Easy Conversation ... Chanel Kennebrew

I first came across miss Kennebrew's work at an art fair in Brooklyn, last year, and I immediately fell under the charm of her Über original Junk*. An illustrator, art director, this multi-talented gal will turn any piece of junk into the coolest accessory.

We had a chat with her and it went her little something like this

Can you please introduce yourself, who is Chanel Kennebrew?
I'm a hyperactive maker/designer and the gal behind Junkprints.com

What did you to be or do growing up?

I always wanted to make cartoons...talk about the ultimate 80's baby! I use to draw the smurfs and the chipmunks off the television all the time. But when I found out that I'd have to draw the same image with slight variations over and over again I thought, why not just make 1 or 2 and sell them for a million instead of drawing a billion and making a lame salary....I'm still working out the 'sell them for a million' part but I think I was on to something ;)

Who are some of the artists (or other) that have influenced your work?

My faves change on a daily but here's some folks that seem to always stick in the top 50
Hannah Hoch
Glen Ligon
Dave Lachapelle
Jacob Holdt
Malick Sidibe
Countess de Castiglione
Grace Jones
Gordon Parks
Kurt Vonnegut
Robert Frank
Ikuko Shimiz
Lisa Frank
El Lissitzky

Describe your creative process, what inspires you?

I'm a salvager and duplicator who is super fascinated with propaganda and how we as people relate to our social environments. The thin division lines between social separation are what push me to cover the topics I address in my work. I start off by hoarding stuff (anything from vintage fabric packaging, news paper clippings, magazines, zippers etc.) in categories, do some research and then remix the topic. Sometimes the best execution is through photography or collage or Illustration or a combination of all three, For me they all serve as visual tools.
I can't do any of them for too long without feeling like I'm gonna pull my hair out.

What's playing on your Ipod these days?

Foreign Exchange
Tokyo Police Club
The Noisettes
Esther Phillips
Al Green
The Go! Team
Zaki Ibrahim

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Bouncing between my completely regenerative Eco friendly house in the Caribbean and the world and making more junk!

You can cope Chanel's Junk here and there!

* and now that I know she's Malick Sidibe fan, I ♥ her even more