Amateur Magazine 012 by Amateur Magazine

012 1

CONTENT:

No. 012 April - October 2013

Cover by OBEY obeygiant.com

HELL YEAH, IT'S SWISS DESIGNED.

ISSUE 012. STILL ALIVE - STILL FREE.

SAUCY BITS

HOW & NOSM

page 6

EYES ON TOYS

page 12

SHEPARD FAIREY

page 14

DOPPELDENK

page 22

page 28

INGA GUZYTE

page 36

AMOSE

page 42

MONSIEUR A

page 48



Walcheturm NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE page 52 enareal rich erland

page 58

LTD. EDITION



FLICKR POOL

page 86

SHIRTY

page 90

C.R.E.A.M.

WELL DONE

page 96

ILLU BATTLE

page 98

READERS DIG IT

y dedicated to handcrafted u their fresh & unique postoleum stencils, photographs belts, books, toys or badges. ou a really lengthy shopping

page 92

SCREAM

page 94

page 100

IMPRINT

page 106

The term «amateur» reflects a voluntary motivation to work as a result of personal passion.

e proudly presenting a sneak n 2013 participants. 2013 © Amateur Magazine. SWITZERLAND. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission is strictly prohibited. Any views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. No

n up to our newsletter on of statement. guarantee for accuracy it’s going to be unlimited a creative avalanche!

www.amateur-magazine.com www.facebook.com/amateurmag www.flickr.com/groups/amateurmag/pool/ www.issuu.com/amateur www.twitter.com/amateurmag www.vimeo.com/amateurmag www.instagram.com/amateurmag

BEN NEWMAN

UK Kid Acne for Amateur, 2012

INSTAGRAM Amateurs Top 3

We are happy to see our Instagram communitiy growing. If you want to share your artwork with us simply tag #amateurmag. This is our current Top 3 (March 13th, 2013): 1. 539 : Thales Fernando aka "Pomb" from Brazil with his huge wall painted in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Follow him on Instagram @thalesfernando

CRACK FONT

by Philipp Herrmann & Felice Gübeli Based on a strict grid system German designer Erwin Poell designed the font family Poell in 1972. Crack is a modern interpretation of Swiss designers Philipp Herrmann and Felice Gübeli in the year 2011. The overlapping of elements is applied in a more consistent manner and thereby taken to the extremes. The design itself is modernized by making the letters more roundish. We say Thank you for letting us use this humorous font for this issue. Available at fontseek.info. www.philippherrmann.ch www.fontseek.info

SHAMSIA HASSANI

2. 468 : FinDAC London based artist FinDAC with this huge artwork from the Black Duke Project (dudug.co.uk). Follow him on Instagram @findac. Photo by dancallister.com

Graffiti in Kabul

“Freedom is not about removing burkas, it is about having peace.”, says Shamsia Hassani, 24 years old, one of the first female graffiti artist to come out of Afghanistan. Although we are used to seeing images of war and poverty in Afghanistan, Shamsia is part of a new artistic scene in Kabul who wants to bring positive change to the country. She paints pictures on walls of women with burkas talking about their lives. She dreams about eradicating all negative memories of war in peoples’ minds and hopes for a better future. In June 2013, Shamsia will be invited to Berne in Switzerland by the NGO Terre des Femmes to head the VOIX DES FEMMES event – a platform for women’s voices that raises awareness and carries out preventative work. In cooperation with the Focus association she will take part in an artistic exchange and share ideas during a graffiti session with Swiss artist Tika. We’re looking forward to seeing the outcome of this innovative dialogue between Afghan and Swiss art.

3. 466 : Eduardo Melo Eduardo is from Curitiba, Brazil and this is a 12 layer stencil on wood! Follow him on Instagram @artestenciva28

www.terre-des-femmes.ch www.focus-art.ch

See all artworks here: www.instagram.com/amateurmag

SWISS POSTERS Online collection

Great idea: The recently launched website "Schweizer Plakate" is a growing online gallery of Swiss posters, sorted by type, style or color. A big thumbs up! www.schweizerplakate.ch

SOBEKCIS Preview

Even though the Serbian Sobekci twins are still in art school, they are managing to find the time to present a solo - or letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say duo - exhibition at the REM art space in Vienna this year. Find out more about these upcoming artists in our next issue. In the meantime, feel free to visit their blog: sobekcis.tumblr.com

Acrylics and spray paint on canvas, 100 x 80cm, 2013.

Acrylics and spray paint on canvas, 2013.

CUSTOMIZED COOLERS Red Bull Curates

Like every good idea, this one is actually quite simple: uniting emerging artists with local venues to create functional pieces of art. On September 18th & 19th, ten invited artists – with a fine art, illustration, graffiti or sign painting background - from all around Switzerland will meet in Zurich for the Red Bull Curates project. At a two-day gathering, each of them will create a unique design on a Red Bull cooler. Once the artists have finished, the coolers will be put to use in ten bars in Zurich. The project has already taken place in San Francisco, New York, London and Vienna. This will be the first and most probably not the last time the event is taking place in Switzerland. So far, nine artists have already been lined up to participate. To find the tenth, Red Bull has asked Amateur Magazine to put out our feelers for a young and outstanding Swiss artist. If you think you’ve got what it takes, please send us an e-mail along with some work samples to: hello@amateur-magazine.com www.redbull.ch

Cooler by L'amour Supreme. Remember our 7th issue cover?

SOON GALLERY Berne, Switzerland

Focusing on contemporary art the innovative gallery SOON was founded in 2008. With a refreshing mix of photorealistic painting, street & urban art, photography and modern sculptures, it has managed to successfully fill a niche on the Swiss gallery scene. This year the gallery opened its new 150m² space, which includes a cozy bar, in a former metalworking factory. SOON attends international art fairs like BLOOOM Cologne and Stroke Munich and represents mainly young Swiss artists. It also invites international artists to present their work to a growing crowd of art lovers and collectors in Switzerland. For younger collectors there is a range of limited, high-quality art prints available. This year’s exhibitions include Wes21, Onur, Serge Nyffeler or the car crash sculptor Pierre-Alain Münger. SOON Gallery Lorrainestrasse 69 CH - 3014 Berne www.soon-art.ch

SOON gallery. Artwork from ro* and a sculpture from Pierre-Alain Münger.

Death Bunee Qee by Voltaire

Just when you thought the coast was clear… the Bunnypocalypse strikes again! And this time around, the dementedly adorable Death Bunny Glows in the Dark. Which is awesome considering how creepy is and you DON’T want him…her…it… sneaking up on you from the shadows. The Death Bunee Qee 11 cm, designed by Voltaire is limited to 500 pieces worldwide www.voltaire.net

Dweezil Dragon by Kronk

Peace, love, rock 'n' roll. Kronk's newest masterpiece is a rockin', top hat sportin', heart boxer wearin', hookah smokin', 40 cm vinyl Dragon named Dweezil. Caught midstride stepping straight out of Kronk's imagination, Dweezil has both attitude and grace in the 3D form. He commands attention, demands respect, and kicks ass. Dweezil is a limited edition of 300. www.kronk.co.za

Shadow Friend Dunny by Angry Woebots

Shadow Friend is the perfect playmate. He follows you wherever you go, playing right along. As a backwards twin to the original Woes design by Angry Woebots, Shadow Friend takes all of the gushy, “I heart you” feelings associated with mammoth cuddle monsters, and replaces them with an awkward nervous fear. Inspired by his 6.5 cm 2Tone Dunny, this is a darker version of his iconic stressed out giant panda. Showing off its latest catch of speared fish, the 20 cm Shadow Friend Dunny intimidates with hot pink beady eyes and a one-fanged snarl. Representing the number of Giant Pandas left in the wild, 1000 Deep is printed on the back of Dunny’s head, and black skull printed on its chest, a symbol of the species struggle to stay alive. Like their fuzzy counterparts, Shadow Friend Dunnys have limited numbers – only 1250 are available. You can see them in their natural habitat at CharacterStation store. www.armyofsnipers.com

POP! Pups & Corns Mini Series by Kidrobot

An ode to inflatables and the party art of balloon bending, POP! Pups and POP! ‘Corns Mini Series is blowing up! These 7 cm models are better than any you’ll get from the local street fair. With 10 different glossy colors available, each Pup is bright, bubbly, and promises to never lose its gas. www.kidrobot.com

All toys also available at CharacterStation.

Selected by

www.characterstation.com

Peace & Justice, 2012

Copenhagen, 2011. Picture by Henrik Haven (henrikhaven.tumblr.com)

SHEPARD FAIREY What annoys you the most about being famous?

«...the more familiar you become, the more people want to say “You fell off” or “You sold out”...»

www.obeygiant.com

Telephone interview with Shepard Fairey. February 8th, 2013.

Ring ring. Shepard Fairey: Hey, it’s Shepard.

and I used OBEY, after being inspired by this movie called “They Live” but OBEY became the word as part of the evolution away from a silly reference to wrestling.

Amateur Magazine: Hi, Shepard. This is Lain speaking.

AM: Did you ever read the book “1984”?

SF: How are you?

SF: Yes, of course. Orwell was a big influence on me and I actually did the book cover for “1984” for Penguin Books in the UK.

AM: I’m fine, thank you. And you? SF: Good. Good. AM: Okay, honestly, I’m not fine – I’m nervous. That leads me to the first question. When was the last time you were nervous? SF: (Laughs) Hmmm. I get nervous all the time. George Clinton came over to my studio and he’s a legend, so that made me a bit nervous. But he's actually really nice and after talking to him for a little while I was fine. I've been able to meet a lot of heroes of mine and it definitely makes me nervous but in the end I just realize that we’re all human beings with the same emotions, insecurities and everything. I think once you get past the weight of someone’s accomplishments it is easy to relate to them if you take a deep breath. AM: Haha, thanks. I'll try. Cool. Speaking of personal heroes. I recently saw you in the new “Bones Brigades” movie. While watching, I realized that the street art movement might not come from graffiti, but from skateboarding and punk rock. What do you think about my loose theory? SF: Yeah, I’d definitely say that my work was more inspired by skateboarding and punk rock than graffiti. The techniques that I use in my work – stenciling, screen printing, stickers – all really came from skateboarding and punk rock. Because skateboarding in the eighties was still very punk-rock and DIY. I would make homemade T-shirts with stencils, as well as homemade stickers. That was what a lot of my punk rock and skateboard friends were doing too. People would do stencils on ramps or stuff like that. You know at the end of the eighties a lot of smaller skateboard companies started popping up where people were screen printing their own graphics on decks or T-shirts. It seemed like all you really needed in order to start a clothing line or skateboard company was to be able to print up a few things. The techniques that I use for my street art were things that I developed at high school just to make stuff for myself and then I saw the potential to go bigger. So rather than learning how to paint letters with a spray can, I used the techniques that I already enjoyed – and that came from skateboarding and punk rock. AM: Okay, I see. It's like a blend of all three sources. SF: Yes, exactly.

