His masterful paintings had recently graced the walls of Veta Galerie in Madrid, and there seemed to be a slight evolution of his visual language that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Over the years, the Santa Cruz-based painter and I have had a long history of, you guessed it, long talks, but we haven't spoken since the pandemic started and it felt like it was time for a catch up. He was about to be announced as the cover artist for the SPRING 2024 Juxtapoz Quarterly and, like two old friends should do, we wanted to have a talk on a day where sharing your feelings is a rite of passage. Episode 137 was recorded by Gillen in Ostend in April 2024 during Crystal Ship. Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Rex van Minnen and I decided to talk on Valentine's Day. The Radio Juxtapoz podcast is hosted by FIFTH WALL TV's Doug Gillen and Juxtapoz editor, Evan Pricco.

And we have her on this episode of Radio Juxtapoz. So for Crystal Ship, Green worked with the community to create masks, and chose this particular mask as an ode to the city and Ensor's work. In this project masks become an extension of self, where each participant is guided through a curated process that brings them closer to their internal landscape.' In Ensor’s work, his masks are unpredictable and we are invited to befriend our own imaginations as we ponder the hidden subjects. Masks are a passageway between what we perceive on the outside and the mystery of what lies beyond. Like Ostends' beloved James Ensor, 'Katie uses masks as a symbol for intrigue. The mask creates a safe space-both expressive and anonymous-to share oneself with the outside world.' By designing and wearing a mask, invited participants are given the opportunity to present society with an internal, alternate, or imagined part of themselves. Her project, as she notes on her IG, 'is a community driven process which uses handmade masks as a way to build community, find healing, and explore aspects of self. Katie Green creates masks, what she calls 'intimate watercolour personas that are eerie and ethereal.' On a mural level, this requires participation and something quite unique.

Radio Juxtapoz was on the road for the annual Crystal Ship and as we love with the mural festivals we get to see the process, the ideas and the creation of so many works from so many different practices. As these things happen when we are on the road, we met a Canadian in Ostend, Belgium.

Buy martin whatson copies