FAKfulness Art Magazine
3rd Issue February 2020 The Masculine Mistique
FAKfulness Art Magazine Founder and Editor: Piotr Kuszyński facebook.com/fakfulness/ pkuszynski@op.pl instagram.com/fakfulness.art/ Wrocław, Poland 2020
COVER ARTIST: Darko Taleski
artdarko.wix.com/artdarko www.dstopmotion.com/
EDITOR'S NOTE
Welcome to third issue of FAKfulness Art Magazine which publishes artworks on variety of topics that try to enrich our understanding of late modernity times. In this issue, we have contributors from Italy, UK, USA, France, Macedonia, Norway,Spain, Germany, Lativia, Belgium, Greece. The magazine brings its readers to challenging and thought-provoking content. The topic of 3rd issue The Masculine Mystique explores the changing role of men in today's society, in the view of contemporary artists from all over the world. It is beyond the scope of this magazine to address this theme in any details, but I strongly believe that the works included give us an important overview on it. I would like to thank all the artists from around the world who have contributed to this independent project. Regards Piotr Kuszyński
FEDERICA FRATI
Federica Frati was born in Brescia (Lombardy, Italy) in 1977 where she lives and works. She attended an art school where she learned the main artistic techniques. After two years of attendance at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera, she graduated at the University of Milan in modern literature. In addiction to teaching literature, since 2009, Federica creates engraving prints at the Luciano Pea (professor of engraving at the city’s arts academy) laboratory. From her prints derive several other works, such as paintings and monotypes, where the color and black ink scratch the sheet and turn into a new material. Her practice investigates the inner reality of human being meant as a defenceless creature at the mercy of an empty and cold Firmament. In 2015 Federica won the XXXVII edition of Matteo Olivero contest in the city of Saluzzo (Piedmont, Italy) and in 2017 she collaborated with the international literary review Beautiful Losers. In June 2019 she won a special prize in the international contest “Marchionni Pize”. In August 2019 she has been invited to exhibit her prints at Global Print Douro, Portugal. www.federicafrati.com
Valentina di Berardino
The title of the project is Savage, the Project is inspired by the Book Walden; or, Life in the Woods from Henry David Thoreau.
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.� www.valentinadiberardino.it
@fakfulness
Author: Piotr Kuszyń ń ski Title: Husband
JES OFJAB
instagram.com/__cvrd/
KELVIN ADMADIBRATA
Self Portrait (with Banana) performance for the camera with banana, clear tapes and chair, 100x100cm series of 10 , GiclĂŠe Print on Archival paper, edition of 3+1AP, 2011. photographed by Ferry Tan. Self Portrait (with Banana) responds to the myth and/or biologically proven fact that Asian men have smaller penises. The series of performance for the camera suggests a depth of insecurity through the body's attempt to perform autofellatio on his comically lengthened form of his penis with a banana. At the same and within the context of social hierarchy, the work is a plea against masculine responsibility and racial prejudice, particularly towards 'bananas'- Asians living, born and/or with Western descent https://kelvinatmadibrata.com/
DARKO TALESKI
Selfie Today the new technology is part of our daily lives. Presence of the new technology defines new space know as internet space, virtual space. On this space, we get and share a lot of information on the daily bases. Social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapshot, and others are between the most popular and used spaces on the internet. How they define the identity? What identity do we have online? These are the questions that the artist is trying to perform in his work, video performance and skin drawing. Using the body language and his skin condition (dermography – skin writing) the artist presents the male self-esteem on social media. Giving selfrepresentation of the relationship among embodiment, space, and digital media. The work is made of two images of skin drawing on the author body and the process of creating of these images recorded as a short video performance. artdarko.wix.com/artdarko www.dstopmotion.com/
www.vimeo.com/321572122
ARMANDO CABBA
http://www.armando-cabba.com/
THE SELF One is never and can never be the same person twice. The self-portrait captures a moment beyond a physical depiction of the artist. It’s a record of one’s state of mind that projects a glimpse of their temporary identity. As much as an emotion can reoccur, the way we experience it is never duplicated. The resulting work grants the viewer a glimpse of who the artist sees reflected back at him.
