Meet Kaycee | Fashion Artist & Creative

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kaycee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaycee, what inspires you?
One figure I draw my inspiration from is a musical artist who performs by the name Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga, formally known as Stefani, was completely fearless of judgement and skepticism in regard to the music and fashion industry, and as a result has shifted the culture entirely. She is well known for her eccentric fashion, which has given us dresses made of raw meat, jackets made of Kermit-the-Frogs, and gowns made of just black velvet. Later in her career she began honing her fashion with items like disco-mirror glasses, and latex bodysuits as a result of “experimenting with more avant-garde details.”

Contemporary art allows us to escape into a fantasy and leave behind the limitations of the physical perceivable modern world. In my personal works I want to take advantage of this as much as possible. When people look at my artworks, I want them to envision the future. I’m following Stefani footsteps and venturing further out into the fashion scene. Although my fictitious character is donned by a mask to remain anonymous and give off a pop grunge vibe similar to the red head piece above, I don’t want to focus on clothing worn on the main body, rather turn attention to footwear. To me footwear can make or break an outfit, but many limitations come with choosing the right pair. Comfortability is one of the biggest hurdles in deciding and coincidentally the most comfortable shoes are almost always not the most stylish. My agenda is the close the gap between stylish and comfortable while also being innovative.

The art world seems to be expanding, developing and growing exponentially as many artists are finding methods and ways to best communicate their own personal styles, but I feel a contrast in the way the fashion world is developing. In my opinion the fashion world is almost at a standstill as people are more hesitant to appreciate different approaches. I want to try and mix the two worlds not only in hopes to develop a new avenue in fashion but further expand the territory in which art can be seen.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Although I am a quiet person, I would tend to create loud representations of myself. Art is an outlet that I have grown to realize is a language that anyone can be fluent in and is subject to many different interpretations. For future work I want express this by placing artworks in places where it would not commonly be found. My first interest is to paint onto shoes as a display. I found that shoes in my local culture were seen as a staple of status, so to standout even more I want to apply personality through art onto them. My passion is to help people have a voice through art and clothing the same way I found mine.

Drawing from my love of video games and the ability to customize an in-game avatar, I see my body as a real-life opportunity for acting out this love for customization through the use of fashion. Since video games were a large part of my childhood and family life, this is something that has influenced me greatly. I hope my audience and consumers connect with it personally but also see how it is uniquely my expression, and that I can eventually leave my “fingerprint” on the art or fashion world by inspiring all people to pursue artistic endeavors of any kind.

Contemporary art is the most important art movement within the last years. For one, its art made today by living artists. It also reflects the complex issues that shape our rapidly changing world. Through contemporary works one can explore identity, and critique social structures which can redefine art itself. Through this process the artist raises thought provoking questions but don’t provide the viewer with an easy answer. For this reason, I feel the significance isn’t just held in the artwork, it can also be found in the canvas, in the tools, or even the process in which a piece is made.

Contemporary art includes all forms, visual art, dance, music, theater, moving images, design, architecture, new media, and many hybrid forms that include a combination of these forms. I appreciate this because other movements or genres of art are confining. Abstract, cubism, and neo-classical are some examples of movements that aren’t as open or free. A piece made during these art surges had to fit a particular style and or color palette in order to be accepted and appreciated. The flexibility that the contemporary art allows in the community is something I really appreciate because the works can often challenge the ideas about what art should look like or how it should behave. Nowadays viewers can get a sense of an artist’s creative process because the way contemporary art invites a direct engagement with the artwork.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ll provide a list in no particular order: -Gourmet Pizza Shop in Redlands
-KBBQ
-Victoria Gardens Mall
-Universal Studios/Disneyland
-Getty
-MoMa
-LACMA

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Nate Sanders, Kalani Franklin, Alieu Corr, Gamma Delta Rho (University of Redlands)

Website: https://bagguise.etsy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bag.guise/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn9s2o4OFIlx0tHWmXRPzRQ

Other: https://solo.to/kaycee_art

Image Credits
Shoe Photo Credit: Kalani Franklin