These images and others may be viewed in Sidney at Koskela Art Gallery, for more information please visit koskela.com

The exhibition is open to the public from 8th August – 27th September 2015, with a launch event at 2:30pm Saturday 8th August.

Koskela
85 Dunning Ave
Rosebery, NSW

images courtesy of brookeholm.com.au

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An interview for Inhale:

I have an interest in cultural prejudice caused by the difference between the Eastern and Western culture. This idea has been extended to thinking about the social position of Asian men in the Western society. I came across many ‘culture shock’ moments and was faced with unpleasant experiences such as racial discrimination in the pretext of superiority of the Western culture. It is to be understood as the result of the dichotomy of good and bad. Self-centered values led to the biased understanding of other cultures and subsequently led to violent human history through the classification of good and bad. I see this as the fundamental problem of human nature. Social dominance has been sustained through its many rationalization tools such as violence. In the contemporary, the definition of justice is that the weak the minority are protected by the justice. But this still feels like a distant reality. In this respect, the gender issues and cultural differences are an important factor in my works.

 
You explore gender issues through your project Existing in Costumes. Why are you interested in that?
I grew up in the Eastern culture that prioritizes the male gender. Before having experienced the unpleasant cultural bias and the sense of superiority in the UK, I never questioned the male superiority. The cultural superiority and male supremacy are no different. It is the need for power in the social class structure and is packed with rational biased violence. Understanding of other cultures can be done only in the imagination. Gender issue is the talk of possibility of diversity for human beings without any dichotomy. They are similar in a way that truly understanding a woman’s position as a man would be difficult as much as understanding the culture of the East would be with the prejudice of the West. I am exploring my own desire to understand the gender issue in the universal context.

“Elizabeth,” 2006

Also, what is interesting is the fact that you work on Western themes. Why do you want to examine this particular area?
Before coming to the UK, I had a vague admiration of the Western culture. My impression was that there would be many things to learn from the cultural excellence of the West. But I found that it was hard to find Western cultural excellence in the contemporary situation. Everything that I conceived to be of cultural excellence of the West existed in my imagination. This standard of cultural excellence could only be found in the oil paintings and historical architectures. The interest in the history of England made me to use them for visualization in variety formats. The English history is an important element for my each project. Therefore, I wanted to express what is in the imagination (i.e. Fantasy of Asian men of the West) in reality.

“Cinderella,” 2008

Why did you feel the need to create an entire setting for Existing in Costumes?
Good and bad does not exist in the Eastern philosophy. There is just good and less good. This is a significant different viewpoint in understanding the universe. I believed that the visualization of the imaginary Western culture which I could never experience could be realized through an accurate representation. I concentrated on the correct setting and accurate reproduction to show the ability of an inevitable limit through desperate and correct representation of its historical context.

“Mary Stuart,” 2012

What are you working on at the present moment?
I am currently exploring the theme of Witch Hunt. Witch hunt is one of the West’s non-rational human behavior in the course of its history, and we can still recognize it being repeated in many different varieties. What I want to explore is an oriental man in the fantasy of the culture of the West, and thus expressing the Eastern cultural inferiority he may feel. There are main three elements which are religion, science and human being in the witch hunt.

“Swan Lake,” 2009

“Anne Boleyn,” 2012

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You were the youngest dancer hired at Merce Cunningham Company. Which are the first memories of this experience? How was it like to work there?

I would like to share an unusual perspective on this. Normally, I do not answer or consider questions about Merce Cunningham, as this has very little to do at all with the work I create: but upon deep reflection, I’d like to share that he and I had in something in common. We shared a quite total, uncompromising devotion to choreography. I know that I will be pursuing this as passion, for decades – no question, here to stay. And I’m very honored to participate in the continuum of choreography.

I respect the mutual risk that we engaged in together: his decision to hire an 18-year old, and my decision to accept the invitation, and make it my life. It was deeply rewarding – speaking as a dancer.

And now I’ve moved on.

I’ve turned the page, aesthetically speaking.

What do you think was your best asset when you got there?

Separate, independent studies in Visual & Media Art were the most valuable assets to my formation in dance.

How did this moment influence your career?

My own career in choreography took shape very separately. I found, totally by accident, a 3,000′ foot loft in Bushwick, and began creating my work there. That was actually the single biggest influence on my life, and on my choreography.

I can hardly imagine what is the atmosphere like. Can you please detail?

I view choreography as the design of dance, and often, it is a private or solitary experience. Whereas the staging of a dance, the rehearsal of work, and the performance of work is a very shared public atmosphere and experience: for performers and viewers alike. I appreciate both aspects, but they are very different atmospheres. My favorite kind of performance atmosphere is when dancers, and public, are mutually satisfied together. That’s what always feels the best.

FILTER by Jonah Bokaer
©Anthony Goicolea_2011

I believe that you are interested in the way the body moves in a certain space. In which way does space influence your performances?

Beginning in 2002 I began to show my work in galleries and museums. This was because I was working in a very visual manner – and it just seemed right to me. Now with more maturity, I would say, that I seek the greatest possible resonance in a given space, its architecture, and the staging of choreography within it. The choreography and the space should always be a hand-and-glove experience, whenever possible.

In a city as big as NY, creating an art space like CPR is something very brave. How did you get to create CPR?

I had the opportunity to co-found CPR between 2006-2009, and the center opened publicly in 2009. It involved a capital campaign, cooperation from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and negotiating a mortgage in the middle of the global recession. It is my pleasure to remain on the Board of CPR, and I am very proud that the organization remains so stable during this time of legacy shakeup in NYC dance. CPR was possible because I was in my 20s, did not need much sleep, and was discovering my capacity as a powerful fundraiser. I’m proud of CPR, but it took a strong head, a strong spine, and at times, a strong stomach. Creating NYC arts real estate is not an experience I would recommend to others. But I’m thankful that I did it young enough, to now relax and enjoy the purity of making new dance – which is what my life is dedicated to. It just feels right. (The organization was co-founded with John Jasperse.) But I’m thankful that I participated early enough, to now relax, and enjoy the purity of making new dance – which is what my life is dedicated to. It just feels right.

You said in an interview that now in NY it’s better to have a research lab. Why is that?

I see artists, performers, choreographers, and musicians being asked to operate within increasingly diverse presentation contexts. I am currently exhibiting in museums, as often as my choreography is shown in theaters – if not more. To keep the work meaningful, and rigorous, a research lab was essential for me. It’s also much more fun that way, and keeps work interesting.

You worked a lot with artists from other media. Why are you interested in meeting them and putting up something together?

The combination of visual arts and dance is the focus of my entire creative output. The mission of my work is to intensify the relationship between these two forms – and often that involves finding an inbetween, hybrid form. I think I’ve also been very lucky to work with generous collaborators, for which I’m very grateful.

How was it to work with Daniel Arsham?

Artistically speaking, Daniel Arsham is my brother. We have a continual dialogue with each other’s work, which continues to grow, broaden, deepen. I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have Daniel and his work in my life. He’s 100% there, professionally and personally, and I am the same for him. We have a number of exciting productions coming up, and ongoing weekly dialogue together. It’s a continual challenge, a continual evolution between both of our works.

Dancer Szabi Pataki by Jonah Bokear
©LivioDeponte, 2014

How would you describe Robert Wilson’s practice?

To me, Robert Wilson is the artist who most formed my work, because he taught me about the technical execution of stage space, and exhibition space – from the inside out. Early exposure to his process allowed me to reimagine how artists can collaborate. I find Bob to be a very generous collaborator, and a very clear communicator. He’s also quite successful at supporting younger artists, which I find inspiring.

Occupant
by Jonah Bokaer x Daniel Arsham
©Carlos Avedaño, 2012

You founded Chez Bushwick. Was is the main goal of this longterm project?

Chez Bushwick is dedicated to providing affordable workspace for the performing arts in NYC. 12 years and counting! It’s a wonderful organization, and an incredible team. The true mother ship, and such incredible longevity.

How would you describe your practice? Has you practice change over the years? If yes, in which way?

There is a golden thread running through all of my work: it is about the visuality of dance, as a form of art. My early work was more digitally motivated; my breakthrough works were in museums; more recent efforts engage the cultures of North Africa and the Middle East, which I feel have not been appropriately represented in the public over the past 14 years – and certainly not in dance. But the thread is visual design, which anchors all of my work, and which I see continuing into the future.

Other Myths by Jonah Bokaer ©ValeriaPalermo, 2014

What are you working on at the moment?

My dancers, collaborators and I  have the good fortune of touring about 30-35 weeks annually, and often in Europe – though I’m very passionate about sharing my work broadly in the U.S.  I was recently with dancers in residence in the Hudson Valley, at work on two major commissions. One is for the 70th Anniversary of a historical event in Polish and women’s history, set to premiere on October 7th of this year, at the Center for Jewish History. Ririe Woodbury Dance Company has also commissioned a new work, set to premiere this fall on September 25-27.

I am also creating a special NYC performance at a new venue called Lightbox, on West 38th Street, a fantastic jewel-box space which gives audiences customized event experiences. This event will be with Daniel Arsham.

It should be a fantastic engagement – our home season.

2015 will include tours to France, Atlanta, Italy, Miami, and elsewhere.

I am also releasing my 4th App – which should be a blast.

More about Jonah Bokaer jonahbokaer.net

Jonah Bokaer
MUDAM photo ©Angela R.Moore

Jonah Bokaer at Spoleto
photo ©Adji Dieye

The post Jonah Bokaer: The Combination of Visual Arts and Dance Is the Focus of My Entire Creative Output appeared first on INHALE MAG.

What happens when three DJs meet?
Good music.

I assume that you had something in common, such as the same artistic scene. What more specific was you starting ground?

We all met playing the same parties and festivals up and down the West Coast.

photo windishagency.com

What did each of you bring into the band?

Well unlike a traditional band, we all started out as solo producers and DJ’s. We all know how to use the studio as our instrument.

Music critics and your audience use a large range of terms to describe your genre. How would you define it?

We always let the listener determine what our music means to them. The greater question is how would YOU define our music?

Why did you choose to work with Lemur?

We use the Lemur because it allows us to create our own custom control surface that you cannot buy at a store.

Drink the Sea was an album that established your direction. How did you get to this specific unity?

We just tell stories through our music. There’s not really a concrete answer for how we got there.

The music you make is so powerful and energetic and it suddenly reaches the audience. How does this process of creation take place?

Everything starts with an emotion or feeling that we are trying to convey. After that we try to craft the best musical story to convey those emotions.

What inspires you?

The thousands of people that bring The Glitch Mob experience to life.
Your shows have a very powerful visual component. Why are you interested in accompanying the music with visuals and light and more recently with acrobats?

The visual element is just another way in to the music. It’s just another way for the audience to get lost in The Glitch Mob experience.

You can compare geting up on stage and performing with…

You can’t compare it to anything. There’s no feeling quite like it.