AM: Ah cool. I didn't know that. Okay, let's jump to the present. What’s your daily routine? Do you do interviews like this all the time or is there time to be creative in your everyday life? SF: I’ve actually cut back on interviews because it takes time away from being creative. I think all creative people – be it visual artists or musicians – can understand the cycle of creating and promoting that if you make something you might find an audience. But after a certain point in my career I could do interviews all the time but what would I be promoting if I don't have time to create? AM: True. SF: I'm not trying to be Paris Hilton just being famous for the sake of being famous. I actually want to make things as that’s much more important to me. So the way my days work is: I either come in to my design studio or my art studio and they are about five minutes from each other. My processes are a mixture of illustrations – I make illustrations and then I scan them and work out compositions on the computer. Sometimes I create ornaments and borders and things like that on the computer because it's faster and when things are symmetrical, using design tools allows me the flexibility to make what I want and edit it much more quickly than doing it by hand, but everything I do is a combination of drawing and cutting and working out compositions visually. Then I make stencils and screens and fine art prints. But I also have to do a lot of T-shirt graphics for my clothing line so I spend time on doing that and sometimes I do things like the album packaging I just created for Bad Brains and Led Zeppelin. I’m back and forth between my two studios. When I’m working on a fine art show, I’m in the painting and printing studio a lot. And then I also spend time working on a lot of charity things and I have a family. So I end up working in my painting studio or office and then going home to hang out with my kids and then after they go to bed around 9 o'clock I work until 12 or 1 on my art again at home. AM: Crazy. No pain, no gain, right?! SF: Yeah, I enjoy what I do so I try to work a lot. But I also end up going out to see music or going out to charity events. I try to support things that are good causes and things within the art community. We also have our gallery called “Subliminal Project” which is on the first floor of our design studio. I help to promote other artists as well.

AM: Speaking about the beginnings, you work under the alias of OBEY. What was the second option that you had in mind back then?

AM: What annoys you the most about being famous?

SF: Well, you know, originally I started with “Andre the Giant” stickers, saying “Andre the Giant has a posse” and for a while I called what I was doing “Giant” not OBEY. But as it progressed I wanted my project to be seen more as a comment on propaganda. Advertising and other forms of propaganda. I wanted to take the imagery in a direction that was more valiant, more Big Brother – and away from the reference of wrestling. So rather than focus on the giant I wanted to focus on the public submitting to commands or orders

SF: I think the most frustrating thing for me at this point is that I don’t have the anonymity to just do what I want. You know for example I went to go out to do some street art in Brooklyn a year ago, it was late on a Sunday night and before I could even park the car a kid on a fixed gear bike was pulling up to try to show me his stickers. He just recognized me through the window of the car. It’s very hard for me to be as free to move to do my work as I used to be. But at the same time there are benefits: like the CONTINUATION ON PAGE 21 >>

Imperial Glory, 2012

www.obeygiant.com

«...I still keep my punk rock do-it-yourself mentality but I'm just reaching out to a bigger audience. I try to keep the same attitude and the same integrity I’ve always had with all the projects I do.»

Mural at Ebor Street, London, 2012

www.obeygiant.com

Station to station, 2012

fact that people give me opportunities to do big legal walls. That’s the trade-off, I guess. The other thing I find really frustrating about being more well known is that I have the baggage of peoples’ expectations and the more familiar you become, the more people want to say “You fell off” or “You sold out”, “You’re not keeping it real”, “Your new stuff sucks”, because anybody who’s rebellious likes to be contrary. So they end up wanting to tear you down because you’ve become established. To tear down the establishment. And I completely relate to that. I understand that. But I also recognize when things become popular but have merit and so they deserve it. That's what I’m striving for. I still keep my punk rock do-ityourself mentality but I'm just reaching out to a bigger audience. I try to keep the same attitude and the same integrity I’ve always had with all the projects I do. In fact I have more freedom now to just do what I want to do because when I was younger I was struggling financially so I had to do a lot more corporate graphic design, which I no longer have to do now. The feelings of pressure that come with fame are sometimes hard to deal with and so – like I told you earlier – I try to take a deep breath and trust my instincts rather than worrying about what other people think and try not to read the stuff people are saying on the internet. AM: Haha, that’s definitely a good decision. I think fame elicits envy. SF: Yeah, you are right. But you know, the way I look at it is: I’d rather be creating things that people are reacting to – even if they are reacting negatively – than being the one sitting back doing nothing but reacting. AM: Word! Now let’s get personal. I know you are diabetic* – just like me. What I’d like to know is if you’ve ever had hypoglycemia while doing art on the streets illegally? SF: Oh yeah, sure. I’ve had low blood sugar several times and had to run to find a deli or something to get some food. It can be stressful. I’ve been arrested sixteen times and several of those times the police have taken my insulin away. AM: Fuck! Really? Doves, 2012

SF: Yeah. I got really sick because my blood sugar went up and I wasn’t getting any insulin. I think a lot of people don't understand how barbaric American police are! I think the assumption is that we live in a civilized country so they treat people with dignity. But no, they don't give a shit whether you die in jail! You know I’ve been beaten up by the cops a couple times. So that’s probably the most stressful thing about being diabetic and doing what I do – it’s not hypoglycemia but hyperglycemia. So I ended up getting an insulin pump and it’s illegal for them to detach the pump, so that helps. I only have one tattoo – on my arm that just says “Diabetic”. AM: Smart move! Okay, the interview is drawing to a close Shepard. Is there a question you have always wanted to be asked in an interview but never have? SF: (Laughs) Hmm, no, I can’t think of anything at the moment. But one of the things I get asked frequently that frustrates me is “Do I think that as a street artist I am contradicting my values when I do gallery shows or make prints on T-shirts?” The other thing is that I do a huge amount of charity work and people never even mention that in interviews at all. What frustrates me about both of those things is that it’s hard to be any kind of artist – much less a street artist, where you have these expectations that you don’t do it in a way that you ever benefit from it financially. I mean, how do people expect a street artist to survive? You know I never categorized myself as only a street artist. You know I use the street because it’s a democratic platform and it reaches people outside of galleries and museums. And it also demonstrates empowerment: that if you are willing to take risks you can find a voice no matter what the powers-to-be have to say. Those are important things to me but they are not the only things. There are a lot of valid platforms to reach people creatively and with your ideas. I guess the question that I would maybe like to get asked is: “Why do I think that people have a different standard for purity of street art than they do for any other creative medium, whether it's film-making or music or writing?” and my answer would be: “I don't really know, but one thing I do know is that people love to project on to archetypes. With all the compromise that people have in their lives they love the idea that art

www.obeygiant.com

might be the one pure thing that still exists in the world. And 2: I think they like the archetype of the martyr, who does something to save humanity but doesn't do it to benefit themselves. Because most people don’t live that way but they have a very romantic idea about that concept. Unfortunately it is virtually impossible to fulfill that fantasy for people and survive at the same time. So what I always ask people is: Well, as a journalist did you write all your stories in chalk on a sidewalk for all those years and as soon as you were paid by a newspaper or a magazine to write an article, everyone wanted to beat you in the street and call you a sell-out and a piece of shit? Errm, probably not. (Laughter) AM: Thanks for sharing. That was a great way to finish the interview. Thanks for taking the time Shepard. I wish you all the best for your future. SF: Likewise. Thank you for giving me some exposure. ._. Interview: Lain Photos: Henrik Haven & Obey

* Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which a person has to regulate their blood glucose, by injecting insulin to avoid high blood sugar or consuming sugar to avoid low blood sugar. Both Shepard Fairey and Lain have diabetes.

DOPPELDENK What do you love?

Marlboro, Fine Art Print, 30 x 40cm, 2012

«Blood, sweat and tears.»

www.doppeldenk.com

What does a typical day in the life of Doppeldenk entail? Wake up at 5 am. Two hours of power fitness at Iron Fist. Breakfast and watching trading news from all over the world. 18 km run to the studio. 1 hour of brainstorming and briefings with clients. 3 hours of socializing on Facebook, Twitter, Studi VZ, Stay Friends, Myspace, Tumblr & Jappy. Lunch. Approx. 2 hours of meetings. 1 hour swim. 2 hours of working on new ideas. Approx. 1 hour of hard work. 18 km jog back home. Supper. 2 hours of watching news and info channels. Play chess with friends/computer or read a book. Go to sleep at midnight. When was the last time you wished you weren’t part of an artist duo? 1984. What has really stayed with you after growing up in West Germany? No coke. No hash. No heroin. Did you move to Berlin right after the fall of the Wall? ¥€$. What was it like? It was easy to make money selling beer cans, chocolate and bananas.

I like the fact that your artwork is filled with symbols. I saw your "Heaven & Hell" work at last year’s ArtYou. Amazing. You featured the band Kraftwerk on both triptychs. What’s that about? More than any other, the band has been inspiring us with their music, concept and the way they handle new technologies for over 30 years now. What are you currently working on? Global domination. What was the last thing you had to fight for? The daily struggle. If you could be any object, what would you like to be and why? The Leshan Giant Buddha, which is 71 m high and 28 m wide. What do you hope to accomplish in the next two years of your life? Passing my driving test. Anything else you want to let people know? Do you have any shout-outs? Greetings and thanks to our families, friends, supporters & collectors. ._. Interview: Lain Photos: Doppeldenk

Omerta, Acryl on canvas, 3 x 60 x 60cm, 2012

Faces Series, Fine Art Print, 85 x 85cm, 2012

Interpol and Deutsche Bank, FBI and Scotland Yard Interpol and Deutsche Bank, FBI and Scotland Yard CIA and KGB Control the data, memory Business, numbers, money, people Business, numbers, money, people Computer world Computer world Communication, time, medicine, entertainment Communication, time, medicine, entertainment Computer world Computer world (Kraftwerk | â&#x20AC;&#x153;Computer Worldâ&#x20AC;? | 1981)

Winkekatze & Burka, Fine Art Print, 30 x 40cm, 2012

TNT, Fine Art Print, 30 x 40cm, 2012

Minus, Acryl on canvast, 280 x 150cm, 2012

«No coke. No hash. No heroin.»

