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Arts * Focus Karen Firus' LIPSTICK EMPIRE It's shocking. W i l d . A n d exceedingly fun! Thai's the L I P S T I C K E M P I R E collection by Karen Firus, on display j through October at the North Shore Arts Commission, 148 East 2nd Street, North Vancouver. Karen is as straightforward and to the point as a brilliant fuchsia lipstick. She's a splash of colour, a twist of fancy, and a flash of brilliance. And her LIPSTICK EMPIRE is a true reflection of her zany beauty. LIPSTICK EMPIRE is a collection of exotic objects that pays special attention to imaginative woodworking, faux finishing, fabric art and wild colours. Her works pay homage to the tube with such creations as the "Lipstick Throne", 'Tubular Tables", "Lipstick Tuxedo", throne cushions and deftly CTafted treasure chests. In her words she says she performs "cosmetic surgery" on old furniture, literally transforming it from a mundane reality to an outrageous fantasy. These pieces are an experience to behold, as is the artist herself. The much acclaimed film, FASHION '99 is another Firus masterpiece that talks volumes about her personal style and philosophies. In a nutshell, "The year is 1999 and fashion rules the world". Made in 1986 this film shows Karen's consistent interest in the world of glamour. Long before her LIPSTICK EMPIRE was ever a slick creation Karen was fascinated with how beauty, glamour and style affected the world. This film gave her a forum to delve into this controversial topic in a manner that literally makes "fun" of fashion. The LIPSTICK EMPIRE is really an outpouring of Karen's on-going love for the world of adornment As a craftsperson she is endlessly meticulous with every aspect of her works. From varnishes to paint and fabric there is an impressive attention to detail that is unmistakable in each and every piece. Her next work of art in this lipstick collection is for the Canadian Craft Museum for the Endeavour Auction. Her task? To take an oversized chair and turn it into an Egyptian throne via the magic of her lipstick motif. To meet this challenge Karen has spent hours researching ancient Egyptian cosmetics and symbolism. Not surprising, Karen has unearthed research that shows Cleopatra herself, (an early glamour queen and Karen's favourite past-life celebrity) was a true "Patron of the Arts". Without giving anything away, Karen remarks that she plans to be true to her research while taking a few creative licenses like turning the well known Egyptian obelisk into - you guessed it - a lipstick tube! ··· Diane C. Lund, Editor Kartn Firus. Arùst At Large. Photo: Giles Q. RuxecUes if you want to do it, do it all!" And do it, she does! In addition to her interest in Fellini, Egyptology and accessory hoarding, she admits her first love is the world of moving images. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree, as well as her Bachelor of Arts degree, in Film Production at the University of British Columbia. Since then she has been acknowledged world-wide as an award-winning filmmaker. Her honours have included a GENIE nomination, and Canada's prestigious NORMAN M c L A R E N A W A R D for her futuristic film, A S H I O N '99. Her work has been "Layers of plum coloured F televised internationally and selected for crinoline peek from beneath a theatrical screening throughout the U.S.A and Europe. She is a recent winner of the swirling fuchsia skirt. A silver Screen Institute of Canada's snake ring adorns her finger asNational "Reaching Out" competition for her short her hands slide into black andfilm proposal, "SHOCKING PINK" which purple gauntlets. Her hair? a is now in progress. la Cleopatra, of course. This is " S H O C K I N G P I N K " is a colourful, energetic and humourous drama that centres Karen Firus." on Homer, a repressed teen artist who is influenced by Ivy, a misfit who wears long hot pink gloves when she paints. Ivy's drawings are a kaleidoscope of colour that literally come alive. Karen feels strongly Karen Firus is a self declared about the message of this film. She says, "It Renaissance woman who goes out to is a story of teens reaching beyond their explore the varied worlds of art. She is a self-imposed limits and discovering filmmaker, director, writer, artist and something wonderful not only about others, craftsperson. She herself admits, but about themselves." "Everything mixes together for me. I think ArU Access Autumn 1991 See Karen Firus and her LIPSTICK EMPIRE on the Arts Access tv show on Shaw Cable 4 October 24, 1:30 pm "LIVE" October 28, 2:00 pm October 29, 5:00 pm November 3, 3:00 & 7:00 pm Page 5