Working out of a private studio in San Antonio, Annie Frenzel distinguishes herself from the masses by a contemporary take on composition and exceptional savvy. Her work doesn’t fall into any of the categories traditionally associated with tattoo art. Instead, it forges a slightly offbeat path into the reaches of modern tattooing. Saturated with an overwhelmingly warm color scheme and clear personality, Frenzel’s pieces are inherently fun, yet never fail to pinpoint the allegorical heart of the image. A large portion of Annie’s work is centered around pop culture, immortalizing figures and characters and the impact such personalities, though born from the imagination, can have on the average identity.
There’s an overarching love for the movies throughout Annie’s portfolio. In one of her pieces, the classic film creature Frankenstein peers out from behind an old-school film camera. Pure joy on a withered mug. In another, Princess Leia of Star Wars lure poses, an inked goddess sheathed in a pearly robe. Images like these give her work an unmistakable romance, as well as an underlying narrative. She animates these stories, whether they emulate the original intention of their creator, or take on a new shape, based on the client’s interpretation of them. A balance is struck between the symbolic nature of an iconic figure and the personal significance they have to the client.
Annie’s full torso pieces are the most telling of her range of stylistic capacity- they are ornamental in nature, symmetric and carefully arranged, but they’re also wild, almost tangled, with images weaving in and out of the colors and the curves. There’s a lot going on, but it all makes sense – one of the many definitions of a well-crafted tattoo. Frenzel also has a penchant for the power of flora and fauna. Her juxtaposition of the two makes double the impression, with layers that highlight the intention of the design.
Her color palette is striking. Especially when she infuses an image with something a little less orthodox, like a full-on blast of orange paired with a cool gray. Her use of warm tones soften any piece while maintaining a defining edge and boldness.
Having already distinguished herself as an artist, anyone who will follow Annie Frenzel will see that, as the industry grows like a tidal wave, her creative license, both technical and in terms of subject matter, is going to be difficult to wash away.
|| ANNIE FRENZEL
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