Art Reveal Magazine no. 54 by Art Reveal Magazine

Anatoliy Anshin Laura Bigger blank of LosOtros Sarah Butler John Cline Enzo Crispino Victoria Fry J Howard

Sara Hupas Matthew Hynds Lara Julian Julia Kempa Asma Khoshmehr Eva718 My Linh Mac Fariba Rahnavard

issue 54 / August 2020

Merrill Rauch Mj Tom of LosOtros Morrigan Rawson Abigail Riley-Frace Ruthorn Rujianurak Masoud Sadedin Ally Zlatar Art Paris

#54

FEATURED ARTIST: MASOUD SADEDIN

SURROUNDINGS - J HOWARD

MJ TOM OF LOSOTROS

BLANK OF LOSOTROS

ANATOLIY ANSHIN

LAURA BIGGER

SARAH BUTLER

JOHN CLINE

ENZO CRISPINO

VICTORIA FRY

SARA HUPAS

MATTHEW HYNDS

LARA JULIAN

JULIA KEMPA

ASMA KHOSHMEHR

EVA718

MY LINH MAC

FARIBA RAHNAVARD

MERRILL RAUCH

102

MORRIGAN RAWSON

108

ABIGAIL RILEY-FRACE

114

RUTHORN RUJIANURAK

120

MASOUD SADEDIN

126

ALLY ZLATAR

132

ART PARIS

138

Picture is only painting of experiences and feelings of existence using a language formed unconsciously throughout many years. What is shown up as a symbol, is only a misunderstanding which is due to intellectualistic or conceptualists’ expectations from the painting. Painting does not image. It is not illustrative. It only delivers a concept that lives forever and represents a cognition and feeling of the existing state.

More at pages: 126-131

FEATURED ARTIST MASOUD SADEDIN Masoud Sadedin was born in Semnan, Iran, in 1956 and graduated in 1980 from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Tehran University. In 1986 he immigrated to Germany, since then he works as a freelance artist and lecturer. Masoud Sadedin lives and works in Troisdorf and has a studio in the Kunsthaus Troisdorf. Visit by appointment. On the cover: Masoud Sadedin, “With a book”, oil on canvas, 160x200cm, 2017;

Art Reveal Magazine

SURROUNDINGS the solo exhibition of J. Howard September 3rd - November 22nd 2020 Kimbrough Gallery of the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center 200 S. 2nd Street, Clarksville TN 37040 USA

“Surrender” The keys to patience are acceptance in surrendering to faith. Accept things as they are, and look realistically at the world around you. Have faith in yourself and in the direction God has chosen for you and let him lead. - J Howard $1600/ 16x32” Organic Soft Pastels on Natural Canvas

Drawing is the most basic and perhaps the most instinctive of all two-dimensional art forms. A drawing can serve as a preliminary sketch for a future work in another medium. Drawing can become a process of articulating an idea. Drawing can also be a complete work within itself. The variety of drawing makes it almost impossible to categorize the medium, especially when you add the variety of the types of materials artist use to produce drawings. Drawing can only be described as the most unrestrained of all medium.

Drawing can be the most direct way of bringing what is in the mind on to a chosen surface. An artist can enjoy the sheer spontaneity of drawing. When a pencil drags across a piece of paper or a pastel traces over a piece of canvas, it captures directly my thoughts and records the slightest movement of my hand. My goal is to produce a complete work of art within a sensual and rhythmic pastel drawing possessing all the detail possible in the 1970’s style referred to as Hyperrealism. 4

Art Reveal Magazine

Art is often perceived as a way of detachment from reality, a key to unlocking some hidden meaning in the environment. This is not completely true for art genres like Hyperrealism, where the line between reality and art is practically erased. Hyperrealism is considered an effective advancement of Photorealism of the 1960’s, However, the newly developed style still contains some subtle differences from

its predecessor. The Photorealists aimed to reproduce photographs as precisely as possible so that the human eye could not distinguish between the original and the work of art. As a Hyperrealist, the goal is to be a purist in the technique. I strive to take the technique further, developing ways to include a narrative, charm and emotion into a drawing. I never want to leave it void of “personality”.

“The Way of Faith” Faith is unseen but felt, like the water that caresses you. Faith is strength when we feel we have none and hope when all seems lost. Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into light. - J Howard $4200/36x36” Organic Soft Pastels on Natural Canvas

Art Reveal Magazine

Born in Houston, Texas, one of the most colorful cities in the U.S., J. Howard works diligently to combine a love for helping others with a love for artistic expression. Recognizing that color is important in the food we eat; the clothes we wear; our homes; our cars; and even our pets – she points out that “there is a great deal more to color than what meets the eye because it communicates.” Classically trained in oils at a very young age, she remained focused on draw-

ing and 2D animation; eventually going to work for the studios. It was there that she developed a more intense love for tricking the eye of what it sees with hand drawn images in Hyper-realism. J. Howard utilizes the intricate detailing of hyper-realism to present images through organic soft pastel drawings on canvas. She believes that as an artist, she must delve beyond just recognizing the colors present for their inherent qualities but, also incorporate them in such as way that each drawing goes beyond the natural depth of field for a photographic quality. There is a strong desire to ignite emotion and provoke thought as not only an artist but, as a therapist by using art as a therapeutic stimulant for communication to reach a deeper level of healing. Coupled with an even deeper desire for detail, it is obvious in her work that the goal is to reach the viewer through what is represented in her unique style. As 2017 National Emerging Artist selection; 2018&2019 American Art Awards Winner; 2018 International Illustration Award; and 2019 Best of the Best, her work has received many more awards in, both, national and international arenas and has been published often. Currently this collection is featured in Art Reveal Magazine. Please visit organicpastels.com to learn more.

“Breathe” Breathe, and have faith that everything will work out for the best because your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. $1800/24x36” Organic Soft Pastels on Natural Canvas

Art Reveal Magazine

“Woman in the Car” Have you ever noticed that men refer to their cars in the female tense? One theory is that the habit carried over from calling ships “she” and naming ships after women, most often goddesses in ancient times. ... Similarly, when men became dependent on cars, they were an ornament of pride and cared for with great attention. I would like to think that it is because a car is the next best thing to a great woman. - J Howard $1800/24x24” Organic Soft Pastels on Natural Canvas

organicpastels.com 7

Art Reveal Magazine

LIQUID PAIN.T | SOLO SHOW ...gradus ad Parnassum, for those who might like to learn. ...is not addressed to those who have arrived at full knowledge of the subject, without knowing the facts... Ezra Pound. ABC of Reading. An artist statement should describe the interests of its author. It should talk about why, how, where and when. It should describe reasons, methods, locations and rhythms...

Mj Tom of LosOtros 8

Art Reveal Magazine

My statement could talk about literature, cinema, narrativity, fragmentations, hypertexts. About letters making up words, words making up sentences, sentences making up paragraphs, paragraphs making up chapters, which tell us a story. About myths, legends, stories, histories, hysterias, fictions, frictions, obsessions and persistences. About protasis, epitasis, catastrophes which disintegrate in order to get a rhizomatic structure with a new meaning. It could include some philosophical quotes, some of those that keep us awake. It could talk about simulations, spectacles and puncta. About topics that, even if we want to avoid them, are always in our minds, words and thoughts. It could talk about my working process; perhaps too methodical, too obsessive, too absurd. It could try to define, probably in vain, my deconstruction and reconstruction processes, using texts based on images and images based on texts. It could explain that I use literature, photography, video or net art. It could explain that actually, the medium is simply a tool. It could tell these things and many more. Maybe different ones, more appropriate for a statement. [Extract of the Artists Statement of Mj Tom of LosOtros for his Solo Show â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Liquid Pain.tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in Depot Gallery, Athens, Greece]

losotros.eu/mj-tom 11

Art Reveal Magazine

blank of LosOtros

Art Reveal Magazine

± Writing as Painting ± the Text as Image ± ie ± Painting as Writing ± the Image as Text ± [ blank ] was born in Berlin, Germany but he lives and works in Miami, Florida. He received a BA in Fine Arts followed by a MA, both in NY University. His current body of work includes mixed media, collage, installation, and digital printing. He is open, in the use of everyday materials, to communicate his ideas. Through the use of materials such as photos, paint, wood, cloth, wire and others he creates large scale mixed media paintings. Lately these paintings have transformed into scultures. As he quotes “Common Places… Ordinary Objects… People on the Streets, in Stores, Public Transport… Zoom in on Popular Products… I observe, enlarge and paint…. Them… I freeze time…. to capture a moment… of our fast and busy lives… to be observed quietly… and remembered… afterwards… At first sight these scenes might appear as quite ordinary…. I know it’s anything but… Our lives are full of moments like these… they are important and say a lot about… They show the way we see ourselves… we interact or been influenced by…” And he continues “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Fusce tempor arcu ac urna. Fusce congue eleifend mi. Pellentesque metus sem, elementum eu, rhoncus sed, gravida sit amet, nulla. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean condimentum, odio quis pharetra dignissim, diam nisl dignissim diam, eu interdum magna erat sit amet felis. Etiam non felis at urna tempus luctus. In ullamcorper nisl congue elit. In convallis nibh vitae justo. Quisque ac lectus vitae sem consequat sagittis. Donec turpis nisi, feugiat sollicitudin, fermentum vitae, volutpat sed, ligula. In convallis nibh vitae justo. Quisque ac lectus vitae sem consequat sagittis. Donec turpis nisi, feugiat sollicitudin.” They constitute my curriculum vitae.

Art Reveal Magazine

...Sed felis. Phasellus enim. Aliquam malesuada mi eu erat. Suspendisse potenti... Story LosOtros is a European-based Anonymous Artistic Cooperativa that carries out Urban Actions, within a poetic and melancholic Post Situationist tradition. Since its inception in 2003, by Mj Tom and his alter ego Andrea Nada, LosOtros are known for their use of wheat pasting and stenciling in the increasingly established arena of Street Art, and for their explorations of duality through a fragmented style of appropriation and collage. Soon after sIsteR jANe joined the group, followed by Life HiJacker and JDM master who later left and was replaced by [ blank ]. As they designate “We are all coming from different backgrounds but we want to apply our creativity in a common effort”. Credo LosOtros belong in the intersection between Visual Poetry, a trend that found its development in Brazil, springing from the concrete poetry movement of the decade of 1950, and Urban Art. They surfaced in 2003 as a personal [common] project

presenting themselves as a brand against brands, their utopian mission being the antidote to the Society of the Spectacle and what it conveys to the collective unconscious. Their work captures fragments of life, often forgotten, it echoes the unease and mixes it with the uncomfortable reality of continuous transformations of the urban environment in which it lives. Faces, pseudo familiar situations, characters belonging to various walks of life… they all inject emotions with such a warm identity characterizing the experience of ordinary people, those who would express and convey through the eyes their very own existence. They use text to express in black and white terms their critical thinking of the fleeting and unyielding reality of our days. Their interventions, while instantly recognizable from the distinctive visual style, contain an inherent fluidity which explores multiple concepts, from technology and consumerism to language and obsolescence. Their work is not simply a literary installation in the urban space creating emotions of abandonment and desertion ,nor a purely intellectual exercise of rhetorical reflection on collec14

Art Reveal Magazine

tive morality. It is the public utilization of a process typical to conceptual art. The juxtaposition of images and words capable of producing a collective interpretation, aimed at an astute audience that finds not advertising campaigns on the walls of buildings and factories, but rather invitations to investigate the fundamental values of our existence. With their imagination and technique, irreverent and fleeting, able to define themselves as a Copy Machine of Art, ironic and deliberately anonymous, LosOtros represent the ordinary people; those actors unaware of being protagonists of present days and to be proxy for them in spite of a reality in halftone that essentially results a kind of summary, which, in the end, happens to simply be life. Since 2004 they took holidays from everyday life to carry out the • FWMP | Few Words, Many Perceptions • UTS | Underneath The Surface • RV | Recto Verso [in the city at night] projects where, echoing the situationist concept of detournement, they hijack spaces in the city in most of the cases illegally. They use text and deformed images

to create their work, altogether with different media coming from the everyday life. They cover walls and illuminated advertising billboards with austere posters with letters in a strict order that assume the color of the ad posters underneath and take their light, parasitically. Their texts are part poetry, part an inquiry into our collective unconscious. They are intended to be encountered by commuters who don’t know they are art. They attempt to describe in public space what it feels like to live now. Using, as their languages, Text, Photos, Images altogether with every day materials, they generate meanings through the confrontation of the verbal and visual ones, by creating relations between the codes. Their recurring themes questions the notions of Beauty, the Construction of Iconicity, Identity, Alienation, Death, Society, Human Relationships, Sex, Façade, Power, Visual Culture, the Political Messaging of Imagery and the Cliché. 15

losotros.eu/blank

Anatoliy

Anshin Yokohama, Japan

I am more an artist rather than a photographer. The only difference is that I use the camera instead of the brush. For me photography is an art transcending human reasoning. When I set out on a photography trip, I determine only a general destination, such as for example “Saijoji temple of Hakone,” or “Egara Tenjinsha shrine of Kamakura,” but it is my rule not to decide in advance when, what, and how I will be shooting. None of my photos are staged, they are works of art that were created intuitively right on the spot.

www.anshin.art

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? I have been fascinated with the Japanese traditional culture since my youth. I studied it academically, first in Russia, where I was born and spent the first half of my life, and later in Japan where I have lived permanently for 17 years. I earned my Ph.D. in pre-modern Japanese history and published a number of academic articles and a monograph in the field. I also became a teacher of Japanese swordsmanship, Kendo. My long-term exposure to Japanese traditional culture undoubtedly influences my photography. This is first of all my choice of photographic subjects – I specialize mainly in capturing Japanese nature and historical sites. It might sound strange on the part of a foreigner, but sometimes I feel

as if I have become a live source of transmission of this culture. Wandering in perfectly maintained gardens of centuries-old Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines, or in the streets of such historical places as Kamakura or Hakone, I don’t just feel at home, I feel being an organic part of the distant past that is still there. One of the distinctive features of Japanese traditional culture, particularly its pre-modern forms such as poetry, calligraphy, painting, tea ceremony, etc., is that it tends to leave things unspoken and ambiguous implicitly suggesting that there are many various views on the same subject. Thus, it offers much freedom for interpretation to the appreciating side. This culture is also very symbolic often pointing to the infinite depth of the world surrounding us, to the fact that it is impossible to realize its meaning at one stroke, and that going

to the heart of things is a life-long process. At the same time, this pre-modern culture is quite demanding, that is, if there is a certain message that an author has put into his work, the appreciating side is expected to make an effort to read between the lines. This is very different from the modern consumer approach where many people got used to be merely entertained and expect to be explained everything as simple as “two plus two equals four.” I cannot say that I deliberately employ techniques characteristic of pre-modern Japanese culture, but, for instance, I usually do not title my artworks. I just feel reluctant to squeezing them within the limits of verbal expressions. Also, contrary to the common practice of drawing attention to photographic subjects by bringing them right in front of the viewer’s eyes and making them clearly focused, I may

Art Reveal Magazine

blur or shift them from the frame center in order to add more depth and solemnity to the overall composition. What is the most challenging part of working with photography? Photography has made a tremendous progress during the past 20 years. This is largely thanks to the advent of digital technologies that allow to create images of detail and quality unthought of before. However, even the most sophisticated cameras cannot be compared to human eye. Getting to know and overcoming limitations of the camera is a formidable task for anyone doing fine art photography. One more difficulty with digital photography is the term “digital” itself. This technology allows to create more quality images at lower cost. But as long as they remain

just digital files, they have no real substance, even if shown permanently on the Internet or elsewhere. In this digital age, it is easy to forget that photography artworks should be printed and exist as real physical objects in the same way as paintings and sculpture. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? Decades-long research and training have put me deeply in touch with the vast spiritual heritage that evolved both in Japan and other Asian countries in a span of over 2,000 years. This ancient culture was concerned mainly with the pursuit of the ideal state and balance of the body and mind, as well as a more fundamental theme of our connection with Nature and our place in the infinite Universe. This spirit-

uality has been largely forgotten with the advent of modern civilization. However, it has never been more necessary than now in the world where money and technology have acquired an unspoken status of religion. From my point of view art does not exist just for decoration or pleasing human eye. The ultimate truth cannot be ugly by definition; truth and beauty are synonymous. The role of art is guiding human hearts in the direction of spiritual through the creation of beauty. Tell us more about “Unexplored Realms” series. I am more an artist rather than a photographer. The only difference is that I use the camera instead of the brush. For me photography is an art transcending human reasoning. When I set out on

