A Dozen : Kathleen Letts
This week for the A Dozen feature, we touch base with Kathleen Letts, a very talented artist from Chicago. Be on the lookout here on the internets for her art in the near future, as MNP is working with her on a new and amazing art project that should be ready around late April. The artist and outstanding community would be grateful if you left a comment, so please do so!

I Dream of Spring
How did you get your start in the visual arts?
It all started with mud pies…my earliest memories are of making little pots from the mud in a wooded clearing near our house in rural Kansas. I must have been 4 or 5. Later I branched out to figures that I made out of cloth and wood scraps from my mother’s sewing basket and my father’s wood shop, which I sold to family and friends. I remember that my most expensive art work at the time was priced at $ .50. Mom thought it was a little overpriced!
I think that artists are born, not made, and the most critical component of the artistic temperament is the patience –or the compulsion–to work a piece through to completion.
Where and from whom did you get your technical base?
I have an MFA from Yale Drama School in set and costume design, so my skill set is slightly different from what the graduate of a visual arts school would have. Ming Cho Lee, a reknowned set designer who has designed numerous sets for the Metropolitan Opera and other internationally know theaters as well as the Chinese Courtyard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was an important mentor of mine. He is famous for his very beautiful drafting, and is responsible for my love of the pencil drawing. I have worked as a set designer for the Juilliard School, Yale Repertory Theater and the Alaska Repertory Theater among others. Over time, I found the intensively collaborative nature of working in the theater difficult and discovered more scope for personal expression in the solitary practice of fine art.

Flow
What styles do you incorporate into your art?
I consider myself an expressionist; I’m more concerned with conveying the feeling of being alive rather than with rendering a pictorial likeness of someone or something. I want to convey something direct and visceral to the viewer that transcends cognitive thought.
Some people have described my style as “cubist” but the resemblance is more apparent than real. I am an interested student of art history and have been influenced by”outsider art”, australian aboriginal art, the Chicago “who” and Brazilian street art among others—I am always looking!
When do you feel that a piece is finished?
I think it was Robert Louis Stevenson who said “editing is the only art.”
Knowing when a piece is complete is at the foundation of every artist’s unique art practice and is different with each artist. I usually find I am finished with an art work when I manage to surprise myself.

Great Lakes Cormorant
Who if anyone would you like to collaborate with?
If I wanted to collaborate regularly I would have stayed in theater. Having said that, I have collaborated with other artists–and non-artists–on public art works and would consider doing it again, depending on the project.
How do you view technology being integrated with art?
I’m in favor of it, when it’s well done, which it often isn’t. A couple of successful practitioners are William Kentridge (animation) and Bill Viola (video). I sometimes think artists feel they “should” incorporate the latest technological bells and whistles in an effort to be “modern”. But, to paraphrase Laurie Anderson (no slouch in the area of technological innovation herself) it’s possible to be very “modern” with a paper and pencil.

Great Lakes Cormorant
What makes visual art different from other forms of expression?
Great visual art has the capacity to contact the viewer on a level deeper than cognition and beyond speech. It waits quietly for human attention, then rewards it over time by altering our experience of the real world.
If you were reviewing your work from afar, how would you critique it?
I critique my work every day in the studio in my effort to make the best work I can with the talent and materials I have. I don’t think it’s possible for an artist to be completely objective about his/her work before a “cooling off” period after the work is completed. Usually after that I am surprised at how much I like it.

Madcap
How have you seen your work evolve over the years?
I find I’m able to get to the essence of the work more quickly and directly than when I first began to make art.
How would you position yourself in the art world if you had to do it again?
I would definitely choose to be a man. And I’d marry an art critic.

Mosquite
Which audiences do you want to connect with?
I’m not picky. Ideally I’d like to be universally loved and admired.
What is your opinion on the arts within the education system?
In the visual arts I think that on the elementary level schools do reasonably well, but the quality of instruction and the commitment of the students seems to fall steadily thereafter. It would be great if schools could teach aesthetics- that is, visual literacy–not just how to make art, but how to look at it.
:: All images courtesy of the artist, Kathleen Letts ::
Posted: March 12th, 2010
at 6:41pm by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: A Dozen,Contemporary
Comments: 16 comments
A Dozen: Allen Vandever
You may have seen Allen Vandever’s work here at myninjaplease.com- you can check out all of his past entries here. Here he goes into depth about the meaning behind his paintings and gives the audience a look into what moves his brush. Definitely worth checking out. Allen is making his art debut on the international scene this April, 2010 at NEXT, part of Art Chicago. And now to the interview.

Giant
When did you first know that you wanted to be a painter?
My first memories are of lying in my crib looking up at a print of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. When I close my eyes I can still see the color and pattern; it’s as though the painting was a landscape I would travel through. The brushstrokes were paths—the fields of colors were lakes and meadows. Thanks to my grandmother, I was creating from my earliest years and have never stopped. So, I guess I have always been an artist; painting is just the medium I have focused on.
What philosophies dominate your view of the art world?
I’m not one to lay claim to following one philosophy, for I try to take parts from all things and absorb them into myself. I do the same with art that I see. I guess you could say my philosophy is Al-ism: the one that I create, and embodies who I am.

