grotesque
grotesque |ɡrōˈtesk| adjective
- Comically or repulsively ugly or distorted: grotesque facial distortions.
- Incongruous or inappropriate to a shocking degree: a lifestyle of grotesque luxury.
noun
- A very ugly or comically distorted figure, creature, or image: the rods are carved in the form of a series of gargoyle faces and grotesques.
- (the grotesque) that which is grotesque: images of the macabre and the grotesque.
- A style of decorative painting or sculpture consisting of the interweaving of human and animal forms with flowers and foliage.
ORIGIN mid 16th century (as noun): from French grotesque (the earliest form in English), from Italian grottesca, from opera or pittura grottesca ‘work or painting resembling that found in a grotto’; “grotto” here probably denoted the rooms of ancient buildings in Rome that had been revealed by excavations and contained murals in the grotesque style.
Primarily interested in society and the commons, Karin’s art and writing take inspiration from Mikhail Bakhtin’s Rabelais and His World and Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle. She enjoys poking fun at society, celebrity, politics and entitlement using pastiche, satire and parody as her tools.
Karin began her professional career as an interpretive Illustrator in 1997, specializing in publishing and advertising. In 2000 she began working as a graphic designer for print media, focusing on business branding and educational book publishing. Shortly after, she added web design, copywriting and social media to her portfolio.
Karin is currently exploring interactive art after completing a B.A. in Multimedia at McMaster University.