Love Death Immortality is an album that proves even more that you are a band that must perform in front of a large audience. How does it feel to see your project becoming bigger and more famous?

We are just grateful that we get to play our music around the world and people enjoy it. Thank you.

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When we look at your art, we realize that there is a constant through your work and that is energy. Where does that come from?

I hope and I think that the energy comes directly from me. With every collection extremely excited to do new experiments, tell a new story, make a new statement and to present interesting collections I can be proud of.

And good energy is part of that creation, showing and presentation to my clients.

F/W 2012-2013
photo thebestfashionblog.com

Where does a collection start from? Tell us what inspires you.

Everything can be a starting point, but it starts mostly with something i’m triggered by, something i’m fascinated by…. than i start to do research and read about this subjects. But i love to go and see exhibitions, discover new artists work in galleries, google topics, and than surf into different directions, read, search in librarys and bookshops, watch nature and animals, enjoy flower power, watch movies and documentaries, enjoy food and sex… and thousands things more.

Colours, patterns, materials: there is no in-between in your collections, you go all the way, which made you more and more visible on the artistic scene. What do you think when people consider you as being one of the most important designers today?

Of course it is a nice compliment, but after 30 years in fashion-business you can relativize such a compliment.

One day you are IN, OUT… but i do feel lately,much more respect from press and buyers, than ever before. I did found a way to express myself with a huge amount of freedom, and that is visible on the catwalk.

The domination of luxury houses combined with the copycat-companys created today a fashion-world with a lack of originality and a repetitive image. Originality and unique pieces is that what a lot of consumers and shops are searching for, and i found a way to make and produce these.

Dream the World Awake, with Nick Knight photo waltervanbeirendonck.momu.be

We would like to know what artists you find interesting and why.

Paul McCarthy, Mike Kelley, Folkert De Jong, Grayson Perry… and a lot of outsider artists, which works I love!

I like them because I love to watch and read about their work. And I do feel ‘connections’ with these artists, what makes me happy!

F/W 2011
photo lamutamu.com

As a modern, unconventional and contemporary designer, how would you define the word “couture” in 2014?

Couture

Mostly I’m disappointed by the work of the couture-collections today. I do know that it is in the first place a big business (mainly perfume and handbags), but I think that it should be THE place in the fashion-world where should be experimented. Where past and future should come together, and result in amazing creations.

I hope that the younger generations will understand that COUTURE should push forward the boundaries of fashion, and I hope that that couture fashion-houses do understand the importance of CREATIVITY and PURE creation! Combined with craftsmanship and elegancy! When that will happen,couture will have a NEW reason to be there.

photo wallpaper.com

What was fashion like ten years ago compared to fashion today?

Every decade of fashion has other goals, possibilities, expressions, temperaments… but that makes it so interesting. Fashion reflects/communicates directly on/with our contemporary world and what happens in this world.

Ten years ago fashion was different, but also the world was different.

F/W 2008-2009
photo brankopopovic.blogspot.ro

A/W2014-15
photo waltervanbeirendonck.com

A/W2014-15
photo waltervanbeirendonck.com

Do you see fashion, as a worldwide industry, an element that would make more and more people interested in arts? For instance, young girls that are genuinely in love with fashion would become fascinated by the arts fashion is inspired from?

I hope so, I enjoy it, when people are telling me that they discovered new artists and topics through my work. Sometimes my audience is really surprised to discover so much content and layers in my work, the subjects are sometimes very loaded,rather heavy and militant (AIDS/racism/gender/war…)

Nevertheless, is it the visual look of the collections always positive, colorful and bright.

Ballet de l’Opera. Marie-Agnes Gillot. Merce Cunningham
photo waltervanbeirendonck.com

Is fashion becoming one of the main arts cultivator? Please explain.

Cultivating art is a good intention, but not everybody is sensitive for art and creation I think, and taste varies a lot, so there will be always PRO and CONTRA.

What interests you apart from fashion?

Art, ethnic and folk art, nature and animals. Cities and traveling, and my dearest longtime friend DIRK VAN SAENE.

Walter Van Beirendonck and Erwin Wurm’s Art Film
photo thefader.com

S/S 2015
photo waltervanbeirendonck.com

S/S 2015
photo waltervanbeirendonck.com

You have found your direction and your work is easily recognizable. How do you relate to what happens in fashion today?

I feel as an outsider fashion-designer. Critical for the fashion-system, but still enjoying the fashion-world/system and with very personal rules and a very personal way of working.

photo blog.toerismevlaanderen.nl

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Much as I love tapping away my day on my laptop, I confess that I have little to no respect for the vital pieces of technology that surround me – I cannot count how many times I had to replace my phone’s shattered screen; or fell asleep with the computer charged up, overusing its battery.

Luckily, I grew up in a household filled with books and my childhood was defined by a pen-and-paper culture. I know and love the smell of old volumes and feel a quiet reassurance in writing on paper. It is no wonder to me why artists turn to this medium to transform anonymous sheets of paper into complex works of art that mimic human form, nature or architecture – Brian Dettmer, Eric Joisel, Sher Christopher and Ingrid Siliakus come to mind. I have had the privilege to interview one of these master paper sculptors, Li Hongbo, and find out more about his artistic practice. A former editor and designer of books, Li Hongbo manages to turn an old Chinese folk art into stunning paper sculptures.

You have managed to question the realism of sculptures through the flexibility of the paper. What do you see as the strengths of your chosen material, visually and conceptually?

At the beginning, I discovered the flexible nature of paper through Chinese paper toys and lanterns. I used this principle to make a gun. A gun is solid, used for killing, but I turned it into a tool for play, or decoration. In this way, it lost both the form of a gun and the culture inherent to the gun. It became a game. Since paper is soft and flexible, using it as a medium of sculpture can be quite difficult. Nonetheless, the sculptures are filled with novelty and happiness.

Bust of Agrippa

Bust of Agrippa

In a time when our lives are becoming increasingly “paper-free”, I have noticed a revived artistic interest in the use of this material. How important do you think the “celebration of paper” is in our digital world?

The material I use is not that important. Material is just one of the many things I utilize to present my personal viewpoints.

Tell us a little bit about your creative process – from getting the idea to the finished “product”.

I layer sheet of paper one by one attaching each with glue in at specific points to create a honeycomb pattern. Each sheet is glued individually by hand until I’ve created a small block. I use a woodworking saw to create the initial cuts, discarding excess paper and reducing the area of the block into the correct form. As the saw becomes impractical for cutting, I switch to an angle grinder. This allows me to get closer details. I put the finishing touches on the sculpture with sandpaper.

Bust of Athena

Bust of Athena

As a former book editor, do you find the approach as an artist more coherent than the previous one? Was it a natural transition or an unpremeditated “a-ha moment” that you felt at one point?

As an editor, I increased my knowledge of subjects outside the field of art, and helped to support my family life. My dream of working in art has proven to be unwavering from start to finish.

What is the world you are trying to magnify for your audience? What do you hope your sculptures make people feel?

When people look at a box, they think ‘It’s a box.’ But, actually, it can change into another thing. I want to change the image, change how people see things so they think in another way, and more deeply.

Bust of Lion Hat

Bust of Lion Hat

Your works are a real challenge for the human form. How do you challenge yourself in your work?

What I want to challenge is my capacity for wisdom, diligence, innovation, and insistence on my personal thoughts.

What are some things or places that really inspire you?

There is a Chinese saying, “life is as fragile as paper,” which has left a deep impact on me. Due to my past jobs, I have become very familiar with paper. This revealed to me the importance of paper to both society and individuals. It also allowed me to explore paper’s hidden, broad expanse of uses. For my most recent show, my inspiration came from the tools of study I used to learn how to sketch as a child. When I first started practicing art, instead of drawing a living person and forcing them pose still for hours on end, our professors would make us draw the busts of widely renowned sculptures. The busts became patient friends and mentors of mine and to this day I will remember the time I spent sketching them. To breath new life and revitalize old memories, I have recreated these tools of study using my own mode of expression, paper.

Do you ever find yourself in a creative dry-spell? If so, what do you do to find yourself again and create new work?

I want to compensate for my deficiencies and to enrich myself, which is why I became a book editor. For me, there is never a creative dry-spell.

Skull

Skull

Is there anything that could ever convince you to stop creating?

I will stop to think about this if I am ever unsatisfied with my creating.

If you had the chance to say anything to the world, what would it be?

Thank you so much for being fond of my artwork.

At the beginning of 2014 you had your very first solo-exhibition in the United States, which inaugurated the new space of Klein Sun Gallery. How was that experience for you?

With my exhibition at Klein Sun Gallery earlier this year, my thoughts became tangible objects and were presented to everyone. I successfully completed that endeavor.

You have exhibited alongside artists like Li Hongjun and Wang Lei, who also manipulate paper in their artistic endeavors. How did you feel that the different approaches interact in the same environment?

Everyone has different thoughts and different points of view. Thus, the significance of artwork is different for different people. Paper is a public medium. Everyone can use it. Wang Lei, Li Hongjun, others, and myself can use paper, demonstrating that paper has abundant potential. Our creative communication is broad in this respect. We are not only artists exhibiting together we are also colleagues.

Do you have any future projects? If so, will they involve the use of new materials?

When I see a new type of paper or a new creative way to use paper, an impulse drives me to explore yet again an unknown aspect of the language of paper. I will further explore the possibilities of paper art and work on other art projects. I will have two solo exhibitions in art museums in the next 3 to 5 years.

Wooden Pier

Girls

While perusing the answers of Li Hongbo, I couldn’t help but notice a particular humbleness in his attitude towards his work and his chosen medium. It is as if the blank layers of paper that he surrounds himself with everyday call the tune not only of his work but also of a specific life philosophy – genuine, powerful, versatile.

An interview by Cristiana Șerbănescu for Inhale 

More about the artist: kleinsungallery.com 

The post Li Hongbo: There is a Chinese saying, life is as fragile as paper, which has left a deep impact on me appeared first on INHALE MAG.

What is interesting about your practice is the fact that this cold medium, which is media, becomes so warm and familiar. How do you get to do that?

For us, a material quality is inherent to a lot of the processes and ‘media’ that we use. It’s about focussing on that quality in everything we do; because it’s that quality which allows one to develop an emotional relationship with a space or an object.The concept is the crucial part and with our work that concept is often completed by the people and their physical participation.

What happens when digital and analog worlds meet?

In our work, often an experience that unites the ephemeral with the physical — or even tangible.

Your responsive installations became very popular and people queue to interact with them. Did you expect in the first place that people would be so drawn to them?

Not in a million years. It was a complete surprise and to this day we are astonished by the response, and so grateful to those who gave their time to experience our work.

Future Self
photo random-international.com

With Rain Room, what is interesting is the audience’s reaction. They might protect themselves against the rain outside, but once they entered the Room they wish they got wet. Why do you think this happens?