Chasing the Dragon
How do you use the Internet to publicize your work?
Social networking is a great way for a large audience to see your work and to follow what you are doing. When I came back from my time on the Volcano, I wanted it so that when someone ‘googled’ my name the first page would be about me. Now, the first ten pages are about me. This was part of the foundation for my art career that I planned while living on the volcano—maybe the altitude had something to do with it?
Life is tough for an artist, what makes you strive to move forward on a day-to-day basis?
Life is tough for everyone; especially those who strive to move forward to improve themselves. I feel the only way to move forward is to come to peace with where you are, and once you have conquered the ‘now,’ you are in the present, and finally at a place where you can move forward. Work, work, work.

Dreams from Childhood
How do you distinguish your dreams from your creative work?
I try to integrate my dreams into everything that I do, and I try to integrate what I do into my dreams. So my dreams are my creative work and what I paint comes from them.
Do you see challenges as obstacles or opportunities?
Of course I’m going to say opportunities! Whoever does not allow suffering and struggle does not know what life is all about. Seriously, challenges are what are between our present and where we want to be: nothing more, nothing less.

New Pair of Shoes
What makes the art community in Chicago unique?
I have not yet found my niche in the many Chicago art communities. And though there are so many, there doesn’t seem to be much interaction between them. I am more interested in the art world. Sure, this beast seems mythical at times, but I know I must keep hunting it that some day I will hang its head over my mantle, then finally sit back with my pipe and whisky, while all is at one in the world.
What’s your view on online galleries?
I haven’t had much experience with online galleries yet, but I think there is great potential for a large international audience to see your work. Finding new ways to sell your work more inexpensively can be a good thing.

Tree Dreams
You are making your work available to the public for the first time at NEXT 2010, why is this?
This isn’t the first time I have shown my work. For many years, I have displayed my art in different venues, exhibits, galleries, and competitions, but NEXT is a venue at the level I would like my work to be showcased on the international scene. People will be there to see what is coming next to the art world, and I hope that they see my work and embrace it as so many others have.
What separates your work from the next artist?
I use art as my tool to express and fine-tune my vision in my process of Individuation. My vision is what I see when I close my eyes, and this world I see is so beautiful—this is what I am trying to project onto the canvas. This vision is my path towards what some people call enlightenment: it is a search for knowledge, wisdom, and this elusive concept of the ‘self.’

Dream
Where would you like to see your work exhibited?
First and foremost, I would like my artwork on the walls of my friend’s homes, which is surprisingly hard to do! It’s funny, I try and give them really good deals or make work that is affordable for them, but most of them do not take advantage of this! I don’t know if they just don’t like my work or if they think I should give it to them for free. Anyway, I would also like my work shown in art museums around the world. Then, eventually, in art history books. Might as well shoot for the stars, right?
Who would you like to collaborate with?
All the people interested in the idea of ‘process,’ change, and struggle—and especially those reading this.
:: All images courtesy of Allen Vandever ::
Posted: February 26th, 2010
at 9:08am by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: A Dozen,Contemporary
Comments: 4 comments
A Dozen : Mark Dilks

Pile On Looking
We are back with a new edition of A Dozen, this time with the man himself, Mark Dilks. Dilks has provided his artist statements which can be read below this piece entitled Take Out My Eyes. Following this portion, you will then find the interview that MNP conducted with the artist. Enjoy.

ARTIST STATEMENTS by Mark Dilks
Stuff, piles up, gets lost in a pile.
Unknowingly, we point out the mass and not its parts.
The construction may not be the definition.
Why define?
What if the definitions we grow up learning are wrong?
Words
form to make sense
out of what?
I want my art to be free of definitions.? But, I wonder if that is even possible.? Painting, for example, is bound to art history and has set parameters and biases for creation attached to it.? To paint with no expectations must be liberating.? I study art and art history but art with different origins than mine inspires me.
In art history, DADA excites me because it playfully accepts chance collisions and the equality of all forms of creation.? A painting holds as much artistic weight as a collage, table, fork or engine and vice versa.? Prior to DADA, being an artist meant being in control of a particular medium or skill.? As embodied through their usage of collage, the Dadaists rationalized the benefits of learning from a lack of control.? No single medium, application or style defined DADA.? They ignored previous definitions in order to create their own.?? For me, an object can be moving and still, surface and space, beautiful and ugly all at the same time.? What do you call an image object that consists of both paint and video?? It is all in one, without hierarchy.
Aesthetic democracy was directly related to serious political, social and ideological reevaluations.? The Dadaist were from all over the world, all classes and practiced all artistic forms.? They were not limited by place, society, politics, or material.? DADA said it was everything and nothing at the same time.? It was thought that fought against the history of thought.? Through an intellectual rationalization of non or anti-intellectual behavior, DADA inherently denies the rationality it uses to define itself.? Still, it accepts itself for what it is DADA.
DADA inspires my outlook on art and on life.? But, could I make a DADA painting now?? Would it even be one?? No.
To reference DADA, I set up a Still Life with a wooden horse, dada is french for hobby horse, but quickly painted it into a bird which I called DODO.? A Dodo is an extinct bird which could not fly.
It is also a poo.? In my painting, a wooden bird attempts to fly out, of congealed ooze.
Parameters for perception are useful when trying to define but can get in the way when trying to create.? I enjoy looking into the muck to discover new beginnings, but I honor my teachings by using traditional genres, Still Life, Landscape, Portraiture, as a starting point for my paintings, a staged reality as ground for a departure.? Through painting I try to capture my experience of observation through dissecting the parts of the observed.? There is an archeological mining that gets played out in the application of paint and the scraping away of surface.? Digging through paint to find an experience of looking.? Reality is destroyed, reassembled and animated into a new life.
In a Still Life, I assemble inanimate objects that depict real live things, a wooden horse, a hand sown doll, a foam eyeball, a figure made out of clay, and paint them into a world that they inhabit.? The Still Life objects are usually quaint toys or innocent objects found around the house.? The world I paint often tears these kitsch objects apart.? The painting embodies a collision between the innocent and the violent, the clean and the tarnished, the trained and the untrained.? PEACE in pieces.
Within a painting rules are off.? A form is made out of ooze.? A line rests in space and surface.? A chair becomes a talking hippopotamus mouth.? A shadow becomes a ghost.
DADA helps me liberate my own theories of painting, my process, my paint.? It allows me to breathe life into objects never thought to be alive and to keep options open.
But I paint,
Dodododododododododo.

