Creativity Never Goes Out of Style It’s no secret that Malibu has a flourishing arts scene; artists are woven into the fabric of this unique place. These creators contribute to the rich tapestry of life. MTM is offering an inside look at some of the incredible artists who share their work with the community. BY STEPHANIA JEAN
Cin Short
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n a fast world, Cin Short’s Laughing Dog Art Studio “slows down, collaborates, recycles and creates art with the stories that connect us.” Short, a versatile artist, works in many different mediums. “My mediums vary from paint [for commissioned pet portraits], to upcycled clothing art [for the planet and for fun], to a vintage VW bus [for a place people can gather to connect], to scrap wood from Woolsey rebuilds, to my body and a long history with performance-based works and choreography,” she said. The artist described her art as the product of her “infinite curiosity in the stories we humans create about everything and trying to find ways to tell those stories.” One of her storytelling modes includes painting pet portraits. “Our pets teach us to love with more honesty,” Short said. “Through their ‘creatureness,’ we become better humans. Using paint for these portraits requires me to slow down and stay with the stories much longer than simply taking a photograph would. It is more about my attempt at capturing a sense of the story and bond between the person and their pet than about mastery of the medium.” The same goes for her textile creations.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CIN SHORT
“The upcycled clothing art—similarly—isn’t about great sewmanship— I’m a novice at best—but about the amazing stories and histories donated clothing has,” she said. The beauty of Short’s work is that it has a goal she hopes each viewer will experience. “Any needed change happens first through stories,” the artist said. “By really listening to and sharing stories, we better understand ourselves and others, and are better equipped to create a world less fraught with divisiveness.” @laughingdog_threads, @laughingdog_portraits, and @laughingdog_storybus; laughingdogart.com
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