Rain Room is very much a sensory experience and yet you have this surreal absence of touch — you feel the moisture in the air, see it, smell it, but you can’t touch it. Perhaps there is a contradictory part of people that wants what they can’t have, or perhaps its more primal than that — feeling the rain on our skin is part of being alive.

Rain Room
photo Felix Clay

There is Swarm Study and Swarm Study II and so on. Why did you feel the need do get back at it and take it to a different level, to try something else with it?

Someone, I think Da Vinci, once said that a painting is never finished, only abandoned; there is a sense in which you can just go on experimenting and refining forever. But there comes the point where you have to bite the bullet and realise a work. Going back to ideas and expanding on them in different ways helps to continue the life of the idea and to explore more of the different tangents you come across.

Swarm Study
photo random-international.com

In Audience there is an intense link between the viewer and the mirrors that change. This also makes the viewer act like a performer: his reaction makes the mirrors move. Why are you interested in this dimension?

We are interested in the reversal of the traditional roles of viewer and viewed. What happens when an artwork watches you? It’s often within the interspaces of this responsive interplay between artwork and viewer that we find the richest ground.

Audience
photo random-international.com

You are present in museums, biennials, galleries, but you claim that you are not artists, but product designers. Why do you choose to go by that?

We don’t. We are artists, creating art but using many of the tools and processes offered by design — which we are lucky enough to have learned in our product design training.

Your works need a long period of research that includes programming and experiencing with technology. How do you do your research? Where do you start from?

Discussion. Research. Prototyping and visualisation. The idea always comes first and then we develop the best way to realise it and the best materials within which to make it manifest.

It’s very interesting how you create installations that necessitate a lot of research and technical details and at the same time say that you are interested in human behaviour. How do these two meet?

It the relationship between the human viewer and the artwork — realised through technology — that is the point of convergence.

You are very connected to this area of art meeting technology. Where do you think this is going, which are the tendencies?

We will present our first audio piece at the Lunds Konsthall this autumn, using sound as a material has been an intriguing process for us. We are also looking further into the possibilities of touch within our work.

How did your practice change over these years?

It’s the same processes, but bigger and busier. We stick to our core principles but allow ourselves the supreme luxury of time to consider our interests and motivations within our work.

rAndom international for Inhale Mag, July 2014

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We know that 2007 was an important year for you, since your work became known on an international level. Let’s talk a little bit about two projects before that moment and I mention here Islamic Project, which was controversial. Through Islamic Project you stressed the fears western cultures have towards Islamists. Why are you interested in these issues?

photo newarteditions.com

Islamic Project (1996) is dedicated not only to Western fears of Islam, but rather to a visualization of mutual paranoia – both of the West and of Islamic fundamentalists. In 1996, we were interested in “globalization in reverse,” when not only the Internet and McDonald’s are moving to the east and south, but also when, for example, Islamic culture has an impact on the modern West.

Another project, Suspects, which presented photos of 7 innocent girls and 7 murderers, having the same age, underlined the interest you have in issues like image and reality. It was interesting how it showed the need people have to know which was “guilty” and “not guilty”. How do you relate to this need of identifying who is bad or good?

The aim of the project Suspects (installation and performance) was not the need to identify the guilty or the innocent. It is virtually impossible for any spectator to make the difference out. A sense of frustration and helplessness that is experienced by the public in a complete inability to distinguish the “evil” or “good” is more important for us.

photo aesf-group.org

photo aesf-group.org

You were AES and then you became AES+F. Why not directly AESF? Also, tell us a little about the process of receiving another person in the group. How was this transition made?

“AES+F” – looks better and is easier to pronounce. Mr. F worked with AES as a photographer and co-author on a number of projects. At some point, everybody understood that we have become AES+F

Artists are portrayed as lonely persons. How does the creative process take place when there is a group of four persons?

AES+F is a micro society with a main creative paradigm. We are different in gender, skill, nature, and sexual orientation. Therefore, we can say we and our the projects are both a model of society, and sometimes a parody of it.

It’s well known that it was at the 2007 Venice Biennale that the Russian pavilion was always filled with people who wanted to see your exhibition. How did you feel this recognition?

We really felt in 2007, in Venice, a unique sense of euphoria of our audience, which cannot be compared to the “professional” one that we had seen quite often before.

We are curious about The Liminal Space Trilogy – Last Riot, The Feast of Trimalchio, and Allegoria Sacra – how did you imagine it in the beginning and how was the creative process? How did it developed into these three pieces that have an overall coherence?

We realized that these projects represent a trilogy, only when we had done Allegoria Sacra. Number “3″ is both magical and very banal. Postfactum, we have given the name of Hell to a project dedicated to the heroism of video games. Heaven has become synonymous with The Feast of Trimalchio, with the theme of the hotel resort. The waiting lounge of an airport has become a symbol of Purgatory.

photo blog.seditionart.com

At first you were expressing through videos and photos. How was it to work in 3D [graphics]?

Indeed, in the 90s we worked mainly with photography and video. But once we started using a computer to create photo collages in the mid-90s (Islamic Project), we gradually and naturally came to use and 3D computer graphics. First time we have used it in our digital images for some futuristic landscape objects, aircraft and weapons, in the project Action Half Life. But for the next project, Last Riot, we have created backgrounds, fully built in 3D. The next step was the animation of all elements (photos and graphics). In addition, we also use 3D computer technology for the work on sculptures (First Rider, Angels-Demons). Thus, computer graphics have become part of our language.

Action Half Life
triumph-gallery.ru

In The Last Riot it’s interesting you choose not to show blood and not to show a complete violent act, which produces a lack of empathy. Why did you make this choice?

The lack of blood is a symbol of immortality and coldness of virtual violence. For us, the world of Last Riot is a digital Valhalla. Heroes lose their flesh and blood and become hostages of the “Painful Indifference”.

Last Riot photo artnet.com

Last Riot
photo robertcortlandt.files.wordpress.com

There’s a sense of decadence and eroticism in this high society portrayed in The Feast of Trimalchio. Tell us a little about your option to have different social ranges that all meet in The Feast of Trimalchio and the tension that this implies.

The idea of The Feast of Trimalchio is a modern version of the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, where, one day a year, patricians waited slaves. On the background of the hotel, in three parts, we played the modern world’s history, present and uncertain future. The changing roles of the “patrician” and “slaves”, shown through the prism of erotica, for us is a metaphor of former colonies and metropolises, Western relations with the Rest of World.

The Feast of Trimalchio
Allegory #1 (Triumph of America). 2010
photo aesf-group.org

photo inyourpocket.com

photo art-almanac.com.au

I was thinking how in Allegoria Sacra you mix Bellini with pop culture. From such a contrasting mix the outcome is something that produces anxiety in the viewer. What is the boiling point of these different areas?

We are always interested in the presence of the “Big Myth” in the present. Thus, the features of the “Battle of the Gods” are present in a video game.
For us, an airport and passengers awaiting flights in different directions is the archetype of Purgatory. The heroes of paintings by Bellini transformed: Paul – policeman in a combat uniform, Madonna – gay and lesbian couples with adopted children, Sebastian – pierced student returning from faraway tropical countries.
We went even further by introducing the Angels (direct homage to flight attendants from the future from the Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey 2001) and Demons (cannibals from vanishing tribes, like the heroes of a documentary on the National Geographic channel)

Allegoria Sacra
photo down-the-techno-hole.blogspot.com

In Allegoria Sacra the Purgatory is an airport where people wait to embark. This waiting produces unease in the public. It’s them waiting and it’s the characters waiting. Why did you choose to work with this anxiety?

Fear and anxiety about the future – a characteristic of our time.

photo aesf-group.org

There is something deeply baroque about your trilogy, and that makes it very seductive. In a period when conceptual art is very present, you come with something different and people are intrigued by it. Why are you interested in this area?

Your question is the answer – we think the hyper visuality of our time is more consistent with baroque redundancy than conceptualism and minimalism.

How did your practice change over the years?

In the 90s we focused on conceptual ideas. Now, we are interested in detailed topics and more visually complex images. But these are, nevertheless, conceptual projects.

Do you live in Russia? Given the recent events there, we were wondering what’s the atmosphere and how do you feel in that context?

The atmosphere is grim. It seems to us that the country is sinking into an otherworldly reality.

What are you working on now?

A project called Inverso Mundus. This will be a detailed version of a medieval popular print Inverted World.

AES+F for Inhale Mag

Moscow, March 22nd 2014

The post AES+F: Fear and Anxiety About the Future : a Characteristic of Our Time appeared first on INHALE MAG.

by Alexandra Pâzgu

Imagetanz – a dance, coreography and performance festival is taking place yearly at Brut Vienna http://www.brut-wien.at/brutproduktion/aktuell/en/

This year’s festival was curated by Katalin Erdödi and included under the umbrella of Care the the premiere of the ongoing action: „Delicate Instruments Handled With Care”, concept by Alexandra Pirici, with Manuel Pelmuş, Mădălina Dan, Mihai Mihalcea and Alexnadra Pirici, lights and photo documentation by Andrei Dinu.

The performance was presented in the last three days of the festival (20,21,22 March) and was followed by a closing party, where Pirici also performed as a musician with her stage name: Adda Kaleh https://soundcloud.com/ama-diver

Alexandra Pirici and Manuel Pelmuş represented Romania at the 55th edition of the Venice  with the ongoing action “An Immaterial Retrospective of the Venice Biennale”. In 2014 she has been commissioned for a new work for the Public Programm of Manifesta 10.

Alexandra Pirici – “Delicate instruments handled with care”, enactment of Beyonce’s Drunk in Love video

After viewing and participating in the performance, I thought that the best way to vizualise what happened, was to have a written interview with Alexandra Pirici, the one who proposed the concept and coordinated the performance.

Public

Q: On a formal level, we may say that the public is deciding the dramaturgy of the performance by choosing a title/theme that they would like to see. I say formal, but maybe I should better use “conceptual”- implying that the public’s choice is a validation of the reenactment, re-creating the political situation that allows “iconic moments” to exist. How would you define the public’s role in the whole event- on a conceptual and physical level? (To what degree is the public’s participation a physical influence on the act of performing?)

Alexandra: The work was created for the context of Imagetanz festival in brut, Vienna and the curatorial frame had to do with “care” so I was also thinking of how to respond to the frame. The fact that the audience “orders” or chooses what they like to see has layered potentialities, for me. I do want them to feel “cared for” and entertained (I don’t shy away from the word, I find the concept of “counterculture” slightly dated) and I do want us, as performers, to make ourselves available for their requests. It also has to do with a more contemporary dynamic of accessing information, one that is more related to an internet-like dynamic (where you’re more encouraged to search for things) than to the general convention of theatre performance or older media in which you are assigned a more passive role. And of course I also think of this situation as potentially subversive, in regard to the power relations that implicitly arise – how the public understands this contract – and how the situation plays on the public, what is remembered and what not, how expectations get fulfilled or not. On a physical level I also like the fact that we merge with the audience, that things are sometimes very fragile and if you haven’t been following you can’t really tell if that person next to you is actually performing something or is just part of the audience. I also think not so many proposals consider how the given structure of the theatre space constructs a specific subjectivity and encourages you to conform. People are seated all together, the lights go off and that’s it, you have to watch what you are being presented until the end (so you must be seduced into that), if you would actually like to go out it looks like you make a strong statement against the play, you stand up, you bother everybody, you draw attention to yourself. I wanted a frame that would be as open as possible – I tried to reduce the given structure of the theatre space to the minimum, there are no tribunes, people can move as they like and can come and go as they please. And of course, if there is no audience to ask for enactments, the work doesn’t exist.