The Couple and You
Are you in Boston?
No, I went to college in Western Mass, at Hampshire and moved back to my home town, Philly, after I graduated five years ago.
Please describe your professional background and aspirations.
Over the last few years I worked part time for a variety of art institutions in Philly doing whatever I could get work in. ?Then I got a job as the Arts Coordinator at Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia’s Childrens Museum. ?The job consisted of designing and implementing open ended process driven activities for our visitors. ?After doing a residency at Vermont Studio Center this past April,? I decided to focus more on art and get back to VSC as quickly as possible.? I left my job and went back to Vermont in September.
Now, unemployment is the rage and I am raging away.? Working on projects. Grad school apps. ?Looking for part time work. ?All that fun stuff. ?I have a studio with some buddies who are starting a website, A United Front, which intends to unite local creative communities from a variety of cities.? The website goes live mid January 2010,? www.aufphilladelphia.com, check it out!? We are in the process of working on a video documenting a large painting and some public readings of collage books, I’ll be doing.
I’m also in a band, Deep Possum.? If anyone wants a loud rock band for a show or party, holler.?? http://www.myspace.com/deeppossum
On the road to making it big or being happy, never forget to do you. ?Stay true.
Can you tell us a little about your relationship to Dadaism?
It fucked and birthed you, me and everyone. ?It is everything and nothing. ?It is political and it is full of shit. ?It is about never being right because it is impossible and you’re wrong. ?You need to except life for what it is, uncontrollable, lived. ?Besides that, I’m not really sure. ?I’m not a Dadaist and this is all wrong.
What categories do you mesh in your work?
I paint a lot and am trying to get better at it. ?I do collage and am trying to destroy it. ?Sometimes these two things overlap in the same piece. ?Collage books mesh a lot of elements; text, paint, printed matter, illustration. ?I want to do performances, public readings, of these books and document them. ?At Hampshire College, I projected live video streams of the studio, the painting, me and the audience onto my painting surface and painted on top of it.? This process has stopped because I don’t have the equipment any more. ?Bummer. ?I think it is very important to mesh categories, and I will continue to push possibilities.
Some other factors of my work… thoughts upon the original and the copy, texture, touch, image and object.

Equation
Which artists have influenced you the most?
Friends, strangers, plumbers, machinists, contractors, city planners, etc. ?Everything and everyone I encounter, it is hard to pick.? Here is a few: Tristan Tzara, Dana Schutz, James Castle, Dubuffet, Diebenkorn, Forrest Bess, David Hockney, Duchamp, CF, Jay DeFeo, Peter Doig, Lynda Barry and Ryan Trecartin.? The list goes on and I didn’t even include musicians.
Is the Dodo bird really extinct?
Yes.? It was last spotted in 1690.? The bird couldn’t fly.? The name Dodo comes from the Portuguese word for simpleton.
Where are you trying to travel through your chosen artistic mediums?
I’m not sure; although I know I’ve only scratched the service.? I once said I wanted to make paintings that engaged the viewer like video games do.? I don’t think my paintings do that, but it is an interesting idea to strive for.
How do you view collectives/operatives/groups in contrast to art non-profits/foundations?
I like them both.? It is important to have a group for support as well as pressure.? But, all groups can start to be insular or shut off.? It is good to be public and be seen by people who don’t go to galleries.

Dodo Head
Do you believe that once you reach a certain skill level in the arts, the chances of your “success” are seemingly random?
I think it is hard.? I don’t know what “skill” level means because it is subjective.? Of course “talent” has something to do with it but maybe drive is most important.? In the end it may come down to being in the right place at the right time.? So, make yourself visible and seize opportunities as they arise.
Where would you like to see new or emerging art to come out of next in the world?
Any place I’ve never heard of, or somewhere I’d never expect.
How do you think most artists have reacted to transitioning from the Bush era to the Obama doctrinocity?
Kept working.? I think the recession is important though.? There is less money for the arts but art quality is up.? Also, when people aren’t buying as much, artists feel more comfortable experimenting (Or, so I’ve heard).?? Times are tough all around though.
What makes memorable art stand out and why does some art reach out to more consumers than others (is pop art dead?)?

