CreativPaper Issue No. 13

CREATIVPAPER Magazine

Issue 013

4th 7th April Grand Palais 2019 www.artparis.com A Gaze at Women Artists in France Southern Stars: An Exploration of Latin American Art

Modern + Contemporary Art 313 Art Project (Seoul) | Galerie 8+4 – Paris (Paris) | A2Z Art Gallery (Paris/Hong Kong) | A&R Fleury (Paris) | AD Galerie (Montpellier) | Aedaen Gallery (Strasbourg) | L’Agence à Paris (Paris) | Galería Miquel Alzueta (Barcelona) | Ana Mas Projects (Barcelona) | Galerie Andres Thalmann (Zurich) | Art Agency (Sofia) | Artco Gallery (Aix-la-Chapelle) | Art : Concept (Paris) | Artem-Reich (Basel) | FDP Art et Patrimoine (Sète) | Artisyou (Paris) | Artkelch (Freiburg im Breisgau) | Galerie Arts d’Australie • Stéphane Jacob (Paris) | La Patinoire Royale – Galerie Valérie Bach (Brussels) | Galerie Cédric Bacqueville (Lille) | La Balsa Arte (Bogotá/ Medellín) | Galerie Ange Basso (Paris) | Galerie Belem/Albert Benamou, Barbara Lagié, Véronique Maxé (Paris) | Belgian Gallery (Namur) | Galerie Claude Bernard (Paris) | Galerie Thomas Bernard – Cortex Athletico (Paris) | Galerie Bert (Paris) | Galerie Berthéas (Vichy/SaintÉtienne/Paris) | Galerie Berthet-Aittouarès (Paris) | Galerie Binome (Paris) | Bogéna Galerie (Saint-Paul-de-Vence) | Bosco Hong (Hong Kong) | Galerie Jean Brolly (Paris) | Galerie C (Neuchâtel) | Pierre-Yves Caër Gallery (Paris) | Galerie Capazza (Nançay) | CCK Itinérant/ Institut français d’Argentine (Buenos Aires) | Ceysson & Bénétière (New York/Luxembourg/Paris/Saint-Étienne) | Galerie Chauvy (Paris) | Galerie Chevalier (Paris) | Christopher Cutts Gallery (Toronto) | Clémentine de la Féronnière (Paris) | Creative Growth (Oakland) | Galerie Michel Descours (Lyon) | Galerie des Sens (Caen) | Galerie Anne de Villepoix (Paris) | Dilecta (Paris) | Galería Marc Domènech (Barcelona) | Galerie Dominique Fiat (Paris) | Galerie Patricia Dorfmann (Paris) | Galerie Dutko (Paris) | Galerie Éric Dupont (Paris) | Galerie Éric Mouchet (Paris) | Espace Meyer Zafra (Paris) | Galería Ethra (Mexico City) | Galerie Valérie Eymeric (Lyon) | Galerie Les Filles du Calvaire (Paris) | Flatland (Amsterdam) | Francesca Antonini Arte Contemporanea (Rome) | Freijo Gallery (Madrid) | Galerie Pascal Gabert (Paris) | Galerie Claire Gastaud (Clermont-Ferrand/Paris) | Galerie Louis Gendre (Paris/Chamalières) | Gimpel & Müller (Paris) | Galerie Michel Giraud (Paris/Luxembourg) | Galerie Philippe Gravier (Paris/Saint-Cyr-en-Arthies) | H Gallery (Paris) | H.A.N. Gallery (Seoul) | Galerie HengevossDürkop (Hamburg) | Galerie Ernst Hilger (Vienna) | Huberty & Breyne Gallery (Brussels/Paris) | Galerie Hurtebize (Cannes) | Ilex Gallery (Rome) | Intervalle (Paris) | JanKossen Contemporary (New York/Basel) | Galerie Lacan (Strasbourg) | Galerie La Forest Divonne (Paris/ Brussels) | Galerie Lahumière (Paris) | Galerie La Ligne (Zurich) | Galerie Arnaud Lefebvre (Paris) | Galerie Françoise Livinec (Paris/ Huelgoat) | LN Édition (Paris) | Galerie Loevenbruck (Paris) | Galerie Loft (Paris) | Loo & Lou Gallery (Paris) | Galerie Daniel Maghen (Paris) | Kálmán Makláry Fine Arts (Budapest) | Galerie MAM/Atiss Galerie (Douala/Dakar) | Marcel Strouk – Galerie Rive Gauche (Paris) | Galerie Mark Hachem (Paris) | Galleria Anna Marra (Rome) | Matèria (Rome) | Maurice Verbaet Gallery (Antwerp/Knokke-Heist) | Galerie Mélanie Rio Fluency (Nantes) | Weinstein Gallery/Galerie Minsky (San Francisco/Paris) | Galerie Frédéric Moisan (Paris) | Mo J Gallery (Seoul/Busan) | Galerie Lélia Mordoch (Paris/Miami) | Galerie Mottet (Chambéry) | Galerie Najuma (Fabrice Miliani) (Marseille) | Galerie Nec Nilsson et Chiglien (Paris) | Gallery Nosco (Marseille) | Galerie Nathalie Obadia (Paris/Brussels) | Galerie Oniris – Florent Paumelle (Rennes) | Opera Gallery (Paris) | Galerie Paris-Beijing (Paris/Beijing/Brussels) | Galerie Françoise Paviot (Paris) | Galerie Perahia (Paris) | Galerie Jérôme Poggi (Paris) | Praz-Delavallade (Paris/Los Angeles) | Galerie Rabouan Moussion (Paris) | Raibaudi Wang Gallery (Paris) | Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery (London) | Galerie Richard (Paris/New York) | J.- P. Ritsch-Fisch Galerie (Strasbourg) | Galleria Rubin (Milan) | Sage Paris (Paris) | Galería Saro León (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) | Galerie Eko Sato (Paris) | Schönfeld Gallery (Brussels/ Antwerp) | School Gallery/Olivier Castaing (Paris) | Galerie Sébastien Adrien (Paris) | Galerie Samantha Sellem (Paris) | Shiras Galería (Valencia) | Galerie Slotine (Paris) | Galerie Véronique Smagghe (Paris) | Caroline Smulders (Paris) | Galeria Filomena Soares (Lisbon) | So Art Gallery (Casablanca) | Galería Solo/Eva Albarran & Christian Bourdais (Madrid) | Michel Soskine Inc. (Madrid/New York) | Galerie Taménaga (Paris/Tokyo/Osaka) | Templon (Paris/Brussels) | Galerie Patrice Trigano (Paris) | Galerie Univer/Colette Colla (Paris) | Unspaced (Paris) | Galerie Vallois (Paris) | Bernard Vidal – Nathalie Bertoux – art contemporain (Paris) | Viltin Gallery (Budapest) | Galerie Lara Vincy (Paris) | Galerie Wagner (Le Touquet Paris-Plage) | Galerie Olivier Waltman (Paris/Miami/London) | Galerie Liusa Wang (Paris) | Galerie Esther Woerdehoff (Paris) | Galerie Wenger (Zurich) | Wooson Gallery (Daegu) | Wunderkammern (Rome/Milan) | Galerie XII (Paris/Los Angeles/Shanghai) | Xin Dong Cheng Gallery (Beijing) | Galerie Younique (Lima)

List of exhibitors of 31/01/2019

Galerie des Petits Carreaux (Saint-Briac-sur-Mer) | Pigment Gallery (Barcelona) | Podgorny Robinson Gallery (Saint-Paul-de-Vence) |

Welcome

The thirteenth issue of CreativPaper was not the easiest to put together. Apart from the usual slump that comes after winter and the holidays both Jefferson and I have been dealing with bouts of depression and anxiety. Something we are not ashamed to talk about, we wish more people talked about it! But the support of our friends and family has helped us through it all.

Communication is key. If you ever feel overwhelmed there’s no point bottling it all in, talking to a friend or family member can do wonders for what might feel like an impossible situation.

