By Allyssa Samudio-Little and Kei New
Interlude was conceived out of the chaos of this past year. When things felt overwhelming, in the sheer amount of devastating news, between the never-ending pandemic and the injustices being seen against minority groups around the world, there was a plethora of useful and important information being shared. However, with the intake of so many tragic events it can become exhausting to the mind and hinder one from actually moving forward.
Thus the intention to create a visual escape for the moments when one feels alone, sad, discouraged. Something to take your mind away from all the current events and get lost in the scene in front of you. The choice to make a poster zine was suggested by the artist, and works perfectly for all the wanted aspects. Aside from just creating a visual escape, included are two quotes that were seen over this period of time that had a strong resonance with the creators. They are reminders that no matter how powerless one might feel we do have that power, and a voice, even if it is just doing something that might seem small, its residual effect, or impact, could be more than ever realized. The pages of the zine feature details of Respite alongside the inspirational quotes and includes a resources page of free therapy services and hotlines for suicide prevention.
Prompted to imagine the ideal or an escape from reality, Kei News’ Respite, (2021) was inspired by a dream where they were walking through a forest underneath a museum and saw a tall woman sunbathing on a rock near a lake. The 27 by 21in graphite work on paper with digital coloring, illustrates a luscious bamboo forest with flowing streams and a waterfall one can almost hear. At first glance the tranquil moment of the woman sunbathing is of focus, but as one falls deeper into the drawing other small moments of peace become prevalent. The butterfly landing gently on a broken bamboo trunk where ants trail up it, the meditating statue on the stream, and the remnants of civilization in the distance.
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Kei New is a Los Angeles based artist who earned their BFA in Communications Design at Pratt Institute in 2019. Their work has been included in multiple Giant Robot shows in 2020 and their work is recognized by the Society of Illustrators. Also a Pratt Institute alumna, Allyssa Samudio-Little (based in New York) graduated with a BFA in the History of Art and Design and a minor in Museum and Gallery Practices in 2019.
