vhcle
ISSUE 17 SPRING 2015 / VHCLE MAGAZINE
Featured A rticle: Tolerating Intolerance – The Complexities of Democratic Idea ls / Vhcle Books: Why Young Adult Fiction Isn’t Just for Young Adults, JPod, Yes Man / Vhcle Man: Alex Cornell / Featured Artists: Kirsten Stolle, Thoka Maer, Alicia Palenyy
Thoka Maer Featured Artwork (pp50 - 61) , SwissMag_ K INK I #41
contents VHCLE MAGAZINE / ISSUE 17
art
04 contents
music film
05 MASTHEAD
photography Design
06-07 Contributors
fashion life
08-13 Tolerating Intolerance – The Complexities of Democratic Ideals
books
By Tim Sunderman
Vhcle man / Woman
/ Recommendations
14-29 VHCLE BOOKS 16-19 Why Young By Emma Davies
Adult Fiction Isn’t Just for Young Adults
20-25 JPod Reviewed by Tom Victor 26-29 Yes Man Reviewed by Dave Chawner 30-33 VHCLE MAN: Alex
Cornell
34-73 FEATURED ARTISTS
04
36-49 Q&A
with Kirsten Stolle
50-61 Q&A
with Thoka Maer
62-73 Q&A
with Alicia Palenyy
masthead MASTHEAD / CONTRIBUTORS
Charlie Lee / Founding Director charlie@vhcle.com Editorial
Cassie Lee / Founding Editor cassie@vhcle.com Jamie Thunder / Books Editor, Sub-Editor jamie@vhcle.com Designers
Raoul Ortega / Visual Director raoul@vhcle.com Thomas Adcock / Visual Designer thomas@vhcle.com CONTRIBUTORS
Tim Sunderman, Emma Davies, Tom Victor, Dave Chawner, Alex Cornell, Thoka Maer, Kirsten Stolle, Alicia Palenyy Cover: Thoka Maer, Brave New World Vhcle Books: Illustration by Thomas Adcock -Vhcle Magazine Tel: USA +1 415.364.8568 Email: charlie@vhcle.com Issuu: issuu.com/vhcle / Twitter: @vhcle / Facebook: Vhcle Mag / Instagram: instagram.com/vhcle -Published by Charlie Lee: Vhcle Magazine, www.vhcle.com. All content copyright 2015. All rights reserved. Without limiting rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission from both the copyright owner and the publisher of this magazine. Vhcle Magazine is not responsible for the return or loss of, or for any damage or injury to, any unsolicited manuscripts or artwork.
05
CONTRIBUTORS / alphabetically by last name
– Vhcle — United Kingdom
dave chawner / writer
Dave Chawner is an award winning comedian and writer who has written for magazines such as Cosmopolitan. Appearances on TV and Radio, such as a Loaded’s ‘Lad’s Lit’ show in which he is a regular panelist. Also, a features writer and ardent campaigner and presenter. – Vhcle — San Francisco, CA
alex cornell / vhcle man
Alex Cornell is a filmmaker, designer, and musician based in San Francisco. He is the director of Moonbase, a creative production studio. Previously he was the cofounder and creative director of UberConference. www.alexcornell.com – Vhcle — United Kingdom
emma davies / writer
Emma Davies is a journalist from the south-west of England. She likes books, red wine and her duvet, and is at her happiest when managing to combine this trio of good things. – Vhcle — New York
thoka maer / illustrator Thoka Maer illustrates and creates animated illustrations also known as GIFs. With pencil, natural as it is or digitally colorized. She has since created illustrations for print and screen. The scope of her work runs the gamut from the figurative/narrative to the abstract/surreal, though is held together by the consistent use of pencil and crayon. She graduated in Visual Communication in 2014 from the University of the Arts, Berlin, and is now located in New York. www.thokamaer.com
06
vhcle issue 17
– Vhcle — Sacramento, CA
alicia palenyy / artist
Alicia Palenyy, originally from Ukraine, has lived half of her life in the United States. She has a background in graphic design, and likes to draw because it’s fun. Follow her on Instagram @neighborhood1 – Vhcle — North Carolina
kirsten stolle / Artist
Kirsten Stolle is a visual artist examining issues surrounding our food supply. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the San Jose Museum of Art, Crocker Art Museum, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Her drawings and collages have been published in Poetry Magazine, DIALOGIST, Made In Mind Magazine, SLICE, Spolia Literary Magazine, and New American Paintings. www. kirstenstolle.com – Vhcle — San Francisco, CA
tim sunderman / writer
Tim Sunderman is a graphic designer in the San Francisco bay area who does most of his art without a computer, using traditional techniques in drawing, painting, photography, calligraphy, and even sculpture. He is a graduate of the Academy of Art in San Francisco. He eschews speaking of himself in the third person, as he is here, but doesn’t mind too much for shameless self-promotion. www.timsunderman.com – Vhcle — United Kingdom
Tom victor / writer
Tom Victor is a London-based magazine journalist moonlighting in PR, and the editor of sports betting blog BettingInstinct.com. Follow him on Twitter @tomvictor.
