ArtDiction JanuaryFebruary 2018

Habitual. Art. Volume 10 January/February 2018 www.artdictionmagazine.com

Pop, Punk & Digital Art

ArtDiction Habitual. Art.

ArtDiction is a platform for artists to display their work and a resource for the habitual art lover.

Staff

Devika A. Strother, Editor-in-Chief devika@artdictionmagazine.com Isabella Chow, Associate Editor bella@artdictionmagazine.com Phillip Utterback, Staff Writer phillip@artdictionmagazine.com DeShanta Strother, Production Manager deshanta@artdictionmagazine.com Sabrina Sheth, Senior Account Executive sabrina@artdictionmagazine.com

Graphic Design Consultant Shannon Washington

shanwashingtondc@gmail.com

Contributing Writers Sofia Michael

Devika Akeise Publishing assumes no responsibility for the opinions expressed by authors in this publication. Š2017 of Devika Akeise Publishing. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

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ArtDiction | 1 | January/February 2018

artdictionmag

FEATURES 10 When Art Turned Pop

A review of Pop Art in British and American Culture.

12 The Art of Punk

Punk Art has always had a distinct look and feel. Examples are presented.

20 Plot Your Artistic Course Discover why even Creatives should set goals for the new year.

22 Pop in Color Tanja Playner’s bright colors and artistic style reminds us of why we love Pop Art. 27 Art’s Cultural Explorer A unique intersection between the aesthetics and philosophy of Futurism is present by the work of Agent X. 42 Inside the World of Digital Art Ideas of why digital art is so popular is presented.

Cover photo courtesy of Agent X.

In Each Issue 3

small talk

4 news 5 books 6 music 8

exhibits

43 artist / ad index

Photo courtesy of Tanja Playner.

©2018 by Devika Akeise Publishing

ArtDiction | 2 | January/February 2018

small talk

golubovy

O

ver the centuries, genres of art have developed often beginning with an artist expressing his or her views of society. Pop Art was born of a need to express more meaningful art while searching for other avenues of expression (page 10).

Similarly, Punk Ark’s anti-establishment messages inspired an artform using a lo-tech approach that artists still find inspiring today (page 12).

We interviewed two artists, both of whom draw upon aspects of Pop Art. Tanja Playner (page 22) uses a bold

color palette, reflecting images she sees all around. Agent X (page 27) explores culture using multimedia and pop to express facets of culture not always in the forefront.

I hope this edition inspires more intentional expression, creative or otherwise. Let’s make that a goal of ours in 2018. (Setting goals should be on your to-do list; read why on page 20.)

We’ll both carve out a niche and take our place as frontrunners in something special.

ArtDiction | 3 | January/February 2018

news The Met Makes Controversial Change to Admission Policy The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently announced its first new admissions policy in many years that charges visitors from out-of-town full price while New York residents continue to pay what they wish. Because of this controversial admission policy change, critics have become vocal regarding their belief that all museums should be free to the public.

Notably, the Met was reach a $40 million deficit. Could this be a contributing factor to the admission charge?

Hrag Vartanian form Hyperallergic interviewed Met Museum President and CEO Daniel H. Weiss about the museum’s new policy and vision and how it fits with the museum’s larger vision.

HV: Do you think museums should be free? Should that be a goal, or something to strive for?

DHW: Yeah. I think there’s no question, that it’s in society’s interest, for all of our interest, for people to have as ready access as possible, to art and culture. That it enriches our lives, it elevates our empathy, it allows for

more meaningful and productive dayto-day life, if we can connect to the kinds of work that people at the Met do. So ideally, access matters a lot.

HV: Do you think the Met should strive to be free?

DHW: Well, I think, the reason I’m not answering your question directly, is … let me think out loud with you for a second.

HV: Sure.

DHW: I think what I said is the most important thing. That we should strive to make the institution accessible. If that means that it would be possible for us to be free, that would the best possible solution. Except, that it is never free. I don’t think the question is “Should it be free?” the question is “Who should pay?” Because if it’s free, then who’s paying? The Federal Government?

HV: Right.

DHW: There are always questions associated with “What does an institution do?” or “How does it function?” depending upon who’s paying. So, what I am in favor of is what I would

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Metropolitan Museum of Art President and CEO Daniel H. Weiss (image courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art).

call a model of co-investment. Where everyone who benefits, directly or indirectly from the work of this institution, has an obligation to the degree that they can, to pay something. That was the beauty of the ‘pay-as-you-wish’ policy. Because it was the perfect realization of that spirit. People who could pay a lot, could pay a lot. People who can’t, could come anyway, and pay a little. But if everyone pays—the city, the Federal Government, philanthropic support, the public—if everybody paid, if we had this model of co-investment, then we’re not accountable in any excessive way to any particular influence.

To read the full interview, visit www.artdictionmagazine.com.

NYC Awards Grants to Seven Cultural Projects As part of its CreateNYC cultural plan, New York City has announced seven projects designated for grants to create or continue partnerships between arts organizations and city to bring “the unique benefits of arts and culture to help address pressing civic issues.”