HOW & NOSM Dreaming is free, 30x40 cm. Acrylic, spray paint,india ink,cel vinyl,collage on canvas, 2012

When was the last time you wished you weren’t twins? Why?

«That thought has never crossed my mind. But I can assure you that a lot of people ask us the typical twin questions, which can be annoying sometimes...» HOW

www.howandnosm.com

Hownosm at Nuart, 2012. Photo by Ian Cox

HOW, please introduce and describe NOSM. NOSM, please introduce and describe HOW. NOSM: I'm Davide Perre (Nosm) and I'm one half of the artist duo HowNosm aka How & Nosm. I've been painting with my twin brother for over 25 years now. We painted many murals and trains in the past but now we concentrate mainly on studio work, sculptures and specific projects that interest or challenge us at this point in our careers. How is the most hardworking individual I've ever worked with and also, the most reliable. He is straightforward and won't hold his tongue if he disagrees with something. If he lets you in or you get to know the inner How, you can consider yourself special and fortunate. You will have found a loyal human being, friend or boyfriend. HOW: My brother Nosm is a loving father to his 18-month old son Leon and husband to his wife Monica, who is also our main photographer. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. As far as his work ethic is concerned, I still haven't found another individual as dedicated and compelled as he is. Anything he approaches, he does with the intention of striving for perfection, which can be difficult for people with different ethics to comprehend. The rules and morals he lives by have made it possible for him to create some of the most amazing projects of his career. What question would you like to be asked in an interview? What would be your answer? NOSM: The first question of this interview is pretty unique, so you just managed to ask a question that hardly anybody has asked us in our entire career. HOW: I would like to be asked the question that you just asked me for the simple fact that many interviews lack creativity and end up being the same thing over and over. When was the last time you wished you weren’t twins? Why? NOSM: I’ve never wished that and wouldn't be able to answer that since we have been twins for almost 38 years. That's like asking a grown man when was the last time he wished to be a woman. That question just doesn't come into our heads. HOW: That thought has never crossed my mind. But I can assure you that a lot of people ask us the typical twin questions, which can be annoying sometimes, like “Do you think alike? Who is older? Have you ever tricked anybody?”, and so on. What does a typical day in the life of How & Nosm in New York look like? NOSM: I get up at around 6 am with my son and try to feed him if he doesn't want to sleep anymore. How walks his dog around the same time. We get breakfast on the way to the studio and start working at around 8 am on whatever we have planned, maybe a painting or an installation. HOW: I get up around 7 am everyday, seven days a week, no matter what time I got home the night before. Then I walk my French bulldog, Niko and go to our studio to work on paintings. We lunch at 12, then continue working until around 4 pm. Then I usually head back home where I work on drawings. I finish the night with a movie and that’s about it. Very exciting! Art historians always like to compare contemporary artists with past artists. How would you categorize your work? NOSM: A little bit of Picasso because of our abstract shapes, M.C. Escher, maybe because of his geometrical work and perhaps a bit Diego Rivera when it comes to round faces and bodies. Yet I have to say we have a pretty unique style that we can call our own. HOW: We don’t really categorize our work. It’s usually the media that does that. You are familiar with both sides of the big pond. What's the biggest difference between working as an artist with a graffiti background in Europe and the United States? NOSM: These days there is no difference. If you work hard, it will pay off in some way. HOW: I think it’s hard to earn a living on both sides of the pond but I do believe it is a little easier to become established on the American market since pioneers like CRASH, DAZE and Futura already paved the way for the movement many years ago. So graffiti and street art are not completely foreign to art collectors and galleries.

www.howandnosm.com

What’s been playing on your mind recently? NOSM: To do new work and take it to another level so it keeps evolving and stays fresh. HOW: Actually, my mind has mainly been preoccupied with an installation we recently completed for our show with the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York. Do you get to paint as much as you want? NOSM: Yes. We have a good balance with working in the studio and painting murals. Both are essential to our development and satisfaction. HOW: We certainly haven’t painted as many murals as we did before, since we were focused on our gallery work, a lot of which is interesting and just a different way of painting. Nowadays, we just focus on a few massive walls throughout the year. Looking back, what were the two most important things you did to break through as a career artist? NOSM: I was getting tired of the commercial jobs where agencies didn’t have the balls to be creative, so quitting those kind of jobs was one, but mainly, satisfying the urge to find our style and ourselves was important. HOW: I think leaving behind the commercial work and investing our savings in a studio to focus entirely on our personal art would be first and then working closely with our manager to make things much more professional. Why do you work with such a reduced range of color? NOSM: It developed with our limitations of paint supplies for our many trips to South America over the last six years, but also because everybody was using as many colors as possible and we wanted to stand out from the crowd. HOW: The decision to reduce our range of colors derives from a few different aspects. First, we realized during our travels to foreign countries that it was just more economical to limit ourselves with the amount of spray cans so that we didn't make our expenses skyrocket. A bucket of white and a bucket of black latex acrylic paint would cover a large area. Besides, those two colors are available anywhere without any hassle. To spice up and set apart some of the images, we included red. In addition, a few spray cans that are light in weight would make it easy to travel around with public transportation and not make us dependent on a car. The decision to work with such a limited color palette would also help us become recognizable. Like any brand, we created a distinct color combination that defines us. Audiences would not only recognize us by our individual style of painting, but also by our color scheme. We didn’t always work with such a limited range of colors though. That only started about four years ago. What was the last song that really got you excited? NOSM: “I Follow Rivers” by Lykke Li. HOW: “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore. What was the last thing you had to fight for? NOSM: A check. HOW: A Slim Jim with my dog. If you could be an object, what would you like to be and why? HOW: A certain kind of medicine that cures a deadly disease to save a life and to witness it all from within a body. NOSM: ??? What's next in the pipeline for How & Nosm? HOWNOSM: There will be some traveling abroad to Portugal to work on a project that VHILS is curating, some bigger mural projects in SF and LA, a print release and another very interesting project with a non-profit organization that we are not able to talk about at this point. What do you hope to accomplish in the next two years of your life? HOWNOSM: To achieve happiness in both our personal and our professional lives. Anything else you want to let people know? Do you have any shout-outs? HOWNOSM: Thanks to everyone who has given us support throughout all these years. ._. Questions: Lain Photos: Monica Perre, Ian Cox Management: Naheed Simjee (www.simjeetextor.com)

The Old Man and the Sea, 72x60 cm. Acrylic, spray paint,india ink,cel vinyl,collage on canvas, 2012

www.howandnosm.com

Never Ending Story, 60x72. Acrylic, spray paint,india ink,cel vinyl,collage on canvas, 2012

Hownosm at work for the Stuck on the City installation, Prague, Czech Republic, 2012. Photo by Tomáš Soucek

Personal Melody, Philadelphia, USA, 2012

ÂŤ...we have a good balance with working in the studio and painting murals. Both are essential to our development and satisfaction.Âť NOSM

Houston & Bowery wall, New York, USA, 2012

www.howandnosm.com

Draws, 47x61cm, Acrylic, spray paint, india ink, cel vinyl, collage on wood, 2012

INGA GUZYTE The Berrics Cowboy, 2011, recycled skateboard sculpture, 80 x 60 x 11.5cm

Why used skateboards?

«The “out-of-the-box” shapes of the sculptures I am making represent not only the free spirit of skateboarding but also similar ways of life and all the experience, feelings and enlightenment that comes with it...»

www.ingaguzyte.com

Please introduce and describe yourself: My name is Inga Guzyte and I am originally from a little country in Eastern Europe called Lithuania. When I was about 10 years old, my family moved to Germany where I spent my teenage years and graduated from high school. I had a few tricky years in Germany but I was also introduced to skateboarding, which became my anchor point and an inspiration to me. As far as I can remember I have always been a little creative person, I scribbled here and there mostly fictional images like silly monsters. At some point, I was so involved with skateboarding that I wanted to know more about its origin and so I ended up in California where I got my art degree. One thing led to another and a few years ago, I found myself making sculptures out of recycled decks. My journey and my experience have shaped me into the person I am today. I would describe myself as a skater girl, an art and culture lover, a serious dream-hunter and a little shy but silly enough to like nail-guns and crazy weird heels at the same time. A musician friend of mine once wrote a song about my working habits, she called it "I.N.G.A. the Machine"... Yes, that's me! When and why did you move to Zurich? I moved to Zurich about a year and a half ago, partly because of my family. In Zurich I have found my little creative corner, a carpentry studio, where I work around a bunch of cool carpenters. I chose Zurich to be a part of my journey and I am happy to have the experience of being in this beautiful city. Although my journey is definitely not over yet, I would like to keep Zurich as my home base. What question would you like to answer in an interview? What would be your answer? I think the question I would like to answer would be one about the characters I am creating. What are they all about? Well, the idea behind creating characters is that I like to give the old decks an afterlife. I think every board has a lot of fantastic stories on its back, most of them you can see by looking at the marks and scratches but the rest you can only imagine. Each of my characters represents a way of life, a journey as individual as each person. What does a typical day in the life of Inga entail? Getting up early because I’m so anxious to create something. Breakfast is a must, and then a train ride to my studio, sketching and brainstorming, picking out boards, collecting boards if I’m running out, sunbathing decks before grip tape removal, lots of cutting, nailing, sanding and spray painting, endless experimenting and puzzling together more skateboard pieces after a 12 pm lunch with my carpenter friends. And once in a while, wondering where the time went: especially when I am in my creative mode, I can spend hours and hours at the wood shop. What's the hardest part of your working process – physically and psychologically? The tricky part of my working process is that I always have to think ahead. Every step in the process of my work has a specific order. Lots of things need to be prepared or painted before I can continue with the work; it all takes time and patience. It’s quite easy to mess up a piece if you don’t stay focused. Plus the less focused you are, the easier it is to get hurt with heavy tools like a band saw… I’ve had my share of that already! Why used skateboards? There are a few reasons why I like to use old decks. One of them is the great connection I feel since being introduced to skateboarding. I really appreciate its positive influence on me. Second of all, I am absolutely fascinated by this quite simple object being able to do all those incredible tricks. I also love all the countless designs on the boards, which play a significant part in my work. But despite that, I like to give my work more meaning than just the association with skateboarding because skateboarding is more than that, which is why my work is so different from the original skateboard shape. The “out-of-the-box” shapes of the sculptures I am making represent not only the free spirit of skateboarding but also similar ways of life and all the experience, feelings and enlightenment that comes with it. Skateboarding is not just skateboarding, it has the wonderful ability to bring people together and, on top of that, it has the power to ease your mind whenever you need it. You could almost say skateboarding creates a space in time that’s nearly perfect! These are all things I love about a skateboard and that’s why I use old decks as a little reminder of its fantastic being. Do you still skate? Yes, I still skate, it’s always fun to roll around the city. I wouldn’t want to miss the feeling of peace I get when I’m on the board...