Q.: Did the public react in the way you expected to your proposals? Did you have any big surprises?

Alexandra: I think people react differently, for some it’s very easy to ask for things, others prefer to observe. Either way, you get something. There was only one person who actually tried to “compose” with the enactments we had to offer and asked for two in a row. I thought this would happen more but since it’s not pointed out that you can do that, maybe you don’t think that you can. We are also trying to work with the situations that arise and make the most out of them so I think it’s nice when some things happen simultaneously and different readings are created in the mix. There was this one moment when someone was performing Bolivian president Evo Morales shining the shoes of someone and another performer was delivering Bill Clinton’s apology to the nation speech – for his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, and that was a nice coincidence, for example.

Then thinking of what this kind of dynamic produces and what it can reveal, the audience “ordering” things, there was also this situation during the last night, I enact a Beyonce video, it’s probably one of the most “entertaining” enactments and some people came especially to ask for that. I performed it a few times but then towards the end I refused to perform it anymore and someone got frustrated and asked why can’t they see it if it’s on the list, was it because I was tired? And I said “yes” and I was very tired and felt like I was entitled to say no, especially for that particular enactment. It ended there but I think that’s when it started to get interesting J – just to clarify the context, the work has three hours to be experienced and we programmed it for three days in a row. And we also play with these expectations, some moments can actually deliver, from a “spectacular” point of view, others totally don’t and I like that mix.

Irony

Q.: The proposal of embodying “iconic moments” from the western collective memory is also a claim for a common ground, an agreement, of what is iconic. However, its realization is depending on your own bodies and identities – which rely on subjectivity. I felt that your proposals have been mainly guided by irony. What would you say on this topic? Did you consciously and programmatically use this concept, or is it something that turned out that way?

Alexandra: As a start, we didn’t want to perform iconic moments from western collective memory but indeed, most of the situations belong to the western culture. I was aware of that and I didn’t really try to look for a balance because in a way this is also relevant, the reality of our common, westernized memory, it would have made no sense to try and correct it. Most of the things that came to our minds belonged to the western culture and I think this is beyond critique – it might be more interesting to think of why is that or how western culture had the ability to capture a lot that was non-western. But there are quite a few proposals that are different also and you can spot them on the list.

As for the irony: I think enactment is an implicit ironic commentary, to some extent. In extension to the collaboration with Manuel Pelmus for the Venice biennale, the focus here shifted on performative situations – as the context was also different, the theatre space is dominated by a very different history and function. I was more interested in bringing real-life actions and situations in the theatre context and see how this frames them, what it reveals about them, how it deconstructs them. And irony played an important part, of course, for me, when smartly done, it’s an important critical tool.

Alexandra Pirici, “Delicate Instruments handled with care”, enactment of Osama Bin Laden’s killing”.

Q.: Do you find irony an inspiring concept? What are its flaws and its gains? Do you use it in your practice? If yes,  how? Please give examples.

Alexandra: Yes, I find irony a very inspiring concept. As I said, I think it has a great critical potential when performed intelligently and I do try to use it in my practice. For some moments of the work in brut it might have been too much but I think you also need this shifting between more subtle and more obvious choices.

I am interested in detournement and overidentification, as strategies. The first intervention I did in public space was in 2010, I think, and I proposed an enactment/ embodiment of “Caragialiana”, this horrendous and very expensive figurative statuary group in front of the National Theatre in Bucharest. Public monuments and monumental art seemed to be the only legitimate and supported art form so we claimed to be doing the same thing. And of course, the difference in scale and the gap between the image created by our living bodies trying to mimic the construction and the construction itself produced something interesting, ironic and critical, in my opinion, without being a direct and obvious attack.

The drawbacks are the same as always: our subjective readings of everything. What I find subtle and ironic someone else might find totally boring. We’ll have to live with that – and of course, to try and make things as accessible as we can and to better understand what we produce.

Alexandra Pirici & Manuel Pelmus, “An Immaterial Retrospective of the Venice Biennale, enactment of Joseph Beuys, “Tramstop. A Monument to the Future”

Critical thinking

Q.: A friend asked me in what way is your performance relevant to critical thinking. I answered without hesitation: it is relevant because it transforms the body in a critical tool of questioning the collective imagination. (Do you agree? Why? Why not?); or do you rather link this performance (and your practice, if you want) to a sort of institutional critique that reaffirms the body as a valid subjectivity, a tool of deconstruction?!

Alexandra: I agree with both readings, I am not keen to correct or re-enforce any of them.

Performance Art and political representation

Q.: How far is the project a questioning or a critique of the capitalist society and the commodification of images?

Alexandra: To be totally honest, framing your work as “political” or critical of the capitalist society became such an easy thing to do, like taking shelter under an umbrella that could cover any lack of thought or actual conceptual work. It can be both ineffective and easy to appropriate. The work of the likes of Hans Haacke is very rare, mostly I come across very blunt and dry statements so, depending on the context, I sometimes refrain from emphasizing on this.  But I think I can point out a thread of thought in relation to your question: I have the feeling that you can reclaim reality (of your body) over the simulacra through this conscious enactment of models or images that construct the fabric of our lives, our hyper reality. I think there is some potential there, when you see the human performing the simulation, the imperfection interferes with your projection of what it should be and how you knew it looked like from your mediated experience of that “object”. I think that could be an interesting area of research.

Q: What is your favorite point/scene/theme: why?

Alexandra: I wouldn’t name one – we all brought in material and I think all stuff is interesting from one point of view or another.

Duration

Q.: Are duration and the inherent repetition of specific themes contributing to your idea of how a theme/subject should be performed? I mean, taking into consideration the fact that you will be performing in Bucharest in June, do you consider changing some scenes?

Alexandra: I think some enactments will be different, for the first “free national television broadcast during the Romanian Revolution of 1989” I was translating in real-time to the audience (as the performers were speaking in Romanian) and of course this makes for a different experience but I think both (the mediated/translated one in a foreign country and the un-mediated one in Romania) are valid. As for the repetition: I am looking for potential directions to develop within this practice of enactment, different threads to follow and a better understanding of what it could produce under different circumstances so in that sense I think the work is still in process but also on a more general level, not only referring to this particular piece.

Collaboration

Q.: Is there a way in which you would define your collaboration? What did you discover about each other? What would be worth developing in future projects?

Alexandra: We had a lot of fun. And it was interesting to see what each of us remembered or believed to be relevant, in one way or another, about our experience with “culture” at large. Of course it’s not a comprehensive overview and I would point out a work a like a lot and I would use as a reference – Peter Fischli and David Weiss’s “Suddenly this overview”. I love the low-key and the apparent, misleading “superficiality” of it that made for one of the most amusing yet touching experiences of an artwork.

Inspiration

Q: What would you say is your source of inspiration at the moment? (Perhaps you could name some artists, books, cities, places, words, concepts etc.)

Alexandra: I can’t do that, for everything I name there are so many other names that I forget that it makes it really frustrating afterwards.

Theory in Praxis

Q.: What is the question that would best describe your practice and your interest in art?

Alexandra: I make work for the theatre space more and more rarely and most of the future projects will happen in visual arts contexts. So at the moment, since I’m not so fond of self-precarization and the recent interest (from big visual art institutions) in performance/live art as a mere “event” and cheap advertisement within the economy of attention, the “question of the day” would be: can we work a decent budget? So besides the artistic points, I’m also interested in art as a way to make a living – and talking about that should not make you less interested in your art. This is a common exploitation strategy, I was once told I should work for free if I actually loved what I do. The body is not “cheap” and is not subverting the objected-oriented art market by not getting paid.

Thank you.

Alexandra Pâzgu for Inhalemag  02.04.2014

http://alexandra-pazgu.flavors.me/

http://inhalemag.com/category/contributors/alexandra-pazgu/

The post 10+1 QUESTIONS TO BE HANDLED WITH CARE – INTERVIEW WITH ALEXANDRA PIRICI appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Quote: “I’m an aviator, I love to soar up high and when on ground I let my imagination fly.”
Gagan Singh /aviator, designer, dreamer

About the competition:
A’ Design Competition had over 5641 participants & 12523 entries in 105 categories from 208 countries.

On April 15, results will be final and available through A’ Design Competition. On August 9, 2014, gala-night and celebration will take place in Como, Italy. Exhibition will be held on August 3 to 25.

What does winning A’ Design award mean for Gagan Design Studio?
A’Design Award is very prestigious and we‘re very excited to have won it. It is epitome for top design and innovation. Like any award of similar stature, A’Design is a platform that furthers great design by bringing the best at one lace and inspiring many others.
A’ Design Award and Competition is the worlds’ largest design competition awarding best designs, design concepts and products & services.
(You can read more here: http://www.whatisadesignaward.com/)
In a world where there are millions of products and designs launch each year, the award was born out of the desire to underline the best designs and well designed products. The award-winning products and designs are highlighted to the international public via the A’ Design Award Gala-Night and Exhibition in Italy and they are communicated to all relevant press across the world.
For Gagan Design winning A’Design is an affirmation of being world-class and that our efforts in design development, bringing the best to the consumer is recognized by none other than the best in class.
It further inspires us to create better and more meaningful products for the discerning on a daily basis. Our quest is be better tomorrow than we were yesterday.

photo gagan-design.com

Sometimes it’s more difficult to keep things simple. How did you get to this very minimal shape for Peg lamp?
Very rightly said. Simplicity isn’t a simple process. To me it’s like solving an algebra equation where you start with complex jumbled up equation and you simplify it at every step to arrive at the simplest possible.
There’ s a lot of design development that happens towards creation of a minimal looking product that performs to the maximum.
I wanted to design a lamp that is modern, minimal and aesthetically beautiful standing on a desk. Modern design also tends to get very industrial, machined and sterile at times. So my quest was to offer best of both worlds; clean modern design and handcrafted warmth of the old world. With that in mind, many sketches and prototypes later the Peg-Lamp was born.
The Peg Lamp is also technologically savvy and friendly to the environment. It uses low energy consuming LEDs.
It’s a smart and simple desk lamp that sits at an angle with the help of its red pegged stand. The thin wooden frame houses LEDs, which put off warm, diffuse light with great energy efficiency. The thin, angular design pairs form and function for a finished product that is stunning and modern.