07
vhcle / L IFE
Tolerating Intolerance – The Complexities of Democratic Ideals By Tim Sunderman
-
/
Issue 17, pp8 -13
--
9 The protection of freedoms is a curiously double-edged sword. On the one hand, we want to support the open and free expression of thoughts and behaviors. Conversely, we need to protect against the expressions that harm others. This creates an exceedingly gray area. By what measure do we determine which forms of expression are protected freedoms and which are so corrosive to long term social and personal well-being that they must be restrained? Perhaps a critical look will make the question, if not the answer, clearer.
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7
Let’s first take a look at the term “tolerance” which has been so broadly used as a desirable virtue. Tolerance implies that we must attempt to endure something unlikeable. In this sense, I have never agreed with the use of the word when discussing the acceptance of different cultures and ethnicities into the social weave of our democracy. When we talk about extending tolerance to groups of people, we have created an underlying presumption that the inclusion of different people is an unpleasant imposition that we must manage with gritted teeth and silent acquiescence. This then leads to a sense of superiority, as though we have now positioned ourselves to say, “After all I have done for you, you are now indebted to me.” In this way, tolerance is not a virtue.
to be embraced. And though I realize that stretching can be a painful process, it is far preferred to the kinds of rigidity and stagnation that ultimately lead to downfall.
In situations where there is an opportunity to include other cultures and ethnicities, we should instead consider the term “appreciation”. I don’t want to tolerate the differences of others, I would much rather appreciate that difference. The broadening of social expression in its diverse forms is
010
So, let us set aside the use of the term tolerance as it is applied to people and turn instead to its use as applied to forms of speech and opinions. Here is where we are really tested. We are living in times of heightened polarization of opinions and a severe erosion of civility. We seem to be falling into one of the most immature pitfalls of debate, and that is that we are resorting to attacking the speaker as opposed to responding to the speech. We must take care to first understand what is being said so that we can assess and formulate our own position without regard to what the polarized positions are. But beyond understanding what is being said, we must also determine what covert agenda may also underlie speech. Only then are we in a position to present a reasoned position in regard to ideas.
/ Tolerat i ng I n tolera nce – the comple x it i es of democrat ic ideals
That would be an ideal discipline to stand by. But we are emotional creatures, often swayed more by gut reaction than logic. I am certainly not immune from emotional responses to certain expressions of free speech. When I hear stories of the Westboro Baptist Church using the right of free speech to disrupt funeral services for soldiers killed in war because they hate gays, I have a visceral emotional response that tempts me to imagine ways to shut them down. But, does that truly serve the long range common good? This is the main point — how broadly shall we tolerate speech that professes intolerance of others? The judicial support for the constitutional first amendment is fairly strong in the United States. Speech and the presentation of beliefs, no matter how hateful or unreasonable, are protected. However, when that speech goes beyond presenting beliefs and opinions, and incites people to commit crimes, it is no longer under the protection of the first amendment. Further, hate speech crime is when that speech incites action against someone “because of the
race, religion, color, disability, sexual orientation and national origin or ancestry of that person.” In an over-simplified summary, when criminal action is the direct result of speech, that speech or form of expression is outside the law. That sounds agreeable. But when speech simply expresses hatred, it needs to be allowed. Why? The reason for the right to free speech, even if it is fear-based and unintelligent, is that ideas need an unfettered arena for expression. After all, some people are fearful of others. Some people are unintelligent. These predispositions cannot be left out of the public discourse. Suppression can only increase the desire for expression until it finally erupts in violence. That is human nature. And so we are compelled to stand by the law that permits even hateful expressions because we feel that we are strong enough as a society to not just withstand, but to become stronger because of free expression.