Johanna Søvik
www.johannasovik.com
EDURNE HERRAN
Random Souvenir / 2012-2015 Photographic series No doubt that our behaviors have changed dramatically with the arrival of the Internet. The World Wide Web is full of sites that are full of people with a high exhibitionist component, as well as other fetishes, which make us wonder how our social conducts have changed. Whereas in the past exhibitionism was relegated to the public realm, it has now found new channels for virtual exhibitionism, that allow viewer and exhibitioner to interact through a virtual interface. This new condition has also allowed for new forms of exhibitionism to be perpetuated and recreated, platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or Youtube with high doses of exhibition- ism and desire for prominence. Random Souvenirs is a collection of screenshots from the artist’s computer. Placing a ubiquitous inflatable doll in front of the web-cam, the artist captures a moment of intimacy with an anonymous exhibitionist somewhere else in the world. The resulting images be- come a sort of postal, a souvenir of a world interconnected by invisible networks. http://pinkblood-globulosrosas.blogspot.com
DANIELE
MARZEDDU
FABIEN JAKOB
John Vieira
ANNA TEA
https://www.facebook.com/ annateaphotography/ https://www.instagram.com/ dancetea/
Aljohara https://www.instagram.com/aljohara.jeje/ https://www.instagram.com/ aljohara.paintings/ https://www.instagram.com/ aljohara.photography/ https://www.instagram.com/aljohara.arts/
What defines 'gender'? Is it biology or identity? Gender is defined by cultural values, traditions and customs, of which some might be marked by geographical boundaries, though not restricted and might wander to other parts of the world, over time. As for some countries in the world, the government of the Kingdom of The Netherlands has recently implemented that it will no longer unnecessarily register if a person is a man or a woman, in the same way that one also does not have to register one's religion, skin colour, or intellect. Dutch officials are not to ask for the gender if it is not strictly necessary such as for passports, for the time being. The establishment of The Netherlands independence in 1648 set off a flourishing epoch for painting. A distinctive feature of this 'Dutch Golden Age' was the 'genre painting' of which portraits proliferated and were new in Western painting. At the time ruffs, crimped or pleated, wide and full, were the fashion by both men and women. Their placement around the neck affected posture, forcing the wearer to keep their chin up and assume a proud and haughty pose: they were a potent symbol of status and wealth. e.g. 1634, Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of Aechje Claesdr: https:// upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/ Rembrandt_Harmensz._van_Rijn_108.jpg/477pxRembrandt_Harmensz._van_Rijn_108.jpg '
' 'Double Dutch' is a photography series portraying a group of selfdefining men, wearing ruffs of a string of sanitary pads which are a symbol of fertility normally associated with the biological female, throttled around their necks. 'Double Dutch' means in British English 'a language that is impossible to understand'; in American English, it means a jumping game with two skipping ropes held on its ends by two persons, swung in synchronised fashion for two or more to jump over. Process and Methods: 'Noise' in digital photography refers to visual distortion that photographers try to avoid at any price. 'Noise' is a random variation of image density and is defined as aberrant pixels, that is, pixels are not representing the colour and exposure correctly and remain visible with a grainy appearance. Including 'noise', is not the modus operandi of this time. Rembrandt van Rijn's, a Golden Age painter, most obvious aspect of his style is that the brush strokes are broader and remain visible on the canvas, which was also not the modus operandi of his time... The images are dye and pigment ink-printed on glossy paper that enhances the effect of craquelure, which gives the photographic images an allure of antiquity.
