Illustrative Works

Flip 2
08Open
10 Tehran Graffiti
12 Spy 1: Joska
New cities, new friends, new fairytales
14 Spy 2: Adolf Gil
Lights on leaves reveal the city
16 Inside
Basementizid (Heilbron)
18 Cheaper Sneakers
Marbury and the art of endorsement
20 Skating the Great Wall
A photo journal by Kevin Metallier
26 Squatting the White Cube
Bombing the Brandwagen
24 Rider Ink
Steven Gorrow
34 Illustrative Works
- Kukula
- Lucy Mclauchlan
- Brooke Reidt
Flip 2
47 Sawn Off Tales
48A Celebration of Street Art
Sara and Marc Schiller of the Wooster Collective on why they love street art
54 Pictoplasma
Tristan Manco sees if the characters are still at war
58 Oh Shit
Venezuelan artist Alejandro Lecuna takes action
60 In Your Ear
Music
62 In Your Eye
Books
64 Show & tell
Banksy in LA
66Show & tell
FriendsWithYou Bootleg Show
70 Show & tell
Iguapop 3rd Birthday Exhibition
70 Want It
Products
73 Got a name for it?
The art of Vincent Gootzen
Cover:
lucy Mclauchlan
Creative action = active creation
Issue#11
Creative Director
GarryMaidment
garry@methodmedia.net
Editor in Chief
HarlanLevey
harlan@disinfo.net
Associate Editor
JasonHorton
jason@methodmedia.net
Art Director
TobiasAllanson
tobias@methodmedia.net
Music Editor
FlorentdeMaria
florent.demaria@gmail.com
Production Manager
TommyKlaehn
tommy@methodmedia.net
Distribution
SusanHauser
susan@methodmedia.net
Contributors
BrookeReidt,LoganHicks,ChristineStrawberry,TristanManco,Kukula,
Joska,SaraandMarcSchiller,KevM,LucyMclauchlan,AdolfGil,the
big‘I’inIguagpop,DavidGaffney,StevenGorrow,JorgyBear,Street
Timothy Leary once said that women who want to be
equal with men lack imagination.
8
Open
This issue of Modart is a strong indicator that while the
discussion over the place for women in arts, as in other
areas of our lives, continues, quietly women are squatting
the stage.
OpEN
}
We don’t have quotas and don’t care what color, gender,
nationality or musical tastes our contributors have.
Whether we found them or they found us or somebody
we both hold close laid his coat out to bridge the puddles,
it is the work that brings itself to the page, even if to be
honest, it is often the person that makes us all the more
enthusiastic about sharing it.
Enthusiasm is a sign of stupidity so don’t listen to us.
Have a look for yourself.
Meet Joska and Kukula, one is in Berlin, the other in LA,
both young women who will draw you into their intricate
fantasy with their technique and imagination. Meet Lucy
Mclauchlan who works out of the same London gallery as
Banksy, Jamie Hewlitt, Stanely Donwood and others and
paints as if she might improve the world by doing so (we
reckon she does). Meet Brooke Reidt who is turned on
by projects which are not for profit and provides a body
of work as intimate as it is open. She sent in enough for
a beautiful book and made us again regret our limited
pages. See works from Catalina Estrada, Miss Van,
Nina Braun, Ephameron and a few other artists, all in
this issue, all women. So what? It wasn’t a theme or a
conscious choice.
It might have been a question of sensibility, but it was
never one of sex.
There is no lack of imagination here. On the contrary, we
got a story on shit, a guy whose work works best in the
toilet and a photo spread that suggests China is the future
and not only because human reproductive capacities are
diminishing at an alarming rate. We also got a feature
story from a couple whose passion has butterflied into a
platform, which artists and activists all around the world
are leaping onto and off of- Sara and Marc Schiller of the
Wooster Collective describe one of their loves.
Then there’s a Pictoplasma feature from Tristan Manco.
Are the characters still at war? Let’s see … war is there
anyway, but we is skating through the streets straight out
to the sea where his story descends to meet the mermaids
and without words, emotions begin to make sense.
Enjoy,
—Harlan
Player,CyrusShahrad,Guifari,SergeiVutuc,VincentGootzen,Lecu,
SamBorkson,CameronBird,NounouhauCollective,NelsonandConny
Neuner.
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Tehran
Graffiti
It’s hard to believe that a word translating literally as ‘romantic love’ could be considered
subversive, but then this is a country where it’s still a calculated risk for young couples to wander
around hand in hand, even in the Western-style shopping malls of more upmarket northern Tehran.
Police regularly stop boys and girls driving around in the same car and question their relationship
– the only acceptable answer is husband and wife or brother and sister (even cousins are fair
game), but without identification to prove it, they may still find themselves carted off to the station.
As a result, flirting has turned into something of a fine art: telephone numbers are occasionally
flung dramatically between the open windows of moving cars, and there are suburban coffee
shops serving as colourful pick-up points (although the Dutch courage provided by watermelon
milkshakes remains questionable). The majority of wooing, however, still goes on behind the
closed doors of private parties.
3) RAVE CULTURE
4) WESTERN MUSIC
The religious minefield presented by clothing restrictions
in the Islamic Republic is one that many young Iranians
are all too willing to wander into as a means of making a
statement. Bright colours, according to the authorities, are
off limits; suits are okay, but ties are too Western; short
sleeves are acceptable but few people will risk wearing
shorts even if they’re running to put the rubbish out. It’s the
girls, however, who have had to make the most adjustments,
not only knowing how far back a hejab can be worn before
it technically becomes a scarf, but also managing to turn
it into an icon of Iranian femininity along the way – surely
one of the most impressive feats of aesthetic evolution in
fashion history. It’s not surprising, then, that designers like
Monsoon, Zara and Diesel are making such a dent in the
high-class shopping malls of northern Tehran, although
less wealthy Iranians are forced to settle for the bazaar
downtown, where regularly misspelled designer labels
(Kelvin Kline, Armini) are sold on spools like ribbon and sewn
into clothes while you wait.
Some 60% of Afghanistan’s opium and heroin leaves the
country via Iran, and drug addiction is an almost accepted
part of Iranian society – historically as prevalent among its
great poets as it is within today’s army of out-of-work actors.
Recently, however, designer drugs like ecstasy have become
an increasingly common currency for the youth of Tehran,
who regularly leave the city and cross the Alborz mountains
in convoys of hopped-up Peugeot 205s, and then dance the
night away behind the closed doors of a family villa in one of
the pre-Revolutionary pleasure resorts crumbling beside the
murky Caspian Sea. As a result, techno music is making ever
stronger inroads into the popular consciousness, its blazing
basslines and pounding four-four beats a middle finger to
the religious establishment, and as unsubtle a contrast to
the melancholic discord of traditional Iranian music as a
cheeseburger to a bowl of delicately flavoured Iranian stew.
Most Iranian cab drivers, once they’ve caught a snatch of
English being spoken in their backseats, will do everything
in their power to prove that they’re wise to the intricacies of
Western culture. Many do so conversationally – asking how
easy it is to get work as a lifeguard in London, or bragging
about how many girlfriends they’re currently stringing along
– although those with less of a head for languages tend to
simply slip a CD into the stereo, sit back and let their tunes
do the talking. The results can be mildly disconcerting: music
is bought on faith from CD rippers in the local bazaars, who
compile their own illicit mixes of what they think is currently
popular in the States. To this end, it’s not uncommon for
Westerners to find themselves being driven through the city
with the Backstreet Boys, Bryan Adams or Elton John blaring
from the imported sub-woofer behind their ears, responding
to the driver’s optimistic rear-view mirror glances with
mortified smiles.
}
T ehran G raff i t i
}
1) ROMANTIC LOVE
2) FASHION
11
It may be decidedly low on B-boys and backwards caps, but Iran’s capital does boast an underground graffiti scene that sees kids
of all ages risking potential imprisonment to scrawl their sentiments on the streets. Subversive Banksy-esque stencils may be
notable by their absence, but the pieces on display around Tehran are often no less politically charged: a finger flipped to the
religious autocracy by letting them know that young Iranians are enjoying the very things the government would deny them
– Western music, drugs, even love. And while they can hardly rival the complex murals of cities like London or Paris, there is
something deliriously charming in their simplicity: an expression of the innocent humanity at the heart of one of the world’s most
maligned and misunderstood countries.
T ehran G raff i t i
10
By: Cyrus Shahrad
12
SPY: Joska
SPY 1
}
Joska was born in the crust of a beautiful shell on
an island far away from any known country. Joska
enjoyed living between lovely animals, and spent
days with them exploring the enormous rain forest
and spending afternoons nibbling freshly picked
fruits. Together with her animal friends, Joska
started painting every tree, every stone, every
hair on every creature on the entire island. This
made them hungrier. When the island was painted,
they swam and swam, painting the sea. Joska was
so emerged in the world beneath her she failed to
notice as one by one the current carried away her
animal friends.
Suddenly Joska found herself alone, in a country called
Germany where Joska works, studies and still wants to
paint everything. When asked to provide a statement
about her work, Joska said:
The truth is that I don’t have any actual statement for
my own work! I don´t think too much about it in this way.
I try to draw what I want. I like to draw my surroundings/
my environment. I like to draw animals and fantasy
creatures like monsters or weird looking humans, so
I draw them/it … I like to see how people react to my
work and I try to make people happy, smiling, laughing,
thinking, remembering, crying, asking, thinking some
more, leaving their world/feelings/thoughts, forgetting,
drawing themselves, talking, reading, listening,
watching, speaking, escaping from their worries, getting
ideas, scaring, relaxing, making things possible...
My favorite thing to do is to paint and draw.
SPY:
Adolf
Gil
Adolf Gil was born in 1970 and studied to be an
engineer, which worked out for him because he ended
up as a concert promoter and eventually went to live
in Australia for a spell. In 1998, he made the decision
to ‘dedicate his life to painting.’
What you see here is the same painting cast under a
different light. It may be difficult or impossible to grasp on
the printed page, but it’s too good not to try. Here’s some
hints from Adolf as you enter his frame.
14
I am interested in light, which is actually the main object
of my investigations. In my paintings, I use all kind of
techniques and materials (like natural pigments, cristal
powder, latex, luminescent paints, etc.), overstrike them in
layers on canvas; and like this, manage to make the observer
see changes in the colours and shapes. Depending on the
incidence of light (like the rotation of the sun as the hours
progress) and the position of the observer, the paintings
acquire a different presence. In my recent work, I have also
been investigating with luminescent paints, with which I
make them recover life in the absence of light, making the
paintings have a third image which is only shown at night.
My paintings usually tell stories and show the contradictions
and juxtapositions of the society in which we live, showing
on one side natural organic forms, like trees, animals or
humans, and on the other, pure geometrical shapes and
cities which depict extreme opposition to nature. In my
work these influences coexist in a singular frame and a
difference between night and day.
SPY 2
}
Wake up in the woods, go to sleep in the city … check out Adolf Gil!
INSIDE
Coming from Nowhere:
Working Class Hero
Fall, fall better, fail, fail better, sometimes the moment you can’t
run anymore is the same one where you find your step … sometimes
things come together only once we think they’ve disappeared.
16
The Basementizid.Kunst.Cellar in Heilbronn, Germany is a gallery for
contemporary arts, which explores text, images and sounds, considering
itself consciously addicted to a wide range of forms and voices. Every
month they launch a different platform to stimulate discussion between
regional, national and foreign artists. Basementiszid Kunst Cellar
knows that we are all foreign anyway, they live the motto: Think global,
act local.
}
INSIDE
An involuntary nomad, creator and curator Sergej Vutuc was used to
seeing trashed remnants of a city growing as the number of inhabitants
diminished. He’d watched waves of people leaving in search of something
else and he himself has also done the leaving. After the “Blickwinckel”
project in 2004, he found himself in a small city inhabited by products
and saw the locals mimicking the lifestyle on their shelves and screens.
“I started watching people like part of those products, walking from one
point to another, feeling free for this reason, feeling fear for that one …
cultural life appeared to have been killed and reborn as consumer good.
I started to speak with people about what we could bring to town to give
it some glow again. Blickwinckel began, held two exhibitions, completed
a project and closed. Two reasons for this were obvious: People were
put off by my bad German and the kids started to split town. This idea of
young people heading to the big city in search of a better life inspired me
to stay put and at the end of 2005, I was able to open the Basementizid
Kunst Cellar.”
Still thinking Global and acting Local, Sergej brought artists from all over
the world to this small German town to exhibit their work and communicate
with the people … and give to the people; to share lives, dreams, ideas
and “to offer people the feeling that where you’ve been isn’t as important
as what you are and break the mentality that states real life only happens
in the Metropolis.” At the same time, Sergej worked with locals to create
an artzine, hold parties that brought together local bands, dj’s and visual
artists in an attempt to break the walls.