Few quotes by legends that come to my mind regarding simplicity that I find inspiring:
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ― Leonardo da Vinci
“Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great.”

photo gagan-design.com

Looking at your work, one sees that colours are of a great importance. The furniture is very powerfully coloured, which gives an energy boost, while the lamps have a calming colour. How do you decide on the colours?

Our Aviation furniture is a contrast to the Lighting design but both have a streak of playfulness and zest to them by making use of accent colours. I don’t like things monotonous and sterile. Adding a bright fabric cord not only creates a balance but also lets the consumer customize the lamps to their taste.
While the lamps can be customized to consumers taste the Aviation furniture is inspired by the history and heritage behind the aircrafts the parts came from. For instance the striking ‘red’ on the C45 Expeditior couches are inspired by the ‘red’ of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The plane was essentially bare polished metal with striking Canadian red.
And so are other pieces. The desk pushes the boundaries a little further by exaggerating the military green and finding a more modern and fresh expression of it.

photo gagan-design.com

photo gagan-design.com

It’s impressive to see how something as rough as metal coming from airplanes are turned into beautiful furniture. Tell us why you are specifically interested in this area.
I was raised in Air Force family, so love for aviation is ingrained in my genes. I combined my passion for furniture design and love for aviation into one unique vocation, designing functional aviation art furniture and modern lighting accents.
I grew around airplanes and played in them during my childhood. We used to have old decommissioned planes in our parks to play around. So it’s sad to see a lot of great planes dying a slow death rotting in open or in rubbish piles or ending up in a smelter. They served our nations good and there’s a lot of history behind them. I find them very inspiring. Flying like a bird has been an ultimate dream for the mankind and ever since the first flight the world has really taken off in every sector. Our Aviation Furniture collection is our homage to aviation. We design and build high-class furniture from vintage aircraft parts; airplanes that once flew in open skies guarding our nation and carried people around. Turning them into beautiful pieces of furniture is our way of giving second life and paying tribute to the magnificent flying machines that once touched our skies with glory.

A great man once said “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” He was none other than Michelangelo.
To create something magnificent out of something seemingly broken mangled piece of metal gives ultimate satisfaction and inspiration to do more.

photo gagan-design.com

From what we’ve seen, you are definitely interested in producing unique works. Why is that?

I’m interested in innovation, pushing imagination and boundaries. That gives me happiness and also to the people who buy them. As an advertising creative director for 18 years, I worked in environment where every solution had to be different, novel and better than the previous one. I can’t do the same thing everyday.
Uniqueness inspires people. And inspiration is fuel for meaningful life. It inspires and motivates people to be better than what they were, personally or professionally besides making a task or interaction better while making you happier.
Mundane and monotone doesn’t inspire anyone.

photo gagan-design.com

photo gagan-design.com

What are you up to?
My vision is to create high-class art furniture and modern-minimal lighting accents that are not just good to look at but also affordable to own. Objects that are like no other.

We’re not manufacturers, we’re craftsmen. We take time to handcraft each piece, bit by bit, weaving a symphony just for you because we believe the human in us still appreciates a human touch, a hug over a like, a tete-a-tete over a tweet, for there is spirit and magic in things our hands touch against things that come out of a mold, for we truly believe… THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE STILL MADE BY HAND.™

At the moment we’re designing some more floor lamps and ceiling pendant ones. On the aviation side there’s an amazing ‘Bar’ project underway. The plane part in question is vertical fin from Bell Jet Ranger helicopter used for training by the RCAF.

photo gagan-design.com

We have asked A’Design Award and Competition several questions about this year’s competition:

What is expected from the designers once they enter the competition?

What we expect from designers is firstly to respect their own work, and show their designs the care they deserve; i.e. we expect all designers to make a very good presentation of what the work is, with questions such as why, how, when, where, who answered for each work; this pushes them to visualize better which is good for press appearances and publicity, meanwhile we also want designers to be able to talk about their work; this pushes them to think further about what makes their design unique, functional and relevant and how these aspects could be improved.

Tell us about the number of subscribers. Also, why do you think that so many designers apply?

Over 12.000 entries, from 208 countries in 105 categories; we have our presentation in 33 languages and we appeal to all design disciplines but that is not why there are so many entries; the actual reason is that those who join the previous years are rejoining each year and more new participants join each year especially to be able to obtain the A’ Design Prize which provides extensive publicity to winners.

We are mainly interested in the direction of the design today, as seen from inside the competition (we imagine that seeing the winners, you could tell the audience what is common in their works).

We see there is an ongoing trend of “auto-production” i.e. “makers” and designers use newly developed platforms and newly re-discovered technologies such as cnc cutting, 3d printing and others to create their own unique designs rather than being depended on companies to realize their ideas. I would say that it is sort of a new awakening, a design revolution, where designers discover once again to be innovators with capacity turn their ideas into reality.

More: www.gagan-design.com, www.adesignaward.com

The post GAGAN DESIGN STUDIO, WINNER OF A DESIGN AWARD: MONOTONE DOES NOT INSPIRE ANYONE appeared first on INHALE MAG.

Your work is unsettling, almost surreal and the audience is instantly immersed into this universe. We find that your works are powerful and question the notion of beauty, since feathers are both plain beautiful as well as enchanting. Feathers are now your “trademark”. How was your art looked at in the beginning and how was it received on the art scene?

Before I started working with feathers I was also interested in bone, hair and other natural materials. My installation, Brood, which was made from 20,000 chicken wishbones, was bought by Charles Saatchi during my degree show. It was the work that really launched my career and confirmed my interest in beauty and brutality, the binary forces that exist within nature.

It’s impressive to think that for your art no animals are harmed when there are so many artworks involving animals that question the limits between life and death. Of course, there is probably a lot of work to gather the feathers, I know you always mention that there are some people who have birds and send feathers to you. How was it in the first place when you wanted to convince them about your intentions?

To convince someone to help you it’s very important to start a personal dialogue. I started by writing letters, sending sketches and visiting potential feather donors. The contemporary art scene is a very different world to the pigeon racing association, so it took some explaining, and some still thought I was completely bonkers, but many were happy to help. It’s been almost 8 years since I wrote my first letter and I’m still in touch with many of them now.

You said that you were thinking of making an installation with all the letters you received from these people. We imagine that they must be something one would find interesting to read! Can you give us one example that amazed you the most?

All the letters have been special and I feel very privileged that over the years people have shared such personal stories with me; one pigeon fancier used to send me lovely cards from him and his wife, always with a note about what they’d been up to and how the birds were doing and if they’d won any races. One day I got a letter, which said that his wife was ill but that the birds were fine… the next letter just had his signature on the end and she had passed away… the next, how he missed her and the final one recently sent saying that he was now too elderly to look after his birds and he was going to pass them on to a friend who had agreed to continue to send me feathers.

Also, how is it to work with a material that cannot be bought from a store and that depends on other people and on nature?

It certainly makes collecting more difficult but it means that I have to think inventively – I have to get people engaged in my work and I in turn need to understand theirs. I now have attended quite a few pigeon releases (it’s an amazing sight seeing 10,000 birds released simultaneously) and have begun to understand the cycle and know that pigeons mainly moult in April and October so I write to the pigeon racers during those months. It’s a cycle of regeneration and persuasion.

Smother, 2013 Photo: JP Bland courtesy of Kate MccGwire

Your works look as if they are alive, as if they are living animal creatures, and the sinuous forms seem to have no end and no beginning. Some are fluid-like. I mention here Evacuate, where feathers come out of a stove. There is also Sluice, where feathers come from a pipe, as if it were water. This shows how versatile this material is. What is it like to work with a material that has such a powerful background and when did you discover its potential?

My studio is a Dutch Barge on the River Thames, so I’m totally aware of the seasons, nature and temperament of the river, and that really feeds into what I make. I started by collecting the feathers on the bank near my boat, after a while I had enough to start playing with them, layering, experimenting. Like the river itself, natural materials have a sort of siren-like beauty, and I saw the possibility in using the medium to create something powerful.

Sluice
photo designcanteen.blogspot.com

It’s obvious that you are influenced by nature and you mention that you moved your studio on the Thames. How does it inspire you and what has changed since you’ve moved?

Certainly the powerful force and flow of the river makes a constant impression on my thought processes. I’m interested in the exquisite patterning in the water, which appears momentarily and then is gone. Nature is all around the studio, we see the lifecycle of the river birds, the laying of eggs, the hatching of ducklings and the birds of prey who eat the ducklings, it’s a cycle of life, a fascinating but brutal world.

Your works conquer the exhibition space and they instantly change the environment. How do you relate to space?

I love the challenge of making within different architectural spaces, and certainly my previous training in design is useful in being able to plan and envisage the work. I have a good feeling for space, and first let the building guide the work, so that eventually the work will impose upon the space.

There is something architectural about your work, and it can be seen in the way you construct your works and in the way you make sketches. Where does this trait come from?

I used to work as an architectural visualizer so I’m very happy to work on both a 2D and 3D scale. Sketches are a fantastic tool for trying new things and being able to show people what I am trying to achieve. The freedom of drawing is a great compliment to the permanence of sculpture.

Evacuate, 1 Photo: Jonty Wilde

photo brontops.blogspot.com

You work with feathers coming from pheasants, chickens, turkeys, mallard, goose, peacock, woodcock, but you constantly talk about pigeons and crows. Why are you specifically interested in these two birds?

They are birds with a particularly strong cultural identity. The crow can be seen as a bad omen, while the pigeon is called ‘a rat with wings’. It’s these associations that I enjoy exploring and drawing attention to in my work.

I know you don’t like to tell too much about the work process, which makes it even more interesting. But do you have an assistant or you work all by yourself? And why?

I like a little mystery around it; all art is an illusion after all. I have assistants to facilitate what I do: to prepare, sort and trim the feathers, and then I apply them on the form; I wouldn’t be able to achieve the scale of my work without them. It’s a close relationship and one of mutual respect and trust, I teach them my method and they in turn don’t use it in their own work.

Orchis
photo allvisualarts.org

Corvid, 2011
Photo: Tessa Angus

Sepal Speculum, 2012
Photo: Ian Stuart courtesy of All Visual Arts

Do you think this is a period when you are interested in feathers or did you find the perfect medium for you?

I am drawn towards natural materials because they have their own language. We have a relationship with feathers, bones and hair, which is universal yet carries personal resonance. I am sure I will use other materials over the course of my career but I haven’t exhausted all I want to do with feathers yet…

How do you feel about inspiring other artists? And here I must mention Helmut Lang, who created a fashion collection being inspired by your works.

It’s always a compliment to inspire other artists and the link between my work and fashion is something I’ve not yet explored personally. However I’m leaning towards the possibility of doing a full-scale collaboration with a designer one-day.