"Al Johara’s photographs take us back centuries, her images which focus on the expressions and features of a group of young people and successfully showcase her creative ingenuity. Specifically, Al Johara is able to capture the essence of her subjects and their gazes which force us to consider the stories behind their eyes, the stories that recount, complain, love, adulate, titillate and whisper. Her photos that focus on the gaze of young people often engage the concept of biological sex, that which is not chosen but accompanies us from birth to death. Once confronted with these images, we are haunted by the questions of their internal conflict which Al Johara successfully communicates, from their hearts to ours, through their eyes and her work." (Amal Souror, art critic)
DARIO J LAGANA www.norte.it
CHUNKS OF SOUL experimental portrait photography project Turning the crystal clear perfection of the matrix into a m To examine one's identity, one must place personal image What often appears is a fragmented non-self. An imperfec we wish to portray ourselves and what we really are. 'Chunks of Soul' portrays this constant identity power stru imperfect images in the digital era. The pictures are made through a box containing slides of control. Reflections and refractions of multiple slivers ben compete. The result is vanishing faces and intriguing juxta In the age of the 'selfie,' one has the primal urge to contro that is accepted in society. When dealing with multiple re subjects in a position of vulnerability. The results are glim All subjects in 'Chunks of Soul' have an unclear certainty o representation of them in society. With an out of focus ide for their place in the world. Not comfortable with describi single-word portraits, but rather, wondering, and explorin Despite the diverse backgrounds of the participants, thos soul' all have a certain identity discomfort in common. The the world, not comfortable describing themselves as ‘uniq cases, they have sought to protect themselves with tattoo acknowledge their imperfections and that the dreams of h Other than colour correction, all pictures are digital, single The project is the second part of the Entropic Trilogy cent
multi-layer imperfect portrait e and public persona side by side. ct portrait teetering between how
uggle. A commentary on our
broken glass - a material difficult to nd worlds whilst shadows and light apositions. ol one's image. To create a persona eflections - multiple reflections place mpses of uncontrolled identity. of their soul or the public entity, participants are still searching ing themselves as a unique, solid, ng their personalities. se who are subjects in 'Chucks of ey are searching for their place in que,’ ‘solid’ or ‘special.’ In some os, or masks - but they all humans are fickle and changing. e shots with no further manipulation. tered on the Emotional Entropy.
Josh “Odd” Eiberg Instagram: @jooddityart
"I have been always fascinated and attracted to the male form. In terms on what I wanted to submit, I thought of three key terms for my works which were sexuality, fantasy, and even fear. Sexuality is addressed in all the works, but I feel this is addressed in the works, Burly, Pose, and Homo Flos. The gay community always has specific form in mind be it very masculine or even playing the line between feminine and masculine. I said “playing’ because sexuality is all about presenting form in a fantastical setting in your mind. This is what artists do and especially the LGBTQ community. I wanted to explore fear in Pose and The Wolfling because sex is a very instinctual feeling like fear. It gets your heart pumping and wanting to explore that carnal desire knowing it can destroy you or build you up. "
Brian Legan
A torso, a heart swollen, a column broken, one ear unopened (2015) mixed media on canvas 24� X 30� inches
Stitch together Broken bits And pieces Whole This heart Of mine Yes, this big old apple of a heart Of mine Endures And hearkens back To better days
www.leganartsstudio.com
Mettamodernist @Mettamodernist
I'm a different being every morning, never the same language I fell asleep as... my many selves shift with such tenacity, that at times I feel invisible in my own form. this is not a poem, this is my way out. I relinquish my body, existing in both verb and adjective. no more self-policing. I can't connect to who I'm seeing. I am not in the business of being you. too weak. too unwilling, too afraid. I am Hiranya Garba shifting in between keloids of trees. I’ve given up on the masculinity thing, too much contemplation without self-transparency. Rather, I am kin to the non binary. this is my way out. masculinity can be rethought. I never gave god a sex, I don’t believe God could be divided into a established gender. I’m not a established gender, I’m all libido, matter and antimatter, addicted to the refusal to bend. Sometimes I want to feel pretty... Then other times I want to be handsome... When our femininity is distorted, denying the masculine energy within, it becomes resentful and withdraws love and communion. When the masculine is distorted, denying the inner femininity, it turns into aggression. I seek balance, above all, I am too busy enjoying me to care about him, her, they, or “we.” God has entrusted me with myself. “CATAPULT ME INTO CHAOS.”