Red Cash, 2011, recycled skateboard sculpture, 53 x 33 x 8cm Inga Guzyte's workshop in Zurich, Switzerland

Madly in Love, 2010, recycled skateboard sculpture, 58 x 61 x 13cm NYC Superhero, 2011, recycled skateboard sculpture, 115 x 178 x 25cm

www.ingaguzyte.com

What is your impression of the local art scene compared to the one in Vienna? My impression of the art scene in Zurich compared to Vienna is that, from what I have seen so far, it’s smaller and quite hidden, but it is there if you are looking for it, and the things you find can be quite inspiring! I do wish the street art scene was a little bigger though. Who are the artists you look up to? Why? Some of the first artists I was intrigued by are Jim Phillips and Ed Templeton, who are great artists from the skateboarding industry and I just love their style. Followed by JR, he is one of my favorite artists because I’m inspired by the scale and the concept of his work. He is a genius in connecting art with the world. Another two artists I look up to are my old teachers Ed Inks and Stephanie Dotson, they inspired me to do sculpture and printmaking so they are the ones who pointed me towards the world of art. And one of my latest inspirations is an artist from the motion graphics world: Ulrike Kerber. She is one of the most creative and talented people I know, as well as being the master of stop-motion animation. So all in all, I am a fan of street art but also contemporary and conceptual art. There are just too many inspiring artists out there to name them all. What was the last thing you had to fight for? Hmmm...I can only think of one constant fight I have. As long as I call myself an artist, I will always be fighting for recognition as one, especially as a female artist using skateboards as my medium. So I am quite a fighter! In any case, thinking positive is the key! If you could be any object, what would you like to be and why? I can’t really make up my mind between a skateboard and the element water. Nevertheless, as a skateboard I would have an afterlife (if it would fall

into my hands) and I could live on as a superhero character with a cool cape. So to be a skateboard is very tempting to me. And it would be rad to be water because I like to float, as silly as it sounds... What's next on the agenda? My future plans all revolve around my work as an artist: when a project is calling me I try to go after it. And as far as I can hear, L.A., Berlin and my love Barcelona are calling me this year. I still have a few great cities to cover with my art and a few fun collaborations ahead of me, plus I am also looking into doing more social work with kids involving skateboarding and/or art. What do you love? I love my family and all of my friends all over the world, the moments of accomplishment and brilliant ideas, being creative, the little things that make a whole big one, good sleep, seafood, NYC, catching up with friends at a good restaurant, travels, raspberries, the ocean, sun, skateboarding, swimming, overwhelming my eyes with art...and, last but not least, I love to be inspired by other people... Anything else you want to let people know? Do you have any shout-outs? Well, I definitely want to shout out a big THANK YOU to all the readers and art lovers, supporters and art makers, my people and dear friends. Thank you all because without you there would be at least one artist less in this world and without you my characters would have no air to live! xoxo ._. Interview: Lain Photos: Inga Guzyte

The Do Not Crew, 2012, recycled skateboard sculptures, each 50 x 38 x 5cm

Sumo Chan, 2012, recycled skateboard sculpture, 143 x 92 x 10cm

www.ingaguzyte.com

Accouple, 2012. Istanbul, Turkey. 23 x 20 m

AMOSE What advice can you give to younger artists who are trying to find their personal style of expression?

ÂŤBe curious! Be curious about everything. Take a look at what is being done elsewhere and work every day! Now that we have this fucking internet at our fingertips it's so easy to explore all the different art there is out there.Âť

amose.free.fr

Hi Amose. Please introduce yourself. I'm 33 years old and I live in the north of France in Lille. I started my art studies in 1996 in St Luc in Tournai, Belgium. After four years studying illustration, I left to learn graphic design and software for three years at another institute. Since 2003, I have been a part of the Mercurocrom collective with Eroné, Nada, Spear and Spher. I also collaborate with Eroné and Spear on our screen print workshop called La Carpe. (alcarpe.free.fr) What’s been playing on your mind recently? I recently began working on different parts of the human body, for example just an arm or a hand, using different techniques with wood, paper, glue and paint. I would like to try doing my own kind of anatomical illustrations but in a different way, with my characters of course...and I would like to be more abstract. I really love the old-school anatomical drawings. Why "Amose"? Because my real name is Amaury and everybody used to call me Amo. I just added the "s" of my surname and an "e" because I don't like Tori Amos’ music! What does a typical day in the life of Amose entail? It all depends on whether my son Maceo, who is 6 years old, is with me or his mother. When I’m alone I wake up, choose the music I’m going to listen to first, make a coffee, check my mails and other things on the internet and then start to work at my home or at my screen print workshop with my two friends Eroné and Spear. What was the last thing you had to fight for? To get my son to do his homework! Art historians always like to compare contemporary artists with past artists. How would you categorize your work? It's difficult to categorize your own work but the past artists I really like are Egon Schiele, Alberto Giacometti, Antonio Sant'Elia, as well as the paintings, architecture and photography of the Futurists. I really like the Art Nouveau stuff by Alfons Mucha and Cubism too. Perhaps it's a blend of all that, plus the work by a lot of different artists from the past and present. You’re regularly invited to urban art festivals around the globe. Which two would you like to highlight? Yes, it’s a real honor to be invited to art festivals to paint. I love travelling so much and it’s great when you can combine travel and work. You can discover another country, meet the local people and the other artists invited. You're alone each time and you don't know the town or sometimes the country, you don't know the people who have invited you, you don't know where you’re going to sleep…I love all that! Everywhere I have been invited to paint has been good; I’ve never had any bad experiences. In September 2012 I went to Istanbul for the Mural'ist Festival with the Italian artist Pixel Pancho, Dome from Germany and Claudio Ethos from Brazil. I painted a big wall in the sunshine! It was perfect! And the guys from the festival were really cool. I met some nice people. It’s one of my favorite festivals I’ve been to. Istanbul is a magnificent place!

Static, 2012. Saarbrucken, Germany. 4 x 10 m

In summer 2011 I was invited to Bassano del Grappa near Venice in Italy for the Infart festival with many artists like Nychos and Remed. They’re all really good guys, the town is very nice and the atmosphere was cool. I have really good memories from that experience. What song thrilled you recently? I make a point of discovering one new band, producer, DJ or singer online every day I listen to new music all the time. So that’s a difficult question to answer. Just before this interview I discovered a French jazz guy who was famous in the seventies, Bernard Lubat, and his song “Cameo Rock". And another guy I stumbled across last week is a young rapper called HD from Brooklyn. His track “Put It On" is great. And one more: the new Georgia Anne Muldrow produced by Madlib is really cool too! What is your worst nightmare? Waking up one morning blind and without hands! If you could be an object, what would you like to be and why? A 1966 Ford Mustang. Break, 2012. Ink and paper glued on paper. 30 x 42 cm

What's next on the cards for Amose? Until 8th May an exhibition with my friend Eroné at the Inoperable gallery in Vienna. And then in May I'm invited to an urban art festival in Manchester After that, in June, I’ll have a solo exhibition at the Sergeant Paper Gallery in Paris and in November probably an exhibition in a new art gallery called Vertical in Chicago. Plus I have a few other different events lined up with my screen print workshop La Carpe (http://alcarpe.free.fr) What do you hope to accomplish in the next two years of your life? I want to continue doing what I’m doing, look after my kid, travel, meet nice guys and have a baby with my girlfriend Juliette.

«Waking up one morning blind and without hands!»

Anything else you want to let people know? Do you want to make any shout-outs? Big up to Eroné aka Gainzbeu, Nada aka Jean Batér, Sfer aka Dent d'maîs and Spear aka Baracou! ._. Interview: Lain Photos: Amose

www.amose.tumblr.com

Burda, 2012. Ink and paper glued on paper. 30 x 42 cm

Forma, 2011. Bassano del Grappa, Italy. 4 x 9 m

Voado, 2012. Screen print, 3 colors on paper. 60 x 42 cm

Wooderie, 2012. Wood assembly and paint. 220 x 110 cm

amose.free.fr

MONSIEUR A

Our man Enzo Scavone had the pleasure to meet up with Monsieur A aka André aka André Saraiva. February 8th, 2013, 3pm. André's studio, Chinatown, New York.

Amateur Magazine: Hello André, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Would you like to tell our readers about your current projects? André: I have a lot going on right now. I’m shooting a new short film in L.A. and I’m organizing a show with Wes Lang. We’ve been staying at the Chateau Marmont and decided to do an exhibition there. So that’s in two weeks. I’m finishing a book for Rizzoli which will be out by September. AM: What’s the book about? André: My life. It’s a big thing. It contains all of the work I’ve done since I was 14 years old. So more than 25 years in total. The book was made by M/M Paris and it’s going to look really nice. I’m always working on lots of things at once: paintings, sculpture projects, movies, and finishing my magazine.

I do fashion stories with Nate Lowman and Aaron Young. They are artists I like, people I like, or musicians I like. We do stories on them and I have great writers, for example, Glenn O’Brien who writes pieces that are more about politics than fashion. It’s very multicultural. AM: And what do you think of magazines like Amateur? André: There are so many graffiti magazines today. I grew up in a time when there were no graffiti magazines and no internet. Even hip-hop music wasn’t on radio stations back then. You had to go to certain places such as London to get a record or some mix tapes and listen to what you wanted. To see graffiti you had friends who had taken a photo of some graffiti somewhere. That’s the only way you could see it. So you had to use your imagination, or really go places. At least this is a good one. I’m happy magazines like this exist and grow with this culture. It’s dedicated to people who are into that culture. We are lucky to have them support us.

AM: You mean L’Officiel Hommes? AM: What are your future projects? André: Yeah. The next cover will have Kanye West and Kim Kardashian shot by Nick Knight. It’s going to be the first time they have been shown together on a magazine cover. AM: At the end of last year you attended Art Basel Miami where you had a collaboration with JR, shot a short film, and organized after-parties. Can you tell us about the experiences you had there? André: Oh, lots of booze, lots of drugs, lots of girls.