Back to the issue! For the cover, we have picked Melbourne based artist Jess Merlo. Her inspirations ranging from the time at the beach to childhood toys are something we can all relate to. We also have Birmingham based Mark David Lloyd, who started his career as a graffiti artist in the mid-’80s, New York City-based photographer Yanika Anukulpun and Zurich based moholinushk. These artists all have different stories, references and mediums, but they all share a drive and passion that cannot be measured, Pushing the boundaries of their art, generating dialogue and much-needed change. We are always proud to work with some of the most talented, genuine and most courteous people from all around the globe. Some of whom we are proud to call our friends. We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

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Contents

10 JESS MERLO 14 MARIA RISNER 16 LARRY GRAEBER 04 JULIANA SOBOLEVA 24 AUNE AINSON 29 ELIANA CARVIDÓN 30 OPOKU MENSAH 30 GINA LOVE 32 PAO-LENG KUNG 34 MARK DAVID LLOYD 38 RONALD OWNBEY 42 YANIKA ANUKULPUN 46 GILBERT SALINAS 50 ELIZABETH MALAVE 54 DAVID CURTIS 58 MOHOLINUSHK

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Contents

62 JACK BALAS 64 TALITA ZARAGOZA 70 CHO, HUI-CHIN 74 DEVON GOVONI 78 HASTI SARDASHTI 82 MICHAL ASHKENASI 86 MICKEY CHEN 90 DERWIN LEIVA 96 ANGELA KELLER 100 CLARE ASCH 104 ANTWAN THOMPSON 110 KIM YOUDAN 118 SARAH ALLEN EAGEN 122 POLINA BARSKA 128 ANNAMARIE DZENDROWSKYJ 132 ZEPHYRA VUN

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Cover Artist

JESS MERLO jessmerlo.com

Our childhoods can be a roller coaster of emotions and experiences. Empowered by stimuli and changes, both cognitive and physical, these times can have a lasting impact on all of us. Tapping into this nostalgia, we have Melbourne based artist Jess Merlo.

Referencing childhood milieus, her work consists of environmental references like sand from the beach she visited and social ones like toys and forms unique to her childhood. A Fine Art graduate from Monash University, Jess is an emerging contemporary painter and sculptor that works in the tradition of organic abstraction. Using non-conventional materials and techniques, she paves a path to unique and personal results.

Could you tell us a bit about the artist-run collective called ‘The Lot’ which we believe you are a co-founder?

The Lot is a collective that consists of three curators and three artists, aiming to exhibit and promote upcoming artists. The group of us all met at University when we all worked together at the student gallery at Monash University; it was then that we decided to start the collective to assist artists breaking into the art community.

watched by on the shore. Recently, I’ve been working with texture and experimenting with layers and three-dimensionality which has lead me to use sand, specifically sourced from Rye, a place I have and continue to spend every summer at with my family. I hold some of my most treasured memories with my aunties, uncles, cousins, parents and brothers, full of swimming, cooking, eating and playing backyard cricket.

What are your fondest memories from Bridgewater Bay beach growing up?

I never really visited Bridgewater Bay when I was growing up, but I have been visiting that beach with friends over the past couple of years. The best memory was when I was with a good friend of mine, collecting rocks and surprisingly got dunked by a wave and dragged out in the ocean in my clothes, struggling to get to the sand because I was laughing so hard with my friend who

Would you say that the toys we played with as children can have a profound impact on us growing up? What were your favourites?

I don’t believe it is the actual toy that has an impact, but what they bring out in us; whether its connections with another person or discovering something new about yourself. But definitely, a favourite for me was a shared small car collection with my brothers because it was the one toy that

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we all equally enjoyed playing together, helping us bond as kids.

Since your work has such an organic theme running across is, what are your thoughts on plastic pollution and the impact it has on our oceans?

It’s so upsetting and disappointing to see the detrimental effect plastic pollution has on the ocean due to our careless actions.

Personally, I try to do my part and cut plastic out in my life, and I encourage the people around me to do the same. I do plan to take another step in helping diminish the impact.

What is the art scene like in Melbourne?

Melbourne has a very contemporary and experimental art scene I believe. It’s pretty exciting going to openings at galleries all over the city every week and seeing fresh works, meet new artists and other people within the field.

loosen up a little bit and seeing an adult who brings out a playful side is quite refreshing and intriguing.

What are you working on at the moment?

Currently, I am in the process of installing two solo shows at Black Cat Gallery and Off the Kerb Gallery in Melbourne and also preparing a few works to exhibit in The Royal Art Prize in London in February and amongst all of that, trying to rest before returning to University for my Honours degree at Victorian College of the Arts (VCA).

What what your favourite Sunday morning cartoon growing up?

My brothers and I really enjoyed watching a show called Johnny Bravo on Cartoon Network, always made us laugh, and it still does today, even though we are all in our twenties. END

Do you think society should do more to encourage the inner child among us all?

Sometimes I think that people take themselves too seriously and they need to 12

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Artist Feature

MARIA RISNER mariarisnerart.weebly.com

For her latest project titled ‘Undesirable Forms’ artist Maria Risner decided to tackle pain, grief and distress. Emotions that we have all felt at one point or another neither of which can be easy to process. Her content centres around the repulsion and discomfort women can experience within their mind and body. In our image-obsessed societies, Maria exaggerates undesirable female bodily features.

Uneven skin tone, wrinkles and body hair all get centre stage, through a self-abasing point of view of a woman.

Reactions can be both positive or repulsive, but there is no denying Maria is creating dialogue around sensitive themes that every modern woman has to face.

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Void, Plaster Life-Casts, 84”x 15”x 72”, 2018

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Artist Feature

LARRY GRAEBER larrygraeber.com

Located in San Antonio, Texas we have artist Larry Graeber.

Having studied painting, sculpture, printmaking, jewellery and film making. His current focus is on painting, sculpture and works of paper. He is intrigued by the idea of approximations, even approximations of other approximations. An observation he continually makes in a world where one object or person is intrinsically connected to another. When he is in the studio, Larry is open to the idea that his initial concept when he starts creating might change, evolve and go through permutations. If anything, It is this organic process of discovery and evolution that intrigues him.

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Green Snare, 40” x 30”, Oil on Canvas, 2018

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Sea, 49” x 42”, Oil on Canvas, 2018

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Shape of Water, 24” x 24”, Oil on Canvas, 2018

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Interview

JULIA SOBOLEVA @juliasobolevaillustration

Nestled in the town of Stoke-on-Trent in the North West of England we have artist Juliana Soboleva. Her creative process involves painting and collage on top of found photographic imagery, juxtaposed between the themes of madness and reality. The dark undertones in her work are a direct reflection of the grim reality that many face from her former home in Latvia. Having been exposed to post-soviet life growing up, she explores narratives of family, taboo and transgenerational trauma in her pieces. She has a Masters Degree in Illustration from the Manchester School of Art and is now working as an educator and freelance designer.

How do you find a balance between being a full-time Mum and an artist?

Becoming a parent was a turning point in reconstructing my artistic approach and working methodology. Since my son was born, I have experienced a shocking change of lifestyle with no spare time, and all my pre-parent life priorities turned upside down.

half an hour of impulsive image making on a kitchen table or a dark corner of a living room can be a productive, effective and a fully fledged working process. The notion of creative block disappeared from my lexicon.

I started thinking about my approach to work in a more straightforward and down-to-earth way - all I have to do is to show up for my time slot and produce work I quickly realised that if I want to continue without any expectation of the result. I developing as an artist, I had to master my ability to adapt to whatever time and space thought of this approach as a psychological construct which protects the available to me. Turning my kitchen table into a studio space for a few hours per day artist from the consequences of her work while my son was asleep led me to discover and helps to view their whole creative process as a continuous entries into a a whole new methodology and an single cosmic logbook. My creative alternative way of thinking about my sessions are intuitive, impulsive, fun and creative process. I realised that the scope playful. I see them as an antidote to of attention and intention I was giving to rationality and responsibility. each creative session - determined the elasticity of time and space I am in. Even 20

‘Midnight’, Commissioned by ‘Monarchy’ band to promote their song ‘Mid:Night’ on social media, acrylics on top of photographic image, 25 x 25cm, 2018

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There’s a certain emotional rawness in your work, do you think this is becoming increasingly rare in society these days?

Dealing with raw emotions is a universal human condition, and it feels like there are not enough appropriate or accessible tools for a society to express this natural quality of the human mind in healthy ways. I believe that studies in emotional intelligence, cognition and psychology have to be of primal importance in the education system. Suppressed raw emotions turn into negative energy and destructive behaviours, both on a personal and generational level. I think art is a perfect sanctuary for emotional rawness.

Could you tell us a bit about the results of your postgraduate research on reader-response theory?

Unlike other text-based theories, reader-response criticism argues that a text acquires meaning only when it is experienced (read) by a reader. So through the personal reactions and interpretations, as well as culturally determined means of reading the reader constructs text (rather than consumes it). I started my postgraduate study with the intention to explore my attachments to certain literary texts through the prism of reader-response theory.