011
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7
But this confidence is not always justified. Germany is now struggling with certain anti-Islamic protests that are triggering the hypersensitivities of Nazi era anti-Semitic fallout. Germany is all too aware of the power of fear-based rhetoric that scapegoats ethnicity and the speed at which social order can break down. There are strict laws in Germany that prohibit the display of swastikas and the use of the phrase “über alles” (“above all”). The association these have to the unspeakable crimes of Nazi rule are still very incendiary in German culture, and their mere appearance is considered too inflammatory to be tolerated. In the United States and most other democratic countries with strong free speech laws, there are no such restrictions.
Hebdo, they are condemning an entire religion. The painful answer is that free speech must prevail. And one reason for this is that each successive protest by PEGIDA is attracting fewer and fewer people. It is as though the freedom of expression has the effect of deflating the energy of the organization. These protests in Dresden fear the “Islamization of the West.” And yet, only 0.1% of Dresden is Muslim. Less than 6% of Europe is Muslim. It’s like the alarmist fear-mongering of Fox news fomenting hatred against Muslims by suggesting that America is soon to be subjected to Sharia law.
So, now that there are anti-Islamic protests by the political group PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West), how should these expressions of intolerance be legally handled? Keep in mind, these protesters are not condemning the actions of terrorists in the wake of the murders at the French magazine Charlie
012
No person capable of rational thought believes this. But fearful people need a path by which to express their fears in a rapidly changing landscape. Not everyone is as adaptable as others, and they require a place to express that fear. In Germany, the United States, and other places in the world, we often see counter protests to hate speech. It is not uncommon to see counter demonstrations where the
/ Tolerat i ng I n tolera nce – the comple x it i es of democrat ic ideals
opposition outnumbers groups like the KKK or the Westboro Baptist Church. So, one built-in safeguard to social stability is the right for mainstream points of view to be louder and more reasonable than fringe hate groups. We must not sink to the same lack of civility and behaviors that we do not like from others. The sooner we can get past polarizing thought and excoriating those with whom we disagree, the sooner we can get to a thoughtful dialogue that will require less tolerance and foster greater appreciation.
013
-
vhcle books /
Issue 17, pp14 -29
/ Illustration by Thomas Adcock
vhcle books --
16
Why Young Adult Fiction Isn’t Just for Young Adults --
By Emma Davies /
V hcle Book s, Issue 17, pp16 -19
I am a grown-up. A proper, fully fledged one who lives independently, does laundry
and pays taxes. I know how to change a lightbulb, bleed a radiator and understand political debate. I wear sensible shoes, eat broccoli of my own free will and nurture hobbies akin to those of a ‘50s housewife. And so I can certainly read like an adult; this is well within my capabilities. I would rather consume the book than the movie, my bookshelf is meticulously alphabeticised and I have at least considered reading War and Peace (even if I haven’t ever gotten around to actually doing so). But my slightly guilty secret is this: I really quite like reading young adult fiction, despite the fact I am by no means a ‘young’ adult (sigh). Some people use their Kindles to hide the
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7
fact that they’re reading smut on the bus; I use mine to disguise how I am at frequent intervals reading novels aimed at an audience whose upper age bracket is a good decade south of my last birthday. I only feel slightly ashamed of this, though, because a good chunk of it – a chunk that doesn’t include the likes of Twilight and Girl Online – is actually quite fantastic. It’s a harmless vice I’ve become really quite fond of. My favourite novel of 2014 was E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars. A haunting tale of an amnesiac girl summering on a private island with her old-money family that plays its hand by slow degrees, it had me utterly enraptured from intriguing start to tragic close. Having plucked it from the Kindle bestseller list, it wasn’t until I Googled it afterwards for more information that I even realised I was not its intended demographic. A voice that distinctive and graceful is wasted on teenagers. Read it. Seriously, do. See also John Green, whose prose may not be as sparkling, but whose characters certainly are. Will Grayson, Will Grayson’s (written in tandem with David Levithan) Tiny Cooper is an all-singing, all-dancing, out-and-proud teen with a refreshing surplus of self-esteem. He’s an exciting character, and one that I damn well wanted to be friends with. Same for Looking for Alaska’s titular tearaway. Sure, her angst struck me as… well, annoyingly adolescent (which serves me right), but I’d have been in her gang if she’d let me. Green’s megahit The Fault in Our Stars may have been a cynical attack on the heartstrings, but that didn’t stop me from devouring it in a single evening, sobbing solidly through roughly the final quarter. And that’s the real thing about YA fiction, as an adult with a decent reading speed: it’s a lovely palate-cleanser. I can tear through such a novel in an afternoon or two, with that offering a break between lengthier, more involved reads. If I’m tired, ill or stressed, I don’t always want to act like the adult I am. I might not fancy the clever-
018
/ W h y you ng adult fiction isn’ t just for you ng adults
clever writing of Ian McEwan or the extended sentences of Donna Tartt. In those situations, dipping into Annabel Pitcher’s Ketchup Clouds or Gayle Forman’s If I Stay is the literary equivalent of running home to my mum and getting her to make me dinner – perhaps not befitting my age, but a welcome pleasure nonetheless.
