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No. 6 JUne 2013
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Happy SUmmer!
Artnois Team Magda Becerra Artnois Co-Founder, loves anything creative, manages all artwork, and final editing. magdabee.com magda@artnois.com
It is hot hot hot in LA and we are getting ready for the summer. We have big plans for Artnois so stay tuned! As always, we bring you some more great artists and some music to add to your playlist. We also recently redesigned our site so take a look. You will find a couple articles from our attendance at the LA Fear and Fantasy FIlm Festiival. Enjoy!
Jesenia Meraz Artnois Co-Founder, brings music to your ears. Always looking for new music and artists to share with the world. jessy@artnois.com Carlos Rubio Music Assistant Tells it like it is.
-Magda Becerra Co-Founder/Editor
Shelley Pham Design Assistant Comes with a rainbow and a pot of gold. Patty Nunez Design Assistant Thank her creative mind. Trang Nguyen Writing Assistant You can’t spell ‘strange’ without ‘Trang’
Art & Music Magazine 4 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
.com
contents 06
Mucho Musica
10
Andrew Huang
14
Evenings
18
Jolene Lai
22
Juliana Manara “Your are not alone�
26
Raashan Ahmad
Issue 4 February/March 2012
30
Norman Gray
Interview by Jon Measures
34
Maria Redko
40
Metro
Tattoo Art
46
Lowleaf
Harpist & Pianist
50
56
Barbara Kerwin Acrylics, oils and wax
60
My Dead Pony
66
Bartosz Matenko Black and white photography
70
Megan Culer
Outspoken abstract expressionism
Kevin Sloan On the cover
Los Angeles MC
Contacts: PO BOX 923082 SYLMAR,CA 91342, tel. 818.584.1868, magazine@artnois.com, www.artnois.com About ARTNOIS: ARTNOIS Magazine was started by two young female students, Magda and Jessy. While they both share common interests, Magda has a passion for art and Jessy has a passion for music. Seeing as neither one had the time nor the skills they wished they had to create jaw dropping art or inspiring music, they decided to make a magazine featuring all the great artists who do. Art and music is motivation for both to do something great. They hope this magazine will help do the same for you.
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MUCHO: The Party You Want To Be At On July 14, 2007 an up and coming downtown bar opened its doors to a type of party that had yet to exist but was being clamored for by the city of L.A., even though its fans had yet to realize it. The mission was simple: all Spanish Pop all night long. Eventually that party expanded and played host to some of the most exciting emerging Latin Indie bands including: La Santa Cecilia, Pilar Diaz, and Carla Morrison. Six years later the party continues. I sat down with the creators, Ricky Garay and Land Romo, to talk about the story of Mucho Music. AN: What was the impetus for creating Mucho?
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Ricky: We were doing another party called Magnet, (an open format party) and while we would drive around promoting it, Land, myself, and Margorie (Garcia, Mucho DJ - Pajaro) would listen to Spanish Pop: Flanes, Menudo, Kinky and it dawned on us that there was no where to go to listen to this music all night long. There were places that played it here and there but there was no spot where you could listen to it all night. That was the initial idea, then we had the opportunity at La Cita (downtown bar that hosts Mucho) and we just tried it.
Land: La Cita seemed like the perfect venue for this type of musical expression. We wanted a place to listen to this music and dance all night, just like we did in our car, and it worked.
Ricky: We were friends with enough other people who were doing events to know if we wanted to
do a party we could do a party so why not stop complaining and do a party? And that was it. Then it was a matter of what would work and where could we do it? Mucho was a total experiment. We thought it would last a month. We thought if we could listen to Spanish Pop at a nightclub full blast with our favorite DJ’s we’d be happy. It just so happens that there was a huge market for it and it took off.
AN: How has La Cita helped shape Mucho?
Ricky: When we started downtown was not what it is now. It was still a bit gritty; sort of an open canvas if you will. There was nothing that it was identified with so logistically it just made sense. Plus the history of La Cita, the very essence and the DNA of the place, its connection to the Latin community was just so perfect! I think it gave us permission to really just dig in and do it.
Land: We really didn’t have a lot of expectation when we first launched it so it couldn’t have gone bad. Our motto is ‘go to the party that you want to go to’ and that’s exactly what we did. I think that we’re fortunate that a lot of people want to be at the same party that we want to be at. Ricky: That’s has been at the core of everything we’ve done. It’s always been doing the party that we want to go to.
AN: Bands are an important component of the Mucho experience. How did they come into play?