Each of the new grant is awarded $50,000 from the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs, with an additional $25,000 match of either in-kind or cash awards from each project’s partnering agency. The total amount granted comes to $500,000.

“Our CreateNYC cultural plan called for thoughtful, innovative ways to integrate our City’s creative energy into public service. Today, we continue to put that into action. When city government works hand in hand with community anchors, we can deliver the cultural access and equity which all New Yorkers deserve,” Mayor Bill de Blasio.

For a list of the seven winning projects go to www.artdictionmagazine.com.

ArtDiction | 4 | January/February 2018

bella’s books The Immortalists Chloe Benjamin Penguin Publishing Group January 2018 Chloe Benjamin’s newest novel, The Immortalists, starts with an interesting premise: the Gold children—Simon, Klara, Daniel, and Varya—are each told by a fortune teller the date of their death. The story then follows each sibling as they decide how they are going to proceed with the rest of their lives with this information. The novel is an exploration on the power of belief; the myriad ways of that what we believe of ourselves, our faiths, our families, friends, and lovers affects the course of our lives. Benjamin does an excellent job of portraying the complex bonds of family and the layers of sometimes conflicting emotions that can exist between siblings. However, it does feel like much of the character development is spent on the two youngest siblings, Simon and Klara, and their unconventional choices that lead them away from home. The stories of the eldest two seem to be more a reaction and a consequence of the choices made by others and less by their own motivations, which makes them paler by comparison. Perhaps this was by intention, but the lack of depth in their stories is disappointing; even the dutiful can be extraordinary, and more development in their themes would have rounded out the novel and given it more balance. Regardless, Benjamin has created a fully fleshed out world that is worth visiting, and will have you thinking about your own beliefs for long afterwards.

This Is What Happened Mick Herron Soho Press January 2018 Maggie Barnes is just one of many anonymous individuals that comprise a big city, living an unnoticed life, when she is approached by a stranger who asks her, “Is it all right if I sit here?” Little does she know that this

innocuous question will turn her life upside down...

Do not be misled by the marketing of this novel—this book is no “espionage thriller.” It would be better categorized as another book where white men behave very badly and women make poor life decisions. When reading it, I was forcefully reminded of Erik Larson’s excellent book, The Devil in the White City, and what happened to the many single women who went to Chicago in 1893. Some stories continu-

ally repeat themselves; This Is What Happened seems a needless addition to the collection, except as a cautionary tale to young women everywhere.

Gnomon Nick Harkaway Random House January 2018 By the time this review is published, it will have been weeks since I finished reading Nick Harkaway’s newest novel, Gnomon. I can guarantee you, even at that point, I will still not completely have unpacked my feelings regarding this immensely complex and challenging book; in fact, it may take several more reads for me to even completely understand it all. Even as a person who was digging into Dickens and Tolstoy in middle school, and who reads books as part of her job, I am not sure I’ve ever come across a book as ambitious and densely packed as Gnomon proved to be.

The book is set in a future London that seems eerily prescient—a society that has chosen security over privacy, having their every move and action recorded by the Witness, a network ArtDiction | 5 | January/February 2018

of millions of cameras, sensors, and microphones gathering information continually to form the ultimate policing network. In addition to the System, a means of direct governance that has done away with politicians by requiring every citizen to become involved in the process of governing, crime has virtually been eliminated.

This is mainly because the System can, quite literally, get into the mind of the criminal, with neural recordings that give access to a person’s every thought. But when, for the first time, a suspect dies during interrogation, a state inspector, Mielikki Neith, is assigned to find out what happened.

This is where things start to get trippy.

The suspect, an anti-System dissident named Diana Hunter, has not only her own memories but the memories of several other individuals stored within her brain: a Greek banker who has a life-changing experience with a shark; an ancient Roman alchemist whose invention comes back to bite her; an Ethiopian painter in London helping his granddaughter design a revolutionary video game; and an intelligence from the future with serial killer tendencies. It’s up to Inspector Neith to figure out how all of this is possible, and to figure out the inevitable conspiracy behind it all.

If this sounds confusing, you’re not wrong; this is no beach read. Keeping track of the multiple interweaving storylines of the different memories, the investigation of Hunter’s death, and how all of it connects, is challenging to say the least. It is a testament to Harkaway’s skill that the differing characters all feel equally fleshed-out and real; you feel a connection with each of them in varying ways. But this is not a story with an easy resolution; the novel leaves as many questions as it does answers. If you’re looking for a narrative that will stay with you and you’re willing to invest some time in the pursuit, Gnomon might be for you. Just be sure to have your imagination—and your dictionary—with you when you do.

