Grimes

Claire Boucher, better known by her stage persona and character Grimes, is most recognised for her experimental pop music, but she has stated that she sees herself as a visual artist first and foremost. Her prints, drawings, photographs and digital works are continuations of her music – her aesthetic influences drawn from anime and horror being reflected in her music videos, album covers and tour merchandise. Often, her work aims to explore the notion of identity potential in the digital age; the ability to create and augment ourselves beyond our biological limits.

Untitled (notebook drawing #2) is one of Grimes’ ink-on-paper drawings from her sketchbook. The drawing is from 2006, a year before she began writing music under the name Grimes. Using a limited palette of green, red, and black, she depicts fragmented torso, the head replaced by a large ear, the arms floating next to the body. The psychedelic, surrealist imagery reinforces the idea that her music and visual art aren’t separate entities but rather integral parts of her strange sci-fi and comic inspired universe.