Since opening the Cellar, Sergej has welcomed Ricky Adam, Klub 7,
Alberto Polo, Gerd Rieger, Bongout, Vectoriots, Mymonsters and others
… Filjio, Dave the Chimp, Viagrafik and Yummy Industry are some of those
slated to hit Heilbronn in 2007.
www.basementizid.com
“A working class hero is something to be … (they) keep you doped on
religion and sex and tv … a working class hero is something to be.”
– John Lennon
An Economic
Le boxx
art show
Fairytale
For Feet
Forget the proverb, feet are important and for many of
us, our shoes carry us more often than trains, plains or
automobiles. But, and maybe this is just me, I’m over the
sneaker craze (not that I was every in it, to be fair). I’m
of the sort that buys a pair of shoes and wears them to
death. We have an intense relationship (me shoes and
me) and I have to thank shoes for more than sparing
my soles hot sand or glass covered cement. Shoes, for
example, introduced me to the melancholy of fashion
victims; women wobbling in heels on ancient cobbles,
teen boys trading loafers for Vans because they were
born in the 80’s not growing up in them.
18
Malmö Sweden
Illustration: Guillaume Desmarets
There is a Berber proverb that says
when you die and it’s judgement time,
every limb, organ and other identifiable
piece of your body gets one vote to your
fate based on how you treated it. The
feet get two votes a piece. One vote for
themselves, and one vote for carrying
the weight of all the other pieces.
}
As every company on the planet appears to want in
on the art/merchandising tip, sneakers continue to
be celebrated even with the sweatshop stories, the
ridiculous margins and the knowledge that when we
make something unimportant out to be essential …
young and/or dumb people start to drool. Lust for life
replaced by lust for object, but the death drive never
exits. How many kids have been killed over sneakers?
Even after Naomi Klein’s No Logo put the sneaker/
sweatshop relationship into a light where it had no
choice but to change, fashion, comfortable feet and
good endorsements have seen the sneaker craze
growing and growing and growing and these objects
which cost (usually) less than 10 euro to manufacture
are sold at outrageous prices, endorsed by celebrities
and companies who continue to make a killing … as do
desperate parents and kids. One bleeds green, the other
red. The way to end the sneaker madness was to ignore
it, but that hasn’t happened. Now, perhaps something
else has. One of those rare moments when something
occurs that seems so obvious, so natural even, it is hard
to imagine that it hasn’t happened before (at least, not
like this).
Until now, a wealthy basketball player (like Michael
Jordan) or musician (think My Adidas and Run DMC),
would take the bait, putting their names as the glitter
on overpriced corporate products, contributing to social
myths that make for harsh material realities. Instead
of challenging a predominantly white and plutocratic
establishment, they took the money to the bank turning
their back on street level implications as ‘we the people’,
adored these cherished marks, expressing admiration in
the form of cash.
Then along came Stephan Marbury and perhaps the end
of the 100-200 dollar hyped shoe. Nobody, but Marbury
and his business manager will know the drive behind
this seemingly philanthropic move, but let’s not worry
about that right now.
The bottom line is that a professional athlete, an NBA
all star, and a kid who dragged himself out of forgotten
quicksand streets, has put out a shoe line where the
highest price is under 15$. But a 15$ shoe can’t be good
enough to really play in, can it? Well, Marbury does. Good
enough for a pro, good enough for the playground.
When seen as commodity, shoes, like art are only worth
what people are willing to pay for them. Marbury, for the
moment, has broken the paradigm and will at least let us
see if the people actually want the paradigm broken.
Artists proudly presented:
Mark Gonzales, Fernando Elvira, Stefan Marx, Pontus Alv, Jocko Weyland, Rick & Buddy,
Nils Svensson, Jaka Babnik, Richard Gilligan, Anders Jandér, Martin Ottosson, Ian Dykmans,
BLEND, Simon Sjödin, Nicke Svensson, Alexis Zavialoff
Vernissage 1:st of december, Doors open at 19.00
Grand opening of the sculpture Le Boxx 21.00 with live skateboarding
Bar, music and dancefloor
Address:
Stapelbäddshuset/Stapelbäddsparken, Stora Varvsgatan 15
Buss 3, stop at Kockums
More info:
www.bryggeriet.org/leboxx
}
FA i R Y TA l E F O R F E E T
Stapelbäddshuset
19
Text: Christine Strawberry
1 - 31 december
That said, don’t expect supply or demand to shrink as far
as other sneaker companies are concerned. I can’t tell
you why, but the craze appears ready to continue.
Contact info: Föreningen Bryggeriet, Ystadvägen 46, 214 45 MALMÖ, SWEDEN, tel. +46 40 92 65 85, info@bryggeriet.org, www.bryggeriet.org
And Everything Else in China
A Travel Journal written in Snaps
Almost every issue, somebody wants to testify to the relevance of
skaters transforming design into possibility. Here’s a testimony in
silence, from a land that appears less and less far away with each
morning’s headline.
G R E A T W A LL
}
G R E A T W A LL
}
21
20
By KEVIN METALLIER
Riding the Great Wall: And Everything Else in China
Riding the Great Wall:
Riding the Great Wall: And Everything Else in China
Lakai
Limited
Footwear
QSFTFOUT
22
VERY SOON!
G R E A T W A LL
}
featuring:
ERIC KOSTON / MIKE CARROLL / MARC JOHNSON
GUY MARIANO / CAIRO FOSTER / RICK HOWARD
BRANDON BIEBEL / JEFF LENOCE / SCOTT JOHNSTON
ROB WELSH / ANTHONY PAPPALARDO / JESUS FERNANDEZ
THE FRENCH CONNECTION & THE ROYAL FAMILY
LAKAI LIMITED FOOTWEAR / The Shoes We Skate / 955 Francisco Street, Torrance, CA 90502 / ad #91 / www.lakai.com and www.crailtap.com
}
G R E A T W A LL
24
Riding the Great Wall: And Everything Else in China
Squatting the White Cube
hits a military hangar
Sometimes such events are moments in the build up to something else altogether … and
sometimes I’m over enthusiastic about enthusiasm, about people who do …
I was invited to Vienna to participate in an event and tell a story. On Friday afternoon, I landed and
Lilo met me at the airport. We drove across the city to a semi abandoned hangar that had been used
by the Austrian military to house and manufacture tanks. It had been almost two years since the one
and only time I’d met him and they show up worse on me. The weather, he told me, had gone from
yellow to grey in the time it took him to pick me up. The air was wet and smelled of wood. I inhaled
and tasted a mixture of saw dust and spray. Inside the hangar, bodies were moving. Wrists rigid and
supple, fingers pressing down on the bomb, knees firm as the jigsaw appeared to be everybody’s
favorite toy, and people passed back and forth with purpose. Lilo introduced me, but nobody seemed
all that interested in small chat. The place was huge and though it was evident that loads of work had
been done, it was clear that there was much more to do. The event was in less than 24 hours.
When art enters into a sponsored affair, we hope that the artists
receive conditions that reflect their value in view of the proposed
budget. We’d like to see them sleeping in comfortable beds, able
to get their rest or privacy if they want it, and generally treated in a
way that they (at a minimum) lose nothing for their time, not even
sleep. Sometimes this happens, sometimes we find floors. Putting
up 15 people for a week is never going to be cheap, but a sic solution
was found. It wasn’t four star, but it did mean that this group of
yesterday’s strangers were going to live and work together in the
most intense way for a solid week.
Every crew had their own sleeping compartment on this train.
A jigsaw had been brought along,
just in case … but the carving began
quickly. Letters got sliced out of slabs
of wood, totem poles were constructed,
the jigsaw became a key player in the
production of all this work. This is
where all that sawdust had come from.
No fingers were lost in the build up to
this event.
One of two … well, here’s the other.
Busk. Saw stencils and paste ups and
stickers from him all across Wiener Town.
Normally busk means, to play music or
perform in a public place, usually while
soliciting money. Don’t know how a guy
you never see manages to solicit cash, but
maybe that’s the play in his name. He’s
performing, producing, but not soliciting,
at least not in public … just putting up and
and out and again, often … and if he is
soliciting in public, I couldn’t tell you what
it is he’s after.
In my apartment it’s police sirens, on the farm it is still the rooster’s cockledoodledoo and at an abandoned
military hangar in Vienna revelry was like a bomb going off. The train rattled and clinked, there was a loud noise
and smatterings of rough voices. Good Morning geezers, just when you thought the green had gone, here come
the tanks to welcome you rudely into a brand new day, another opportunity to kill the gringo in you.
To approach the stranger is to invite the unexpected, release a new force, let the genie out of the
bottle. It is to start a new train of events that is beyond your control...” ts eliot
Mostly thanks to the support of Kathi, Felix,
Paul and Stefan who made sure that nobody
said New Orleans when the storm hit and
stayed beside him as the core of the crew
who pulled this all off.
When I saw this pile of trash, I thought, wow, the Red
Bull clean up crew has their work cut out for them if
they’re going to match that. Of course I didn’t think
that. I don’t remember what I thought. I just remember
that it was one of the first finished pieces that caused
me to stop before it.
This is going to get boring. Collaboration continues … but what is collaboration?
When does it start? With the noise in the background and the faces around you?
With a conversation? A look? A discussion? Any study of collaboration suggests
that collaboration is a concept that provides the location to think of love. Love and
Collaboration: This was a marriage that wrote itself all over the enormous hangar.
What reason, besides love, would make a person work like hell for a week, sleep in a
train full of strangers (with the shower across the street at the tennis courts) and hang
out in the outskirts of Vienna while the city keeps moving in the near distance?
With the army behind them, the band of disobedient
troops slowly woke up and got back to work. By the
time Friday rolled around, everybody had inhaled a
bit too much spray or simply spent all the serious
energy they had.
C100 is not working on a book called The
Advertising of Rebellion, though he made a pretty
good model as he offered himself up to be bombed
and tried to find his wings with a Red Bull when the
paint took him down.
Red Bull worked with Montana
(Spain) for the event and some
special cans were produced and
provided, giving the artists a
creative condition, color. Every
story has its color, this time
it would be selected from a
spectrum before the story ever
started.
Collaboration continues and maggots get
personalities as artists overlap. Guilhaume
from Farm Prod put his own spin on a maggot
face as did Tika and Elak from the TGS crew
(Zurich)
}
WHITE CUBE
}
Organizing an event can be high stress, from
the first phone call or conversation right
through the moment the whole spectacle
has been broken down and is being
digested. In co-operations like this one, the
likelihood is that any compensation, the
organizer, like the artists, get for their time
comes in shapes that banks don’t accept.
Meeting new people, sharing ideas, working
hard because it’s who you are, seeing the
birth of new creative works, this is the type
of payment that drives some people. It’s a
rare and beautiful thing. Here you can see
a picture of Lilo in the eye of the hurricane.
It’s pretty confusing, I admit, that smile
… normally he should be at least a little
stressed right about now. But that image
doesn’t lie. Young man is enjoying himself.
Maggots. Remember the film ‘The Lost Boys?’ No? Ok,
imagine opening up a Chinese Take Away carton and
where you’d hope for noodles finding hundreds of dark
little maggots sliming around. This was the image the
film planted in me, all those ugly maggots and worms
going nowhere. A truly nasty image for a box I knew
well and liked the smell of. In Vienna, there are maggots
everywhere and they’re speaking. What they’re saying
is that Made is one of two local artists who works the
hardest to get up, often.
27
26
In an old military hangar in Vienna, the genie got evicted. What took place, the week I did not
witness, is where the stories that interest me are. Let’s take a look at the week and I’ll tell you some
of what I can confirm.
Historically, Totem Poles were used to
represent clans. What was represented
by this one? I remember a large cock
and a blue drip of sperm that might have
been a tear had it not fallen from that
giant grinning face. Most of the crew
participated in the totems, and eventually
this led to large cut outs with close
carvings.
Made = Maggot
The event itself, was a celebratory party to mark the birthday of Red Bull’s Brandwagen initiative,
where they offer up a pimped out fire truck to various bands, support spontaneous concerts at festival
camping grounds and other venues, acting, in a way, as patrons of the arts. Lilo, his studio dvsn.at,
and friends worked with Red Bull to add visual aesthetics to the sound and invited 15 artists, all with
street roots, all with different styles, to gather and collaborate on decorating the Brandwagen itself
and the massive venue where this private party would take place.
From what I saw, I imagine that Red Bull was proud of the event. 40 different bands that they had
supported turned up to say thanks, and the work done by the artists gave soul to the space. People
ate, drank and were merry. This however, isn’t the story that interested me and those that did, I wasn’t
there to see. What interested me was the process of these different artists meeting each other and
beginning to work together.
Guillaume Desmarets was the one non German
speaker in the group. When he couldn’t
understand, he put his head down and doodled.
When he did understand, he brought other artists
to a line where their imaginations met. This is the
start of a piece he worked up together with Made
and the Atzgerei crew.
