ATOMICX: Intense, Vibrant & Raw
Words: Louise Nilsson
Photos: Atomicx
I chat to the woman behind ATOMICX over zoom, while I struggle slightly with the recording she invites me into the vivid world of her creative persona. Since the birth of her curated image just over a year ago the Brisbane artist has created an impressive amount of art notable for its powerful use of colour and chaotic energy.
ATOMICX says the name was inspired by the song Atomic by Blondie. A true punk/disco, sci-fi masterpiece that I would say is an accurate musical translation of the ATOMICX style.
“It was something that I was listening to at the time I started and then I carried that through and I thought it fit the sort of work I was producing, it was very bright and colourful,” she says.
“I sort of gain inspiration from that song in the weirdest way possible.”
In three words ATOMICX describes her art as ‘Intense, vibrant and raw.’
“A lot of my work was emotional based, so I would never have a plan going into it, whatever ended up happening was a product of how I was feeling at the time I created it,” ATOMICX says.
“I do explore like certain themes, as well that I feel strongly about, so like there’s some political undertones, I use a lot of symbolism as well.”
ATOMICX started off doing digital illustration and then moved into a mix of aerosols, acrylic ink and acrylic paint. She has exhibited her work at a range of events in the past year including a few Bad Olive shows, events at BackDock Arts and the Modern Vices show. She is deeply immersed in Brisbane’s underground art scene. ATOMICX says she believes the Brisbane art scene is on the verge of something special.
“I think it is on the brink of – if you think of New York in the 1970s, right when street art was emerging and there was Basquiat and they were all doing amazing collaborations.
“The underground scene is really coming through and getting big,” she says.
One of ATOMICX favourite pieces and one which is closest to her heart is Egotism, one of the first pieces she painted for Bad Olive.
“Its this huge piece and I painted it in one day … it’s got all these different layers and I was really emotionally in a place and I sat down and got all of the stuff that I needed and then I just painted it until it was finished. So I have a lot of connection to that piece. It’s very significant to me.”
When ATOMICX isn’t in the studio she is busy studying a double degree in science and Mathematics. She has also just launched her underground art magazine No Order. I ask her what she spends her free time on, if she ever has any.
“Just creating art, its a bit ridiculous but that’s about it; art, magazine and the occasional breakfast with friends.”
For ATOMICX the purpose of art lies in expression.
“I think my interpretation is it’s just an expression of anything, maybe an expression of oneself or one’s culture, one’s beliefs or ideals.”
“I think in contemporary art especially there’s a lot of social activism and it brings a lot of awareness, things like that political undertones for a lot of contemporary art and social undertones I think it helps make people aware of certain things.”
“It’s also to educate people on various social and political issues and environmental issues.”
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