A shrine-like nook sits on the prime of the steps in Serendipity Stage’s studio house. Two wine bottles with tall candles within the spouts flank a triangular portray. Stage painted every nook a unique main shade and related every of them to the middle with mild swirls. The middle includes a tiny white stick-figure within a blue eyeball. A key floats beneath the attention, tooth going through up.
“So that is known as ‘Unlocking The Dream Physique,’” mentioned Stage as she introduced her paintings. “I have never essentially completed it as a result of on the perimeters, I play with the entire thing. I would like dimensions to it. Yeah. I need to say ‘the physique holds all of the solutions, however some locks require keys,’ and so that is what that is going to say when it is achieved.”
The natural “squiggles” characterize Stage’s artwork throughout mediums such portray, printmaking and tattoos. She posts her private, tutorial and tattoo paintings on her Instagram, @artwork.of.serendipity.
Stage twirled the triangle, blurring the colours as she revealed the portray’s bare edges. She drew inspiration for “Unlocking The Dream Physique” from her dance/motion remedy courses, particularly a studying on “transferring the dream physique.” Stage defined it as being in a state of fixed dreaming to apply mindfulness all through completely different ranges of consciousness within the related physique and thoughts.
Serendipity Stage is from St. Croix Falls, Wis., however considers the river valley that unites St. Croix Falls and Taylor’s Falls her residence. She is in her third 12 months at UW-Madison working in direction of a Bachelor in High quality Arts with a certificates in dance/motion remedy. Stage has been utilizing her ardour for artwork and the human expertise to begin a stick-and-poke tattoo collaboration out of her house.
This December, she created a social sculpture entitled “Sculpting Pores and skin and Spirit.” She sat down with three strangers and created a symbolic design based mostly on methods they wished to rework themselves, then hand-poked the design into their pores and skin. This impressed “New Moon Magic,” a aspect of her tattoo enterprise.
As soon as a month, in the beginning of the moon cycle, Stage provides somebody a newly-designed tattoo in trade for regardless of the shopper deems “of equal worth.” In some religious practices, the brand new moon represents a time chock-full of potential, the right alternative for somebody to make clear intentions or manifest targets of their lives. Stage’s tattoos middle on the recipient’s want for intentional self-change.
Earlier “New Moon Magic” purchasers have exchanged handwoven baskets, and handmade corset and skirt set and spell jars for Stage’s customized tattoos.
Earlier “New Moon Magic” purchasers have exchanged handwoven baskets — pictured left — and handmade corset and skirt set and spell jars for Stage’s customized tattoos.
Stage enjoys the dynamics she varieties together with her purchasers and approaches every tattoo appointment like a creative collaboration. She deliberately creates a heat and welcoming setting in her residence with scents and music to counteract the sterility and wastefulness of the tattooing provides.
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“One of many issues that I disliked about tattooing is [that] it’s totally wasteful. All the pieces is single use. Clearly you are being sterile and you do not need to mess that up,” mentioned Stage.
Stage wiggled a small orange container stuffed with used needles, wrinkling up her nostril. She discovered an organization that creates biodegradable razors and bottle baggage, which is a vital step in making tattooing sustainable but in addition secure.
“It is such a quandary as a result of it is like, I am unable to exist with out making artwork, however I additionally need to not worsen than the state of the planet and the setting,” mentioned Stage.
Stage tattooed this sacred dagger on herself, however claims it’s not her greatest work as a result of she didn’t take correct care of it whereas it healed. “It’s high-quality although, I do know the artist,” she joked. “I’ll work it out together with her later!”
Emotional sustainability can be essential in Stage’s tattooing apply. Stage sees tattooing as an emotional and therapeutic expertise that may generally be draining.
“I’m pooped after a day of tattooing. It is a complete emotional trade, that is how I actually relate it to remedy. We’re serving to another person work by means of their points or simply no matter’s on their thoughts, even when it is not like this big, deep, urgent matter,” mentioned Stage. “It is nonetheless being there for them. It is like having a extremely lengthy coronary heart to coronary heart with a good friend and doing a number of of these in a day.”
Stage finds emotional connections extra inspiring than draining, although. She admires uncooked depth in different individuals and speculates that it’s as a result of she has needed to work in opposition to depressive tendencies to instill ardour in herself.
“It is sort of simply actually enjoyable to attract off of somebody’s power and like, simply preserve going. Like, sure. Even when this isn’t what I am intense about, let’s get it,” mentioned Stage. “I additionally love creating a really chill setting. I identical to having the ability to discover each of these ends. I assume I actually love people who find themselves very a lot so a kind of ends of the spectrum.”
Stage appears ahead to collaborating with Abigail Arkley, a vocal efficiency scholar at UW-Madison. In 2018, they lived in The Studio, a studying group in Sellery Corridor, and labored collectively on a number of musical artwork initiatives.
Arkley describes the challenge as a artistic dialogue. She is going to undergo the method of writing a music in Stage’s studio. Stage will create an paintings based mostly on that course of, and tattoo it onto Arkley.
“I will, as a present, basically give her the music. Like ‘that is for you! That is our inventive trade! So I am actually, actually excited for that,” mentioned Arkley.
Arkley is worked up to work with Stage, particularly. Arkley appreciates her means to “meet somebody the place they’re” — an important talent in inventive collaboration. It includes understanding an individual artistically, emotionally and spiritually, and utilizing that information to seek out boundaries to create inside.
“I am lucky to know her. I all the time stroll away feeling very impressed, very crammed, and like I simply had a really significant expertise,” mentioned Arkley. “The way in which that I see her is like how her life is artwork, and she or he views individuals as artwork, and she or he views the Earth as artwork. And she or he’s very devoted to not solely understanding these issues, however seeing them on a regular basis and appreciating them.”
Stage believes that the thoughts and physique maintain all of the solutions, however some locks require keys. Her paintings shouldn’t be solely unlocking her personal doorways, however inspiring others to unlock theirs.
To get pleasure from extra of Stage’s paintings or inquire about tattoos or commissions, look her up on Instagram or browse her website.
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