Busking up high – one of
the downsides of the event
was that the space was
closed off for the actual
party and some great
pieces like this one were
tough to see. See it now.
Bon Voyage … as Guillaume heads towards
the airport, he gets a glimpse at a result
of the week they hadn’t imagined; a
living, breathing maggot pasted up where
everybody riding shotgun is sure to see it
– a collaboration between new friends that
made for the sweetest of souvenirs and the
most poetic of endings.
Participating Artists Were: C100, Busk/CMOD, Nero, Alva, Kryot, Mosta, Sep, Guifari, M8, Tika, Elak, 56k, Made, Atzergerei, Rich:Art,
Lens, Koast, Kers/Tony and HELL.
Here’s a good example of non
intentional, very serious and timeless
Austrian street art, I mean advertising.
It says:
From Punk to Grandma, the Wiener
Wurstelmann is good for everybody!
WHITE CUBE
“There are events which are so great that if a writer has participated
in them his obligation is to write truly rather than assume the
presumption of altering them with invention.” – E. Hemingway
A bouquet of pink that ran through red towards
violet, black, white, grey and chrome … this was
the palette the artists had to play with, and that
is one massive shadow … as the work begins. On
a side note, did you know that Mattel actually
sells a Barbie Bling Bling line? The colors made
me quiver when I heard them, but didn’t remind
me a bit of Miami Vice when I saw how they were
laid out.
Steve’s love of art was fueled by the surf and the street. You can nearly hear him laughing from Australia as he explains that he tried his
hand at graffiti (Stevie G), but still can’t use a spray can to save his life and was part of the local crew that began to draw street art out
of graffiti, until, well, the cane came down and that was enough for him. I asked him if there was a street piece that was proud of, but he
shrugged it off.
“What I’m proud of? Did you know I’m about to have a kid with the woman I absolutely love and adore and in terms of being proud,
nothing else in my entire life even comes close.”
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}
RiDERS iNK
}
The news is that he’s deep in the waters of his true loves: surfing, traveling and creating. Insight pays him to set up their installations
around the planet and according to a colleague, the only thing longer than Steve’s travel itineraries are his expense reports. Lucky Boy.
Or is he? Steve refutes that. Not the travel, but says his funds are on the shoe string and part of why he succeeds is that he can make
something of nothing even when he’d like it to be the other way around.
Lucky, yes perhaps, lucky and talented … he created the legendary ad agency The Revolution and won an Aria for his cover design of
Powderfinger’s Vulture Street. Having done several group shows, he’s now prepping for his first solo show in Sydney and designing
board shorts with his brother.
RiDERS iNK
28
RIDERS INK WITH:
Touring the world with Insight, have you seen any stuff that inspires you lately?
“I love most street art and Barcelona and New York stand out in my mind. Half the time I don’t know who has done what, I just know I love what I see and
that’s inspirational. I really like Eric Parker and Keiji Ito’s stuff at the moment.”
You also mention Peter Webb as one of your strongest influences. Could you describe what it is about Peter that enchants you?
30
“Peter is legend. Him and his mates were responsible for that massive art movement in the surf industry that hit in the late 80’s and early 90’s. They called
it War Paint and I’d say it was this that hooked me onto a job in the surf industry. Later, I was lucky enough to work with the man himself. He was like the
Iggy of the commercial surf art world and his own art remains amazing. He also happened to be the guy that latched me onto the Modern Lovers, who are
to the day, my favorite band.”
RiDERS iNK
}
32
RiDERS iNK
}
Now with Insight, Steve works often with the title Commercial Artist. But what exactly is a
commercial artist (if its commercial, is it still art) and what’s the difference between that and
a ‘simple’ artist?
“A commercial artist is what they used to call graphic designers and I think it sounds way
better. Graphic designer sounds shit, sounds like you should hang out at IKEA a lot and wear
lots of Paul Frank clothing. The difference between the two can be tricky, but art is more of a
true release and commercial art is a bit more contrived as time is money and money is milk.”
Money is milk, what an image if you transplant it to a bank. Safes just wouldn’t have the
same structure.
Steven describes his work as a mix of surrealism and pop, which we could see as father to
son. So what’ll the art scene look like by the time his baby is riding a board? Who fucking
knows. Between waves, keep your eyes on Steven to see what he churns out next.
Iw
KuKula
www.kukulaland.com
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}
I l l ustrated W O R K S
}
K
KuKula drew a picture, Mom hung it on the fridge
Kindergarten teacher told mom, KuKula draws pretty curses a lot
and fix mouth with band aid and soap
Age four KuKula finds out don’t throw stuff away
Now there’s lots of stuff, KuKula have lots of stuff
Mom sent KuKula to design and art academy in Tel Aviv to make career
Teachers say KuKula and drawings like poison candy
KuKula likes lychee flavored toffee from the central bus station
KuKula like to complain a lot and always think the glass half empty
KuKula always smile and nice nice even though nobody believe her
KuKula illustrates for newspapers, newspapers make KuKula sick
Kukula gonna die, Kukula quits
KuKula believes in the Evil Eye
KuKula born in Israel, Israel there’s beach and buddies to play in the sand
KuKula run far far away to America
America big no friends no greencard no bread, To eat KuKula draws pictures
to hang on the fridge, KuKula hungry no more
Momoca and KuKula makes clothes together, clothes are important so you
won’t get cold and for covering the tuches
McDonalds hamburgers make stomachache for KuKula
KuKula like-a the salads, When KuKula get sick KuKula like to eat chicken
soup in bed. KuKula always five years old
I l l ustrated W O R K S
34
Illustrated Works With:
I l l ustrated W O R K S
}
37
I l l ustrated W O R K S
}
K
36
To taste a slice of her subconscious head to the soon to be
updated Beat13 website: www.beat13.co.uk.
39
I l l ustrated W O R K S
LUCY
MCLAUCHLAN
Illustrated Works With:
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I l l ustrated W O R K S
}
LM
All Lucy “ever wanted to do was draw” and after turning
down a lucrative deal with a major brand who’d have happily
paid her to draw, but would have sucked out her soul, she
proved she wasn’t going to become yet another branded
commercial artist. Since then Lucy Mclauchlan’s artwork
has gone from strength to strength in it’s own right, with
exhibitions across the globe; it’s now not only her screen
prints but also her original artwork that has become
increasingly desirable and sought after. But for Lucy it’s
still about the drawing, the simple need to create the perfect
line, mark making in it’s most basic form. Her intuitive
approach allows her subconscious mind to take control
and this is what makes her art unique: the character driven,
organic undertones and densely populated images emerge
from within her tranquil exterior and manifest on surfaces
that range from breasts to cars, covering millimeters to
meters.
}
Iw
I l l ustrated W O R K S
}
41
I l l ustrated W O R K S
}
LM
40
Iw
Brooke
Illustrated Works With:
Reidt
BR
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}
I l l ustrated W O R K S
}
Brooke doesn’t realize (or does she) that either she is a poet or her life is a poem.
She wrote me that she’s turned on by not for profit and has a new project going
with Element Skateboards along those lines. Apparently she works as much as she
worries: clothes, paintings, wood carvings, a little bit of whatever leaping out of
her in hope of something more sane. The work she sent it could be bundled into the
following batches: Journal, Birds, Portraits and … I donno … everything delicate,
intricate, images of that suitcase life laced onto nature … her work powerful and
unpredictable, somehow sweet and full of the scars that the road and time will
tell on us all.
I l l ustrated W O R K S
42
“Home can’t be mapped. I keep my suitcase packed and I’m nearly a quarter of a
century old. I’ve moved more times than I have fingers and toes to count on, so I’ve
quit counting and I now embrace all my sojourns, adopting a somewhat habitual
transient way in the process. If home is where the heart is, my anchor is rusting
in my art. My paintings are visceral maps and short breathes between suffocation.
My intention is to defy flightless fables, continue the contagion of adoration and
timeless preservation of my indefatigable inamorata integrity.”
I l l ustrated W O R K S
}
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I l l ustrated W O R K S
}
BR
44
Pretty,
ain’t it?
By David Gaffney/Illustration by Nelson
David Gaffney’s book, Sawn Off Tales is available in bookshops and at www.saltpublishing.com
S AW N O F TA L E S
I didn’t see Mrs Kalinsky again for weeks and I never
got my cut. Then from the window of the police van,
I saw her with the vet in a restaurant, drinking wine.
And laughing.
}
But I couldn’t go through with it. Then two weeks later
a ginger tom got flattened on the A556 out of Eccles.
I scraped him into a bin bag, dyed him Alfred’s colour,
and took him to Mrs Kalinsky’s vet.
47
Mrs Kalinsky spoke through wreaths of smoke from
the cigarette she had permanently cocked at the side
of her head. ‘This is Alfred.’ The fat pampered cat
looked up at her. ‘He’s insured for two grand.’ Her long
nylon-clad legs made a hissing sound as she crossed
and uncrossed them. ‘Double if he gets run over.’ She
stroked the flabby ball of fur. Bars of shadow from the
Venetian blinds made her expression unreadable.
akay
anonymous group of knitters
armspop
the london police
BY SARA AND MARC SCHILLER
dan witz
blu
wayne horse
crate art
morcky
What exactly is it about street art that makes it so incredibly
intriguing and alluring for people of all walks of life in cities and
countries across the world?
by Sara and Marc Schiller / www.woostercollective.com
48
nano
}
The one thing we know from writing about ephemeral art each day
on the Wooster Collective website is that the number one reason
people visit the website is because it inspires them.
Our favorite street artists have a vision of that perfect wall or
rooftop for their piece to coexist. To be true to this vision, legal
access to that ideal space for the piece is impossible to obtain
and because of this, it needs to be stolen. It’s for this reason that
we’ve come to believe that street art can only be effective if it’s
done illegally. The illegality of street art is part of its DNA.
STREET ART
One evening this summer we sat down with the goal of attempting
to de-construct the “DNA” of street art. Over a nice bottle of
Spanish Rioja, for the first time since launching the Collective over
pez and kenor
five years ago, we put down onto paper what we felt it is about
street art that makes it so damn powerful for us and for others.
nomad
joska
Jerome G Demuth
The first thing we wrote down were the words - “LOCATION,
LOCATION, LOCATION!”
For street art to be truly effective and powerful, the location it’s
placed in is absolutely critical. For the best street artists, the
location the work is placed in is just as important as the piece
While we love interesting art on legal walls, we don’t consider it
“street art”. We consider it public art. Once the art is placed on
a predetermined and approved space, the act of collaboration
between the city and the artist ceases to exist and the piece loses
it’s most important quality - that perfect spot that exists only to
mind’s eye of the artist.
Which artists understand the concept of location the best? For
us, two artists who stand out are Blu in Italy and Armsrock in
Germany. One only has to look at their pieces to know that these
artists take location extremely seriously.
So after writing down the words “LOCATION, LOCATION,
LOCATION!” we wrote down the second set of words “SURPRISE
AND DELIGHT”
Why “surprise and delight”?
Because there’s something about discovering street art when you
least expect it that makes it so damn cool – and just plain fun
- to experience. Street art isn’t meant to find you; you’re meant
to find it. You walk around the corner and you see something that
is so interesting and utterly unique that you have one of those
“What the fuck???” moments. You say to yourself – Who the hell
did this? Why the hell did they do it? And most importantly, why
is it here of all places?
Each year we take a group of people who have lived in New York
for some time - but who say that they have never noticed street art
before - on a walking tour of Lower Manhattan. The group usually
consists of people of all types and walks of life - Wall Street
bankers, housewives, grandmothers… you name it.
}
itself. The city becomes a collaborator with the artist.
And the number one reason we continue to keep the website
going each day is for the very same reason… because the art and
the artists inspire us.
wayne horse
zevs
For years we’ve been trying to answer this very question.
49
gib fresh
tono
STREET ART
Tanc
armspop
blu
dan witz
For the first part of the tour, it’s usually us pointing out
pieces to people as we walk along our route from Soho
to the Lower East Side. But inevitably, by the time
we’re midway through the walk, its not us only pointing
out pieces, but others as well. Each year people start
discovering pieces on their own: A stencil of Ghandi on
the pavement below them; an old Akay sticker on the
lamppost above; a Shepard Fairey wheatpaste on the wall
across the street. It’s these moments of pure “surprise and
delight” that are the most enjoyable for us. By the end of
the walking tour many people tell us ‘ I will never see the
city in the same way again.”
There are lots of examples of artists, as well as individual
pieces, that best capture the elements of surprise
and delight. Two of our favorites: The first, a massive
figure made out of shipping crates that appeared one
afternoon on a factory in Melbourne that gave morning
train commuters something fun to look at as they rode
into town. The second, a series of incredibly creative
alterations to street cross walks done in Montreal by the
artist Roadsworth.
After writing down the words “surprise and delight” we
then wrote down the phrase - “must have something to
say.”