Further in my research, I stopped actively engaging with the theory, but the idea of a reader/viewer completing and contributing to a narrative of an image became a significant part of my practice. My pieces always allow many different interpretations, but it is impossible to find a definite resolution. Uncertainty can be a painful and unsettling notion, but it can also feel very liberating to know there is no end.

very authentic place with its own ‘northern’ temperament. Manchester charmed me with its cultural diversity and heritage and a constant bustle, but, unlike London, it leaves you alone to move at your pace. Many of my course mates have been developing socially engaged projects - there is definitely a big scope for such collaborations.

Do you think that the onslaught of social media has made us more emotionally vulnerable?

With social media becoming a common daily part of our lives so suddenly, it feels like we are just confused about its function and meaning. The misuse of social media turns it into a Frankenstein ready to destroy us.

There is definitely more distraction in our lives with the constant flow of notifications and the seductive (and often illusionary) prospect of connection to others. Learning how to use social media to your advantage as an educational, professional or social tool can turn it into a powerful mechanism to make a difference on a personal and even cultural level. We are both cursed and very privileged to have it in our lives and we can always choose what kind of effect it can have on us. END

As someone who is also from Manchester in the United Kingdom like us, could you tell us a bit about the city and its relationship with culture and art?

At the moment I live in Stoke-on-Trent, but I have been doing my postgraduate study in Manchester. It feels like Manchester is a

Opposite: Top Left: ‘Say Cheese”.

Medium: acrylics on top of photographic image, 30 x 22 cm, 2018 Opposite: Bottom Left: ‘Up’, acrylics on top of photographic image, 20 x 15 cm, 2018 23

Artist Feature

AUNE AINSON auneainson.com

Artist Aune Ainson’s current body of work titled “Archeology of Between” sheds light on how the casual and accidental creates meaning in our urban landscape. Revealing elements that are both poetic and attractive at the same time.

She aims to develop her own archaeology, a visual memory which is inspired by patterns of different no-places and invisible narratives. Elements that are generally part of visual noise, often invisible and ignored by all around them. Static as they might be, these environments are frequently changing, going through cycles of change, appearance and disappearance. Through her work Aune aims to investigate how the spontaneous beauty reveals through those random details and how they convert into something poetical and attractive at the same time.

Through her practice and study to create her archaeology of between, Aune’s paintings are a semi-fictional trace of something that already was. This current study is an invitation to meditate about our daily space, from the public until the intimate sphere.

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Subway, Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Toner on Canvas, 70x70cm, 2018

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Lower East Side, Oil, Acrylic, Oil Pastels, Pencil, Charcoal and Toner on Canvas, 100x90cm, 2018

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Archeology of Between II, Oil, Acrylic, Oil Pastels, Pencil, Charcoal and Toner on Paper, 80x70cm, 2018

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Smoke Creature, Mixed Media on Wood, 80 x 60 cm, 2018

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Artist Feature

ELIANA CARVIDÓN

elianacarvidon.wixsite.com/elianacarvidon When she is not cataloguing literary masterpieces during her day job as a librarian, artist Eliana Carvidón is creating her narrative as a ceramicist and painter. Initially dabbling with art when she was a child, her passion deepened while she was a teenager. Implementing the Japanese art of Raku in her ceramic work, she tackles a wide range of topics. Her early paintings were on paper after which she transitioned to wood. Keen on painting the human form, Eliana’s work delves into our internal and external circumstances, fear, joy, pain and struggles not only in an abstract but expressionist form.

Eliana Carvidón will be showcasing her paintings in a solo show at the Artifact Gallery in New York, USA from the 1 – 5th. of April 2020.

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“I Wasn’t Even a Failed DJ”, Mixed Media

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Artist Feature

GINA LOVE ginaloveart.com

Even with all the advancements in life, mental health struggles to get the recognition it deserves with patients often suffering in silence. Social stigma and perceptions often lead to obstacles in gaining support and treatment.

Artist Gina Love uses her art as a therapeutic tool to express her emotions and work through challenging ones.

Bold colours and layers are used as a metaphor for emotions and moods. Through her work Gina hopes to leave a legacy, creating a dialogue about mental health issues we all face but rarely discuss.

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Artist Feature

PAO-LENG KUNG

tin71949.wixsite.com/paolengkung Often, when an artist paints, its what’s omitted that has a more profound meaning. Missing colours, elements and narratives speak volumes. Artist Pao-Leng Kung experiments with these omissions in her work, using canvases to tell a story in unison instead of an all encapsulating piece. She also places emphasis on spatial variation and richness. Incorporating vivid colours and strokes. She also uses ‘white’ as a force to expand unlimited space or as a blank canvas so her viewers can fill the colours in with their imagination. This paradox of colour and blank spaces work in tandem, interacting with each other between positive and negative spaces.

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Cell Division, 67x73x3cm, Acrylic on Tailoring Canvas, 2018

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Interview

MARK DAVID LLOYD lloyd-fineart.com

Born in Birmingham in 1971, artist Mark David Lloyd started his career as a graffiti artist in the mid-1980s. He later went on to study fine art at Falmouth School of Art, the Slade School of Fine Art and the Winchester School of Art. Never shy to address topical issues and historical ideas, his work is bold, impactful and expressive. His metamodernist realism challenges beliefs, delivers narratives and hope. In our conversation with Mark, we talk about his early days as a graffiti artist, the advantages of having an assistant and some of his newer pieces.

Would you say that in this age of consumption, we are eventually the ones being consumed?

In short yes. Major corporations have a vested interest in promoting a consumerist society. Corporations create fantasies through consumer goods that actively advocate the utopia of a happy consumer. Corporations promote that our lives can only be well lived (or lived at all) through the purchase and consumption of commodities. As the commodity form becomes a central part of a culture, culture becomes available for use in the interest of commodification, as a legitimation for the entire system. So yes, us, our societies, our culture is consumed by fake utopian fantasies promoted by corporations in the pursuit of selling consumer goods. These fantasies are so embedded in our societies and culture that the very nature of truth and reality has been long lost. We

consume therefore we are, isn’t life more than that?

As a young person growing up in Birmingham, England. What did your exposure to art consist of?

As a young person growing up in Birmingham, my exposure to art consisted of influx and explosion of graffiti art in the 1980s. This was an inspiring and exciting time for me, learning about; line, colour, shape, and other formal qualities, travelling all over the UK to visit sites of famous ‘pieces’ of graffiti, and meeting other graffiti artists in a new emerging community of young artists all bonded by the love of this new art form. This was my chief exposure to art as a young person growing up in Birmingham.

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Could you tell us a bit about your studio?

I have a studio in Southbourne Bournemouth, ‘Woodside Studios’ and I have been in this current studio for four years. The studio is well appointed and has 24 hours access. I share the studio complex with five other artists; two painters, a textile designer, a ceramist, and a sculptress. There is a good rapport and creative atmosphere.

and social identity. I believe cultural identity can be an arena to examine and construct a sense of who we are as individuals, as a society, or as a nation. Cultural identity can provide a space to question stereotypes and conventions while exploring attributes such as gender, sexuality, race, nationality and heritage.

Has working with an assistant been beneficial to you as an artist?

I have a long-time assistant who I work Could you tell us a bit more about your with and have worked with for five years; early days as a graffiti artist? she has been immensely beneficial to my As I mentioned earlier my early days as a practice. I am incredibly grateful to her; she graffiti artist were exciting, obsessive, and speeds up my processes, engages in an incredible growth period in my discourse and dialogue during the whole understanding in both theory and creative process from; developing practicalities of making art. This period gave me a solid grounding, for my career as conceptual starting points, during the practicalities of the making processes, and an artist. analysing and evaluating the outcomes in critiquing finished and exhibited works.

How important is a cultural identity to Also during curating shows, her input is you as an artist? invaluable.

Cultural identity as an artist is essential as it can be a basis or platform to explore the characteristics that determine our personal 36

Could you talk us through the development of some of your latest pieces?

My latest series of work is still in its initial stages of development, though I have produced some work which is finished. I began this new series of work after a period of serious health issues which slowed down my previous very prolific creative output. I was forced to re-evaluate many things in my life and my art practice.

I began this new series by exhaustive research and examination of ‘power and believe’ in power structures of state and religious institutions, and how people within these organisations are willing to subvert or ignore truths to maintain a grand narrative.

The current huge division in American and European politics between a new alt-right and distorted left with no middle ground is what initially sparked this conceptual space in which to create a new series of artworks.

