Peripheral Arteries Art Review - August 2013 by Artpress

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TAL REGEV JAMAL DE JONG PAUL HARRISON TUOMAS KOSKIALHO MARILYN GAFFNEY CASSANDRA HANKS BRANDON BARR SCHULTZ feat VDREY ANTHONY MURRAY LATRACHE ABDERRAHMANE REBECCA MORADALIZADEH BARBARA OETTINGER SEARLE

R E V I E W

Cassandra Hanks (photo by

Sterk)

Peripheral Peripheral ARTeries A

August 2013 Paul Harrison

Cassandra Hanks The terrain of our neighboring planets serves as a hypothetical landscape for what Earth used to be, could have been, or what it might become. These photographs of synthesized planetary landscapes create prophetic possibilities of the impact of natural and human acts of destruction.

Marilyn Gaffney My work primarily involves the process of collage and the use of various printing techniques. Manipulation of the image by printing process with zooming, the serendipity of ink running out and other printer ‘mistakes’ inflects the work with textures of a language close to painting. I am interested in the combination of representation, chance and abstraction in painting.

Tuomas Koskialho Koskialho’s photography is never about capturing the perfect shot, but exactly the opposite. It’s about dealing with the vulgar reality of actual experiences. Unsuccessful moments will bring a whole range of emotions with them. And usually the perfect shot would kill the moment because it’s just too vulnerable to be captured that way.

Jamal de Jong Because my perception of sound is vastly inadequate, I am adapted to reading lips and body gestures at ease. Therefore, I consider my paintings as a practical visual training tool to help viewers see a different variety of movements from just white paint.

Anthony Murray I have created a new Medium of art called "Sculptography". Sculptography is the combination of sculpture and photography. It is not just capturing a sculpture in a photo. The artist has to be the creator of both mediums. Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, but in the eye of the imaginative

Brandon Barr

Rebecca Modaralizadeh

SCHULTZ feat VDREY Since end of 2006 VDREY Feat SCHULTZ presented all over Europe their performance. They have presented their work in countries like France, UK, Swiss, Latvia, Poland, Italy or Spain for example in small and big art or music events. This last performance called « Lights Of... » is a performance mixing live act painting, video, live industrial music, dance and all kind of way of expression.

Latrache Abderrahmane

Tal Regev

Since the beginning of my artistic career, my choice was tonse pastels as my process of expression. This is simple reason that i like to paint and draw at the same time, and it is the only technique wich combines the immediacy of drawing with the sensuality of painting . In addition it offers the same aesthetic possibilities as paint

Barbara Oettinger Searle In my work as a visual artist I use digital photography to show the process of formation and articulation of individuals at different levels of socialization (intrapersonal, family and community). My work reflects, through different visual operations, new physiognomies and relationships systems that directly or indirectly refer to the bonds that organisms keep together.

Feel free to submit your artworks to our art review: just write to peripheral_arteries@dr.com III

Peripheral ARTeries

Paul Harrison

Paul Harrison (United Kingdom) an artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement

Paul Harrison's practice is primarily focused on the transformative elements of animation this could be the traditional notion of creating the illusion of movement. Or, towards an expansion on the possible uses and meanings of the medium. His work often begins in an exploration of different forms of binary or opposing forms. He lives and works somewhere in the cosmos and graduated in Fine Art from Sheffield Hallam University in 2011. Recent activity includes The Consummate Remains, 21Artists, Blackfriars Hub, London (29th April â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 21st May, 2013). Pop Up Addis, Group Show, Bata, Addis Ababa (9th May, 2013). MIVA Screening, Fonland Digital Arts Festival, H.E.P, selected by Alison Williams, Coimbra (20th April 2013). His Drawing Borghese Speculation was included in Undercurrents Magazine Issue 3, Glasgow (2013). Currently working collaboratively with artists Sarah Smizz and Catriona Mackie, on Screening. Both projects will hopefully start or take place within 2013. 1

Paul Harrison

Borghese Speculation, Graphite Pencil Drawing, 33.1 x 23.4 inch, 2012

Peripheral ARTeries

Paul Harrison

an interview with

Paul Harrison Hi Paul, and a warm welcome to Peripheral ARTeries. Let's start this interview with our usual ice breaker question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art? Moreover, what could be the feature that marks the contemporary element of an artwork?

Thank You, For me that is probably an eternal question because I believe in art as a continuous process. Also it is by nature an incredibly subjective thing, everyone has their own understanding or level of interest. For me one definition could be that art is a process through which we can develop an understanding of a reality or phenomenon. Having said that there are elements throughout art history and theory, that could allow for more of a wholesome definition to be made. What we are really discussing here is traditionally a question of Aesthetics a field of thought articulating how we can experience, judge, and evaluate a work of art.

Paul Harrison provides a holistic experience or introduction to the many ways to have an artistic practice. I met so many inspirational people whilst studying, that it influenced my student work greatly. I was caught up in the idea of an 'inter-human space' or simply the space between people and in many ways that is still part of why I am making Art. For me this space is really important as a lot of my work is derived from a consideration of this environment. I would also go on to say that this particular interest in discourse has morphed into a passion for opposites or binary, and different spectrums. However these interests would never have developed without the freedom this formal training provided. Also, speaking quite generally any degree, training, and education that you have access to is empowering and somewhat emancipatory. It is these reasons why in the United Kingdom the current raise in tuition fees and the national curriculum's attempts to judge learners against a false perception of ability.

To answer the last part of this question the contemporary or modern feature of an artwork. Could be quite difficult because it usually denotes a period of time in artistic production. Although. I would risk describing something as truly contemporary if it includes an element of transmutation. So an ordering or restructuring of several different interconnected thoughts, fields, materials, histories, and emotions. That in turn then goes on to provide a positive disruption to present thoughts and notions. This is what contemporary could be, or should be for me! Would you like to tell us something about your background? I have read that you received a BA Hons degree in Fine Art from the Sheffield Hallam University: how has this experience impacted on the way you produce Art? And what's your point about formal training? Do you think that a certain kind of training could even stifle a young artist's creativity?

Should be seen as extremely damaging, a direction that promotes inequality and unequal access to resources. I think these kinds of movements, or even ideologies are extremely stifling. So personally the only training that would hinder an artist would be an indoctrination into something that is wholly geared towards a false perception of ownership one thats more selfish in its intention or direction. Before starting to elaborate about your production, would you like to tell to our readers something about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on your work? By the way, can

My experience at the art school at Sheffield Hallam University and in the city itself was a defining period in my life. It completely destroyed and rebuilt what I though Art was or could be. The good thing about the Fine Art course is that it does have academic and theoretical content. Driven through the two lecture series Transmission and Gravity, which are fantastic, as I believe they are still open for the general public to attend. This combined with the fact that the Lecturers are all practicing artists

Paul Harrison

Peripheral ARTeries

Pop Up Addis Exhibition, Group Show, May 9th, 7-10pm, Bata, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2013

you describe why drawing is such an essential part of your practice?

'Solidifying time, making time material' another artist who has had an influence on my current thought is Francis Alys who has this mantra in his practice. It is one of 'Maximum Effort = Minimum Result' and for me this really has a connection. With animation as a movement of energy and I guess this could be one of the main elements or the start of my own creative process.

Drawing has been a constant presence throughout my life from an early age and it really is the basis of most of my work. Quite often I find the start of an idea emerge from a drawing and in fact all my animations are driven through this process. I am completely self taught with regards to animation, it was through drawing that I learnt to animate. Its a real pleasure as well to be in love with this art form because it is by its nature very diverse. Animation has this insatiable, awe inspiring, element in its standard interpretation, which is that animation is concerned with the creation of the illusion of movement. However for me this is just one of many possible uses of the word and as an artist I aim to expand on the existing notions and forms of animation.

In terms of technical considerations I really attempt to focus on blending drawing, modelling, and material marks. With the new immaterial digital spaces and processes that are now available to artists who work with computers. I really think this is an interesting tension to many artists these days. Creating work that combines the hand made with digital processes for me is quite the technical focus. Going back to drawing, and why it is so important to my work, if you look deeply at my art I believe you can see a strong use of line. Both literally and more subjectively in that a lot of the work does follow a line, it does have a narrative that can be interpreted.

For example, I still think there is huge amounts of potential left in the workings of the FPS or 'frames per second' method of movement. In that it allows for what the artist William Kentridge describes as a process of

Peripheral ARTeries

Paul Harrison

Now let's focus on your artworks: I would like to start with The Sea of Parity and Borghese Speculation, that our readers have admired in the starting pages of this article: could you tell us something about your initial inspiration for these works? And how much preparation and time did you put in before and during the process of creating the pieces?

The Sea of Parity, is a digital animation that was the first piece of work I made after graduation. The inspiration for this work really started whilst completing my degree; an artist and teacher called Penny McCarthy told me to look at the writings of Jean Baudrillard. The French thinkers notions of Hyperreality and Simulacra really resonated with me because they both describe. How reality can be distorted through the use or abuse of images. All this then came to a head when as a graduate the large amounts of anxiety I had towards graduating into an uncertain economic future subsided and was replaced with this intense focus on what it means to be balanced. Which was partly because my life seemed quite unbalanced at the time, I was really unsure of what direction to take and how to take it. This then combined with the idea of the middle way in Taoism and Buddist thought, to provide a moment for personal reflection. Both the drawing Borghese Speculation and the animation reflect upon elements of human behaviour. Two actual social events in the United Kingdom made me really skeptical about what kind of a system capitalism is! The first one is the riots of 2011 throughout the UK, this really provided proof that our knowledge of an event is so heavily mediated. The news often distorts something so much that it really distances you rather than informs you. So I felt this huge separation from a truth or honesty which was then widened through the events of the Phone Hacking scandal. Where this company, News International, instigated the hacking of the missing school girl Milly Dowler's phone. The Girl was later found murdered and for me this is truly symptomatic of current times in that this represents a pursuit of profit at the expense of a person. A willingness to comple-tely ignore the rights of a person to acquire information that will sell newspapers is just disgusting.

The Sea of Parity, 2011 Synergy Sheffield Presents, are Away From The Unknown and especially Blue Bernini an artwork that I like very much: a visual that has particularly impacted on me is the nuance of the living blue...