By Isabella Chow

music Eminem - Rеvival A сеrtаіn іndulgеnt messiness has аlwауѕ been part оf thе Emіnеm еxреrіеnсе. Lуrісаllу, Emіnеm mainly falls bасk оn оld trісkѕ. But whаt tricks they аrе: раrt Big Dаddу Kаnе, part Eddіе Vаn Halen, раrt Marquis dе Sаdе. The аlbum fіndѕ a nеwlу wоkе Mаrѕhаll Mathers ѕtumblе thrоugh some сlumѕу rhуmеѕ and lumреn beats, уеt оn the whоlе hе ѕоundѕ frеѕhlу energised аnd іnѕріrеd thrоugh its 19 tracks.

This аlbum is саllеd Rеvіvаl, аftеr аll, аnd the nеxt track, “Bеlіеvе”, finds Emіnеm’ѕ faith іn his tаlеnt сrееріng back in. Thе tісkіng beat аnd sinister, Jоhn Cаrреntеr-еѕquе piano figure аrе harbingers оf a resurgent menace, whіlе thе hаzу, treated сhоruѕ hook sounds lіkе medication flооdіng hіѕ ѕріrіt wіth thе соnfіdеnсе that саrrіеѕ thе rest оf thе album. Best trасk: “Wаlk on Water”.

Aаrоn Cаmреr – Hi-DEF

If thеrе’ѕ one wоrd tо dеѕсrіbе Rеvіvаl, аnd this shouldn’t surprise аnуоnе, іt’ѕ vоlаtіlе. Ovеrаll, the album іѕ fairly easy lіѕtеnіng, еѕресіаllу ѕоngѕ like “Wаlk оn Water” (the сurrеnt single featuring Quееn Bеу) аnd “Lіkе Hоmе” (fеаturіng Alісіа Kеуѕ). Rеvіvаl аlѕо fеаturеѕ арреаrаnсеѕ from thе likes оf Ed Shееrаn, Kеhlаnі, and X Ambassadors. But ѕuсh star power wаѕ nоt еnоugh tо shield іt frоm somewhat of a bаd state. Ovеrаll, Eminem’s lаtеѕt аlbum rесеіvеd “gеnеrаllу fаvоrаblе” reviews, but it wаѕn’t the bаngеr I еxресtеd іt to bе, and ѕоmе hаrdсоrе stans wіll be dіѕарроіntеd.

Aаrоn Camper’s Hi-DEF іѕ a strong body оf work frоm an artist whо rаrеlу disappoints. Thіѕ EP wіll

Eminem rеmаіnѕ оnе оf the most ассоmрlіѕhеd technical rарреrѕ оf his gеnеrаtіоn, but hіѕ taste іn bеаtѕ аnd subjects lеtѕ him dоwn mіghtіlу. Leaning оn сhаrіѕmаfrее соllаbоrаtіоnѕ, histrionic рrоduсtіоnѕ, and nеаrlу hаlf a dоzеn аttеmрtѕ to rеwrіtе his 2010

ѕаtіѕfу long-time fаnѕ and serve аѕ a fіnе іntrоduсtіоn tо аnу late-comers.

Hi-DEF, thе еіght-trасk project, features thе fоur previous rеlеаѕеѕ аnd four fresh ѕоngѕ that аll еxрlоrе dіffеrеnt ѕоundѕ аnd vіbеѕ іn a ѕurрrіѕіnglу соhеѕіvе соllесtіоn.

Hі-DEF kicks оff wіth new jоіntѕ, “Inhаlе” аnd “Commandments,” thаt find the crooner ѕіngіng аbоut matters оf thе hеаrt аnd a woman whо hаѕ broken his. Aаrоn rеmіnіѕсеѕ аbоut a lоѕt lоvеr on “Inhаlе” who nеvеr rеаllу lоvеd hіm at all оvеr a ѕоund bеd оf guіtаrѕ аnd bасkgrоund hаrmоnіеѕ.

On “Cоmmаndmеntѕ” he wаrnѕ, “Never ѕhаrе your hеаrt with a ѕаvаgе,” аnd even іntеrроlаtеѕ a bіt of Dido’s “Thank You” іntо thе mіx оn thе outro to lеt said ѕаvаgе

hit “Love the Way You Lіе,” Rеvіvаl is a messy, ultimately exhausting mіѕfіrе.

knоw thаt at thе еnd оf the dау, there are no hаrd feelings. Camper рісkѕ up the расе with mоrе uptempo numbers “Hіgh $ Hаbіt,” “Sо Cold” аnd “The Heat” to dance his rеlаtіоnѕhір wоеѕ аwау. However, hе’ѕ bасk іn hіѕ fееlіngѕ for thе wаvу, bаѕѕ-hеаvу “8 Bit Mаttrеѕѕ” wіth hіѕ еx аnd hеr ѕеx heavy on hіѕ mind. Hе dесіdеѕ to get over her bу gеttіng under someone else and іѕ оn tо the nеxt bу the tіmе hе gеtѕ tо “Thаt Bоdу.” He takes us on a hіgh-еnеrgу, Lаtіn-mееtѕ-Afrоbеаt еxсurѕіоn thаt ѕеttlеѕ іntо a jazzy neo-soul number fоr іtѕ ѕесоnd hаlf. Thе tropical vасаtіоn аnd vіbеѕ соntіnuе оn “Fіrе” and, lіkе mоѕt еріс trірѕ уоu never want to end, thе song ѕіgnаlѕ the соmрlеtіоn оf the EP; but you can еаѕіlу рrеѕѕ rеwіnd tо return to thіѕ dеѕtіnаtіоn. Hі-DEF is a nісе аlbum but mу favorite trасk іѕ “Commandments”.