Ricky: In the beginning Mucho Wednesday’s manifesto was all Spanish Pop all night long but there were no bands.
Land: The reason for the no bands was because sometimes you go to parties and you’re having a good time on the dance floor and then all of a sudden a band starts. They may be good, they may not be good. We wanted to avoid the bands at first because we wanted to keep the party going. As we got to know more people and more artists in the community we realized there were bands and acts out there that could keep this party going.
AN: So who was the first performer and why was he/she/ they chosen?
Ricky: The first performance at Mucho was Pilar Diaz. She was working on her solo album and Los Abandoned (her former band) had just broken up. Anybody who was into Latin Indie at that time knew Los Abandoned; knew her. She was at La Cita for another party and saw our posters that said “Nothing but Pop n Espanol.” She saw that and said “I want to play here I want play at this party”. So she contacted us. Up until that point we just wanted to have a dance party; straight
up DJ’s and keep it simple but when she approached us we had no choice but to say yeah. It was Lady P. We were admirers of her and what she had done with the band, they were pioneers, so we decided to try it out and it worked. That really opened the doors to having bands because we didn’t realize how few spaces Latin Indie artists had. If you looked Latin, if you sang in Spanish you were labeled and put into a certain category and you didn’t fit with the other programming at other venues. We didn’t realize that until we got into it because we were then inundated with [acts saying] we want to play your party. So if we listened and liked them we’d say you should come and play the party. But it always had to work in the context of a dance party also.
Land: It also had to be the band that we wanted to see at a party. That was also still part of the criteria.
AN: When did you realize that it could be an ongoing thing?
Land: I don’t know that I ever really thought about it. We still kept on wanting to party so we kept throwing the party that we wanted to go to. I still don’t think I’ve thought about it. Until it becomes the party that I don’t want to go to it’s still working.
AN: How many bands have gone through Mucho?
Ricky: I’m not quite sure but I 7 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
guarantee you it’s between 70 and 100 bands. That being said, it’s 70 to 100 bands that we believe in, that we liked. Not just every band that wanted to play at Mucho. It’s bands that we felt had the potential to be artists with careers.
AN: So what has been a highlight of having bands perform at Mucho?
Ricky: Some of the bands that we started with: Las Cafeteras, La Santa Cecilia, Carla Morrison – seeing those bands step into being the next wave of Latin Alternative has been a huge accomplishment.
AN: What’s the vision for Mucho going forward?
Land: First always is to continue enjoying, supporting, and giving a voice and a stage for up and coming acts and bands. We have a lot of plans for that this coming summer with Irene Diaz (perhaps link to her article?) and her new album being released as well as many other artists that we want to feature. Also to really focus on sharing the Mucho experience with everyone in Los Angeles. Try to include more people; move forward. Mucho More (their new open format club) is really doing that.
AN: Tell me about Mucho San Diego.
Ricky: Mucho San Diego lends itself to the chitlin circuit of the 50’s with the R & B bands. Similar to the Latin Indie acts, the black bands of the South didn’t have anywhere to play. They couldn’t tour the traditional venues in America and build a fan base and make a living. [Previously] Mucho San Diego had existed as Track 78, with Luis Dante. Through booking the same bands and interacting we realized we were kindred spirits. We both recognized the necessity to have accessible tour points coming up from Baja California. So you could play in T.J., you could play in San Diego, and you could play in L.A. We have friends in San Francisco; we have friends in Las Vegas. The idea was to create, a chicharon circuit, I think we called it (laughing), was to offer a band that flew in from Mexico City to play San Diego, to play L.A. to play San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Land: And when they play in those venues they’re to crowds that gets their music. Crowds that know who these artists are or are becoming aware of them. We’re not sending them to places where they’re not going to have a good reception.
AN: How has Mucho evolved? Ricky: Mucho More really gives people permission to step foot into our space and soak up the vibe and music. We play a little bit of the Mucho Wednesdays vibe but we also play a little bit of everything. That’s good for us because our community is so multi-dimensional; we’re not just one genre! We listen to everything, buy everything; so we’re empowering ourselves to express who we are in our totality while also being able to invite other people to the party who might never have come. Our focus now with Mucho Wednesday is building the next wave of artists like Vanessa Zamora, who we’re bringing from Guadalajara this summer, and Cumbia Machin. For us it’s about building the next wave, that’s kind of the mission. 8 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
Ricky: It’s matured. When we first started it was real underground. People did not know these bands; they did not grasp this concept. Mainstream radio, mainstream Latin music companies did not understand what was going on. Mucho has evolved into a space where the stage is a premier destination. People know our stage internationally and it’s evolved into a sort of stepping stone or right of passage. From bands that we’ve selected we’ve had Latin Grammy nominations and Latin Grammy winners. We’ve matured into people noticing that we have a pretty sharp eye for talent. When we focus our attention on a particular artist, that artist does get
recognized.
