| “Aqua is an enormously gifted artist
and animator, and her compositions constantly thrill, with
their sweeping, expanding, and swirling sense of musicality,
drama, and composition. Her visual inventiveness is coupled
with an emotional intelligence and sensitivity”
—David Finkelstein, filmthreat.com
“Aqua has a distinctive style and
vision of her own..., coupled with a dancer’s sense of
movement and a musician’s sense of rhythm.”
— Leah A. Sullivan, Animation
Magazine
“Aqua ... is clearly one of the finest
animation artists in the country.”
— Michael Blowen, The
Boston Globe
“Through the years, Aqua’s animation
has become seamless, her imagery more personal and lyrical,
and her messages more profound and affecting.”
— Lois Tarlow, Art
New England
“Her animation—sometimes representational,
sometimes abstract—seems an attempt to engage the subconscious
mind as well as to provide whimsy for the ruling forces of
intellection. In Aqua's work, agreed-upon realities are often
shown to be gossamer-thin and arbitrary as her images slide,
ellide and transform themselves often charmingly, often disturbingly.”
— Bob Green, Honolulu
Weekly
“An artist who uses sources as diverse
as African tribal dances, southwestern Indian cave drawings,
the work of Joseph Campbell and the pace of urban life. Aqua
creates films that are vibrant and alive with color and image.”
— David Kinder, Webster University
“Much of the Karen Aqua universe is
populated with creatures spawned from a mating between Matisse
cutouts and carvings on Incan tombs. Made of neon-bright colors
and sharp angles, her exuberant stick figures give off an
energy that’s neither entirely human nor entirely animal.
What’s more, they’re caught up in a natural system
that may be sinister, but never lacks a sense of humor.”
— Robin Dougherty, Boston
Phoenix
“Children across the country get up
and dance next to their cereal bowls when Sesame Street airs
Karen Aqua’s animated segments. It would be hard to stay
still as bejeweled Mardi Gras figures jive across the small
screen, flashing numbers at the audience, accompanied by...Revolutionary
Snake Ensemble—a band that’s led (off-screen) by
her saxophone-tooting husband, Ken Field.”
— Barbara Ensor, New
York Magazine |
