An Artist's Secret to Keeping Art Fresh and Embracing the Ephemeral

Paige Simianer | March 27, 2024

Johanna Boccardo with one of her pieces. Photo courtesy of the artist

“I want to create a space for daydreaming.”

Artwork Archive's Featured Artist Johanna Boccardo is a Miami-based Venezuelan artist with an ample creative career that includes editorial illustration, product design, fine arts as well as urban street art. 

Through the masterful use of different media, Johanna navigates the realms of media and color, where she intricately weaves color and abstract concepts into tangible expressions. She explores the application and interaction of color sequences to develop abstract ideas and provoke thought, reaching beyond literal meanings. 

In her work on paper, Johanna uses advanced color theory to deepen the effects of emotionally charged chromatic results, often by using complex layers of geometry, color, and texture.

As part of Johanna’s exploration using color media, she developed a new form of street art called Tapebombing. This involves adorning colored tapes to mundane objects that may otherwise go unnoticed in everyday life, transforming overlooked items into ephemeral art pieces

This technique, which debuted in Miami's Design District and Wynwood Arts District, highlights the transient beauty of art and its profound impact on urban spaces. 
 

Artwork Archive had the chance to chat with Johanna Boccardo about her favorite part of her creative process, advice she has for other artists, and how Artwork Archive makes her art career more manageable! 

You can see more of her work on Discovery and learn more about her art practice below:

The image shows a colorful abstract painting held up by an artist. The artwork is dominated by vertical stripes in various colors creating a vibrant, rainbow-like effect. The stripes are interrupted by three horizontal bands where the colors are disconnected, creating a sort of optical illusion. The hands of the person holding up the painting are visible at the top, and the lower part of the person's body can be seen at the bottom, wearing striped pants that mimic the painting's pattern. The artwork is titled "Beach Blanket 1" and measures 43 x 63 inches, created by Johanna Boccardo.

Johanna Boccardo, Beach Blanket 1, 43 x 63 in

Do you have a favorite or most satisfying part of your process? If so, can you share a bit about it?

Starting a new piece is always my favorite part—the sensation that anything is possible between the dream and the final, crystallized version that will come.

I always stack new pieces in between those I’m fully committed to. It keeps my creative rhythm fresh.

I also love destroying the pieces I don’t like. 

 

What initially drew you to the exploration of color sequences and color theory in your artwork?

It’s in my nature. I experience the world 99% through my eyes, and what I see transforms into sensations of temperature, texture, taste, and sound.

The way light bounces off surfaces makes my skin come alive. 

 

Could you explain more about your unique style of Tapebombing? What was the development process and what inspired this form of street art?

I started creating pop-up, temporary color installations in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami just before gentrification took its toll.

I became enamored with its simple, secondary structures and urban elements, like fences and racks, because they were not being noticed amidst the bustle. 

The objective of my tape-bombing was to highlight everything that went unnoticed by simple eyes. That’s what I’m interested in: anything that’s invisible to other people. I guess it was my own personal homage to the neighborhood´s roots and history. 

The image features a colorful abstract painting with a dynamic composition of diagonal and horizontal lines that create a sense of fragmentation across the canvas. The lines are filled with a rich spectrum of colors resembling vertical stripes that give an impression of a lively, woven texture. Each colored line varies in hue and intensity, contributing to the overall vibrancy of the work. Titled "Color Study in Orange Peel," the piece measures 40 x 60 inches and is by Johanna Boccardo.

Johanna Boccardo, 'Color Study in Orange Peel', 40 x 60 in

Can you elaborate on the concept of ephemerality in your work and why it’s important to you?

As time passes, I've noticed that I'm spending more time and energy exploring the liminal spaces of ideas—the invisible, uncrystallized versions of ideas.

The fact that some things don't get done does not equate to their nonexistence in my eyes.

Temporary work fueled my passion for creating things that would never belong to anyone.

 

What impact do you hope your work will have on those who view it?

I want to create a space for daydreaming.

 

What does success as an artist mean to you?

To me, success means being able to create every single day and materialize the things you can only see in dreams. It also means finding each one of my pieces the home they belong in.

This image showcases an abstract painting by Johanna Boccardo titled "Color Study in Shades of Blue." It measures 40 x 60 inches and features a complex lattice of geometric shapes, primarily in a variety of blue tones. The shapes are composed of multicolored vertical stripes that intersect and overlap, creating a layered effect. The blues range from pastel to deep hues, accented with pops of pink, yellow, and other complementary colors, which add depth and vibrancy to the composition

Johanna Boccardo, Color Study in Shades of Blue, 40 x 60 in

What are you listening to lately? While you’re in the studio, do you have any go-to playlists, podcasts, audiobooks, songs, or even TV shows that you like to listen to? If yes, how do they influence the atmosphere of your creative space? 

Depending on my mood, I bounce between podcasts and music. 

Lately, it’s been a lot of minimal techno to fuel my futuristic, Hermetic paintings. Alongside that, I've also been delving into a lot of lectures on hermetic philosophy and the occult arts. 

 

Why did you decide to use Artwork Archive to inventory your artwork and manage your art career?

In Artwork Archive, I found the perfect platform to keep the perfect order of all of my creations—so I can keep creating.

It holds my entire inventory and lets me keep it up to date. It's also gratifying when I register a sale on each piece I've entered.

Artwork Archive is my chosen platform due to its versatility and user-friendly format. 

Artwork Archive Tip:

Artwork Archive not only helps you manage your artwork and track/register sales, but also streamlines your business, organizes your portfolio, and provides resources to expand your art career. Create your free account and give it a try for yourself. 

 

What advice would you give an artist who’s just starting out in their professional career?

Learn to wear two hats: your artist hat, and your businessperson hat.

If you’re not business oriented find someone who’ll do it for you, or start learning by taking courses, reading books, and asking around. It’s possible!

 

The image features a woman, identified as the artist Johanna Boccardo, holding a large, colorful abstract painting. She is outdoors, in a garden area with high-rise buildings in the background, indicative of an urban setting. The artist is partially obscured by the artwork, with only her face, arms, and lower legs visible. She is wearing a straw hat and is barefoot on the paving stones. The painting has a vibrant mix of multicolored vertical stripes, interrupted by angled, geometric breaks in the pattern. The setting is bright and sunny

Johanna Boccardo is pictured carrying one of her pieces. Photo courtesy of the artist

Johanna Boccardo uses Artwork Archive to organize her artwork, track her client sales, and a whole lot more.

You can make an online portfoliocatalog your artwork, and generate reports like inventory reportstear sheets, and invoices in seconds with Artwork Archive. Take a look at Artwork Archive's free trial and start growing your art business. 

Purple graphic with screenshots of Artwork Archive's system. White text reads: Artwork Archive: An online portfolio + business management platform for artists. Get the all-in-one platform artists use to manage their artwork and career. Green button that says Try it Free leads to Artwork Archive's main sign up page.

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