After initial experimentation through drawing and digital photographic layering I came to the realisation that working with source material of power structures of state and religion were just too big and I needed a condensed smaller subject matter that distorted; believe, truth, and power for its own means, this is when I began to explore 20th Century American cults.

used to stimulate and power and control within the chosen American cults.

What are you listening to on repeat at the moment?

On repeat in the studio at the moment is Miles Davis, Kraftwerk, Dub reggae, podcasts, and liquid drum and bass. While I’m working in the studio I can only really listen to music with no singing; it needs to be sound that is in the background, I still need a space to think while practically working. In fact the early stages of my creative processes and again at the finishing stages I need silence in the studio. END

The idea that a cult will believe a narrative to the point of death ignore the truth and another opinion, distort values of morality and right and wrong, fascinated me and seemed to echo (at an extreme) the current state of western political ideology. Power structures are playing with the truth until there is no truth and nothing to believe, I find these exciting elements to make a series of work. I have three fundamental visual elements which I am currently utilising in constructing a series of paintings; American cults, children’s playing cards (as contrast and embedding the concept of gambling/playing with belief), and chemical formulas of drugs 37

Artist Feature

RONALD OWNBEY ronownbeyartist.com

Born in West Hollywood, California in 1938 and growing up in the Los Angeles area we have Artist Ronald Ownbey.

Spending time with his little brother at their grandparents’ fruit ranch, high in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Ronald first started experimenting with drawing and painting. His subject matter at the time mostly consisted of Indians, mythological people, sites and the rugged landscape that surrounded him. This was followed by military service in the mid-1960s. Stationed in Europe at the time, he was exposed to art museums in cities like Paris and London.

After returning home from his military tour, he started his journey into the world of art, studying at Mt San Antonio College which was followed by a full scholarship to the Otis Art Institute. Since then Ron has taught art and is pursuing his artistic career after retirement including publishing a book covering the last 60 years of his creative activities.

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“Birdcage”, Digital Painting on Paper, A/P, 38 x 29 1/8 inches, 2017

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“Alfred”, Oil on Canvas, 12 x 12 inches, 2013

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“Purple Celebration”, Mixed Media on Panel, 8 x 8 inches, 2016

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Artist Feature

YANIKA ANUKULPUN yanikanukul.com

Art in its myriad of forms has a way to break barriers of language and borders across the world. It brings people together through sheer emotion, dialogue and experience.

The ubiquity of smartphones has to a degree pushed photography as an art form into the stratosphere. These days, it’s not the camera that you use but the story you tell that holds more value. Fine art and commercial photographer Yanika Anukulpun who is currently based in the United States incorporates both analogue and digital photography into her workflow. She captures a moment in time, ranging from portraits to architecture or simply fantastic light. Her architecture series of images paints familiar monolithic structures in an entirely new light.

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Japanese Building Portrait, Digital photography, 11”x14”, 2016

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Navy Pier Chicago, IL, Digital Photography, 16” x 20”, 2017

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St. Peter & Paul (San Francisco), Digital photography, 11”x17”, 2017

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Artist Feature

GILBERT SALINAS gilbertsalinas.com

Ever since its inception the world we inhabit specifically has been in a state of flux, changing landscapes, species and seasons all keep things in a constant state of motion. Growing up in the beautiful Puerto Rico, artist Gilbert Salinas was inspired by this very natural beauty and change around him which he channels through his work. He is also concerned with the scars our planet bears with time and the unique story they tell. Gilbert has showcased his work in galleries, museums and exhibitions both in his home country and abroad.

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Interview

ELIZABETH MALAVE elizabethmalave.myportfolio.com

As an artist or anyone that creates something, you are always fighting between the emotions of creation and sharing something that is often profoundly personal with the world. Having to monetise your art further complicates this. Doing what is right for you and resonates with your values as an artist can be a tough choice, but in the long run, it is the right one. Artist Elizabeth Malave struggled with this dilemma until she decided to share her work with the world which has led to a wave of opportunities and connections.

In our conversation with her, she talks about her use of colour and the importance of human relationships.

Do you think a lot of artists get hung up over what others think of their work?

Yes, I do believe that. Maybe not every artist but I feel that the majority of us do.

We want to see how our work affects the world and what others think. I am always looking for feedback because I know that I can take that as a learning opportunity. It’s scary when we know, but then again I feel that it’s crucial for us to know.

How did you deal with this issue personally?

I take it as a learning opportunity because I am always going to be my worst critic. I value others opinions especially when it’s other artists giving me advice and helping me grow as well. It does make me nervous because I tend to over think a lot, but then I have to stop and calm myself down because I know everything will be fine.

What do you look for in a muse?

When they’re comfortable with me and can be themselves, I feel that adds more to the portrait that I am trying to capture. I have a variety of my friends when I do different photo shoots. I think of a theme which usually always comes from art and the meaning behind it, and I think of who will best fit the image, and I go from there. My absolute favourite person to shoot is my nephew, Robert Jr. He just turned 5, and he has been my muse since he was a little peanut. I love how free he is and how candid the shots come out. He loves taking pictures too he’s always asking me to take photos, and I love that about him. Children have such a carefree soul; it’s a beautiful thing to capture. You’ll see him in a few images I took.

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What made you pick photography over other artistic mediums to express your creativity?

Honestly, I didn’t start to show my work until after I graduated high school. I have been drawing and sketching since I was seven years old, but I always kept it to myself. Of course, my family saw my drawings but not even my best friends until I was ready to show them. I started to grow out of my shell when I started taking art classes in college. It was a way of showing who I am how special art is to me and how important it is to me because it allows me to express myself.

bold, confident feeling. It reminds me of love & passion. Orange reminds me of the sunset and how I feel when I watch it set.

Warmth, balance, adventure, energy etc.

Blue reminds me of the sky and the ocean.

It’s like connecting with nature. It brings out the spiritual feeling & tranquillity. Green always reminds me of nature as well. The forests, the mountains, wildlife, bamboo leaves which have such a deep meaning it’s beautiful, but I feel Harmony, balance, growth and restoring energy. I’ve always had a deep connection to nature. Yellow is similar to orange because they’re both bright, happy colours. So it makes me feel comfortable and giddy but also uplifted, I feel that I didn’t only choose photography I laughter and creativity amongst other great chose both. However, I do think that my art things. Purple makes me think of imagination and unicorns if they were real. is still maybe somewhat private to me and perhaps that’s why I show my photography It’s kind of like living in a world that’s to express myself in another form of media. different and full of spirituality and Maybe one day I’ll get the courage to show meditation. Each colour has its meaning to me, but they’re all important. my drawings as well. Let’s see.

Where are you currently based and why?

I live in Staten Island, New York. I was born in Queens and raised in Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. I’m a born New Yorker, so I’ve always had the privilege of being surrounded by fantastic Museums and art all around me. As I got older, I travelled into the city more for work, and that’s where you’ll find a lot of fashion and art, and in metropolitan Brooklyn, there is so much beautiful art that I have come across, and I fell in love even more. I do know that I want to travel and I don’t think I’ll settle in NY because there is such a big beautiful, diverse world that is still full of so much art I haven’t seen yet and artists I haven’t met yet.

We’ve noticed a colour themed series in your work, could you tell us a bit about what each colour means to you?

The colour theme project was exciting to do and fun because I was able to play around with the colour wheel, and learn what each colour meant spiritually. Red gives me a

What makes Elizabeth smile at the end of the day?

I smile every day knowing how blessed I am. I thank god every day for everyone he has blessed with me with in my life. The opportunities that have come my way and the significant accomplishments I have made thus far. I know he is always listening. The universe has a strange way of working but it always listens, and one thing I’ve learned is that when you put positive energy into the universe and you manifest your goals and your dreams they come tens times better than what you thought. I’m still learning and growing every day. I am healthy, I am young and, and I am following my heart and achieving my goals and making my dreams come true, and I’m surrounded by a family and friends who support and love me through it all. That is what makes me smile every day. END

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Artist Feature

DAVID CURTIS davidcurtisart.weebly.com

You don’t have to be a believer of climate change to realise that our planet is in a state of accelerated motion when it comes to the weather. All around the globe, we are observing reports of freak weather conditions and this is only going to get worse. This is not a new concept; over billions of years, our planet has been undergoing constant change through its various extinctions and physical variations. It’s just that there have been no other species that has had a drastic impact as we do. Artist David Curtis’s work acts as a link between time and change. Over the last three decades as an artist, his themes have ranged from the earth in its early days along with dystopia, history, religion and philosophy.

