By Kelly Skeen Photos Kerry Gallagher
Don’t be a mindless follower. Not only is this the ethos of Jacqueline Rudolph’s visiting artists, Hero Cult Couture, it’s also the attitude one should have when delving into the Santa Fe art scene.
A melting pot of creatives of all kinds – artists, writers, designers – Santa Fe offers a rich and progressive art community that spreads outside of the known tourist districts. You can find it down side streets in pop up gallery spaces, in apartments turned studios, in coffee shop conversations, in every nook and cranny of our arts-infused city. It’s in these spaces where you’ll reach the progressive art movement that’s less about price tags and pleasing aesthetics, and more about meaning and message. It’s where you’ll find art that empowers. This is the ideology of Jacqueline Rudolph’s work, as well as the dynamic space she occupies at 1400 Agua Fria Street. A New Mexico native who opened the space last year, Jacqueline’s work ranges from sculpture to traditional painting to pop art, existing under the umbrella of empowerment and spiritual awareness. Her hybrid space is a working studio, exhibition space and now, with the addition of Hero Cult Couture’s Conscious Collection, also has a retail component. Kristin Quintana and her husband, Antonio Mora, make up the duo behind Hero Cult Couture, a street art apparel company from the “Wilds of Santa Fe” that promotes positive propaganda surrounding environmental activism. The two artists collaborate to create screen print designs that encourage consciousness, while also reflecting a rebellious mentality akin to the street art movement and the historic outlaw culture of the region. They distance themselves from the fashion industry, which in their eyes is often elitist and wasteful, and instead align themselves with the individual phenomenon of “style.” “Fashion has rules,” explains Kristin. “They decide what’s in and what’s out. Style, on the other hand, reflects the creative expression of identity. It is the artful outcome of the personal process of choosing what to wear and why to wear it.” Encouraging this individuality, they’ve chosen to work with utilitarian pieces like hats, scarves, totes, and most importantly the t-shirt, which has been a known canvas for activism and advertisement. Environmental awareness is present from start to finish in their production process; they source from likeminded companies to find organic, recycled fabrics manufactured with an environmentally conscious process.
Jacqueline Rudolph
Kristin Quintana and Antonio Mora
Kristin and Antonio’s art is about more than just looking or even wearing; it’s a call to action. As a retail company, Hero Cult Couture is working from the inside out to create more conscious consumers. “Feed the Good Wolf,” a statement that adorns one of the t-shirts in the collection, comes from a Native American tale about consciousness as an internal struggle and choosing, or feeding, positive and conscious decisions for a better future. Hero Cult Couture will premiere their collection this August at Jacqueline Rudolph Studio with a multi-media installation and catwalk event. Also, Jacqueline will be having a show in June to introduce her Iconic Series. Find more details at jacquelinerudolph.com and preview the Conscious Collection at herocultcouture.com.
Jacqueline Rudolph Studio | 1400 Agua Fria St., Unit A | 505.577.9564 | jacquelinerudolph.com