2025. Ink on 50/50 cotton-poly fabric.
Free Witch came from a feeling found at the intersection of Oz & Gaga, specifically her Fame Monster era. She mentions Judy Garland in “Dance in the Dark,” of course, but what fully takes me there is that famous shot of Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch. Our green girl had her paws up well before Gaga could even say googoo.
When I see it, all I hear is “Walk, walk, fashion, baby,” and picture Mother Monster strutting about in the “Bad Romance” video, giving new life to the same gestures. It was only natural to then twist the rest of the phrase: “I’m a free *WITCH, baby.” And we fly right back to Oz in our modern day with those very words, as they align so perfectly with the sentiment of Wicked’s “Defying Gravity.”
It’s a simpler design, but I definitely took my time with it. I was even sure to source the same font from the cover of The Fame Monster. What that album did for a closeted teen living in a small town was huge. She rewrote my D.N.A. The Monster Ball was my very first concert, and I skipped school for both premieres of the “Alejandro” and “Telephone” music videos, cuz duh!