Helmut Lang
photo blog.katemccgwire.com

Your works are a sort of surrealist fairy-tale. Is there an area where you inspire from or is there something in your background that inspires you?

For me it’s about being intrigued by the body; by playing with what is known and making it strange. It’s a amalgamation of forms; beast, bird, hunter and prey.

It’s a busy year for you since you’ll be present in a lot of exhibitions. Tell us about them.

I have got a very busy year ahead; Birds of Paradise (including my largest installation to date) has just opened at MoMu, Antwerp until 24th of August. My solo show Lure at The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge will open on March 29th, and I also have works in group exhibitions in Art and Alchemy, Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf 5th April -10th August 2014 and The Wonder of Birds at Norwich Castle Museum opening 24th of May 14th of September and then a solo presentation at Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris from November 2014 until January 2015.

Kate MccGwire in her studio
photo fadwebsite.com

BIRDS OF PARADISE
MoMu, Antwerp
20th March – 24th August 2014

SOLO SHOW
The Beaney, House of Art & Knowledge, Canterbury
29th March – 27th April 2014

ART AND ALCHEMY
Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
5th April -10th August 2014

THE TOURISTS
Felbrigg Hall, National Trust – Norfolk CAS and Arts Council
1st May – 31st October 2014

THE WONDER OF BIRDS,
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery
24th May – 14th September 2014

Kate MccGwire for Inhale, March 2014 

more http://www.katemccgwire.com

The post KATE MccGWIRE: NATURAL MATERIALS HAVE THEIR OWN LANGUAGE appeared first on INHALE MAG.

We are curious to know, first of all, how you’ve imagined this project that has three parts: Possesia, Onania, Eugenica and why you specifically wanted it to be made of three parts. How are they linked, where does it start from and where are you taking it?

The project came gradually in time, it wasn’t pre-designed. The trilogy idea has emerged from years of process. Possesia started first, with initial ideas and sketches dating to 2007. It grew out of my obsessive collecting habits and interest in a specific period of Europe’s history, a period of innocence just before the First World War. For years I visited flea markets to collect curious antique objects and photographs that transported me to the time they had witnessed.

Primal Elements (detail), Jan Manski,
2010 / dimensions variable / pieces of furniture, glass, animal
skulls, leather, weights, boots, gloves, outfit, roller screen
photo janmanski.com

The second series of the trilogy to emerge was Onania, which addresses consumerist culture, while the third part, futuristic Eugenica, is in the early stages of development. All three parts are visions, myths of the human condition or complex hallucinations of human fascinations, obsessions and fears. They all operate in the same life-size scale and create equally rich environments.

Many of your works focus on the human body, not on its natural form, but rather on possible mutations. Why is that?

The body and its fragile nature is at the core of the whole idea. We define beauty through facial symmetry and the seamless body. As humans we are very sensitive to the mutated body image, as it disturbs us and works on our subconscious emotions. The whole trilogy presents the past, present and future through the prism of the human body. In Possesia the body merges with early forms of machinery, referring to the Industrial Revolution and how it affected humanity over two world wars.

Where Possesia is very masculine and its materials are raw, Onania shows a more feminine side. Here we see the body changed by narcissism and obsessive consumerism. The third part, Eugenica presents the body in the context of androgyny, genetic experiments and history of the euthanasia programmes. Behind the whole trilogy is human pride and supremacy leading to self-destruction.

Implement I (detail), Jan Manski
2013 / 183 x 60 x 60 cm (72 x 23 5/8 x 23 5/8 in)
porcelain head, enamel, found microscope stand, steel, pieces
of laboratory equipment, ruler, measuring instrument, vitrine
photo janmanski.com

In Possesia, the Idol is mentioned as “the grand Master of Ceremonies, whose oppressive authority is only implied by his absence.“ Who is he?

The Idol is a shaman, dictator, preparer, architect and Greek demi-god. He is a butcher and Catholic priest in one. The Idol is the personification of all of these things. He represents high authority and influential power. The Idol appears to hold the momentum to move the whole Possesia mechanism and gives motion for things to come. Possesia is a return to the primal tribal phases of evolution, cruel and autocratic. The Idol cyclically returns and leads his believers to glory, always resulting in their self-destruction.

In which way are you interested in religion? How is this reflected in your works?

I come from a country with a very long tradition of oppressive authority from the Catholic church. In Poland Christian fundamentalism is still very strong and omnipresent. Religion is present in schools, priests are rich, privileged and held in high status. It all prevents tolerance, freedom and mental development of the whole nation. Churches are full and the far right’s preaching spreads homophobia, intolerance and other values alike. Growing up in this atmosphere has no doubt shaped my worldview and my art.

Mixing synthetic with organic materials make your works look unnatural, like a new body. What do these two different areas give you?

Materials and objects have always been full of meanings to me. In Possesia steel and machinery parts are mixed with soil, skulls and horns. Assembled together, metaphors of strength and vanity emerge. In Onania, delicate pastel textures and high quality mannequins mould into one form with fat, bones, leather and cosmetics. The result speaks for itself.

Aetiology Unknown 24 (detail), Jan Manski,
2012 / 190 x 60 x 60 cm (74 7/8 x 23 5/8 x 23 5/8 in)
fat, leather, fur, mannequin, jaws, enamel cosmetics,
earrings, polyvinyl acetate, vitrine
photo janmanski.com

The atmosphere of this project is gloomy.  If you put beautiful things on top ugly, the result is grotesque, just like in the works with the magazine Ma Dame and Elle. Why are you interested in grotesque?

In medieval times The Joker was often the one who was able to pass unpleasant news to the king.  Any other person delivering the same news in a serious way would have been decapitated. For me humour and the grotesque are the ways to open discussion between the lines.  The magazine aesthetic defines the idea behind Onania. I’m playing with irresistible glamorous beauty infected by deadly mutation that is oozing out from behind a seamless facade.

Mutation Study 93, Jan Manski,
2012 / 34 x 23 cm (13 3/8 x 9 in)
cosmetics, medical instrument, vintage magazine, tape, fat
photo janmanski.com

In Onania, it seems that a body that went through liposuction is a mutilated body. Can you explain why that is?

Onania’s inhabitants are focused on themselves, obsessed with the pleasure of consumption. I’m interested in creating the most narcissistic of worlds. There are three main references that create it: fashion, plastic surgery and the advertising industry. It’s like mapping society, finding society’s wounds and touching them. Liposuction acts like a metaphor here, its meaning is not symbolic, it’s open for interpretation.

You work with mannequins and fat, you must be aware of how the idea of beauty changes with the passing of time. How do you see the contemporary standard of beauty?

The definition of beauty changes and is dependent on culture, place and time. In ancient Greece there was an idea that beauty was equal to truth. Now we come to the exact opposite of that. The new perfection is mostly artificial and unhealthy. In Onania I’m confronting the modern notion of glamour with the idea of medieval plagues. In this world, those who have fallen in love with the beauty of themselves are surrounded with a glamorous pink reality where they meet their fate. It’s a reference to ideas of karma, sin and punishment.  It’s present in many mythologies as one of the main axes of culture.

The Onanizer Strain II, Jan Manski,
2011 / 70 x 55 cm (27 9/16 x 21 5/8 in)
ultrachrome print
photo janmanski.com

In which way does contemporary society make sacrifices for beauty? Do you think that compared to other periods of time, the sacrifices made today are bigger?

Now we have more technical abilities, more tools to follow our obsessions enforced by the constant fear of social exclusion. The advertising industry parody The Onanizer is a part of Onania that causes rapid consumption. One journalist compared the cruel deformations in Onania to that of a selfish, bored aristocracy punished for their ignorance. I liked that interpretation.

Do you think that there will be even more extreme sacrifices in the future? Why? Some installations are of surgery rooms: the bed and the curtains are represented with details. Why did you choose to go this close to the process itself?

Onania’s Aetiology Unknown series are like the mirrors of Narcissus facing his worst nightmare.  My intention was to create the essence of a luxurious fashion-related environment that is being consumed by mysterious mutation. The subjects are body-like mutations frozen in motion, stills of the process.  I’ve visited old Polish hospitals to choose the perfect items for these installations.  The goal was to make it like a perfectly real hallucination, rich in detail. I think that the power of art is possible to achieve when all elements are creating a unique balance. When even one more element is added or one is taken away, the whole thing is ruined.

etiology Unknown 02, Jan Manski,
2012 / 200 x 300 x 190 cm (78 3/4 x 118 1/8 x 74 7/8 in)
fat, leather, fur, cosmetics, fabric, polyvinyl acetate, enamel,
steel, surgical table and accessories
photo janmanski.com

Tell us a little about the artist’s book.

I’m working intensively to achieve the perfect light and composition of each piece as I’m against retouching photos. Only natural shots can bring the image closest to the original work. Haselbladt cameras and good light help.  It’s not easy for perfectionists like I me to achieve the best possible documentation. I’m particularly proud of the catalogue in the collector’s edition version, its premium print quality and detailed finish makes it a separate piece of art. We’ve put a lot of effort to achieve the best effect we can. Our printers have said that during these projects they felt like they were reaching a new level of artistic prints. There are Onania and Possesia premium catalogues available for view at my representative gallery BREESE LITTLE London.

You work in different mediums: photography, sculpture, video. Is there one that you feel closer to?

My energy feeds off diversity, also in terms of medium. It depends on time really, there is no routine in my schedule. I’m working on many works simultaneously. I switch from medium to medium following my intuition. There is a certain amount of time that one can spend working on a particular piece and medium, keeping the process flowing and being productive.  After this time judgement loses its freshness and creativity. When I feel that it’s coming, I switch to a different work and medium. It keeps me going and pushes projects forward day by day.

Mutation Study 53, Jan Manski,
2010 / 26 x 32 cm (10 1/16 x 12 9/16 in)
fat, plaster, pencil on paper
photo janmanski.com

Tell us what to expect from Eugenica. When and where will the exhibition take place? 

I’m fascinated with bio-engineering and the transformation of Eugenica in relation to modern genetics. The Eugenica series is currently in progress. I’m gathering materials and working on the first definitive pieces. As Eugenica is a futuristic project there will be some digital equipment involved that is new to me. It seems like an exciting trip.  I can’t wait to work on it seriously, but to do that I have to gather many, many objects and it takes time. Showing a piece from all three series is an exciting possibility which hopefully may happen in 2015 at BREESE LITTLE. The focus would be to contextualise the three parts and the relationships between them.

Orthosis II, Jan Manski,
2011 / 70 x 55 cm (27 9/16 x 21 5/8 in)
ultrachrome print
photo janmanski.com

Will there be an album with the entire trilogy?

The Onania and Possesia chapters are already printed and waiting for the Eugenica section. There will be also a vast ‘making of’ part. The book will be approximately 150 pages. At 33 x 47 cm it will make a huge catalogue.

What is next for you?

