Contemporary Guitar Art: Sex and Death by Pamelina H

by Tom Watson.

Since the late '80s, visual artist Pamelina Hovnatanian, better known as Pamelina H, has airbrushed her way to guitar art fame (and, hopefully, some fortune), primarily through her 20 year association with what Fender calls the Dream Factory, its Corona, California, Custom Shop. It is Pamelina's artwork that adorns the three most famous art guitar Stratocasters the Dream Factory has produced: the Playboy (1994); the Harley Davidson (1993); and the Jimi Hendrix Monterey (1996). Pamelina's 1987 initial meeting with Custom Shop co-founder John Page would give rise to an art meets rock 'n' roll union made in heaven, or at least the Southern California version thereof.

To the world, the electric guitar, with its sensuous curves, contours, and association with all things rock 'n' rebellion, is a cultural icon with a visual voice as strong as a 100-watt Marshall. To Pamelina, it's an inviting canvas.

Noted author Tom Wheeler has said this about Pamelina's work with Fender:

When we consider “cosmetic” aspects of guitars, we may think of relatively recent custom-color finishes and tasteful inlays - a flowerpot on the headstock, birds on the fingerboard - as well as the natural beauty of wood grains and figures. But in fact the pairing of musical function with more elaborate ornamentation is in keeping with the guitar’s oldest traditions. Some of the European instruments of centuries past were practically encrusted with inlays, covered with paintings, and otherwise adorned in extravagant fashion. Perhaps it’s not so surprising that the products of Leo Fender’s mechanical, methodical mind have proved to be appropriate canvases for a visionary artist who paints faeries, flying turtles, and fanciful mermaids from the oceans of planets as yet undiscovered.

While Pamelina’s creations are justifiably celebrated for their artistry, their significance exceeds their ornamental aspects. The classic Fender designs have ascended to what I have called “the cloud-wreathed Mount Olympus of culture totems, alongside Levi’s jeans, the Chrysler Building, and Flathead Harley-Davidsons,” and Pamelina’s work has acquired a commemorative dimension, in keeping with the iconic status of Fender guitars, their association with historic players and events, and their ability to inspire the creativity of players the world over. —Tom Wheeler (source)

2007 finds Pamelina deep into a number of different projects, including a new commission from Austrian guitar collector Klaus Riederer: the Sex and Death guitars. Says Riederer, "On occasion I checked Pamelina's web page and scrolled through her recent work. A guitar she calls Cobalt Fire caught my attention (skull with blue flames). I wanted to have something similar. I thought a really "mean" or "dark" guitar would be perfect with a "bright" and "lovely" counter-piece. I found it fascinating to create a pair of very different but matching guitars. One should be able to sing, the other one to scream. And what could match this idea better than sex and death?"

The two instruments, Sex and Death, will be built by well known German luthier Siggi Braun. Braun shipped the two guitars to Pamelina and they will be returned to Braun for final assembly when her artwork is completed. At the moment, Pamelina has completed Sex and is about to start work on Death.

Here's how Pamelina describes the project to-date:

Klaus wanted to create a pair of guitars with the theme Sex/Death. He asked that a guitar I painted - Cobalt Fire - serve as the inspiration for the Death guitar. Other than that, he provided no instruction. He wanted me to be free to be creative.

I started with pencil sketches. I scanned the sketches into the computer, then applied them to guitar bodies in Photoshop (I have template bodies stored in my computer). With Photoshop, I laid down color over the sketches. These sketches were sent to Klaus for approval. He asked for the design on the front of the Sex guitar to be sexier, include lingerie, and wanted a woman looking more mature. With these changes made, Klaus gave his approval to move forward with the guitar painting.

I received two guitars from Siggi Braun, a luthier out of Germany. After receiving the guitars, I made slight changes to the artwork to accommodate his body style.

I started by laying down blocks of color with AutoAir enamels because it bonds well with the existing undercoat. I sprayed the fine blending details with Liquitex acrylics because it has a finer pigment and allows me to spray fine details. Then all the frisket paper is removed and I finish the artwork with paintbrushes. Once the front was completed, I covered it with paper and tape and proceeded with the back painting.

The tribal pattern was continued on the back of the neck and headstock. I felt there wasn't enough room on the front of the headstock to put more artwork. Plus, it would've interfered too much with Siggi's logo.

The guitar is now with Pat Wilkins for clear coating before it gets shipped back to Germany where Siggi will assemble the guitar.

Pamelina's now in her studio working on Death while listening to the television. "I listen to television while I work," she says. "It's less distracting than music to me. When I hear music, I have to move. I can't help it. This interrupts my painting because my hand will move with the rhythm of the music rather than the rhythm of the painting. I choose TV shows and movies that I've already seen so I'm already familiar with the visuals and again, find it less distracting, more like white noise. I also choose themes related to what I'm working on." The HBO series Sex and the City was her show of choice during the painting of Sex.

Today, she's listening to The Sopranos.

Related Links
Pamelina H
Pamelina H Interview
Siggi Braun (in German)

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