Dodo Grin Face
Pop art will never be dead in a consumer society (which? America certainly is).? This question is tough.? What’s memorable to me is different for you.? Do we like an image or do we like hype and how it snow balls?? We like both snow balls and art with ballz too.? For what it’s worth, a challenge is exciting.
How do you view the traditional roles that galleries, critics, agents and fairs have held in the past with the convergence of digital new media and commerce?
Galleries, critics, etc. are as strong as ever and they wont go away, just change slowly.? They are trying to catch up to the speed of digital media and commerce.? It is important to realize that although you can see tons of images on the internet, it is far from the experience of the event or object.? That is why galleries, fairs, etc. will always be around.? Go see art and music live!? But don’t forget to check in on My Ninja Please and be well.
::Images courtesy of Mark Dilks::
Posted: January 12th, 2010
at 3:58pm by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: A Dozen,Contemporary
Comments: No comments
A Dozen : Robert Bermingham
This week A Dozen visits British artist, Robert Bermingham. He currently works in collaboration with Rich Robinson- you can see more of their work here.

Bull
What led you to become an artist?
An inability to do much else with my life. I made the decision at a young age, and my plan to be a rock star was failing due to my singing voice, my lack of friends and the scorn of girls.
Who were your best teacher/s in guiding your evolution?
Two of the best teachers were Bernard Hodgkin, drama teacher at Archway Comp. who inspired me to enjoy life, and Vivian Luxton at Stroud College, who recognized my abilities and helped me to evolve them and apply to art school (I think she even filled out my form!)
How have you seen your art change over the years?
Art to me used to be bits of paper and canvas with pictures on them, of objects that you bumped into when you stood back to look at a painting. Now I see art as anything that excites the imagination or makes the world a more interesting place.

Bear
What theme ties your works together?
Me, Rich (My collaborative partner) and a range of glues, tapes, screws etc. There is always the right thing to use…
What materials do you find yourself using?
I will use anything that i find surrounds me if it is interesting or relevant to the work. Notably wall paper, paint, wood, objects…
What styles do you employ in your art?
They say that contemporary art doesn’t have style anymore. by this I think they mean that artists find beauty in many things, but i believe when they look back at our time they will see a style. I guess my work uses the style of the everyday.
How do you view the art industry as an entity?
No.
What problems/strengths do you see in most galleries?
Problems are that most art is rubbish, and that puts people off returning. Also, there is a feeling that people have to intellectualize art, but whether this is the gallery or the public’s perception, I am not sure. Basically are is perceived as pretentious. I don’t know where that came from, I don’t know a higher percentage of pretentious people in the arts than any other walk of life- and there seems to be a barrier that stops people engaging with art. The strengths are that galleries are often free, at openings you get free wine, hot chicks, interesting banter and sometimes really interesting stuff.

Storm
How do you use technology to your advantage?
To email, store photos, what videos, same as everyone else. I do use a computer as a making tool, but have often found it problematic. Basically programs are designed to do a specific task and the nature of art is that you are often trying to do something different. For instance, a laser cutter gets confused by the textures of flock wall paper, and so in the end of the day, we often revert to hand-tools.
When do you feel that a piece is finished?
Rich and I are very specific about what the end result will be. When we have decided to leave something as it is, we have a system. If we both feel happy, we leave it, if either of us aren’t we continue.
How do you view the collaborative process?
democratic. our art is inevitably political because it is about a shared identity. This goes for any collaboration- artists often make work as reflection of the self, whereas collaborators make work about a group.