André: The ones I just spoke about. They are for the near future. As far as the long term is concerned, I never know. Crazy stuff. I don’t know. I am working on a feature movie though. AM: Feature movie? Who’s going to be the star? André: Graffiti. AM: Artists these days are often presented as rock stars. How important is an artist’s image compared to his work?

AM: No! André: It’s true! It was kind of like a spring break for older men. I had lots of fun and I did lots of things including a short film entitled “Love Henrietta.” I painted this huge piece “Henrietta” from top to bottom, and I did two other pieces where I asked people to send me the name of their lover via Twitter and tell me why they love them. I chose the names and the stories I liked the most and then painted their names. The Hole Gallery has a villa in Florida. So I did a little project with the Hole. I held Le Baron pop-up parties every night in different locations. My other club called “Chez André” did pop-up parties with karaoke for a few nights. It’s fun because I don’t run the clubs like a business. We offer artists and the art scene a place to be, interact, and meet each other. That’s always been the reason why I am involved in parties and clubs – and also because I like to get fucked up.

André: It’s always hard to say. For example, I love Keith Haring because I love his life, I love his style, and I love what he was doing. I love Futura because he was cool and I love his art as well. Their way of life was as important as their work for me. Of course I differentiate between the work and the person. But I also think it’s interesting to know who is behind the work. It’s not essential but we live in a time where it became part of the art. Terry looks like Terry Richardson and that corresponds to his work – it is part of his work. It’s not the most important part but the public persona is part of it. Andy Warhol started that. Or maybe before him Picasso and Dalí. It’s not all but it’s part of it. You have to integrate. Even in graffiti it has always been about creating a mystery around your identity.

«The best response I had was when I wrote a girl’s name and they just came and fell in love with me.»

AM: Tell me some of the stories people wrote about their loves. André: There were so many beautiful stories. It’s fun how people send me all their stories. Sometimes you get very emotional ones – sometimes beautiful and sometimes very sad. I wrote the name “Lola.” That was one of the cutest: there were two kids who had known each other since school. They were in love and now they are in their late twenties and they’re still together. They sent me a picture of them as kids and a recent one as young adults. It just sounded like pure love.

AM: What is the message you want to convey with your art? Do you have a philosophy that you express? André: Philosophy is always a big thing. First of all, I think in graffiti it’s up to the person who sees the graffiti to decide what he wants to see in it. I think it’s a very free art for that. You can project whatever you want. I always have a kind of happy-love attitude to my things, but sometimes it can be a bit cynical also, you know. I have fun doing my stuff. So if people feel it, it’s good and fun. There is always passion and love behind my work. AM: What lessons did graffiti teach you?

AM: What does your job as the creative director of L’Officiel Hommes involve? André: You know, smoking cigarettes, saying “Do this, do that...”. In France we’re still allowed to smoke in the office. No, the way I do the magazine is very personal. I’m not a real magazine person. I do it with a free mind. And as a creative director I really try to give it my personal take on things. So everything is very personal. I do the headline font by hand. All of the people I show are people I have a connection with, or I like, or know. Although it is a fashion magazine, I don’t use male models.

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André: Uh, that life is fucking hard. AM: Yes, it’s not only graffiti that teaches us that though. André: But as a kid, come on… being chased by the police, nobody cared about what you were doing, and getting in fights with all the other guys, all the time. You had to have a big, big belief in what you were doing because the whole world was against you. But now it’s like this: a guy goes and writes a little thing and it spreads all over the internet. In my time you had to fight

for years and years before your name got recognized and you’d get a little respect. So it has taught me to be a good fighter.

AM: What do you mean by the “altermondialists?”

AM: Do you have an example of a scary situation you got out of?

AM: Otherworldly?

André: Broken nose, broken head, broken fingers, broken teeth. Not only me, some other people, too, by the way…

André (to friend): Comment dis “altermondialiste”?

André: No, like free the world, no taxes, no banks... AM: Oh, anarchists? André: No, I love anarchists

AM: So you dish out, too. André: Yeah! AM: What memorable responses have you had to your work?

André’s friend: Alternative... hippies... André: Not hippies. Those who are like, “I only eat organic food, fuck you...” AM: Hipsters?

André: I don’t know. I’ve had lots. The best response I had was when I wrote a girl’s name and they just came and fell in love with me. That was the best response I ever had.

André: No... Anyways, all of these pure ideas can become diluted. I think you have to try to follow your ideals. AM: Did you go to art school? Do you think an education in art is essential for gaining recognition as an artist?

artists. If you have degrees, it doesn’t make you a better artist. AM: What do you think about your character Mr. A? André: The fun thing with Mr. A is that I was the first guy coming from pure graffiti like tagging to go on and paint other stuff than just my name. That’s what they call post-graffiti. I was the first one to do that. Nobody else was doing it at the time and then very quickly ZEVS and Space Invader started. In that sense graffiti brought good stuff and a lot of crap, too. Graffiti is not yet defined as good or not. I always thought graffiti is more about the time you live in and the energy you invest painting it. I always say it’s like an action or a performance.

AM: Did that happen a lot? André: Yeah... a few times. AM: What would be the project of your dreams? André: You know, maybe fall in love again. Those are the things that matter the most to me.

André: Recognition? No, fuck it! Recognition is very abstract. On the other hand, learning doesn’t hurt. It depends on who you are and if you want to be part of a school or an institution. I didn’t feel so comfortable in it but I always read by myself and studied by myself. I was very curious. Of course education is something that is good but it doesn’t necessarily translate into recognition. That doesn’t work for

AM: When you were growing up, what did your parents think about your graffiti? André: My mom was just pissed off having to go and pick me up from jail and having everybody deal with all my fucking trouble and problems but otherwise she kind of liked it. AM: Did she see stuff you did and say, “I like that”? André: No, she was always like “It’s shit.” But I always knew that she meant well and she liked it. She probably thought to herself “What the fuck are you doing André?”

AM: If you compare the street art/urban art scene in America and in Europe, do you feel there is a difference? André: There used to be a difference but now everything is so … everybody can see everybody’s work. There is a lot more exchange. There is still a big difference because of the particular culture, but most of the things look alike. I remember a time when you could go from one city to another and you’d recognize the style of each particular city. You had NY style, L.A. style, Paris style, London style, Berlin style, Amsterdam style. And now you have stores to buy the tools for graffiti. I didn’t have stores. I had to go and steal. The fucking car paints were shitty and we had to do the caps and do the ink. It was an effort. By the way, I’m really happy I can go to a store today. It’s a lot easier. AM: What do you think about the controversial figure Mr. Brainwash? André: I don’t fucking... I like him as a person. Why is what he does not better than what the others do? I think the guy doesn’t fucking care and just goes for it. At some point you just go, why not?

AM: Did she have a plan for your life? Were you supposed to become a banker or something?

AM: Do you know Banksy’s identity? André: Oh, no! Jeez, no, jeez. No, I think she wanted me to be a cellist or something. I think she’s happy but she just thinks I show my face too much in the press and she thinks that’s ridiculous.

André: Yeah! AM: Yeah? Who is he? André: He is a cool guy...

AM: There is this ideal of the starving artist. What do you think about someone who doesn’t compromise and only lives for his art?

AM: A cool guy! Okay. André: He looks like an English football fan. He’s good. He likes to drink and...

André: I think we all compromise. Compromise is a very vague word. What is compromise? But in a way I like the idea. However, in saying that you don’t compromise, you compromise, too. You know, it’s like the “altermondialists”...

AM: Cool, that narrows it down... André: ...and uh... you know, he has a really good sense of humor. I like to hang out with him. Wood, enamel, electronics, mixed media. 90 x 30 x 30 inches, 2012

AM: You run clubs in France, London, Tokyo, and New York. How did that transition from artist to club owner come about? André: It’s the same. AM: The same? André: The same – it was the same life. I was doing graffiti and I used to hang out in clubs because they were the only places open at night. At the time I used to sleep wherever I could. Most of the time I ended up sleeping in a nightclub until the cleaning lady kicked me out at 6 in the morning. It was part of my life. I made most of my friends in clubs and naturally I began doing my own parties. I was also very much involved in music. When I opened clubs it was more about just hanging out. There were no such places. Everything was ruled – at least in the 90s when I started – by money and bottles and TV fame. I wanted a place where I could listen to the music I like and have my friends around me. They don’t have any money but they have a lot of things to tell and we wanted to be together.

illustration for colette

AM: Your work means you have to travel all over the world. Where is your favorite place to live, where you kick back and just relax. André: I really don’t know. Every time I think it’s a good place, I move on to somewhere else. I travel a lot between Paris and NY, but now I also go to L.A. a lot too. I like cities in general. I’m not a country boy.

«...but she just thinks I show my face too much in the press and she thinks that’s ridiculous.»

AM: Last one. What is your definition of happiness? André: I don’t know. You tell me. AM: I’m supposed to tell you what your definition is? André: No, what’s happiness? AM: Happiness? André: I don’t know. AM: I guess a state in which you like to be. André: Yeah, but you have to be unhappy to wish to be happy. Love is the closest thing to happiness. AM: Is there anything else you would like to say? André: No, I think I’m okay. AM: Alright, I guess that’s it. André: Thank you. AM: Thank you. ._. Interview: Enzo Scavone Photos: Olivier Zahm

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NumberOne Magazine

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Ltd . Edition

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2013

Kunstraum Walcheturm Kasernenareal Zurich Switzerland

21 ST — 23 RD of June

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SNEAK PREVIEW Written By: Maria Dolores Lopez www.imaginalopez.com

warm invitation to this year’s LtdEdition event. Join us on a journey back to the heydays of the Wild West; enjoy surrealistic excesses, graphic romances, & a good-hearted sense of nostalgia. Experience a festival for the subcultural, the unfamiliar & the obsessive. LtdEdition is an exhibition, a faceto-face marketplace, a meeting point & celebration for everyone who appreciates fine graphic design, illustration, comics, photography, skilled printing & other limited edition handcrafts.

From tattooists to illustrators, poster designers & comic artists to ceramic heroes: all nuances of popular rock ’n’ roll, lowbrow & underground culture will once again be covered & represented by these exceptional talents. More than 30

makers & doers, all indescribably dedicated to handcrafted excellence, will personally sell you their fresh & unique posters, screen prints, lithographs, linoleum stencils, photographs & artefacts such as printed T-shirts, belts, books, toys or badges. Their artistic proposals may give you a really lengthy shopping list of fair value art objects.. In this issue of AMATEUR we are proudly presenting a sneak preview of some of the LtdEdition 2013 participants. For the complete list, please sign up to our newsletter on www.ltdedition.ch. Sure thing, it’s going to be unlimited fulminant & afresh. Get ready for a creative avalanche!