For the final element of street art’s DNA we wrote down the
word “Personal” I guess this is, for us, the most important
element of what makes street art so powerful. Every piece
of amazing street art is a little piece of the artist’s life that
has been put out in public for enjoyment, criticism, and
destruction. Many of these pieces take hours or even days
to create. There are dangers to “get up” and most pieces
}
Two artists who come to mind that do this quite effectively
are Zevs for his protests against McDonalds, and the
anonymous group of knitters in Copenhagen who covered
a Danish World War II combat tank in a giant pink knitted
cozy to protest Denmark’s involvement in the war in Iraq.
51
}
STREET ART
But for us, street art doesn’t need to be political for it to
have something to say. What the piece does need though,
is to clearly project and articulate how the artist sees
the world he or she lives in. It’s peering into the artist’s
minds eye through their art that makes it interesting. The
piece on the street can be humorous or serious. It doesn’t
matter. What does matter is that through the piece we
begin to understand how the artist uniquely views the
world in which we live. We love that they use their art to
deliver a message.
will not last long. Knowing that the artist put so much energy into a
piece of art that may last on the street for only an hour is incredibly
inspiring. We believe that you can peek into an artists personality,
desires and dreams by looking at their public - anonymous - art.
to build up around the base of the lampposts where his stickers
were placed. What was so compelling was that the stickers were
his personal response to the terrorist attacks and embodied his
profound sadness and emotion
Some great examples of the personal nature of street art is the work
of Dan Witz and “The Fats.”
“The Fats” were a series of anonymous stickers that went up in 2001
and 2002. They were simple, hand drawn stickers that had images
of ‘fat people’ drawn on them. Each sticker had a specific saying;
things like “the fats are people to” or “the fats have friends”. The
simple line drawings and phrases made you think – Why did this
We first saw Dan Witz’s work after September 11 when he placed
a series of shrine stickers on lampposts fanning out from where
the World Trade Center once stood. Dan’s handmade stickers
were so compelling that real life three-dimensional shrines began
person feel compelled to make these stickers? Is the artist actually
STREET ART
50
For some reason most people want street art to be political.
We don’t know exactly why this is the case, but we guess
that by knowing that each and every time the artist hits
the streets they risk being arrested, its easiest for people
to comprehend why someone would be compelled to use
street art to protest a cause or action.
fat? Is their best friend or lover fat? How does anyone balance our
society which is so focused on fast food and appearances?
These stickers embodied so many personal feelings that they
have stuck with us for years.
In closing, while we we’re well aware of how important the
Wooster Collective website is for people all over the world, we’re
also aware that street art isn’t meant to be seen on the internet.
Street art is supposed to be experienced on the street. Period.
around the world you become inspired yourself.
Whether you see a piece as it evolves every day on the way to
work, or travel to cities around the globe to experience street art
in other cultures, it is the experience of discovery that stays with
you and shapes you . It allows you to view the city environment
through new eyes from seeing the environment that the art is
in. By being surprised at the humor and ingenuity of artists
By tapping into the intimacy of the art, you begin to believe
that you have experienced something that was put there, just
for you…..
Our advise…..
….. never stop looking!
STREET ART
}
STREET ART
}
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52
dan witz
herbert circulos
Pictoplasma 2006:
Are the Characters still at War?
words/images: Tristan Manco
It’s the morning after the night before… I awake from a
feverish dream of spinning cup cakes, one-eyed blue ponies
and furry red creatures rocking out to air guitar. Even as
this dream fades I begin to see characters everywhere I
look; my breakfast toast develops an artistic personality
and runs away with a spoon to work on a concept album
- nothing is as it first appears. After four days at the
Pictoplasma Conference I was sleeping, eating and dreaming
a world of the strangest creatures.
The four days began with a Character Walk. Scattered across the Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg districts of Berlin the conference had commandeered 30 galleries and project spaces for a range
of free to the public shows and installations. Artists included Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, David
Shrigley, Doma, Nathan Jurevicius and Derrick Hodgson to name a few. Following the maps
provided of the gallery circuit felt like a treasure hunt. For Berlin visitors there was the added
bonus of discovering upcoming and offbeat show spaces.
Initially the idea was to be able to meet and talk with other artists and designers in the flesh since
a lot of working relationships were usually conducted on the Internet. The programmed series of
lectures aimed to explore the artistic process by inviting artists and studio heads to speak openly
about their motivations and art practice. The lectures were complemented by workshops, screenings and of course character karaoke – which brings me back to those red furry creatures, but not
just yet...
Everyone will have his or her favourites from the shows but I enjoyed the anarchic flavour of
an artist called Moki. To discover her world you had to climb several flights of stairs to enter
a spooky environment. It felt like the contents of a hundred children’s storybooks had been
thrown around the room. This mixed media installation featured humans with animal heads,
stuffed toys mounted like hunting trophies and costumed creatures wandering around oblivious and camera shy. http://www.misshecker.org/. A warm-up party rounded off the day with
visuals provided by Friends With You, the highlight of which was an adult romper room with
giant inflatable balls and kids party music.
After a late night of nodding to intelligent techno, drinking beer with Jägermeister and wandering the streets with a kebab in my hand I felt refreshed to take in the next day. The following
events took place at Haus der Berliner Festspiele with its thousand-seater auditorium, café and
spaces to chill out. As the day’s events rolled by it became clear that Pictoplasma had hit upon
a winning formula; the animation screenings were faultless, while the combination of studio
presentations, artist lectures and academic discussions gave you an insight into the processes
of pure and applied creativity.
Screening nearly 60 films over three days, the animation programme was a unique mix of
music videos, commercials and student shorts from all corners of the globe ranging from the
}
PI C T O PL A S M A
}
Enthused by these projects and connected to a global network of talented artists Pictoplasma’s
founders Peter Thaler and Lars Denicke decided to create a conference for people who love characters and people who create them. “This is not about Klingons or a trade fair” they were quick to
point out in their opening speech. The intention was to look at characters as a “cultural movement
rather just a commercial one”.
55
The Pictoplasmic world began as a book showcasing new directions in character design and the
pictorial logos that were becoming increasingly common in graphic design. The first volume was
packed with examples of figurative pixel and vector art. A second soon followed with additional
chapters on freehand drawing, action figures, puppets and street art. Pictoplasma then plunged
into new territory with “Characters in Motion” a DVD & book that explored character-driven animations from ‘cutting edge’ studios, animators and designers. The books have become essential reference, complemented by an encyclopaedic website database of over 1,500 international
artists. Pictoplasma is now a hub for art fandom, networking and talent spotting– which in turn
drives its publications and projects forward.
PI C T O PL A S M A
54
Hosted in Berlin, this was Pictoplasma’s second conference of contemporary character design and
art. Its publicity posters featured costumed characters from artists such as Boris Hoppek, Doma
and Akinori Oishi seated around a conference table as though plotting world domination. If you
imagined that this conference might feature Snoopy and Donald Duck discussing the plight of underprivileged cartoon characters then you would be wrong, but not too way off. The campaign images were a perfect match for this offbeat event that celebrates the diversity of character culture
through the eyes of independent artists rather than mega corporations such as Disney.
charmingly simple to the mind-blowingly complex. It’s a little unfair to pick favourites but
‘Middle Dog Gets Angry’ by George Gendi proved something magic could be produced with
simple line drawings whereas ‘Tyger’ by Guilherme Marcondes (www.guilherme.tv) and ‘Codehunters by Ben Hibbon (www.statelessfilms.com) illustrated that high polished works
could also look original and beautiful.
Taking in almost10 lectures a day was like going out in a rainstorm of ideas, thoughts and
images – getting swamped but feeling refreshed afterwards. If there was one general theme
going through many of the talks it was the importance of bringing your own personality
into your work and subsequently bringing life and attitude into the characters you create.
Pictoplasma is often associated with designer toy characters and although many were in
evidence, the talks and presentations had a much broader scope. Artists and designers
showed character design used for diverse projects such as websites, commercials, paintings, installations, illustrations and museum design.
Possibly the most fun came from Shoboshobo, a.k.a Mehdi Hercberg from France who is a
musician, artist and teacher of multimedia graphic design. At one point in the presentation
he exclaimed, “Now let’s listen to the little girl scream” as he played back a high-pitched
squeal what sounded like of a three year old girl to the audience to demonstrate his Motor
Karaoke project. This involved people wearing motorbike helmets with microphones rigged
up to a computer racing game which they control through the volume of their voices – the
At a business conference some of these speakers might conceivably have been dragged away
and restrained, but this is an event that is open to ideas which brings me to the grand finale.
Pictoplasma have been moving into three dimensions. Through a pioneering orphanage programme (www.pictoorphanage.com) the general public can sponsor a 2 dimensional, graphical
character to be brought to life by internationally acclaimed costume designers Florence von
Gerkan, Bernd Skodzig and Hans Thiemann. Once these new stars are born a glittering career
lies ahead of them, with catwalk shows and music videos promised but for this final night these
characters were starring in a pop-opera and Live Character Karaoke.
On stage 16 trained dancers were assembled in furry, soft and sometimes hairy costumes translated from designs by artists including Doma, Akinori Oishi, Friends With You and Geneviève
Gaukler. Had they taken this character costume idea a bit far? Well if they had the audience
didn’t seem to mind and having grown up with TV shows like Sesame Street and The Banana
Splits seeing people dancing in furry costumes felt warmly nostalgic. The performance consisted of a strange modern dance sequence and then much my relief a musical medley of hip-hop
and heavy metal with the characters roller skating, break dancing and throwing some air guitar
moves which ended the conference with a bang.
Inspiration was available by the bucket load at Pictoplasma and this article could have included
any number of other great artists who would have be equally hard to describe in words. The
success of the conference lies in the character concept, which has been used to bring together
people from many different walks of life. This variety of artistic endeavours, creative industries,
professions and approaches that would not normally share the same platform has become a
hotbed for further collaborations and worldwide connections.
Now if you’re reading this and you weren’t there you are probably wishing you had been so all
I can say is type the word Pictoplasma into a search engine on a web browser - start exploring
and get into character!
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PI C T O PL A S M A
}
On the more maverick side, from individual artists there were many great moments. Wayne
Horse, an animator, film maker and graffiti artist from Bremen and now based in Amsterdam
treated us to his evolving story. From his graffiti background he started painting “Cutie”
characters on the street but despite their cute appearances these characters were very annoying. They kept getting into trouble with hard drugs and gangs and so he has been trying
to distance himself from their bad behaviour. He also revealed one of his alter egos – a
Mexican mask wearing wrestler with a trunk called Elephantos. A series of bizarre live action films explored him coming to terms with his sensitive side.
best screamer wins! He also showed us some dodgy Italian porn/horror comics he had found in
a flea market, which in turn had inspired his drawings described by the catalogue as “scribbles
of beautiful creepiness”.
PI C T O PL A S M A
56
From the studios present, highlights included UK based designers Airside who gave us an
honest and inspirational talk on their personal work across a range of platforms including
impressive animations for Lemon Jelly and equally successful commercial work “for the evil
world”. Two members of Australian based design group Rinzen explained how after the last
Pictoplasma conference two years ago, they were inspired to stay in Berlin and work with
their other three colleagues remotely. Their first job in Europe was to produce beautifully
detailed environments for Copenhagen’s Hotel Fox. The Rinzen portfolio includes a widerange of styles, as each member of the collective is encouraged to keep experimenting and
create his or her own artistic language. On the last day Studio aka from the UK wowed the
audience with a diverse show reel of animated shorts and insider anecdotes on the process
of pitching and developing an animation.
57
The speakers also showed us more than we bargained for, delving into their inspirations,
life stories and other works beyond characters. Jon Burgerman showed us for instance, how
to make a salad and Derek Hodgson showed us slides of his greenhouse. Some of the talks
were seriously ‘out there’ but the quirky approaches generally won you over. It was the
combination of very professional studio discussions and the slightly chaotic artists’ presentations that really made this conference original.
Ohne Scheiss
= Without Shit
I propose that the Anti Graffiti department the city police force has set
up is reassigned to Anti-Poop patrol and hustles up lazy dog walkers as
opposed to dynamic young kids. Instead of buffers, they could invest in
curbside shoe washers during the process. I might stink for a bit, but
at least I won’t spend 15 minutes scraping my shoes through a puddle,
banging them against the curb or in the worst cases needing a knife to
scrape the soles clean. Maybe I’ll even be able to look more people in
the eyes as the need to navigate these brown urban landmines slowly
decreases.
58
It’s not hard. You have a dog? You live in a city? I hope you walk your dog
a lot and that there’s a park nearby. Wherever you take it, take something
with you to clean up after it, just like you’d do your kid.