019
vhcle books --
20
JPod Douglas Coupland
--
Reviewed by Tom Victor /
V hcle Book s, Issue 17, pp20 -25
Douglas Coupland seems like a rather divisive author in his own way, the
supposed accessibility of his more famous novels detracting from their literary merit amongst traditionalists, with New York Times reviewer Dave Itzkoff suggesting jPod represents the moment where “[Coupland’s] satirical streak and his social consciousness finally stop fooling around with each other and settle down together”. Yet the author continues to be held in high esteem by fans precisely for his ability to ignore a repressive narrative structure and set of social norms through the imposition of dysfunctional and at times anti-moralistic environments. For some, it is not so much that he captures the zeitgeist, but more that he borrows it, gets what he wants from it, and then returns it to its original place while protesting that it must have been someone else who tilted it to one side. jPod (named for the office space shared by co-workers whose surnames all begin with J) is the first of his novels to so openly and apologetically acknowledge this painting of the Vancouver resident, a (hopefully) fictional version of the author entering the story as it is just starting to get ‘interesting’ by established standards and ultimately ending the narrative on his own terms.
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7
Fictional Coupland is a consciously polarizing figure, being told to “fuck off and die” by the novel’s protagonist, while simultaneously earning the adulation of those more incidental to the story. In a way this could itself be interpreted as a more cynical riff on ‘Generation Xers’, where alpha characteristics are less essential and desirable and there is plenty to be said for doing just enough to make it to the next phase in life. And what better place to impart such an anti-utilitarian cycle than the realm of the video game industry, where the consumer needs to do little more than advance to the next checkpoint. At times this confluence works against the novel as a pure literary work, with cutaways inserted arbitrarily in an act of self-sabotage, if not a satirisation of the perceived impatience of the imagined target audience – a sign of real Coupland pre-empting fictional Coupland by spoiling the linear structure. jPod meanders between plot progression and problem-solving, somewhere between an early educational PC game and the myriad distractions faced by underworked office drones, with the characters’ challenges interposed in a way that some might consider to neatly break up the narrative but others might regard as a harsh interruption. Again, this can be seen to represent a deliberately antagonistic intrusion in keeping with Coupland’s fictionalised self, verging on a reflection of a newcomer to a complex game mashing the keypad in an attempt to shortcut their way to victory over a more experienced adversary. However these attempts to overcome variance in the short-term will eventually be found-out, and in Coupland’s case this comes with those cutaways which do not quite land. The relapses into Simpsons references, for example, often feel forced and lacking an informed voice, even though their intention is clearly identifiable and understandable. This can, of course, be seen as a conscious ploy within the context of the novel’s wider inaccessibility, a theme enhanced by the presence of a theoretical protagonist, Ethan
022
/ jPoD
Jarlewski, who is excluded from much of the action. Such a direction is led by Ethan’s relationship with the fictional Coupland, whose ingratiation with the protagonist’s colleagues and family ensures enough of the action takes place off-screen, so to speak. This in turn adds a layering which positions Ethan himself as the clueless pawn akin to those who his own main drive – the addition of an evil clown Easter egg in the video game on which he is working – intends to exploit. The clown thread, featuring a bastardized Ronald McDonald with a backstory more complex than many of the human characters, gives Coupland an opportunity to veer slightly from the obvious consumerist metonym of the golden arches and preemptively dismiss allegations of entry-level satire. Indeed it allows him to explicitly point out to his audience and critics that he’s avoiding one cliché, and by doing so give himself more leeway to adopt a broad-brush approach to other homages. This is not necessarily a problem, given that the author’s use of Ronald is ostensibly in place to mirror the incomplete-information theme affecting Ethan, and by extension the reader who sees the novel’s plot points through the protagonist’s microscope. Suddenly any jealousy at not being party to Coupland’s off-camera travails develops an air of hypocrisy