Studio
What advice can you give to the upcoming artist?
-Don’t be intimidated by anyone. Even Nicholas Serota would like to think he can listen to a new young artist, and is just as shy as you are.
-Whatever you make, make it well. The world does not need another shonky film and another badly painted painting, its a waste of materials. If you got a good idea, make it to the best of you ability.
-Probably get another trade. there is no money in art, and there are lots of useless people at art school. You may need to have a part-time job, but also the skills you get from doing a job can be used to help your art career.
::images are courtesy of Robert Bermingam ::
Posted: December 29th, 2009
at 4:32pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with Robert Bermingham
Categories: A Dozen,Contemporary
Comments: No comments
A Dozen : Tristan Henry-Wilson
This week for A Dozen we talk with Tristan Henry-Wilson hailing from Brooklyn, NY. He is an illustrator that works with oil paint. He specializes in editorial, portraits, realism and a touch of the surreal.
Seal Our Fate: an illustration of a short story for a current project. Also featured in Faesthetic #8.
14 x 18, oil on panel
Please describe your professional and creative aspirations.
As an illustrator I try to tell stories with my oil paintings. One of the best ways of getting those stories out to the world is print. I’d love to see my work on the cover of magazines and books. I’m working on a long term project with a partner right now. I’m illustrating all the short stories of their book. It’s pretty labour intensive but once complete it will be my proudest achievement to date.
What styles would you say that you prescribe to?
I’m a realistic and figurative illustrator that works in oil paint. Other than that I couldn’t put a finger on a proper description of my style. I’m drawn to beautiful colour and atmosphere with the occasional touch of the surreal. I guess that’s the sci-fi/fantasy nerd in me though, haha.
A Taste of the Space Race: an illustration about companies racing to give families the chance at space flight
9x 12, oil on panel
Where do you see the limitations of art in terms of what it can effect?
I think art is only limited to or by the efforts of its creator. As long as sincere passion and hard work goes into the creation of the artwork time will look favourably on the artist’s intentions.
How do you think your art changes the perceptions of people around you?
I don’t know what people think of me before I tell them I’m an artist or show them my work. I often I see a light bulb go off in people’s heads, “Oh he’s an artist, well that makes sense!”
When people tell me I create beautiful artwork or when any artist is being complimented for their creation it’s important to be humbled. We live in a culture that bombards us with imagery all day long. Everything is trying very hard to get our attention. It’s easy to be numb to the visuals. When you’re being complimented for your art you’re really being thanked for creating something that isn’t insipid.
It’s an honour to break the banality.
Head Above Water: an album cover for the band, Gravehaven.
14 x 18, oil on panel
Where do you believe has the best new art?
In the dew drop of every rose, in the laughter of every child! Haha! I have no idea. I’m inspired by old art. I try to stay away from words like “best”, it’s a promise I can’t keep.
Are you a soldier or a general in the art world?
Mercenary in training.
DisInfoNation: an album cover for the band, Feeding The Fire.
11 x 14, Oil on board
Do you feel, that “there is a war out there, that no one is safe from?”
This wouldn’t be a good time to drop a Pat Benatar quote would it?
Are you a fan of the “online” art gallery?
I’m a fan of online illustration directories and artist portfolios. Art galleries in the traditional sense kind of weird me out. The whole scene just isn’t where I am right now.
We Are Fragile: a wrap around album cover for the band, Isle Of Thieves.
14 x 20, Oil on Strathmore 500 series illustration board
What avenues have proven to be the most effective for you in selling your art?
Commissions.
Do you think the an artist should be able to represent themselves on their own (or do they need an agent)?
I’ve never had an agent and there was a time when I was gunning really hard for one. I once heard an agent say they like to deal with artists that have learned the game on their own for a while. After years of trying to establish myself I’m just now beginning to see what I don’t know and how much I need to learn.
I think if I had acquired an agent years ago I would have embarrassed myself; I was too green. I’ve heard great things about reps and I hope to have one someday but for now I need to sharpen my skills and turnaround times.
Dirty�s Girl In Her Dirty World: an illustration of Sarah Silverman. The painting contrasts her cute clean look with her racy comedy.
9 x 12, oil on panel
People say that the markets are saturated with new art, do you believe this?
I haven’t scoured all the markets so I can’t say if they’re saturated. I believe there will always be room for artwork that’s professional and inspirational.
When is a piece of work finished?
When it gets the thumbs up from my mentors.
::All images courtesy of Tristan Henry-Wilson
Posted: November 5th, 2009
at 1:56pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with Tristan Henry-Wilson
Categories: A Dozen,Contemporary
Comments: No comments
A Dozen : ABOVE
Continuing with our efforts to connect with contemporary artists around the world for the feature A Dozen, this week we would like to re-expose the work of ABOVE. You can see two of his excellent videos, “Bridge the Divide” in the Column and “When in Rome” here. Like last week we are going to start things off with a couple of videos from the artist’s Vimeo Channel and the follow with our Interview.
Where are you from and who are you?
I’m from earth and I’m human.
You got your start in graffiti, what does your name Above signify?
Many things I believe, mostly challenges, rising to the occasion, and acknowledging that we all fall down and need to get back up…I mean above.

250+ free cans of spray paint to crazy with, it was like being a kid in a candy store! A big thank you to Montana Colors from Barcelona for the Paint!
Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2007
Getting your start with the “arrows” in 2002, how have you seen its direction evolve?
I have been aware that my style of artworks really relate the the environment and travel plan. If I’m doing a large tour the works might be more based in quantity rather than quality. If I have more time to observe a location and create a more in-depth piece then I’ll strive to do this. I don’t like to pigeon hole myself into just 1 style of artworks. I like to explore and challenge myself with learning new styles and ways to make artworks. Having said that my works change from doing an iconic “Arrow logo” to large mural style “Word/Play” paintings to stenciled figurative imagery. I think all my works however have a big relationship with their site specific location and positioning.
From Estonia to Brazil, you have traveled widely- where would you like to go next?
The world is a big place. There are many tempting locations I am focused on touring these next years. S.E. Asia, Africa, Moscow to Beijing, Australia, Middle east, north and south poles, on and on and on.

A Dyslexic is able to find Amor in Roma without much effort! Many people associate Roma with being Romantic. I personally associate Roma with sore abdominal muscles due to leaning over and hanging upside down while painting backwards from a rooftop all night.
Ailati, Amor, 5002
What has been your favorite work of art?
None and all of them at different times. I like the works of art that make me get an adrenaline rush from executing them in the street. The one’s that give me a nice feeling of accomplishment.
Your wordplay pieces have been executed throughout South America, how do you choose a proper location?
I walk around a lot just observing and seeing what presents itself.