Away From The Unknown, was my degree show piece it was the first time that technology and drawing collided. Really allowing for an insight into how diverse animation is, this work is really the origin of my maturing professional practice. Because it contains a lot of themes that I explore or think about regularly, such as value, space, narrative, and politics. Blue Bernini is a blueprint from a photograph that I took in Rome, Bernini's angels carry such a weight as objects. Blue is my favourite colour it is also the oldest colour when our primordial ancestors first evolved eyes they looked up from the ocean and saw blue. It is also often misunderstood to be a calming colour, however it is actually more energising. This for me is what really pushes that understanding of a 'living blue' also it was a really important colour to the influential

Borghese Speculation will eventually comprise part of a triptych of drawings that a long with one animation. Will constitute a body of work that explores a possible reflection upon the current uncertainty running throughout life at the moment. An uncertainty that is not just financially influenced but running concurrent to this is a crisis of identity or knowledge. Moreover, this trauma, for me involves a lack or absence of truth, which I find quite worryingly present. Another pieces on which I would like to spend some words

Paul Harrison ce that never truly exists Zizek gives us this definition. 'The true utopia is when the situation is so without issue, without a way of resolving it within the co-ordinates of the possible. That out of the pure urge of survival, you have to invent a new space. Utopia is not a sense of free imagination it is a sense of inner most urgency where you are forced to imagine it, as the only way out.' This really stuck with me because I feel like art is quite utopian in this sense, also I believe that art, philosophy, and meditation are very closely linked. As they all involve a form of looking deeply and again, as a student, I really became infatuated with thinkers/writers such as: Sigmund Freud, Carl G. Jung, Karl Marx, Martin Buber, Dogen Zenji, Lao Tzu, and Jean Baudrillard. Recently, I reconnected with this lovely writer who has really inspired me to connect with other forms of writing and poetry. Her work has really provided me with momentum and a desire to improve my writing quality or ability. Also I am a fan of the work of Ed Atkins who works in animation, which he creates, through a process of writing before computer modelling and animation. This fact got me thinking about my use of drawing and the possible similarities between drawing and writing. Which has led to a desire to start some automatic writing, also philosophy in general is having a really healthy affect on my work. Its making me write and be more aware or conscious of my own thinking. Furthermore, I discovered this amazing word that is not really in common use anymore but its Eunoia. Originally, greek it refers to a state of normal mental health and 'beautiful thinking' which I find quite romantic but strangely practical. Recently this and other words that have become important to me include conviviality, autonomy, and autotomy.

Snig Hill Gallery, Sheffield

french artist Yves Klein. I find the story of how he chose to focus purely on blue really inspiring, in 1956 at Gallery Collete Allendy, he showed his first oil paintings. They where monochromes of various colours the public reaction to these works was disappointing to the artist as they spent a lot of time linking them together as a form of mosaic. Klein then solely turned to blue and received huge success through the creation of IKB (International Klein Blue). The original recipe was sealed in an envelope and deposited so as to maintain 'the authenticity of the pure idea'. Yves Klein is one of the best artists to look at with regards to ideas of finite/infinite or material/immaterial. You have recently developed an increased interest in Philosophy & Writing: what kind of an impact is that having on your work? I recently discovered the slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek and whilst watching a documentary about him he describes a new meaning of the word utopia. Other than the meaning of an imaginary spa-

Collaboration is obviously an essential component to how you operate: what are you working on at the moment? By the way, I couldn't do without mentioning a quote of the artist Peter Tabor who once said that "collaboration is working together with another to create something as a synthesis of two practices, that alone one could not": what's your point about this? Can you explain how your work demonstrates communication between two artists?

That is a really nice quote! I think that word synthesis is an extremely interesting word it shares a similarity to the word Synergy. Which was the word that described the first artists collective/group that I was involved in called Synergy Sheffield. This collection of individuals was extremely active throughout a period of three years. We managed to self organise and run three exhibitions and one public lecture at the university. These people are like family to me like a fa-

Peripheral ARTeries

Paul Harrison

mily because not only did we all work so intensely together but we lived with one another as well. This really helped in the transition from a student to a professional and as a group and support network, we will forever be a part of the art community in Sheffield. Although situations have changed, there is still the usual discussion bubbling away. So it will remain active in some new form but meanwhile I am collaborating with one of those individuals. Catriona Mackie works in video, photography, and print her work explores the human minds many levels of perception. Together we are running, for this year, a touring screening of artist film and video called 'The Lumiere Screening', the showreel will explore a new way of curating moving image. The project was inspired by my inclusion in the Norwich artist run space, Outpost Gallery's, Open Film 2012. Which was a fantastic experience one that I wish to offer to other people. Another really exciting project that I started with a really inspirational artist and friend called Sarah Smizz is F/O/R/C/E Lectures. Which stands for Free. Online. Radically. Collected. Education is a project which aims to keep the information available online democratic and most importantly free. The whole project began because we where both tired of how the popular white board animation style first used by RSA Animate. Has become appropriated for commercial gain in advertising, also there was this agreement between us that other education platforms using the internet where quite biased towards what they released. Other inspirations for this work include the suicide of Aaron Swartz and the new online creative cultures such as hacktivism and datamoshing. Both of these projects will be ongoing and I am horrendously excited about the potential in both of them. Just to summarise the importance of collaboration one of my favourite quotes from the earliest of ancient greek thinkers Socrates 'Nothing is ever created in and by itself'. Your artworks have been exhibited many times: in particular, I would like to mention that you have been recently exhibited in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. What experiences have you had exhibiting there? By the way, what are the most relevant differences between exhibiting in he Western scenario, and exhibiting in a so exotic and I do guess wonderful place?

My experience of having a digital image shown in Ethiopia was a real shock I did not expect to be selected. It is one of the examples of the internet becoming quite important in distributing young artists work. I am really grateful towards Zack and Sarah the curators for inclusion because its opportunities like these that contribute to your sense of being an artist. Unfortunately I have never been to Africa or any of the other screenings that I have had outside the United Kingdom. Moreover, I would just like to use this question as a chance to thank all the curators and organisers of the exhibitions that I have had since graduating. It really inspires you to continue and to make work of a higher quality I also look forward to the potential to work with some of these individuals again in the future. As well as the opportunities and likelihood of meeting other artists, organizations, and gallery's in the coming years.

Blue Bernini, Cyanotype Blueprints,

Paul Harrison

Peripheral ARTeries

What aspect of your work do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest satisfaction?

The real satisfaction gained from creating art and being an artist is when your work is placed in the right context and it resonates with the right people. For example I was lucky enough to be selected for the 'Bring Your Own Beamer' a group exhibition curated by Antonio Roberts as part of Flatpack Festival 2012. At Vivid Gallery in Birmingham; whilst talking to the family of another artist in the show. The mother actually thanked me for exploring social and current themes in the Away From the Unknown. I was really shocked because I never asked for her opinion or told her which piece was my work. So it was the first time that I really started to believe that the work I had created so far was successful and that it had a life of its own. That it could reach people and communicate clearly, was a genuine relief and I was completely taken aback. This is also one of the main satisfactions making art in the sense that your contributing something that is different, a unique perspective. That, enriches and encourages discussion in many different ways and on many different levels. Also this idea of art as a completely unique constantly changing form of communication is perhaps the aspect of making that I enjoy the most. The challenge to put out into the wider world a visual idea thats worthy of peoples attention is always quite a process. Because I am naturally not fully confident in what I create so theres always a period of doubt. However, in my case I am an ardent believer that one of the major elements of art in general is catharsis. Ever since I first discovered the word It has loomed over my understanding of why I make art, it is what I consider to be the main culprit behind my need to create something. In that when you start to make, you are allowing for energy stored inside your being to be dispersed and to exit your body. Now this movement of inside and outside is really fascinating as it works in both directions, the German artist Wolfgang Laib describes this quite well ' The Essence of all your experience is coming into an artwork... It's as complicated as that, but also as simple as that'. These words for me are perhaps the element that I enjoy the most these types of extremely personal movements. Thank you for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Paul. Anything coming up for you professionally that you would like readers to be aware of?

Other than working on the two collaborations that I mentioned earlier I am currently working on two, big, major animations. Both, are exploring separate strands of interest that directly relate to animation's history and bright future. So I am just focusing on these things to begin with so I can put them in proposals for my first solo exhibition at some point in the not too distant future. Which is all rather exciting, in the meantime I just desire to be involved and engaged in art as much as possible. Also it would be good to attempt to have some of my recent writing published in some way but we will see! It is also going to be exciting to see what kind of art and artists are also included in this issue of Perpheral ARTeries. Thank you very much! 8.27 x 11.69 inch, 2011

Peripheral ARTeries

Tuomas Koskialho

Tuomas Koskialho (Finland)

an artist’s statement

Tuomas Koskialho (born in 1987 in Rauma, Finland) is a visual artist based in Tampere, Finland. He graduated with BFA from Tampere University of Applied Sciences in 2012 and has exhibited his works both in Finland and abroad. In Koskialho's artistic work he goes deep into reality and tries to figure out what is real and what only looks real. By using a camera as his tool he manages to study the people around him, his environments and most of all - himself. Koskialho will not reveal great truths, but tell little white lies of which behind each there’s a glimpse of something very real and delicate. His photography is never about capturing the perfect shot, but exactly the opposite. It’s about dealing with the vulgar reality of actual experiences. Unsuccessful moments will bring a whole range of emotions with them. And usually the perfect shot would kill the moment because it’s just too vulnerable to be captured that way. The most important thing in Koskialho's art works is the intense connection between him and his subjects and that way the connection remains strong also between the photographs and the viewer. He always works in series and consider his works as experimental investigations on the other side of documentary photography – pushing into the field of contemporary art. He mentions Nan Goldin, Larry Clark and Weegee as few of his major influences. Tuomas Koskialho

Tuomas Koskialho

Return from a Party

Tuomas Koskialho

Peripheral ARTeries

an interview with

Tuomas Koskialho A warm welcome to Peripheral ARTeries, Tuomas. I would start this interview with my usual ice breaker question: what in your opinion defines a work of art? By the way, what could be in your opinion the main features that characterize a piece of Contemporary Art?

Thank you very much. I think art has become more complicated these days, but the idea which defines a work of art is still quite simple. Everything that is made to be art is art. And when it comes to contemporary art it's still the same, it's just the art that was made recently. I like to keep things as simple as possible. I would like to ask you something about your background. You have forma training and you have recently received a Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Applied Sciences of Tampere, where you work an live. How has this experience influenced your art practice?

Studying was a big deal and totally opened my eyes. Before going to art school I didn't know much about contemporary art and I was more interested in photography in general. The conceptual side came along and started playing a bigger role year by year. I never really tried different Tuomas Koskialho (photo by Lee Hee Eun)

medias though, I knew photography was the one I wanted to work with. Before getting in the matter of your production, can you tell us about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, on what technical aspects do you mainly focus in your work? Moreover, how new technologies as digital editing has impacted on your process?