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Deep Thoughts, 24”x24”, 2018

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Brave New World, 24”x24”, 2018

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Darwinian Daydream, 21”x21”, 1997

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Artist Feature

MOHOLINUSHK moholinushk.com

Based outside Zurich, Switzerland, artist moholinushk decided that after a busy professional career as an anthropologist and diplomat she needed to slow things down and explore the creative facets of her personality.

Deeply inspired by Japanese graphic, traditional Islamic design and by the Bauhaus, she incorporates a plethora of mediums ranging from chalk, ink and watercolour to colour pencil drawings. Experimenting with abstract forms, the circle plays a central role in her work. This ubiquitous yet indispensable shape can be observed in both nature, and human-made creations. moholinushk tries to incorporate the circle into her pieces after finding it in various forms in her daily life. She also pays homage to Japanese artist Toko Shinoda, who at the age of 103 this year, continues to create using her hands. Proving that a career in art is timeless.

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Matcha 01 Kopie

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Not Yet Spring

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Nandines Kopie

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Artist Feature

JACK BALAS jackbalas.com

Originally based in Chicago and Los Angeles, artist Jack Balas does not shy away from experimentation. Using a variety of mediums at his disposal ranging from painting, drawing, photography and writing, he has since 2003 put the figure centre stage. Young men dominate his images and act as muse, his goal to represent them as everyday men— a refreshing change from the stereotypes associated with youth, beauty and lust. Jack’s art serves as a bridge between intent and form, idea and the evidence of our lives. He is represented in the permanent collections of the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Denver Art Museum, and the Tucson Museum of Art to name a few.

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Interview

TALITA ZARAGOZA talitazaragoza.com

Based in New York City since 2012, artist Talita Zaragoza looks to nature for her inspiration. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil she works mainly with drawings, photography and recently with installations. Her work explores the relationships between the micro and macro, cause and effect, transience and permutable interrelationships. She also creates dialogues around natural landscapes and the impact they have on everything and everyone around them. Currently studying at the International Centre for Photography in New York, she has showcased her work in both Brazil and the United States.

Do you think it is essential for people to be more aware of their consequences with regards to the environment?

Absolutely. It is very frightening what is happening and the speed that things are changing. Awareness that our actions have consequences is undoubtedly the first step.

Education and information are vital. For me it is evident that all of our activities are connected; one thing leads to another in a domino effect.

How has living in New York changed you artistically compared to your home city of São Paulo?

Nature has always been a great source of inspiration for my work. I believe that was one of the most significant changes I felt when I moved to New York. Although since birth I had lived in São Paulo, the fifth biggest city in the world, I was very

fortunate to have the chance to travel to wilder places, surrounded by more nature, to the beach, to the remaining of the Atlantic Rainforest or the mountains nearby Sao Paulo. But once I moved to NYC, I learned to savour all the parks that the city offers (amazing, beautiful parks by the way). The change in the landscape also influenced me a lot. It was then that I started my photographic work, exploring the countryside and experimenting with my actions on it. I started this long term project entitled Along Silent Paths, where I make ephemeral interventions on the landscape and photograph them. I believe that the landscape of NYC parks and surroundings allowed me to start them, as they are far more “silent” and calm compared to the lush and loud nature in Brazil and therefore I felt more compelled and comfortable to step in and act on them.

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Another significant change that I felt was the bursting art scene. Is well known that New York has an intense scene for all genres and tastes, so it is easy to feel inspired but sometimes, to also feel anxious or insecure about your own work. The competition is fierce, which pushes your limits.

In your body of work titled ‘The Greenhouse Project’, you talk about the significance of greenhouses in the future. Could you tell us a bit more about that?

This project came after a class in which I studied Jean Baudrillard and his concept of Simulacra and Simulation. It struck me that there is a replica of the Lascaux cave and that this is the one that is open for the public. Many people don’t know about it and maybe don’t really care, but that can quickly be happening in a broader sense to other things. With this project, I am using the Greenhouse as an example of how we

will be enjoying nature in a not so distant future from now. It is possible that we will have a replica of a rainforest, or a desert, or a prairie since the real ones may not exist anymore. It is a very sombre idea, but in my honest opinion, very feasible.

Do you think humans forget that we live in a greenhouse ourselves?

Surely. But sadly many don’t have that notion or haven’t been introduced to this notion because of social and political structures. Something like in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, where only a few venture themselves out in the direction of the light. Many not only don’t bother to think about the greenhouse we live in, but who deny climate change, and the interconnections of our acts because once their ignorance is pointed out to them, they even more fiercely resist the light, like the other prisoners in the allegory. One clear example of this situation is the current political moment in Brazil, where the

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president elected denies climate change and is doing all he can to retrograde the existing environmental laws, facilitate deforestation in Amazon regions for livestock, among several other things that will have a significant impact not only for Brazil but for the world.

What are you working on at the moment?

I have always had a fascination with maps.

Geological maps, city maps and historical maps. My drawing series Ressonancias is somewhat inspired by topological maps and our necessity to catalogue and decipher things. Recently I came across some maps of volcanic eruptions and started studying a little bit more about volcanoes and their signifiers, their influence in cultures around the world and especially for the Ring of Fire (an area in the Pacific Basin where most volcanoes are located). The notion that they are all connected like one giant sleepy

creature that from time to time awakens and breathes enthrals me. About the same time I came across these maps, I started reading a book about Alexander Humboldt, a naturalist, geographer, romanticist, explorer and also, a volcano enthusiast. He was also one of the first that created the concept of Ecology as we see today and fought for the conservation of nature and the exploration of natural resources.

Inspired by his concept of Naturgemälde, where he sees the world as a whole, connecting the climate zones, plants and animals species, the geography of the earth, everything as we see today as the ‘environment’, as being all connected and having influence in each other, I started to create my own Imaginary Maps. After many years working mainly with drawings and photography, I ventured into painting. About the same time my grandfather—a major inspiration in my life—passed away, I inherited some of his painting materials.

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This also pushed me to start this new phase in my work, exploring colours. It is definitely a new adventure, and I’m drawn into this new world of possibilities, tonalities, trial and errors... Today I seek to connect my new series of paintings, my photographic, and my drawing artistic expressions. I am not interested only in finding new isolated facts, but connecting them and understanding how they can relate — researching that sense of wholeness and collaboration between the mediums.

In your project Ressonâncias you talk about building, each layer at a time. How does that relate to being an artist?

I think we are all collecting memories, perceptions, and concepts every day, and all these could be considered as layers when we begin to conceive of a work. This collection of imprints is what builds our work. But maybe I suppose it is more like a web rather than layer on top of layer — something like a rhizome of layers

and understandings.

Are there elements of the art world that you struggle with?

Maybe the tight circle and the difficulty there is to get in and be noticed. Not everything you see in galleries, museums and art spaces is the best or the most creative portion of what is being produced.

It annoys me that many times it matters more who you know or are connected with, than what you actually do. The art world is not always democratic.

What does Talita miss the most about São Paulo?

Family, friends, fruits and the trees. END

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Artist Feature

CHO, HUI-CHIN chin.art

Modern travel has made it easy for migration in all its forms, from the casual traveller to someone who is relocating for better opportunities; we live in a time when there has never been human migration on a larger scale. Being always on the move can come with its own set of challenges but what you gain is invaluable. Exposure to different cultures, food, languages and ethnicities can expand your knowledge in numerous ways. As an artist, this exposure can be priceless. Artist Cho Hui-Chin, who spreads her time between cities like London and Tokyo draws immensely from her culture and her travels. She has an interest in combining materials, especially vintage or antique ones. Her approach to art is introspective, reflecting on humanity, desire, fetish, ambivalence and sadism.

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Artist Feature

DEVON GOVONI devongovoni.com

Whenever you come across a complicated situation with another person, the chances are that if you take the time to talk things through, it usually works out. Confrontation rarely works; conversation is key. This is something that artist Devon Govoni truly believes in. A licenced mental health counsellor and art therapist, she believes that her art can be the medium to have those conversations. Stepping into the world of art at a young age, Devon entered contests in grade school and won competitions. For her current series, Devon has been working with sculpture, capturing an array of emotions with each piece. A direct reflection of the emotions she encounters daily.

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Artist Feature

HASTI SARDASHTI hastisardashti.art

Migration and migrants, in general, seem to get a lot of bad press these days. Ironically the very success our entire civilisation has been based on movement. Moving for better opportunities, climate and safety is a concept as old as humanity itself and not limited to our species alone.