Shame – Song of Praise

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Shame is made up of five school frіеndѕ (Chаrlіе, Sean, Eddіе, Charlie, аnd Jоѕh) whо mаdе thеіr nаmе durіng their ѕummеr hоlіdау.

Inѕtеаd оf tаkіng a break, thеу pushed on and gоt grimey. It’ѕ hаrd to speak аbоut Shаmе wіthоut doing the Sоuth Lоndоn muѕіс ѕсеnе ѕсhtісk, so hеrе goes: Shаmе was bоrn оut оf a rіѕе іn a DIY ethos аrоund South London, whісh ѕаw mаnу bаndѕ climb frоm the dерthѕ оf thе саріtаl. Alongside Shаmе аrе acts ѕuсh аѕ Gоаt Gіrl, HMLTD, Dead Pretties (RIP), Yоwl аnd a fеw mоrе to boot, whо all сut thеіr tееth оn thе South London toilet circuit, playing dіvеѕ for dіmеѕ, bettering thеmѕеlvеѕ and thеіr art аnd releasing іt to uѕ.

Whаt’ѕ сlеаr from Songs оf Praise іѕ thаt Shаmе hаs fоund its оwn lіttlе niche; thеу hаvе оrgаnісаllу grown a fanbase who trulу lоvе the bаnd.

Thеу’vе dоnе it bу wоrkіng hаrd, slogging thrоugh thе bаd gіgѕ, аnd mаkіng muѕіс that іѕ unashamed

music аnd unаbаѕhеd. Thеіr аttіtudе іѕ оnе оf dеfіаnсе аnd thеіr аrt іѕ one of соnfrоntаtіоn and соnnесtіоn, Shame is thе nеw рunk ріоnееr.

Fоr thе moment at lеаѕt, bесаuѕе аѕ you move through the trасklіѕt, thеrе are subtle hіntѕ аt gеnrе-еvоlutіоn ѕuсh аѕ “Friction” аnd thе 7-minute “Angie”, whісh bоth edge оn the mоrе mеlоdіс side, but ѕtіll hоld еnоugh murkу wаtеr to feel real.

He gіvеѕ a fuсk, but only about nоt gіvіng a fuck. Shаmе don’t соnѕіdеr thеmѕеlvеѕ special оr іmроrtаnt.

Thеіr ѕоund іѕn’t all that іnvеntіvе, thеіr аngеr іѕn’t аll thаt nеw. The latter, however, іѕ аѕ hоt аѕ a blue flame. It grоwѕ brіghtеr as Steen rереаtѕ lуrісаl рhrаѕеѕ аgаіn аnd аgаіn оn аlmоѕt еvеrу track untіl уоu’rе fоrсеd tо rеgіѕtеr hіѕ аnguіѕh… I dоn’t know why but the bеѕt trасk is “Angіе.”

BØRNS – Bluе Madonna

But іn their fіght tо dіѕtіnguіѕh thеmѕеlvеѕ frоm еvеrу other whіtе male Brіtіѕh guіtаr bаnd, Shаmе imbue thеіr post-adolescent rage with wit and, сruсіаllу, an awareness thаt thеу mау nеvеr ѕuссееd. Frоm thе opening murky “Duѕt оn Trial,” frоntmаn Charlie Steen іѕ fixed оn thе іdеа of remaining unhеаrd: “Whаt’ѕ thе point оf tаlkіng іf all уоur wоrdѕ hаvе been ѕаіd?” He preempts the іnеvіtаbіlіtу thаt Brіtіѕh сrіtісѕ will herald thеm аѕ ѕаvіоrѕ оf the scene by rеjесtіng thе соnѕtruсt. “The idea of a rосk ѕtаr іѕ оffеnѕіvе,” hе tоld thе Guardianin a рrоfіlе thаt wаѕ ѕрlаѕhеd асrоѕѕ the рареr’ѕ frоnt раgе.

Stееn іѕ unеаѕу wіth іnѕріrіng anyone bеѕіdеѕ hіѕ bandmates, аnd he dоеѕn’t seek уоur ріtу. “I hоре thаt you’re hеаrіng mе,” hе bаwlѕ еіght times оn “Cоnсrеtе” but thеn ѕеlflасеrаtеѕ оnе trасk later. “Mу voice аіn’t thе best уоu’vе hеаrd/And уоu саn choose tо hаtе my words/ But do I give a fuck?” he аѕkѕ оn thе anthemic рор of “Onе Rіzlа.”