in the light of Ethan keeping the Easter egg from not only the ultimate players of the video game, but also some of his superiors. Readers’ enjoyment of jPod will largely come down to how they absorb the deliberate attempts to frustrate. Indeed, it is tough to determine whether it is even meant to be enjoyed, or whether Coupland’s aggressive counter-narrative is a deliberate bar-lowering exercise. The forced hatred of Coupland’s fictional self can be detached from the real equivalent, even if there are no appeals for that version to be revered, liked, or even tolerated. That moves the debate to something simpler: whether those patronised by the layout are prone to an ironic acceptance of the approach, and whether those removed from the jPod world can convincingly laugh at those apathetic to their own mockery. To bring things back to The Simpsons, the situation resembles
023
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7 / jpod
Bart’s response to a bully’s taunt of “nice PJs, did your mommy buy them for you” with “of course she did, who else would have.” One person’s hitting too close to home is another’s shrug of self-acknowledgement, and to call jPod a 550-page forced insult is not necessarily a criticism, as the self-conscious asides which add nothing in a cosmetic or even a narrative sense are precisely what gives the novel a sufficient illusion of depth. Just as variety can act as a substitute for intelligence in popular video games, jPod’s flaws are overtaken quickly enough by new threads that nothing hangs around long enough to garner true resentment. If you miss your target, just make it to the checkpoint – most people won’t even get that far.
/ Issue 12, pp38- 43
024
vhcle books --
26
Yes Man Danny Wallace
--
Reviewed by Dave Chawner /
V hcle Book s, Issue 17, pp26 -29
Some books should come with a health warning. This is one. The San Francisco Bay
Guardian describes Yes Man as “one of those rare books that actually has the potential to change your life…” – It did for me. I am the most cynical man you will meet. In my time I have begrudgingly listened, read and cringed to self help books. I’ve tried blogs, sites and podcasts – they make me squirm. They’re written by the sort of people who spout off meaningless phrases which are as irritating as they are pointless. However, Yes Man is an accidental self help book. That makes it much more powerful – it’s fun to read and really makes you think. For example, those tiny opportunities you are turning down every day, where could they lead you? Dumped by his girlfriend and lacking direction Danny can hardly be described as young, free and single. Inspiration comes from the most unlikely of places – a stranger on a bus, “Say Yes More”. As simple as that!
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7 / y es ma n
OK, you don’t seem convinced. I wasn’t. But you get drawn into the inspirational ludicrousy. As long as it isn’t illegal, immoral or going to kill anyone Danny says ‘yes’ to everything for a year. As he notes ‘the happiest people are the ones who understand that good things occur when one allows them to’. Reading the book inspired me to go on my own ‘Yes Adventure’. I started writing a diary to keep track of it all. Some of the smallest agreements have lead to the biggest opportunities. Since then yes has been tangled up in my life. Unlike Danny I have not won £25, 000, travelled to Singapore, Amsterdam and Wales. I haven’t got my own TV show, met the world’s only hypnotic dog and become a minister, inventor and accidental peace activist. But I have had an incredible adventure all of my own. It’s not only me who has been converted to the ways of Yes. In 2008 Hollywood was so convinced it made a film about the wonderful whimsical exploits in a movie starring Jim Carey. It is an unbelievable story of an incredible underdog. Once you say yes to reading it you open yourself up to an awesome, beautiful and fun adventure. Do you want more enjoyment in your life? We all know the answer to that – YES! Give it a go.
028
VHCLE MAN
Alex cornell V hcle Magazine Issue 17, pp30-33
It takes me
a really long time to buy anything. Every new addition to my home must pass the same rigorous evaluation, whether it’s a wristwatch or a box of cereal. I want to ensure that the object in question is the best in class — the product of much love and research by its creator. I have no patience for mediocrity. It doesn’t need to be expensive (my favorite wall clock is the Ikea Pugg), all that matters is that the object is exceptional in one or many verticals (function, style, benefit, etc). This meticulousness is a byproduct of my creative process, where fonts, colors, music, film etc. all undergo the same endless rounds of revisions and criticism. Every choice is considered.