Artist Hasti Sardashti, an Iranian born artist, living in London finds stability through creation. Art is a way for her to pour her emotions into a mould of stability and permanence, connecting to the most genuine of her existence. Her pieces, often self-portraits explore themes of identity and ruptured continuity that comes with the life of someone always on the move.

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Wounds on my Body:”Hope&Fragility”!, April 2017, Acrylic on Canvas,120x180 79

Ones who stayed , fall in war and are forgotten!, October 2017, Mixed media on canvas, 120x180 cm

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Best sides of me:�Strength & vulnerability’!, April 2018, Oil on Canvas, 120x120cm

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Artist Feature

MICHAL ASHKENASI michalsart.net

Even after spending seventeen years living at the edge of the Negev desert, artist Michal Ashkenasi is still captivated by its beauty. Born in the Netherlands, she moved to Israel after World War Two. The sheer beauty of the landscape that surrounds her plays a vital role in her work. Her abstract minimalist pieces aim to encapsulate her thoughts and dreams. Not limiting herself to one medium, Michal is also an avid photographer. In a world increasingly torn by prejudice, discrimination and violence, she wants her art to bridge these divides. With the love and support of her family, art to Michal is equally as important as the act of eating and breathing, while bringing some much-needed joy into the world in the process.

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“There were three little perfume bottles standing in a bathroom. I don’t know why I made a photo of those, but I did. Years later I found the photo and decided to do something with it.

I worked with different programs and apps, till I found the whole TRIBE. It’s a very colorful tribe and I like it!”

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Interview

MICKEY CHEN It is not unusual for many artists to sideline their creativity to focus on making a living to make ends meet. Being an artist is an expensive affair in itself, not accounting the costs to live. After graduating from The School of Art Institute of Chicago in 1996, artist Mickey Chen, although not using art and design as her main profession has kept her passion for making art alive. Alongside her teaching job at Shantou University, she has experimented with an array of mediums ranging from photography to acrylic painting and mixed media to collage with an emphasis on experimentation. Believing that there are no mistakes, merely different outcomes.

How necessary is experimentation to you as an artist?

Experimenting with or exploring new ideas is a constant challenge for me.

Experimentation is especially important to me as an artist because I never look at myself as a “professional painter�; instead, I feel that I am good at brainstorming and generating ideas. My favourite activity is to collect various materials, study them and use them to create meanings of my projects. Experimentation is to make myself more open to possibilities. By trying out more things, I help myself to create more spontaneously. Experimentation helps me not to be content by doing the same old things over and over again.

Could you tell us a bit about your time at the Art Institute of Chicago?

It was an exhilarating and confusing experience when I studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. It was the first time I went abroad alone, and I experienced a lot of first-time things there in Chicago.

Unlike the art classes I took in Taiwan, at the Art Institute of Chicago, students made their own decisions in class. For example, I learned how to start and finish my projects all by myself. Back in Taiwan, as students, we usually received more instructions to complete our homework assignments.

While I was studying at the Art Institute of Chicago, there were not many directions given in class because most professors wanted us to be ourselves. It is probably fair to say that I felt more like an art student in Taiwan,

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but I felt more like an artist at the Art Institute of Chicago.

How do you find a balance between your teaching job and creating art?

I have been quite lucky because usually, my teaching job ends up involving my creativity. Even though my main teaching job is to teach a language (English), I either end up teaching a class in Art History or teaching art students English. So, my life still revolves around art. By being known for my art background, I get opportunities to be linked to the art school of my university. I get invited to co-teach an art class or to be the judge of a fashion design competition. I work at the language centre of the university, and we have an English Festival annually. At the English Festival, I get the chance to be in charge of different forms of art such as designing event brochures and writing plays for the opening drama.

Somehow, I find a way to use my creativity in my job, and at some point, my job also gives some feedback to my own personal art projects.

What do you think makes graffiti culture so fascinating and popular, especially considering cave art is graffiti in its most rudimentary form?

Graffiti culture is like doodling and innocent/ childish drawing. Lots of artists try very hard throughout their entire life to draw like children. Growing up, we lose our spontaneity. We plan and organise our thoughts meticulously to make perfect pictures. However, our idea of perfection can be dull and boring at times. The excitement is somehow lost in the process of creation. Too much planning and agonising sometimes kills the beauty and excitement of creation and even affects the results. Graffiti is honest, sincere and direct (like cave art) and serves its own, efficient purpose.

What is more potent? Text or images?

As a visual artist myself, images are a bit more potent then text to me. After years of training in various art forms, my brain has been wired with colours and patterns. I feel more stimulated by images. I see myself remembering faces better than names. I Could you tell us a bit about your project can locate myself well for being able to ‘The Mannequins’? record my surroundings photographically.

It was a project for a homework However, I do have to say that, when text assignment when I studied at the University is used as images, it can certainly create of Hertfordshire. At that time, I was very another dimension of meaning. I have been interested in the standard beauty of women. trying to use text as my main image more I was amazed at how all the mannequins recently because I feel like saying were created in a certain way. It seemed something directly to my surface (canvas or like there was a norm for a particular kind paper). It serves as a secret diary. I break/ of beautiful body. At the same time, I was scramble my words and sentences so that studying a performer, ORLAN, and writing only I know 100% of what I write about. It’s a report about her plastic surgery project. a self-healing process. END I bought a packet of mannequins, and I wanted to manipulate/twist/hide them so that they would not appear to be the same ever again. Besides the ideas about women’s bodies, I had always wanted to create a different kind of “painting”.

Therefore, I tore the canvas and left the frame to make 3D paintings.

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Artist Feature

DERWIN LEIVA derwinleiva.com

There is a reason that art is often used in therapy. It doesn’t matter which medium you choose, there’s an almost magical moment when you stand in front of a canvas and let your inhibitions go. Surrendering to the creativity as it takes hold of the brush. Artist Derwin Leiva lives for moments like these, using art as a way to view himself both cognitively and externally. Born in 1978 in Santa Clara, Cuba, his culturally rich childhood is something he taps into whenever he is in the studio. After moving to Miami at the age of fifteen, he went to Italy to study art history and was exposed to the work of the masters. Currently based in Honolulu, Hawaii, his style is contemporary and refreshing while paying homage to the masters that captivated him in Italy all those years ago.

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“The Cello Player” 2019, Oil on Canvas, 122 x 152 cm

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“The Hungry Musician” 2017, Oil on Canvas, 122 x 152 cm

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“Musical Lust” 2017, Oil on Canvas, 122 x 152 cm

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Artist Feature

ANGELA KELLER angelakeller.com

Growing up in Switzerland, artist Angela Keller followed an eclectic career as a palaeontologist, Jungian analytical psychotherapist, and painter. Her work often incorporates elements of dreams, fantasy and charm, fluctuating between surrealism and symbolism. She took lessons in drawing and painting at the School of Arts and Crafts and attended classes under the Swiss painter, Toni Grieb. Since 1999, she has extensively showcased her work in both national and international exhibitions and is currently based in Calabria, Southern Italy. Her pieces often depict wild animals, defying the very laws of nature with elements of the picturesque coast and villages of Portugal and Southern Italy.

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A New Planet, 2018, Oil Colour on Linen, 90x90cm

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The Wild Boar 2014, Oil Colour on Jute, 100x100cm

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Alentejo, Evening at the Beach, 2017,Oil Colour on Linen, 90x90cm

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Rocking Horse in Transit, 2018, Oil colour on Linen, 90x90cm

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Heading to the Fiesta, 2019, Oil Colour on Linen, 60x83cm

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Artist Feature

CLARE ASCH clareaschstudio.com

All around us, there are forces in nature that are shaping the landscape. The earth is in a constant state of flux, moving tectonic plates, water and wind erosion along with changes in the weather and gravity alter the world we live in. Artist Clare Asch is fascinated with these forces, incorporating them in her art. Her work is an exploration of this dialogue between the interaction of chance, gesture and structure. Besides studying art for three years at the Cooper Union Art & Architecture Clare also has a MFA from Lesley University in Boston, MA, and is currently represented by Galatea Fine Art in Boston, MA.

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Round Dance 10, watercolor and acrylic on paper, 24 x 24 inches, 2017

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Convergence 15, watercolor on paper, 20 x 20 inches, 2019

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Convergence 9, watercolor on paper, 24 x 24 inches, 2018

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Interview

ANTWAN THOMPSON antwanjthompson.com

When it comes to media, the female form is often the focus of attention. Although not intentional, photographer Antwan Thompson has been capturing the beauty of the male form in his work. Both Antwan and most of the models that he uses are hearing impaired.