To learn more about the works and projects of Alejandro or to participate in the
Ohne Scheiss project, please visit: www.lecu.de
His Ohne Scheiss Project is a grass-roots effort focused on arousing solidarity
between pedestrians to help them overcome the dog shit left behind by
Berliner dog owners. A strong simple aesthetic, flaming red and followed by
concise phrases, Lecuna draws attention and offers keys to awareness. Will
dog owners read them or simply look the other way? If they look the other
way, I hope they step in some shit themselves and slip and …
The interesting thing is that Lecuna has provided a community tool calling
attention to a community issue that affects most residents of European cities
and not even the Green parties have picked up on it as a possible political
issue. It isn’t a political issue, but is an area that reflects the root of much
larger piles of shit. People don’t care. They accept what they ‘have’ to do. The
shit continues to stain the streets and the bombs continue to fall. Meanwhile
the police are more concerned with Graffiti and Street Art, because oops,
they have a message and don’t just stink. (Un)Fortunately (???) most people
are too busy thinking about where they might step to consider what common
message is behind all art projects on the streets, what the essence of this
need to communicate and challenge consensus actually represents. Lecuna’s
project allows him to investigate these enflamed claims, to watch and
document actions and reactions, exploring respect. What is acknowledged
in this documentation? Will his tool be used? Will his idea be practiced?
Will people one day start cleaning up after their dogs? Well, if you can quit
smoking with your beer because it’s the law, I guess you could also pick up
after your dog. So if everybody cleaned up after their dog would things be
better? Not so easy … it’s one thing to do something because you think and
choose to, and another because you have to. If we only start respecting each
other when it’s the law … it’ll be too late to understand what respect is. The
shit will still be there even when the doggie bombs are scooped up.
}
WiTHOUT SHiT
}
Dog shit on the streets is nasty, ugly, potentially dangerous (especially
in a place like Brussels where it rains more often than not) and shows a
complete lack of respect, suggesting that a person, able to ‘own’ a dog, is
not able of respecting or thinking of his or her neighbors. So what about
the dog? These evil people are almost as awful as the monkeys in the
call centers today who are trained to lie to you and, actually accept it.
Don’t know if it’s the same where you live, but that’s how it goes in many
Belgian companies. ‘Here’s a shitty salary. Lie to the people. Don’t give
your real name. Never give my name. You can leave at 17:00 and 16:30
on Friday. Have fun.’ ‘Ah, wow, this is easy. OK.’ This lying to customers
is often like beating them. ‘Now here’s a little more money. Please hit
the customer.’ ‘Ah, OK.’ You see how close we’re getting to Nazi’s and
cavemen? That’s extreme, but come on, don’t forget that I am You and the
other way around. I apologize in advance to anybody offended that I can
compare dog shit and call centers and the second world war, but get over
your sensibilities to see what is being compared: essentially all three are
about people not taking the time to simply fucking think OR having thought,
taking the easy and egoistic route to ignoring their responsibilities to each
other. I could go on to tell you why I throw irresponsible dog owners into a
category with Pro Life activists who kill people, the Animal Front Liberation
that seems to deny that humans are animals, elevating themselves to gods
by militantly insisting how each animal should treat each other and well,
yeah, the entire Vatican, as well as this growing group of American business
men making out with the Book of Tao, but if I did you’d soon forget about
how much you hate dog shit on your street and start thinking I’ve lost the
plot. That is why I’m very pleased to introduce the more sensible approach of
Venezuelan artist Alejandro Lecuna.
59
get it and yeah, it makes me angry. Some mornings I open my front
door to find a giant steaming dog pile there to welcome me into
my day. I don’t want to seem radical or anything, but since there
is a little tree surrounded by a small patch of grass only a meter
away, uhm, would it be that difficult to pull the dog to the patch?
Or put a diaper on the dog maybe. That’s ridiculous, I know, but
so is letting your pet, your responsibility, dispense its droppings
for suckers like me to step on, slip across and later stink of, only
because somebody else has no respect. For years I’ve been vowing
that if I see somebody doing this I will pick up that nasty pile and
using my best fastball, deliver a pitch that knocks the owner into
shock. ‘Why would anybody throw shit at me?’ Well you dumb fuck,
why would anybody leave it on the street? Or on my door step?
WiTHOUT SHiT
Dog shit on the streets: don’t like it, don’t
Alejandro Lecuna studied Graphic Design in
Caracas and later in New York, earning a degree in
Video Art in Berlin. Though he is a leading corporate designer
with UEFA, David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label, the NBA and Coca-Cola
among his clients, he is making a name for himself in the fine art world as
a video artist and activist exploring social issues and questioning the use of
public space. He lectures regularly at art and design institutions in Venezuela
and lives in Berlin where he recently completed a piece on recycling where he
left his ‘unwanteds’ on the curb and voyeuristically filmed his neighbors
sniffing around and claiming whatever aroused them. Corporate Art, Fine
Art, whatever, Alejandro Lecuna is working on the streets.
The intelligent techno precursors, masters in the art of melodies,
reversing and freezing with a childish ease. A great mathematical
sound, but so repetitive that it would give you the same desire to throw
your television as one of those politicians or the construction crew who
starts at 7 and finished at noon outside your window.
My Chemical Romance
It would be way too annoying to wake up being over 25 years old and
spend the rest of the day being 12 and hating society…
Mayhem
Those Norwegians are at the head of that diabolic Black Metal
movement.
Except for cutting the throat of your dog or going to profane the closest
church, even in night-clothes, it’s not the best way to have a cushy
breakfast...
50 cent
It could happen- your girlfriend will find you 20 minutes after you wake
up in the bathroom, with all her gold necklaces, wearing your open
bathrobe, convinced she’s going to be filmed next to your pool, another
one of many too fine for reality type figures all oiled up… Wake up, it’s
only the water running out of the faucet! Anyway, starting your day with
50 Cent when 50 should be plural is all too confusing.
Julio iglesias
Surely the most risky of the five for the cliché crowd. Since your wife
like so many women, goes ape for his gape and you obviously can’t
handle hearing his voice for a solid ten seconds without feeling sick, it
might be better just to burn this one a little bit before you go to bed to
kill all possibilities of (a) hearing it in the morning and (b) having a guy
called Julio as the reason to thank for your divorce. Reason number 111
on the good reasons to shoot yourself list.
Metal in the Middle East
Heavy metal music has always been shunned from society. You hear of countless cases from the past
whereby local judges have been condemning the music and its culture in favour of so called goodnatured mainstream music. Bubble gum pop and college rock are the order of the day, and anything
that strays from this straight and narrow gets the black sheep treatment. It’s under these conditions
that heavy metal has thrived. It has enjoyed becoming the biggest black sheep you have ever met.
Not only has metal become a multi million dollar industry but also it has now become accepted by the
mainstream as a credible form of art and expression in most countries. One place in which it is still
treading water and fighting for a place at the table is in fanatical religious Middle Eastern and North
African Muslim and Christian communities.
In Egypt for example a giant crackdown occurred in January 1997 by the interior ministry, amid allegations
of satanic worship, drug use and group sex. Over 100 fans and band members alike were arrested in
Cairo and tried for their anti-social and anti-Muslim and Christian behaviour. The state owned media
portrayed these people as freaks. Tales of clandestine parties whereby the participants drained cats
blood, had group sex and worshiped at the altar of Satan whilst listening to this outrageous form of
music, were rife and fed to an unknowing public. ``We are Arab Muslims. We respect our religion. But
we only love this music,” said Noor, a 23-year-old part-time German language teacher and guitarist
for Dark Philosophy, an Egyptian heavy-metal band. However the government was having none of it
and has banned heavy-metal concerts to this day. Similar incidents were also reported in Syria and
Morocco. Reda Zine of ‘Boulevard des Musiciens’, a young group from Casablanca told how they were
accused of being advocates of the devil. In March 2004, 14 supposed “devil worshippers” received jail
sentences ranging from three months to one year for “undermining the Muslim faith” and “possessing
objects contrary to good morals”. An obvious wave of post 9/11 phobia against the West didn’t help
their case. Moe Hamzeh, a Lebanese music producer and musician commented on the censorship of
heavy-metal that occurred in Lebanon. Hamzeh and his band the Kordz were called into the office
responsible for fighting terrorism and crime. “It was like in a movie”, claims Hamzeh. They asked,
‘Do you adore Satan? Do you play ‘Hotel California’, “The people coming to your club are they devilworshippers? What do you mean by the strange way you dress, your loose t-shirts and earrings?”
“They asked us about our posters of Dali’s paintings. They did not beat us but there were six hours of
investigation.”
It is only recently that they have loosened the reigns and are letting secret gigs and party’s slip under
the radar presumably due to the huge and rising popularity of the genre all over the world. Electronic
music had its day, now guitar music is everywhere and this only an extreme form of it. ``We have such a
shallow society, because we wear black and listen to loud music, that doesn’t mean we are Satanists.”
Says Mohammed Azzam, a graphic designer and pioneer of Egypt’s heavy-metal scene. This attitude
seems all too familiar. However the tireless horns will never stop being thrown and it is only a matter
of time before the views towards this kind of music will change, as it has in so many lands thanks to
the music and the familiar, knowing gleam in each and every fans eye. — LSB
Dad, who is Jim O’Rourke?
After the release of the last Sonic Youth album, it would be
welcome to draw up a brief panegyric of the genius who
is... Jim O’ Rourke. The from now on ex-fifth member of the
group, simply decided to be detached in order to relaunch
himself on more personal projects, without having to end
the adventure with Thurston Moore and co.
O’Rourke is more than hyperactive. His inauspicious tendency to never stay
put, allowed the stuffed rabbit of the Wire cover to realize only legitimately
unique projects. Eureka and Insignifiance, both mainstream and accessible
though, seem to be distant of twenty years, so much the chap knows how to
deal with the colourings of his song textures. Whatsoever, old or new, Jim O’
Rourke is in any case an incredibly modern artist.
Some projects, Jim had some. None were tiny. We could look at Leader with
David Grubbs in Gastr Del Sol, a huge group in the elaboration of the Chicago
music scene, this exceptionally gifted multiplied the projects without knowing
when to stop.
Recent albums of Wilco (A Ghost Is Born) or Loose Fur, where Jim brought his
irrational and languorous ideas, are only two more lines onto a discography
which will be soon as long as a tapestry roller. Quite bad allegory, I know.
Besides his trilogy of merely rock albums, Bad Timing, Eureka and Insignifiance
(all names of Nicholas Roeg movies), O’Rourke always could innovate, surprise,
go where we would never imagine to see him: a plethora of experimental or
electroacoustic recordings, pieces in which he excels thanks to a refinement
that would make flowering the acacias in your garden in December seem sane,
and this, without being elitist.
It’s often a pain in the ass to say, but let’s not hesitate to say it again: Jim
O’Rourke is one of those geniuses who will have unceasingly contributed to
give new dimension to everything he dares to touch. And the worst is, now, he’s
starting to realize movies... — FDM
Jim Noir, Tower Of Love, WEA.
Who is this young and barefaced 24 year old person?
Isn’t he too young to give a lesson to all those bands
that vainly tried to plunge back into the classic period
of the retro and celestial pop? From I Me You I’m
Yours, the brio of those crystal-clear arrangements,
concocted with this Beach Boys touch, is outstanding.
Happy-go-lucky and falsely naïve (a sound that we feel
superbly fiddled with his imagination), Jim Noir is an
artist born 40 years too late. How not to succumb to
his Eanie Meany? It’s a song that Donovan could have
written and a testimonial of a sweet sixties sentiment
devoted to love. Simply luminous!
Sparklehorse, Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain, Capitol.
Mark Lincous. This name might not mean anything
for you, but he’s the guardian of the house of
Sparklehorse, reference of alternative rock for more
than a decade. Spaklehorse has a particular sound and
will never change it. Indeed, what for? If Dangermouse
is on the production, Dreamt For Light Years… is the
coherent continuation of It’s A Wonderful Life, even if
a light unaccomplished taste leaves us disillusioned.
Nevertheless, the songs keep on being beautiful in
melody, with a blazing tenderness behind it. To rock
you and have you feeling like an animal and a baby in
the cradle all during the same beat, Lincous’ voice is
unsurpassed.
DJ Shadow, The Outsider, AZ.
Josh Davis’ comeback was long awaited. And if I was
personally afraid of a production lost in loads of
directions, of a final result without any relief, well,
it’s all the opposite. This record has an unsettling
spontaneity, where Shadow skims the best of the soul
with This Time - the 18 titles’ veritable introduction,
some essays that could remind us of a subjugated
UNKLE (Erase You), all with a killing rhythmic accuracy.
But most of all, the prince smashed in everything with
a hip-hop (Enuff with the inspiring Q-Tip) track to
admirably sew up this album, one of the last months’
jewels. Shadow is definitively not an outsider.
OM, Conference Of The Birds, Holy Mountain.
