Bringing Art to Life
From the shadows of TikTok, a new artist is emerging. Better known as @geniusgirlalerts, Ali Ambrose combines different mediums of art. Her ability to transform famous artworks into wearable makeup looks has allowed her to build up a following of over 100k. Since her four years in art school, Ambrose has applied her knowledge to carefully craft the makeup to reflect the impressionist visions.
Through her videos, the standout notion that she claims to define her work by is that “the most important thing in your practice is seeing. You have to be able to see accurately.” This sight is a close examination of an artist’s piece to find every color used between the shadows and highlights. While it’s easy to see the white faces, rosy cheeks, and melancholy expressions in classic paintings, Ambrose deciphers the “subtle differences in hues” and the details of each artist’s style “that make them unique in comparison to other artists.”
Ambrose’s process often begins with underpainting: the process of using complementary colors to color-correct a person’s skin beneath their foundation. Beyond that, her use of contour and highlights heavily depends on her subject, but usually consists of blues or oranges to connect with the paintings. The complimentary colors sit naturally against the skin while still bringing out the impressionist ideals of playing with light and shadow. As the subjects of the paintings tend to be at an angle that allows the painter to detail the darkened shadows and emotions, Ambrose tends to add more contour on one side of her face as well. It’s the opposite of everything makeup teaches about equality and symmetry, and yet, she does it with intention that is well-read through the final look. The makeup doesn’t always look au naturel, but Ambrose’s stylistic choices always attempt to authentically reflect the artist’s work.
Set to the classical “The Four Seasons, Summer” and complete with a shortened history of the artist she is examining, her short videos are a trip into the paintings themselves. Her audience has a newfound appreciation for art. The dedication one must have to be able to create a makeup look based upon “one shot [...] just by looking at those paintings for just a couple of minutes” is finding its recognition through her online audiences. Ambrose has built her brand over the exploration of past artists to cultivate a new life for these paintings within the modern accessibility of makeup.
Written by Thea Findlay, Photography: Olivia Palmer, Design: Alyson Juranek, Social Media: Ava Whelan, Styling: Jiya Ghorpade, Event: Shira McColl