Noumeda Carbone: an invasive and consuming sense of discomfort

Glossom is like a social networking site on steroids for artists and creative people. A well designed social networking site. With beautiful artwork. And phenomenal artists. Actually, sometimes, when I am scrolling through the lists, I get a little star struck.

(Side note, my prints have been featured on the Glossom welcome page so woohoo!)

It was Glossom that kindly introduced me to the work of French-Italian illustrator and artist Noumeda Carbone.

Generally, in my personal works, I start with an invasive and consuming sense of discomfort.
This is not exactly an inspiration, but it’s a starting point, from which my creativity springs. I proceed step by step, trying to focus on the details I need to give the right sense to my work.
I try not to be too critical or to rub things out, but I’m very careful about the emotional direction that my artwork takes, and its truthfulness.
I only try to put my emotions in all my work: isolation, fragility, solitude, ephemerality, weakness… It’s just my way of expressing myself and keeping in contact with everyone. I want to share this kind of feeling.
Regarding my choice of elements such as feathers, flowers and birds I think that this depends partially on the fact that I grew up in the Tuscan countryside, but also on my desire to use elements that could be part of common imaginary, and to play with them. I love to identify these elements from nature and let them act like subjects with a soul. So, in this way, the natural elements became something different…a mystery, a secret perhaps. (Carbone for AOIPortfolios)

My style  approach depends on my method: I usually limit the aesthetical elements and techniques that I use (lines, dots, etc.), as well as the instruments (ink or felt-tip pens). I also use the minimum number of subjects (like thorns and flowers, or thorns, flowers and leaves). I’m interested in seeing what happens by using combinations of the least number of elements. (Carbone, for AOIPortfolios)

I appreciate Carbone’s linear quality. Obviously her hand lends itself well to beautiful clumps of weaving, roiling hair, but I think she is most successful when the lines begin to integrate themselves into value structures. In some pieces, there is a delicate balance achieved of stark lines and linearly achieved value. They’re quite stunning and definitely remind me of Ukiyo-e prints.

“Nocturne” represents a lady with sexual and provocative elements, an occasion to reflect about the darkness and lustful ways to obtaining the objects of desire. She is exposing an opium flower to seduce the little bird.
The hair and upper part of her body are intricate, sophisticated, and represents an hiding place for the bird’s copulation.
Her pubic hair turns into blades of grass. She’s trying to camouflage herself. (Carbone for AOIPortfolios)

I have French, Italian, Indian and Caribbean origins. These roots have profoundly influenced my aesthetic sense. My father, Giò Carbone, is the director of the Le Arti Orafe ( an Italian Jewellery School) and an excellent goldsmith. When I was young I visited his laboratory regularly and, of course, my love of detail derives from the elaborate and complex manual activity of making jewels.
I adore Ukyjo-e, oriental miniatures, the phantasmagorical atmosphere of Hieronymus Bosch, African masks and clothing…my cultural heritage, and tend to bypass disciplinary distinctions (in a mixed way): Kiki Smith, Mona Hatoum, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Lynch,, Pieter Bruegel, George Bataille, Marquis de Sade, Antonin Artaud, Jacques Prévert, Federico Fellini, Marlene Dumas, Ghada Ahmer,Ana Mendieta, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Francesca Woodman, Tara Donovan, Edward Hopper, Paul Delvaux, Shirin Neshat,Jean Cocteau, Tara Dougan, Fefe Talavera, Escif, Blu, Jamal Vrno…—and music, a lot of music. (Carbone for AOIPortfolios)

Link Love:

Carbone’s blog: noumedacarbone.wordpress.com

Glossom Page: http://www.glossom.com/noumeda

Vogue Features: http://www.vogue.it/en/search?q=Noumeda%20Carbone&c=&t=1

Juxtapoz: http://www.juxtapoz.com/illustration/noumeda-carbone