Oroville artist Christian Laney-Clark, also known as Archaic Revival, fashioned a seat belt onto one of the hiking backpacks that he designed. He tore his own backpack apart to figure out how to do it when he first came up with the idea.
The backpacks and other handmade products from local artists Sadiedeluxe and Claire Fong were featured during BOHO’s reopening party from 5-10 p.m. on Saturday. The event celebrated a move to a bigger space, from Suite D to Suite S in the Garden Walk Mall on Main Street.
Laney-Clark started making the backpacks three years ago. He also makes canvas bags, jewelry and prints.
“I’m just excited to have a chance to sell stuff and put it up and get some feedback,” Laney-Clark said. “It’s all original, it’s all handmade, it’s all
hand-sewn.”
Laney-Clark said his idea for the name Archaic Revival came from the psychedelic philosopher Terence McKenna. It stems from the idea that humanity needs to go back to the past to find the root of its problems.
“It’s looking back, trying to find clarity,” Laney-Clark said. “It’s just the idea that when society gets in
trouble, we look back to the last sane moment culturally that we can, you know, draw
from to bring the stability that was there into the unstable present.”
Though McKenna’s philosophy shapes Archaic Revival’s art, Laney-Clark also uses current technology to create.
Some of his prints are created on Microsoft Paint, GIMP or Photoshop by using geometric designs of varying colors and sizes. For some prints he combines the use of symbols and geometric shapes with his own photographs, which are typically taken at different places in Oroville.
The photography he showcased at BOHO focused mainly on nature: two horses standing in a field under a cloudy sky, a giant bird’s nest perched on top of a telephone pole, a trio of palm trees and the sky during sunset.
Laney-Clark experienced a devastating breakup that resulted in him finding psychedelic drugs, he said. Though his use of psychedelics was an important source of the imagery in his art, he is now at the end of that period in his life.
“I have all the ideas I need to keep working and
making things,” Laney-Clark said. “I try to do visionary artwork that’s inspired by the more
imaginary places.”
BOHO’s owner, Monica Prather, plans on having different artists like Archaic Revival featured every few months.
BOHO offers vintage, second-hand and recycled items and clothing along with products from local designers. The shop is modeled off of Buffalo Exchange stores, Prather said.
Sadiedeluxe and Claire Fong products are permanent features in the shop.
Claire Fong, a local artist, has been making jewelry for 10 years. Her jewelry literally stares back at you. Earrings with pairs of eyes in greens, blues and oranges are displayed at BOHO along with her famous feather earrings.
Fong describes her style as colorful, bright and bold. She also likes to use geometric shapes in her jewelry.
“I mostly work with leather so I can get as detailed or as bold as I want because it’s such a great material,” Fong said. “Almost everything I make is leather.”
Fong said she remembers designing clothes for her Barbies when she was young, which evolved into her learning how to sew at age 12 and later attending an art college.
“I think that people are kind of born creative,” Fong said. “It’s like irrepressible. I feel crazy if I can’t be making something.”
For more information about BOHO, visit their Facebook page.
Ashiah Scharaga can be reached at [email protected] or @AshiahD on Twitter.
