There was a time when digital. Cloaked in Elegance. The meticulous artwork of Emma Hack THE ARTS. by Veron Ennis

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1 A RT S + C U LT U R E + B E A U T Y + FA S H I O N ARTIST EMMA HACK S BODY OF WORK WHY ART LOVERS ARE DRAWN TO THE RIVER DISTRICT A MODERN OUTLOOK LEADS TO A CONTEMPORARY COLLECTION SECRETS OF SUCCESS FROM THE SCHOOLHOUSE THEATER The Arts Issue From the Publisher of Times of the Islands / TOTI Media, Inc.

2 THE ARTS Cloaked in Elegance by Veron Ennis There was a time when digital photo manipulation was a mystery, and the reaction to finding out that an extremely detailed artwork was achieved by the use of a computer was, Wow! It s amazing what computer programs can do these days! The advancing sciences in visual technology are incredible, and we look forward to the newest, greatest discoveries with every movie that hits the box office and advertisement that hits the streets. Consider this: Today, when we receive an with an incredible trompe l oeil image attached, we automatically think, Photoshop. But what is it that really makes you fall off your chair and forward the image to everyone you know? It s when you find out that an artist hand-painted the image, the model is a real person, the artist personally photographed the work, and here it is in your inbox widening your eyes until you finally remember you have to blink. The meticulous artwork of Emma Hack Achieving this reaction with each extraordinarily detailed image is the work of award-winning artist Emma Hack. Her stunning collections of illusionistic works pull you into a world of beauty and wonderment. Nature, humanity, and art are woven together by Hack s intricate painting and imaginative vision. By her hand, serene human figures integrate almost seamlessly into the dramatic patterns of wallpaper behind them, leaving precious elements to be captured by our curious eye. The carefully chosen hints may be beautiful long lashes in a sea of illustrated branches or a delicate hand outstretched to support an exotic Goanna in Sturt Desert Rose Chrysanthemum with Butterflies bird. Her works capture a marvelous tranquility that cannot be matched. Hack s abilities reach far and wide. She is a body artist and skin illustrator, photographer, makeup artist, hairdresser, stylist, sculptor, and keynote speaker. She also specializes in art installations. It s clear that all of these traits play a major role in the success of her collections. Beyond showing extensively in her native Australia, Hack has done many projects abroad, including body painting and designing concepts for the Paspaley Pearls and Tiffany & Co. store launches in Dubai; touring Holland and Belgium with renowned cabaret duo Mich en scene; a PlayStation2 ARTWORK ON THIS AND OPPOSITE PAGE COURTESY OF EMMA HACK; ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT EMMA HACK; ANY OTHER USE OR PRINTING OF THE IMAGES IS IN BREACH OF COPYRIGHT. 14 May/June 2010

3 Japanese Floral PHOTOS COURTESY OF ART LEAGUE OF BONITA SPRINGS Wallpaper Courtesy of Florence Broadhurst and Signature Prints 15

4 THE ARTS 16 May/June 2010 Baby Owl in Pine Needleds Oriental Blossom with Butterflies Oriental Blossom with Butterflies commercial in Hong Kong; and the launch of the 2005 ski season in Whistler, Canada. Hack also works on the launches of Cirque du Soleil for Optus, creating their Optus animals that entertain the celebrity crowds. She received the esteemed first prize at the CIDESCO World Congress Professional World Body Painting Championship in Hong Kong and, most recently, the Renault New Generation Art Award. Hack s current collections gracefully feature the Mandala. It is a visual representation of wholeness, of essence, and the patterns of life, she says in her artist statement. She expresses a utopian view of Australia s flora and fauna enveloping the human presence in the Native Mandala Collection and is inspired by the beauty of Art Nouveau in the Exotic Mandala Collection. The Wallpaper Mandala Collection combines the Mandala vision with Hack s ongoing and much-loved Wallpaper Collection, which began in She was first inspired by model Verushka, who painted herself into rustic walls and naturalistic settings in the 1960s and 70s. Then her discovery of Florence Broadhurst s iconic handprinted wallpaper designs provided the perfect inspiration for her own collection. It was graciously created with the blessing of Signature Prints, which gave her permission to use the designs and granted her access to the Florence Broadhurst archives. Emma spends anywhere from eight to nineteen hours at a time recreating geometric patterns and fluid forms over her models, says Hack s manager, Abby Edwards. Hack then photographs the entire installation herself and outputs the image as an archival gloss C-type print in editions of ten or twenty. Her Web site is a treasure chest of her life s work and well worth exploring; view her collections at hackartist.com. n Veron Ennis is a Fort Myers based artist, curator, and freelance writer for the contemporary arts. ARTWORK COURTESY OF EMMA HACK; ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT EMMA HACK; ANY OTHER USE OR PRINTING OF THE IMAGES IS IN BREACH OF COPYRIGHT.

5 PARTING SHOT Wallpaper Mandala Captain Smith ARTWORK COURTESY OF EMMA HACK; ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT EMMA HACK Artist Emma Hack (featured on page 14) first began exploring this idea in her Wallpaper collection ( ), wherein she created spectacular illusions of camouflage against the iconic designs of the late Florence Broadhurst. This piece is her latest work. View her collections at May/June 2010