Estasketch
Love may be a battlefield, but this Australian artist puts up a good fight with some help from a few superheroes
By Mengly Taing
Published: February 13th, 2007 | 11:37am
Not all is fair in love. For some, February 14th is a special date to be shared with a significant other. But for unsuspecting lovers, Valentine's Day can turn out to be rather bothersome. With stores painted red and pink, the day can serve more as a bitter reminder of unrequited love than inspiration for romance.
But leave it to Lisa Kirkpatrick to save the day. The 23-year-old art student from New South Wales, Australia has come up with a fun alternative to the dangerously saccharine Valentine.
The Newcastle native salvaged pieces from her cherished collection of vintage comic books from the '60s and '70s to create one-of-a-kind valentines inspired by some of her favorite super-heroes. Combining the two things she loves most, comics and art, the Super Valentine's Day card series features beloved comic book heroes such as Wonder Woman, Superman, Super Boy and the Legion of Super-heroes under bookish expressions that are sure to be a knockout with lovers and friends alike.
In addition to her super-hero cards, the avid music fan also has a collection of cards and limited-edition silk-screen prints inspired by songs about the heart. The on-going series includes work loosely inspired by such song titles as "Heart of Glass" by Blondie and "Heart Factory" by Sleater-Kinney.
"I think Valentine's Day is a lovely idea," Kirkpatrick said. "But I think for those of us who are alone it can be a bit of a drag. My Valentine's Day cards are an ode to those who might be spending the day at home, reading comics, listening to music, or watching cartoons."
That's exactly the plan the artist has lined up for this Valentine's Day. She will be spending the occasion at home exchanging homemade cards with some friends and indulging in their annual marathon of Valentine episodes from The Simpsons and Futurama.
Though she has never participated in any Valentine's Day celebration, Miss Kirkpatrick remains a hopeful romantic — though not without caution.
"I dream of traveling, studying, being fluent in different languages, falling in love," she said. "Of course I rarely act upon any of it. It would never live up to my expectations anyway. I just really love to dream."
Lisa Kirkpatrick's note cards retail for $6 to $8 per pack of four and her limited edition screen-prints retail for $12 to $20. All are currently available at estasketch.etsy.com.
Issue #35
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