Illustration
Tapes’n’Tales: HuskMitNavn
Over the years, Copenhagen-based illustrator and street artist HuskMitNavn (RememberMyName in Danish) has focused on the dynamic interplay between western culture, technology and contemporary society as refracted through the lens of everyday life. “I have worked full time as an artist for the past 12 years”, the artist tells us when asked about his personal experience growing up in Copenhagen. “Most of my childhood I sat and drew in my room in the house in the suburb where I grew up. I began painting graffiti in 1993 at the age of 17 and against all odds I made an art career out of it, simply by having fun with it and working my butt off”. Read the rest of this entry »
Tapes’n’Tales: Emiliano Ponzi
“It’s possible, in a poem or short story, to write about commonplace things and objects using commonplace but precise language to endow those things – a chair, a window curtain, a fork, a stone, a woman’s earring – with immense, even startling power […]”(Raymond Carver, A Storyteller’s Shoptalk, 1981). An artistic oeuvre that can be interpreted as the expression of a stylistic research that aims to explore the complex and stratified field of everyday life through the use of an ordinary language that is essentially plain and devoid of any visual-narrative frills. Qualities like linearity, humour and a refined unpredictability mark the work of the already well-known Italian artist and illustrator Emiliano Ponzi. Read the rest of this entry »
Soldier of a Secret Kingdom: STEPHEN APPLEBY-BARR
Religion, Science, Philosophy and Superstition. Toronto-based artist Stephen Appleby-Barr demonstrates an exceptional ability to (re)create and, above all, manipulate early modern European historical references with infinitesimal doses of humour and intrigue. His ideal vision, inextricably linked to the old masters of the painterly tradition such as Rembrandt, Velázquez and Sargent, continues to evolve and reinvent itself by exploring the connections between classical aesthetics and contemporary art. Read the rest of this entry »
Exhibit Openings: Interview w/Elzo Durt + 108
Haunting geometrical compositions, vibrant colours and a sparkling labyrinth of art pieces ranging from a bizarre and provocative surrealism to a gloomy and abstract minimalism were some of the hallmarks of the double solo show recently opened at Doppelgaenger, in Bari, and featuring works by Italian artist and musician 108, aka Guido Bisagni, and Elzo Durt, Belgian illustrator whose swirling psychedelic graphic style is often associated with posters and album covers designed for the likes of Thee Oh Sees and Jack of Heart. Read the rest of this entry »
Tapes’n’Tales: SHARMILA BANERJEE
The fresh cartoon-style of Berlin-based illustrator Sharmila Banerjee plays with an unconventional and psychedelically-structured observation of our own individual personalities in the natural environment. As demonstrated in the evocatively titled “Human Nature” – the artist’s new solo exhibition currently showing at Inuit Bookshop as part of the Seventh edition of the BilBOlbul International Comics Festival in Bologna – Sharmila Banerjee’s work encourages both reflection and examination of humans’ complex and powerful behavioural dynamics. Read the rest of this entry »
The Hidden Pain of Youth: SIMON HENWOOD
An enduring and constantly growing commitment to experimentation and (self-)analysis. In a career spanning over twenty years, British multi-disciplinary artist Simon Henwood has applied his dark and lively imagination to a rich and diverse range of media including painting, drawing, sculpture, film, music and animation. Read the rest of this entry »
HOLY SHIT: The Art of Alan Suicide Vega
“My sculpture is an example of Punk visually, a not-give-a-shit attitude about just piling up a load of garbage and proving it could look good too… I found TVs in the street… I would go into these light stores and shove lights into my pockets… occasionally I throw in radios… four or five radios playing different stations… People won’t get close to the sculpture… there are lots of broken wires, smashed bulbs, chains, broken glass, and other kinds of things that just threaten people” - Alan Vega. Primarily known as co-founder with Martin Rev of the legendary NYC duo Suicide, Alan Vega (aka Alan Bermowitz) began his prolific career as a visual artist. Read the rest of this entry »
Exhibit Openings: TwoOne + “A Study of Hands”
Founded in 2010 by Alexander Mitchell, Ghostpatrol, James Reka, Rone and Meggs, Collingwood’s Backwoods Gallery has manifested itself as one of the leading independent contemporary art galleries for young Australian and international street art. Over the month of September, the gallery hosted an evocative and powerful collection of new works by Japanese-born and Melbourne-based street artist Hiroyasu Tsuri (TwoOne). Read the rest of this entry »
Exhibit Openings: Just Another Group Show + Bec Winnel
Almost two weeks ago, Melbourne based-creative management agency Just Another Agency presented the third instalment of their annual “Just Another Group Show”, a unique exhibition bringing together a significant cluster of exceptionally talented artists. Taking place in conjunction with the two-day Semi-Permanent design conference in Melbourne, the exhibition opened on Thursday 13th September at 1000 Pound Bend and featured works by 23rd Key, Aida Sabic, Alex Lehours, Apeseven, Bec Winnel, Bridge Stehli, Caitlin Rigby, Cinzah Seekayem, Deb, Does, Drypnz, Dvate, Eleven, Gary Seaman, Jack Douglas, Kaitlin Beckett, Kirpy, Kitty Horton, Lauren Carney, Leisha Muraki, Luke Ryan, Nom Kinnear-King, Pierre Lloga, Poise, Rebecca Murphy, Rena Littleson, Sam Octigan, Sear, Sirum, Steven Rhodes, Taylor White and Zoran Nova. Read the rest of this entry »
Exhibit Openings: John Forrest at Metro Gallery
LDWT recently headed off to Australia to show you how Melbourne is indeed a vibrant and lively hub for the visual arts in today’s contemporary scene. Over the past two weeks, we attended a solo showing by Australian artist Paul White at Metro Gallery, an incredibly interesting contemporary art gallery based in Melbourne committed to exhibiting collectable Indigenous art, contemporary Australian art and work from promising emerging artists. We just loved Paul White’s detailed pencil on paper drawings and technique and this show was seriously impressive. One week later, we headed back to Metro Gallery for renowned artist John Forrest‘s solo exhibition “Hollywood Flesh” to get some shots of the opening night exhibition. This show runs until September 29th, 2012 and features a massive and iconic selection of paintings, illustrations and cartoons on the current state of show business ironically and cleverly blurring the lines between “reality” and “artifice”. John Forrest, artist and senior lecturer in Visual Arts at Deakin University, has been an exhibiting painter and is currently an author/illustrator of picture story books. He has also been a contributor of illustrations to Time Magazine Australia. More pictures after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
The Future Is Bright: THE FRESH & ONLYS 
Better Than Something: Interview with Ian Markiewicz and Alex Hammond 
Filming The Music: AG ROJAS 
Coyotes in My Backyard: TRAVIS MILLARD 
The Alchemy of Love and Fire: NEIL KRUG 
Drenched in The Rain of Dreams: Dimitri Drjuchin 
I CAN SEE FOR MILES: The Art of Jacob Escobedo 