At the moment I’m working on paintings unrelated to the trilogy, something totally different. I think the most fruitful results come when you learn not to fall in love with your work, leave it behind and go further. At the same time I feel content with what I have done so far but I feel like I’m just approaching an end of the beginning.

Jan Manski, February 2014

Jan Manski: POSSESIA at Breese Little, London
27 February – 12 April

http://www.breeselittle.com

The post JAN MANSKI: I AM INTERESTED IN CREATING THE MOST NARCISSISTIC OF WORLDS appeared first on INHALE MAG.

They’re semi-autobiographical in that certain themes or motifs reflect what is happening to me at the time. For example, I draw more birds and plants in spring. I draw more skull and bones when things are coming to an end or dying. I draw guitars when I’ve been playing music. I draw wooden constructions when I’m building things. And so on.
Sometimes these things form mini, short-term obsessions in my non-drawing life and populate my work consciously. Sometimes they sneak in without much consideration.

Many artists claim that this job is a full-time occupation, since their mind is always looking for subjects, always questioning the environment. How do you work when it comes to inspiration?
I try to let inspiration come naturally. I don’t really try to seek it unless I have creative block. If I’m struggling to be creative, then I open a book, watch a film, go to a museum, go for a walk or look through previous sketchbooks.
I find that if I attempt to ‘question my environment’ too much then my work becomes a little too contrived and literal. Or perhaps I’m just too self-obsessed and inward. Or maybe I am questioning my environment on a level I don’t really consider. I’m not sure. I just like drawing.

Nobrow 7 – Brave New World
photo showchicken.com

Your characters seem to come from another world. Can you describe a little how this space looks like?
I have no idea. If I did, I probably wouldn’t tell. I’d rather let that space exist in the mind of the viewer than impose my take on things. Once an artist starts spelling everything out then I lose interest. The imaginative process shouldn’t just occur in the creator’s head. Explicit and singular meanings can sap the life from a picture.

Your animals either have elements from humans or are making actions that are human-like. Why are you interested in antropomorphy?
I like marrying oddness and uncomfortableness with the familiar. If I can mix in some everyday banalness then that seems to add another layer of the bizarre. Also, the human form is very expressive, and can open up more possibilities and expressions in character design than with the forms of other animals.

Drummer Bird
photo showchicken.com

Your characters seem in transition or seem to be preparing for something, or they are seen moving. What do you think this state brings to them and, therefore, to your works?
I think it helps build the layers of narrative to the work. From what happened previously to what happens next. Usually my characters seem a little at odds with the worlds they inhabit and they have other weirdos to encounter and coexist with. Sometimes it’s harmonious, other times it ends -or probably will end- badly for at least one party.

Since you work with this subject, if you were an animal, what animal would you be?
Ideally one of those monkeys that live deep within the forest, up a tree somewhere. I don’t think sharing this planet with humans must be very fun.

The Journey
photo showchicken.com

We were thinking about the fact that your works really create a specific environment. Which music would fit your works?
I don’t know. Either silence or some sort of percussive orchestra using logs and branches. Maybe some remix of a foley artist’s off-cuts.

You are also interested in the double (characters that look the same and so on). Why is this important and what do you think it creates for the viewer?
I’m still figuring that out. I like the idea of Frankenstein’s monster, Robocop, etc… where these characters exists, or have been created but don’t really know or understand what they are or why. The double can suggest mutants, split personality, a world of crazy gravity (as could be the case with the double skulls), or the idea that these characters have been built or assembled by either a greater power or by themselves. Much like a sandwich.

Snake Wrap
photo showchicken.com

Birds, snakes, skulls would be the main characters that populate your works. Why are these present more than others?
I grew up in the country in Australia. You see birds very often and snakes semi regularly. So I guess that’s the semi-autobiographical element sticking its beak in. The skulls are fun to draw. I started drawing them over and over when I was commissioned to do a Mexican Day of the Dead piece. Then certain important people and things in my life came to an end. So I kept up with the skulls. I will stop drawing them when I get bored of them.

Tell us a little about the process – from the first thought until the moment you put down your instruments.

I keep an A5 sized sketchbook where I try to draw lots of ideas as quick as possible. Usually on public transport where your brain is in a slightly different state. Once I start to see interesting ideas emerge I focus on certain elements and draw them repeatedly until the idea is refined enough to take it to the next step. Then I draw it big. This takes ages as crosshatching isn’t quick (not for me anyway). Sometimes I add colour at the end. Either with pigment or pixels.

Scarlett Clock Whine
photo showchicken.com

Which materials you like to work with?
For recording ideas I use a Moleskine sketchbook because the paper is nice and smooth and can take a beating. For finished works, I’ve started working on Arches watercolour paper. I draw mainly with mechanical pencils but I also use graphite, coloured pencils and acrylic paint. Photoshop used to be a big part of the process, but working directly on the paper is much more satisfying so I’ve been using the computer less and less.

Are you an artist that thinks about the audience or you work on your own path, regardless of the public?
When I think about the audience, I make bad work. I think it’s important to work to your own path and follow your intuition. I think that’s what people want to see. They want to be shown or let-in on this possible universe. If I give the audience what I think they want then I’ve probably made some choices based on an assumption… or reigned something in… or made something that is too close to something that already exists.
I think the work needs to be self indulgent, created intuitively and organically.

Do you ever receive requests on what to create? If so, what was the strangest one?
Not too many. I think having work that really only relates to itself negates that. I have created tattoo designs which are fun to do. But if someone was to request a portrait of their dog, I’d probably decline. Politely.

The Offering
photo showchicken.com

Tell us on what dimension you feel the most comfortable working on and why.
The images are usually A4 in size on A3 paper. Recently I’ve been trying to shake that up a little. For instance making work on post-it notes or working on A1 paper. At present I’m exploring a more organic approach to drawing, so I sit down with a large piece of paper and aim to fill a space.
If a drawing is too large then it takes ages to finish and I quickly lose interest. I like to finish drawings more than anything… so spending too long with a piece can be a little frustrating

Have you ever considered making these characters move? If so, can you think of a story?
I’ve worked in animation before. It’s a lot of very repetitive work. If someone wants to have a go, then be my guest. Not for me, though.

Skull Variations 3
photo showchicken.com

Which artists you find interesting and why?
I like James Jean, Jim Woodring, Femke Hiemstra, Raymond Lemstra, Lee Misenheimer, etc. All are artist that create their own world and aesthetic and follow it through.

We’re curious what you are working on now and where can we see it and when.

I’m currently working towards my first solo exhibition which will be at the end of May. I may reveal some work in progress or I might keep it all under wraps until the show. I’m not sure.

Thank you so much! We’re looking forward to the exhibition.

The Drummer
photo showchicken.com

Skull Man
photo showchicken.com

The Seeding
photo showchicken.com

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That’s an interesting question… the visual language that I express through my works is not something I’ve been searching for. It’s something that came natural for me. Even expressing myself in different media the same visual language comes to the surface every time. The way I create reflects my imagination and how I see the world.

photography by Jonas Lindström

If we look at your works, we see that some of them have a certain shape – fluid-like. How do you imagine these forms in the first place?

All the shapes I use in my work are object that we are surrounded by in our daily lives. I mainly collect objects in supermarkets, flea markets, party stores and on the street. I’m particularly interested in ambiguous shapes. For instance organic shapes that have a mass produced aesthetic. I’m really fascinated by this contradiction and friction within these objects.

photography by Jonas Lindström

The mask, at the beginning, was used mainly for ceremonies, disguise, for performance and entertainment. How are your masks used?

I’m really fascinated by tribal masks and traditional headgear and science fiction helmets. I never imagine before hand for who or what my objects are made for. My objects are not literally functional in that sense. I’d rather leave that to the viewer’s imagination.

How does one of your wearable works transform the person who wears it?

The objects I create are an extension of the body.

I’ve noticed that you like to mix baroque elements with contemporary ones, for example, as if there was a melting process. Can you tell us a little more about this process?

As I’ve mentioned… I collect a lot of objects. These objects come together in my studio. I call it the cabinet of rarities. From there I start creating… I cut, glue and assemble the objects together and transform them in to new shapes. It’s a really visceral process. A process of demolishing an recreating. The final shape gets covered in a layer of epoxy. This gets sanded in polished many times until it has the ‘perfect’ shape. Finally the object gets covered in several layers of paint and finished in a thick layer of lacquer.

photography by Jonas Lindström

Is there a story behind masks? If so, can you give us an example?

I don’t have a clear story with every series of pieces I create. But they are inspired by and built out of several elements that speak to my imagination. For instance I created a series of works based on insects, medieval armor and car parts.

How long do you work on one of your wearable works? Do you work alone or you have a team that helps you? Do you have an assistant? Who helps you with the production?

Depending on the project… the production of a piece can vary from a weeks till several months. It depends how complicated the design is. I mainly work alone and rarely work with assistants. This because I’m a control freak and love to make a piece from the beginning to the end myself. I don’t reproduce any pieces simply because it’s boring and I don’t like to repeat myself. I do reflect but my work is evolving all the time.

Your works are unconventional. How do they fit in the program of a gallery? Also, how do you present them: as pictures, as objects, using models?

I don’t show my wearable objects in a gallery that often. I think they function better within the context of theatre, contemporary dance or performance art. I also collaborate with pop musicians. I think it’s great to show my work outside the of a sterile environment of gallery and museum. In this way art becomes easier accessible and available for everyone… as it should be in my opinion.

copyrights Rein Vollenga

It is clear that you are interested, if not fascinated, by the human body. Why is that?

I don’t know… It just feels very primal to me… I’ve always been fascinated by transformation and ambiguity.

You like to collaborate with other artists. I mention here Mugler, Lady Gaga and New Power Studio. How was it to work with them, since your artistic areas are different?

It’s really nice to have interaction with other artists… everybody has his own precious skills and ideas. In a good collaboration you invoke each other. This might bring you out of your comfort zone and challenges you to create and experience new things.

copyrights Rein Vollenga

Your divide your works into Wearable and Sculptures, you exhibit in galleries, and at the same time your works are present on catwalks and in videos, your works seem to cross boundaries between artistic areas. If you were to work in another medium (artistic or not), what would you choose and why?

I would love to be a professional dancer, singer / performance artist. Simply because I love dancing… it’s really physical and pure. Right now I only dance when I’m clubbing… I’m not a bad dancer… but my moves are just coupled from hip hop videos. Unfortunately I’m not good with choreography.

Which contemporary artists you appreciate? Why?

Berlinde de Bruyckere, beautifully crafted and emotionally very intense work.

How would you describe your art? And which was the most unexpected thing someone said about your works?

I don’t like to describe my work, I like to leave that to the imagination of the viewer. I am aware that I can influence the way how people perceive or see the object I create… but I don’t want to teach or dictate anything.

photography by Jonas Lindström

​I imagine that you draw your inspiration from somewhere. What are you inspired by at the present moment?

Right now I’m fascinated by natural structures stones, sea shells. I’m also doing a lot of research about birds of prey.

