosen.
Maybe five years ago, Kristina had submitted a piece for consideration. At the time the muse was picked by a panel of directors and we chose to go with a different piece. I have not stopped thinking about her art since. I knew that she was going to create this year’s muse. I’m just glad she agreed.”
Kristina Störk
We sat down recently to chat with Kristina.
KRL: Hello Kristina. It is great to have this opportunity to talk to you about your life and art. Did you grow up in this area?
Kristina: I grew up in Coarsegold and moved to Fresno about 15 years ago.
KRL: What type of art do you create?
Kristina: I like to paint portraits and characters, inspired by my studies and interest in mythology and sociology. I consider my art style to be pop surrealist.
KRL: When did you first decide you wanted to be an artist?
Kristina: There is no specific point in time in my life in which I remember beginning to regard myself as an artist, my passion for art has been a defining part of who I am since my earliest memories.
KRL: What was your initial inspiration and was there anyone in particular who influenced you?
Kristina: I’ve always felt inspired by creative people in my local community, not only artists, but teachers and professors, musicians, and writers, who exposed me to the arts. Art in museums and galleries, and in media, has always captivated me and influenced my dreams.
2020 Rogue Muse
KRL: What is your favorite medium?
Kristina: I equally enjoy painting and drawing in traditional mediums, such as oils, acrylic, and watercolor, as much as I like to digitally paint, with Photoshop and tablet. Recently I’ve been experimenting with painting with unconventional mediums, like coffee and wine.
KRL: Please tell us about the work of art you submitted for this year’s Rogue Muse and how you came up with the idea?
Kristina: The Forbidden Fruit is a product of my pursuit to validate digital painting as a formal art medium, it is digitally painted to mimic an oil painting. This painting is a portrait of the commonly recognized Eve from the Judeo-Christian parable of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.
Much of my art explores themes of gender roles, holding a candle to the roots that establish our symbols and iconography that influence these roles. The parable of the forbidden fruit has shaped the way we define gender roles for generations. Eve, woman, is tempted by the apple of knowledge, but she is confronted by the consequences of being held accountable for the sins of all Mankind.
I also drew inspiration from Gustav Klimt’s Nuda Veritas, which means “Naked Truth,” a painting of a standing nude woman holding a mirror, a snake coiled at her ankles, much like the snake from the Garden of Eden. In Nuda Veritas, there is a gold inscription over the woman’s head, opposite the snake, the quote from the German poet Schiller translated says, “If you cannot please everyone with your actions and your art, you should satisfy a few. To please many is dangerous.”
KRL: Did you paint it with a view to submitting it?
Kristina: I am happy to submit my art to support a local art event, and it’s also a great opportunity for me to get more exposure as an artist. This is not the first year I have submitted art to be considered for the Rogue Festival Muse, but it is the first time I have been selected, so I feel honored to be chosen this year.
KRL: Where are the places online or in galleries where people can find your work?
Kristina: You can find my art online at facebook.com/kristinastorkart and instagram.com/kristinacs. I also sell prints on inprnt.com/gallery/kristinastorkart.
Watch for more Rogue Festival articles to keep going up!
If you love local theatre, be sure to check out Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast, which features mysteries read by local actors. You can find the podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Play, and also on Podbean.
Check out more theatre reviews & other local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section.
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