Míša Storkova
Rainbow Lesbo
Rainbow Lesbo is an intaglio piece. It explores the sexualization, fetishization, and objectification of Sapphics through ties to lesbian history. The figure in the image is Sappho, shown with a collar and chain around her neck decorated with the double Venus. In this way, her queerness is what is ultimately trapping her. The inscription "girl on girl action" is a nod to popular porn titles infantilizing and objectifying sex workers, particularly in the portrayal of Sapphic sex in porn. While porn of this kind is more often than not created for the male gaze, this work attempts to reclaim the queer female figure.
Míša’s Practice
As a child, Míša was introduced to the arts at a young age and took many varying art classes throughout their childhood. With craft deeply entrenched in their Slavic culture, he developed a strong appreciation for textile work and other more "feminine" crafts at an early age, while also pursuing more traditional art mediums such as painting. As they began to work with more mediums, Míša found that they tended to gravitate towards more tactile mediums and mixed media, incorporating found objects and tapping into generational knowledge of craft. More recently, printmaking has joined this multidisciplinary list
Rainbow Martyr
"Rainbow Martyr" is an intaglio piece once again featuring the figure of Sappho. In this work, the discrimination against queer women and non-men is highlighted by religious imagery. The crown of thorns on Sappho's head directly ties her to Christ, representing her as a blameless figure who has taken upon the suffering of many whilst herself remaining blameless. Violets, a queer symbol based off of Sappho's most famous poem, work to both juxtapose this thorny imagery and act as a reminder of Sapphic history and resilience. Although queer women and other non-men have been persecuted for thousands of years, we have continued to flourish just as these violets do. These works are soft ground intaglio works with additional aquatint. Individual prints are printed on rice paper and added onto backing paper using the Chine Colle method. For the rainbow editions displayed here, many copies of each image are printed on various colours of rice paper which are then combined to form a complete image resembling a pride flag.
Artist Biography
Míša is a 3rd year Art History student at the University of Calgary. A multidisciplinary artist, they tend to focus on 3-dimensional mediums such as pottery, textile work, and more recently printmaking. She focuses on exploring queer history, their experience as an AFAB individual, and using artwork to channel the disabled perspective which is so often silenced. Images and symbols from the art history canon can often be seen in his works alongside modern imagery. This passion for history has not only inspired their artistic practice but also driven their plan to pursue art conservation and restoration in a professional setting.