anxiety wrestles hostage in my marrow, There is not enough whiskey in the world to solve the the absence of want in my chest. hot, sharp. Needing. I don’t care whose in this room, They do not exist, my mouth wants the world, Soaked with the anticipation of paying bills on time, walking to the grocery store, and dropping laundry off the on the way. The veil between us is as thin as simulacrum, a gospel of illusions, formed of clay, dreaming in loud and technicolor. I am an anxious person, desire is a verb for me, This means insatiable, this means I’m with you in a rage. I’m a need, an open mouth, and you have cathedrals burning in your eyes, the body of Christ, the bread of heaven. the hymns mother sang under her breath, while I slept. Can we just sit here, sprouting fire in gravity, cracking open like a skull, human. chaotic. dispassionate. quantitative. Meaningless. Let’s go numb cradling the sun, licking back Leviticus, and breaking through skin, for place for repentance. There’s a scope without range inside of me, can you give me some direction? Tell me I’m pretty, tell me you love me, tell me I make your days better somehow, tell me I’m the best lover, if not close, if not just good enough, if not just, tell me I’m just… tell me I’m pure, tell me I invoke something bigger. Lie to me, call me daddy, call me bitch, call me, call me, the number is still the same. Can we just sit, if not here, then somewhere, away from where I begin and where you end, can you point me toward home, today’s been a long day. Can I blame you for my shortcomings, is there room for me in your yesterdays? I’ve grown wary of verb, can you teach me to identify, feel, relate? Can I confess to you, pointing toward something inside me? Can I be pathetic, can I be tired, can I just be? Can we just sit here, sprouting fire in gravity, burning till we bloom, no ash left behind. “THE VANITY OF HUMAN PROPOSALS, FALSE SKULL NO.24”
Chris Stanton
https://christopher-stanton.com/section/7201.html
Mārtiņš Rozenfelds
http://rozenfelds.eu
"Scapegoat"
pigmented wax sculpture on aluminium base, with clothes and glass eyes,88 x 47 x 52cm
Dmitry BORSHCH https://dmitryborshch.tumblr.com/
"The Making of Brothers" 2016, ink on paper, 37 x 42 inches
The work was included in the exhibition called "Denial of Family Values, Gay and Anti-gay Propaganda in Russia". From http://www.artfixdaily.com/artwire/release/5799-denial-of-familyvalues-gay-and-anti-gay-propaganda-in-russia "This exhibition was created in America but premiered in Russia a year after the passage of what many know as "gay propaganda law", the bill unanimously approved by the State Duma (with one abstention) and signed into law by President Putin in June, 2013. We contacted five galleries and several cultural centers, not just in Moscow, but none of them agreed to mount our exhibition because of the new law and broad anti-gay, anti-trans sentiment in the country. As thirty years ago in Dnepropetrovsk when I organized apartment exhibitions because only Socialist Realist art could be officially exhibited, we rented a three-bedroom apartment on Moscow's Budyonny Prospekt, mounted the exhibition, and invited only those who were sympathetic to or could tolerate our views on gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans rights, would not report us to the police who could impose a fine for an unsanctioned exhibition or – this has happened with some exhibitions in Russia deemed "offensive" to religious or national feelings – damage the pictures," explains Borshch, adding, "There was another apartment exhibition in Moscow, on Tverskaya Street, followed by one more in Saint Petersburg’s Kalininsky District, both lasting a month in early 2016". Figurative drawings like "The Making of Brothers" are displayed in our exhibition alongside excerpts from speeches on homosexuality and its "evils" by Russian public figures, which are rendered calligraphically on white, yellow, and pink sheets.
BREA WEINREB http://www.breaweinreb.com/
EMILIANA STEIN
What Happened on the Corner of Spring Street
GODA PELE http://godapele.com/
Steve Lyons www.stevelyonsart.com
In the Shadows depicts a priest handing something to a Nun. Many viewers believe that the priest is offering the nun a sacrament or offering communion. The truth is that I created the piece as a narrative about a priest buying the silence of a nun who knows of his behavior that is immoral if not illegal. The story is rooted in the decades of news stories around priests being brought to court for charges ranging from child abuse to theft of tithing
The Old Priest presents a religious man in the last days of his life. He is introspective and soulful, a man whose life was dedicated to the one thing he chose to believe in and held steadfast. However, there is also a slight mournfulness to his expression, accented by the wisdom brought about by age itself and the realization that he still has questions about the choice he made to devout his life to something he can not see or touch.
PIOTR KUSZYŃSKI @pr.qski
SIMON FINDLAY https://simonfindlay.com/