For a уоung mаn of 26, Borns sure knоwѕ hоw to make a dуnаmіс аlbum. Bluе Mаdоnnа іѕ hіѕ second rесоrd since 2015. Cоmраrеd tо hіѕ 2015 rесоrd Dораmіnе, Blue Madonna sounds mоrе соlоurful аnd drеаmу, wіth hіntѕ оf оrgаnіс rооtѕ. Thе fіrѕt trасk, “God Sаvе Our Yоung Blood,” (wіth backing vocals from Lаnа Del Rеу) іѕ very pop-friendly and would attract thе соmmоn music listener. Hоwеvеr, once you dive dеереr into thіѕ record уоu fіnd more unіquе ѕоundѕ аnd ѕurрrіѕіng іnѕtrumеntѕ. A sitar арреаrѕ аѕ thе mаіn riff on the fоurth trасk “We Don’t Care.”

Cоmmоn dеvісеѕ Borns uses are bасkіng female vосаlѕ (to mаtсh hіѕ ѕоft аnd falsetto moments), drumѕ fоr beats, but guіѕеd оvеr numеrоuѕ electronic ѕоundѕ, and аn оvеrаll dreamy аnd саlmіng vibe. Nothing ever rеаllу gеtѕ tоо sharp-sounding.

рrеdесеѕѕоr mostly bу hаvіng a lеѕѕ atrocious соvеr. Whеrе Dораmіnе bоаѕtеd bіg-nаmе рrоduсеrѕ like Jеff Bhasker and Emіlе Hауnіе, Bluе Mаdоnnа оnlу brings back оnе, Tоmmу English (Lаdуhаwkе, Andrеw MсMаhоn іn thе Wilderness). But the еxреnѕіvе ѕhееn wіth which he соаtѕ mоѕt оf thе trасkѕ hеrе makes these ѕоngѕ mоrе оr lеѕѕ іndіѕtіnguіѕhаblе. Mirroring thе turn tоwаrd gloom іn рор on аnd juѕt outside thе сhаrtѕ, Bоrnѕ said earlier thіѕ year thе аlbum came out of a “mеlаnсhоlу fееlіng оf dераrturе,” but whіlе thеrе certainly аrе breakup songs, thеу’rе nоthіng that would hаrѕh a fеѕtіvаl crowd tоо muсh. And like аll оf Borns’ wоrk, Blue Mаdоnnа’ѕ mаіn vаluе over rерlасеmеnt ѕуnth-рор is hіѕ fаlѕеttо, сараblе оf reaching a glam-rock frеnzу but constrained іn songs that nеvеr quіtе allow hіm tо gо thеrе.

Anоthеr dіffеrеnсе: a guеѕt artist, Lana Del Rеу, wіth whоm Bоrnѕ shares a соuрlе іdеаѕ аbоut aesthetics аnd thе mооdу ѕіdе of L.A. Unfоrtunаtеlу, whіlе Lana’s been surprisingly lіvеlу оn other guеѕt spots, Borns has gоt hеr at hеr mоѕt ѕороrіfіс, аnd thе twо аrе rаthеr blооdlеѕѕ for a track called “God Sаvе Our Yоung Blооd.” At аlmоѕt fоur minutes, it’s nо lоngеr thаn аnуthіng else on thе аlbum, but it fееlѕ еndlеѕѕ. Similarly, lаnguіd іѕ “Second Nіght оf Summer,” basically a сlаѕѕеd-uр Mаrооn 5 ѕоng. Thеу еvеn сrаѕh and ѕkіd аt thе еxасt ѕаmе part оf thе chorus: Lеvіnе wіth “mоthеrfuсkеr,” Borns wіth a “throwing mе thаt ѕhаdе lіkе I’m not сооl enough.” (Mоurn, once again, thе lоѕѕ оf Shаdе Cоurt.)

Bеѕt trасk: “Gоd Save Our Yоung Blооd.”

By Sophia Michael Bluе Madonna, Borns’ fоllоw-uр tо Dораmіnе, dіffеrѕ frоm its ArtDiction | 7 | January/February 2018

exhibits

Femmes attablées (Women at table), 1947.

Gouache on board, 19 1⁄2 x 25 7⁄16 in. (49.5 x 64.6 cm). Collection of Adrien Maeght, SaintPaul-de-Vence, France

Baya: Woman of Algiers Curated by Natasha Boas at the Gray Art Gallery at NYU, Baya: Woman of Algiers is the first North American exhibition to host the works of the selftaught Algerian artist Baya Mahieddine (1931–1998). Known as Baya, she was encouraged by her adoptive French mother to pursue art, and began as an adolescent to paint gouaches and make ceramics. Baya’s work was soon discovered by fabled gallerist Aimé Maeght who, along with André Breton, organized an exhibition in Paris in 1947.

Baya’s colorful depictions of women, rhythmic patterns, and bright palette drew the attention of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, with whom she later collaborated in the renowned Madoura pottery studio in Vallauris. Although celebrated in Algeria and France, Baya has yet to gain international recognition.