It's an interesting process. First I spent a lot of time in the library and online looking for backgraound information on the subject I

The_Drunks

Tuomas Koskialho

Peripheral ARTeries

Now let's focus on your interesting work "After 100 Years in Portugal" that our readers can admire in these pages. As you have stated in advance, you took inspiration from your recent Erasmus experience: Moreover, you have remarked that a crucial role in this work has been your acquaintance with Jose Malhoa's paintings... would you like to tell us more about the genesis of this project?

Yes, that's true. I moved to Portugal for my exchange studies and wanted to know more about their culture. I went to the library again and found books about Portuguese art history and I got very excited about it. One painter stood out because he was painting the average people in Portugal when most of the other painters were not interested in them. Malhoa's paintings were about 100 years old, but I started comparing them to what I saw around me. The paintings had strong gender roles which did not exist anymore. I saw many strong Portuguese women even though the whole country was dealing with severe economical crisis. I decided to change the gender roles in my work to make it more up to date. I thought that as an outsider I had the right to do that because I didn't know their culture or language or traditions in art that well, so it wasn't that sacred for me. While lining out the project I was reading Richard Dyer's pastiche and more theoretical esseys about pastiche in general.

am going to focus on. Planning the work is very important and I tend to get sort of perfectionist when it comes to that. It's important to know where you going at during the process. When I have the concept figured out I start shooting and try different techniques and decide in which direction Im going to. I shoot both digital and analog, depending on the concept, and I try not to edit my photos afterwards too much. So in that sense the digital technologies are not playing a big role in my works.

The_Promises

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Tuomas Koskialho

Kuusamo from the series Freak of Nature, inkjet print 50 x 70 cm

Kuhmo from the series Freak of Nature, inkjet print 50 x 70 cm

Another stimulating work of yours that we have selected in this article is Freak of Nature (Maiden of Finland): besides the photos that we have published in the starting pages of this article, I would suggest to our readers to view the complete work at

Maybe that one of the roles of an artist could be to reveal unexpected sides of environment and of Nature (and of our inner Nature) in the wide sense of word... what's your point about this?

You're absolutely right about that. There's many problematic issues and phenomenons which are hard to explain by words or statistics, this is the playground for artists to start digging the hole and see what's there.

http://www.tuomaskoskialho.com/p/freak-of-nature.html

There are several deep concepts underlying this series, that you have summed up in three questions: did history and culture give birth to national identity? Does a country represent itself as a community? And will the global world make gender roles more equal?

And by doing that the artwork itself reveals something unexpected and you're suddenly amazed how it hit you. I think art can make you think and explore your mind in so many ways.

The Maiden of Finland is the national personification of Finland. I think that this kind of national symbols are more or less old fashionated already, especially when it's obvious that the Maiden of Finland was created by men. I wanted to make a statement about how ridiculous it is and theatrically cut her throat in different corners of the country. Those rhetorical questions are more like guidelines how to read the photographs. There's a part of your artist's statement on which I would like to spend some words: you say that "I will not reveal great truths, but tell little white lies of which behind each thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a glimpse of something very real". I'm sort of convinced that the environment hides informations which -even though are not â&#x20AC;&#x153;encrypted" tout court- need to be deciphered.

Vaasa from the series Freak of Nature, inkjet print 50 x 70 cm

Tuomas Koskialho

Peripheral ARTeries

from the series Freak of Nature, inkjet print 50 x 70 cm Even though I'm aware that this will sound a bit naive, I have to admit that as soon as I loaded the photo Reading the Newspaper on my personal computer, the first question that I happen to pose to myself was "Hey, and where is the newspaper?"... this apparently simple pieces is capable of showing a stimulating semantic contamination. By the way, how reading a newspaper on a desktop computer reveals a subtle bound with the vulgar reality of actual experience?

always adds something to the sensitivity of the moment. In Malhoa's painting Reading the newspaper there's an old man reading the newspaper and he looks like he has a hangover, so I asked all my friends that if they knew someone who would like to help me when shooting and one of my friends had a local friend and we started chatting online about my project and this photo in particular. I asked her to go out and get very drunk on a Saturday night and I'll come over the next morning at 9 am to take photos. When I found the place there was 2 girls passed out half naked and my new friend Mafalda, who I've ne-

When I was shooting the series â&#x20AC;&#x153;After 100 Years in Portugalâ&#x20AC;? I wanted to shoot only strangers to make the series more real, in a way. Taking a photo of a person you don't know 17

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Tuomas Koskialho

ver met before was waiting for me. It was a small studio apartment and if you had a chance to see what's outside of the frame, you would know what I mean by the vulgar reality of actual experience. During these last years your works have been exhibited in many countries besides Finland: is there a particular show that have particu-larly impressed you and that you would like to mention? Moreover, as regards the Art Scenario, how many differences have you find abroad in comparison to your country?

It's impossible to name a favorite, but if I have to, I'd say that I really enjoyed the group exhibition in Seoul, South Korea last month. The art world is very vibrant in Seoul and it's facinating to see how it has developed.

Clara from the series After 100 Years in Portugal, inkjet print on dibond, 45cm x 60 cm

Tuomas Koskialho

Peripheral ARTeries

As a photography artist it's not too complicated as I can digitally send the files using cloud services and the galleries are doing the printing, mounting and framing. I always sent a hanging plan to make sure my photographs are in correct order on the wall. I think that's definitely one of the biggest advantages in digital art. Finland is a small country and the art scene here is quite small too. There's some very talented artist's and interesting galleries too, but I guess the biggest difference is the size of the scene comparing to other countries I've been exhibited so far. How important is for you the feedback of your audience? By the way, when you conceive a piece, do you think to whom will enjoy it?

The feedback from the audience is very important and everytime I am having an exhibition I'd love to give everyone a pen and a piece of paper to write something down. And of course all feedback is appreciated, doesn't matter if it's negative or positive. Well, I am not represented by a gallery yet and I never think about who will like my work and how can I make more people like it or so. Selling my works is another thing I feel a bit uncomfortable about. If I can make a decent contract with a good gallery and still have my freedom, I would stick with that forever. And here's our cliche question: but one that we're always interested in hearing the answer to: what aspects of your work do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest satisfaction?

Seeing my works in a gallery is always a big deal, but the most satisfying part is the moment when I have everything figured out, everything set up, my camera ready and about to release the shutter. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, Tuomas: my last questions deals with your future plans. Anything coming up for you professionally that you would like readers to be aware of?

For the past 12 months I've been working with a new series called “After 100 Years in Finland” and just finished shooting. I am exhibiting it in a few solo shows in Finland later this year and hopefully more is coming up. Lately I've been reading a lot about Henri Matisse's works he painted in Morocco in 1912-1913. They are very inspiring and lets see if I end up in Rabat working with “After 100 years in Morocco” next winter...

Reading the Newspaper from the series After 100 Years in Portugal, inkjet print on dibond, 45cm x 60 cm

Peripheral ARTeries

Cassandra Hanks

Cassandra Hanks (USA)

an artist’s statement

The terrain of our neighboring planets serves as a hypothetical landscape for what Earth used to be, could have been, or what it might become. These photographs of synthesized planetary landscapes create prophetic possibilities of the impact of natural and human acts of destruction. This work in progress uses organic and synthetic materials to visualize extraterrestrial terrains, for example, condensed milk, dyes, and LEDs simulating geysers of light that occur as a reaction between solid metallic hydrogen and liquid metallic hydrogen on the planet Jupiter. For most planets there is little photographic evidence of what they look like on the surface, I visualize these landscapes based on information I gather from rovers, satellites, telescopes, NASA, and scientist’s descriptions. Most chemical and material properties that make up a planet are known from data collected by NASA, with some unknown or yet to be discovered elements. I consult with chemists who provide me with visual descriptions of what the interactions of chemicals might look like, and design sets to recreate these dynamics using photography. I study practical visual effects for film, such as Douglas Trumbull’s work for Tree of Life, 2011, which involved water tanks and fluids as well as build miniature sets. Photographic results from these miniature landscapes create a unique and realistic aesthetic that an artistic rendition using computer graphics and traditional artwork can’t achieve. This stylistic treatment allows a creative approach to processing scientific planetary data to “seeing” what is unseen. This work in progress visualizes terrains from the surfaces of uninhabitable planets. Future work involves comparing this series with photographs of eco-tragedies on Earth, to create a dialog about the vital role of ecological conservation. In addition, visualizations of alien landscapes can educate viewers about life, or the absence of it, on others. By experiencing these extraterrestrial terrains, viewers will understand scientific data visually, and realize deeper meanings through aesthetic interrogation. I am an MFA student at Texas A&M University in the Department of Visualization, a cross disciplinary program for art, science and technology. My primary mediums are photography,filmmaking, and lighting. This body of work helps me explore mediums in great depth through experimentation with technologies of photography and lighting. My passion for science is at the center of my work, and the data I have collected has inspired me to creatively experiment in ways I would have never before imagined.

Cassandra Hanks 20

Inverse Aurora Borealis from the Jupiter Series April 2013

Cassandra Hanks

Peripheral ARTeries

an interview with

Cassandra Hanks Hi Cassandra and a warm welcome to Peripheral ARTeries. I would start this interview with my usual ice breaker question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art? Moreover, what could be the feature that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

Any reflected representation of an idea or thought is a work of art, whether you value it or not depends on our own personal judgement. A feature that could mark the comtempariness of an artwork can be how an aspect of the artwork is relevant to events in our own lifetime. For instance my artwork relies on current known data about planets, that data is a trait that makes my artwork contemporary. Would you like to tell us something about your background? Are there particuIar experiences that has deeply impacted on your evolution as an artist? By the way, you hold a B.S. in Telecommunication Media Studies and you are currently studying for your MFA at the Texas A&M University: how does formal training influence your work?

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m currently earning my MFA in Visualization at Texas A&M, which is a crossroads between technology, art, and science. My formal training encourages me to use those three ways of thinking at once. My courses range from writing code to create my own ray tracer to traditional figure drawing, the program encourages you to blur the lines between the disciplines. This preparation has helped me shape my artwork by visualizing the science behind planetary landscapes and overcome technical obsticles to create it naturally. Before starting to elaborate about your production, would you like to tell to our readers something about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on your work? And how much preparation and time do you put in before and during the process of creating a piece?

On average, the production of creating a planetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s landscape photography takes about a month and a half. I spend about 22

Cassandra Hanks

Peripheral ARTeries

2-3 weeks researching planets and getting in contact with scientists with any questions I may have from research. I make sure to verify that the research I gathered is the most currently accurate research known. Then I spend another 2 weeks experimenting with different organic processes and various camera technicalities. Next I shoot the refined process for that planet. The last week I finalize the photo with minimal photo editing to credibly fit my research of that particular planet. Usually the rock planets are produced by sculpted landscapes I craft. The gas planets typically take longer to make due to the unpredictability with the water tank method. Now let's focus on your artworks: I would like to start with the recent Geysers of Light. It is an apparently simple but very stimulating piece... A feature that has mostly impressed is the the effective lighting techniques which gives such an irreal appearance...

