about cheryl
Artist, activist
“Drawing, painting, and creating clothing have always been central to my art work.
I learned to create from and for the figure at St. Martins School in London.
It was a time when couture was no longer central to fashion. There were boutiques on the King's Road e.g Mary Quant's Bazaar, Biba in South Kensington and Carnaby Street,
In the late Vivien Westwood's early days, she used chicken bones from a restaurant and floor cloths to create clothes.
Alexander McQueen was a genius at cutting cloth and using unusual materials such as shells, antlers, feathers and lace in the same design. After his untimely death, Sarah Burton continued his legacy today.
Both the late Vivien Westwwod and Alexander McQueen returned to couture in their later days. I admire them both in many ways, and I'm grateful for their influence on my work.
There are many fine artists who inspire me, such as Damien Hirst, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Tracy Emin, Georg Baseliz, John Chamberlain, Taryn Simon, Wilhelm de Kooning, and Doris Salcedo to name a few. Sometimes, an artist has "artist's envy" from looking at the work of other artists. I'm no exception, but I channel the envy into inspiration and it fuels my work.
My studio is located at the Historic "ICB" in sausalito. The landmark "Industrial Center Building" was built in 1942 as part of a large shipyard complex during WWII. The ICB was known as the "Mold Loft" because it was where the templates and mock-ups were made in order to fabricate the raw steel for the workhorse Liberty Ships.
Beginning in the 1950s artists were attracted to its big open spaces, natural light and cheap rents. Today it is known for the three floors of professional artist studios.
Studio visits are available by appointment.