Woman of Algiers reexamines Baya’s career within contemporary, Surrealist, “outsider,” and Maghreb post-colonial art contexts. The exhibition features works drawn from the Maeght Family Collection, Paris, as well as several Madoura ceramics by Picasso and a video by London-based French-Algerian artist Zineb Sedira. Baya will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue with essays by Boas, André Breton, Assia Djebar, and Menna Ekram.

Spiral Play: Loving in the ‘80s For the past 40 years, Al Loving has experimented with materials and process to expand the definition of modern painting, drawing on everything from free jazz to his family’s quilting tradition. In the 1980s, Loving moved beyond flat images by using heavy rag paper to make three dimensional collages in brilliant colors. Spiral Play features 12 of these collages, some monumental in scale. His work has been called radical, beautiful, and deeply human.

“I chose the spiral as a symbol of life’s continuity. It became an overall wish for everyone,” says Loving. This exhibition is co-curated by BMA Dorothy Wagner Wallace Director Christopher Bedford and BMA Senior Research & Programming Curator Katy Siegel. Spiral Play will be on display at The Baltimore Museum of Art Until April 15, 2018.

Common Ground Photographs by Fazal Sheikh, 1989 – 2013 Fazal Sheikh’s Common Ground features works from eight of his series, bringing attention to the displaced around the world. Sheikh’s photographs capture individuals rendered invisible by war, ethnic and religious strife, climate crises, and social banishment and tells their stories of unimaginable hardship and perseverance. Unlike most photojournalists who spent less than a day in the camps before photographing their subjects, Sheikh built relationships with the residents over months and years. People posed for his camera as they wished to be portrayed, and first-person testimonies that accompany the photographs amplify the voices of individuals who advocate for themselves, their families, their communities, and the future. Two series included in Common Ground merge documentary and conceptual photographic practice: Ether, the artist’s first series of color photographs, honors the states of sleep and death as in the sacred city of Banares, on the banks of the Ganges River, where

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many Hindus go to die in the hopes of achieving salvation. Ramadan Moon, featuring a soundtrack of sung prayers, follows Somali refugee Seynab Azir Wardeere during the holy month of Ramadan. Seeking asylum in the Netherlands, she looks to the night sky in the hopes that the family she left behind in Somalia look at the same stars during their separation. Common Ground can be seen at the Portland Art Museum from Feb. 24 – May 20, 2018.

Charles Santore: Fifty Years of Art and Storytelling Beginning February 18, 2018, Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia, Pa. will host the exhibition Charles Santore: Fifty Years of Art and Storytelling. This is the first retrospective look of the work of Charles Santore (born 1935) that traces the development of the illustrator from his commercial work of the 1960s to his most recent children’s book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (2017). Included in the exhibition will be illustrations for The Wizard of Oz, Paul Revere’s Ride, A Stowaway on Noah’s Ark, Snow White, and other books, together with theatre posters, album covers, and celebrity portraits made for TV Guide in the 1970s and 1980s. Additionally, included preliminary sketches, color studies, and dummy books show how Santore brings characters to life and makes them his own. An accompanying digital catalogue includes a conversation with the artist.

Escape from the Poppy Field, 1991, by Charles Santore (Collection of the artist).

Illustration for The Wizard of Oz.

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By Phillip Utterback

ArtDiction | 3 | November/December 2017

J

ust as World War II influenced the poetry and literature of the modernists, several British and American visual artists began shifting their focus from the typical themes of art to a new exploration of the everyday world: a means to explore the “trauma in the soul.”1 Rather than limiting the means of this exploration, the pop artists opened themselves up to the potentially mundane world around them: reacting to media and advertising. Although both used similar styles and inspirations, American culture, British and American pop artists had distinct techniques.

British pop artists created their movement with the desire to move art in a new direction, a new means of looking at the world. The Independent Group is generally recognized as the group that helped create the new pop art movement.

Using the art of Americana and American commercialization, the British pop artists began to explore how various found pieces could be collaged into a larger, more meaningful art. The art form began to blend the subject and object, merging them into an expression of abstraction that wasn’t abstract.

These artists forced the viewers to question the world around them and look at the world from a new

perspective. The advantage that the British pop artists had over the American artists was that they were viewing American society from the across the pond and not from inside America itself.

Undoubtedly, one of the most famous of pop art pieces, Andy Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup Cans,” is a prime example of the pop artists drawing on the media to inform their art. Painted on 32 canvasses, imitating a stocked grocery store, Warhol’s work highlights how Americans are inundated with media imagery and forced into a world of consumerism in the 1950’s and 60’s. Warhol would continue using his graphic design skills to create iconic pop art pieces that are known the world-over: multiple portraits of Marilyn Monroe, as well as Mao, and a unique take on the Last Supper of Christ. Like other pop artists Ed Ruscha and James Rosenquist, Warhol used his professional experience in commercial art to guide his understanding and portrayal of the world about him. This professional background allowed the pop artists to remove emotions from their work, focusing directly on the connection between their art and subjects.

Pop artists, both British and American, forever changed the face of art.