Geysers of Light is from the Jupiter series and happens to be one of my personal favorites. Jupiter is made up of mostly metallic hydrogen. Little is known about this mysterious substance; so I contacted a chemist who gave a visually eloquent description that I based my photography off of. From her description, I focused on trying to create an envi-

Geysers Of Light from the Jupiter series April 2013

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Cassandra Hanks

Mars Panorama, October 2012 - from the Mars series ronment that had vibrant UV glowing blues with blushing hues of pink and red in a pattern of an inverse aurora borealis. In addition, the environment could have geysers of light that represented the reaction of solid and liquid metallic hydrogen meeting and bits of solids to represent the solid hydrogen. In order to organically create the visuals, I used a water tank and dumped a mixture of dyes, condensed milk and paint. I carefully light the front with two studio lights and then I used LED flashlights to light the tank from the back to create the geysers of light, which I felt was very inspiring in this photo.

landscapes of extraterrestrial planets and the desire to blend art and science. For most planets there is very limited photographic evidence of what the planetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terrain looks like; using the data collected by rovers, probes, satellites, telescopes, NASA, and chemists, I visualized the planetary landscapes. Majority of the chemical and material properties that make up a planet are known from data collected by NASA, with some unknown or yet to be discovered elements. I consulted with chemists to get a visual description on what those chemicals would look like, and designed an organic process to recreate those visuals for photography.

Another pieces on which I would like to spend some words are Explosive Vaporization and Mars 2.0:what was your initial inspiration? Can you describe a little bit about your creative process for these works?

For the Jupiter series that Explosive Vaporization is from, I studied practical visual effects for film. One film I focused on was the Tree of Life, in particular theJupiter birth of the universe Visual Effects

My initial inspiration came from the unknown 24

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series of experimentations with different materials to try to get a similar look. I tested with cake mixes, starch, oil, food color, paint, UV lighting, and milk as well as several camera settings from filming at 60fps to timer remotes to different shutter speeds to achieve a natural visualization that matched the research. After conducting the series of experiments, I refined a final process for Jupiterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photography.

sequence that was done by the Austin-based Skunkworks team led by Douglas Trumball who also worked on 2001: A Space Odyssey. They used mostly water tanks with combinations of dyes, milk, and paint and high speed film (Phantom Gold 2K and Red One cameras at 1000 fps). Some of the water tanks had various currents to achieve a specific motion, and if that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work they would experiment with smoke as well. 80% of the VFX were physical; the last 20% were done on the computer, only by means of compositing and color correcting.

For Mars 2.0, since photos of Mars landscapes already exist, I created an exactly replicated landscape from a rover photo. I collected a red clay mixture of dirt and sand off the banks of the Brazos River, and refined it to smaller granular pieces and sculpted the landscape off of a foam base. I used a gridded off live camera feed on my computer next to the original gridded rover picture, and carefully matched the landscape to the photo.

Experimentation with the resources I had for this artwork became crucial to its success. The resources of getting a high speed camera were virtually impossible to a student artist budget, those cameras are very rare and if you have the opportunity to rent one it cost $10,000 a day at least. Knowing these limitations, I conducted a 25

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Cassandra Hanks

Feather, March 2013

This included even matching the rock shapes to the original photo, which ended up requiring sculpting as well. Despite getting those details done, as I was conducting the visualizations, new information on Mars was being discovered. So to address the new data that became available, I created a panorama of a Mars landscape, basing it loosely off of other mars photos, and then including the new white material they discovered as well as rover tracks. The Mars method was a very tedious process that required patience, but the result was almost flawless in comparison to the original photo.

Community projects have been an immense part of my life mostly due to my lifelong involvment with Girl Scouts. Naturally, I feel its crucial to help bring art to the community and connect artists and the public with each other. Due to my involvment in projects such as Texas Indepen-dent Film Festival, I have been able to make friends with other artists as well as help show the community to different types of art such as independent film. When art comes to a public, it inspires a community to generate a dialogue in ideas or enlightenment that eventually would form a symbiotic relationship of support towards each other. An artist shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be hidden away in their studio, but to be exposed to a community and introduce them to the world of art in order to stimulate each other. I believe a community that lacks art lacks thought.

I think that it's important to mention that you are you are involved in community projects and that you are the director of the 2014 edition of the Texas Independent Film Festival. What is the importance of this type of artistic outreach in relation to your work or art career?

Cassandra Hanks An adjective that could sum up in a single word your art is "kaleidoscopic": your art practice ranges from video to photography, with references to traditional art and computer graphics as well. In particular, digital editing seems to play a prominent role in the way you produce your pieces: I'm sort of convinced that new media art will definitely fill the dichotomy between art and technology and I will dare to say that Art and Technology are going to assimilate one to each other... what's your point about this?

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daily earthly objects to create these extraterrestrial terrains. These photos can help a viewer better understand the scientific data visually, be used to educate, find deeper meaning, or merely appreciate its aesthetic. There's a cliche question, that I often ask to the artists that I happen to interview, and I have to say that even though it might sound the simpler one, it gives me back the most complex answers: what aspect of your work do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest satisfaction?

Being a MFA student in a graduate program fueled by STEAM, there is an overlap between art and technology. Currently, there are several exhibits that exist to these themes and countless other artwork that uses technology. I see several students in the Visualization department on a weekly basis merging both fields together. Visualization is a term that merges the art, technology and science into one, and it’s a beautiful mix full of endless possibilities for artists.

Honestly, the biggest satisfaction I get from my work is when I just finished a photoshoot and then review the photos for the first time. There’s an exciting rush each time you press that button to see the next photo and whether or not that photo captured your vision. Once I stop on that photo that I felt was successful in representing that particular planet’s landscape, that elating moment is what I revel in the most. Thank you for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Cassandra. Anything coming up for you professionally that you would like readers to be aware of?

Your works have been often exhibited and awarded: you have recently received a mention at the Photographers Forum: feedbacks and especially awards are capable of supporting an artist, but do you think that an award could even influence the process of an artist? By the way, how much important is for you the feedback of your audience? Do you ever happen to think to whom will enjoy your Art when you conceive your pieces?

Geysers of Light will be part of the ASCI's 15th annual art-science exhibition titled "The Cosmos" that will take place at the New York Hall of Science August 31, 2013- March 2, 2014. Currently I'm finishing up the Neptune series so stay tuned for that.

I can’t speak for other artists but only for myself, awards don’t influence my process in creating art. Feedback is important to me because I’m interested in how successful my visualization is in representing data. I often do think of the audience who would be interested in my artwork and what their motivations are for their interest. These photos give a photo-real visualization to an alien landscape, which can help further educate a spectator by organically visualizing these planets. This approach gives a familiarity by using

Riverside Campus Photo of Riverside Campus Hallway at night, April 2012

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Jamal De Jong

Jamal

De Jong (Canada) an artist’s statement

In white painting, lights and shadows play an important role in my work. Even a few other artists would agree to that but created for a different purpose. Ronald Bloor, a Canadian artist referred to his works as “symbol-like elements”, greatly influenced by architectural forms; Robert Rauschenberg’s purpose was to reduce painting to its most essential nature and lead to the possibility of pure experience; and Robert Ryman, known as a “realist”, is not interested in creating illusions, a picture or making reference to anything except the paint and the materials. Because my perception of sound is vastly inadequate, I am adapted to reading lips and body gestures at ease. Therefore, I consider my paintings as a practical visual training tool to help viewers see a different variety of movements from just white paint. It is an advantage to improve each others’ comprehension when socializing and know what the other person is truly feeling. From colors to no color to pure action, my creativity is brought out from within, retained from my own personal experiences, deafness and body movements that I observed.

Travelling Soundwaves, 2012, Oil on canvas 56 x 91,4 cm

Jamal De Jong

Peripheral ARTeries

Jamal De Jong

an interview with

Jamal De Jong Hello Jamal and a warm welcome to Peripheral ARTeries. I would start this interview with my usual introductory question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art?

I think a work of art is finalized by a 3-way conversation; a feeling coming from within, the matherials being used and the support. It is settled by an agreement when a piece comes togetther with a great look for the viewers to appreciate. Moreover, do you think that there's still a contrast between tradition and contemporary?

Yes, i think there is still a strong contrast between tradition and contemporary. In a traditional sense, a story is told in a painting which refers to a period of importance that is acknowledged but unfortunately with limited use of materials, unlike contemporary with an expanse of materials, a strong influence on the technique is being used to express a personal feeling.

Jamal De Jong By the way, I would like to ask what's your point about formal training in Art an especially if in your opinion a formal training -or better, a certain kind of formal training- could even stifle an artist's creativity...

Would you like to tell us something about your background? I have read that besides a BFA, you hold a BA in Psychology, that you have received from Saint Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University, Halifax: how has this experience impacted on the way you produce your art?

I like to think that any certain kind of formal training in Art that is full of inspirations and creates connections is a boost to stifle an artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creativity but in the end, its up to the artist who must ask himself certain questions to help understand and fulfill his/her own desire, proceed with it and take it to the next level.

My main interest was child pschology because i wanted to work with disabled children, acknowledge their needs and search for ways to help them succeed through their struggles. I think art has always been the most simple and original way to create a connection with the world which they could use to express their feelings.

Before getting in the matter of you art production, can you tell us something about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on your work? And how you get the initial ideas that inspire the pieces you create?

A perfect reason behind an artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creativity, by accepting what they have, find a way to express it and then share it. In that case, I try to express with same state of mind.

With just white paint, my objective is to create 30

Jamal De Jong

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Abstract Soundwave

ke us through your creative process when starting these pieces?

pure action, so i look back on my other works and i ask myself, what new movement can i spure out next. Its a challenge because if i want to create a new movement, i must handle the paint in a new gestural manner.

Under the Spotlight came from a photo of a great haitian dancer that i know. Her pose caught my attention with the arms stretched as far as she could reach into the sky.

There are many gestures i could identify with. Its the same as when i socialize, i see many body movements that others miss out, therefore, as i mentioned before i consider my paintings visual training tools to teach viewers how to see what seems invisible to them.

I was mesmerized. Although, the painting process was a little different because it partially limited my freedom to move around the canvass like I could with spinning. As you have remarked in your artist's statement, you consider your paintings as a practical visual training tool to help viewers see a different variety of movements from just white paint: I personally find this functional feature of an artwork absolutely interesting,

Now let's focus on your artistic production: I would like to start from Under The Spotlight and Spinning, that our readers have admired in the starting pages of this. What was you initial inspiration? Could you ta-

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Jamal De Jong

Lights, Acrylic, Action-photo 19 by 43 inch 2012, $800

and I would go as far as to say that this has something to spare with augmented reality: I'm sort of convinced that this is a clear example of how Art and Technology are assimilating one to each other. What's your point about this?