030
-
31 031
/ Issue 17 / v hcle
B A A / design ing news Any title by publisher Gestalten is worth checking out. Francesco Franchi’s overview of the graphics and editorial design of media is a great source of inspiration, whether you’re undertaking a print or web design project. Even though it’s a few years old now, I still consult it frequently for typographic jumpstarts.
C C / susan kare prints Limited edition prints by the original Apple icon designer. I have the happy computer on grey, 24x36 (sold out). Such great artifacts of our time, not to mention a real totem of my childhood. I see it every day and it reminds me how much has changed. D
B / nomos metro watch Nomos is a terrific watch brand and the Metro is their most interesting and beautiful piece. Subtle details abound, from the quirky sea-foam green power reserve indicator, to their open case-back and in-house movement. For those looking to get into watches, Nomos is a great brand to check out. Quantities are limited though and it can take up to six months to arrive — which is part of the experience I think!
D / Tom dixon cog container This heavy, brass-plated container is gorgeous. It feels like it fell off a train engine and landed in your living room, ready to hold and keep safe whatever trinkets you put inside. All of Tom Dixon’s work is interesting, but the cog is my favorite because of its texture, weight and color.
032
/ v hcle man – Ale x co r nell
E
E / brass bottle opener My friend Scott got me this as a birthday present and I use it as often as possible. I’ll even buy cold-brew coffee just so I can break out this opener in the morning. It reminds me of TARS from Interstellar. Sturdy and purpose-built. F / philz soo good
G
F
I grind and brew my coffee every morning. Currently Philz is my favorite, though it’s a close call between them and Sightglass. I’ll usually make my morning cup, and then go for a walk to get another in the afternoon. I like to experiment with different blends and brew techniques. Rarely do the same thing for more than a month or so. G / PENGUIN PRISON A great all-around album, perfect for almost any situation. Whether you’re throwing a party, at the beach, or on a date, this album has just the right sound to augment just about any moment. Upbeat, fun, and still current-sounding despite being four years old.
H
H / haix airpower p3 Forget boring brown hiking boots, these German-made tactical boots are waterproof, breathable and made for much more inclement situations than you’ll ever find yourself in. I bought these to wear in Iceland and Antarctica and they didn’t disappoint. Normal hiking boots are fine I guess, but these work just as well (if not better) and look way cooler.
033
-
featured artists
/
Issue 17, pp34 -73
-
34
-
K irstin Stolle Thoka Maer A l i c i a Pe l e n y y
kirsten stolle -/
Vhcle Issue 17, pp36-49
36
ANIMAL PHARM investigates this controversial use of genetic modification in animals by the pharmaceutical industry. Playing off Orwell’s dystopian fable Animal Farm, these collages critique the role of corporate and government influence. Animal Pharm 7 (top)
/ vhcle
Animal Pharm 10
038
/ Issue 1 7
/ k irsten stolle
Animal Pharm 8
039
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7
Animal Pharm 4
040
/ k irsten stolle
041
/ vhcle
Tell us a little bit about yourself
What do you think is the artist’s role in society?
I was raised in Massachusetts, lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 19 years, and recently relocated to the mountains of Western North Carolina. My work is underpinned by topics that have a political framework and hit upon contemporary social issues. I primarily work in drawing and collage, and lately have been exploring installation and sound environments. For my upcoming museum show at the Turchin Center for Visual Arts, I will be designing a site-responsive 1950s kitchen installation with custom designed wallpaper and manipulated audio overlay.
Artists have a remarkable ability to creatively interpret and explore alternative ways of thinking. Great artists have the ability to reframe and readjust people’s thought processes simply by observing and creatively reflecting back what is often too scary or daunting to witness. I believe my role is to create compelling work that stimulates thoughtful conversation and invites viewers to consider additional viewpoints.
What is the inspiration behind your work? Central to my work are themes relating to biotechnology, genetic engineering, and agricultural systems. For the past several years, my focus has been the global influence of agricultural and pharmaceutical corporations on our food supply and the connection between corporate interests and public health. Many of my projects deal with current science based concerns and challenge the ongoing popular narrative. For the past six months I have been examining the impact of facial recognition technology on individual privacy and psychological health.