This has in no way interfered with his work, a topic he explores in details in our interview with him. He also discusses the importance of shadows and the relevance of social media in the modern age.

What is it like being a photographer who is hard-of-hearing?

My disability doesn’t interfere with my ability to take pictures. Lucky I don’t have any problem when it comes to communicating with others. I can talk also I am using my hearing aids to hear, and I can understand them, and they can understand me. Most of the time they don’t even know that I am hearing impaired until I tell them.

Right now so far, my communication with people is either by email or Instagram which does benefit me.

How important is the role of shadows in your work?

Growing up; I was a fan of Mapplethorpe, and I was amazed by the power of the black and white photograph.

To be able to expose the rawness and the intensity to tell a story. The way I can easily manipulate the light and the shadows to hide or allows to show within is the foundation of the work that I’ve done. I have taken numerous practices including a workshop to hone my skills over the years, and I’m still learning.

It is hard to be taken seriously when people know that I’m hearing impaired but lucky I don’t have the problem because of my portfolio and the experience I’ve endured since day one.

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The vast majority of your work is centred around the male form. Has that always been the case?

No, it wasn’t my true intention to start with the male form. It was planted by my art history teacher Dr.Glass.

Since I was a child, I was taking pictures of everything I saw. When I went to Gallaudet University, being a photographer or have photography as my major wasn’t the goal because I realised it is not a stable career in today’s economy. I was looking for a career that would provide the most job security such as teacher, nurse or police officer.

Until I took art history with Dr.Glass, she was a fan of Leibovitz and wanted us to create a parody inspired by Leibovitz.

Determined to pass the class, I researched Leibovitz’s work to get a better understanding of who she was and her signature style. I found she does light in the studio and the way she manipulated the narrative of the photo itself with the model

creating the story along with it. I asked my classmate Gabriel P to pose and lucky he agreed. We built trust, and he was willing to pose nude. That way I was able to gain confidence to perform to the point where I passed the class. From there, the flame was lit as I realised I was meant to be a photographer. I asked Gabriel if he is interested in doing it again for my personal work, he agreed, and the rest is the history.

What are your thoughts on the pressure to keep up a particular appearance in the male community, especially in the current age of social media?

I personally believe every college even art school should include marketing or/and social media class for all artists, writers whatnot. Because in today’s world; social media is the foundation for all people who want to build a clientele or to be relevant.

Social media is the modern resume for people who want to be hired.

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Every artist (photographers, graphic designers and painters) and others use it as a platform in the term of marketing their works. When social media arrived, I wasn’t exposed to it; I couldn’t understand the foundation behind it during my college year and the hashtags. I didn’t realise the power or how to grasp the power to make it work when it comes to promoting your work and find jobs. I wish my teachers at Gallaudet University would have classes related to social media and how to market.

What message are you trying to convey through your work?

As you can see, which I’m sure you have noticed, the men I have worked with are deaf. My message that deafness can come in different sizes, in a different shade of colour but one thing remains is the confidence to bare their soul to you. My message is I’m more than a person with a disability. I’m a person with ideas and creativity. I have a name, and it is not hearing impaired.

It is challenging to keep up because I don’t post every day. I am the type of person who waits to be inspired and enjoy life and take pictures of it without the pressure of keeping people happy and entertain on a daily basis. As right now, I have Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. It is growing slowly every day.

What I want to do with my works… how I convey with the attitude and the tone of my works. You can see the intensely with the shadows when it comes to black and white photography. I am now working with colour and building my twist of intensely.

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Are there any contemporary artists that have inspired your creativity lately?

I tried not to follow other artists or be intimidated by them. When it comes to being inspired by other artists, it comes with intimidation or jealousy as you see they are doing better than yourself. Those thoughts are hard to ignore.

best life. I shouldn’t be in competition with anyone else. I need to focus on me and me only.

I learned I have my own journey to take and the road is long and winding. After I graduated from Gallaudet in 2013. I have been blessed with the success and the obstacles I have overcome, I interned at Washington Blade and was an assistant to well-known photographer Yassine El Mansouri. I have learned a lot about myself as a person and as a photographer. I learned to appreciate Annie Leibovitz, Mapplethorpe and others whose works inspired me to be a better photographer. I practised how to be Leibovitz but I couldn’t.

I realised my life is about breaking my own limits and outgrowing myself to live my

What does 2019 have in store for Antwan?

Right now, 2019 will be the start of the journey for Antwan. I am in collaboration with someone who is willing to work with me as we are pushing to finalise our project. I am in a place where I am in peace, my mind is stable, and I am always hungry for more, to strive for greatness. I started a magazine called “Savage Magazine” which focuses on male forms that is captivated by different shades of colour, size and shape.

People have submitted their works to me, and together we created a haven where there’s no discrimination. I also released my poetry book; “Dear Tyler”. It’s now on Amazon. END

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Artist Feature

KIM YOUDAN kimyoudan.com

Cuba Life’ Havana is, in the real sense of the word, sensational. With music in every street and colour on every wall my senses were tingling, and I was on high alert not wanting to miss a thing. Loud car horns, diesel engines, chattering Spanish and live music day and night, the city never stopped entertaining. Havana was a superb introduction to the Cuba I had expected. That expectation was soon blown out the water; I was enthralled, immersed and couldn’t get enough. Surrounded by disintegrating buildings and 50’s cars, a nostalgic feeling came over me - I hadn’t been here before, but it felt familiar. A bustling photographers paradise, I felt utterly in flow and energised by my environment.

‘Cuba Life’ is a documentary series inspired by my experience while visiting three areas of this island nation. A trio of places that contributed in different ways to this collection of hand-painted photography. The short two weeks I spent in Cuba last May were a highlight of the year. The experience has affected not only my art itself but has also altered the approach to my process. Creating an extensive series of work such as this was a new concept.

With themes ranging from urban to rural and people to places. I wanted to encapsulate the essence of this culture and country.

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Preliminary Photography for the ‘Cuba Life’ Series

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Cuba Life 15, Hand Painted Photography, 2018, 8x10inch

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I soon realised that it was my enjoyment of the experience that I wanted to portray throughout the series. Bright colours showcase the vibrancy and the choice of imagery highlights elements of my experience which have stuck in my mind - the people, the car culture and the architecture.

Moving from city to country was a welcome change in pace. In the rural area of ViĂąales, I was captivated by the expansive landscape, the horse and cart farming and the jovial people who made our days memorable. Talking to locals and learning about modern Cuban society was a regular activity: trained teachers waiting tables because the money was five times that of school wages; the export of doctors and cigars; and tour guides giving us valuable insight to their lives. Conversing in pigeon Spanish about the nuances of Cuban life while tasting local cuisines such as ropa vieja, are favourite memories of mine.

I became a keen traveller many years ago, and this coincided with my interest in photography. I wanted to document the places I experienced, and my creative instincts were met through image making. A time came when the art of photography wasn’t quite enough to satisfy my creative need.

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I began to experiment with alternative image making techniques. Hand painting the high contrast photography allowed me to push more experience into the image. The colours within the image were never bright enough; the image was not holding enough experience. The artwork I am developing is using a moment in time and pushing that moment out of the norm and into a representation of my experience. To add my expression, I hold onto the monochrome detail and expand on the colour element in the work. By initially removing colour from the image and adding another dimension through acrylic ink and an abstract approach, I combine reality with my reality.

I tend to take my camera out when in a jovial mood...even if I start out uninspired things soon turn around and I am grateful to be creating. With this being the case, the memories I have when shooting imagery contribute to the finished work. In this ‘Cuba Life’ series the colour palette is vivid, bold and bright, it is a direct reflection of the experience I had while capturing the image, not only an immediate response to the photograph itself. Trinidad came after ViĂąales, and I had undoubtedly relaxed more into island life as time progressed. Sitting back and taking stock of what Cuban life is all about came into play. The culture, the history and the current political situation all came to the surface.

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Cube Life 11, Hand Painted Photography, 2018, 8x10inch

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I witnessed Thursday morning milk rationing taking place; the people of Trinidad queuing around the block with their empty jugs. My mind drifted to war and suffering, to communism and the confines of island living. “Cuba Life� reflects the vibrancy of Cuban culture. This may, by some, be considered the surface level representation of this country, the smiles and colours seen in travel advertising, but this was the Cuba that I experienced. A multi-ethnic nation of African, Caribbean and European people have created a melting pot of cultures resulting in an inclusive culture. Granted my experience is through a short-term, tourist’s lens but I take note, talk to locals and learn from daily experiences. I squeezed every last drop from my time in Cuba.