Another works of yours on which I would like to spend some words are Abstact Soundwaves and Travelling Soundwaves: the feature that has mostly impressed me is the effective synesthesia that you have been capable of creating between sound and colors. By the way, have you ever wondered to turn thi feature round? I mean, do you think that could be "symmetrically" possible to translate in a certain sense an image into a sound? All in all, it's very common to devine a sound as dark, but it's not as common to say that a color is for example a shrill one...

When you mention art and technology are assimilating one to each other, two things come to mind. First, it seems they are both advancing at a fast pace because new ideas are being pushed forward to create something better or beneficial which then create more new ideas; it seems infinite. Secondly, when you combine the two, I think about movies and we clearly see what is happening.

In one of my pieces called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seperating Colorlesswavesâ&#x20AC;?, I have installed a mini speaker in the centre.

Art and technology coming together is making movies feeling more realistic, making us feel like we are actually there where the action is happening. It is definately becoming a reality.

You could playback distorted sounds of a conversation coming from it. What you see is what you hear and vice versa. 32

Jamal De Jong

And we couldn't do without mentioning a charcoal drawing of yours that I find very stimulating: it's entitled Little Miss Demone and I have been struck by the sense of movement that permeate it. It seems that you master this technique, but you haven't produced many works...

Little Miss Demone was a drawing i did for a friend as a gift who just had their first child. I was proud enough to create a piece for them. I have done a few other charcoaled drawings, not figurative but more abstract. Like painting, I wanted to explore the capabilities of charcoal, as you can see in my latest charcoaled works, â&#x20AC;&#x153;waterflowâ&#x20AC;?, where you can feel a sense of movement. Little Miss Demone

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Jamal De Jong

Seperating Colorlesswaves Oil on canvass, mini speaker 24 by 48 inch 2012, $1200

By the way, I would dare to ask you: how do you feel about Photoshop? Would you ever use photo editing software to express your imagery, or do you feel it would compromise the integrity?

Sometimes i would create a piece, take a picture of it and it turns out the outcome is stronger in a photo, as you can see in one of my works, “Lights, Acrylic, Action” and compare that to the “Original Light, Acrylic, Action”. The materials used to create this piece were cardboard, charcoal, clear tape, and acrylic. When you take a picture of it under the light, it seems the the action is really happening where the acrylic looks like it is is floating along the surface. In that case, no i wouldn't use photoshop, not because it would compromise the integrity, but light has already played an important role in expressing my imagery.

Under The Spotlight

Jamal De Jong

Peripheral ARTeries

Waterflow Charcoal 22 by 43 inch 2012, $800

Please check out my website www.jamaldejong.com and my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaldej

the artists that I happen to interview: what aspect of your work do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest satisfaction?

As I move the paint around in a gestural fashion, i feel like i am having a conversation with the paint and the canvass. They are telling either yes, proceed or no, change. I get excited in the middle of the conversation because i see something good is happening and feeling confident that the final outcome will be outstanding. Let me thank you for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Jamal. What direction are you moving in creatively? Are there any new projects on the horizon?

There is a project i am currently working on called, CreativeSilence. Its aim is to bring artists together to talk about their struggles, to form a community and share ideas.

Splash

Anthony Murray

Peripheral ARTeries

Anthony Murray (USA) an artist’s statement

I have created a new Medium of art called "Sculptography". Sculptography is the combination of sculpture and photography. It is not just capturing a sculpture in a photo. The artist has to be the creator of both mediums. Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, but in the eye of the imaginative (Anthony Murray)

Tony is a graduate of SUNY Cobleskill and currently resides in Cobleskill, New York. Born and raised in Queens, New York in 1955. After raising three children, Tony has only recently begun to reinvigorate himself through his artistic endeavors. His choice of media includes primarily, Scratchboard, Pressed Metal Sculpture, Recycled/Found Object Art and “Sculptography”/Photogra-phy, and Poetry. Tony is currently a member of the Tri County Arts Council, Cooperstown Art Association, Arkell Museum 1

Anthony Murray

Peripheral ARTeries

an interview with

Anthony Murray Hello Tony and to Peripheral ARTeries. I would start this interview with an introductory question: what are in your opinion the features that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

I think in order for artwork to be contemporary there should be three elements that define it. The first is that it should be unique. The second is that the work should be definable. In other words, not just some random creativity in which the artist asks of its viewers: "What do you think it means?" Third, it must be part of a pathway to greater works. And what I mean by that is that many works of the past from many masters often spurred artists to emulate the work and to extrapolate its distinctiveness.

Anthony Murray

but he introduced me to a medium called scratchboard and suddenly I could create. It is essentially the removal of media like sculpture rather than adding it. My brain was somehow able to envision my work in a reverse sort of way.

Moreover, do you think that there's a still a dichotomy between Contemporarity and Tradition?

Please tell us something about your evolution as an artist and what has lead you to become the artist you are today.

Tough to answer this question because it presumes something by using the word "Still". There has never been a dichotomy. I see art a a spectrum. The only reason there are "Movements" in art that we assign definition to, is so that we can better understand it in a historical context.

Somehow as a youth I thought all artists were oil painters. When I discovered scratchboard it dawned on me that there might be other mediums that I could do if I tried them. So now I work with Pressed Mixed Metal Sculptures, Recycled materials, Photography, Video, Sculptography. Essentially I simply create things I want to see but also things that I don't see other artists doing.

Can you tell our readers a little about your background? I have read that you are a a graduate of SUNY Cobleskill, New York, where you currently resides: how has this experience impacted on you?

Before I attended college I never thought of myself as an artist, in hindsight though I can see that clearly there were things I did which would explain a lot. I certainly did not attend school for art. In fact, I took an art class in order to get an "easy" credit. I still can remember the first time I walked into the classroom/gallery. It was overwhelming for me. Something inside me felt more at peace there than anywhere else on the campus. It was there that my professor had a profound impact on my ability to create art. I was never able to "draw"

By the way, how you first became interested in digital techniques as a visual medium?

Anger. Well, not the violent kind but the motivational kind. I was in an outdoor art exhibit and one of the stipulations was that fine artists were only allowed to sell originals and not copies. That is all well and good except that it didn't apply to the photographer to my right who could sell copies ad nauseum. So I employed the axiom "If you can't beat them, 46

Anthony Murray

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Betty's Turn

join them". Photography was in my blood anyway since my father had been an avid photographer back in the day. I hadalso spent my early years on the other side of the lens as a model. I was the "Johnson's" baby.

thing called photography I should do it in such a way as to not reinvent the wheel. Many a great photographer for example, have captured iconic and stunning images of the Brooklyn Bridge. But did we need one more? I didn't think so. So also I am very keen on not photographing other artists works such as statues or public sculptures and somehow claiming some part in it. Then it dawned on me that I am the only person that can photograph my sculptures but also do it in a way that is unique to both mediums.

Before getting in the matter of your artistic production, would you like to tell us something about your process for making your Sculptographies? It's a really stimulating concept and I'm sure that our readers would love to know more about it...

Well, I thought if I am going to approach this 47

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Anthony Murray

Faith Reason

A marriage of sorts. I created a medium called "Sculptography" I have since found out that other artists have used that term but not properly in its purest sense. The artist must be the creator of both mediums in order for it to be true sculptography.

Battle Ready

flat surface much like melting a candle. When cooled, the piece was then flipped over and I drilled a hole into its balance center and placed a brass rod into it. The other end I mounted a piece of solid graphite. I then took this work outside on a very slightly overcast day and

I loaded my definition into the urban dictionary since it was the only one I could get into at the time in order to date it. So "Sculptography" as a medium takes a photographic image of a unique work and transforms that work into something that is greater than the sum of its parts using digital technology.

image was then flipped into a color negative. "Betty's Turn To Dance" is a representational work which is highlighting the triumph of the "awkward" girl. The one shunned by her peers who ultimately rises above her position in life. It is made from Aluminum, Recycled Copper tubing, and a marble. This work was also flipped as a color negative.

Now let's focus on the artworks that our readers can admire in the pages of this issue. I would start from Form Over Function and Betty's turn To Dance that can be admired in the starting pages of this article. Could you take us through your creative process when starting these pieces?

Another piece of yours on which I would like to spend some words is Soundwave Sculpture Thelonius Monk: a feature that has mostly impressed me of this piece is the sense of movement, and I would go as far as to say, the synaesthesia that is suggested by the title of the work itself. How did you come up to this idea?

Form Over Function is one of my favorite works. The starting point for that work was car battery terminals. I used many recycled materials in my sculptures and this was no exception. The material itself was "Contaminated" with corrosion which actually added color to the final piece. It was short lived however since the material has fully oxidized. The terminals were melted onto a

The idea itself was first conceived by my fellow 48

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the artists that I happen to interview, and I have to say that even though it might sound the simpler one, it gives me back the most complex answers: what aspect of your work do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest satisfaction?

The process excites me more than the work itself. I really enjoy the challenge of seeing something in my minds eye and then going about bringing it into the real world. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Tony.What direction are you moving in creatively?

Thanks for allowing me to elaborate. I could discuss art all day long. Currently, I have invented a device for my video camera that allows me to pan and rotate at the same time which results in a very cool kaleidoscope effect that I used as background for music videos. I also utilized my sculptography in the videos taking advantage of the Ken Burns effect. I have had a few of these projected on to walls and buildings at outdoor art venues. It's very fun stuff!

artist and friend Bo Gehring. He had come up with a very elaborate program that allows him to "see" sound waves as vectors on a grid. This particular "wave" was a jazz piece by Thelonius Monk. I am an industrial engineerand by collaborating with Bo I was able to use this Model to actually cut the wave into an aluminum block. The block then reflects patterns of light depending on how you hold it. I suppose you can consider it music for the blind. As you have remarked in your artist's statement, your artworks are the combination of sculpture and photography, but since they are not a mere capturing a sculpture in a photo, the artist need a multidisciplinary approach that goes beyond the classical scheme of photography vs. sculpture... so you consider yourself a postdisciplinary artist?

Yes. I suppose that that is as good a definition as any. My main goal is to produce works that are visually appealing, philosophically challenging, and unique.