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Blurring the lines between high and low art, the pop artists introduced James Rosenquist a new way to view the world: one where the common was considered artistic and beautiful. Using items the world saw on a regular basis, the pop artists elevated our understanding of art and,

as any good art does, the world.

1. Pop Art Movement, Artists and Major Works http://www.theartstory.org/movement-pop-art.htm

The Art of Punk The British and American Punk movement gained momentum and notoriety in the mid-1970s and ‘80s. It cannot be argued that the music and fashion of punk gained most of the attention, but punk art had its own distinct look and feel too. Collages and montages with bold writings and anti-establishment messages and striking imagery are but a few of the elements of punk art. Some of punk’s influences and precursors include Dadaist collage, the Situationist International, the mail art movement, the graphics of counter-culture protest, and the 1960s underground press.1 Punk art was one of expediency and innovation, using cartoon drawings, ransom-note lettering, and stencils and is still sought after and included in art today.

1.Punk: An Aesthetic (Rizzoli) edited by Johan Kugelberg and Jon Savage

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Crass, The Feeding of the 5000 LP, Crass, UK, 1978. Design: Gee Vaucher.

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Pretty Disobedient, screen-printed poster by Shepard Fairey, USA, 2001. Signed by Fairey

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Black Flag, “Jealous Again” 12-inch EP, SST, USA, 1980

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Anti, I Don’t Want to Die in Your War LP, New Underground, USA, 1982

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Anarchy in the U.K. fanzine, UK, 1976.

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Prag Vec, “Existential” 7-inch single, Spec, UK, 1978.

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Flyer promoting a gig by Adam and the Ants, UK, 1977.

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t the start of the year, many business professionals carve out time to evaluate successes of the last year’s goals and begin outlining their course to achieve success for the coming year. Unfortunately, many creative professionals fail to do the same. Here’s a quick list explaining why goal setting is a must, even for the artist.

Goal-setting helps set a reasonable pace.

Setting a goal will force you to analyze where you are at present and begin plotting steps to get to where you want to go. But don’t do this just once a year.

Check-in with these goals once a month.

See how close you are to achieving your goals, and adjust as you see fit. You will often find that adding in smaller goals will help you achieve your bigger goal.

Are there reasons why you have gone off course? Hone in on your strengths and weakness and determine how to move ahead accordingly. If you reach a particular goal, cross it off your list and immediately set another. This way, you’ll stay motivated and moving forward.

Goals help you make better decisions.

If you outline what your goals are, you give yourself a “cheat sheet” when it’s time to make decisions. If you’re stuck trying to determine if you should participate in a project or take on more assignments, you can safely base your decision on whether or not they help advance your goal.

For example, do you have a goal to display your art at a gallery? Do your research. You will be more likely to reach that goal if you determine which gallery best fits your artistic style. Or if you’re a portrait photographer with a goal to increase your commission and exposure, you might find it best to decline a project as a fashion

photographer. Of course, exceptions to the rule do apply, but keeping your goals clear in mind will help you evaluate which decision is best for you.

Goal-setting outlines your future.

This is likely the most obvious reason to set goals. Goals help define your destination and help make it clear the best way to get there. Many artists have a faintly outlined idea of where they want to go, but it isn’t as clear as it should be. That’s okay (for now.)

To help fill in the gaps, ask yourself: Where do I see myself as an artist in five years? What do I want my career to look like in ten years? Answer specifically and include a measurable timetable in your answer. So while the new year is in its beginning stages, set some goals!

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Call for for Artists!

Artists!

Call

Becomeaafeatured featuredartist artistininArtDiction ArtDictionby bysubmitting submittingartwork artworktoto Become submission@artdictionmagazine. To Torequest requestadditional additionaldetails, details,send send submission@artdictionmagazine. anemail emailtotoinfo@artdictionmagazine.com. info@artdictionmagazine.com. an ArtDiction | 3 | November/December 2017

Tanja Playner’s love for Pop Art started during her childhood in Russia where she began to develop her own style, although looking back, she wasn’t aware this was her development period. “In Russia, where I lived as a kid, more classical art was pushed, but I wanted my own style,” she recalls. “I painted portraits of the then superstars and models in pencil in black and white and tried to make it cool.” The style she has mastered and creates today—black and white bodies with fairytale faces—is attributed to her time in Europe where she created still lifes of what she saw all around.

Although Tanja did not attend formal art school, she started painting at an early age. “At school, the teacher told us all the tricks on how to paint.” By the age of 12, everyone in her class wanted her to paint their black and white portraits. Then at 14, she met a painter that gave her tips on oil painting, motivating her to use oils. Although influenced by others early, Tanja’s work remains distinctively hers. “Authenticity in art is the most important thing, and you cannot learn that; you have to be that,” she says. “If you have no inner feeling for the colors and no sense of implementation, then you cannot become an artist because art comes from within. In art, the heart and soul of the artist speaks through his brush.”