“Drug/Slur”
Being on Capital Hill in Seattle reminded me of being on Haight Street in San Francisco because of all of the open and visible drug use. The exception was that on Haight street people smoke weed, while Capital Hill there were shooting Heroin.
“It’s all fun and games until you step on a dirty needle.”
- Junkie Proverb.Seattle Washington, U.S.A. 2004
How do you use video to better expose your art?
I like documenting my artworks because the majority of the time I use the site specific location incorporated into my artworks (see previous answer). A photo is just 1 angle and I like to strive to have many different angles and timing in my artworks. Thanks Vimeo!
In your video, “Bridge the Divide,” that wall is monstrous, what inspired you to make this piece?
Pink Floyd’s song as well as the fact that I was painting on a large brick wall. I kept whistling that song while I was painting that letterstyle. …All and all, you just another brick in the wall…

It was a calm Sunday afternoon and I was leaving for Mexico the next morning. I had some left over paint and some time on my hands. 2 hours later and a few beers with some friends, this piece was completed.
Guatemala City, Guatemala, 2008
What tips can you give to people that want to travel around the world on a shoestring budget?
Pack your backpack with what your taking, Then unpack it and throw out 1/2 of the shit you packed and thought you needed. Passing off counterfeit money is best when buying more than 50% the price of something so you don’t get too much suspecting as to why you gave 100 Euro bill for a pack of gum? Tie your shoes in double knots so when your running you don’t trip on loose laces. Have fun and keep your head up.
It seems like you know people in “high and low” places, how do you make so many connections?
Hanging around the right places at the wrong times.

“Dejando lo mejor para el final”(Save the Best for Last)
Many/All of the Buildings in this Industrial Zone in Bogota were being torn down and re-built. I can only assume that this building was soon to be demolished, and chances are by now it already is!
Bogota, Colombia
What inspired you to give away 100% of your profits from the “Giving to the Poor” print to charity?
The fact that I didn’t want to exploit the homeless woman in the photo to my financial advantage. I wanted to make a comment and show how sick as people we can become not taking care of our fellow humans. It felt great to have sold out and donated a large chunk of cash to 2 selected homeless shelters.
Can you please in detail describe your alchemical practices that help achieve a levitated state of existence?
It’s all broken down on my website in the Frequently Asked Questions. http://goabove.com

Ri >> Chpoor (Stealing from the rich and giving to the Poor)
The good intention excuses the bad action- Portuguese Proverb
Lisbon, Portugal, 2008
When will your world domination be complete?
When the aliens come to earth and get me out of here. Then its another story.

The relationship and co-dependency of both characters in need of
the others interaction to find happiness is both sensual and vulnerable.Madrid, Spain, June 2009
::All images courtesy of Above ::
Posted: October 22nd, 2009
at 2:22pm by Koookiecrumbles
Categories: A Dozen,Contemporary
Comments: 3 comments
A Dozen : Tim Lee
Welcome back to another edition of A Dozen. This week we’re going to do something a little different and introduce our featured artist, Tim Lee out of the UK with a short documentary about his life and work to jump off things. So first his documentary, and then our interview- sit back and relax!
“I am never looking for perfection in my work; I like the near misses much more”
“I hope people can see beauty in the simplicity of my acts; that they can admire my attempt to decorate and celebrate what it is to be human”

“Ashes Between You and Me”
Ink on calligraphy paper
35cm x 39cm
2008
Please explain your beginnings and how you got started with art.
It’s all I have ever known. It began from when I was a child, as soon as I was able to pick up a pen; I was drawing.
What’s your earliest memory involving art or creating art?
I was pretty young in a classroom and it was my first art lesson. I drew a cartoon of a naked male urinating. All that sticks with me was the teacher erasing his genitals and me redrawing it, this went back and forth all lesson.

“Love Must Die Young (Never Old Enough)” Diptych
Ink Drawing on Chinese Rice Paper
2008
(30cm x 45cm) x2
What is your education or training in art?
I’ve graduated from university with a fine arts degree. I didn’t use my time wisely, the work I made as a student is unrecognizable to what I do now.
There’s no real training involved in my work, I feel self taught in many ways.
I just had to realize my voice and that took some time.
How do you pay the bills to enable and unleash your creative energy?
Bottom line is I don’t! I get the odd bit off illustration work through and that helps a little, but I don’t like to think about outgoings, If you really want something you have to sacrifice certain things.

“I’ll never be your Roman Candle”
Ink on Calligraphy paper
50cm x 35cm
2009
How have your surroundings or environment influenced your evolution?
It has shaped me hugely. My family heritage is from Hong Kong and I was born in the UK and have lived here all my life. There are identity issues that arise from this culture clash but I’ve learnt to accept them as I’ve grown. It’s important to try to keep your culture alive in you.
Who are some of your major influences?
My Uncle (Lee Man Sang) he is also an artist and I look up to him and his work a lot. The level of craft is his works that is quite rare in today’s art world.
But aside from my biased opinion I’m a fan of Francis Bacon, Damien Hirst, Maurizio Cattelan, Nick Cave, Joel Peter Witkin, Bjork, Haruki Murakami, David Lynch, Wong Kar Wai etc Im influenced by very visual and visceral art.

“Why do I, Still water flowers”
Ink on Calligraphy paper
36cm x 55cm
2009
Do you work alone or are you open to collaboration?
The illustration work I take on is kind of collaboration in itself, where ideas go back and forth but generally speaking I prefer to work independently. That way if anything goes wrong I can take responsibility. But it really depends on what’s proposed and if I see any potential in the project.
What methods of exposure have proven to be the most effective for getting the word out about your work?
The Internet has been my most successful route. Without the Internet I have no idea how I would have found some of the people I know now and vice versa.