Sound wave Sculpture TheloniusMonk

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Brandon Barr

Brandon Barr (USA)

an artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement

I want to create a controlled situation, structure and idea in my studio, and then let go. I am interested in exploring the limbo of material and digital phenomena through video, photography and installation. It is this in-between state where polarization disintegrates creating a coalescence of the symbolic and phenomenal. The end result often creates a heightened affect that pushes and pulls the viewer through layers of intensity, illusion and reality. I want to approach digital media as a materialist. I have always been attracted to the contrast between digital and physical space and often implement video projection within installation. but this too takes into consideration the medium itself and physicality of the electronic apparatus. By applying glitch techniques, the innerworkings of video compression and the transfer of data becomes revealed. This creates a push and pull between the immersive qualities of the video and subversive qualities of the processes at work. 50

Brandon Barr

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Brandon Barr

an interview with

Brandon Barr Welcome to Peripheral ARTeries, Brandon. I would like to start this interview with my usual introductory question: what in your opinion defines a work of art? Moreover, what could be the feature that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

Well, thats a pretty loaded questions, but I will give it a try. A work of art is something that seems completely out of place and at the same time, has a slight familiarity to it OR anything that is very familiar and slightly out of place. This dichotomy then creates a sudden fracture in your everyday experience allowing you to readjust or analyze your perception and reality. A feature that marks the contemporariness of an artwork would be anything that causes the above statement. If it can happen to you at your present moment in time then the art work is tapping into some type of contemporary aspect, whether it's psychological, perceptual, environ-mental or cultural. There are some artworks that can take on this mass experience of a given culture like internet-based or pop culture work, but I don't think that I would limit the definition of "contemporariness" to just that.

environment because you have all of this feedback that opens the work up allowing you to see things that you may have been blind to. I was able to really dig and see the interrelationship between all of the work and also where it stood within a larger context. I now have a few series that I will continue to work on and expand to see where it will go.

Can you tell our readers a little about your back-ground? I have read that you have recently received a MFA from Alfred University: how has this experience impacted on you? Please tell us something about your evolution as an artist and what has lead you to become the artist you are today.

By the way, how you first became interested in digital techniques as a visual medium?

My experience at Alfred University was great. I was in the Electronic Integrated Arts program, which had an amazing faculty and facilities. It is tucked away in the hills of Western New York and in a fairly remote area with beautiful scenery, which makes it an ideal place for grad school in my opinion. I was able to jump off from where my work was at the time and also experiment with newer bodies of work. I already had ideas as to what I wanted to do and it was nice to try them out in that type of envi-

I first became interested in digital media during my Undergrad at the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, MO. I was accepted into the Interdisciplinary program and entered with a background in found object sculpture and painting. As I began sketching out ideas for the first semester I noticed that 52

Brandon Barr

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Before getting in the matter of your artistic production, would you like to tell us something about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on your work?

It depends on what body of work I am working on. Lately, I have been using the technique commonly known as datamoshing and creating more sculptural installations. I still think and work 3dimensionally.

Brandon Barr

Most of my current work attempts to externalize digital processes and push the cinematic experience out into a physical space. I usually start this by applying the glitch to an action sequence culled from blockbuster films that are saturated in computer graphics or garish extremes. After that, I will print out a still from that sequence and re-pro-

some ideas were moving in this cinematic direction and others were trying to tackle the internet...good luck. As I began fleshing out some of the ideas through painting I realized things were just not connecting together properly or how I wanted them to. So, at one point I was walking through the St. Louis Art Museum looking at 17th century portraiture and began seeing the scenes cinematically. I wanted to the paintings to start moving. I realized that I was denying a fact of my culture and youth. The majority of content that I was exposed to throughout my life was presented in bright glowing colors, rapid movement and loud clashing noises that shot out of television sets. That was important. The thing that sculpted my past, present and future wasâ&#x20AC;Ś technology. 53

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Brandon Barr

ject the glitched video onto the print. Even though I use these machines that can make precise calculations and commands, I want to utilize its faults or "unwanted" results. Now let's focus on the artworks that our readers can admire in the pages of this issue. Let's start from your interesting "PostCinematic Abstraction", whose stills can be admired in the starting pages of this article. Could you take us through your creative process when starting this project?

I like the challenge of trying to expose psychological and material realities in cultural signifiers without completely eliminating the original content. For this work I was interested in breaking down a cinematic sequence and presenting it in a new way that reveals the inner processes at play. I chose major hollywood movies whose imagery often gets plastered over our visual environment. For example, when viewing the pieces Untitled 1, 2 and 3 in person, you will start to see recognizable characters and forms surfacing out of the abstraction. The sequence was appropriated from the film Transformers: Dark of the Moon and remnants of the original scene become apparent at various moments. This creates multiple layers of illusion and reality while bringing an awareness to the act of viewing itself. You can escape into the digital immersion or step back out into the digital and physical phenomena taking place. The physicality allows

you to move your body around the formed print and study the wrinkles and edges of the paper itself. Its a combination of this staged presentation or control and natural disorder. Another piece of yours on which I would like to spend some words is Prolonged Sequence of Intensifications, Densifications and Disruptions: a feature of this video that has mostly impressed is the subtle geometry that seems to spring from an apparently chaotic sequence of images, and I would go as far as to say that in this case, the deep saturation of digital editing helps to reveal such geometry below. Moreover, I have a question

Brandon Barr

frame work. There are also precise calculations happening during the compression process, but once you disrupt or remove segments of information you reveal the entropic tendencies within the program and ultimately the computer. The audio is a combination of the original audio, distortion and a the cell phone recording. I actually didn't use a synth at all. The audio was put through multiple filters and intensified by creating multiple audio tracks. Then, when I recorded the projection with my cell phone camera, I also blasted the audio through speakers in the space. This gave it a very raw feel and pushed the recording limits of the device by. At times, the cell phone audio just turns into static or completely cancels the sound. The final video is a combination of the two that sometimes fades back and forth. And we could't do without mentioning is the interactive installation Bell Tower, which is one of my favourite works of yours: woudl you like to tell us something about the genesis of this stimulating piece?

I created this piece around the same time I developed the Libation Series and both dealt with issues of symbolic form, time, physics and destruction. With a lot of my work, I am interested in the awareness of gravity and the physical phenomena that takes place because of it. Also, the natural proclivity for disorder. The about the sound of this video, that I think that it plays an important role: how did you recorded it? By the way, have you used synths as well?

Yes, some of the more geometric forms comes from the original footage as well as the compression process. One of the things that attracted me to this scene was the symmetry in the architecture that gets demolished. There are moments when the glitch acts as an overlay on can see the abstract forms and colors, you can also see this imprint of the square windows and 55

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Brandon Barr

Bell Tower, detail

Libation Series is a series of digital prints that captures a momentary explosion of latex balloons that are filled with various liquids. When the latex snaps away, the liquid holds the symmetrical shape for a fraction of a second. This then becomes the final image. For the Bell Tower, I was interested in the iconic representation of a bell. It's been a symbol that represents order, freedom, community etc. throughout history. Now it's also rather archaic, which made it even more interesting when presented in a digital format. The video was shot using a handheld camera that had high-speed shooting capabilities. After I recorded the bell breaking, that moment was turned into this eternal loop of significance, hope and human-made form and how quickly that can crumble away. As you have remarked in your artist's stement, you want to approach digital media as a materialist. It goes without saying that modern technology, and in particular multimedia tools, has revolutionized the idea of producing art itself and moreover this forces us to rethink to the materiality of the artwork itself: since few years ago an artwork was first of all -if you forgive me this unpleasent classification- a manufactured article: it was the concrete materialization of an idea...

Thats one of the things that makes "the glitch" so interesting. You know, this is a technique that has been around for awhile, but it always expresses what I am interested in saying. That disruption almost objectifies the machine. The second you see

Bell Tower

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it happen you immediately become aware of this thing you are staring at. It's also about letting go of control and seeing what kind of phenomena emerges. I feel the purest forms can come out when one lets go. Finding materiality in digital work is challenging, but that keeps the process interesting. I think once you create some type of presence or affect with this medium you have bridged the gap between the innate and artificial, which opens up a new holistic perspective. I happen to interview, and I have to say that even though it might sound the simpler one, it gives me back the most complex answers: what aspect of your work do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest satisfaction?

What I enjoy, as mentioned before, is letting go. After setting up a controlled situation or idea, there is nothing better than watching the thing crumble into pieces. The biggest satisfaction is when the idea falls together and the connections are made with a single piece or body of work. Thanks for this interview and for sharing your thoughts with us, Brandon. My last question deals with your future plans: what direction are you moving in creatively? Anything coming up for you professionally that you would like readers to be aware of?

I plan on continuing the Post-Cinematic Abstraction series and bringing in more sculptural/found objects. I would like to build up some of my 2-D work and experiment with some newer installation ideas. I have a couple shows that I will be preparing for soon. I also just took up a teaching position at Millsaps College teaching sculpture and digital media, which I'm sure will be an interesting experience... Thank you!

Bell Tower, detail

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Tal Regev

Tal Regev (United Kingdom / Israel) an artist’s statement

The victim enters the catastrophic environment of trauma through the “membrane“ that separates sense from nonsense, narrative from chaos, and reality is torn asunder leaving no boundaries and no guideposts (Kali Tal in Worlds of Hurt: Reading the Literatures of Trauma) One dominates the other, from a subtle presence to abuse. One sets the rules for the other to live by. I feed you with the air that circulates between us, till we suffocate, as we cannot escape each other. Between subtlety and aggression there is a whole range of colour and circumstance. I focus on the point of breaking. We are partners; both of us holding the tip of a rope that stretches tightly between us. Suddenly you let go, and never look back, I lose my ground, I have nothing to hold on to, nothing to grasp. I am left in the air, I go mad. My practice is focused on painting. I’m interested in creating the sense of an open wound. I want to convey its presence as a subtle cry that constantly inhabits ones being, but is not necessarily acknowledged in a conscious way. At times this pain comes to the surface, it seeps out and one has to deal with it. In this way I wish to comment on cruelty in a social context, as well as in basic everyday human relations. Army helmets and gas masks become part of a circus like scenario, a theatrical and almost ridiculous space where bodies meet and open up a veiled story. Bold and visceral gestures aim to suggest a recognition within the viewer of an over blown, tragic, intimate scene, a self-contained drama. Currently based in London, I was brought up in Israel. This experience informs my sensitivity and my work. Tal Regev 58

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an interview with

Tal Regev Hi Tal: welcome to Peripheral ARTeries. Let's start this interview with our usual introductory question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art? Moreover, what could be the feature that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

An art work is the expression of an idea or emotion through different mediums, what makes a work of Art convincing is the honesty of its making. The contemporariness of an artwork is determined by its relationship to the present time/politics/circumstances. Sometimes a work of art that is made in a certain time only gets 'attention' later, the work travels in time until its contemporariness informs and re configures the current moment. Would you like to tell us something about your background? I have read that you have a BA of Fine Arts from the University of London, where you are currently based? How has this experience impacted on the way you produce Art? And what's your point about formal training? Do you think that a certain kind of training could even stifle a young artist's creativity?