Rock music never had any limit. Nor will it ever have a
limit. The dreams that draw us into it can have strange
shapes. In this case …
Two titles. Long and Gripping. Two witching pieces that
you have to explore with your headphones, alone in
your attic. It sounds maleficent, but it ain’t. It would
just be the best way to feel those odysseys, different
but basically identical with regard to the perception
and feeling of each one. 30 psychedelic minutes,
poignant, almost shattering. Black Sabbath and Pink
Floyd can be really proud of the influence they gave to
these two musicians and these musicians should be
proud of what they transformed it into.
Oath to Vanquish are a three piece death metal band based in Lebanon. They are the first ever Lebanese act of its kind to
secure a world wide record and distribution deal and are flying the flag, inspiring many young musicians in the country and
the middle east. Guitarist and vocalist Elias has seen both sides of the coin having grown up in Lebanon, been to university
in the UK and then moved back to his native land. Here he is to expose you to the trials and tribulations of playing in band in
such a niche genre in a country going through harsh and turbulent times. — LSB
First of all please introduce yourselves and tell us what you do?
Oath to Vanquish are:
CYRIL YABROUDI: BASS/VOCALS
CARLOS ABBOUD: DRUMS
ELIAS ABBOUD: GUITARS/VOCALS
You are from Lebanon a country that has been omnipresent in the media
of late. How do you think this has affected the band in either a positive
or negative respect?
Due to Lebanon taking the centre stage in the world media lately, people will
more easily associate with where we are from, but for all the wrong reasons.
Those who are unaware of Lebanon’s cosmopolitan and cultural assets and
who ignore how far our society is from radicalism and fanaticism will have
this type of image that the world media is trying ever so hard to promote
embedded in their brain.
Elias and Carlos you mentioned you lived in the UK. Are any of you still
based there or are you all living back in Lebanon?
We’ve both been living in Lebanon since 1997, but we visit the UK and Europe
frequently on business and to see some close friends from university days.
How would you compare trying to succeed playing your form of music
out in Lebanon as opposed to the UK?
It is considerably harder for a death metal band from Lebanon to make a
name for themselves in the world, which at times can be very frustrating.
Success is primarily linked to exposure. Local metal bands receive very little
help and exposure. It is quite hard to find sponsors for underground events
simply as people have very little interest, and therefore extreme metal gigs
are very scarce. Venues can also be very reluctant to organize shows of such
a nature. Lebanon is not known for exporting quality death metal acts as are
certain countries in Europe and America, and consequently record labels,
booking agents and promoters are less likely to give nascent bands from
Lebanon equal attention if any. Furthermore traveling from Lebanon is much
more expensive than from the UK to the rest of Europe and the world, and
self-financing of shows and tours will be quite a financial burden on a death
metal band based in Lebanon.
Your music is quite extreme both musically and lyrically. Does this make
it harder for you to get fans in countries like Lebanon that are less
exposed to it, or is there a vibrant underground scene?
Lebanon is a very small country, and therefore it has a much smaller metal
scene than even some cities in Europe. There was a time when we could say
that the Lebanese metal scene was thriving, but that was almost a decade ago.
The media played a large role in portraying metal, especially in its extreme
forms, as a main threat to society. This has led police authorities to exert very
tight measures, often arresting, prosecuting and jailing people for their looks
and their musical preferences, a sad story in which bands had the biggest
share of problems. This led the underground to shrink even further. Electronic
music is peaking in popularity while metal is sadly on a decline. Most extreme
metal shows take place in small underground pubs, and larger events solely
dedicated to extreme metal have been extinct for quite some time. As a result
it is much harder to establish a large following here in Lebanon.
How important are current politics to the band’s music. It must be hard
to write about anything else. Is this the case?
In our album, while it is not immediately evident, there is a political or social
message in each song hidden in powerful imagery. Current politics or power
politics have received a large share of coverage in our music both from a local
and a global perspective, mainly due to their overwhelming effect on how the
world is perceived and on our daily lives. The current war in Lebanon is a solid
proof of the extinction of morality in the face of political leverage. Moreover
living in Lebanon we are faced with a wide array of social issues unique to
Lebanon and the Middle East, and we therefore have many social topics to
address such as the effects of religion, radicalism and prejudice.
You have a few shows coming up in Denmark and Sweden in the end of
August. Will it still be possible to get to the shows with the current
state of transport in and out of the country?
We hope the cease-fire put into action this morning is a lasting one and that
any breach will be limited to the immediate conflict areas in the south. Since
we are unsure when our airport will be operational, our plan is to travel to
Syria by land on the seaside road and through the northern border, and then
to fly to Denmark from Damascus airport. Luckily this road has not been
completely damaged, and is still open to traffic. It will be a long and difficult
journey, but certainly worth it.
Your band name, an “oath to vanquish” - signifies “a vow to obliterate any
kind of obstructing defiance.” – How can you relate this to the situation
in Lebanon and how the band will progress from here on out?
As long as we are alive we shall never stop breathing music. We’ve been in metal
bands ever since 1992, and we feel that with Oath to Vanquish the best is yet
to come. This is not the first war we’ve been through and probably not the last.
The blockade has yet to be lifted, resources are depleting and electricity is not
abundant, but we’ve channeled all our energy towards making these shows in
Europe. We feel slightly better now that a cease-fire was instated, but we remain
skeptical. The bottom line is that we will not allow this war to stop us from
making our mark in the world. Moreover we are the first death metal act from
Lebanon to get a worldwide deal for our album. To emerge from Lebanon took
years of enormous hard work and constitutes a tremendous achievement. It is
worth mentioning that we organized and managed the recording of our album,
and to make it possible we had to invest into setting up a studio and providing
all the necessary equipment. It was a hard-fought battle, and we shall continue
to fight them one after the other until all boundaries are broken.
Are you able to survive off of your music? If not what do you do?
While it is our dream to be able to make a living from playing our music, sadly
this is not possible especially in a country like Lebanon where the music
industry revolves around commercial Arabic music with little interest in rock
and extreme metal. Moreover the underground scene is small, and shows are
considerably less frequent than in Europe. My brother Carlos and I manage
our family business of making plastics disposable packaging. We both studied
Mechanical Engineering in Birmingham, UK. Cyril has a degree in economics
and works in the banking sector.
Where do you see yourselves and the Lebanese rock/metal scene in 10
years?
Although there are more bands self-releasing records locally at this stage
than in previous years, I fail to see any real progress in the rock/metal scene
in the next 10 years, unless there is a real change in mentality. Metallers in
Lebanon will always be a scorned minority. I see very little room for extreme
bands to develop, and I feel that the metal scene will gradually move more
towards new metal (akdgfjlmfajhgfajdlf!!!!!!!!) and the mellower gothic style.
Our ultimate aim as Oath to Vanquish is to move to Europe thereby giving
ourselves a much better chance for success. If this happens we see ourselves
touring the world, playing in festivals, exploring new ideas and releasing at
least 5 more albums.
61
Autechre
Although nobody could be able to make us forget that
she is the timid and mysterious daughter of Serge,
Charlotte Gainsbourg is, and not simply from her films,
making us fall for her new universe. It’s a universe
where Air and Jarvis Cocker invited her, but Neil
Hannon was pulling her in too. Into eleven emotional
pieces where the slender voice, the soulful playing and
the delectable accent take a staggering place. This
album is a welcome surprise that came with an unseen
promise that has me playing it every night as I crawl
beneath the duvet.
iN YOUR EAR
in Your Ear
lES SEDDOn-BrOWn
anD
MarIa
DE
Not to wake up with if you want to smile …
We all know how it can be to wake up roughly to the sound of a horrible alarm, the
white snow of the radio or when it’s the worst, the news where you might hear the
voice of George Bush, Tony Blair or some other asshole. Next to these artists, those
might seem like sweet sounds pre-coffee. So when your eyes don’t quite want to open
yet, here are five artists you’d do better to avoid. — FDM
OATH TO
VANqUiSH
Charlotte Gainsbourg, 5:55, Because Records.
}
WITH FlOrEnT
60
}
iN YOUR EAR
Top 5 bands or artists…
Instead, Andrew is attracting attention for his lovely low
budget self published books and has been invited to show
and share his work across the globe. This is the second
publication from independent London based company
Concrete Hermit.
www.concretehermit.com
This compilation dissects the work of various artists and
collectives, dividing their creations in categories, which
reflect what is commercial, what is commissioned, what is
risked and what is desired. By portraying a spectrum of work
for each artist represented, it offers an acute depiction of the
influences contemporary art and character design are having
on other areas, ways in which artists and designers are
working on sustainable businesses, and commerce aside,
providing a taste of art that is penetrating our perception of
itself.
A great reference and a bridge between discussions of
aesthetics.
Beautiful People with beautiful
feelings
Pages: 144 pp Price: 20 euro
Combing pictures with words in a way that they converse is not
an easy thing to do. This book is killer. It is sensitive. It is bold.
Short sentences of introspection, brutally honest and tragically,
though necessarily comic.
‘Girl, you’re every woman in the world to me. Even the black and
the Jewish ones. That’s why I hate you sometimes.’
Highly recommend this one - hilarious, too the point, and brave,
as the serious becomes silly and all closets get thrown open
page after page.
www.donnymiller.com
www.stylefile.de
Fusion
Pages: 300 pp Price: 80 euro
This is the kind of book that will most likely, mistakenly end up in
lumps of so called Street Art literature. This is only because there is
no one word or name or group, to house all the young artists slowly
earning recognition.
Fusion brings 50 of these artists together, recognizing them and
sharing them with readers. 300 pages representing work from more
than 12 countries, the chaos of styles and visual sounds results in a
vibrant and bizarre harmony. Read this book even though there are
no words within it.
For inspiration, because you can’t afford the actual work, or simply to
see what things are being invented by artists all around you … have a
flip through Fusion.
62
By: Harlan
Die-Gestalten has developed a specialization in putting out
intricate compilations, boasting the work of hundreds of
different artists from different mediums and diverse areas of
the world.
From Swedish photographer Daniel Mansson, this is a large,
grainy book
that brings forward the grit and shred of
skateboarding in raw documentary portrait style with strong
contrasts and the use of unpredictable natural light.
Into the Nature is a visual trip through the woods, up the
mountain to where the water runs, behind the dunes and
right into an unsolved, but brutal murder. Romanticism to art
brut, flora, fauna and all the rest of the wilds are recreated in
both classical and analog approaches, presenting us with the
question: What today, remains natural?
There are small flavor texts. There are photos of parks and
pools and offices, of smiles, struggle, strife and of course
www.die-gestalten.de
skating.
www.facesofskateboarding.com
Two Fisted Science
Pages: 128 pp Price: 15 euro
Here’s one for the comic lovers and scientists and anybody who
missed out on Physics or Chemistry in school. It’s an education
book that reminds me of the ‘Introducing Series’ by Icon books
who worked with comic artists to outline the theories and lives
of thinkers like Marx or Heidegger. Making fiction out of history,
a series of well drawn images from more than a dozen artists,
fill in the outlines of that forgotten science class. A good read,
great illustrations and a way to test or tease your memory as
you learn about the man who created the hydrogen bomb and
more.
www.thinkgeek.com
That said, the book is beautiful to look at and will remind you of
earlier days, merciless music and the roughness of the world before
Photoshop.
Futura, Doze Green, Ron English, Jose Parla, Swoon, 26 interviews in
all, this dvd offers an intimate glance into the process, inspirations
and characters of more than two dozen amazing artists. Watch it out
of interest, or for inspiration, Upper Playground again shows that they
are serious about supporting and sharing artists, producing a great
platform for artists to display their feelings and creative philosophies.
www.upperplayground.com
www.gingkopress.com
Touch Chick Skills, Beauty Skills, Brain Skills, Brawn Skills, Escape
Skills, special sections featuring top heroine hairdos, handbag
essentials and other exaggerated instructions with easy to follow
illustrations.
Not as useful as a Dummy’s Kind to anything, but a good giggle to read.
Learn how to survive in the wild, as a prostitute or when kidnapped.
The kind of book you might enjoy and will surely wonder: who would
take the time to write this?
www.thinkgeek.com
Blek le Rat: Original Stencil Pioneer
Price : 19,90
‘Every time I think I’ve painted something slightly original,
I find out that Blek le Rat has done is as well, only twenty
years earlier.’ – Bansky
A King ADZ film, this dvd includes a virtual lecture narrated by Blek
and flipping through more than 2 decades of his stencil work. As
Blek le Rat T-shirts are wore by many who have no idea who this
man is, here’s a chance to hear how, why and what he has been
obsessed with for the past 20 odd years. A true artist of our times, he
surrounds himself by those who hate him, shares stories of his initial
explorations of the NY streets and explains his work more poetically
than any lousy art critic every will.
Uninterrupted … this is Blek’s trip and now you’re invited to take it,
and least while seated on your couch or lying in bed.
www.die-gestalten.de
200% Bookazine about passionate
people
116 pp 32,5 euro
Focused on art, fashion, film and music, this is a labor of love
investigating the passions and motives lurking behind creative
productions.