Art Reveal Magazine

a photography trip, I determine only a general destination, such as for example “Saijoji temple of Hakone,” or “Egara Tenjinsha shrine of Kamakura,” but it is my rule not to decide in advance when, what, and how I will be shooting. There is always something unexpected awaiting me there. Every trip is a real adventure. None of my photos are staged, they are works of art that were created intuitively right on the spot. But, generally speaking, we humans tend to do the opposite – predetermine our actions, logically predict the development of situation and so on. Among professional photographers it is usual now to use mobile applications such as Sun Surveyor that allow to know the exact time and location of sunrise and sunset, or websites that show how cloudy the sky will be in a certain area. All this, of course, makes the chances of taking a beautiful picture much higher. It also gives a sense of security and stability, saved time, effort, and, probably, money. But isn’t it actually a kind of self-programming that limits our possibilities? The “Unexplored Realms” series is an attempt to show that there are infinite possibilities for spontaneous exploration, experimentation, and development, and that the results are no less rewarding, as long as we do not rely fully on modern technologies and do not try to run away from uncertainty. What do you like/dislike about the art world? People arrive in art differently. Some begin from their childhood, someone, like myself, start quite late in their lives. When I see or hear about an artist, in any field, truly devoted to his/her cause, I feel a kind of bond that I had never felt before. It is that spark of creativity that gives a sense of union and I highly appreciate this. On the other hand, I had to witness quite famous and commercially successful artists who out of rivalry engage in copying each other. In this transient world only spiritual values, often expressed through beautiful art, are eternal and this is what remains after us. Art should be free of rivalry. We are all colleagues in the same enterprise. One more trend in the art world that seems conspicuous and alarming is attaching to non-visual content more importance than it actually deserves. For example, sometimes I am told that it would be better if I title my artworks, create background stories, promote my artworks by explicitly placing them in the context of my personal biography, explain the meaning of things Japanese in my images and so on. I understand that there are people, both on the creating and appreciating sides, who need this. Let it be, it is their sole right. What I do not understand is when these people start to insist that this verbal content is

a must for visual artworks. Why all this noise? I don’t know exactly the reason why this trend is so strong. I can only assume that this kind of rhetoric comes from people who engage more in the theory of art rather than practice. As someone who spent four and a half years for completing his doctorate dissertation on pre-modern Japanese history, who published a scholarly monograph and articles in three different languages I will tell you - works of visual arts are not literary works. They must speak for themselves, verbal content is either secondary or unnecessary. Just let everyone follow their own path. Last, but not least, I am concerned with the tendency among contemporary photographers to overly rely on post-production of digital photos. Latest computer software allows to turn even a very poor image into a beautiful one with ease. In an instant, it can change sky patterns, create sun rays where they never existed, enrich colors, assemble an image from different parts of other images etc. etc. So, where is photography? I strongly believe that a beautiful photo can be taken right in the moment the photographer triggers the shutter. A clear line should be drawn between photography and computer graphics. Name three artists you admire. I appreciate greatly the works of many Japanese artists of the 18th and 19th centuries working in the genre of ukiyoe, or “pictures of the floating world” (woodblock prints). Particularly those of Katsushika Hokusai and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. Although outside the area of visual arts, I deeply respect the creative work of a modern Russian musician-philosopher Viktor Tsoi. Tsoi’s activity coincided with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the time when translations of Japanese pre-modern poetry were practically unavailable to the general reader in the country. To the best of my knowledge, he was never exposed to the Japanese culture or language, but in his songs he surprisingly uses Russian exactly like pre-modern Japanese poets, resorting to the deep ambiguous symbolism that I have mentioned earlier. In my opinion, he was a true genius. What are your future plans? I plan to open my permanent solo gallery soon in Moscow, Russia, as well as to organize a number of other solo exhibitions in the near future. All my works are available as limited editions, but with time I would like to make them available to a broader audience by publishing numerous thematic photo books. And, staying true to my approaches and methods, I would like to try myself in landscape photography in countries other than Japan.

www.anshin.art 22

Art Reveal Magazine

Laura Bigger Kirksville, MO, USA My work explores the relationships that exist among humans, animals, and ecosystems, particularly in terms of the food chain, raw materials, and the human tendency to exert control over natural systems. It explores existential quandaries such as what it means to be a human today, how we can live in the world responsibly, and what our obligation is to do so. As a multimedia artist, I question anthropocentric viewpoints and interpret the man made environment primarily through print, drawing and installation. Celestial Bodies is a series of prints that uses symbolism to articulate the concept of a tipping point. Some works portray the point at which light approaching a black hole changes direction, having been drawn toward the black holeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mass. Others portray light emerging carelessly from a prism with no obstacles. Components such as slices of water are either upright, indicating an expected stasis, or upside-down, hinting at an eerie world with laws of nature unfathomable to us. While this series is more abstracted than much of my recent work, it manifests an environmental concern and a visual experimentation with balance, optimism, pessimism, and escapism. These attitudes mirror our various relationships with climate change and metaphorically play out potential outcomes.

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? Before graduate school, I lived for six months with a family off-the-grid in New Zealand, serving as their Au pair / gardener / cook. The parents I lived with were passionate environmentalists and activists. While I was also passionate about the environment, this family had a can-do productive attitude while also emphasizing quality of life. They were leaders in a movement called the Transition Initiative, which focuses on moving away from dependence on oil, re-skilling and re-localization such that communities are resilient in the face of various threats. The Transition Initiative movement and the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach to living has had a profound and lasting impact on my artistic practice. I used to make predominantly moody, brooding work. But after living in New Zealand, I transitioned into making artwork that I consider constructive in some way. Sometimes my work is constructive only in the sense that it is fun or fulfilling for me to make it. Other projects, such as Elements, are more educational and are intended to inspire awe and respect toward the natural world and the raw materials humans use on a regular basis. I avoid making my work overly didactic, however, because I believe that people access artwork emotionally. I aim to inspire curiosity and to resonate with my viewers on an intuitive level. I hope that my own respect toward the natural world comes through in my work.

Art Reveal Magazine

What is the most challenging of being an artist? For me the most challenging thing about being an artist is focusing my energy. I work in many different directions at once. There are so many things I want to do and like doing. I identify with being a maker; I enjoy making nearly anything (a garden, a meal, furniture, jewelry) and dabbling in every medium. Also, I teach all levels and methods of printmaking, so a good amount of my time goes into practicing and making demonstration pieces in printmaking methods that I wouldn’t normally use. I actually enjoy this process of re-learning and exploration, but it can certainly lead to a more eclectic body of work. I don’t think I ever meet my own aspirations because they are overly ambitious and branch into too many pathways. The good news is that I never experience boredom. Dovetailing with this challenge, I sometimes work on projects over the course of many years, which doesn’t always suit the way exhibition calls are written there are often cut-off dates in regard to artwork submissions; I don’t find that this is always relevant to my practice. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? I think of art as a lens that reflects the myriad contemporary cultures in existence around the world. Art can function in an activist realm. It serves to criticize, analyze, capture and represent. It can communicate on an academic and an emotional level, thereby providing a point of access for viewers on a subject. In this sense it is a way to reach a community that is distinct from but related to education. I also think that a thriving arts community is a sign of strong culture and a healthy society. It is an essential outlet and society would benefit greatly if the arts were better supported and valued. How would you describe the art scene in your area?

Laura Bigger is an Assistant Professor of Art at Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. She previously taught at the University of Nevada, Reno and Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN. Originally from Boulder, CO, Bigger received her BA in Studio Art and Hispanic Studies from Colorado College (2008) and her MFA in printmaking from the University of Minnesota (2013). Her work has been exhibited nationally, with recent solo exhibitions at Prairie Lights Bookstore in Iowa City, IA, Mabee Gallery in Canton, MO, and the Banana Factory in Bethlehem, PA.

Well, I teach at a University in a rural town in Missouri, so it’s relatively minimal. The Kirksville Art Center has a new building that was just completed and is beginning programming this fall. There is a gallery on the square that features work by local artists and artisans. We have a strong group of art faculty and we sometimes hold critiques and studio visits with one another to create space for constructive criticism. Truman State’s University Art Gallery features renowned national and international exhibitions in addition to faculty and student work. For instance, we just exhibited a solo show by Photographer Jess Dugan and an Aboriginal art exhibition. That said, I travel to places like Kansas City, St. Louis, Des Moines, Chicago and Minneapolis to get my fill of art.

Art Reveal Magazine

What do you like/dislike about the art world? I appreciate the optimism inherent in the making and valuing of art that is fed by the art world. Another good thing about the art world is that it fosters openness, discomfort, progress, and challenges to the status quo. It often gives rise to discussions that are valuable to have. (I’m thinking about instances such as the Sam Durant Scaffold or the Dana Schutz Open Casket controversies.) I dislike that the art world feels elite and inaccessible to most people. It is insular and seems to primarily serve and reference itself. I also dislike how capitalistic it is. On a related note, in cities where the arts are supported, the arts also seem more accessible by extension. I used to live in Minneapolis and felt that the art community benefited the public there and created a lively, thoughtful city. The Minneapolis Institute of Art is free to access, the Walker Art Center has free Thursday nights and first Saturdays and there are many arts nonprofits that serve the community. Numerous grant programs also support the artists there. The Twin Cities provide a great model for a place where the arts are supported and improve quality of life in the cities and around Minnesota. Name three artists you admire This question is paralyzing because there are so many artists I admire, and almost always for a specific reason. I found myself wanting to categorize: should I focus on printmakers? artists who make works on paper? materiality? well-known artists? artists I know personally? I’m going to cheat and give you a few more than three. Here is an eclectic mix of artists I admire for different reasons: I admire Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller for their experiential sound-based site-specific works that evoke feeling and transport the viewer. Theirs were two of my absolute favorite works at Documenta 13. I often think about Dario Robleto’s work. I admire his intentional use of materials that add a level of depth to his work and his earnestness in his artmaking. I admire Alexa Horochowski for her work’s materiality and her ability to move fluidly among a wide variety of mediums. I admire Mark Dion for his concepts, multifaceted approach to executing them and his aesthetic. I also admire artists such as Amy Cutler, Julie Buffalohead, and Firelei Báez for their uninhibited and stylized drawings and prints. What are your future plans? COVID-19 has put a wrench in most concrete plans. An exhibition at Flood Plain gallery in St. Louis and a residency at Constellation Studios in Lincoln, NE have both been postponed indefinitely as has a Mid America Print Council exchange exhibition I was to exhibit in this fall. But, generally speaking, I plan to continue making work and applying for solo and group exhibitions nationally. I would like to begin showing internationally as well. I do not currently have gallery representation but am flirting with the idea of seeking representation for my print-based work.

laurabigger.com 28

Art Reveal Magazine

Photo: Zachary Kemper

Sarah Butler Los Angeles, CA, USA

I oftentimes feel that there are entire worlds with which I’ve lost touch just outside my peripheral vision – and if I look far enough over my shoulder, I may eventually find them. If the sun shifts and catches the light in my eyelashes just right, there is a chance it will highlight an overgrown trailhead. If I can follow a faint and familiar scent, maybe I’ll remember whatever it is I have forgotten. By hand stitching through photographs I’ve taken over the past twelve years, I am following that scent. Retracing steps I have never taken, uncovering the overgrown, and slowly piecing together something elusive and long lost, something that defines me. Through the layering of 35 mm photography, hand embroidery, and poetry, I strive to give momentary form and language to this intangible sitting just on the tip of my tongue. Sarah Butler likes making things. Currently based in Los Angeles, Sarah has been photographing special people, places, and things since being gifted her father’s Canon Rebel in 2008 & has been sewing and writing since as long as she can remember. She has designed and built large-scale, wearable pieces for her own performance-based productions including her “flowerhead,” which she has worn for original, site specific installation performances featured in Downtown LA Art Walk, Radiant Space, and NAVEL LA. Her collection of photography, embroidery, & poetry work, The Guest House, was shown as a part of Seattle’s Capitol Hill Art Walk in March 2019. Sarah graduated from Cornish College of the Arts with a BFA in Dance and has been a founding member of Ate9 Dance Company since 2012, performing at prestigious venues nationally and internationally, including Jacob’s Pillow, White Bird Dance, American Dance Festival, the American Platform for Dance at The Joyce, Context Vishneva Fest in Moscow, Russia, Chutzpah! in Vancouver, Canada, among others.

Art Reveal Magazine

Photo: Luke Kantola

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? Undoubtedly the friendships and relationships developed in my life so far that evolve and shift with time – including the one with my family – have been major influences in my life and art practice. My Uncle Eric stands out as deep inspiration for me. He was a painter, musician, and general artist of life who left me with many letters and postcards I often revisit and continue to learn from as I get older. I think I was introduced to a great deal of magic, mystery, and myth through him. Also a few friends of mine from high school are still to this day some of the most influential people I know. I always told my friend Grant – who is an incredible filmmaker and musician now among other things - that he gave me faith in people, and I swear I thought my friend Kristen was some kind of deity taking temporary human form. I learned a lot from them about appreciation of what

often gets written-off as “insignificant” or “everyday.” A great deal of what I make now actually started as gift ideas for others – embroidering quotes, pressing flowers, covering songs, building scavenger hunts, and writing letters. I guess over time my art practices naturally continued to develop as a way to show my appreciation for other people without repeating myself too much in the process. What is the most challenging of being an artist? As I get older, it feels clearer that being an artist is synonymous with just being a person. So I think the most challenging aspects of being an artist are the same difficulties that come from navigating being alive and living in a body. I feel that the amount of lived life we experience depends on our own willingness to actively invest and engage in living. Working to maintain a level 33

of active participation in my own life is a consistent practice - which is maybe why my art has taken many different forms. So for me the most challenging and also most worthwhile part of working as an artist is making the effort to lean into my weaknesses rather than lean away. To crack open whatever makes me uncomfortable, or embarrassed, or defensive and dig in. To listen, learn, grow, and create from there. Which can at times feel especially contradictory when there is pressure to impress an audience with a final product. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? I think art inherently runs alongside contemporary culture. Since art cannot be made completely in a vacuum, it is always some sort of reflection on current events, whether those be personal or on a larger scale. Art is like a translation or

Art Reveal Magazine

another offering of language making sense – or nonsense – of any given situation. In a way contemporary culture provokes a response, and then the art created from that response leads and shifts contemporary culture. I believe art is an incredibly important and healthy part of life that often gets mislabeled as something light to do only when we have spare time.

the world. Drawing lines can be helpful but also unfortunately often creates a sense of exclusivity. Being involved in the arts for me has always functioned as a verb, as opposed to a noun. No matter how much time I’ve spent within any given medium, identifying with an individual title like “dancer” or “visual artist” never felt right. The distinction of being a human who dances, and a person who makes things, feels important. I don’t think this is unique to the arts, but it feels a little dangerous when identity becomes so closely linked with a specific style, medium, or job title. The emphasis on branding in order to represent oneself clearly and sell work promotes an element of performance that can almost poison the root of a plant.

How would you describe the art scene in your area? There is so much work happening in Los Angeles, it’s like it’s own living, breathing organism. There is a lot of incredible work happening with very little financial support, I can sense that people are making work out of personal necessity. Almost like there is a wild and charged undercurrent to the city.

I don’t like the somewhat normalized idea that an artist is successful when they are making a certain level of money from their work. If you can make a living from your art and that makes you happy, that is fantastic. But I don’t agree with the sense that being an artist has to look or feel a particular way. Making dinner, interacting with a stranger, polishing silver-

What do you like/dislike about the art world? It’s difficult to say, as my first instinct is that I do not consider myself to be in or familiar with the art world, so maybe I dislike the notion that the art world is separate from just,

Art Reveal Magazine

ware, embroidering photographs, doing your taxes – any action can be done with skill, care, creativity, and intention.

texture is such a stunning way to represent the magic of the natural world.