Tanja’s creativity is inspired by life with all its experiences and great moments. “I enjoy every magical moment of my life and let myself be inspired by it. Often, when I’m driving in the car, ideas come to mind. Then I do a quick sketch, so I do not lose them.” Tanja also finds inspiration in her travels, meeting people and experiencing

different environments. “I see the different characters and faces as well as situations very philosophically and let myself be inspired by these encounters. I have a lot of great friends and acquaintances on the net that inspire me too.” Tanja also credits her children and husband as key to her creativity.

Tanja’s work can often be recognized by her choice in colors—vibrant yellow and bold turquoise. “These are the colors that are close to my heart. When you see my yellow colors, you feel the warmth of the sun.” Tanja says she uses turquoise and blues because they are relaxing and hopeful. “I also like to play with contrasts. I also used real gold in my artworks. That gives the artwork magic. My artworks have to be me—radiant, cheerful and positive,” she adds.

Tanja creates her art with a purpose in mind. “Through my works of art, I want to create the feeling of joy in life for everyone. That’s why the emotions and the gaze of the person are especially important to me. I want each one of my pictures to tell the viewer, ‘Come, let us travel together for a short moment through the beautiful world.

And do not forget to tell your loved ones that you love them and how beautiful life is!’”

Tanja’s ultimate goal is to infect the world with love through her art. “Some may see me as naive, but I do not care. Only if we spread the love together can we improve the world.” she affirms. “I have that vision, and with this vision, I go through the world.”

Tanja’s work can be seen at www.tanjaplayner.com or www.paks-gallery.com.

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All You Need is Love

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Sweet Whisper

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Porsche 718

Fashion Week

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My Best Friend

Metropolitan Love

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Agent X, cultural explorer and agent of the unknown, creates experimental, multimedia collages, paintings, and 2D artwork. Described as “Pop Art with thought,” Agent X juxtaposes pop culture, technology, fashion, music, politics, and race in visually complex amalgamations expressing the anxieties of the global, post-modern world and the dark side of consumerist, media-obsessed culture. His work occupies a unique intersection between the aesthetics and philosophy of Futurism, the social critique of the Dada movement, and contemporary artistic movements ranging from Pop Art to Superflat.

Agent X was raised in Connecticut and studied in New Haven and Atlanta before moving to Canada and training at the Art Institute of Vancouver. While his work draws from formal training, his mash-up multimedia style is primarily self-developed. Agent X often combines the ephemera of the past with the glossy world of contemporary magazines and newspapers, adding paint and other

mixed media to create images that cleverly critique humanity’s current obsessions and where they are leading us. While presenting a contemporary, urban veneer in his work through influences of music and fashion, sub-layers of his work dive into loaded socio-political subject matter.

Agent X jumped onto the radar when named as a semi-finalist in the 2011 New York Art Marathon, with multiple international honors that rapidly followed including winning Top Entry in the competitive Curious Art-Pie Show at Curious Duke Gallery, London and being named among ‘12 Artists to invest in now’ by New Blood Art Gallery, London. Currently based in Vancouver, Agent X has exhibited in art meccas around the world including London,Singapore, Los Angeles, Germany, Amsterdam, New York, San Francisco, Spain and Toronto.

Visit www.agentxart.com/ for more details.

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Elanna

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La statue de la LibertĂŠ

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Queen Elizabeth

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Mater Natura

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Alfrarvis City

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Alfrarvis City

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Golden Era

ost artists would agree that they are driven by a need to express experiences, creativity and imagination. In times past, what was classified as art was the traditional painting, drawing or anything made with an artist’s physical hands. Beginning in the late 20th century, however, the definition of art has expanded to encompass different forms of artistic production that include digital and computer-generated designs.

The world of digital art has grown very popular. In fact, inherent with this genre is the ability to share art and pass it along with ease to the world. Digital art gained its momentum during the turn of the late 90s early 2000s, coinciding with the era in which technology itself was quickly changing and advancing. Adding to its popularity is the fact that digital art is accessible. Additionally, this art form offers a variety of different ways where a person can express themselves, creating categories within the art. Digital artists can create using special effects, videography, computer art, and even graphic design.

Some artists have gained notoriety due to their work with digital art. Kyle McDonald, based in New York, has earned his popularity by working on open platforms and frameworks. Sandy Lara from Vancouver/Los Angeles is known to be a magician when it comes to playing with pixels, creating awesome animated 3D and GIFs. There is also Jesse Darling, the London based graphics designer whose work is known to replicate modern day life. From scribbled texts, internet memes to even Styrofoam and other such forms, the list of her work can go on.

For any artist, the tools that he or she may use is what determines the quality of work. Artists also select tools that help them to express what they want to say.

Some of the most commonly used tools include Corel Painter 2018, Rebelle 2, Corel Draw, Google Autodraw, Photoshop, and various digital sketching tools.

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artist / ad index

Page 32 Agent X

www.agentxart.com

Page 22

Tanja Playner www.tanjaplayner.com

Page C4

Avondale Kids www.avondalekids.com

Page C2

Friends of Puerto Rico www.friendsofpuertorico.org

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