“Don’t Let the Light In, or You’ll Kill Us All”
Ink on calligraphy paper
2008
30cm x 35cm
When are you most productive or when do you normally work on art?
The best time for me to work is when most people are sleeping. Anytime past midnight and I get more done. I work throughout the day too but I feel I make much better decisions and ideas flow more easily at night.
What do you consider your biggest overall influence (music, artists, food, etc)?
Everything, I can’t highlight one. Life is the influence, there’s no other explanation. I can be doing nothing and nothing running through my head and suddenly I know what work I want to make. No reason or rationale so I think that comes from a culmination of things I’ve seen consciously or otherwise. Since you have mention food, I think it’s overlooked in many ways. Food and Drink is what brings people together, breaks barriers and without it, we’d be nothing.

“In & Out of Love with You”
Ink on Calligraphy paper
54cm x 33cm
2009
Where would you like to travel to and expose your work?
I’ve always wanted to visit New York. I’ve only ever heard good things about the place. My dad lived there for a while so maybe I’d like to tread his path for a while.
I’d like to have a show in Hong Kong too, that way my family could attend and see what I’ve been up to.
China would also be somewhere that would be interesting to visit. I’d like to see how my work would be received there too. I’ve never been across to China and seems like a lot is happening there culturally and artistically, I’d like to see how and if my work would fit in context there.
To be honest the I’d love to travel and take my work anywhere.
What is something about you that nobody would ever guess?
I voted for Leona Lewis to win the X factor, I voted 3 times.
What do you have coming down the line in terms of shows/ projects/ etc?
I’m showing some work at the affordable art fair in Amsterdam later this month, I have a few more shows lined up but until I’ll announce those once I know for sure they’re happening.
I’ll be painting more in the future. I don’t want to be one of those artists that never steps outside their comfort zone. I want to try everything. Maybe I’ll eventually end up in film or photography. All i know is that I have a bank of backed up ideas that need to come out.
::all images courtesy of Tim Lee ::
Posted: October 16th, 2009
at 12:34pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with Tim Lee
Categories: A Dozen,Contemporary
Comments: No comments
A Dozen : Brett Amory
This week for A Dozen we talk with Brett Amory out of San Francisco. Uniquely combining images in Photoshop and painting, his work is amazing. He has been published in Convergence in 2005 and Twenty2wo Magazine and Pages Magazine in 2009. Definitely look out for his art in times to come. If you’re in the LA area this weekend be sure and check out the New Contemporary Art Fair at the LA Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park, running October 9th, 10th and 11th.

Waiting # 28
oil on wood panel 48″ x 96″
Where and how did you get your start in art?
I moved to San Francisco when I was 21 to study motion pictures at the Academy of Arts University. I was skateboarding and playing a lot of music at the time. I really didn’t have any direction. The first person I met in San Francisco was a painter and I just sort of fell into the arts.
After a couple years of playing around with art I switched my major to fine art. Before I started painting I was really into Photoshop. I would make these wacky montages from my shitty drawings. At the time I thought they were really cool but looking back on it they were pretty messed up. When I started painting I kept using Photoshop and eventually I combined painting with Photoshop.
What separates your work from others?
I usually start off taking pictures of people waiting for stuff, and then I go through the pictures and start montaging them together in Photoshop. After I come up with something I like I’ll do a really loose five-minute painting with a big brush. I take a picture of the painting and add the picture to the Photoshop file changing the original image. I repeat the process of going back and forth between the image and the painting until I have something that works. The painting changes the image the image changes the painting. This process was developed over ten years of experimenting. My work is the end product of this process.

Waiting #39
oil on wood panel 24″ x 36″
How do you view the recent movement of “crowd sourcing” to fund new art projects?
I have never heard of “crowd sourcing.”
Sure sounds like a good way to fund new art projects.
What problems do you see in the art world and how would you fix them?
Art trends seem to be dictated by curators. They seem to have the control of deciding what art is important. These trends influence emerging artist to make art in order to fit a market.
Emerging artist should focus on the work and not on showing in the beginning. Give your work some time to develop before building the hype. When the work is there the hype follows.

Waiting #31
oil on wood panel 24″ x 36″
How do you use the online universe to your advantage?
Where to begin. The online universe is awesome! I use it for everything. Online submitting has made getting your work out there so much easier. I submit to galleries, online galleries, blogs, websites, magazines, online publications the possibilities are endless. I love the Internet
What was your first big break in the art world?
I’m still waiting.
When I was asked to be in Convergence that was pretty awesome.

Waiting # 34
oil on wood panel 24″ x 36″
How would you characterize your work stylistically?
That’s a good question.
I really don’t know. If I were to label my work I would probably categorize it as modern painting.
Who are some of the major influences in shaping your personal and artistic evolution?
I have so many influences but my biggest influences have to be my uncle Ed and my closest friends. My first experience with art was from Ed. His work always made me want to do art.
I started painting pretty late but I was lucky to be surrounded by great artist. While I was in school I met Gage Opdenbrouw, Kim Cogan, David Choong Lee, MARs 1 and Jerome Opena. Hanging out and watching these guys grow really helped me develop my own work.

Waiting #40
oil on wood panel 24″ x 36″
What mediums do you constrain yourself too?
I’m an oilman.
What advice can you give to emerging talent trying to get more exposure?
Make sure your confident with your work then make sure your website accurately portrays your work. Start submitting your site to online publications, magazines, blogs and other websites. Be clickable, build online presence and start generating hype. The galleries will follow. Work hard and never give up.