Name three artists you admire.

There is an improv-comedy group called Convoy that performs once a week at a theatre called Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. I am so in awe of their quick wittedness and full commitment to any given scenario.

Hafiz. Granted I have read primarily English translations by Daniel Ladinsky, the poetry of Hafiz carries a lot of weight for me. In reading these poems, I feel like I am holding immaculately crafted boats of language carrying messages and secrets from other worlds. Vincent Van Gogh. I have always dreamed of walking around inside Van Gogh’s landscapes. His use of

Convoy from UCB.

What are your future plans? It’s hard to say concretely during the pandemic what the future will look like, but I plan to continue creating.

kickinbutler.com 35

John Cline Portland, OR, USA

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice?

set of rules for any length of time. Instead, I harness the experience and try to stay nimble and balanced. I do try to stay consistent in the way that I approach my work, my outlook, my optimism, my curiosity, and energy.

Influence is very intimate. It is something I have woven into my process of making. Influence is an artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s process or technique. It is a curiosity about how they work. I might have books or a piece of art by them. I may have made a pilgrimage to a site-specific piece of theirs. A saved image, a quote memorized.

Influences are driving down the road and seeing an old barn along the side of a country road. They are the kudzu that grows in lush green cascades along the Alabama highways. The ancient gothic church I grew up attending. The twisted trees after a tornado has passed through. The caves and storm pipes I explored as a kid. Quiet moments on the lake early in the morning when just the dragonflies light on the water making tiny ripples. The forests, creeks and old corn fields where I picked sweet silver queen corn in my youth. My lines mimic the hills of the lower Appalachian mountains and the bends of the Tennessee River. Pine trees soar above with their tiny arms outstretched reaching for the sunlight. The rays touch my page often as they filter through each branch. Their sticks litter the ground and page.

Sometimes the consumption of an influence can be voracious and prolific. I will download images of an artist or designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work to study over repeatedly, sometimes, I will mimic their work. Some artists and designers are slow releases, and some they are sudden. Some are situational and some are specific. I love combining and mixing influences to make new insightful things. Shapes and spatial relationships influence my work. Collage and photography. Mapping and charts. There is no coincidence that I work in an architecture office. Buildings, design, construction, and materiality all fascinate me. Light, dark, texture, hue, myth, people, places, memories are all facets of my work. I try never to hold myself to one convention or style or any one

In the realm of influence, I prefer to talk about the people who have passed through my life over the years. My 7th grade art teacher taught us 2 and 3 point perspective drawing techniques. These drawings were simple yet my 38

Art Reveal Magazine

first dive into the world of pushing the eye deep into the page. It was also my first introduction into laying out a drawing: starting with one point and working your way through to the end of the drawing before actually committing to making a mark. We went from tiny lonely one telephone pole train track desert scenes to mini megapolis with skyscrapers and busy intersections. We also made what I call graph drawings. These drawings were made by overlaying a smaller grid on a photograph or magazine clipping of choice. Once complete you would transfer the smaller grid onto another larger sheet of paper at twice or more the scale. And then render it with a media of choice. I took, I kid you not, magazine sized Tommy Lee and Randy Rhoads, to poster sized pastel renderings. Of which, I still have. No lie. True story. The grid drawings brought order to my own drawings whether I made a grid or not. I always can remember how to relate shapes I see to each other from that lesson.

The adage of measure twice cut once was learned at an early age. Even how to test the edge of a razor sharp pocketknife was a life lesson at four. A lot of the first formal art training began when I entered the 11th grade. My art teacher immediately began making us draw from real life, either from still life or nature. We would draw each other in class. We would also draw strange objects, and occasionally, she would pull things from “the closet”. The Hooti being one of these more strange memorable things. The Hooti was a 5 foot tall fiberglass brown piece of hot mess you really didn’t want to touch, let alone look at… she found it at a garage sale, I think. It was a foundation to build upon. Influences at auburn were the opportunities in architectural education. Each professor was a rich dive into one unique process experience. One professor would encourage you to rummage around in the trash to find inspiring objects and use them to design buildings from. Another would encourage thoughtful research with mindful eye to detail. A third was into materiality and methods of construction. Or another promoted process development over the final product while encouraging a making making making environment. He introduced me to the 10,000 5” lines in a 7” square drawing exercise by Sol Lewitt. Lines from the Rural Studio. Lines from the Urban Studio. Lines were all converging for me.

My grandfather taught me precision and the benefits of patience. An intelligent but cold man, I have many memories of helping him in his basement shop. He was giving with his time and knowledge. He was a jack of all trades himself and could damn well do or build anything. I remember the manual drill press and the many bits stored at the end of its handle, and his radial arm saw and the big exposed blade. The house I grew up in had objects he built scattered all over it. I still have some. They have become inspirations for objects I’ve built.

Art Reveal Magazine

I slept little and made lots. I asked questions and experimented with things I’d never heard of. I exposed myself to chemicals, dust, materials and power tools that were meant only for experienced professionals. But that’s what I wanted to be: armed to the teeth with experiences and knowledge. So I kept on trying and experimenting. My undergraduate thesis was a reflection on my education while at Auburn. While unconventional in the traditional thesis sense, it was an execution in drawing; celebrating my years of process development, inspiring moments, learning new tools and an exploration of skills I’d learned while in a nurturing and creative environment. I built and made things, constructed drawings and then in the end, put together a book cataloging its process and making. It was a passion of love and curiosity and hope that I planned to keep with me for the rest of my life. It has been almost 20 years since its inception, and it continues to influence me and my work on a daily basis.

how we became friends. He and I would ride around hale county together going from one job site to another. Him driving his little red car, all the while rambling on about some idea he’d been thinking about that week. On this particular day, it involved the theory of the creative process robbing our souls of images or memories from our past each time we created something new. The theory went like this: in order to engage in the creative act, it requires us to draw on our past experiences or our own internal images to make new images. These images, or flashes are made and stored while driving in our little red car down the road, or while watching a movie, maybe witnessing a beautiful sunset, or a shooting star. It is what we see and feel and bring with us on our journey forward in time. Each time we create something new, a past visual image would be used in this new experience. Over the course of time, we would need to replenish or recharge these images with new ones. He very much became a part of me that fall quarter. I think about him often and how much he lives in the things I make. We as students would mimic his art in our studio work: in our models and drawings.

There were many influences during those years at Auburn. I want to tell you all of the stories from Samuel Mockbee and 40

Art Reveal Magazine

at the pin up boards, design options for a high-profile project, material research, a mockup in the shop, each experience had its own rich learning experience. Everything was hands on and thoroughly vetted, most of the time with multiple professionals involved. I always felt like I had a voice, but I also felt like I had to own that voice.

Influences were abound at the CAA too. Arriving the first day staring at us and sticking out of the studio was a 40 foot long 8 foot wide piece of steel on wheels. A trailer; the kind you see on the road that carries cargo from one place to another. The zeitgeist was “chopping” and “assemblage” and “performance” and thus began a love affair with steel and things that move. A place with no classes, no grades, and a single artist in residence for each department: I learned how to structure my creativity in a new light: necessity. I had to make myself want to learn. I had to set my own agenda, my own goals: and I learned a lot about myself those two years. I learned how to collaborate better and to bring lots of moving parts into cohesion and focus. Afterward the trailer, digital fabrication became a fascination. My background in CAD helped propel me into the deep woods. I learned how to be economical with materials and assemble using sheet goods. I let this influence how I used the materials. It dovetailed with the Rural Studio’s salvage or use what you had on hand philosophy, as well as some of my thesis themes of design within means or restrictions. I spent the other half of my time there getting a big wooden box to hover so it could be paraded out during parties and fundraisers and serve food and drinks from at the campus Art Museum. After graduation it was working in Philly for an AIA firm of the year recipient that fostered holistic design and practiced-based architecture. They had an entire office on casters, a full wood and metal shop, a laser cutter, a 3D printer, a model shop, ISO certified, and two principals who led the industry in innovative thinking. I briefly worked on a project that sat in the vacant lot next the MOMA and part of one of their exhibits. Their influence was very personal. Charrettes

When I landed in bama again with a small detached garage for a studio, it was an opportunity to put everything I’d learned up to then to practice. I began building with cheap materials and after much trial and error eventually upgraded to rough cut lumber from nice stock. Each piece had its own personality and unique set of details. This was my way of teaching myself new techniques and skills each time I touched a tool. I haven’t stopped building furniture; I’ve only added more tools to my arsenal. And finally, we have come full circle.

the stalks of sea oats on the sand dunes high above. They are the Saturn IV rocket standing on end with the lights streaming down twinkling in the nighttime sky. Influences are the blades of St. Augustine grass as you roll over on your back and hold her giggling up into the sun; the long thin greenness swallows you both whole. My drawings contain the images I have captured over my life. Each time I make something new, I try to replenish it, just like my friend said. What is the most challenging part of being an artist? Balance. Being a father. Being an employee owner. Being a partner. Being a friend. Being an artist, a designer, a maker. Each has its demands and responsibilities. I love being able to do many things throughout the day, week and months. This is how I thrive. This is how I stay busy and be the person I want to be; make the things I want to make. It is part performance, it is part making shit up. Construct it. Analyze it. Organize it. And use it in effort. How would you describe the art scene in your area?

I began drawing again four years ago, as I put it. I had a bad bicycle accident that hurt me pretty good on a commute one morning. I fractured a few bones and was immobile for a couple of weeks. I started drawing as soon as I was able to set up a drawing table in the basement and unpack some supplies. I had assembled a lot of inspirational images by then, both digitally and in my head. It was time to see if I could put them to use. Driving down the road the telephone poles race past one by one, one, the power lines pulling the scene along with me. Lines, all along the lines. Influences are

I love the art scene in portland. It’s so varied and eclectic. I love running into new things that I have never seen. It is supportive and vibrant. There are different rich cultures. I love walking around portland and stumbling across random art and art objects. It happens all the time and i love my city for this. Do you think of yourself as a conceptual artist? I don’t consider myself anything other than someone who makes things in a creative way and thoughtful way. What are your future plans? To continue to make, explore, learn and grow. Be a good father. Be a good human being. Be a good friend. Be a good colleague. Be a good neighbor.

johnwcline.com 41

Enzo Crispino Bibbiano, Italy

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? Curiosity and will to know constantly feed my passion and offer me the necessary motivation to continue to be artistically creative. What is the most challenging part of working with photography? The most challenging part is to develop an idea of a new photographic project drawing inspiration from poetry verses from some of my favourite poets; this then involves a careful study of the verses of a poem and then tailoring it to the primary idea of the project I have in mind, merging Photography and Poetry as a whole. For some time I have directed my photographic research in this direction, I believe that Poetry gives more depth to what I intend to produce. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? The word Art has only one meaning to me: “expression”, in whatever way and time it is manifested. How would you describe the art scene in your area? A great Italian photographer, Luigi Ghirri, in one of his books invited us to look “differently” to capture aspects and particular details of a place, which under the daily watch, can result insignificant, but, when decontextualized from the whole, they offer significant artistic interpretations. Taking inspiration from this thought, I believe that each place has its own peculiarities that make it unique, as well as the place where I live. 44

Art Reveal Magazine

What do you like/dislike about the art world?

by her chromatic research. The third one is the American photographer William Eugene Smith, whom I started admiring after visiting one of his exhibitions in Italy. And, if I may say, I would add another contemporary artist that I have been following and admiring for a long time for his personal poetic research of the image, he is Italian and his name is Sergio Giannotta.

Art is a form of expression to which everyone in a different way can access, even if in my opinion it sometimes creates a sideral distance between the communication of the world of Art and the user, soaked in useless and counterproductive sophistry. Name three artists you admire.

What are your future plans?

The first one is the Italian photographer I mentioned in the previous question, Luigi Ghirri, who inspired my photographic research. The second artist is the Ethiopian photographer Aida Mulunech, I have always been fascinated

My future plans are to continue studying Poetry so that it becomes more and more inspiring for my next photographic projects. 45

Art Reveal Magazine

enzocrispino.com

Victoria Fry Pound Ridge, NY, USA

I approach painting with a willingness to experiment using a variety of materials and methods to unearth new discoveries. Inspired by organic forms, my beeswax paintings embody the colors, textures, and movement of the natural world. Using wax, oil, and wood, I create atmospheric landscapes that capture the wildly unpredictable elements of nature. A wheat field blowing in the autumn wind, a lake overflowing under a summer storm; I channel these experiences as I set out to create my work. Both in their content, as well as the physical presence of each piece, I intend for my paintings to echo the sense of alchemy and mystery that one finds when immersed in the outdoors. The materials I use while creating a painting are equally as important to the completed work itself. The process of using beeswax is both spontaneous and intentional - often resulting in rhythmic, gestural strokes of color, as well as accidental marks that contribute to the overall composition. The poured wax creates a sense of visual movement and, in doing so, becomes the central focus of each painting. Layers of beeswax and oil paint are simultaneously built up and scraped back to create depth and texture. I work back and forth between layers, adding and subtracting, until the desired result is achieved.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? I grew up in England, Singapore and the United States; three completely different landscapes and cultures. Experiencing such diverse places at a young age instilled in me a deep respect for the beliefs and traditions of others, as well as a strong sense of curiosity and wonder. When my family settled in New York, I spent a great deal of time wandering through the forest alone, completely immersed in the environment. After high school I moved to major cities, including Manhattan and Los Angeles, and began to lose touch with the natural world. When I returned to New York last summer I was once again surrounded by the woods that I wandered through as a child. Almost immediately upon my return, my art began to flourish in a way that I had not experienced in quite some time. I began to create work that was truly connected with my environment, which served as the very source of my inspiration. From there, my work

took off and I created my first cohesive series of beeswax paintings. My collective experiences of being immersed in nature - usually in solitude - have had a lasting impact on my work. I also feel that viewing art on a consistent basis inspires and impacts my work. Whether in person or online, I am constantly seeking out contemporary art and gathering inspiration from dynamic new artists. Viewing art regularly keeps my creative brain brimming with ideas and allows me to envision new possibilities. What is the most challenging part of working with new media? Working with new media is definitely a process and one that involves quite a bit of experimentation. When I began working with beeswax for the first time after a long hiatus, I felt completely new to the medium again. I approached this seemingly new material with an experimental mindset; testing out different tools, temperatures, and surfaces until after a while I began to understand the

wax and how it responded to these variables. When trying any medium for the first time it is important to keep an open mind and allow for a grace period of trial and error. This can be challenging when we want to achieve results quickly, but the process is critical as it provides us with valuable learning opportunities. My goal is to continue to stretch myself and work outside of my comfort zone by experimenting with new materials and processes. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? I believe that art in contemporary culture serves as a lens to explore and investigate experiences and issues that we face as individuals and as a society. The very act of viewing a work of art triggers our own thoughts and emotions, which can spark within us an immediate dialogue with the work we are observing. I think the most powerful aspect of contemporary art is its innate ability to provide a platform for conversation - to raise

Art Reveal Magazine

questions, challenge norms, and create change. Or, just as importantly, to give us insight into another life, whether it be a small, seemingly trivial moment in time, or an experience of immense change and uprising. The dialogue that art inspires allows us to better understand others and ourselves. Art, in its truest form, connects us with the human experience. How would you describe the art scene in your area? I live about an hour and a half north of New York City and attended school in Manhattan. While in college, I regularly attended gallery openings in Chelsea and was surrounded by a wide range of artists. The creative energy I experienced when gallery hopping in Manhattan is hard to put into words - there is so much diversity and inspiration around every corner. The town I live in now is a bit quieter, but there are still great local venues for emerging and established artists. My goal, after the pandemic ends - whenever that will be, is to connect with my local art community in a deeper way. There are so many incredible artists and venues outside of New York City, and I am looking to explore that more. What do you like/dislike about the art world? Growing up, I was determined to break into the art world. I attended gallery exhibits from a young age, went to a prestigious art school in Manhattan, interned at a top gallery in Chelsea, and made a plethora of connections along the way. After time passed, I began to realize that the art world is, in many ways, deeply flawed. I started to understand that significant changes need to be made in order to create an art world that is more equitable. Historically, the art world has ignored three distinctive groups: women artists, minority artists, and ethnic artists. These voices have been disregarded in favor of the white male narrative that permeates most art-based institutions. We are beginning to see art platforms feature more artists from this largely ignored group, yet the representation of white male artists to black female artists is still wildly disproportionate. Moreover, art schools carry a tremendous cost for tuition and fail to prepare students for the world in which they en51

Art Reveal Magazine

ter after graduation. We need to implement curricula and courses centered around the current art market for students to truly understand the logistics of how to create a life-long art career. We need to set students up with the business skills necessary for them to flourish, rather than relying on them to make connections through networking. Name three artists you admire. Gerhard Richter, Jenny Saville and Anselm Kiefer. The organic nature of Richterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s abstract paintings are responsible for my transition into the realm of abstraction. I viewed them for the first time as a college student and had quite an emotional reaction. I was in awe of his use of color and movement, and knew, in that moment, that I wanted to become an abstract painter.I will never forget first seeing Jenny Savilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paintings in 2007 while in high school and visiting galleries in Chelsea. It was my first time viewing contemporary art and I was blown away by her massive portraits. Although my subject matter could not be more different, the scale of her work inspired me to paint on large panels. At the time, I did not even know artists created work that large! Anselm Kieferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use of texture drew me to beeswax as I felt motivated to emulate his visceral, almost sculptural, works of art. I am also incredibly inspired by the journey of Alma Thomas. She was an art teacher for much of her life and was the first African-American woman to have a solo exhibit at the Whitney Museum of Art. What are your future plans? I will continue to develop my work and exhibit online, as well as in person. I also plan to continue teaching as I have a passion for art education and working with students to help them develop their skills and find their own artistic passion. One of my biggest goals as an art educator is to introduce my students to prominent contemporary artists to inspire their own art practices. I think it is a powerful experience for young artists to connect with creative individuals who are making work today in response to issues we currently face. Earlier this Summer, I launched an online art platform, Visionary Art Collective, which connects contemporary art with education. This platform showcases the work of artists and educators around the world through interviews, online exhibits, and weekly highlights. We are also launching educational resources to provide art teachers with lessons centered around contemporary art, with a focus on women artists and artists of color. Since launching, I have connected with so many incredible creatives and look forward to further expanding this platform.