BEN NEWMAN

UK 59

FOTOFLOOR

ANGELIQUE HOUTKAMP

Angeliqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art & tattoos tell adventurous stories about beautiful & supreme ladies from the roaring twenties, brave sailors navigating age-old vessels & hot air balloon getaways from battlefields. Her iconic characters seem to have lived during heydays of pasts. She combines turn-of-the-century elements with fantasy & myth, creating legends with a paragon mix of kindness, sensuality, & the sexiness of old-school pin-ups.

What inspired you to start a career as a tattoo art- pecially because up till the 60s at least, it was so absurdly hard for women to do what they wanted to do. Obviously, there are ist, and when did you do your first ever tattoo? women in the past who achieved extraordinary things, but in I always found tattoos extremely fascinating. When I was a those times without a wealthy background one just couldn't kid, my aunt had a biker boyfriend with a snake and dagger change as much, as you can do today with little money. tattoo on his forearm that I used to love. He regretted getting  it and always warned me, never to get one. But that didn't really work! From the age of 19, I tried to get an apprenticeship Are there any artists or tattooists who have influin a tattoo shop. That was very difficult, and it took me until enced you during your career path? I was 30, to finally get my foot in the door. That’s when I did I have been influenced a lot by old-time tattooists like Chrismy first ever tattoo. tian Warlich, Tom Berg, Sailor Jerry, and Joseph Hartley, to  just name a few. From other avenues of art, I am mostly into Old-school methods of transportation are often early last century stuff like Erté, a Russian fashion designer featured in your work, e.g. sailing boats, hot air bal- around the 20s. Enoch Bolles is one of my favourite pin-up loons, roller skates... Is there any era you would like painters. I like the work of photographers like Brassai, who to visit by travelling back in time, e.g. to the time be- worked mostly in the seedy nightlife of 30s Paris. When I started tattooing, I was influenced a lot by Theo Jak, who taught me fore any form of motorized transport existed? how to paint with watercolour, and Bruno Todisco, an Italian Oh no, I would never want to go back in time before mo- tattooist, who I worked with at ‘Tattoo Peter’ in Amsterdam torized transportation existed. Horrible, if it took ages to get for a few years. Just seeing all the amazing tattoos in magazines somewhere! I don't know if I would really like to go back, es- and online is what pushes me to keep trying to do better.

Your imagery often refers to great adventurers and heart-breaking romances. Tell me a little about your process for developing this imagery and the way you tell stories in your work. Where do you get your inspiration from?

such a success. But it didn't feel real, it was a big, fast moneymaking project, and people can sense that. I think those who really love old-school tattoo imagery simply laughed it off. 

How do you manage your private life with your arSo many things! From old illustrations to old fashion, photog- tistic work in addition to running a tattoo studio? raphy, commercials, movies, books. Almost anything. But of course, tattoo designs are my main influence because I use the That’s a hard one, but I think it’s the same for anybody who same technique, as the old tattooists used. And mostly things is a bit obsessed with their work. They all kind of blend tofrom the start of the last century, I just love the whole atmo- gether, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just need to sphere of that period when a lot of things and places were be- make sure that from time to time, I do something completely ing discovered and people started travelling to strange places. unrelated, even something like going to the petting zoo, just It just feels like the whole world was bursting with new pos- to stop my mind from always focusing on work. That’s also sibilities and so much of the discoveries were poorly under- one of the reasons the ‘Salon Serpent Tattoo Parlour’ is open stood, giving them an aura of mystery. I kind of miss that 5 days a week from 12 to 7. Most of us still draw and paint in today. Nowadays, we are so cynical, and we seem to know the evenings and at weekends, but it’s good to get away from everything. The magic just doesn’t exist like it did back then. your place of work now and again. 



What are you working on?

You live in Amsterdam. What are your five favourite things to do in the city?

I'm just finishing two paintings of girls, coming out of flowers / roses. They are for an upcoming group show in London. Since I run my own tattoo parl our, I don’t have that much time to spend on painting and when I do, a lot is to create tattoo flash* for the shop walls. [*editor’s note: ‘flash’ is a number of designs, specifically made for tattoo purposes, placed together on a sheet of paper. Usually, they are made in a set of multiple sheets, to hang on the walls of tattoo shops and be picked from by customers and tattooed. But not every painting by a tattoo-artist is a flash, and sometimes not even suitable because it is not specifically made to use as such.]

Ride my bicycle, have coffee in the sun, go to the flea market, have a beer in one of my favourite cafés (I have a few), and walk through the Vondelpark to my tattoo parlour.  Do you have any current favourite tunes you are listening to in your studio, or are you a ‘work in silence’ type? On the rare days when I am alone in my studio, I usually work in silence. On the rest of the days, I listen to a whole range of different music. 

 How did the commercial sell-out of Ed Hardy’s tat- If you were to stop making art, what would you retoos by Christian Audigier affect your business and place it with? the reputation of traditional t attoos? I always love fantasising about other professions. It’s someHa ha, not that much, actually. Those horrible bedazzled, thing different every six months. Right now, I would love to brightly coloured items of clothing went from popular to be an architect, but that would probably mean quite a lot of more than mainstream in record time. I think nobody, least studying. I would also love to run an old-style coffee house of all Ed Hardy himself, would have thought, it end up to be with fabulous patisserie. 62

SERGIO MORA, his youthful drawings appear as if ES

they are made from magic ingredients, to spark recovery from adulthood. Sergio seems to cook in a kettle of symbolism where one can scoop out something between the universe of childlike things & dreamy states. He plays with animals, figures & colours, sometimes even grotesque, giving them narrative drive & spice of irony, never renouncing of the opportunity to reinvent what one thought to have known.

LUSESITA, also named Laura Lasheras, understands naturally ES

how to best prepare inorganic, non-metallic solid. Her ceramic framework fluidly reflects folk tales, fables, myths & romance, free from heat & subsequent cooling processes, adding symbols & material of domesticity to make it at the end just so incredibly different. Lusesita creates disparate pieces, making connections to the girlish, its consistency & inconsistency.

NICK SHEEHY, his drawings are colourful explorations UK

for the child within us. Precisely detailed, to show dazzling emblems of magical journeys that capture wonderlands. Nick highlights the dreaminess of characters who seem mostly exposed to uncertainties, which they master by looking at each other or their story world. His sensitive abstractions & observations are exhilarating; they take one through fantastic passageways & suggest amazing fairy tales.

NICK SHEEHY

BLACKYARD, four highly productive years have passed

since the four graphic designers/illustrators Christian Calame, Silvio Brügger, Jared Muralt & Philipp Thöni teamed up & built their detail-oriented backyard full of humorously vivid gloom. Their visual achievements of squeaky posters, logos, cover artworks, original art & customized objects light up one’s face with impish glee. After all, it’s natural to be amidst the foreboding & dystopian once in a while.

ESTHER AARTS

Her playful illustrations, kept fairly simple in execution, show how subjectively objective, charming & ironic it can be when one mocks the fact of being & common sense. She saturates humour & wit through use of colour, reminding of inevitable truths & weaknesses in a flattering way. What sources is a positive energy that concocts preposterous yet entertaining stories. Estherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is a pillar of supportive essentiality.

digitised machine on the outside with the old-school printing drum under the hood. I’m doing a batch of holiday cards for Hello!Lucky in San I learnt my printing basics from those machines. As every coFrancisco. They work with antique letterpress machines, lour counted as another print layer, I began using my colours which are awesome. The result looks entirely different from really sparsely. I started to come up with two colour designs, modern glossy print works, where you can’t use big blocks, or using overprints to maximise the effect, while staying on a too thin lines, or tints of a colour, and you are often just lim- minimal of print iterations. This approach still influences my ited to two colours. This method may sound really restrict- work a lot.  ing, but the challenge of designing something within those boundaries, just totally rocks my socks! Tell me a little about your process for developing the

What are you currently working on?

imagery and the storytelling in your work. Once a scenario pops into your head, where do you go from Can you tell me more about your techniques, especial- there? ly your experiments with small press? Like most people, I get inspired by things that intrigue or The first small press type, I became acquainted with was the amuse me. In general, I'm interested in the way systems, lanmimeograph machine at the Nijmegen-based Knust printing guage and people work. Perhaps as a result, I am amused by house. Some people may remember a mimeograph/stencil language mishaps, system errors and the funny ways, in which machine from their school as a rather crude reproduction de- people hold themselves. vice that printed in black only. Those machines were con- Inspiration really is a weird and scruffy beast. And a flighty, sidered obsolete in the 80s and dumped on a large scale. The unpredictable one at that too . Ideas never seem to come out Knust printing house rescued them from the trash and became all gorgeous and shiny, but sort of emerge in a raw, muddled experts in pushing the limits of these machines, using multiple form. They're not stories at that stage, but starting points of a colours in separate print runs. The mimeograph technique is story. In the process of experimenting and adjusting the idea, currently making a comeback under the name ‘risograph’, a the story gradually emerges. Ideas also have the habit of ap

 how do you manage your private/family life with your artistic work in addition to running an illustration and design studio? I work full-time during the week, alternating between commercial assignments and self-initiated work. My approach is being selective, in which assignments and tasks I take on. Internet and e-mail can be real time hogs, so I aim at tuning in selectively. I keep up with just a select few social networks, and on those, rather with the noise level on the low side. I just log out at the weekends, as that’s a time for friends, family and private life.  Do you work 9-5? Or do you regularly put in night shifts too? 9-5, all the way! If I get an idea at night, I might jot it down in a notebook but leave it for the morning.  pearing when I’m working on something completely unrelated, which means I have to file them away for later. I have a fairly high ‘idea to final art’ ratio, which means a lot of ideas end up getting abandoned somewhere during the process, often very early on.  If you were to stop making art, what would you replace it with? Making something else. I guess, I was born to make stuff. There's nothing, I enjoy doing as much as getting my hands dirty (metaphorically) and adoring the tangible results afterwards. I'm not really cut out for office life with its endless meetings and paper pile shoving. If I hadn’t gone into illustration, I’d probably be a furniture craftsperson or something like that. Do you have any current favourite tunes you are listening to in your studio, or are you a ‘work in silence’ type? I’m mostly a podcast person. In the morning, I fill my playlist with a selection of science, design and culture podcasts that I listen to, while I’m working. They help me concentrate. It may sound oxymoronic, but the podcasts provide me with just the right amount of low-level distraction, to keep myself chained to the task at hand. I turn them off when hashing out concept sketches though, because I need more focused concentration when I’m generating ideas. And after 3:00 pm, it’s music time. After all, there's only so many podcasts, you can take in per day. I had a bit of a singersongwriter winter this year, and now spring is approaching, I’m going through a bit of a punk-rock and 90s techno phase – accompanied by some bouncing around the studio! 70

RAYMOND LEMSTRA, his illustrations

kiss the eye with a fierce, as if demanding passion for contradiction in terms. Raymond negotiates with acknowledgments of complexity & simplicity, flaws & perfection, reason & randomness, futures & primitivism, childhood & maturity, truly, with endless scopes. His drawings evoke unique creatures full of opposites into shapes behind masks of different cultures, creating within different kingdoms that catapult one to: where am I?