The project has multiple layers, understanding how to apply the
mediums in which its subjects work. The Bookazine is a magazine
in the form of a book, or maybe a book in the form of a magazine.
The website could be compared with the extras of a dvd, carrying on
where the printed page left off.
The first issue includes the creative director of Puma, American
Painter Richard Phillips, Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran fame and
several others including Autechre.
The founder of Thierry Somers sources ‘Heart of Darkness, The
Making of Apocalypse Now, as his motivation. That documentary
reveals how Coppola risked everything … money, marriage, health,
future and time time time to make this film happen. Like a New York
subway bomber back in the 80’s, 200% looks into that miraculous
WHY – in why would somebody risk so much to do ‘that’?
Available at international bookstores and from: www.200-percent.com
}
IN YOUR EYE
}
Faces of Skateboarding
Pages: 160 pp Price: 49,90 euro
Hard to talk about this one. The format is original or at least it
originally imitates DIY publications, pasting together old flyers,
fragmented text and bits from what was. The book may be mistaken,
Punk may not be dead, but the images and culture portrayed in this
book are. Malcolm McLaren makes a cameo and if we continue to
look to him to reinvent or kill off punk, we’re missing the point.
The Run Up - AN Artist Documentation
Series
Pages: ?? Price: ??
www.gingkopress.com
Action Heroine’s Handbook
Pages: 192 pp Price: 15 euro
Into the Nature
Pages: 272 pages Price: 35,00 euro
Punk Is Dead – Punk is Everything!
Pages: 240 pp Price: 40 euro
63
This is a right twisted little book. Many of the images made
me shiver. Some made me downright nauseous, which is why
I was surprised to find myself staring at the horror before me
and then, laughing. What’s wrong with me? Technically the
illustrations and collage are excellent, but what’s wrong with
this guy? And how come once the shock has faded it makes
so much sense? David Shrigley, had the same problem, saying
that ‘It is terrible to laugh at something that you know is so
deeply wrong and evil. Andrew James should be put in jail.’
Fadings: Graffiti to Design,
Illustration and More
Pages: 220 pp Price: 39,90 euro
IN YOUR EYE
In Your Eye
LEAKS
22 Postcards 10 euro
not the Content
If you conduct interviews, you learn quickly about the relevance of media. It’s much different to do it on film, face to face or
by phone. It’s soon obvious, that there are people who master the art of communication, but don’t have much to say. There
are others, full of knowledge and beautiful ideas, but if you’re interviewing on film, for example, they might provide you
with even less useable footage than the vacant, but charming guy before them. Then, there are people who master subject
and medium. People who understand their profession as well as they do how to communicate it. Banksy has proved not only a
talented artist and thinker, but a master marketer as well. Imagine the evident perversion. Hollywood stars are instructed
by their PR agent to attend his show. The message for the masses might be: it’s fashionable to support criminal art. So how
do we define a fashionable criminal? What gives street art credibility in the same circles that shunned it only oh so recently?
Here’s Cameron Bird’s take on things.
being blotted out or their products being hampered with when the
actions are done in stealth. Though rooting out the deep-seated
reasons for this is beyond the scope of a pedestrian analysis,
it’s clear where an ownership society decides to draw its lines.
An artist’s right to swing his arms ends where the public’s nose
begins.
After earning a handful of warrants in the U.K. (which apparently
remain outstanding), Banksy is at an on-the-up season of his
career, a significant crossroads. In the preceding months, his work
has been as widely publicized as it has been prolific - drop-lifting
hundreds of debauched Paris Hilton CDs across British music
chains, marking up the West Bank wall with images of Palestinians
digging through to the Land of Milk and Honey, and depositing an
inflatable version of a Guantánamo prisoner in the shrubbery next
to a Disneyland ride.
But transplanted to a different venue - a gallery in a sweltering
warehouse - the fiery impulses seemed to simmer themselves.
Banksy’s show was met with all flavors of locals, and for the most
part, observation was kept civil. This is despite the fact that most
of the exhibit’s offerings were peeled from Banksy’s previous
rogueries, which received harsh scolds from the powers that be
upon conception; namely, a stuffed and sunglassed rat originally
spirited into London’s Natural History Museum, a black-and-white
stencil of two male cops coupling, and a series of framed pieces,
such as one of an emaciated African tribe studying the creature
comforts of the West.
It’s the kind of half-poignant guerilla work that rattles against
stigmas about property rights. Traditionalists (at least in the
Lockeian sense) have an automated response to their clean walls
The only real surprise (which quickly turned into a word-of-mouth
non-surprise) was an elephant painted to match the wallpaper of a
makeshift living room. The metaphor, if not thinly veiled enough,
was spelled out on a placard: “There’s a problem we never talk
about.” It went on to cite stats about the poverty line, clean drinking
water and art that promotes introspection, but not immediacy about
global giants.
That trope-turned-centerpiece also introduced the only real
controversy into the show, in which the city’s Animal Services
Department decided the display was frivolous and abusive (even
though the organization approved it weeks earlier). Spectators, who
lined up around the block in intervals, didn’t seem fazed by any of
it. To even the staunchest animal lover, a competing sentiment took
over. Truly, how can one deny the sheer coolness of a patterned
elephant?
Therein lies the rub. Banksy’s art, when viewed at a standstill,
trades a good percentage of its gravity for levity. To see messages
scrawled in exposed space is one thing - it stimulates discussion
because of the nature of its placement. To see it in a conventional,
uncontested setting is another - it makes people grin and maybe
even inquire about purchasing it. No matter the intentions, it begins
to enter the system of buying-and-selling for which its substance
sharply calls to task.
Granted, conceding to pragmatism is nothing new in street art.
After his partner in crime was arrested in 1994, New York graffiti
innovator Revs decided to switch to a format that would appease the
authorities and started asking permission to build metal sculptures
outside buildings. Shepherd Fairey followed the more beaten path,
turning his subversive Obey campaign into accessible graphic
designs that could be sold at mid- to upper-level department stores
in the shape of a clothing line (50 euro for a wallet). Unlike Shepherd
though, Banksy is toying with the idea that he’s both an artist by
choice and a merchant by necessity. It’s a clever, candid inside joke
that lends him an extra dose of under-the-table credibility.
At the same time, the show also confirmed that the message-inthe-medium cliché stands as a truism for street art, and Banksy’s
in particular. People who raise red flags about painted walls and
pachyderms are considering the canvas, not the content. A gallery
then may be the best setting to warm a reactive society to the idea of
the public sphere as the most appropriate spot for provocation, for
idea-sharing. Whether he’s tripping the social alarm or mesmerizing
clammy Los Angeles, Banksy’s capital is growing by the minute.
}
S H O W & T E LL
}
It’s the Canvas,
In a city such as Los Angeles, where industry and celebrity yield to
the same bottom line, even the most unwieldy artists can melt in
the face of high bidders and the promise of star sightings. But when
Banksy dropped by in September to fill a back-alley warehouse full
of his musings, he opted out of the flourish and kept his anonymity
in tact. But the crowd, a blur of pink dreadlocks, beaming monkey
suits and everything in between, posed something worth unpacking:
what lends popular credibility to street art?
S H O W & T E LL
64
By Ca
65
ll:
and Te
gan Hicks
Show
Images by Lo
meron Bird/
ized
r
o
h
t
u
a
t
s
1
e
Th
and Tell:
Show
rlan
by Ha
FriendsWithYou
-Bootleg Show
Copenhagen, 2005: At Project FOX, Sam Borkson and Arturo
“Tury“ Sandoval III from FriendsWithYou and gallerist Jörg
Heikhaus from Hamburg’s heliumcowboy artspace met for
the first time. It was love at first sight and for a few weeks,
they worked together hand in hand, discovering the beauty
of Denmark’s capital and having long candlelight talks about
art, love and friendship. But every good time comes to an end,
and usually promises are made never to let go of each other
and meet again as soon as possible. In the case of a gallerist
meeting two exceptional artists, this means pinning down an
exhibition date.
66
That happened quickly, and soon it was official: the friendliest
artist duo in the world come cross the Atlantic for their first
solo show in Germany, bringing universal love and happiness
to Hamburg.
The first ever authorized FriendsWithYou bootleg show got
the green light and things started happening. Only Sam
seemed confused:
“This is a really exciting new moment for FriendsWithYou,
we’ve just finished designing our first public playground, our
new book and are working on a huge parade of blimps to fly
over the Art Basel sky, not to mention the European tour and
It was well worth it: 400 people came to the show opening,
squeezing into the gallery and out onto the terrace,
celebrating a night of magical powers, universal love,
friendship and entrancing, childlike happiness. And all that
without personal appearances of FriendsWithYou ... who are
supposed to join the show towards the end of the exhibition,
adding their own artworks, and presenting their new book
„FriendsWithYou have powers“. And boy, do these guys have
powers – and an imagination inspiring all these great artists,
who turned the FriendsWithYou-Bootleg Show into one of the
most successful exhibitions at the heliumcowboy artspace
to date.
www.heliumcowboy.com
}
S H O W & T E LL
}
Smiles went upside down and turned to frown as FWY
acknowledged that they’d over committed and wouldn’t make
it. Disappointment traveled from mouth to ear and screen to
screen until Jorg decided he didn’t need FWY to bring them to
Hamburg. Jorg then turned to a group of artists he knew had
one thing in common: their respect for and appreciation of the
FriendsWithYou concept. Global nomads like Boris Hoppek,
Neasden Control Centre, Via Grafik, Eliza (formerly one half of
Freaklüb) and Alex Diamond were brought together to work
with local heroes such as Kingdrips, Moki and Nina Braun.
Delusional or not, the result of Jorg’s idea was fantastic: A
full week of hard work and the gallery was converted into
an interactive installation with carpets, paint, fake grass
and flowers, TV-projections, curtains and much more. Boris
Hoppek provided a brand new installation with two punching
bags, loveable (and beatable) look-alikes of Sam and Tury.
Freshly founded Hamburg Grafitti-Gang Kingdrips worked
for 2 weeks on a large wall installation, taking adaptations of
FWY-characters into a weird model-train landscape with roots
and mud brown bodies where the mountain monsters emerge
like gophers from the ground below. Eliza, Alex Diamond and
Neasden Control Centre came up with large format drawings,
giving a new individual, and slightly mean twist to the worlds
of Sam & Tury. There were LEGO-brick King Albinos (by
Haina), fairytale paintings by Moki, stencils on IKEA-Tables
by Via Grafik and cuddly hanging chairs in the shape of FWYcharacter Barby (by Violetta). And everything set inside a
playground installation with murals, flowing carpets and a
fake meadow.
67
It’s a love story, and like any good adventure of the heart, it
began in a romantic place in early spring ...
the genius idea of Jorgy bear doing his FWY bootleg show. It’s
the most genius trick ever! Even though it says it is authorized,
this is complete bullshit! We never said anything to Jorg to do
this, so on our trip to Europe there will be an all out attack on
his gallery with all of our magic and spells. Luckily the artists
inside are loving friends and genius magicians as well so
maybe we will exercise the evil from Jorgy bear together and
cure him of his bizarre delusion of the FWY bootleg show!!!”
Sam Borkson
S H O W & T E LL
FriendsWithYou are suffering from the myspace syndrome.
They have so many friends that they are being stretched like
elastic Malfi’s and pulled through new mysteries all over the
planet. Fortunately, they also have the remedy, real friends and
fans willing to give them a push when they need it. The pains
of a cancelled show, became seeds of a bizarre collaboration.
and Tell:
Show
rlan
By Ha
We Make Money Not Art.
This was the slogan chosen to promote an exhibition marking 3 years of
the life for the Iguapop Gallery in Barcelona.
A slogan, which smirks at the sound of itself and sounds like a sigh …
It’s hard for many artists to find a space to work in and
a space, which then pays its way on the crust of what was
created in and around it – this is an accomplishment.
Many artists today have strong business acumen. They are not
waiting to die and don’t aim to live in struggle. This is a tough
one for the rest of us though. Society may very well need art
that turns its back on the world in order to become authentic
and make things bloody or beautiful. The individuals who
make up society however all share a common drive to live
better and though this means different things to each of us,
we are all artists of our own lives faced with the question
of how to live on our own terms and pay rent and accept or
navigate “civil” law. The rent part, for example, screws things
up. It makes us take day jobs that devour our energy and
insist that our lives don’t parallel our passions or desires. It
becomes easy to be lazy.
Iguapop never was and neither were the growing list of
talented artists attached to the space: Boris Hoppek, Miss
Van, Adolf Gil, Blami, Tim Biskup, Victor Castillo, Catalina
Estrada, Jaime Hayon, Sergio Mora, Paco y Manolo.
Iguapop makes money.
Artists make money.
Artists make art.
Iguapop makes possibility.
