Roller Girl, by Brian Life
- Topic:
Art
- Article By:
Sherri
- Photo:
Brian Life
If you've been with the FlyDuo and DaLyfe.com from the beginning, then you already know about the soft spot that we have for the fun and funky, as well as the grown and sexy! So it should come as no surprise that when I recently came across this amazing Roller Girl wall sticker by artist Brian Life that I was gonna have to share it with you.
I mean how often do you come across something like this? It's incredibly artistic and culturally perfect!
I had to know where the idea for this piece came from ...so I asked him! Here's what he had to say...
“To be honest, this piece was unexpected... and yet it turned out being one of my best pieces ever. It's really just my interpretation of a fly roller girl! The story of how it came to Life is: a DJ/Producer friend D-Money, had a new residency at a local club in Boston. I was living at his crib at the time and he needed some -art for the flyer. He asked me to illustrate "Anything" ..some dope letters, a fly chic, just anything I thought would be hot and that wouldn't take me too long... He told me just to whip something up in one night, not to spend too much time on it. That Anything I draw would be great even a sketch.
This was an honor so I went into the piece with a free, positive attitude and just wanted to rock it! I tried to just whip something up but, being the perfectionist that I am and also knowing this image would be mass produced on flyers all over the city, I ended up going all out.
We decided to make her a hot Roller girl sitting on a crate of records. I referenced a few model pics, old school roller girls and one model in particular, a Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai for the face. The pic (referenced) was so low quality that I basically drew the "essence" of her face. The final portrait was a mix of the reference and my imagination.
What's dope about her is she is racially ambiguous: its not clear what nationality she is. What I like most about the piece is that it focuses on a single figure and a simple background, not a full scene or too many other elements to take your eye away from the figure...
Yea so, I banged it out with the intention of making a "quick painting" but, it turned out becoming a classic piece that marks a staple in my style and personal growth as a digital artist.” - Brian Life
What it means to me
As an urban white girl I find it almost impossible to find urban art that I personally can relate to. That speaks to me in the same way that Roller Girl does. I can actually see myself in her. From the dark skinned white girl (the culture/race that I personally see when I look at the piece), with dark hair and funky makeup, right down to the roller skates ...in a way, it is a reflection of who I am. And I love that!
So, I guess it's true what they say, sometimes our best work can come from unexpected places ...and reach people in unexpected ways! Brian's Roller Girl is one of those pieces!
You can find Roller Girl at TheWallSticker.com for just $79.99. It's made of removable, and fade resistant, high quality vinyl.
To see more from the artist Brian Life be sure to check out our Artist Spotlight on him as well, and visit his website at www.BrianLife.com.
Holla Back Y'all:
DaLyfe.com Sponsors
