MEET MAY ARTIST OF THE MONTH: Andre Barnwell
/When Andre Barnwell started his erotic art brand Sex and Sandwiches in 2014, he intentionally chose not to have sex. Moving from Toronto to Vancouver for his career in animation, design, and directing at Titmouse, he decided that it would be the perfect time to try out celibacy for 3 months. This sexless stint fueled Barnwell’s creativity and allowed time for self-reflection. Every night when the sun went down, he worked away at multiple new pieces resulting in a whopping 96-piece collection for Sex and Sandwiches.
EN AMOR II BY ANDRE BARNWELL
Since that time and since ceasing celibacy (“I can’t do it,” he laughs), Barnwell has continued to develop his brand. Most recently, he did a gallery showing at Slice of Life Gallery & Studios called Passion & Desire this past February. He creates intertwined figures in bright colours not to simply showcase sexual acts, but to convey the energy and connection of intimacy. You cannot tell where the figures begin or end in many of his pieces as they steamily meld together.
TAKEN BY ANDRE BARNWELL
Although personal experience inspires Barnwell, whether that’s from the sensual art pieces he saw at various family member’s homes growing up or his own sexual partners, Barnwell is currently expanding his erotic repertoire to be more inclusive: “I follow other people in the sex-positive community so that I can learn and also better educate myself. As I grow, I am trying to pick from other people’s experiences and incorporate that into my work. A lot of sex-positive community pages use my art for their conversations, and it’s something I never thought about until recently.”
LOVING YOU BY ANDRE BARNWELL
REVOLVE BY ANDRE BARNWELL
Barnwell also credits music as influential to his experimental approach to art, titling many of his pieces to the music he loves. “Time and time again, I will be listening to R&B music, and they’ll be talking about sex. They’ll be talking about that with regards to flowers or even animals, and just things that are primal in nature,” says Barnwell.
“I had to ask myself, what is something I could talk about forever? And not just forever, but what is diverse enough that in case I get bored of one aspect of it, what else can I get into? And so, sex was that thing,” says Barnwell. The sandwiches part of his brand name, on the other hand, is because he “just love[s] that as a piece of food, period.”
If you visit Barnwell’s Instagram account, you’ll see his new foray into 3D art and crypto art (NFTs): “There’s so much you can do with art to interact with it. What really attracts me is that there is a space where people are trying to create structure around [crypto art] and push the limits of our art. I’m always trying to have my stuff evolve—I’m such a digital person.” Exploring this avenue, he also hopes to eventually make his future gallery shows virtually accessible for his fans, many of which live in the United States.
KITS IS FOR LOVERS - NFT BY ANDRE BARNWELL
Seven years after starting Sex and Sandwiches, Barnwell continues to be a creative force, constantly expanding his repertoire through exploring new ways of interpreting eroticism. “I’m sure I’ll come full circle and probably start doing sandwiches. I have a Pinterest board full of sandwiches, just [ruminating on] how can I sexualize this and make this a beautiful work of art. I’m sure I’ll get there,” says Barnwell.