Art Reveal Magazine

www.vifrypainting.com 53

Sara Hupas Szczecin, Poland

I’m interested in shaping of matter through the activities of sculpting, from small forms to monumental realizations. I draw inspiration from phenomena /situation/ and the specific characteristics of matter. In the works I have completed so far, I process the collected materials so as to emphasize their properties as well as to refer to their history or previous function / application. In doing this, I am constantly accompanied by a need of ordering and giving meaning to what man has abandoned and treated as waste. Although my work is based on abstraction, it contains an emotional element that refers to the human psyche and experience. I use materials such as recycled sponge, recycled paper, honeycomb cardboard, agrotextile, jute rope, styrofoam, Bee wax and what will fall into my hands. In addition, an important place in my creative work is foundry in such materials as: bronze, aluminum and cast iron. It is thanks to this process that I am able to preserve or even protect the acquired materials from complete destruction. Sara Hupas, born in 1987 in Prudnik. A graduated from PLSP in Opole. In the years 2007-2010 student of the Opole Art Institute in the field of Art Education in the Field of Fine Arts. She acquired Bachelor’s degree in sculpture under the direction of Prof. Marian Molenda. In 2017 graduated from Cracow Academy of Fine Arts. Diploma in Sculpture Studio IV, conducted by Prof. Józef Murzyn. An annex to the diploma in the Sculpture Workshop in Metal under the direction of Prof. Krzysztof Nitsch and in the Drawing Studio III run by Mrs. Prof. Ewa Janus.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? The direction of my activities gradually became clear during my education at the Faculty of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. It was the professors, with their commitment and willingness to get the best out of us, who helped me discover myself and cultivate the most beautiful values. The Studio of Small Sculptural Forms stole my heart. The subsequent stages of implementation required humility and persistence, and the final effect was refined down to the smallest detail. Professor Krzysztof Nitsch, who was running the studio at that time, represents a group of outstanding Polish medalists, he requires a lot from himself, so he always set the bar high for us. Being able to learn from his experience was a unique lesson. In the Drawing Studio III led by Professor Ewa Janus, I got to know paper anew. From the fourth year of my studies, I started to “destroy” piles of unsuccessful drawings by cutting them into narrow strips, in order to have material for further activities. This adventure continues until now (about five years). In the studio of Professor Józef Murzyn, there was an atmosphere of constant research in various materials, which also strongly influenced my choices. Besides, since I can remember, I was more willing to use recycled materials and based on them when I created my concepts. Especially now, when we need to take care of our planet even more, I want to help and not contribute to this global garbage. What is the most challenging part of being an artist? The hardest part is being your own manager. I feel best when I can hide in my studio and focus on my next projects. Which is not always possible, because creativity requires us to engage in many other fields that are not always easy. I will never forget how much effort and stress it cost me to send the work “Aspect” to the Venetian Arsenal for the Arte Laguna Prize competition exhibition or to Chester for the art fair. Both of these situations were successful, which does not change the fact that the carriers provided me with a lot of impressions and raised the level of adrenaline in my blood for a long time. For this reason, I am happy to present my works on online exhibitions or in catalogs or magazines, to take the burden off my shoulders a little. Unfortunately, in this way we cannot replace direct contact with matter, which is very important in the process of getting to know my works. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? I think that art can heal society, unite distant worlds and support lost souls. Through art we can express ourselves, understand others and create a field for discussion without aggression. I also agree with Tony Cragg’s thought when he says: “Art is a celebration of life”, we should remember that. Tell us more about your “MERIDIANS” and “I’M LOOKING FOR YOU” artworks. I will start with the work “I’M LOOKING FOR YOU”, because it was the first one. I grew up with it throughout my studies. The starting point was a personal tragedy. When my friend Simon died, the idea came up to honor him as a soldier and erect a monument for him. It was not an 56

Art Reveal Magazine

easy task, the more so because I decided that it would not be a figurative sculpture but an abstract composition showing what kind of a person he was. I was looking for a concept that would evoke the feelings that accompany me when I remember our meetings full of kindness. My search has led me to pure contemplation of natural phenomena. In sunrise, seen from the top of the mountain, I saw fullness. This is where the feeling of meeting another person comes alive, a turning point in which darkness turns into day and hope returns for a better time. These associations led me to such a simple formal solution. The experience of the feeling of warmth and intimacy was an end in itself, now the Sunrise is the basis for further development and growth on its surface. And although Simon is physically gone, I am still looking for him. In addition, it commemorates 44 Polish

soldiers who died during peace missions in Afghanistan until 2014. Then I made the work “MERIDIANS”, which is based on the formal assumptions of the work “I’m looking for you”. The hemisphere’s form symbolizes the Sun, which is the basis / beginning, gives hope and with its energy lifts the burden of many things. Another block refers to climbing, long and arduous, which circles in the direction of the summit, and thus reduces our effort when we are close to reaching the goal. On the other hand, it can be concluded that this is the return path, because the starting point of my actions with the paper is at the top and spreads towards the base creating the illusion of a “never-ending” journey. The wooden cylinder connects two spheres, the earthly one with the spiritual one, which is often a piece of white paper, and 57

sometimes it brings pain and suffering. The lead material I used here comes from second hand, which is important for my artistic practice. This paper contains traces of students’ drawing exercises, and thus carries the baggage of their experiences. How would you describe the art scene in your area? Poland is a small country, but there are plenty of talented and hardworking artists. I watch how well they are doing internationally and I am proud to be from here. Recently, I have been particularly interested in textile art and in this field we have interesting artists and I am not just talking about Magdalena Abakanowicz, whose fame has spread all over the world. Artists such as Magdalena Soboń, Włodzimierz Cygan, Aleksandra Richter and many others still delight with the artistry of their works. I think we have many valuable skills in various

Art Reveal Magazine

fields of art. The problem is that we are unable to speak out about it and promote our activities. Name three artists you admire. Since I discovered Lee Bontecou last year I still can’t take my eyes off her hanging sculptures. The visual side of these compositions hypnotizes me every time I see them on the pages in the catalog. Moreover, the fact that this artist uses recycled canvas and found objects in her work makes me like her even more. Another artist I really appreciate is Katarzyna Józefowicz - in her works she uses recycled paper and cardboard. The third artist is Iwona Demko, a feminist and vaginist. I like her for her enormous strength and determination to take up difficult and uncomfortable topics and for the honesty that manifests itself in everything she does. What are your future plans? The future is so unpredictable that I don’t know if I can plan anything. We have all experienced this in recent months and we are still on shaky ground, but what I know for sure is that paper has taken over my studio and something needs to be done about it. So the paper implementations will be continued. Especially since I have been preparing for an individual exhibition for a year now. Its date was constantly changing and I am not sure if it will come to fruition in the planned space, but I am gradually expanding the number of objects, which makes me very happy and is a fantastic springboard from everyday matters that I love, but art also gives me a lot of satisfaction, - that’s why she is my faithful companion. I constantly want to develop so I try to expand the range of my possibilities.

facebook.com/sara.hupas.art

instagram.com/sarahupas

linkd.pl/r7am 58

Art Reveal Magazine

Matthew Hynds Jรถnkรถping, Sweden I am an interdisciplinary artist currently working in the field of abstract painting. Past work ranges from documentary-making and video installation art to wall murals and figurative painting. I have a Masters in Art & Design from Leeds Metropolitan University (graduated 2012) and I have since published two travel books, the first one detailing a trip to Alaska to video walruses in the wild. I currently live in Sweden. My abstract painting method involves splattering the canvas with thickened paint mixtures, creating rich varieties of colour and texture that can be appreciated up close and from a distance. The abstract fields that I create are highly reactive to different lighting conditions, taking on different moods and aspects of character at different times of the day. My style is wholly experimental and non-derivative, since I have worked extremely hard to create my own distinct methodologies that separate my work from that of other abstract artists. My intention now is to seek out greater exposure so that my paintings can be appreciated and judged by collectors, curators and others who are active and interested in the sphere of abstract art.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? Since I began my experiments in abstract painting towards the beginning of last year, I would say that the early abstract expressionists are the biggest influence on my art practice. The New York school of the 1940s completely broke down whatever remaining barriers existed in painting. Through the experimental outpourings of artists such as Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning, the art world and the public generally had to face up to some radical changes in modern art – whether they wanted to or not. Every artist working today in an expressive and uninhibited style does so thanks to the pioneering work undertaken by those great post-war artists. Aside from the abstract expressionists, I have always drawn my inspiration from nature. It is striking to me that an abstract painting is never truly abstract, because the shapes and colours that arrange themselves on the canvas carry echoes of the natural world. For example, my most recent series of paintings – titled ‘Colour Series’ – offers interpretations of various natural phenomena, while at the same time being entirely abstract. ‘Pink’ makes me think of an alien moonscape, for example, while ‘Green’ evokes sunlight shining through a forest. ‘Orange’ makes me think of the surface of the sun. At the time of writing, ‘Blue’ is unfinished. Looking at it now, I see an extremely violent ocean storm. I like to think of my paintings as ‘abstract landscapes’. This reflects the fact that I am using mixed media and thickened paint mixtures to build up from the canvas, creating topographical regions that are highly reactive to light. It also reflects my fascination with the natural world which is at the root of my art practice. What is the most challenging part of working with painting? For me, the most challenging aspect to abstract painting is achieving a balance between chaos and control. Working with splatter-painting techniques, I embrace the chaotic nature of mark-making as a necessary component of my art practice. However, this only works if I have exercised 62

Art Reveal Magazine

a high degree of control by deciding which paint mixtures will be best for the kind of effects I wish to create, which tools I should use, and so on. In addition, I must (like any artist) look at the evolving composition and structure of the piece, and adjust my styles of mark-making according to the direction I wish to take things (asking myself questions like, should I use a single violent action to create a strong impression in one area, or several smaller actions in an attempt to build cohesion between several other strong impressions). In the course of creating a single painting, I will feel the balance shift continuously between chaos and control. There might as well be a gauge somewhere with the needle twitching between these two opposing vectors. For example, I may lay down a layer of baby powder-PVA glue-acrylic paint splatters. These fine elastic shapes can fall very beautifully, creating fine-looking loops and curves. However, it is very easy to do too much in one area – creating a visual imbalance. This is chaos eating too much of the cake. To restore order, it becomes necessary to exert greater control with the next layer – which involves high-impact bombardment with a wall filler/acrylic paint mixture. The bombardment is concentrated in the weaker areas of the canvas, in the hope that this will balance the composition. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Very often, through directing the paint splatters in this way, a kind of artificiality creeps in, whereby the harmony that I am trying create is corrupted by an aberration that echoes through the layers – and sometimes amplifies through the layers, setting up very big problems further down the line. This is the result of an excess of control, which has come about as an entirely predictable overreaction to the excess

Art Reveal Magazine

of chaos described earlier. Clearly, this wild oscillation between chaos and control is to be avoided, which is why I try to maintain a harmonious balance with each new layer, thereby avoiding the problem. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? Art means today what it has always meant; it is a reflection of society. In that sense, I do not believe that the role of the artist or the appreciation of art has changed in any meaningful way. For instance, there will always be those who care nothing for art, and there will always be those who regard the possession of particular artworks as a sign of status, like any other luxury item. It is no surprise that art has become more accessible with the proliferation of smart phones and tablets and the ubiquity of social media. This increased penetrability is great for art-makers, buyers, collectors and general enthusiasts, and represents perhaps the biggest contemporary

trend. However, it is worth remembering that artists have always utilised the latest technologies and publishing platforms in order to create art as well as to network with one another and reach potential buyers, and so this trend should not be considered unique to contemporary culture; rather, it should be considered in the context of art history. I believe that the ubiquity of devices and media platforms has a democratising effect on art, and also a demystifying effect â&#x20AC;&#x201C; up to a point. Of course, everyone can publish images and videos of their work with very little effort, and those uploads can be considered alongside the works of Picasso or the Old Masters. This is very positive. On the flipside, it should be remembered that media feeds are highly personalised and for that reason the vast majority of users will never see these artworks, because the algorithm has directed them somewhere else. This is not so positive, and counts as one feature of our paradoxical cultural landscape, which is at once interconnected on a massive scale and atomised at the level of the individual. 64

How would you describe the art scene in your area? I live in a town called JĂśnkĂśping in the south of Sweden. It is a medium-sized town with a fairly limited art scene, which could be regarded as an advantage or a disadvantage. I choose to regard it as an advantage, as I believe there is an artistic sensibility that is slumbering in this town, which I am hoping to wake up. I have been encouraged by a recent exhibition that I had in the town centre. Since the Covid-19 pandemic has devastated so many small businesses, there are quite a few empty shops around at the moment, and an opportunity arose to make use of one of these for a two-week period in June. It was great to be in such a central location where I could gather an impression of what the general public thinks of my art. While most people were not at all interested in what I had to offer, a few were extremely enthusiastic about my paintings, commenting on the cheerful bright colours and so on. I even sold a few pieces, which would seem to indicate that there is some kind of appetite for abstract art around here.

Art Reveal Magazine

What do you like/dislike about the art world?

What are your future plans?

The phrase “the art world” has little meaning for me personally. I believe that art is part of life and therefore it is a mistake to isolate it in a box. If we look at the history of cave painting (such as the examples found in Chauvet Cave, which became the subject of Werner Herzog’s 2010 film, Cave of Forgotten Dreams) we see that artistic expression has always been essential to the human condition, and as such we cannot be separated from it. Clearly, there is a commercial side to art that didn’t exist 30,000 years ago, but this only reflects what is popular with people, and as such it is a modern-day expression of those pre-existing considerations – chief among them being, what is the artist communicating to me? Considered in this context, I think that regardless of personal artistic preferences, all of art should be celebrated.