Iguapop makes money, not art and here’s the twist, they can
say that and feel proud in place of embarrassed cuz they
appear to make money in a beautiful way.
www.iguapop.net
}
My only disappointment with the show is that Adolf Gil’s piece
wasn’t mounted in the toilet – I’d seen in there the night before
and it’s created in a way that varied light provides varied
images – absolutely different, absolutely stunning images,
3 paintings embedded in one canvas. Something we tried to
highlight in Illustrated Works, knowing well that his work is
one you really need to see for yourself – absolutely sic.
69
}
S H O W & T E LL
The Birthday show consisted of nearly symmetrical works
from these artists mounted on a clean wall, a buzzing
vernissage and an after party that saw Jon Kennedy exporting
his Brighton beats to Barcelona and managing not to get
robbed on the Ramblas.
S H O W & T E LL
68
Possibility, which itself is an art that shouldn’t be overlooked.
ProjectBrown is an all new golffashion brand who design and
produce golf bags, clothing and
accessories that don’t look like
the ordinary golf brands do. The
brand was established in 2005 and
are now launching the premiere
collection for summer 2006. Behind
ProjectBrown are founders Fredrik
Stromback and Fredrik Johansson.
Both with a background in skiing,
snow- and skateboarding as well as
marketing and golf hardware. All
products are produced in the best
high-end materials to ensure highest
possible quality and durability.
This year’s line might just be black on
black … on the back of the last 7 years,
the Artware line is a living chronology of
evolutions in street art and we’re looking
forward to see what they bring out going
forward. Stand up geezers – sick product.
www.citykingz.be
iNVADER X MEKANiSM
SKATEbOARDS
Paris-based skateboard company Mekanism
invited Space Invader—the French graffiti
artist known for his mosaics—once again
to have his way with their decks. Expanding
on the limited edition turquoise and red
mosaic print that Invader came up with
on their first collaboration (back in ‘05),
there’s only one per edition and they’re
made with actual tiles.
SAMURAi STRiNG DOll
15 EURO
Handmade in Thailand, each out of one long
piece of string. Forget letting your cat play
with it. Samurai is a loyal friend, ready to
resist your enemies and act as a first class new
age voodoo doll.
These intricate little guardians are made
of small parts so don’t pass ‘em on to the
youngsters … each box comes with a doll (6
cm tall) and a chain so you can latch your
new found friend, the string Samurai, onto
whatever it is you want protected.
www.viaalley.com
The first collection launched by
ProjectBrown is a slim pencil-type
bag which holds all the clubs needed
for the perfect round – a full set
minus two clubs. It’s the design
that’s different.
www.projectbrown.com
If it’s from Futura, it tends to be rowdy
and dense … this one has that standard
simple aesthetic that lets you know how
stupid we are for using simple to describe
it – anything but, but – beautiful again.
www.wesoldout.com
THE MUlE pUllOVER FROM
pOTipOTi
PotiPoti is a young fashion company in
Berlin started by two Spanish illustrators
and designers, who combine their skills in
animation, illustration and fashion design
for parties, exhibitions and as club visuals.
Their designs are simple and optimistic,
integrating an artistic and cuddly touch to
well cut clothes.
The Mule is a unisex design available in Black
or Red/Brown and featuring the main mule
– for girls and for boys.
The 06/07 catalogue is online at:
www.potipoti.de
MOMMY, THiS WATER bURNS!
15 EURO
Mmmm... how about a nice tall glass of
sulfuric acid? Don’t be like Johnny - study
your chemistry and avoid certain death!
Johnny was a chemist’s son, But Johnny is
no more. What Johnny thought was H20 was
H2SO4.
100% cotton, heavyweight tan t-shirt. Poem
and image of poor Johnny printed on the
front in dark brown and light blue.
FUTURA JACKET, 125 EURO
Representing his famous pointmans figures,
this is a limited Edition, with a white on
black print and produced in Japan.
www.aliveshirts.com
T-Shirts and poetry:
www.space-invaders.com
www.mekanismskateboards.com
www.thinkgeek.com
FRiENDSWiTHYOU AND MARS-1
New lines from Strange Co. – bring home the wonderful world
of FriendsWithYou and inject their magic virus into your own
environment. We can say what is evil or painful. It is difficult to say
what is good or to describe pleasure. FriendsWithYou are giving us
a new vocabulary. I mean these guys are pulling off an installation
with Blimps, got paid to do a massive interactive playground for
children and have featured in museums, underground venues
and now at Art Basel. They must have powers.
GlOW iN THE DARK plAYiNG CARDS
12 EURO
Designed by Pieter Woudt, these cards let you play even after
your mother has turned off the lights, but not for so long.
Cool, but not that cool. Still, Poker players and magicians
might get a small rush. Fully charged cards give 20 minutes of
playing time. Not enough to lose significant amounts of cash
(we hope for you).
www.addject.com
www.suprafootwear.com
THE FENCHURCH “FOUND iN
TRANSlATiON” SERiES
lED liGHT CONES, 65 EURO
Each artist designs a Ladies’ and a Men’s tee,
taking the Fenchurch logo and reworking it
in their own individual style. The artist has
complete freedom to express himself, both
in graphics and in choice of colours – the
only requirement being the inclusion of the
Fenchurch icon.
70
The collection consists of 4 tees. Each tee
has a full watercolour tactile print on the
front, with the artist signature print on
the back of the neck.
}
They’re compatible with all MP3 players and have a sound-activated audio beat mode
with three distinct lighting patterns … control knobs for volume and color – you
choose, what’s chaotic? What is calm?
www.iwantoneofthose.com
THE NEW SWiSS ARMY KNiFE, 169.90
This is the first official Swiss Army knife to boast a built in MP3
player and the combination of this ever handy super old school
object with the capacity of every other modern hand held device
(for music) is sure to be put to use. Practical and with a sleak
aesthetic, it features a high quality 3 line LCD display and a full
gig of storage as it handles multiple file formats and recharges
through your USB – plug and play … nothing but the knife required
to cut into tomorrow.
www.swissarmy.com
SpACE WRiTER
“In the future, signs will be made of floating lights. No billboards
or wall mounts - just messages floating in mid air. Some will tempt
you to buy the latest in retro new age music, some will attempt
to make you vote for the “Amoebic Sentient Being Party for Super
Overlord Governor,” while still others will try and influence
your preferred brand of robot oil. Persistence of vision will rule
the advertising world, and all future commercial messages with
twinkle in lights. The Spacewriter is a little slice of the future
- available today!”
It can store up to four messages, is easy to use and fast to flip
out words. Small enough to keep in your pocket … no personal
advertising please.
KiD RObOT TOYS, 39,95 EURO
HOMEMADES FROM HANAzUKi
35 EURO
One of a Kind pillows. Created in the HANAZUKI
atelier, one of a kind pillows to cuddle up
with.
One of STRANGEco’s premier designers, Mario Martinez (aka MARS-1) is an emerging artist from the
San Francisco contemporary art scene. Working primarily on canvases and in sculpture, his unique
style features abstracted science fiction forms and environments. Since 2004, Mars-1 has been
designing toys for STRANGEco, including the self-title MARS-1 vinyl, Observer and the upcoming
Invisible Plan series.
Forget Barbie bling bling, there’s a brand new toy world and
it isn’t on Soma. Kid Robot toys get to us time and time again.
Be it the spaghetti westerns from Huck Gee or the new mocks
ups of the made up Gorillaz … personality, character and no
corporate cheese whiz on top … nicely twicely … check the
site, this lil cowboy is just the kick off.
www.hanazuki.com
www.strangeco.com / www.friendswithyou.com
www.kidrobot.com
www.kidrobot.co
All STAR GUM , 9,90 EURO
www.spacewriter.com
Lo-tech as you want it … here’s a kind of healthy glue that
can be used to repair shoes AND you can also use it to
transfer your graphics onto your T-Shirt … this and more
from the ever loving Hessenmob crew … check ‘em out:
NiTRO2 AND 600Ml
www.hessenmob.de
Black reacts badly with chrome. Ok, we know it. Here’s a paint
that pumps up on tar (without the nicotine), which makes it our
preferred choice for outlining your silver piece.
The second generation of Nitro Black is in; fast drying with new
smooth valve.
DOllS AND TOYS
Montana also has 10 colors now available in the MEGA 600ml Size.
Large enough to paint a train (imagine that) and won’t see you
losing time shaking your thing.
Going Large
www.montana.com
}
WA N T i T
Want your speakers to speak as they sing? These don’t,
but the lights are sick, day and night, thanks to the
new LED optically enhanced light cones. These two
5W PMPO quality speakers are made from high grade
polycarbonate, and look like balls of glass. Each
speaker comes with a control knob, one for selecting
your colour mode as the mood takes you, and one for
volume.
71
– Our mission is to prove that you
don’t have to dress like an old
fart just because you are a golfer,
says Fredrik Strömbäck.
Totally designed by Chad, it comes in 3 colors:
Black Croc, White and Silver Gold. The research
& development department built this behemoth
to provide the most technical, comfortable
and aesthetic skateboarding shoe.
Want it
Started back in ’99 Artware is a concept we
support. Different artists and writers are
asked to design a shirt. They’re paid a piece
of each item produced and given credit in
print, their image and information printed
on the inside of each of their respective
shirts.
No need to introduce you to Chad Muska, but let
us introduce you his new pro-model SkyTop from
Supra.
KiCKS AND
THREADS
pROJECT bROWN
200 EURO
ARTWARE, 37 EURO
SUpRA, 109 EURO
Established in 2003 by illustrator/graphic
designer Christian Lindermann, Alive has
grown constantly over the last few years,
producing a fresh source for all kinds of
T-Shirt lovers. The label tries to protect
animals by selling thoughtful products
and mounting threatened species as design
references not mantelpieces. T-shirts are
between 15 and 22 euro and a portion of
all sales go the WWF (not Hulk Hogan style,
World Wildlife Fund for Nature).
WA N T i T
AliVE T-SHiRTS
15 – 22 EURO
TECH AND TOOlS
ARTiST bASED
Vincent refers to his manner of practice as ‘Momentaufnahme,’
which we might translate as ‘catching the moment,’ or hey, why not
‘seizing it?’ Carpe Diem. The process, its influences, interruptions
and the conditions where it is practiced let Vincent take these
feelings and spit them back at the wall. In a swift translation,
input becomes output. There is no time for digestion. The food
comes right back up, and out, hitting the wall hard.
The passion and power with which he creates his works make
wood an ideal surface for his paintings, as less stable materials
Wood is placed into a new context, adapted, etched, imprinted
and so on, the end will never repeat. Gootzen always works within
the same formats. A style that kicked off in the early 90´s when he
started to work in din a4 sized sketchbooks. In the following years
he started to work in larger dimensions, proportionally enlarged
from the original sketchbook size extrapolated into 118,8 x 84cm,
for example. Working within the same formats, and therefore not
having to think consciously of them, Gootzen creates a space for
himself to pause, a symbolic space that gives him room to respond
to the chaos he feels circling him. Like many of us, Vincent feels
constantly confronted with an overload of information in his daily
life, feels vulnerable as another individual lost in the center of the
madness that has become normal in contemporary life.
In this state of mind, the base of his imagery is revealed and
his battle to articulate the unspeakable and cope with common
uncertainty sees him taking ideas, portraying them, piecing them
apart and painting layer on layer until a new order exists. The
aim is not to offer answers, but too find a new form to formulate
questions.
Vincent was a pro skater for years and says that his travels
and inclusion into various local communities, because of his
involvement in a larger looser community, is part of why his
inspiration tends to flow from the streets of large cities. As a
skateboarder he is fascinated by re-appropriating and interpreting
architecture in a different way than its intended purpose. A similar
investigation takes place in his art.
Fast, furious and informed … wall and world take beating as one
boy rides into himself and spits himself out in color.
73
like canvas would crumble at the intensity of his expressive way
of working.
}
The pictures are the art of action and what you see is what you
get. Vincent Gootzen, looks for constructed atmospheres to
unleash a wider range of techniques. Intuitive, spontaneous,
a lot is left to coincidence. There is no reflection or fear of
failure. Inhale – projectile vomit … immediate and urgent and
anxious, the art begins to appear in a scream.
art from VINCENT GOOTZEN
VINCENT GOOTZEN
Do you have
any name for it?
NNE actions and events
Now on View in Brussels:
• Organomechanical from Nico Stumpo and the
Boghe (See ad to right)
• Blenderhead Public Wall
• Above house
• Some we still don’t talk about.
First spontaneous NNE
piece shows up in Athens:
Now for Sale at the
NNE Office and Online:
Limited Edition Prints and T Shirts from Logan
Hicks, Ephameron, Lucy Mclauchlan, Beat 13,
Microbo, the Organomechanical exhibition and
more. (all signed and numbered)
30cm x 30cm Canvases by more than 40 NNE
contributors
To work with our network or for More Information
on No New Enemies Contributors, Projects and
available art visit www.nonewenemies.net.
©2006 VANS, INC. VANS.EU