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Valerie Champion was born in Del Rio, Texas and has lived in San Antonio, Texas since 2014. Drawing with pencil and ink was her first passion, along with a love for film photography. Digital multimedia soon followed. Lately, collage and cardboard pieces have been her medium of choice. Valerie studied Music Business at San Antonio College, and has played bass in several bands throughout the years, ranging in style from punk and ska to surf, doom and psychedelic rock. She enjoys writing songs influenced by bands from the 60s and the 90s. Combining her penchant for music and writing, Valerie graduated from Texas A&M University-San Antonio with a BA in Communication, minoring in Sociology. She dreams of writing meaningful pieces of music journalism that give justice to the stories of hardworking musicians everywhere.
Resume (PDF)
Work Samples (PDF)
MORE ABOUT THIS ARTIST
Artist Type: Literary Arts: Poet; Media Arts: Graphic Artist, Radio/Television Talent, Voiceover; Multi-Disciplinary: Multiple Art Forms; Performing Arts: Musician, Vocalist/Singer; Visual Arts: Mixed Media Artist, Photographer
Artist Style: Literary: Poetry, Prose; Music: Alternative Rock, Covers/Tribute, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Punk, Rock; Visual Art: Collage, Experimental
Artist Medium: Collage; Computer; Photography
Artist Statement of Work
Tell us about your work (style, approach, philosophy, subject and/or theme):
I grew up loving punk music and the DIY ethos. I love to make drawings, collages, and sculptures from found and discarded materials, specifically cardboard, wood, shells and metal. I also love taking photos using 35mm and instant film cameras, specifically the Polaroid 600 and Instax SQ-1 models. I also write poetry and songs for my zines and musical projects.
Corrugated cardboard has layers, and my art utilizes and manipulates these layers physically and conceptually. The technique of collage provides one with a chance to rip up an established frame of being and create something totally new. With my drawings, I utilize pens and markers to contrast shockingly bright colors with shockingly dark or disturbing subject matter.
I'm influenced by American and Japanese comics and animation, 60s and 70s fashion, surrealist writings and imagery, and the fringes of the human psyche. My approach to digital art often mimics the form of my analog drawings. I tend to utilize brushes and fonts that mimic the pens and typography I enjoy seeing on vintage flyers and records.
I enjoy photographing live musicians during performance, cemeteries, plants and bodies of water. My poetry and prose reflect my internal struggles as a socially anxious person trying to navigate societal expectations and human relationships, and my music draws from garage rock, surf melodies, heavy metal, powerpop and psychedelia.
Some subjects and themes found in my work include death, loneliness, sexual trauma, nature reclaiming the earth, psychedelic confusion and explorations of the forms of circles, spirals and outlines of alternating color.