I was born in London, raised in Israel. Currently I live and work in London. Working in London gives me access to a rich variety of exhibitions and art events, I find that being in such an environment informs the context of my practice. I moved from Israel to London for my art studies and I am based in London since then. I think that Formal training can help in the execution of an idea, although I find that at times one is concerned with 'unlearning' and developing a personal language. Before starting to elaborate about your production, would you like to tell to our readers something about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, what tech-

Tal Regev

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nical aspects do you mainly focus on your work? By the way, can you describe why drawing is such an essential part of your practice?

My process is quite immediate although an idea or image can be with me for a while before it takes shape. I start a painting with a quick sketch in my notebook, I write the intentions that I have with a specific work on the bare canvas and make a rough drawing with chalk. Then I work with paint, by the end of the process the writing is not visible. Sometimes I make a few sketches while painting to think about possibilities and space. I have a studio in south London, I tend to work on two or three paintings at once and I paint with oils. I focus on creating a sense of an open wound that is not necessarily acknowledged in a conscious way but is present. I find Drawing and painting an immediate and primal way of expression that I feel most drawn to explore my subject with. I am interested in the materiality of it, in spillage against graphic line and bareness next to detail. Now let's focus on your artworks: I would like to start with Tutim 1 and Ten of Swords, that our readers have admired in the starting pages of this article: could you tell us something about your initial inspiration for these works? And how much preparation and time did you put in before and during the process of creating the pieces?

Tutim 1 was the first in a serious of paintings. I was interested in the body as the subject. The body fails to â&#x20AC;&#x153;contain itselfâ&#x20AC;? and falls into selfsuffocation/protection. I am interested in how one can dominate another from a subtle presence to abuse, like a recurring dream that grasps ones entity, not leaving space to escape it. Ten of Swords is based on the Tarot card Ten of swards. It is a card that depicts an ending, a total loss, as well as its turning point. I wanted to work with the transition point that the card depicts, the swords that were piercing the body became lights yet those are still present around the body/system. In average it takes me about a 61

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month to complete a painting. I cant measure my preparation time, it is ongoing, I am always preparing for the next piece and my paintings develop from each other. Technically preparing the frame and the canvas can takes about two days, and making sketches are a part of the painting process already since I work directly on the canvas and re-define the painting in my sketch book. Another pieces on which I would like to spend some words are Untitled, 2012 and especially Golden Storm, an artwork that I like very much: a visual that has particularly impacted on me is the deep red, which is very recurrent in your pieces. By the way, any comments on your choice of palette and how it has changed over time?

In Golden Storm I was interested in the relation between the figures. Who is the strong one and how do they affect each other. Untitled 2012 has a different approach; I was interested in the figure and grounding it back into itself. My palette changes from time to time, currently I am using a lot of red, pink and orange, there was a time that I was using a lot of green. It depends on the effect that I want to reach. Green is more clinical when red is more womb like. I use vivid colors; I am interested in colorful images that present something that is slightly unsettling. I have to admit that the lines of your statement have maden me think: "I lose my ground, I have nothing to hold on to, nothing to grasp, I am left in the air, I go mad. " and I have asked myself: could Art offer us something to grasp while we are inexorably falling down? Is an exaggeration to state that art has even a curative effect?

Making art gives a space to reflect, express and detoxify, personally, socially and politically. It has the ability to move things, shift them, speak about them, and understand their effects therefore art can have a curative effect. Not only the emotional value that pervades

Golden Storm, 170x140 Oil on canvas, 2011

Tal Regev your artistic production gives an extensive, universal mark: I can recognize in it a clear social criticism. And I'm sort of convinced that besides providing a platform for an artist's expression, Art could play a crucial role not only in the analysis of sociopolitical questions, but even and especially in facing them. What's your point about this?

Art has a strong power in a sociopolitical context. When one has to swallow words, art can speak for them. There are many examples of political and personal artworks that are the only platform in which one can speak. the artists that I happen to interview: what aspect of your work do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest satisfaction?

I enjoy having a space to reflect and express. Producing work can bring to the surface things that are hidden or not given space. I enjoy color and I enjoy the act of painting. Thank you for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Tal. My last question deals with your future plans: anything coming up for you professionally that you would like readers to be aware of?

I am focusing on producing a new series of work that I will present in the next few months.

Untitled, 122X152, oil on canvas, 2012

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(Portugal) An artist's statement

Great part of my artistic practice has been related to the physical and psychological body, of the human body, were I try to figure out how both of them can interact with each other, and in which way I can develop my work. It usually starts with a brainstorming of concepts, so in a conceptual way, resulting in word schemes that contain all of my thoughts, research, thinking, connections, that lead me to some final ideas for the practical way of representation. These ideas started initially with some personal issues and problems that made me think and question about them, and were resulting in some works and projects in a way of expression. This thoughts and ideas of my personality also lead me to interact with other people with similar feelings and issues and to work with them too, so my research could be more expanded. The Medias that interest me the most and I often use are video, sound, photography, drawing, performance linked to installation. My work also contains, political and social issues and can be seen as demonstrations of my thoughts or ways of seeing the (my) world.

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Gold, (background Svetlin Velchev, detail)

Emblem Fish Mixed Media on van canvas, 2012 photographer Theo Prooijen mixed media on wood,Media, 23 X 24 cm Business & Pleasure 7 Mixed 2011 Dis-cover, 2013

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Rebecca Moradalizadeh

An interview with

Rebecca Moradalizadeh Hi Rebecca and a warm welcome to Peripheral ARTeries. I would start this interview with my usual ice breaker question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art? Moreover, what could be the feature that marks the contemporariness of an artwork?

Thank you for this invitation. It is with great pleasure that I share my work and thoughts with you. This question comes along with me since I got involved with arts and it’s often a good topic for conversation. It’s a very vague and relative question and can have multiple answers. I believe that art can be made by people who see the world and reality with a different point of view, are creative and have sensibility having the need to materialize those qualities. There are artists that think in a more rational way and others that are more emotional, reflecting that into their pieces. In my opinion an artwork has to captivate the viewer in somehow; with the concept, with the media, the techniques, the aesthetics, and so on. There is no way or system to define art: artists feel the need to do art, so they must do it as they wish apart from any trend, and spectators choose the art they want to see. In this way there’s no definition. Would you like to tell us something about your background? Are there particular experiences that have deeply impacted on your evolution as an artist? By the way, besides attending the Faculty of Fine Arts in Porto where your degrees were focusing Multimedia Arts, you had an Erasmus experience at the Sheffield Hallam University, in United Kingdom...

The first contact that I’ve ever had with arts was definitely with my family, at the age of five or six. By that I mean photography, drawing,

Rebecca Moradalizadeh

history of art, music, and singing, among others. At my uncle’s darkroom I had my first experience with B&W analogue photography; In addition to that, my mother and grandmother also taught me some basic drawing skills and offered me my first sketch books and pencils; my auntie’s passion for art history books which she eventually passed on to me, introduced me to the world of arts and

Rebecca Moradalizadeh

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Dis-cover, 2013

artists; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve studied music for five years which also played an important role in my artistic practice.

with drawing and painting at some point, influenced by the artist Frida Kahlo who was for sure my big inspiration.

As a teenager I suffered a big loss of a very close and young member of the family, and with that loss I felt the need to do work which would represent what I was feeling at that moment or feelings I could eventually have. I started to work

By learning and discovering some other medias, such as video, sound, photography, installation, and installation, and performance, I've realized that they would express better what I was feeling.

The Dance 4

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Rebecca Moradalizadeh

In 2007 I attended the Faculty of Fine Arts of Porto, and in my last year I’ve decided to go on an Erasmus Program experience, which led me to Sheffield Hallam University. In both Universities I had very good teachers and tutors, who were extremely important for my practice. Overall, the Erasmus program was a good experience, not only did I establish contact with other cultures but it also showed me other ways of teaching and learning. Visiting and writing about exhibitions was one of the requests of the course, so I was able to travel a bit to other cities nearby, such as Wakefield, Liverpool, Manchester, York, London and see great exhibitions, and to discover new artists. Before starting to elaborate about your production, would you like to tell to our readers something about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on your work? And how much preparation and time do you put in before and during the process of creating a piece? Linhagem, Vídeo

My work starts in a conceptual way, meaning that I always write down all my thoughts and ideas in papers and sketch books. That’s where the brainstorming begins. It can start with words, sentences that lead me to endless scheme words, or also can start with sketches of a way of representing something, for instance, an installation. Sometimes I know how I want an installation, and afterwards I add the concept or it can happen the other way round too. The conceptual part of my work, especially when I work with word schemes, leads me to the practical representation. With this method I can find out what kind of concepts I want to introduce in the work, which materials to work with, and which techniques to use - video, performance, sound, drawing, photography, installation or mixed medias. By using this method I’ve realized that the process of developing a work it’s very exciting and perhaps more important than the result

itself. This way, I also consider the whole procedure as a part of the project; it has to be shown somehow. All the preparation and elapsed time, depends on the final purpose of the project. Some ideas or projects I have in mind, sometimes take a long time to produce due to the lack of space. When I work with materials and techniques that require specific spaces of conception, sometimes they can only be produced when I have an opportunity to exhibit for example. The timing depends on whether I need to do experiences and prototypes first, or if I have to try some techniques that have never been experienced before. I can do works that just take one week or two or even a month or a year. Now let’s focus on your artworks: I would like to start with the recent Linhagem that I have

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Linhagem, Vídeo suggested to our readers to watch directly at your website http://rebeccamoradalizadehap.blogspot.pt: could you tell us something about the genesis of this work? What was your initial inspiration?