Do you have a clear direction about the following years regarding your artistic vision or are you open to new things that would shift your plans?

I’m always open to new things. In the future I’d like to focus on working with contemporary dance groups, opera and theatre. I would love to work on stage design and costumes for a big production.

We can’t wait to hear which are the projects you take part in at the present moment, so do tell us.

Right now I’m collaborating with an American pop musician, unfortunately I can’t reveal more yet.

Thank you! We’ll keep an eye on your work!

photography by Jonas Lindström

photography by Jonas Lindström

The post REIN VOLLENGA: THE OBJECTS I CREATE ARE AN EXTENSION OF THE BODY appeared first on INHALE MAG.

I’m fascinated by the animal and plant world, I love myths, fables, fantastic stories with characters that mix human and animal features, I love Walton Ford’s work, old naturalistic illustrations of plants and animals, the illustrations of Ernst Haeckel, etc. So you can see how all these personal tastes influence and shape my illustrations and paintings.
I’m not really interested in the mythology and religion of a specific country or area, I just like to be open to many influences, suggestions, to take different elements and mix them together in characters and scenes.
Animals are pretty magical, in most of the stories I like, the hero has an animal side-kick, some sort of magical guide, a link to nature. So in many of my illustrations the animal is a magical friend.

Patterns and use of color as well as motifs from folklore can be found quite often in your works. What is it that you get from this domain?
Personally I don’t really see that many folk influences in my work. But my girlfriend Aitch is super fond of folklore motifs, and she opened my appetite for Folk Art and Naïve Art, so maybe my tastes in art reflect in my pieces. I like the fresh colors, the disregard for realistic perspective and proportions, the use of patterns and unexpected details. And of course, the presence of animal costumes and masks not only in Romanian folklore, but in many other countries all over the world. So I guess I am kinda influenced by folklore.

Also, you use characters that remind of devil or that have tribal roots. Are you interested in making works that have a religious background?
I don’t really think I paint particularly devilish characters – many of my characters have horns though, but they’re not devil horns, they’re more like some sort of godly attribute. I do like to create some sort of ambiguity around my characters and scenes, and many of them are inspired by myths and folklore, but I’m not really interested in religion and creating work that has a specific religious meaning or message. My pieces pretty much work as illustrations of untold stories, personal myths, etc.

Are you interested in the nature of good and evil? Why?

One of the shows I had in collaboration with Aitch, in Canada and in Vienna last year, was called “The Garden of Good & Evil”. As I said, I like creating ambiguous scenes, with characters that mix many different details like horns, bird features, snakes, skulls, flowers, animal heads – so the whole feel of the piece would be magical and dreamlike, the difference between good and evil is blurred, and the viewer is compelled to find all sorts of meanings and stories.

In the Forest

Where do you find your inspiration?
In general there are certain details that pop-up for me in the art that I love, or specific lines in books, that are very visual and striking for me, or certain frames in movies. I’m pretty much inspired by many different stuff – Walton Ford, naturalistic illustrations of plants, animals, Ernst Haeckel’s illustrations of marine life, old painters like Arcimboldo, Bosch, Brueghel, floral patterns, Islamic art, Naïve Art, old Renaissance costumes and armors, etc. I like to take small bits and details from here and there and put them all together into something new.

The CharmerI

Your series are so different one from another. How do you get to really stop, detach and concentrate on a new one?
I have these phases in which I’m interested in a particular subject, or like to paint in a specific way, but soon the subject, the shapes, the technique, everything seems a bit exhausted and I need a change, so I just take breaks in which I just suck in stuff – art, books, movies, tv shows, music, walks through the city, until I feel like I have something fresh to create and focus on.

You are present more and more in exhibitions, but you also work on commissioned works and so on. What do you prefer most: working on paper, on walls etc.?

I try to make the best I can with each medium, either if it’s a commercial commissioned work, or if it’s something more personal. And all the techniques and supports have their charm and also their shortcomings, but I’m trying to adapt and make the best of it. I used to prefer working on canvas and wood and I kinda dismissed working on paper, but now I find that I love more and more working on paper, right now acrylic on paper is perfect for what I like to do.
And of course I always love a good big wall + lots of paints + a cherry-picker.

Other & Saddo in Dresden

 
I assume that being a street artist, as you were at some point, is different from what you do today. In what way?
I think I’m a bit more mature now, my influences, interests, subjects are more varied, I also developed my technique, I explored new stuff, new techniques and mediums. A few years ago when I was mostly doing street art my work was pretty much limited to black and white monsters and creatures or zombies.
Nowadays I’m more attracted to surrealist, dreamlike, colorful illustrations or paintings, fantastical creatures, birds, animals, more elaborate scenes and compositions, etc. And I’m more focused on work for art shows.
But I always happily accept and love the chance to paint a good mural when it comes my way.

We know that some projects you make are with Aitch. How is it to work alone compared to working with someone else?
We work together on different shows, for example “The Golden Hours” at Calina Gallery in Timisoara, or “The Garden of Good and Evil” at La Petite Mort and (((Parentheses))) in Canada – meaning that we have common subjects and themes, even specific motifs that we both use, but we do our work separately, and our styles are pretty different. But every once in a while we do work together on the same piece. But as I develop my technique, style, personal taste, etc, I find it more and more difficult to adapt to working with someone else. But it is fun to do it every once in a while, I’ve collaborated with a bunch of artists on sketches, illustrations, commissioned projects, murals, etc. It’s probably more fun than working alone, cause the responsibility for the result is shared, the artists can always talk, argue, each can bring fresh, different ideas and details, and can basically rely on each other – so in most cases the result is more fun, fresh and unexpected than each artist’s individual work.

What did you discover while working with her?
Wow, a whole lotta things, techniques, mediums, I learned to push myself into new directions, to accept uncomfortable tasks, and I also developed my personal taste in art a great deal. I owe a lot to Aitch’s influence and support.

Aitch&SaddoII-Halifax,Canada

Aitch&Saddo

You exhibit your prices on your FB page. How come you took this decision and which is the outcome?
Cause I want it to be more clear that the works are for sale, cause sometimes people can’t really tell if a work is for sale unless they see the price. And it is pretty customary to give all the details about each piece, in case someone is interested in purchasing it. The outcome is that more people realize that my work is for sale, and more people actually purchase pieces from me.

How do you work? Is everything well-planned when you start or it might change during the project? Choose one work and tell us a little bit about the process.
What I usually answer to this question is that I have two completely different approaches, depending on my mood.
Sometimes I plan out in advance really carefully, I do research on the subject, collect lots of visual references – for example for my latest series of three canvases, made for a show about masks in Croatia, I collected lots of images of old costumes, armors, helmets and masks from different areas of the world, Renaissance paintings, images of cats and foxes, plants, shells, etc. Then I printed out some of them, I started putting everything together in black and white sketches, and then when I was pleased with the sketch I started working on the actual paintings. From then the process has its ups and downs, some areas or details are really nice and fun to work on, others are more boring and frustrating, but it’s always pleasing when I add the final details and the piece is suddenly cohesive.
And there’s the other approach, when I’m not in the mood for thinking or researching or planning stuff, when I just start making, usually it starts with a background, sometimes really colorful and playful, sometimes dark and monochromatic. And then based on the background I start building a character, adding more and more details. Usually this approach is much more fun as a process, the result is very fresh and catchy, but the planned out pieces are more solid and “serious”.

Each work, if taken in particular, seems to be coming from a specific story. How do you work when it comes to a character, for eg, do you create a specific context for each or it is something random?
Sometimes I think of stories, not anything very specific or detailed, more like a sketch, a hint of a story, and then it pretty much develops while I work on the piece. And each character or feature or detail that I add brings something more to the story. And I like to reuse elements, motifs, characters, this way they seem like they’re part of a bigger picture or story or myth.

There is always a discussion around the artistic studies. How did the University help you and in which way it didn’t?
I think it helped me develop my technique and skills, widen my knowledge of art, work in a competitive artistic environment. But it also made me aware of my limitations, it imposed certain… restrictions, and by the time I graduated it almost completely inhibited me for a while. And street art helped me get away from my inhibitions, frustrations, from the restraints imposed by the academic environment, and see and make art with a more free and fresh feeling.

Do you remember saying at one point: This is it, this is what I want to do, or it all came easily, changing little by little until it got to this point where you are now? Tell us a little bit about the process.
I don’t really know exactly a specific moment when I decided I wanted to be an artist, it probably started when I went to art university, and then it got clearer when I started doing street art. At that point I was also working as a designer, then I slowly started to be more focused on my art until it became clear that this is what I want to do, and that when I’m not doing it I feel pretty useless. So even if sometimes it’s frustrating and I’m almost in constant doubt about what I do, I know that art is the only thing I kinda know how to do and the only thing that makes me feel like I have some kind of purpose in life.

Which artists influenced you and in which way? Starting with your childhood.
When I was a kid I was very influenced by my friend Robert, who was really into comics, fantasy art, sci-fi, horror, stuff like that, we were both fans of H.R. Giger.
Another major influence in my life and art is my girlfriend Aitch, she’s one of my favorite artists and she motivated me to try new stuff, new techniques, and to refine my taste in art. My friend Other aka Troy Lovegates, one of my favorite street artists, I got the chance to know him, work with him on a few murals, and his way of working, his work ethics were a huge influence and motivation for me.
And I’m also very inspired, influenced, motivated by many many artists, Walton Ford, Rousseau, Brueghel, Arcimboldo, Ernst Haeckel, and also young artists whose work I follow constantly online.
Can you imagine which is the direction your art will go?
I don’t know, I’d rather not think about it too much and be surprised by it.
Tell us a little about your on-going projects.

I just finished working on a series of canvases for a group show about Masks, that will open in February in Rijeka, Croatia.

I’ve also been working on the key-visual for one of the most important art fairs in Europe, STROKE, and me and Aitch will probably have a few works for sale at the art fair.

And I’m preparing to start working on a solo show, I think my first solo show in a long while, in a nice small gallery – “Objectos Misturados”, in a beautiful small town in Portugal – Viana do Castello. The whole idea of the show started from an illustration I recently made, called “Rise of The Bird People”, which depicts a scene in a bizarre world in which humans have devolved and are used in the same way animals are now used by humans, and the ruling race is a sort of super evolved bird. I was pretty inspired by Planet of the Apes, and by paintings and illustrations of Conquistadors, and of course my fascination for birds. So the whole show will consist of scenes of the Birds People’s conquest of the human race. The show will open in May.

I’ll also have another duo-show with Aitch at “La Petite Mort” Gallery in Ottawa, in August. We’re also thinking of gathering images of all the artworks we create during this year and show them and sell them as prints in collaboration with Atelier Olschinsky in Vienna sometime at the end of the year.

Thank you for your time and good luck! We’ll surely keep an eye on your work.

Rise of the Bird People

The Scientist

The Wizard

Bangkok Mural

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