Apr 07, 2015 Back on Sawtelle: Nikki McClure at GR2
Sawtelle is a lot different from when I used to hang out there regularly, circa 2001-2010 when Eric Nakamura and I made Giant Robot mag just a few blocks away in his garage. There were more JA nurseries, shops, and places that sold kimonos and wooden slippers, and fewer fusion restaurants and trendy eateries. But it’s nice to revisit the neighborhood even if I don’t know where to eat any more (R.I.P. gr/eats) and no one at the Giant Robot store or GR2 has ever heard of me.
Going back to Sawtelle is also a return to the world of art show openings, and my wife Wendy and I attended GR2’s monthly events more often than not, seeing and making friends from faraway places and checking out their latest and greatest works. Last weekend, my family and I made a long overdue trek to the westside to see Nikki McClure.
I met Nikki in the mid ’90s through her involvement in Olympia’s underground punk scene, and it wasn’t that much of a leap for her to transition from the world of DIY music to DIY art (which she was already making anyway). As one would work out kick-ass songs in a bedroom or garage, she taught herself how to create intricate, soulful art out of black paper using an everyday X-ACTO blade.
Over the last few years, Nikki has begun supplementing her wildly popular calendar series with award-winning children’s books that she illustrates with her paper cuts and often writes as well. She told me that she typically divides her year evenly between the next year’s calendar and a book. And of course hanging out with Jay T. and their son, who inspires much of the art. The current art show at GR2 features many of the original pieces from Nikki’s latest release, In.
Nikki’s images are as personal as they are detailed, depicting images of childhood, nature, curiosity, and wonder. (And owls, too.) You don’t have to be a parent to appreciate the images–just human. Likewise, you don’t need to know anything about Beat Happening, Kill Rock Stars, or Riot Grrrl to perceive the underlying themes of independence, empowerment, or equality in Nikki’s work. But neither hurts, either.
And a visitor to GR2 doesn’t need to know anything about the independent magazine that spawned the Giant Robot art gallery or shop on Sawtelle to enjoy them. But for those of us who were part of it, on the reading or writing side, the space is that much more special–and so are our memories of working with Eric and hanging out in the neighborhood. We really need to visit more often.
Find out more about Nikki at nikkimcclure.com and keep an eye on giantrobot.com for a proper gallery of the pieces with prices of the ones that are still available. (But you really need to see her handiwork in person if you can.) And thanks for reading and following Imprint on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.