Fine Art: Megan Allard’s Rococo Buttrock Parties

Emily Carr University’s studio space is lots of art, and rhyme or reason looks like madness. And the madness of Megan Allard’s painting is awesome: it stands out.   I was walking through the space and passed a nook; I did a double-take. Beer, Friends, and Fishnets in a pastoral setting- a fresh, jarring take on Rococo. So obviously I had to ask for an interview.

1. What’s going on here? What is the connection to your work with Rococo?

Well, in my studies, I noticed that throughout history, high art has catered largely to the wealthy and the privileged. The most obvious example of that being the Rococo period, when the French aristocracy started commissioning paintings to be made of themselves and their friends. These images were usually of them looking fancy and doing fancy things like enjoying garden parties, etc. They would then hang them on their walls and have Salon parties where they’d invite all their friends and people of status to come and see the paintings. The whole thing was just a glorification of aristocratic culture.

So I thought using Rococo’s lavish style would be a great way to glorify low cultures such as white trash and buttrock. In doing this, I’m hopefully drawing attention to the cultural bias that the high art world has held throughout history.

One must know that I grew up in a poor biker family to understand where I’m coming from in this series. My parents both ride motorcycles, as well as myself, and a few other family members (brothers, uncles, grandpas). They taught me to be proud of my “biker trash” heritage (their words, not mine) and to not worry about silly things like luxury and privilege. I think each subculture in our society is as important as the next, and I’d like to give a few overlooked subcultures their time in the sun.

2. Who are these people? What are they doing? There is such a narrative in your work.

The people in my paintings are my friends. Most of the imagery comes from taking photos at “White Trash” parties and “Buttrock” parties. These parties have been going on semi-annually for five and ten tears, respectively. The parties simultaneously celebrate and mock the subcultures that are the theme. People come together to act the part of a “White Trash” or “Buttrock” person. The range of authenticity is amazing – some of the people that come to these parties live a white trash or buttrock lifestyle day to day, while others come from rich families and are highly educated and only dress up once or twice a year for the parties.

3. What’s your process like? You have a lot of work happening in your studio all at once. Do you work from photographs or appropriated Rococo images?

Each painting starts off as either a candid photo I took of my friends at a “White Trash” party or “Buttrock” party or as a staged photo I took of my friend/friends.

The candid images are translated into oil paint and I add Rococo-esque imagery like soft garden-like backgrounds or elaborate interiors with ridiculous flowing fabric or curtains.

The content and compositions of the staged photos are based off Rococo paintings that I particularly enjoy, with a white trash twist. I’m going to be heading more in this direction with future paintings in this series.

I’m currently building large, ridiculously gaudy gold frames for all the paintings in the series to complete the look.

4. Where do you want your art to go? Why do you paint, what makes your art tick?

I would like to get more ornate, more riduculous, with the Rococo White Trash series. I’m looking forward to the next White Trash and Buttrock parties so I can organize staged imagery with more people in their trashy garb for monumentally ridiculous paintings.

The number one reason why I paint is because I love the process. It’s meditative for me. Sometimes I paint to make something pretty, sometimes I paint to send a message…but I never take myself too seriously!

What’s your favorite success?

The thing that makes me the happiest about making art is how happy I make people by painting them. Pretty much all the people in my paintings are my friends and family. It’s a really nice feeling showing people how important they are to me by painting them. A lot of them don’t realize how beautiful they are until you paint them.

Your watercolours are going in a different direction- what inspired the portrait ‘Erin’?

I started the watercolour portraits about a year ago as birthday gifts. So for the last year, I painted a portrait for as many friends and family as I could manage for their birthday. Erin is just the most recent birthday recipient

How can one get an invitation to these parties?

It’s all word of mouth. These parties aren’t thrown for profit, they’re free and are always at someone’s house or acreage. Everyone that ends up at the parties are somehow connected to the people throwing the party. Think six degrees of separation.

What kind of bike do you have?

I ride a 1982 Suzuki GS300L. It’s my first bike – I bought it for myself as a 20th birthday present. It’s no Harley like my parents’, but it’s the same style. My Dad told me he’d disown me if I ever bought a crotch-rocket hahaha!