RAYMOND LEMSTRA

MÄRT INFANGER, his graphic designs appear CH

to originate & glean from worldwide travels in company with acrobats, snake charmers, trained animals, magicians; wild characters who allow themselves to perform bizarre acts in a single frame of vitality. Oblong arenas intensively coloured for spectacular attractions where real experiences seem weird & facts stranger than fiction. Märt’s creations exude circus flair with a fortunate stroke of serendipity.

BENJAMIN GÜDEL, his illustrations portray the

realness of things. Real action. Real statements. Real men. His characters have manly haircuts & mostly come across, as if they know how to mess with their enemies’ heads by forgiving them, sometimes. Benjamin’s visualisations cowboy up the everyday in classy cult manners, without ever touching on ubiquitous dullness or unoriginality, but shifting between the whimsical arbitrariness of autocracy, persuasion & consultation.

SAMI VILJANTO

FIN 75

SHAMROCK, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how Jeroen Klaver calls his profiNL

cient & exuberant alter ego, who knows how to give letters aesthetic as if they were stand-up comedians without a tongue. Shamrock uses emotional forms & presents shapes of words as light-hearted designs typefaces so chirpily entertaining, that they stimulate the lampooner within us. His creative inventions are fondly fond of fonts, witty, radical, giving higher quality to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imaginative reading experience.

What do you like more: doing graphic design or type design? Where do you see the main challenges in the two professions? (laughing) I like the whole shabam! I am a graphic designer, but I like to do everything myself or at least have a huge interest in everything involved. I also like printing, for example. I am actually best known for being an illustrator, I just finished a book for a supermarket, for kids to collect trading cards in. That was a lot of fun to do. I did the layout and all the illustrations. Came up with a lot of jokes, and some of the text. And I made some typefaces. Borinka was a great help. Last week, I worked on an animation, and this week, I’m making a logo for an exhibition and a website for two guys who sell wine.

Which criteria does a typeface has to fulfil for you to make an entire font out of it? Character!



 What do you find the most difficult and the most rewarding about type design? The most difficult thing for me is finishing stuff. Coming up with ideas is easy. Rewarding… dunno. I guess, I’m still looking for that. No, the most rewarding thing is still testing your typeface. You only have separate drawings to start with, and then suddenly, you can fill pages and pages with them! Like making an animation, when your drawings come to life!  Can you briefly describe the process for you to create a new type? What tools do you use? It’s different for every typeface, but a long time ago, I used Fontographer, now Fontlab, and I hope to get the hang of Glyphs – a new programme with a slightly different kind of workflow.  If you compare, what are the challenges involved in creating a good typeface design versus when you first started?

Who do you usually sell your fonts to and what was one of the most popular? I hardly sell anything. The only time I make a buck is when somebody orders a custom font. It doesn't matter though, I like making those other fonts and they really help me to build up a good reputation. 

Hmmm… it’s hard to say. For me, it stays a learning process. What are you currently working on and what proThat never changes. Looking back, I find some fonts really jects do you have in the pipeline? terrible and others kind of nice. There may even be one or two that I'm kind of proud of, but I always feel the best is still I have been working on a book of my type for 100 years and on an online shop to sell my fonts for 200 years! There are alto come. I did some OpenType fonts for comic book artists: they use a ways little (or big) jobs coming up, and once they’re done, it’s lot of Open Type features, so they keep that handwritten feel often time for some travelling. Right now, I'm working with an old school comic book letterer to make a set of fonts of his as much as possible. I really like that. handwriting. I would like him to understand the process, so  I set up a MacMini with all the software he needs, and

now, he’s learning about curves, vectors, tracing etc. I hope we’ll finish this project! I'm also working on a top secret project (about secret agents). A typical project that starts with me, looking around for fonts, and when I can't find any that I like 100%, I start making my own.  What inspires you? I like to make fonts that I can – or need to – use myself or that will fit in with my drawings and animations.  You live in Amsterdam. What are your five favourite things to do in the city? These things combined, or one after the other: ride my bike, to work, to Borinka’s, to a gig, to make music with friends, with something to eat in my hand and/or mouth!

 NEXT

RICCARDO GUASCO, his paintings are chic;

convexes & concaves symbioses through colour. Ricardo shows big shapes from which big characterisation emerges, of a humanity that seems to almost float exploratively on the surface of its canvas. His visual generosity of proportion breathes new life into flatness, developing romantic depths & stretches that create simple stories with the complexities of the great gulf between aspiration & reality.

Mike & Floor from FOTOFLOOR

"DADA Simultane" is fotofloor's current show, which will be presented at this year's LtdEdition, with others of their previous works. Here printed some extracts from it.

FOTOFLOOR NL

Since nine years an inseparable pair of photographers, named Mike van der Giessen & Floor Stoop, which went from working on digital things together to making love, eventually arriving at fashion perfection station as an amazing duo. They choose extremely appealing models, contrasting their beauty by putting them in scene as dramatic carriers of boldness. Their bravado impresses & makes clear that elegance twists in myriad ways, indeed.

Floor, before settling in Amsterdam you travelled Are there any historical artists you admire? and worked all over the world, for example, in New Yes! Rene Magritte has it all, Diane Arbus was a natural, Man York, Paris and Peking. Which city did you like the Ray was sublime, Guy Bourdin was so full of ambition, and most and why? Mike Disfarmer's portraits are thrilling and stimulating. NYC because of its vibe, vitality, nightlights, and food.   Have they affected your work? Mike, you refer to Fotofloor as a creativity machine, Fo'sho! But in an attempt not to OD on nostalgia, we conwith Floor behind the camera and you in front of sume a lot of 21st century fodder. Exciting things are happening the screen, scouting for the best angles and scenes. in the here and now. The digital revolution, a smaller gap beWhat do you focus on to achieve the perfect shot? tween photo and film, digital magazines and social network(laughs) I handle the flow-enhancing department. ing and... Quinoa! (both smiling) FLOOR: E.N.E.R.G.Y. and capturing a real moment, that's  what it's all about. Making a real connection and a real moYour work often shows iconic characters. Do you ment happen, is what we focus all of our attention on. have a favourite?  It's an ongoing process. Those who are always present are I’ve always been impressed by the huge research you do, Betty Page, Grace Jones, Marlene Dietrich, James Dean, and before even starting to organise a shoot for a show... vintage boxers and racers. Our recent research and projects Our modus operandi is: ‘over-prepare, and then go with the flow’. favour big hair fever and the black eyeliner style from the 50s and 60s like Elvis’s bride, Nancy Sinatra, and the big-eyed  mascara model Penelope Tree ...then tell me more about your process for developing  an image and the storytelling in your work? Your photographs are full of emotions. Still, while We collect all kind of ingredients and puzzle pieces and mix looking at them, the world stops turning. Without them together in my scrapbooks. Such as photographs, illusgiving too much away, would you let us in on how you trations, lyrics, vintage stuff, and pictures from art books. This manage to combine this speed and silence within one creates a mood or a story in our head. We start working from photograph? that energy, and just go with what evolves from it. FLOOR: Thank you for noticing! All starts with the right  energy, as I mentioned before. We keep the set-up as simple as possible. I shoot hand-held, so no tripod, and I crop the How long does it take you to complete a new show? images 'du moment' with the camera. All of that contributes Three months.  to the realness, emotion, and perfect imperfection. A six pack of kudos also goes to the muse in frame, who with her talent What are the planning steps involved? of 'belonging' in my fantasy mood, exudes breathtaking confiCollecting data, assembling a perfect team, brainstorming, dence and looks into the camera with a strong, yet serene gaze. uplifting photo shoots, champagne, selecting, retouching, print She invites you to stop, to look back, thoughtfully and calmly, samples, transport, lights… show time! so that no detail escapes you.  Who or what are your sources of inspiration? Go-getters and authenticity inspire us. And also architecture and lines, fashion and art history, travel and people, vehicles and bliss, movies and lyrics... For DADA Simultane we were inspired by the Dadaists who break rules, make extraordinary stuff happen, and manage to do all that with swagger.

 Do you work from 9-5? Or do you regularly put in night shifts too? We stay up late, that’s when things get done and when the magic happens. Carpe noctem!



DONOVAN GREGORY, his perceptive CH

graphic designs stylise world views so appealing to the heart that they seem to aspire to melodic optic, built up in forms of coloured choruses & its apexes on a highly personal level. Donovan blends curious amalgams of the traditional, the modern & the simple, encompassing all aspects of artistic care, with relation to raw models of chivalry & restraint. He is the other agile organiser of the LtdEdition organiser duo.

MICHEL CASARRAMONA is not CH

only the best-known poster artist in Switzerland but also one of the agile organisers of the LtdEdition event. Michel indulges in the old-school while making love to the new; a bush ranger armoured with pencil, brush, ink & gouache, making a game of our states of mind. His drawings & most of his headline fonts are keenly handmade with just a smitch of post-digitalisation, to accommodate everlasting comic.