Next month (September) I am taking part in the city-wide Konstrunda art festival that happens every year in Jönköping. I will have two large pieces on display: ‘Macrocosm’ and a diptych titled ‘Black & White’. These pieces took me a long time to complete, since they required a large number of layers, and I am very excited to get them set up since they are highly reactive to light and must be hung in a well-lit environment to achieve maximum effect. Looking further ahead, I intend to continue my enquiry into abstract painting. From the beginning, this was an experiment to see how I might create sculptural effects on the canvas. That experimental approach that I started out with has continued over the last one-and-a-half-years, and I am glad to say that I have learned a huge amount in that time, and I continue to learn as I challenge myself with new processes and materials with each new piece. So long as I feel that I am still experimenting, still learning, and still challenging myself with abstract painting – and so long as my creative vision continues to evolve and update itself from one piece to the next – I will continue with this line of enquiry, which is now, more than ever, concerned with the creation of sculptural forms on canvas and the magical effects that can be achieved when light reacts with those forms.

Name three artists you admire. Jackson Pollock, Gerhard Richter, Ai Weiwei. I admire Pollock for his ground-breaking style of ‘action painting’. I admire Richter for his artistic virtuosity and his incredible body of work, and I admire Ai Weiwei for the power of his artistic ideas and his bravery in standing up to and critiquing the Chinese government.

matthewhynds.com instagram.com/matthew_hynds 65

Lara Julian

London, UK

My work is inspired by geometry, architecture and science. I strive for my paintings to invite the viewer to observe colour as a physical existing object. Employing a diverse range of media, I seek to visualise colour as matter and energy through a systematic exploration of colour systems and building of pigments. My aim is not to represent my own emotions, but to set up combinations which are objectively and conceptually grounded, yet draw viewers into a meditative state through which they generate their own responses.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? I grew up in a highly creative household, my grandmother was a poet while my mother is an art historian and my father is an artist. My family has been a huge inspiration for me. Growing up in a creative family allowed me to display my interest in art at a young age. However, art education in Siberia was very traditional and it did not allow me to exhibit my full potential in abstract art. This experience discouraged me from painting for many years and making art remained simply an avocation. My practice has changed significantly throughout my artistic career. I began with figurative, yet abstract paintings and I have moved on to a purely conceptual and abstract aesthetic. I believe my academic and professional experience in the banking industry left an impact on my artistic style, making it more pragmatic rather than emotional. In my recent work, I seek to visualise colour as matter and energy through a systematic exploration of it. My paintings are inspired by geometry, architecture and science. Lines in my work, carry particular conceptions of light and colour, allowing me to explore their power to convey meanings and evoke emotional responses. Architecture has definitely played a big role in my art and development of my style. I was born and raised in Siberia, later my parents moved to Catalonia, Spain, I also lived in New York for a few years and I am currently based in London. I am hugely inspired by my surroundings and the ever-changing urban environments, I continue to explore it every day. What is the most challenging part of being an artist? I think there are many misconceptions about artists. In this profession, you have to do so much apart from creating your work. Building your brand, finding people with whom your art will resonate, constantly learning and experimenting is what being an artist is about. I think balancing these aspects can be overwhelming at times, but I cannot say I find one thing more difficult than the other. I think you always have to make time to meditate and recharge so that you do not run out of ideas because making art is very energy-consuming. My work brings me joy and I have realised that you have to believe in your work and be

yourself and you will find people who will understand you along the way. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? Art has been a huge part of our cultures for many centuries. Today, I think we can find art everywhere. It has become more accessible and diverse and more people are involved in it. I can see my painting becoming a piece of textile, a Christmas card, a digital artwork. Also, during the pandemic, I think people recognised the power of art and its

effect on our well-being even more, especially those of us who isolated at home. Art allowed people to remain connected while physically being apart. Therefore, I believe art has become an essential part of our culture which allows us to have a universal language, evokes thought and gives us an opportunity to connect with each other. How would you describe the art scene in your area? I currently live in London and I believe it to be a huge centre of artistic life. The art scene here is very diverse, constantly

Art Reveal Magazine

What are your future plans? I am really excited about my recent project on Youtube. I would like to use this platform to share with people processes of my work, my influence and inspiration, stories about art history and artistic life in London. I hope these will be valuable insights into the life of a practicing artist and the London art scene. I am also working on creating a series of podcasts, which I hope will help young artists wishing to build their artistic brand as well as grow their artistic talent. Apart from that, I am planning to conduct artist talks at my art studio for students interested in the art world. I hope these talks will motivate young people to continue their careers in the art and contribute to the development of the art industry. One of my more ambitious ongoing projects is a book called “ Philosophy of Lara Julian’s colour”. The book is going to consist of a complete analysis of my work, explanations of my creative processes and inspiration. My hope is that the book would be useful for art students and young artists as it would point out how you can develop your own techniques and individualistic style.

evolving and I love being surrounded by so many talented individuals. Here, we have some of the most important collections of Renaissance art as well as paramount contemporary collections. My studio is based just across the Royal Academy of Arts, in the heart of London art scene. There are many opportunities to meet amazing, practicing artists, learn from them and share views. I really hope it remains that way. Name three artists you admire. I gain a lot of inspiration from other artists and it is difficult to narrow it down to three. Out of contemporary artists, I would say Bridget Riley’s work has a very significant impact on me and it is always exciting to see her works in the flesh. I admire her processes of art creation and her focus on the issues of colour. I highly appreciate how her structures are simple yet effective in translating ideas and I strive to achieve this in my works. Secondly, I am strongly inspired by the work of Wassily Kandinsky, whom some call the father of abstract art. I admire the spirituality that his art carries. Many of

my works strive to reflect on the spiritual side of colour and the correlation between visual art and music. I try to achieve this through energetic lines and vibrancy of colour. Similarly to a symphony, the lines display a certain rhythm, merging the two art forms. Despite me being a conceptual and abstract painter, I gain a lot of inspiration from the old masters. I find it intriguing to decompose the colours they used in their works and apply it in my art, giving them a modern dimension. One of my favourite artists from the age of four has been Hieronymus Bosch. I was always interested in the great details of his paintings and I love decoding them. When I was a young girl, I would interpret his art in a very positive way as I could not understand that much of it was about poverty, sins and other political aspects of the 15th and 16th centuries. Therefore, in my work, even though I have my own concepts, I would like the viewers to generate their own responses.

I have also recently started developing digital artworks, which you can find on my Youtube channel. I believe that in the current world of information overload and time poverty, introspection and meditation are highly important. I designed these digital artworks to create a space for mindfulness, where one could contemplate the moving image of the rain of colour. The artwork aims to allow the viewer to focus on his feelings and thoughts in a present moment, encourage awareness of one’s mind and body and relieve stress. It strives to represent wholeness and encourage a “spiritual” experience, where everyone could find something special for themselves. I hope to make more digital art, as the art scene is evolving and I love experimenting with my work. Moreover, I would like my work to be more accessible, so I have also recently put up an expanded digital version of my exhibition “Lines of Reason”. I do have quite a lot going on, but that is what being an artist is all about!

larajulian.com 70

Art Reveal Magazine

Julia Kempa Katowice, Poland Insomnia and anxiety left a huge impact on my life. Through art I really wanted to connect with people who suffered from similar issues. I believe that sometimes suggestion can be a better medium for communication between two individuals than words spoken out loud. Insomnia and sleeping problems appear in 10% of global population in our world. It’s an invisible issue which is usually neglected and difficult to treat. My works represent a silent need of attention toward this dilemma. They don’t show only stories about some specific individuals but also my point of view on this topic. Deep down I strongly believe that what I am creating helps people in coping with their difficulties – because what makes us stronger is especially the fact that we are not alone. Born in Poland, Julia Kempa began her artistic career as a hyperrealistic painter while studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice. Her work is concerned primarily with psychological dilemmas such as insomnia and anxiety. She uses the human figure as the retrospection of internal thoughts and private observations. Julia Kempa’s works are in the permanent collections of private art connoisseurs from Europe.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? I think that Irish artist, Gottfried Helnwein, has been one of the biggest inspirations for me. As far as I remember, I was always fascinated by his minimalistic and theatrical style in painting and one of my dreams is to achieve some kind of his level in the future. If current pandemic conditions will allow me, I would like to visit Vienna this year to see his works live. I have no doubt that it would be a breathtaking moment for me, leaving a huge impact on my artistic career. What is the most challenging part of being an artist? For me it was always creating a clear, well presented message in the painting in a way that it could be immediately understood by people. An idea is usually just a part of a story projected in our mind and creating paintings is like creating the cinematograph scene of 15 minutes movie just in one shot - it’s very demanding narration but as soon as you’ll practice, you’ll be better storyteller. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? It’s a hard question because for each person it may have a completely different meaning. I believe that through art you can speak about things which you can’t out loud. Artist is always an instigator, someone who encourage a crowd for conversation about uncomfortable, gentle issues. It’s a very important role because I think that people currently communicate with each other differently than in the past. We are more focused visually - on symbols, patterns and colors and paintings can subconsciously create an invisible, transcendent conversation with a viewer by using exactly these mediums. How would you describe the art scene in your area? I think that I would describe as very modern and expressive. My hyperrealistic style is not that popular in Poland but I think that because of this it gave me an opportunity to stand out in some way. But many of Polish artists love to experiment and share their ideas. Art made a huge influence on a city in which I live and I noticed that people started paying bigger attention on visual side of it. We have a lot of huge illustrations which decorate many buildings. Name three artists you admire. Definitely William Adolphe Bouguereau, Jeremy Geddes and Nick Alm. All of them represent a little different kind of realism but each one has an an excellent technique and expression. I am a big fan of French academicism as well. What are your future plans? My future plans are very ambitious but life taught me that planning future should be always a very sketchy thing in general so I try to look at them from a distance. I definitely plan to work hard and create many paintings. In 2021 I have definitely strict schedule when it comes to the exhibitions so I have to be on a track all the time.

instagram.com/rosej_art

Asma Khoshmehr Arlington, MA, USA

The legendary mythology, folklore, the superposition of concepts and sub-layered cultural depictions in book of “1001 Nights” wrapped by the enrapturing frame narrative of the mother of all storytellers, ‘Scheherazade’ and the book itself inspired me by her motive to humanize the dictators, propelling me to reference its inclusive values as a way to work against stereotype, xenophobia and violence. In the initial stories of the book, women have been portrayed as evil and negative characters, yet flustered by the society, especially men, by spreading apologue like any woman reading these stories and reaching to the book’s end shall drop dead. These restraining lies, banned reading and demonized women character served as a catalyst for my research through photography, performance, video; exploring and exposing the boundaries between power of matriarchy and patriarchy, practice in dialogue with various forms of feminist theory and masculinity through stories eventually inviting and inspiring all women to read the whole story that is an excellent guide of life. This book inspires respect for individuality irrespective of race, culture, religion, and beliefs. The conception of my photography portfolio portrays orientalism through western paintings. With the fabric being the core element, it represents a classical portrait of Scheherazade and signifies the revelation of women through the invisibility cloak veiled by male domination. The work series gradually shifted to add various masked figurines to symbolize Carnivalesque and polyphonic narrative techniques. I am exploring the mystic power within the wisps of its magic, as it exposes the feminine symbiosis with self-survival. This investigation is an intense searching for an identity that will never be defined; its fluidity evokes an immense possibility of future identities to exist. The core highlights being the eternal feminine myths, stereotypes reinforcing the Scheherazade of all perpetuity; while written literature remained the scope for men only, allegory with wise oral literature became the tool of women to spread general awareness as well as develop the oral literature as a therapy for multiple social abominations. Iranian born Asma Khoshmehr is a visual artist with an unraveling passion for playwriting, film making, and photography. She has finished her BA in Dramatic Literature from the University of Tehran. In 2014 she moved to united states and currently, she is MFA student in Film and Media Art at Emerson Collage. Her inspirations and influences that stimulates self-empowerment against the adverse backdrop of growing up among strict social and political traditions and cultures. Using art as a mechanism for change is the driving force of Asma’s creative expression. Her main influences are rooted in Eastern cultures, particularly the myths and folkloric stories from 1001 nights book.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? The eternal fear of losing has been the singular influence on my very recent art practices after the pandemic. It perhaps took shape when I moved across continents to the United States in 2014 on a single-entry visa as an F2 visa holder. I chose to live a life without basic rights – without the right to study, work, or have a social security number as a dependent of a student in the U.S. Going home was out of the question. I pinned my hopes on my parent’s visit, but that vanished in 2016 with the travel ban under the governments’ executive order 13769. Going home is now a distant dream. In some ways, I am in quarantine since 2014 –it is miserable to reconcile with the reality of isolation every day. But the Covid-19 pandemic, in the midst of the US-Iran political feud, has heightened my anxiety – the fear of losing my parents in these dark times has become more nuanced than my homesickness. I can only pray that they are alive and healthy,

even though I would not get to meet them for a long time. But I’m grateful to be living in an era of technology, My daily solace in connecting to my family over calls or video – for simple chats or to join for the celebratory dinner on my parent’s birthday or witness my sister’s wedding. A recent experience – of attending the remote funeral of my lovely father-inlaw whose life was cut short by COVID was absolutely shattering. The fear that I would perhaps have to bid farewell to others in this manner is poignant and all-encompassing. This haunts me and has deeply influenced my personal life and my recent art practice. What is the most challenging part of being an artist? To answer this question, most of my peers would say that getting a networking community together is the most challenging part. Then imagine my plight as an artist making a living in a different country - I speak a language that is not my mother 80

tongue, and most people around me know very little about my home, its history, culture, and geography. In my workplace or while I converse with my colleagues, I try to express my historical and identity realities as an Iranian who has grown up with multiculturalism. While America has given me a lot of things to be grateful for, there is still a section of the society that cling on prejudice against people of color or religion. Through all my work, I celebrate multicultural identities (I was born as a Muslim from an Iranian father and a Tanzanian mother), democracy, and peaceful coexistence of people of colors, ethnicities, and religions. Media is perhaps the greatest villain in this playthrough seemingly harmless clips on T.V. and inconspicuous messages on the radio; they manipulate the way the society sees, hears, and thinks. Subtly, they reinforce prejudices, alter general perspectives, leading to a greater divide along racial and religious lines. My biggest challenge as an artist based in Boston is to be known as I am by my

Art Reveal Magazine

audience. Politics and policies constructed based on misinformation, political vendetta, and lies misrepresent me (with mindless rules that have disrupted my life). The America that I envisioned before I moved here was of hope, equality, and optimism, and it is with this vision that I want to introduce my identity. Politics has disrupted my life at many crossroads -- the single-entry visa with the travel ban, sanctions, fear of war, and now the chances of deporting my husband and me as international students since because of online classes. These are policies of lies and oppression that I truly detest. The struggles are real and raw - and my challenge as a researcher and a student, focusing on film, and new media is to show this reality from a personal perspective with an honest heart.