042
/ Issue 1 7
What superpower would you want and why? The ability to teleport so I could visit friends and family, without spending hours at the airport and on a plane. Favorite drink? My husband roasts coffee from Brazil, so definitely a cup of espresso in the morning! After a good day’s work, I’ve been known to enjoy a glass of wine or a gin gimlet.
/ k irsten stolle
Animal Pharm 9
043
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7
Drawings examining the environmenta l and hea lth consequences of overusing agricultura l chemica ls on genetica lly engineered crops. Genetically Commodif ied _ Posion Control , Hand Sprayer
044
/ k irsten stolle
Genetically Commodif ied _ Posion Control , Herbicide/Pesticide
045
/ vhcle
Virus Illumination, Elegantly clothed genetically engineered viruses.
046
/ Issue 1 7
/ k irsten stolle
047
/ vhcle
048
/ Issue 1 7
/ k irsten stolle
049
thoka maer /
V hcle Issue 17, pp50 - 61
-
50
051
It’s No Big gie
051
/ vhcle
052
/ Issue 1 7
/ thoka maer
BrooklynMag_ 2 (Lef t), BrooklynMag_ 4 (This page)
053
/ vhcle
Tell us a little bit about yourself I’m Thoka Maer, a Berlin based illustrator who has just relocated to New York. As an illustrator I make animated looping GIFs and non-animated, non-looping illustrations that get printed or can be enjoyed on screens. All time favourite tool: pencil! What is the inspiration behind your work? I was asked this question before and made a GIF that answers the question, mostly: http://payload328.cargocollective. com/1/1/60882/8878176/Frage_6.gif And the serious answer is that I think that my work takes two different directions. One where I’m mostly inspired by the average human’s experiences in every day life. It’s observational and supposed to be humorous. The other direction my illustrations take is more surreal, still full of tiny people, but here I draw most inspiration from abstract things presented to me in words. The images and stories form in my head and my right hand draws them. What do you think is the artist’s role in society? There is such a variety of roles an artist can take. I used to be and still am occasionally mildly annoyed by very provocative art. Though I learned to understand the value for the progress of society despite still not at all agreeing with it. For some artists I believe their only purpose is
054
/ Issue 1 7
to being different and showing just this to the world. Society needs annoying pebbles in its shoes. For myself, I see my role more as of a narrator, recording the time with my abilities, a producer content with a little zeitgeist. What superpower would you want and why? If time travelling is considered a superpower I would like to have this one. Jumping in time and space means no more flying on planes, meeting your young grandparents, hugging your most beloved and yet dead pet again, never being late anymore, and all the other great advantages of which there are too many to list them all. Favorite drink? Sometimes tomato juice with jalapeño tabasco and most of the time green tea, coffee and water.
/ thoka maer
BrooklynMag_ 1
055
/ vhcle
056
/ Issue 1 7
/ thoka maer
Night Window
057
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7
Transplant_ 2
058
/ thoka maer
Transplant_ 1
059
/ vhcle
060
/ Issue 1 7
/ thoka maer
061
alicia palenyy Neiborhood1 / V hcle Issue 17, pp62-73
-
62
neighborhood1
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7
neighborhood1
064
/ alici a palen y y
Tell us a little bit about yourself I knew how to use a pen before I knew how to speak. I destroyed a lot of wallpaper, books, and my dad’s drafting stuff as a kid. By this year, I’d spent exactly half of my life in the United States. I’m originally from Ukraine. I have a background in graphic design and I draw because it’s fun. What is the inspiration behind your work? Nature, science, neurology, microscope photos of minerals, human nature, pondering my own mortality and the meaning of life. What do you think is the artist’s role in society? To make life richer and more interesting, and sometimes to make people stop and think, “What would my life be without Thom Yorke? Or Haruki Murakami? Moderat?” What superpower would you want and why? I want a bottomless bank account because money solves all of life’s problems. Ok, not really. Teleporting would be nice, too. Favorite drink? I like a good beer, or sometimes New Amsterdam with a big wedge of lemon.
065
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7
neighborhood1
066
/ alici a palen y y
neighborhood1
067
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7
neighborhood1
068
/ alici a palen y y
neighborhood1
069
/ vhcle
/ Issue 1 7
neighborhood1
070
/ alici a palen y y
neighborhood1
071
/ vhcle
072
/ Issue 1 7
/ alici a palen y y
073
/
17
vhc le I ssue 18 coming 6/2015
w w w.vhcle.com