Waiting #20
oil on wood panel 24″ x 36″
Where would you like to see your work displayed in the future?
London, Berlin, and Rome, Japan places I haven’t been to yet.
Which contemporary artists do you think are having the greatest impact in the art world?
I have a lot of respect for graffiti and street art. It’s the next thing. The underdog is coming up and it’s going to take us all by surprise.

Waiting #44
oil on wood panel 9.5″ x 48″
::all images courtesy of Brett Amory ::
Posted: October 9th, 2009
at 10:17am by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with Beyond Eden Art Fair, Brett Amory, Convergence, New Contemporary Art Fair, Pages Magazine, Twenty2wo Magazine
Categories: A Dozen,Contemporary
Comments: 4 comments
A Dozen : James Roper
After a weeks hiatus, A Dozen is back with a talented artist from the UK, James Roper. Enjoy the interview.

The Ecstasy of Catalina Cruz
mixed media on paper
29.5cm x 42cm
2006
What led you to become an artist?
A drive to express myself and communicate ideas that I couldn’t do through any other means.
How were you educated in your field?
Even though I’ve studied art since high school I still feel like I’m self taught but with a certain amount of guidance along the way via teachers and especially listening to other artists.

The Divining Censer
acrylic on canvas
95cm x 100cm
2008
What differentiates your work from the next artist?
The varying interests of every artist combine together to make their work unique. I am interested in a variety of subjects some having very opposing themes such as religion and pornography or Zen philosophy and material excess.
Where have you seen the best emerging art scenes transform?
I’m very wary of art scenes. I seem to get grouped in with street/urban art a lot which doesn’t make much sense to me, it just highlights peoples need to define parameters around vague aesthetic similarities so they can try and understand them (or market them). I also seem to be placed within an art scene which is more prominent in the U.S. which exists between ‘low brow’ and ‘high brow’ art. I guess you could call it ‘middle brow’, it seems a lot more in tune with aesthetic pleasure without being throw away as with low brow advertising or getting lost in convoluted intellectualising as you get in high brow art.

Exit vehicle 1
mixed media on paper
42cm x 29.5cm
2006
Would you rather be part of a revolutionary movement or an evolutionary movement?
I don’t like the idea that if you revolt against something you define yourself and your actions around the very thing you dislike, but although evolution on the whole seems more natural and steady sometimes there is a need to change things drastically.
Who have been some of your major influences?
There are to many to mention, here’s a few in no particular order: Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Katsushiro Otomo, Shintaro Kago, Francis Bacon, Jeff Koons, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Hans Bellmer, Takashi Murakami, J.G. Ballard, Slavoj Zizek, David Lynch, Andy Warhol, Brett Easton Ellis, Derren Brown, V.S. Ramachandran, Matthew Collings, Gilles Deleuze, Matthew Ritchie, Matthew Barney, Inka Essenhigh, Francesca Lowe…..

Push the pull
acrylic on canvas
170cm x 180cm
2005
What makes art collectives so successful these days?
I’ve always worked alone so have no real knowledge of how a collective works. In a way I guess it’s like having a brand name, something people can more easily identify you with and build up a certain aura around a number of artists who would otherwise be less successful working on their own.
What advice can you give to the next emerging artist?
Be original. Be your own worst critic and listen to others criticism, you don’t learn if you think you’re doing everything right. Dedicate yourself fully to your art, don’t take up valuable studio space if you intend on doing it half-heartedly. Don’t be part of the art school fashion parade, the ones who succeed spend their time being artists not trying to look or talk like one. Don’t self indulge but try and truly affect people (there’s nothing worst than passive art), but don’t use cheap shocks or cliched attempts at beauty to achieve it. Look at as much art as possible, and don’t ignore the old masters. As an artist living today you have via the internet the most expansive database ever on which to discover new art and ideas, use it. And, just because Francis Bacon was a drunk doesn’t mean drinking will make you paint like Francis Bacon. He was a painting genius, you’re not.

Inverse excess 2
acrylic on canvas
40cm x 40cm
2007
Would you say that creating art is in your DNA?
Partly, but looking back I’d say there were many outside factors that pushed me into becoming an artist as well.
What other styles have proven to be the most therapeutic in collaborating with your own unique styles?
I recently co-wrote and worked on the production design for a short film which was very different to how I normally work. Painting is a very solitary activity where I make every decision myself, where as film making is very collaborative and relies on a lot of people. The ideas and visuals I want to express through film are very different to what I put in my work, it allows me to bring out other aspects of my work.

Construct
‘Into the Fold’ installation
2005-2008
How do you feel about the current recession that has been happening in the art world (or do you think that the contemporary art industry is recession proof)?
I’ve heard it said that it will allow artists to take more risks with their art because the creative process will be less defined by how sellable the work is. Personally I’ve always wanted to make work that sells, I don’t do work for the sake of it and although it is self expression I’m not sure I’d have the drive to make so much were I not selling. I want my work to be desired, and the ultimate complement is someone wanting to own it.
Where do you see your work progressing in the next ten years?
I want to work more in other mediums like sculpture and film. I tend to get bored of working in one particular way quite quickly so I wouldn’t be surprised if my work isn’t drastically different from how it is now.

Collapse Inversion 3
acrylic on canvas
55cm x 33cm
2007
::images courtesy of James Roper ::
Posted: September 24th, 2009
at 12:59pm by Koookiecrumbles
Tagged with James Roper
Categories: A Dozen,Contemporary
Comments: No comments


















