Roller derby DJ (music, skates, turntable, black and white, drawing, headphones, records) by Natalie Bruns

About "Roller derby DJ (music, skates, turntable, black and white, drawing, headphones, records)"

by Natalie Bruns

About the artwork

In this playful and powerful illustration, we see a roller derby player taking multitasking to a new level. She rolls down the track with a turntable under her arm, headphones on her head, and music records dangling at her sides like ammunition. Her gaze is focused, her stance dynamic, as if she is just mixing a beat while blocking an opponent.

The illustration is done entirely in black and white, with a raw, graphic style reminiscent of hand-printed linocuts or punk zines (often homemade booklets or magazines that emerged in punk culture from the 1970s onwards). Each line is brimming with movement: from the musical notes to the stripes in her knee pads. The cloud of smoke under her wheels amplifies her speed. This is not just any DJ, this is a derby DJ.

This artwork is a joyful and powerful nod to anyone who has music and derby in their blood.

Roller derby is a fast, physical team sport played on roller skates (quads) on an oval track. Two teams of five players each compete against each other in short rounds of play, called "jams".
Each team has one "jammer" (identified by a star on its helmet) who can score points by overtaking opponents on the track. The other players are "blockers" and try to help their own jammer and stop the opponent's jammer. This is done by strategic pushing, blocking and positioning.
The sport is intense, tactical and spectacular, with a strong sense of community and often a distinctive, punk-like culture surrounding it. It is mainly played by women, but there are also mixed and men's matches.

Conceived by Natalie and visualised by Artificial Intelligence. A unique collaboration between human feeling and digital imagination.

Conceived by Natalie Bruns, visualized with AI.