This work was developed on "Gerarte Residência Artística", an Artistic residency, I've created with four other Portuguese artists. The aim of this residency was to produce artistic work in rural places and villages from Portugal, in order to preserve and enhance the almost forgotten traditions of those places. We’ve decided to work, around the theme and meaning of "Memory". The first village we’ve selected, to initiate this project was Geraz do Lima in Viana do Castelo, north of Portugal. We were living there for two weeks in one of the artist’s house, and we had a working space in an historical

centre near the main River of the area named Rio Lima. During this stay, we've had contact with lots of locals-people from all ages that would tell us some stories about the place, and clues for our own works. In my case I’ve developed the project "Linhagem". In this particular project I knew what I wanted to install, for example the idea of the TV with a video, having words rolled up with thin strings, coming from the TV spreading on the floor. Then I questioned myself: which video should I do? ; Which words and which strings to use? During some conversations with the group, I came up with the idea of working with the concept around the plant of linen, very common in that village and almost extinguished these days. We've found out that there was a lady in Gold, (background Svetlin Velchev, detail) her 60's that had produced linen her whole life, and had all the materials needed for its process, Mixed Media on van canvas, 2012 photographer Theo Prooijen Business & Pleasure 7 Mixed Media, 2011

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Linhagem, VĂdeo

Rebecca Kristopher Moradalizadeh Dolphin

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Rebecca Moradalizadeh

so I decided she would be my main inspiration. I had a long conversation with her, and she taught me all the procedures that they would submit the linen to, from the first moment of planting it, to the last moment, the thread of the linen. She also showed me all the accessories used for each process and the linen ready to be used. I borrowed it from her in order to produce my work. Regretfully I found out that this traditional plant always produced in Portugal was being replaced by artificial linen. Somehow, Linhagem turns out to be an interventive and yet sensible artwork that aims to protest against the stagnation of linen's production. I started by doing a video, almost as a performance, simulating some procedures done to the linen after extracting it from the land. These procedures go from ripping out the flowers and seeds from the sticks; putting amounts of the fibrous plant together underwater for some days, also combing the fibre plant ‘til it gets soft and silky ready to spin it in the spindle. The video shows some of these ideas by using the dried plant of linen which ceases its normal cycle leading to its stagnation. The installation of words coming out of the TV with the video, were inspired in some of the most important keywords of the interview. These words were moulded in wire, and then rolled with linen ready to use. This part of the work was very slow and meticulous. Some of the words used were: pure; passage; water; purification; place; gestures; to plant; hands; body; old. Another pieces on which I would like to spend some words are the stimulating video performance Prisão Corporal #1 and the installation Corpo Reflexo, and it goes without saying that the symbiotic dichotomy between physical and psychological body...

“Prisão Corporal” means “Body imprisonment”. Once again I work with the concepts of Human Being, or Being Human, and everything attached to it. Here, I intend to provoke and create different reactions on some political

Prisão Corporal #1, 2010 Video performance Loop

ideas and society issues which are behind this imprisoned body. In this case I am the performer, and I'm doing a kind of ritual with my own body, which is trapped into this life. The materials used are very controversial: first I use Vaseline to protect the skin, then I use cast bandages that are warmed by water and then they get cold, and stuck to the body, leaving me with a slow breath, uncomfortable and also “suffocated”. At a certain point the body has no control at all over its acts. This work can represent an imprisonment of our chaotic society, which determines the way we should live, or it can also represent our selfimprisonment in that same society, where we become trapped. Corpo Reflexo that means “Reflected Body” was a very involving project beginning with its concepts until the final exhibition. In this work I was interested in investigating personal issues that affected and would be reflected into personal lives. I’ve decided I would select close people such as family and friends which had been through serious issues in their lives. This research started with some individual, intense and careful interviews. From these interviews I selected important keywords that I was interested in and wanted to work with

Rebecca Moradalizadeh

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Linhagem, VĂdeo

PrisĂŁo Corporal #1, 2010 Video performance Loop

and they have resulted in interesting scheme words. This part led me to the practical work, which resulted in a video installation, projected into the water, of a naked body on a fetal position doing slow or quick movements with the body, almost as if they were connected to a dream. This image was reflecting on the wall, right on top of two word schemes overlapped, which corresponded to the meaning of the words. Both pieces are connected with this idea of exploring the psychological body through the

physical body. They are both initiated through a psychological body, meaning that they come up first through a personal way of thinking and feeling reflected in the conceptual part of the work, and then they evolve to a more physical way, through a physical body, associated to the final work itself. My main interest is to try to appeal through the physical body what the psychological body is Gold, (background Svetlin Velchev, detail) feeling, almost as a consequence of a state of mind. Mixed Media on van canvas, 2012 photographer Theo Prooijen Business & Pleasure 7 Mixed Media, 2011

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Rebecca Kristopher Moradalizadeh Dolphin

Pris達o Corporal, 2012 Photography + cast + bandages 1,35 x 0, 70 cm

Rebecca Kristopher Moradalizadeh Dolphin

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Rebecca Moradalizadeh

I would like to mention a piece of your early production that has particularly impressed me, and that is entitled “Dis-cover” by the way, I know that this might sound a bit funny, but it has reminded me of Marcel Marceau and especially Jean-Louis Barrault... it's just like if the lines that you draw in your performance are the tracks of a mime's gestures... like if your work achieves to keep a memory of a movement... do you agree with this analysis, or is it exaggeratedly strange?

Dis-cover is an experimental work that combines performance, photography and drawing. It started with the idea of discovering parts of our body, in this case my body that could represent other parts of the body, or even reproduce awkward images, almost as a “cover” of something else. The experience was done with my hands as an easy way to start the work, and I’ve started to perform in front of the camera. The result of the photos were interesting, specially one of them that almost seems to be the image of my back. After doing the photos I thought of reproducing the images of the photos into drawings, aiming to represent a different image or reality. Then I had to manipulate digitally both images – photo and drawing, so I could overlap them and have a final result. I find it quite interesting when you referred those mime artists and related them to this work. This idea of trying to represent an image, an idea, or a sensation, by keeping and saving its memory and representing it through a media, it’s very common in my work. I assume that I’m trying to perpetuate my inner self into my works, and in this way I’m trying to keep it in a physical/material way. As you have remarked in your artist's statement, a crucial part of your artistic practice is based on a brainstorming of concepts: how big is the role of chance, or -I'd better say- of improvisation? I'm sort of convinced that this kind of improvisation is often capable of allowing to discover a

Dis-cover, 2013

hidden Ariadne's thread, that for example often let us to discover an unexpected political side of a an artwork...

As I said before, I often use this method of brainstorming of concepts to initiate a project/piece/artwork, because it’s a way of doing a psychological or mental work before putting it into practice, and I must say that I usually get very interesting results, through different word schemes, leading me to important contents. But I don’t always use this method; I normally use it when I’m preparing a long term project that requires a particular conceptual attention. I also tend to improvise in some works. It happens when I choose to do photography or drawing. With these medias I’m able to free my mind, I can be more spontaneous with the work I’m doing. I just limit myself to the camera or a pencil - the body, the moment, the light, the sound, take care of the rest. I find the meaning of the Ariadne’s thread quite fascinating. I associate my work with the story and the mysticism around it. Behind the work there are always concepts and meanings waiting to be unravelled.

Rebecca Moradalizadeh

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Dis-cover, 2013

After doing my improvised works or pieces I always try to solve the maze implicit in it. There are multiple directions and senses to be found. But when we talk about Ariadneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thread I reckon the meaning is always inherent whenever we see an artwork, whether we have or not information about it.

You have been involved in many web based projects: I would mention the recent audiovisual installation entitled "I" that our reader can discover at http://audienciazero.net/docs/public/labs/proje Gold, (background Svetlin Velchev, detail) cts/i If we give a glance to nowadays online ecosystem, we find an enormously large Mixed Media on van canvas, 2012 photographer Theo Prooijen Business & Pleasure 7 Mixed Media, 2011

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Rebecca Moradalizadeh

Rebecca Kristopher Moradalizadeh Dolphin

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Rebecca Moradalizadeh

Rebecca Kristopher Moradalizadeh Dolphin

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Rebecca Moradalizadeh

number of virtual spaces where lots of artworks are accessible for immediate feedback on a wide scale and it goes without saying that they attract massive attention. What is your take on the impact of networked technologies on Art?

“I” is an interactive sound art installation that attempts to lift the veil of the invisible world of electromagnetic radiation that surrounds us. Bursting, chaotic and mostly man-made, this invisible space is the living essence of radio, television, wireless Internet and mobile communication. In this work, the participant explores an intermediate space where this invisible electromagnetic world is rendered physical through sound. Through his own electromagnetic emissions, mostly from the radios embedded in his mobile phone, the participant becomes part of the soundscape, a living link between the objective physical reality and the subjective unreality of information. The project was produced with two other artists, Pedro Ângelo and Sónia Ralha, in an artistic residency dedicated to Digital Art. Although this project goes around the concepts of the invisible world we are surrounded, its representation turns to be physical and material. As you mention, nowadays almost everything is limited to an online world that concentrates a huge amount of information and easily attracts and charms the viewers. In terms of arts, some artists use networks as their medias of practice, creating interactive artworks and creating different illusive and fictional realities. Others just use this media to share their work with the enormous World Wide Web. I believe the project “I” can be seen as a way of criticizing this medias that we often use, and also their users too, which are the responsible for creating them. At the same time it turns to be an attractive and fascinating work for the viewer because of its important active role in the installation. Even though I use internet as a way of sharing my artworks, I don’t feel fascinated to use it as a creative media,

because it distances me from the artwork. I prefer to have closer and personal experiences with my artworks and produce them in a closer reality. Whenever I use internet as a tool I’m allowing myself to be submitted into a controlled society that I often criticize. In this way I find myself in a controversial situation. There's a cliché question, that I often ask to the artists that I happen to interview, and I have to say that even though it might sound the simpler one, it gives me back the most complex answers: what aspect of your work do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest satisfaction?

The part of the work I enjoy the most is definitely the entire process that goes behind the final work. In each work I have completely different processes, of course some simpler than others. The brainstorming of ideas or achieving the conceptual work; searching other works for inspiration, doing experiences in the atelier, having contact with other artists and people that influence my work; producing the practical work, or setting up the work in the space, are all very enthusiastic and exciting. Actually I almost prefer to see the process as the work, than its final result. Whenever I finish a project, the enthusiasm is not as strong as it should be. I feel a big separation between my body and the work, as if the work abandons me, and vanishes. All the enthusiasm seems to gradually fade away giving place to a kind of melancholic or nostalgic feeling. Thank you for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Rebecca. My last question deals with your future plans: anything coming up for you professionally that you would like readers to be aware of?

Thank you so much for this great opportunity and for sharing my work with others. At the moment I don’t have exact details or dates to give, but I can say that I‘m in the middle of some projects. I’m planning to do some open studio days, in my own studio/atelier so I can share my work process, and have an exhibit space at the same time, available for anyone who is interested in my work, located

Rebecca Moradalizadeh

Peripheral ARTeries

Dis-cover, 2013

I - INTERACTIVE SOUND INSTALLATION

in my hometown; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m also waiting for some confirmations for some exhibitions proposals done for contests; also was invited to be part of a residency at the end of the year so I can produce and show my work, but I still donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough information to share; and at last the project of

the Artistic Residency - Gerarte will continue and develop in other places of Portugal. For more information you can check for some updates and news through my portfolio, personal facebook, or Gold, (background Svetlin Velchev, detail) you can send me an email. Mixed Media on van canvas, 2012 photographer Theo Prooijen Business & Pleasure 7 Mixed Media, 2011