In your opinion, what does art mean in contemporary culture? Artists create their art as a response to their personal ethos and experiences – influencing the audience with a different perspective of things around them. It is deeply personal and affects the mind, the heart, and the soul. Yet, it has the power to bring in a revolution – a magnum social transformation because of its innate ability to alter the audience’s perspectives. Today, even in the face of the pandemic, the world is more connected than ever before. Information travels faster, and a small idea becomes a global phenomenon. This makes it more likely for similar problems or similar aesthetic perceptions to emerge across the globe. 81

My creations show my impression of the world that I view. Yet my stories might be relevant to many people across continents. Art has, in it, the power to give voice across cultural landscapes, religions, values, and beliefs. It is the art that bridges across languages to reach out to a broader audience and initiate a societal change. How would you describe the art scene in your area? It has been almost four years since I moved from Washington, DC, and has been living in Boston, one of the most dynamic and multicultural cities in the United States, thriving with life and color. It is an artist’s paradise - each of the city’s neighborhoods has a distinctly different style

Art Reveal Magazine

and tone. From the intricate Victorian houses and the cosmopolitan alleys of Back Bay, the aromas of the North End to the spirited and funky neighborhood of Cambridge – the city is a world of its own. Numerous Art events are held in the city every day, from cinema and theater to the art of New Media. My university is located in the historic Boston Common and the heart of the city’s theatre district. Emerson College is known for its experiential learning in theater and film. To me, it’s a utopia for marginalized, international, LGBT, and Muslims -with a wide variety of opportunities for any artist and being a part of this creative force equips me to exercise my voice for causes close to my heart – to blur the differences between race and gender and create hallowed heaven of freedom. Name three artists you admire. Saeed Shams Ansari may not be a familiar name in the U.S., but he was such a great artist, and I admire him immensely. Not only was he my father-in-law, but his presence and death had the most significant impact on my life. I did not meet him for almost six years (because of my perpetual distance from my homeland), and now I mourn his loss. He was a multifaceted talent from Iran – a poet, a painter and a master of calligraphy. But most importantly, he was the dearest and kindest person I knew, and I learned the artistic life from him. Margaret Atwood stands next in my list – I especially connect with the Handmaid’s Tale, a tragedy in the dystopian world where an ultraconservative religious surge annihilates women’s rights. In more ways than one, the novel is an expression of the eternal discord of women. Another artist that I have always admired is Bill Viola. He is a contemporary video artist, and his art deals mainly with the central themes of human consciousness and experience. I am quite inspired by how he transcends his vision of human spirituality into new media art. What are your future plans? Unfortunately, my life experiences in the USA have taught me to expect anything for the future. Global politics and incidents change my future every day. Just a few days back, news came in about the new ruling of deporting international students. These make me apprehensive - I am unsure about what the next months have in store. Gripped with an eerie nostalgia and a fear of losing these days, my homebound calls are often long. I diligently record these conversations to use in the documentary I’m currently making. Grim news of the never-ending pandemic and civil strife juxtaposes these moments. My documentary is halfway through, but of its ending, I am not quite sure – I do not know how I would return home or when I reach, how many of my family would be there, alive, and healthy. Yet life goes on, and with each

sunrise, my documentary continues to record fond memories with hopes for a better future. Apart from all these uncertainties, I am now focusing more on the new media format. The relation between documentary films, the Virtual Reality (V.R.), Augmented Reality (A.R.), and other forms of new media are what I am investing in heavily for my artistic future. 82

Art Reveal Magazine

asmakhoshmehr.com 83

Whispering (“Live”). 2019. 100 x 100 cm. Photograph on Fine Art Paper. Limited Edition of 500.

Eva718 Barcelona, Spain

With a common QR code transformed as artistic visual art, the QRt “Whispering wants to introduce a new concept in contemporary art, where the QR code (or tilakka, as I prefer to say), takes visitors, art collectors and fans, to an always changing sound art piece, updated several times per week, by me. I wanted to perform for an audience as life happens, in the present, yet free of the constraints of space. When I share new thoughts, words, ideas,sounds, I feel close to that person who, today, is scanning me. I believe there’s a deep universal connection happening at that very moment, between both of us.

Self-portrait. 2020. 70 x 100 cm. Photograph on Fine Art Paper. Limited Edition of 25.

Eva718.art

Art Reveal Magazine

Pin-Up Girls. In collaboration with photographer Valery Rizzo. 2017. 75 x 110 cm. Photograph on Fine Art Paper. Limited Edition of 25.

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? A writer at heart, I began transforming my childish poetry into music, movement, and converting it to visual art, photography and videoart. Fusing the different art forms allowed me to express my thoughts, concepts and sense of connectedness with the world around me. I was influenced by the minimalism of Michael Nyman’s compositions, the freedom and use of technology of Laurie Anderson, the thought provoking video installations of Antoni Muntadas, and the work of surrealists like Dalí and René Magritte, amongst many others, many well known and novel artists as well. These inspired and encouraged me to explore different dimensions, and to try and develop new art concepts, explore the senses and find my own style and medium. After a hiatus of more than 20 years (working as an emotion-centered designer), I returned to writing and composing music, storytracks and soundart to augment photographs and visual art with the use of QR codes. I had the urge to engage more senses and augment

the visual experience, opening my art to people with different sensorial abilities (singing and signing, visual and sound, touch...), exploring, discovering, expanding. I enjoy bringing an observer’s perspective (serving as a medium) into their work (i.e. “Pin-Up Girls”, in collaboration with photographer Valery Rizzo), painting with sounds and words (i.e. Word Strokes’s, “Floating”), bringing movement and poetry into a sound piece (i.e. “The Passage”, in collaboration with jazz musician Omar Sosa). QRs allowed me to do this, hence calling it QRt (QR/Art, a concept I tried - unsuccessfully - adding to Wikipedia). I created “Whispering”, my first representation of “live wall art”, as a visual piece that integrates what I now call a “tilakka” (a QR code that leads to an experience), in which the art piece, while visually an artwork in itself, it contains an added dimension (audio in this case), that changes over time, as and when I choose. Tilakka.art is the way I chose to first share this concept with the world. I like to think that with “Whispering”, those who encounter the “live” piece often (i.e. in their homes, work or fre86

quented public space), scan it every so often to capture the new message or experience, a new soundart of the piece (sometimes sounds, others words, others…). As a conceptual artist, I would like to see the tilakka concept being adopted and replicated by others, creating their own tilakkas. By integrating them into their artwork, product labels, ads, books, signs, objects, spaces, etc., they can offer additional engaging augmented value, and they can either choose to have a once constant augmented dimension or have the tilakka change as often as it’s intended, while the other dimension remains the same. I envision tilakkas in all wine bottles, with the voice of the Sommelier describing that wine, and the voice of the makers attached to their products, describing their inspirations, something special, unique-for-their-fans messages (behind the scenes comments). I envision brands of all types integrating “live tilakkas” to promote new or classic poetry, music, art, etc. I see QRt as a new enhanced and more authentic way to connect with others, transitioning art, from the walls of an exclusive art gallery to people’s everyday surroundings.

Art Reveal Magazine

What is the most challenging part of working with new media?

with QR readers, and that has eased the exhibit process. However, I realized that QR readers were not used to serving as mediums of art and thought, and when a â&#x20AC;&#x153;text tilakkaâ&#x20AC;? (i.e. I LOVE YOU, QRt in my self-portrait) is scanned, the reader application automatically places the text in a search form, instead of simply displaying the words as in a blank page - where the message is key. This led me to develop my own app, Tilakka App (freely available both in Google Play and the Apple App Store), which captures a text QR for what it is, a felt and sincere message, from me to you. I hope that future QR readers improve their scanner solutions to consider this new use of QRs.

When I first began exhibiting my QRt people were not familiar with QR reader applications, so I began exhibiting my work with headphones available below each of my pieces, and providing simple smartphones with the app installed. It was actually a wonderful and fun experience, for it added an additional discovery layer. The QR embedded in the artwork would augment the visual art they were contemplating (so the experience is augmented, their attention retained, and not redirected). Since the covid19 pandemic, everyone is familiar

Bougainvillea. 2020. 120 x 120 cm. Photograph on Fine Art Paper. Limited Edition of 500.

Art Reveal Magazine

Flowing Petals. 2020. 120 x 120 cm. Photograph on Fine Art Paper. Limited Edition of 500.

In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture?

How would you describe the art scene in your area? Vibrant, quiet, anxious, challenging. I live in the NY-Bowerylike area in Barcelona (Parc i Llacuna/ Poblenou), the quickly changing industrial area in the center of Barcelona, where some artists, creators, makers and the like found spaces that would nurture their art, at more affordable prices (now all quickly disappearing). The area is home to creativity, design, innovation, dreams. It fosters relationships amongst artists that bump into each other in the corner bars or meet at the

I think of art as the form of expression that allows oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essence, thoughts and reflections to breathe and materialize, freely, engaging both the mind and the senses. Art as the medium to transform life as we know it, the expression that leads to innovative in thoughts and concepts, the sandbox from which to create new perspectives and engage others in unique, new and different ways. Art as a socially transforming tool. 88

Art Reveal Magazine

(vs. digital) world. I trust the Universe is unfolding as it should and that my energy and essence are flowing in this larger than I can imagine dimension. I trust. I delete. Name three artists you admire. As I find it too difficult to pick just three artists I admire, I will instead describe three things that I admire in an artist: - The ability to connect, awaken and inspire all ages, making art that transforms as one matures. - Inclusiveness, exploring ways to reach different senses. - The full release of creative potential in their concepts, transforming the rational into new, most of the times magic, sometimes strange, concepts. What are your future plans?

I Love BCN. 2019. 50 x 50 cm. Photograph on Fine Art Paper. Limited Edition of 500.

many art exhibits happening in the area. But the art buyer market is invisible to many, as the art collector or buyer community is dramatically smaller than that in other places, like New York, Paris, Berlin, etc. I am a participant of a local abstract art collective, Estesia (http://estesia.eu/) and we feel very fortunate to hold several exhibits a year, but it is a challenging task to get people engaged, and buying art too. I feel the Ikea culture does not create space for original art ;-) But we live in the internet era, where boundaries and distances disappear, making the world “our neighbourhood”, fostering relationships between artists, art lovers and art buyers, opportunities to engage, exhibit, to learn, explore and create. What do you like/dislike about the art world? I am fascinated by how the internet has facilitated the sharing of art, through websites, online exhibits, media, such as this Art Reveal Magazine, and social media. The digital highways have delivered art to people’s homes, phones, etc., and this, has inspired others to create, has transformed others through the provocations and thoughts of the art itself, has made art more inclusive in general, and globally, the art world is dramatically changing with new technologies, new concepts and new uses of technology. However, this also creates an abundance of art and artists, making it more challenging to exhibit, sell, and dedicate oneself fully to art. As an artist, I practice taming the internet space so that the sacredness of my time is well preserved, and used to observe, feel, understand. I recently deleted all of my social media accounts, for I felt being robbed of my time and wanted to spend more time in the organic 89

I am currently working on a series of QRt-augmented mundane objects, crafting a proposal for a public QRt work outdoor installation, introducing the concept of “impulse learning” (creating engaging learning and augmented sensorial experiences), and plan to also continue collaborating with photographers, creating strytracks for their artwork. Whenever possible, I will continue to share the potential of the QRt concept, applied in ways to augment existing experiences. I’d like for makers and creatives to spin QR codes 45º, so to flag the experience, so the common QR code that leads to a website can coexist with an experience QR code, a tilakka. As the Covid19 has imposed social distancing around the world, I see tilakkas quite relevant in some instances, helping some industries adapt to the new times, from what was previously done presentially, to now delivering the experience in an audio format on the label. For example, by replacing the wine tasting experience with “Sommelier” tilakkas on the wine labels, people will be able to enjoy the wine-tasting experience while sharing it at home with their partners. The audio tilakka will allow wine lovers to retain the senses in the color of wine, the setting, the room, the company, while drinking and listening to the e Sommelier.

tilakka.art

My Linh Mac Chicago, IL, USA My artwork reflects my playfulness with colors, pushing the boundaries between the world of design with its structures, principles, functionality and the fine art world of rawness, chaos and freedom. With my multidisciplinary practice, I incorporated nontraditional techniques to bring further variety to my paintings through the use of color manipulation and the manipulation of materials and presentation platforms. My niche is the ability to produce art within one medium that looks as if it were created within a different medium. Mac is originally from Vietnam and pursued her art education in Singapore, Australia, and the United States. Mac received her Bachelor of Art in Digital Media & Painting in 2016 from Valparaiso University and her Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in 2019. Macâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multi-media artworks are represented by En Foco and RubberNeck Gallery in Chicago, Brauer MuseumIndiana, Queen Victoria Museum and Gallery- Australia, INTACT international- Canada and in many private collections internationally in the United States, Italy, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? At the earlier stage of my career, I primarily worked with traditional oil painting. Toward the end of my undergrad years, I discovered my creative niche of producing art within one medium that looks as if it were created within a different medium. I incorporate not only technical skills and knowledge from multiple creative fields of design, art, technologies, personal experience and cultural exposure from different parts of the world as a traveler into each project. I was born in Vietnam and grew up in Singapore, Tasmania-South Australia before moving to Midwest- USA. Art is and has always been my medium to share and reflect my perspectives of the world. I am also inspired by beauties from humble places and the local art scenes like my beloved Windy City. Having the opportunity to learn and teach at the Art Institute of Chicago (the second-largest museum in the country) in the last few years has inspired and opened my horizon of the global art scene as well. What is the most challenging part of working with new media? As an artist and graphic designer, it is challenging when comes to incorporating new media and technologies into art because they evolved very quickly and are very open ended. If you want to produce timeless works than you have a complex equation to solve to preserve the traditional value of craftsmanship and still be able to bring in new blood and innovative elements beside the aesthetic for the works. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? I think they are strongly tied and somewhat grow correspondingly to each other as they challenge the traditional and defy easy definition. Both explore ideas, concepts, questions, and practices of the past intending to understand the present and envision the future. How would you describe the art scene in your area? Chicago city is a living art exhibition waiting to be explored. Besides our iconic and world-class museums and galleries, many of Chicago’s neighborhoods

feature pieces of public art designed for specific cultures, traditions, historical figures and cultural icons. Many of these are hidden gems just waiting to be found. The community is always active and you can easily find a handful of exhibition openings every Friday at any time of the year. For art travelers out there the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Kavi Gupta, Corbett vs. Dempsey, Richard Gray Gallery, and Valerie Carberry Gallery are places you do not want to miss when visiting the city. What do you like/dislike about the art world? There are countless things to love about the art world, starting from how interpretations have no limit in art and how it engages people to exchange conversations over diverse opinions, ideas, and perspectives at a different intellectual or emotional level. I like how occasional the contemporary art world seems to mirror the economy and reflect lifestyle (at large) to me. I like how different people define ‘what makes a successful artist’ as an occupation. The art world also teaches me about people and places I would have never known about and I like how it challenges me to make room in my mind and my heart for new ideas, possibilities and adventures. The art world matters to me because it gives creative individuals like me mutual spaces where we can talk to one another about the most important things to us like current reality versus perspective for example and because it is where I meet and get inspired by people who share the same passion with me. We all have love and hate relationships with the art world and we all complain about money in the art world, but only a few would ever leave. What I dislike about 92

Art Reveal Magazine

the art world is how unfair and competitive it is, as anyone can make a career in art but not anyone can make art for a living and a career at the same time. I also dislike the lack of skill and craft among artists specifically in the growing popularity of ‘kitsch art’. It’s sucking the life and density out of the current art world. I am also not a fan of how the art and its market have become central fixtures of mainstream culture specifically when artists reach celebrities status and kick up their prices as a publicity stunt. Especially, when they have never had an exhibition of any type. Name three artists you admire. My top 10 favorites artists change from time to time and my current top 3 are Macon Reed, Darryll Schiff, and Takashi Murakami. I really admire humble local artists who are globally recognized from older generations and I admire when they use completely different mediums. 93

Art Reveal Magazine

What are your future plans? I am planning to pursue higher education with a second master’s degree in Entrepreneurship for the Creative at Columbia College of Chicago as I realized that I have a lot to learn when it comes to turning passion into a profitable business and breaking the stereotype of ‘broke artists’. I strongly believe this opportunity would help me see a new trail towards manifesting my next career’s milestone by creating a successful startup design company in the near future. I am also honored to be a jury member for Davey Award, Creative Communication Award (C2A) and guess curator Brightness Illustration Award this fall. I am looking forward to gaining more experience from fellow professionals and eager to contribute myself through these exciting and transformative opportunities. In the meantime, I’m always painting and experimenting with new ideas. Thank you for your time and I appreciate this opportunity. 94

Art Reveal Magazine

mylinhmac.com 95

Fariba Rahnavard Teheran, Iran

In my opinion, modern man being has lost himself in the middle of nowhere, in which violence governs. Hence, I elaborate this by creating hollow space as well as sociological features in my collages, the perfect technique to show meanings of modern world. So, I was looking for common “collective memory” that could give the same meaning for everyone; memories would pass nationality and cultural boundaries throughout the world. Violence, loneliness and vanity are subjects which everyone faces in his/her life, nowadays. I’ve illustrated the tragedies of modern world by highlighting them, while there is vague past in background. My works reject an explicit explanatory strategy. I offer to the viewer a key to find personal interpretations to the feelings that I’ve conveyed into my collages. My own psychological make-up, extremely, determines the nuances of tones I decide to use in my collages. I’ve developed a painting’s texture by representing the conflicting relationship between content and form.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? The point is that our emotions, like the waves of the ocean, are dependent on vibrations that are constantly changing and changing, and this is due to the events of the outside world and the world inside us. These events are constantly changing and I can not have anyone or anything permanently in my work. What is the most challenging part of being an artist? Do not be afraid to face failure. From a material point of view, in order to form a good work, we must have enough possibilities to start working, and on the other hand, to face dreams, imagination, and also, most importantly, that we are with “I am great”. “As we are, we do not know that this causes fear and the sense of fear weakens the work of art. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? In my opinion, art is the last hope and the way by which man can return to his origin and know the reason for living. He can face himself through it. The human soul is born of a kind of madness. How would you describe the art scene in your area? Art is the highest degree of hope and evokes a mystery in which creativity requires courage and strength. In Nietzsche’s words, “We have art so that we may not perish by the truth ...” From my point of view, painting evokes a feeling that you have to see, look at and get to know. What do you like/dislike about the art world? Art is existence itself, creation itself, man himself and it is not something separate from man. Logic has no special place in art, but it is a madness. What are your future plans? I think we need to see what happens to all beings in the future. This discussion will refer to the present in the future. The world is changing dramatically. 99