PASQUALE SQUAZ TODISCO IT

 Kunstraum Walcheturm Kasernenareal Zurich Switzerland



Ltd . Edition

2013 21 ST — 23 RD of June

LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE! DE

KIRSTEN ROTHBART

Visit us online www.LtdEdition.ch

Paulina Mitek, Poland www.flickr.com/panikredka

www.flickr.com/neli0

Nelio, France

www.flickr.com/groups/amateurmag/pool

www.flickr.com/simek1

Simek1, Greece www.flickr.com/simek1

www.flickr.com/groups/amateurmag/pool

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ALIAS ONE WEMOTO

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Louis Vuitton Waffle Maker by Andrew Lewicki

According to a recent article in the Huffington Post, Andrew Lewicki has successfully married Andy Warhol with Meret Oppenheim. But displaying ordinary household objects, either blown out of proportion, subtly modified, or just as they are, is anything but new. Still, Andrew Lewicki and his waffle iron are worth at least a warm side note. It goes without saying that this fine piece of consumerist critique is not for sale, nor is it in production, and that really makes me sad. Who needs another piece of fancy art when the world is craving tasty LV waffles? Grow some balls and start the serial production! www.andrewlewicki.com

Sexy Sweaters by Alec Weitl

Fold Chair Raw by Olivier Grégoire

I first saw this great piece of work last summer at the Acne store in New York. A couple of weeks ago it re-emerged on tumblr and I tracked it back to French furniture producer Spécimen Éditions, who also fitted out the store in Soho. This Fold Chair is the raw variation of the regular Fold Chair, built from one single piece of fiberglass and limited to a run of just 25. “Indoor and outdoor, this graphical piece is a hymn to delicacy.” And I couldn’t agree more. www.oliviergregoire.com

CT09 ENOKI by Philipp Mainzer

This outstanding series of side tables might mark the end of a journey. German-born Philipp Mainzer once set out to establish a pure and distinct design language. Educated at the legendary Central Saint Martins, he soon co-founded the furniture brand e15 - named after the area code of his thenstudio - and delivered the first promising syllables. Seventeen years later and after having designed a wide range of decent objects and buildings, the Enoki series was presented at the IMM Cologne. Considering the aesthetically completeness and glossy elegancy of those marble mushrooms, Philipp’s quest seems to be over. Or is there something even purer and more distinct yet to come? I do not think so. www.philippmainzer.com

Young Alec recently directly addressed his roughly 50,000 Facebook fans to ask them a simple question: WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU: quality or low cost? Well, as one guy put it aptly: “I don't give a fuck how expensive your sweaters are, I just want a good quality dope sweater!! If it’s 100 fuck it! 200 fuck it! 300?? You heard me, fuck it!” Which kind of sums it all up nicely. Even though the Sexy Sweater does not yet exist in tangible form, fashion delinquents such as Nicola Formichetti and the editors of Dazed Digital are rooting for the kid, and so am I. So come on Alex, what are you waiting for?! www.sexy-sweaters.com

Everything by Tomas Alonso

Mallorcan shoe manufacturer CAMPER is already renowned for ongoing, great collaborations with up-and-coming product designers. Right now, their London store is featuring works by the Spaniard Tomás Alonso, and they might be around for some time yet. Cristina Miglio explains his highly conclusive approach as follows: ‘The very simple aesthetic qualities of his objects reveal the expressive potential of each specific material, which is also his main source of inspiration, conveying an expressive immediacy which makes his products universal and trans-generational.’ And that’s exactly what the hype is all about: Tomas’ objects are simply honest, straightforward manifestations of modern design. More of the same please. www.tomas-alonso.com

Autumn/Winter 13/14 by Sandro Marzo

Sandro Marzo's debut collection explores the days of the first communion within its religious context. The sacred aesthetic becomes a metaphor for the launch of his first collection as well as his own label. His work refers to and reinterprets elements and codes of the apparel and symbols used in Christian rituals. Like the stunning camouflage-inspired garment developed together with the St. Gallen-based lace and embroidery manufacturer Forster Rohner AG. www.sandromarzo.com

Tim Stuhl

by Fabian Schwaerzler With the Tim Chair, Zurich-based designer Fabian Schwaerzler has delivered yet another piece of shining craftsmanship. The subtle shape and its rather persuasive simplicity is likely not only to charm the minimalists among us, but also a wider public. Manufactured in cooperation with Swiss furniture-maker Tossa, the chair comes in two colorways and only weighs about 3.3 kilograms. www.fabianschwaerzler.com

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CHROMEO

www.chromeo.ch

NOTE

www.claudeluethi.ch

100

Support your local vandal In 2012 KCBR’s sprayers were busy enhancing Zurich’s cityscape and its rail network. At the end of last year, they dropped a documentary of their endeavors into the mailbox of art publisher Edition Patrick Frey. Just a couple of weeks later, before the paint on the trains had even dried, their book Live Life Like KCBR was published. Over one hundred images and a report by the Magazin journalist Daniel Ryser provide an in-depth insight into the work of what is probably Zurich’s most active graffiti crew. ._.

Live Life Like KCBR Edition Patrick Frey, 2013 (No. 139) ISBN 978-3-905929-39-3

www.editionpatrickfrey.ch

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LIVE LIFE LIKE KCBR

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Akatre

Zero To Five The visual identities, installations, and editorial designs of French design agency Akatre are marked by bold swaths of color, elaborate photographic still lifes, and striking re-appropriations of everyday objects. Zero to Five is the first book to showcase Akartre’s distinctive and experimental visual creations. by Akatre 17 x 24 cm, 176 pages, full color, hardcover, English €19.90 ISBN: 978-3-89955-458-8 www.gestalten.com www.akatre.com

Herakut

After the Laughter The book takes an intimate view at the individuals behind the impressive pieces, as well as their dynamic as a team, their interior styles, and their place within the art world. Designed as a scrapbook by Hera and Akut, the title features all new murals, works on canvas, and sketches. by Jasmin Siddiqui & Falk Lehmann 210 x 260 mm, 208 pages, hardcover, English, $ 39.95 ISBN: 978-3-939566-36-6 www.gingkopress.com, www.herakut.de

Juxtapoz

New Contemporary Featuring staples from Juxtapoz magazine along with a roster of emerging talent, Juxtapoz New Contemporary is a collection of leading painters from around the world. The book is a mix of ultra-familiar to rising stars, from the distinct works of Robert Williams to the abstract, motion filled works of cover artist Conor Harrington. 200 x 250 mm, 224 pages, English $ 29,95 ISBN: 978-1-58423-466-1 www.gingkopress.com www.juxtapoz.com

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STOCKISTS If you are fast you get Amateur at the following places:

SWITZERLAND: Aarau: Aargauer Kunsthaus, Home Street Home, Garasche. Basel: Ace Records, Fakt, FHNW, Galerie Katapult, Gallery Daeppen, Marinsel, Obst & Gemüse, Parzelle 403, Seven Sneakerstore, Zoolose. Berne: HKB, Kitchener, Layup, Titolo. Biel: Cromwell Clothing. Chur: Dings. Geneva: 242, Character Station, Speerstra Gallery. Lausanne: 242, Delicieux, ÉCAL, Outsiders. Lucerne: Doodah, HGKL. Neuchâtel: Street-Files Dialogshop. Yverdon: La Grille. Zurich: Carhartt Store, Collateral, Dings, Esperanto Rapperswil, Freitag Reference Store, Grand, Kitchener+, On y va, Roll Laden, Street-Files, The Gloss, The Trace, ZHDK. GERMANY: Berlin: Awear, HHV Selected Store Berlin, Le Gang, Overkill, Urban Spree. Rest: Animal Tracks (Hamburg), Artyfarty Gallery (Cologne), Ozone (Bielefeld), The Spot (Dresden), Under Pressure (Hamburg), Vibes (Düsseldorf & Cologne), 874 (München).

NEW INTERNATIONAL STOCKISTS WANTED We are currently looking for new stockists (bookstores, galleries, art spaces, stores) outside of Switzerland. Feel free to contact us at hello@ amateur-magazine.com to discuss a possible collaboration. Thank you.

WORLDWIDE: 24 Kilates (Barcelona), Known Gallery (Los Angeles), Black Rainbow (Paris), Réforme (Rennes), Sixxa (Vienna), Inoperable (Vienna), Rabbit Eye Movement Art Space (Vienna), Veteran (Warsaw).

SUBSCRIPTION Go to www.amateur-magazine.com or send a mail with your address to: abo@amateur-magazine.com SWITZERLAND: 20 CHF for 3 issues EUROPE: 35 EURO for 3 issues WORLDWIDE: 45 USD for 3 issues

CONTRIBUTORS

PARTNERS

Thank you for your work, love & sweat!

Thank you for your trust & support!

Esther Aarts, Amose, Fabien Baudin, Chantal Bavaud, Sina Beeler, BlackYard, Sacha Baer, Pierre Bonnet, Alex Braunschmidt, Michel Casarramona, Chromeo, Ian Cox, Doppeldenk, Shepard Fairey, Melania Fernandez, Reto Fischer, Fotofloor, Gregor Garkisch, Riccardo Guasco, Benjamin Güdel, Inga Guzyte, Stefan Golz, Felice Gübeli, Henrik Haven, Angelique Houtkamp, How & Nosm, Shakyla Hussain, Philipp Herrmann, Märt Infanger, KCBR, Raymond Lemstra, Claude Lüthi, Lusesita, Andrej Malogajski, Rudy Meins, Paulina Mitek, Marc Müller, Sergio Mora, Nelio, Ben Newman, Monica Perres, Brandi Pickett, Thomas Raynal, Kirsten Rothbart, André Saraiva, Fabian Schmid, Shamrock, Nick Sheehy, Simek1, Naheed Simjee, Pasquale Squaz Todisco, Sami Viljanto, Olivier Zahm, Daniel Zehnder, Vedran Zgela, and everyone who should be mentioned here.

Converse

Art Director & Founder: Alain "Lain" Schibli Digital Editor: Markus "Meq" Fischer Administrator: Manuel "Ti" Mathys Product Design Editor: Marius von Holleben Fashion Editor: Mélanie Breitinger NYC Editor: Enzo Scavone Toys Editor: Georges Mazzei Ltd. Edition Editors: Maria Dolores Lopez, Regina Schibli, Donovan Gregory Don of Print: Migi Keck Translators: Paula Hedley, Galina Green

www.goincase.ch

www.converse.de

Eastpak www.eastpak.com

G-Shock www.g-shock.eu

Incase Obey www.obeyclothing.com

Street-Files www.street-files.com

Vans www.vans.ch

Wemoto

IMPRINT

www.wemotoclothing.com

5000 copies. Published twice a year - April & October. Amateur Magazine is an independent, artist driven, print publication. It is about creative people, projects, products and places. Editorial address: Amateur Magazine | Postfach 2235 | 5001 Aarau | SWITZERLAND Publisher: Amateur Kunstverein Advertisement: ad@amateur-magazine.com General inquiries: hello@amateur-magazine.com

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