The small nuances and physical attributes of my experience have all contributed to this series of work. From the natural setting in lush green coffee and cigar farms to the peeling paintwork in Havana. The documentary style tells stories while the colour tells of experience. The communist truths if observed are written over faces throughout the country, but it is the colour, the music and the good, that rises above the politics and makes Cuba a vibrant nation. A special place that holds a special vivacity in my memory, and now in my artwork.

Words and photos by Kim Youdan.

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Cube Life 14, Hand Painted Photography, 2018, 8x10inch

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Artist Feature

SARAH ALLEN EAGEN saraheagen.com

Originally from Toronto, artist Sarah Eagen, who is based in New York City, received her MFA from Parsons the New School of Design in 2013. She specialises in using art as a means of social engagement around issues of diversity, violence prevention and violence against women. Her work also examines contemporary notions of beauty, obsession, identity and intimacy. Inspired by technology, fashion, and the intersection of art and science, her work explores interpersonal relationships in the twenty-first century where intimacy is often replaced with immediacy. She has co-authored three book chapters on gender and violence and has published nine academic papers on violence-prevention, contemporary art, and social practice.

She has attended multiple United Nations Summits and led design teams to address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals at “Edit: Expo for Design, Innovation and Technology” in 2017.

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Interview

POLINA BARSKA works.io/polina-barska-1

The use of words in art is not a new concept, for millennia humans have used language in one form or another to record, express and pass on knowledge. This often took the form of works of art; one might use the hieroglyphics of Ancient Egypt as an example. But Artist Polina Barska takes this further. Using the actual words to take centre stage in her pieces. Pure visceral emotion serves as a starting point, followed by words in her head.

This process can sometimes take days. We had a conversation with Polina where she talks about growing up in Ukraine, her new home in Paris and her plans for the upcoming year.

Could you tell us a bit about your current project using text to draw an image?

Ah, this project appeared accidentally. I wouldn’t call it a project though, just one more path that I found. I had a fight with my twin brother; we are very close so the next morning I was very emotionally drained and had a huge headache so I went to draw for a bit, cause it usually helps. And to be honest I never create when I am happy cause when I am happy I am busy with being happy. When I am sad, that’s when I draw, and it is very therapy like I guess.

Anyway, I just sat down with the ball pen, and I got the feeling, then the image and then the words and then I honestly don’t know how it happened, it just did.

something right. And it is great for me cause I love words and I feel like writing a title is not enough cause most of the times people ignore it and don’t count it as a part of the work. This way you can’t just overlook it, you have to take it into account.

Was the monochromatic palette a deliberate choice?

I have works which are very colourful as well. There are works where I feel that colour is important and it will “add” to the work, and there are works where colour will only distract from the feel of the work.

It kind of goes naturally, I never make this decision, I feel when it is needed and when it is not.

I got massive positive feedback from people, so I realised that I probably did 122

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Could you talk us through the creative process for one of your pieces?

The process, well if we talk about my recent works, it usually goes like this: I get a feeling or an emotion inside of me, then I use music to intensify it and start looking for an image. It can take 5 minutes or sometimes I can spend the whole day to find an image that will “click”. While doing outlines with the pencil, the words and the title are appearing in my head. Then I have the easy part to finish it.

cliché, but if I could give one advice to my younger self it would be something like “listen, learn and observe but never question your gut feeling because it never fooled you and it never will”.

We believe you are currently based in Paris? What is that like?

Ah, Paris is excellent of course. And it is very beautiful, and I am in love with the French. Everyone is just so beautiful.

Though I do think that if you have a place or a city you love, don’t live in it. Keep it as How did growing up in Ukraine affect you your “escape” place. When you start live in it, you stop feeling it and stop noticing as an artist?

I was in Ukraine until 16 and then in the UK all the beauty. It is just becoming “normal”.

I guess it happened with Paris a bit. On a from 16 to 22. So I feel like my basis was positive side now I have these magical formed in Ukraine, but then they were sensations with London and I definitely refined in the UK. And even now I do feel appreciate it so much more than when I very much being in between two different was living in it. That is why I not going to mentalities. When I just moved to the UK move into Amsterdam or Barcelona, or and started doing Art, I had so many arguments with my teachers. I think that the Copenhagen. problem was that historically Ukraine values Do you think it’s more difficult for the beauty in art, for example, if it is a painting then the technique should be exquisite or it modern artist to gain exposure in today’s ever competitive world? can be purely decorative art, and the beauty in it covers the lack of meaning in it. I don’t know if it is more difficult then it was before, but it is quite tricky. Of course, it is fantastic that we have social networks so In the UK the “idea” is much more valued, you can show your works to people so when I moved I was all the time asked without anyone’s help. But I think the “but what is the idea? What is the problems is because it’s that easy the concept?” or pushes to experiment with platforms are becoming oversaturated and new techniques that for me were just you can just get lost in the crowd. visually ugly so I was feeling repulsed. All Especially because to boost your social that made me very upset, and I naturally networks producing “good” works is not moved away from art into photography, enough. Also, I feel like before if you got an when I had other issues because of exposure, you were getting it in front of the differences in mentality. I still feel about right people who could actually influence sick when I hear the words feminism, your career, when right now you are gender and voyeuristic, purely because I exposed to people who would just spent so much time to understand it and comment “great work” underneath your understand my position about it. I feel like picture. And don’t take me wrong, right now I am very comfortable and clear comments like these mean a lot for an about my views and opinions. I definitely took a lot from both sides, aesthetically and artist, and it’s the only way to feel that people are actually connecting to your philosophically and I am delighted I had a work. But in terms of career, it is quite chance to get these experiences and learn tough. through them. And it’s going to sound very 124

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What are your go-to places for inspiration?

My go to places, we’ll definitely not museums. I get the same sensation I get in libraries, a big headache. All my friends are laughing that I am not a real artist cause I am usually against going to the museum. I just think you can get inspiration from everything around you and it doesn’t need to be individually connected with art. But generally, I think travelling works super well for me. And I’m very grateful to my family that I have the possibility to travel a lot. I get these periods; I call them “dry seasons” when I don’t get images in my head, and I can’t draw.

They are painful cause I still get lost of emotions that I need to get out of me so they are just stuck, and they hurt me. And it feels like you will never be able to draw again and it is just so scary cause then what is the point of me. Travelling helps a lot with that. It, and I forget that I “have to”

draw. And that’s when you start drawing like crazy. It is more difficult to get through these periods when you just at home with your normal routine.

What has Polina got planned for the new year ahead?

I don’t have plans. I was anxious before when I was younger that I could never see and plan the future, and now I am very chilled about it. I do have some wishes and desires of course, but I think that it’s better not to plan if you don’t want to get disappointed. Also, I think when you expect too much it’s tough to stay in the moment.

And if you cannot enjoy the moment then what is the point. END

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Artist Feature

ANNAMARIE DZENDROWSKYJ annamariedzendrowskyj.com

To say that artist Annamarie Dzendrowskyj has had a varied perspective in life is probably an understatement.

Born in Wimbledon, London, she initially trained as a classical dancer, followed by a degree in Philosophy, specialising in existentialism and aesthetics. After which she discovered scuba diving, thus began a fifteen-year career as a scuba diving instructor and examiner. Her time spent in the oceans around the world trained her to view beauty in the most challenging of visual environments, where even subtle changes in movement, light and weather can lead to a change in conditions. Her work seeks to explore the ambiguous, the area between presence and absence in atmospheric works which evoke a kind of netherworld that conflates time, place, vision, and memory. Annamarie also holds a degree in Fine Art from the National Art School in Sydney.

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Twilight -Bruges VI. Oil on Linen. 80 x 60 cm

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Twilight - Thames Ditton III. Oil on Australian Polyester Canvas. 28 x 38 cm

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Transient XIV. Oil & inkjet print on synthetic vellum. 27 x 20cm

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Artist Feature

ZEPHYRA VUN anarchi-design.com

As the Executive Director of Design Quarter Winnipeg, artist Zephyra Vun is an ambassador for accessible art; she believes that art, transformational as it might be does not need to be merely elitist. Her work strives to advocate inclusive public engagement. Driven by a robust architectural theme, she participates in art projects, live performances and curates public art events and exhibitions. The emphasis on art created using first-hand human involvement either through drawing, and physical creation is another cornerstone of her work. Through her relationship with the Design Quarter Winnipeg and her art studio anARCHI design, Zephyra aims to preserve the gradually disappearing emphasis on artistic creativity and handicrafts in today’s digital age.

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