2nd year!

Im looking forward to you already. Here I come!

Gertrude Hermes

Gertrude Hermes was most known for her sculptures but alongside her “field” she did series of (according to me) amazing engravings, wood and linocuts. I am glad that I stumbled upon her through this coursework. Her series of black and white wood and linocuts are the ones who I prefer the most. She did a series of engravings over 20 years in which her eye for detail is astonishing.  In printmaking so far what really interests me is Screen Printing, but her use of different tones of black and white in mainly her wood cuts I feel an urge to pick up engraving or at least do more and bigger linocuts.

A blogger called “Bibble” wrote on his blog (http://www.clivechristy.com/2010/04/gertrude-hermes-1901-1983.html) that “when other artists went on to capture nature and the idyllic conceptions of rural life her poetic imagination seems to have taken graphic form inevitably upon the wood itself as the lights responded to the tool’s inspired incisions”.

References: 

Bibble http://www.clivechristy.com/2010/04/gertrude-hermes-1901-1983.html

North House Gallery http://www.northhousegallery.co.uk/exhibitiondetail.asp?exID=40

Random website http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/sevenpillarsofwisdom/hermes.html

Christy, Clive http://www.clivechristy.com/2010/04/gertrude-hermes-1901-1983.html
Image: http://www.christies.com/lotfinderimages/D53492/gertrude_hermes_stonehenge_d5349253h.jpg

A´lea iacta est

Before my career in the deep world of arts I studied Natural Science and Mathematics. I spent hours and hours in seminars I didn’t really want to pay attention to. Mathematic formulas, chemistry and scientific theories were launching it selves through my head. To relax my other senses and to be able to concentrate my mind I started doodling during class. My doodles became more and more serious and what was previous just a random hobby became more and more a solid interest.  But of course it wasn’t just born out of nothing; when I was young I started using computers at an early age and started copying from Marvel Comics and old Japanese samurai drawings.

When I got older street art became a greater influence than before and I started to find my style of a mix of comics and street art. What really was a mile stone in my life was starting UNI, to actually get projects with deadlines were I have to always push myself into drawing new things I have never drawn before. The skills everyone picked up during previous art studies is a constant reminder and I envy them at the same time as it creates a hunger to beat them.

 ”a´lea iacta est” – ” The die has been cast” 

James Hensher

Quite out of nowhere my girlfriend introduced me to an half English/Swedish artist who is up and coming on the Swedish market. James Hensher was born in Stockholm 1979 and brought up in an artistic environment. Hensher, James (http://jameshensher.com/). He studied art at the Falmouth College of Arts in England and at the Van Der Kelen’s Institut Superieur de Peinture in Belgium and does mainly paint with acrylics on canvas. His work is highly colorful and it is a lot of focus around faces and the naked female body.

Since I as well am quite interested in drawing and painting the nude female body but lacked the skill and motivation for acrylic paintings got very inspired after I got invited to one of his smaller private exhibitions in which I really got to see his work up front. The use of color and mix materials on canvas really hit me in the head like a hammer. It opened up a new world of possibilities which I still yet has left to explore.

The world of acrylics is something that I do wish to immerse myself in to. 

References: 

Hensher, James online (http://jameshensher.com/)
images: Hensher, James online (http://jameshensher.com/)

ROA

Roa, a Belgium street artist from Ghent who paints unbelievable illustrations of animals, dissected, whole, craniums and the body or just some organs hanging out on big murals. We are back at semiotics again; it is so hard to get away from…

“FC: What's the idea behind showing animals organs?                 

Organs are the vital substances of our body and they represent a lot of symbolism which i like! Painters like Rembrandt did it ages before me, slaughter paintings!”

Quote from an interview with ROA on http://www.fatcap.com/article/roa.html

He is currently active with a solo exhibition and book launch at Stolen Space gallery in Brick Lane called “Hypnagogia” “a 2 space exhibition features installation work and originals on found objects” – Stolen Space.

I have since long followed ROA’s work online but on Sunday last week when I was meeting up my cousin who came and visiting from (funny enough) Belgium I ran into one of ROA’s painting session on a mural in the outskirts of Brick Lane. I couldn’t resist stopping and taking some pictures and talking some shit with ROA as well.

Later on that evening when me and my girlfriend went to his exhibition at Stolen Space we ran into him again. This time I was being cleverer and handed out one of me t-shirts, my contact details and 3 screen printed postcards. He promised to wear my t-shirt while he was painting to make some PR for me. You never know if it’s going to go anywhere but it’s worth a shot. 




References: 


Stolen Space http://www.stolenspace.com/section.php?xSec=505
Street Art London http://streetartlondon.co.uk/artists/roa/
Fat Cap http://www.fatcap.com/article/roa.html
photos: Rios, Sandra (c) 2012
image: http://www.stolenspace.com/shopimages/products/normal/roa/roa_fs_2.jpg

BCN here I come?

The better part of 2011 I spent in Barcelona, Spain. Times were worries and thoughts about anything serious were blown by the wind in a city with approx. 5 mil people (with all the urban areas counted) which halves of the 5 mil are people with their hands (maybe even as far to the hips) covered in creativeness.  I already had a big interest for art but when I was surrounded by artist and non the least the street art that flourish all over town you can’t help being inspired. 

The main reason to why it’s so good is blatantly because it’s just so much art all around you never mind laws about where and how.  Because there is so so many different artists it is also a great variety of art which suits even the most uninterested person.

It feels like that everywhere that you go you are moving through the same exhibition of many thousands of artists work in an urban jungle. Barcelona inspired me to really kick it off with art which I deeply appreciate ‘cause this is what I want to do. 

Bajs-collective is born!

I and two aspiring artists in year 1 illustration & printmaking are putting together a brand/company/clothing line. We (at the moment of course) do not know anything other than what our common (even though common sense isn’t that common) sense tells us about creating a company. But while studying courses that try to prepare you for the future “working life” what is not better than to actually start working with what you do want do to?

In the beginning we focus on t-shirts as step one to practices screen printing and all the techniques to fully be able to conquer textile printing.  Since 2 weeks back I've made 2 t-shirt designs and printed one in a series of 4 and the other of 5. All of them except 2 t-shirts are sold and I already have another 10-15 booked by various friends all over Europe.  

Ibinson, Jason

As soon as year 1 in UNI is over we bulk order 50 t-shirts each (150 in total) knock out a couple of different designs each and rent a stall at Brick Lane market and stick our fingers wherever it is possible.

A new era is born!

Prints and t-shirts for sell.

References:

Elerud, Claes (2012) http://itsnotwhatitis.blogspot.co.uk/
Images and artwork (c) Claes Elerud
Last image artwork (c) Jason Ibinson