Art Reveal Magazine

100

Art Reveal Magazine

faribarahnavard.com 101

Merrill Rauch London, UK/New York, NY, USA Merrill Rauch, New York-born, resident in London, has been working as a self-taught artist since 1987, seeing her work sold to collectors in both the US and the UK. Working with found-objects, Merrill brings out the inner life of discarded objects, releasing the human elements which she found in things society had chosen to leave behind. Merrill has also explored these themes in photography and, before retiring from Instagram, had some 80,000 followers.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? I work with found objects, Found objects, discarded objects, personal and impersonal histories. I work with what catches my eye in terms of its emotional content, colour, texture, balance. And from these things I make assemblages, each with their own stories to tell. So I would say that it is the objects themselves. The world has not ceased in providing me with a constant stream of stimuli and even when I try and walk away something new catches my eye. Right now it’s wood, old, discarded, fragments, discoloured. Now I have a whole series under way. What is the most challenging part of being an artist? I would have to say the space and time that allows for focus. So hard to come by, for me anyway. Raising a family, work/ life balance. It hasn’t been my choice to make a living from my art, so I’m fortunate in that I’m not driven by that, it just means I have to work and make art, but I can make what I want, how I want, and if people like it and want to buy it, that’s more useful to me as an indication that I’m doing something of value, rather than having to live from that value. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? I like to think of art as being a representation of that which can only be felt. It is, for me, a deeply human form of connection which speaks in ways words cannot convey. The role of the artist is to make art that illuminates the human experience. It can touch you emotionally, spiritually, politically.

104

Art Reveal Magazine

It can inspire you, anger you, make you cry, make you laugh. Art either speaks to you or it doesn’t. Artists either speak to you or they don’t. For some people, country music speaks to them, but classical doesn’t. Or opera but not rap. If you’re lucky, many kinds of music can speak to you. And if you’re lucky, so can many kinds of art. There are respected artists whose work doesn’t speak to me at all. And a number of unknown artists whose work does. How would you describe the art scene in your area? I chose to live in an area at the time that was appropriate to raising children, so this was all about schools, high streets, libraries and green spaces. The art scene didn’t come into it, but I’m lucky to live in an incredible metropolis where everything and anything is a tube-ride away so this was never an issue. The neighbourhood has it’s local arts and craftspeople and it’s lovely in many ways, but I wouldn’t describe it as having an art scene. Name three admire.

artists

you

Keinholz, Schwitters and Arbus I’d say are all inspirational. They have an eye for colour, texture and the world at large. What are your future plans? To keep working, to keep finding and creating. I’m working on a small book of poetry and art at present. I’d like to include theatre in some form in the future – my background was prop-making for theatre and it was from this that I began to assemble things. There’s a world of possibility out there, I hope to just keep on exploring it.

105

Art Reveal Magazine

merrillrauch.com 106

Art Reveal Magazine

107

Morrigan

Rawson London, UK

As an artist I find myself consistently engaging with the concepts of darkness, the cybersphere, and ethereality, through both content and aesthetics. My work is truly rooted in abstraction and surreality, with each tendril of light reaching out of the darkness to reach the viewer. To me, all photos are born out of the black and sculpted by the relationship between the photographer and the subject. I seek to warp reality and reveal alternate spaces, where light, color, and form hang in the balance. My practice strives to evoke a space and time and ask the viewer to decide their place in that balance. I seek to explore the intersections between identity and the digital realm, physical and digital spaces, and any subsequent alterations of perception. For this reason I often find myself taking self-portraits to explore the effects of digitally altering myself in a literal and figurative way. The digital realm has always been a refuge for me so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural that much of my inspiration is drawn from media regarding cyber spaces or is made using internet based programs. It only feels right that ideas born on the web should be brought to fruition using the webâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resources. These are all aspects of my practice in order to best examine the endless questions running through my mind. Making art out of these questions is one of the few ways I have found to silence the noise. Morrigan Rawson is a photographer and digital artist currently residing in London. She graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a BA in Comparative History and Digital Arts and Experimental Media. Picking up photography in 2018, Morrigan is almost entirely self taught but owes much of her success to her friends in the photography world who were incredibly supportive of her journey. Since then she has collaborated with modelling agencies in Seattle, New York, and London, shot fashion campaigns for up-and-coming designers, and expanded her practice into glitch art. Known for her dark, dreamy, and cyber influences, Morrigan continues to push the boundaries of digital photography using in camera effects and new media styles. Constantly inspired by other photographers and digital artists, Morrigan is excited to forge a new path in the wake of her recent move to London.

Art Reveal Magazine

What is the most challenging part of working with new media? For me one of the most challenging aspects can be how quickly new media art evolves. I feel like I’m constantly finding new ways to create and be involved with new media art but by the time I get comfortable with one medium or type of software it’s already changed. There’s a lot of pressure as an artist to be really cutting edge and always on top of the latest trends. I have to remind myself to maintain my authenticity when working with new media, and that newer doesn’t always mean better. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? In contemporary culture art has really established itself to be absolutely anything. It’s been really beautiful to see how various practices, like makeup, have grown from something very everyday into huge creative industries with wildly imaginative applications. And I think that evolution is an acknowledgement that many of these practices have always been special, they just weren’t necessarily seen as Art with a capital A until recently. Part of what makes contemporary art so diverse is that many forms of art used to be very elite but now a lot of mediums are so accessible. Even if all you have is a phone you can still take and edit photos, or use an assortment of free apps or software to make visuals. For my generation art is so significant because the future feels really bleak most of the time. As a young person, creating something beautiful or thought provoking and having the privilege of being a part of a community that really understands and respects you can feel very significant, it’s like a lifeline. Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice?

How would you describe the art scene in your area?

I am deeply influenced by the universes created by movies and music. I love atmospheres and to me successful art builds a world or a space for viewers to experience. Some of the worlds that have most stuck with me are from dark cyber fantasy films and old cyberpunk anime from the 90’s. Movies like Underworld, The Matrix, Blade Runner 2049, and anime like BLAME! and Ghost in the Shell have really influenced my work. These pieces have really inspired me to visualize bodies and minds without limits, and create art that’s dark and distorted, or impossibly dreamy, because as humans we all have the ability to build our own reality. I’m in love with the art direction and fashion from all these pieces and in some cases I really long to live in those worlds, but I also have a huge appreciation for the deeper questions these pieces ask. A common thread amongst most of my favorite media is exploring the nature of our reality and the interconnectedness of the cybersphere with our lives and individual identities. In most of my self-portraits I seek visual reconciliation between my cyber self and my physical form. I think a lot of people, myself included, struggle with the dissociation that comes from contrasting identities and performativity in different aspects of life. There’s a certain level of escapism that I crave from these movies and shows that I think I end up putting back into my own work by creating these spaces for myself and the models I work with.

This question is tough to answer because I’m moving around a lot right now. My art scene is spread between Seattle, Portland, and London. The art community in the Pacific Northwest is where I really got my start and I feel very lucky I’ve been able to try such different things and connect with so many talented people over the last few years. Seattle is quite artistically diverse and people are always willing to collaborate and try new things, which has been crucial for finding my own style. It was really a culture shock to start collaborating with artists in London because the stakes feel so much higher and it seems like everyone around me is producing such unique and game changing pieces. The concentration of talent in one place is mindblowing and it definitely drives people to stand out from the crowd and push themselves, which was a little intimidating at first. Ultimately that mentality has influenced me to raise my standards for myself but I know

110

Art Reveal Magazine

I’ve barely scratched the surface of what it means to be an artist in London. I’m just really excited and hopeful about one day becoming more established in the UK. What do you like/dislike about the art world? I dislike gatekeeping and exclusivity of certain art communities and how much weight is placed on your internet presence or number of followers. I wish that a lot of forms of digital and new media art were taken more seriously by galleries and museums. I like that the art world is so immensely vast that I find more incredible artists every single day. It’s also comforting that there aren’t really any walls you can hit as an artist, if you can think of it you can find a way to create it somehow. Being surrounded by people who don’t live in the confines of reality is a really beautiful experience. Name three artists you admire. The first person who comes to mind is Nick Knight, a London photographer who has revolutionized and redefined fashion photography. I have so much respect for his creation of SHOWstudio and bringing fashion photography as art into the contemporary spotlight. He really encourages creating with whatever resources you have available and his versatility has inspired me to use light more creatively and never confine myself to one style, to always keep evolving and experimenting.

The second is Polygon, a digital artist who works with analog pedals and various glitch practices. His dreamy and abstract work has been very influential for me and he’s built such a gorgeous atmosphere that’s quite gestural and really defies time. Many of his pieces feel like they’re from the past and the future and I think that takes incredible skill to blend those worlds. The third artist is Brian Ziff, a Los Angeles based photographer whose images have really inspired me to rely more heavily on post production. He tends to either have super interesting surrealist sets or just outright photoshops entire worlds together. His vision is fearless, somewhat dark and hard, but somehow still very fantastical and ethereal. I have so much respect for how daring his concepts are. He’s the type of artist where when I see his images I’m transported to that world. What are your future plans? My future plans are to hopefully move to London permanently and become more established in the art scenes there. My time spent in the UK has been so fulfilling as an artist and in the short period of time I’ve been able to spend there my practice has grown so much. I’m always seeking to improve my existing photography and post productions skills as the options are limitless. I would also love to one day experiment with analog pedals to distort images. 111

morriganxrawson.wixsite.com/portfolio

The coat of Arms, collage made from the Alexander McQueen series Book Savage Beauty.

Abigail Riley-Frace Whitehall, PA, USA

Abigail Riley Collage Artist. Technique: using unconventional materials to make paintings. The use of magazines is my main source. Art related Education - Commercial art and design certified and associates degree. Experienced many inspiring art teachers over the years. The most influential was my high school teacher Mr. Carrier. He encouraged me to express my art freely without judgement. VICA award winner of a redesign and presentation on a Coke bottle. College education: Associates in liberal arts. Education was mostly based in art however my craft was self taught though a variation of many unique experiences with artist and teachers.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? The individual that has been my lasting influence is my late father Arthur Riley. He was an art dealer who introduced me to galleries at a young age, and genuinely enjoyed sitting with me to speak about paintings to share one another’s perspective and thoughts. This early exposure and conversation opened my eyes to a variety of artists and styles and has helped to shape my own personal style. Over the years I have been slowly building an art collection within my home, and now that I have unleashed my own inner artist, in some way it all keeps his memory alive. I know he would be proud. The other lasting influence for my art practice is centered around my early obsession with mazes. Although my collage work does not take on the physical features of a maze, the process in which I create feels as such. Most of the time I don’t know where I’m going with a piece I’ve started, but I get a natural high from the journey of finding my way through. I enjoy the process of experiencing a seemingly dead end and having the ability to turn around and find a different route of my choosing to discoverwhere that may lead. What is the most challenging part of working with collage? Sustaining some level of organization. Free expression artists are not generally concerned with being organized in my experience, and I find it to be the most tasking element to collage work. However, I quickly discovered it can hinder my level of creativity if I don’t remain organized.Collage work requires bits and pieces of magazines and random repurposed materials from clothing, jewelry, furniture, and I need to keep those pieces organized yet visually available during my creation process. For the paper cutouts and paint swatches I started using a binder, so that has been extremely helpful in keeping those in order. As I continue to collect larger materials, I may need to consider assigning a separate spacein my home to display the pieces so I can easily access them during a creative moment.

The stained Glass Fashion, Alexander McQueen Series, Savage beauty book, Drip Paint to make stained glass effect.

In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? Art distinguishes itself without a literal meaning and leaves the viewer with a sense of emotion that is individually interpreted based on one’s ownlife experiences. This allows every individual to have a differing opinion towards the same piece of art than the person next to them. In the art world, this difference is interesting, and most times accepted by others without scrutiny or offense. The need to express oneself has always been apparent in the art world. It’s usually why artists create, specifically if they can’t seem to find the right words. I think that the public is less repressed nowadays and has a stronger desire and at times, the pressure, to express their personal identity and where they stand on worldly issues. During the COVID pandemic lock down, I was initially driven to create based on the current culture of our society with regards to the divides that are happening. I have witnessed individuals and families being torn apart and becoming detached due to their opinion on a stance they take relating to politics and human rights that they share on social media. I wanted to fill my social media with my creations to provide a platform for open interpretation and appreciation. If someone does not particularly appreciate something I’ve created, they generally remain silent or just state it’s not their preference. They do not go into “attack mode” and negatively express their hatred towards it. I hope that this type of platformserves as a reminder to keep an open mind and appreciate differingopinions as something to openly discuss in lieu of reactionary ridicule. 116

Art Reveal Magazine

How would you describe the art scene in your area? The art scenes in Pennsylvania are eclectic, carrying a range of contemporary gallery’s, museums, auctions, and markets to discover unique creations. Many of the cities have also hired local graffiti artists to create murals along public walls as a part of their “clean up the city” initiatives. The state of PA is also focused on repurposing material from historic colonial architectures and antique shops which tend to draw a lot of crafters and collectors. Given that inspiration of repurpose, I was inspired to find even more unconventional materials to use like hotel key cards, paint swatches, used pieces of jewelry. I have combined this influence of repurpose with my exposure to the professional art world tocreate my collages. What do you like/dislike about the art world? I like having the freedom to express oneself and watch emotion unfold, as it is often cathartic for the artist as well as the viewer. I also appreciatehaving the opportunity to see many different styles of art and discuss what the inspiration of the artist was or might have been. What I dislike is when judgment is passed on a piece of art as being poorly created. In my opinion, that can never be. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” may be cliché to mention, but spot on, nonetheless. Name three artists you admire. Frida Kahlo, for her theatrical representation of the human condition. Salvador Dalí, for his admirable marriage between color and line to create striking imagery. Margaret Keane (aka Peggy Doris), for her eccentric “Eye” and influencing the toughest of critics. What are your future plans? I plan to continue making inspired collage art and offer to createpersonalized collages for others. I decided to make one collage every day and I’m currently on my 74th piece, as of July 15. This time is special to me and has been very healing during the COV-19 pandemic. Ultimately, Ihope to have the opportunity to present my work in a gallery so I can expose my works on a larger scale and be able to tell the stories behind my pieces. I am truly thankful to have been chosen for Artist Reveal Magazine.

The amazing Leo, made from magazines and paint.

117

Art Reveal Magazine

The Covid-19, made from a survivor magazine.

118

The matrix, made from Alexander McQueen Fashion series book Savage beauty and back ground from a purchased picture frame stock photo.

hotchpotchartistry.net

Ruthorn Rujianurak Bangkok, Thailand I always think of painting as paint or thing on the surface. So my work is about a question of what is paint and what is a surface. What is different between them. And how to blend this. My work has nothing to do with the conceptual or emotional idea. It is only about painting itself. Ruthorn Rujianurak (b.1994) is a Thai painter based in Bangkok. After graduating in 2016 Ruthorn moved to New York and worked there for almost two years. In 2018 He had his first solo exhibition at trendy gallery Bangkok. Ruthorn is a self-taught artist, whose works are collaged with a variety of surface, including cotton canvas, Bristol Paper, blotting paper, tissue paper and wood panel.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? I’m not sure how to exactly answer this question but when I was early 20, I didn’t start doing any serious painting yet. I’m just enjoying arts and quite like to spend time looking at them. most of those works are installation and conceptual art which was shown in a museum. Unfortunately, in Bangkok, we didn’t have many art spaces, and, at that time, I was always curious that ‘what young artist today do?’. So, when I’m graduated, I decided to move to New York City. At first, my intention was to become a conceptual artist but after living and seeing arts there, conceptual art gradually seems boring to me. I did realize that I was interested in

a ‘work of art’ itself more than a concept behind it. Then I turned my focus to painting and decided to be a painter later. What is the most challenging part of working with painting? Before modern art, training hard for hand skill and technique used to be the most challenging part as a painter. However, as a painter today, when you start to do a painting, you have to think about painting like ‘What is a painting?’, ‘What to paint?’ or ‘How to make a painting look interesting in 2020?’. All these kinds of questions are very sophisticated and I don’t think we can genuinely find an answer for it all. Each painter has a different idea of painting and they present their idea 122

Art Reveal Magazine

through their works. To me, I focus on the idea that painting is a ‘paint on surface’. Then I try to blend the line between paint thing and surface thing. So. As a painter these days. I think it’s pretty hard when we have to explain to someone about how painting stands in the contemporary art world. Thus, for me, this is the most challenging part of being a painter. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? I think art today is strongly close to people. One can see art and have one own unique opinion. and that is a very great thing in contemporary culture. We all have our different ways of seeing arts. 123

This makes art today extremely interesting. One painting can lead to ten reactions of the viewer. And the artist also doesn’t try to force their absolute idea to the viewer. It like artists and viewers can share their perception through a work of art. However, this doesn’t mean that the artist has to create art thinking about the viewer. Artists can just leave the finished work to them and that all. Because artists themselves always be part of the public. So, their works somehow are inseparable from society. For this reason, Perception in art in contemporary culture cannot occur by one individual but many. The viewer’s perception is as important as the artist’s perception. ‘work of art’ is like both medium and matter. I think this is the

Art Reveal Magazine

way we appreciate art nowadays. And that makes meaning of art so hard to define. How would you describe the art scene in your area? We have some good art exhibitions in Bangkok over the last few years. We did have Bangkok art biennale in 2018. But like I said before most Thai artist’s works are performance and installation art. Many young Thai artists love to work this way. And they actually did it great. I mean people here still talking about Rirkrit Tiravanija’s work(pad thai 1990). he has such a huge influence on the Thai art scene. We also have many talented young painters but it just seems like they can’t find the ways to get in a local art world yet. Traditional painting still popular in the Thai art market. So, art galleries have no choice but to show it for surviving. Another weird problem I face is that in Bangkok we don’t have many art critics. people I met want to be an art dealer or curator but no one thinks of art critics as a desirable job. So, this means the Thai art world loses the important way to communicate with the public. And, unfortunately, lead to Thai art growth slowing. What do you like/dislike about the art world? To me, I don’t think the art world is independent from the public. Maybe it used to be. But now I think there has no line between the art world and the ordinary world. We can see art in ordinary life and ordinary thing in everyday life can become art. So, what I like is today we can see art outside an institute such as a museum or gallery. This makes the idea of high art decline and the artist doesn’t need to creating work relying on art institutes anymore. The work of art can go directly to the viewer and the viewer can appreciate it without any advice from someone. Thanks to the idea of pop art. I also think this makes people more likely to respect each other. These days people would love to share and hear other’s opinions about the art they saw. The little thing I dislike is that people tend to spend less time looking at art. Maybe because we are living in a digital age. We’re quite intimate with looking at a digital screen that everything rapidly comes to the eyes. so, we forget to give some time with art. We just take a picture with our phone camera and then walk away. That picture we took cannot remind you of art if you didn’t have any experience in the first place. Name three artists you admire. Many artists influence me in different ways but I think ‘Willem De Kooning’ has such a big impact on my early work. I used to do oil painting with a big brush stroke and that is a problem because every painter who paints with big blush will be compared with de Kooning.it takes quite a time to realize that I cannot be others but myself The second is Andy Warhol. His idea of pop art dominates an art world these days and artists have to change the way they selling work. I mean his idea takes art with capitalism. Pop art is not just a style but it is an art market regime. So, when I turn to do some abstract work. Frank Stella’s Black painting is so astonishing. The ways he talks about his work shaping my idea of abstraction. ‘What you see is what you see’. he points us the way painting can be after abstract expressionism. And a lot of artists used his idea as an important key to go on. What are your future plans? I still interesting in painting. the more I paint, the more I feel mysterious. I have a lot of things to try on my work. Currently, I think about how to adapt my painting to a specific space. Like using a painted panel as a paint then hang it in the air (as surface). I have never done anything on this scale before. It seems like an installation art but I prefer to think of it as a painting because it is always the painting that matters. I also want to try digital painting too. Something like digital collage maybe.

instagram.com/rrtwo2 124

Art Reveal Magazine

125

Masoud Sadedin Troisdorf, Germany

Basically, my works are not related to symbolism in art and my approach is not to engage with symbols and thought concepts. My work is not pragmatic and they are rather midway of existing reality and pictorial structure that is formed in my mind during the process of creating the work. It can be considered as and intuitive encountering with the existing reality like a condensed feeling of existence in time formed by supposition and impression which follows the same process in the mind of the audience. In other words, the audience from his/her internal experience and inner conception, based on the same elements to which we have shared cognition, approaches the work. In a layer of our mind, there exists vagueness about the seemingly familiar reality and human beings have shared experience in the essence of that vagueness. My triumph has been on finding the situation, feeling, structure and pictorial medium which transforms this shared experience into a condensed form and structure. Rather than symbols, I am using a field of impressions that is formed intuitively in my mind and then based on essential elements in painting is transformed into a final form which surprises me too. It is an open field for interpretation and hermeneutic of the audience just like the same way that the work is formed based on the dialogue between the painter and the painting. The concept is formed in the audience based ON her/his experience and feeling in reflection to the work. Picture is only painting of experiences and feelings of existence using a language formed unconsciously throughout many years. What is shown up as a symbol, is only a misunderstanding which is due to intellectualistic or conceptualistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations from the painting. Painting does not image. It is not illustrative. It only delivers a concept that lives forever and represents a cognition and feeling of the existing state. Masoud Sadedin was born in Semnan, Iran, in 1956 and graduated in 1980 from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Tehran University. In 1986 he immigrated to Germany, since then he works as a freelance artist and lecturer. His work has been shown at numerous exhibitions, international art fairs and major exhibitions in Germany and abroad. In addition to painting, Sadedin is involved as an author of performance and theater plays as well as texts on the visual arts. In 2016, Masoud Sadedin became the eighth laureate of the Kunstpreis art award and then he was honoured with an exhibition featuring his work and a book, published by the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn, to accompany the exhibition. Masoud Sadedin lives and works in Troisdorf and has a studio in the Kunsthaus Troisdorf.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice?

What is the most challenging part of working with painting?

What motivates me to create an artwork, in every condition, is the life itself. The mystery of my being in the existence, the existence itself, and what is simply in front of our eyes but is missed or looks strange when we look at it. In my opinion in every artistic experience, there exists a hope for exploring a mystery. Reality, existence or bewilderment in existence, is supposed to be portrayed in the in the form or motive (subject) and I as a painter, through painting, want to understand something that I do not know and am not able to think about it. This is my everlasting motivation for painting, starting with a vague idea and perception and looking for a phenomenon that features another aspect of being.

Possibly there are many painters that find painting experience adequate; form, color, and what happens on the canvas, a sort of independence of painting elements which is rooted in the classical modern school. I find no necessity in having direct linkage with modern art. Naturally in the pluralism of the contemporary era in art, there are many accepted ways of encountering with painting. I feel, timeline follow-up in the painting is not in compliance with my attitude. Modernism is a language besides all other visual languages of other eras and other cultures that can be used if required. For me the existential linkage with the painting is important, though I do not want to highlight the romantic aspect of this challenge. Humor and irony, in

128

Art Reveal Magazine

other words, knowing the impossibility of reaching to a definite answer, is more important. The biggest challenge while working is the effort for manifestation of presence. Presence or the spirit of reality which is questioned simultaneously with the subject. That is why human beings are seen in my works in a performative position; an action with concentration in which the presence, before and after that is sensed, even though it is froze in artwork. The achievement of this situation of manifestation of presence and suspension, using form and painting tools, is the challenge and the effort in the workshop that is ought to be taken every other time. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? Culture is a word that is used by everyone and more or less ever body believes that they are talking about a common notion with a clear conception. Usually the word culture implies a collection of spiritual experiences of different societies, religion and its role in men’s lives, language, art and literature, rituals and traditions and finally all that has been buried in the collective unawareness of a nation. Unfortunately what is publicly known as culture in minds of people, usually considers the portion that emphasizes on the differences between the nations/races. But the innate nature of culture is rooted in the primitive and spiritual needs of the human beings and these needs are common between all human beings and it is obvious in art, literature and philosophy of all nations. What differentiates and emphasizes on the differences is either a nationalistic or

a religious view that is imposed to the society due to the benefits of a small group or the governors, from the beginning of the history. This false connection with benefits of a small group leads to false collective feeling of national pride and cultural superiority in comparison to cultures of other nations. In this view, culture is an obstacle for art and great artists usually have reached true art by passing through these borders. I think art plays a vital role in demolishing these false borders. Especially in the contemporary era, in which many of the societies are facing to extreme nationalism in response to inability of governments to solve economic and spiritual issues, art plays a vital role. Of course, any commitment is restricting the artist and in my opinion, eventually art is free from any utilitarianism or at least it is so wide that it is not known what the benefit of it for human being is. This non-commitment of art, and vagueness in applications of art, is the biggest characteristic of art too, since it is not in compliance with logical rules and regulations as an existential experience of the human, but it is more an intuitive exploration and perception of the human. Painting for me is the result of compression of too many experiences that is transformed into form. It is a hermeneutic filed in which every viewer enters with one’s personal experiences and cognition. In the form, both the artist’s cognition and personal experiences have been effective and also the collective unawareness memory that are conveyed to the artist through the artworks of the previous artists of the pas eras and the history of painting. With this view, the art is always changing the culture, resulting in being dynamic and refusing prejudice. The acceptance of pluralism in art as a natural thing, is the proof of concept for its necessity in the complicated and tough times of modern era and its suitability in responding to diverse spiritual needs of the human being. What do you wish you could have done, but couldn’t because of time, money, space, etc.? I think every artist is constantly planning for future projects. Whenever I start a work new ideas for future come to my mind and unfortunately some of them are not implementable. Aside from painting which is my main job and designing, I do like working on old books that I have collected, visual experiences that re not very much pos-

129

Art Reveal Magazine

sible in painting but result in many diverse and new visual possibilities. Daily life and its related issues do not give chance for realization of all ideas. Writing, talking and communicating wit other artist friends, poets and writers is one of my wishes. Because with writing and communicating the ideas, mind will be clearer and motivations will be boosted for the artworks. Active relation with other artists in different areas of art is inspiring and leads into constant connection and self-evaluation of your own works. I have a huge interest into architectural structures that I do them in my atelier, spaces that in relation to models will become subjects of my paintings. Unfortunately due to limited space I have to dismantle these arrangements after photographing them. I like to create these structures in a bigger space and even sometimes as an independent installation. Although my atelier is not too small, still some subjects require bigger canvases that are not applicable for now. I always think that painters need more time in comparison to other artists. This is the challenge that I live with. I always have lack of time and I wish days were more than 24 hours.

What has been the most touching moment youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve experienced as an artist? I graduated from art faculty of Tehran university at the age of 24. It was a very tough time. One year from the revolution and the war between Iran and Iraq was started. I had to attend the army for marital services and I serve army more than a year in the war zone front line. It was a very tough time with unpleasant events. There in one of the mountains of Gilanqarb, I was wounded in one of the attacks. We lost so many soldiers and when I was hit by a mortar bomb, I was thrown towards the walls of a cliff. I was there besides the wall for a rather long time. It was three oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock in the morning, dark and sky was full of stars and the sound of tanks and bombs was silenced or I was not able to hear. AT these moments, everything was calm, quiet and even pleasant such that I felt blissed. After those moments, I found myself back in the war zone and remembered that I must stop my bleeding and get back to back line on foot. But in those temporary moments, I was thinking how I can paint this feeling, not as illustrative form but in a way that manifests what flows from existence to me in a compressed form. This feeling

130

Art Reveal Magazine

and my connection to existence is always alive in me and is a criterion for my evaluation while working; this question that how much this artwork is initiated from the life and existence and how it is connected to my experiences in time. Name three artists you admire. I have a tremendous interest in history of art and even the destiny of the artists and in any era I like some of the artists more than the others or feel more connected to them. Some artists fascinated me and some had impacts on my works. From Iranian miniaturists, I like Kamal al-din Behzad too much. Rembrandt, Goya, and Max Beckmann had great impact on my works and in the contemporary era, Gerhard Richter, Lucian Freud, and David Hockney. But if I need to name three artists that I constantly refer to their works and thoughts while working, are Hafiz, our great poet that is always with me, and then Diego Velรกzquez and Marcel Duchamp.

What are your future plans? My thoughts are usually more related to near future and I refuse long term plans. I usually experience that my plans change while working or the work flows in complete different direction. But an initial idea is always part of the initiation of the works. If an idea sticks in the mind without being implemented, enthusiasm and motivation in implementation will be lessened and those initial feelings in me that give me energy will be lost. Subjects usually expose themselves to me or are formed in the workshop while working with models that also change while being painted. For the near future I am planning to work on lifeless natural scenes with huge dimensions. I had done some of them in 2017 but I was not happy with them. This a common genre many of the painters have been engaged but I am looking for a different form of it in which the presence and spirit of the human be visible in the work without the existence of human.

masoudsadedin.com 131

Ally Zlatar Glasgow, UK Exploring art making and curating as a methodology that suggests the human condition is more complex then it is currently understood, Alexandria (Ally) Zlatar examines, instigates and provokes notions of the individual experience through specifically focusing on philosophical discourse, body image, embodiment, animals & ethics. Zlatar acknowledges there is power within the un-well body and believes there is tremendous value potency through examining these subjects through the contemporary art lens. Born in Mississauga, Canada. she holds a BFA in Visual Art & Art History from Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University & an MLitt Curatorial Practice from the Glasgow School of Art. Currently, she is pursuing her Doctorate of Creative Arts with the University of Situhern Queensland. She has been involved in many exhibition creations & has had personal work shown globally. Additionally, has worked on many curation projects with such galleries as Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Hunterian Art Gallery & Glasgowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Centre for Contemporary Art. She is continuously interpreting, her desire to communicate & facilitate the theoretical concepts of art is highly valuable to her & her practice and strives to make a difference in society.

Art Reveal Magazine

Who or what has a lasting influence on your art practice? As cheesy as it sounds, my highschool art teacher. He really inspired me to focus on what I truly value and how my art can make a difference. I always keep these ideas in mind when creating new works. What is the most challenging part of working with new media? For me the most challenging part of working with new media trying to replicate a technique that I have mastered in another medium. It does however lead to new techniques and exploration through experimentation. In your opinion what does art mean in contemporary culture? Art is an expression of individuality. I believe that art is one of the most profound ways to examine the human condition and there are so many artists and creatives that are exploring what it means to be alive. How would you describe the art scene in your area? I think my area has a rich and diverse art scene. There are some of the coolest spaces and initiatives that go beyond the traditional museums and gallery scene. It has something for every art lover.

What do you like/dislike about the art world? I love the diversity and how globalized it has become. Interconnectivity and international collaborations are amazing in the digital world. On the other hand I wish there was more funding, arts of course always get the short end of the stick and artists suffer from the lack of support. Name three artists you admire. I really admire David Shrigley, Jan Van Eyck and Joseph Kosuth. What are your future plans? My future plans are to hopefully continue to develop my practice and I aspire to become a Professor of Visual Arts.

134

Art Reveal Magazine

135

Art Reveal Magazine

136

Art Reveal Magazine

ally.pb.studio 137

Art Reveal Magazine

138

Art Reveal Magazine

139

Art Reveal Magazine

140

Art Reveal Magazine no. 54

Articles inside