AN: So would you say that the artists you showcase are critically or commercially successful?
Land: Historically it’s just been about what we respond to. If we’re into it, and we’ve been around for a while, there’s a good chance someone else is going to be into it too. Critical or commercial, I think those things can merge if the artist is good, if the work is good and we see that happen a lot.
it. We had a great run at The Echo and we loved working with them but La Cita was home.
AN: What’s in store for the summer at Mucho, any festivals?
Ricky: This summer we’re focusing on doing alternative space events. Mucho Spaces, sort of like what we did with Carla. We’re looking to do some stuff with Las Cafeteras and Irene. We’d like to do something in the vain of a festival but I don’t know if it’s going to happen this summer. We have some ideas but too soon to talk about them.
AN: Anything else you’d like to add? Ricky: We have a really strong DJ base (DJ Leopold - Frank Ramos; DJ Noir – Luis Hernandez; DJ Pajaro)! We’re constantly sharing and exposing ourselves to music and it’s really about falling in love with these bands that we like. Initially [it was] somewhat critical but mostly it’s bands that we love; bands that we think you need to know about.
Ricky: Mucho is the party you want to be at every time! Land: Mucho is the party I want to be at every time!
You can also friend them on Facebook here: AN: For a while you guys left La Cita and travelled over to The Echo. How was the partnership and what brought you back?
https://www.facebook.com/muchomusic?fref=ts
Land: The stage at La Cita is not all that big. Since we were working with artists, we wanted to provide a bigger space for them to work but the magic was back at our home and we missed
muchomusic.net 9 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
Andrew HUang
Discover Andrew Huang. Music creator based out of Toronto, Canada. Are you currently in school? I haven’t been in school for several years. I’ve studied music in various capacities for most of my life though, so the things I’ve learned have a very direct application on what I do now. What instruments do you know how to play? This is always a tricky question for me because I’ll grab anything I can get my hands on and be able to figure out a little something. Guitar, bass guitar, piano, and drums are the four I’d say I’m comfortable jamming on with anyone or being on stage with, but in terms of what I’ve been able to pick up enough to record with over the years: banjo, mandolin, trumpet, pedal steel, tabla, sitar, double bass, harp, turntables, cello, violin, the list goes
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on and on. I’m wonderfully mediocre at all of these. How many tracks have you created overall? Between all the evolutions of my music career and the various side projects and collaborations I’m not sure if I’ll ever get a proper count, but it’s well over 1000 tracks at this point. That’s what’s been released. I probably have another 2000 in different stages of completion on my hard drives. But I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ll never have time to finish them all. The rate I’m going is a little over 100 finished songs per year. What are all the genres of music you have composed? Haha I dread this question as well, because I’ve worked in most of the genres that I’m aware of, and because there are so many sub-genres (and disagreements about subgenres) that it’s never going to be a precise conversation. But to give an idea, in the past year I recall tackling pop,
Inspiration comes from everywhere. I just try to live a healthy life, physically and emotionally - which I would argue is actually way better for creativity than the stereotype tortured-soul artist - and try to keep my eyes and ears open all the time. 11 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
rock, rap, folk, dub-step, chip-tune, IDM, ambient, orchestral, punk, and classical guitar. What is the reason for embarking in so many different projects? I get really antsy if I don’t do something creative each day. From an early age I found that I could appreciate lots of different genres of music, so it bugged me that artists tended to limit themselves to a certain style... I’ve gotten to a point where I’m making music and videos for a living, as well as having become very quick at making creative decisions. Making a song is really just a series of a few thousand little decisions! Over the years I’ve also cut out a lot of other activities like TV, gaming, gardening etc. in the interest of having more time for music. I do pretty much everything. Sometimes I’ll have guests on songs or a friend who will help me film. But I’ve made most of my albums from scratch with no one else involved writing, performing, recording, mixing, mastering, album artwork, music videos - just me and my toys. How long have you been making music? I was rapping at age 3, and began piano lessons at 4. I would always be creating little things with whatever was around, like maybe a toy keyboard and a tape recorder, but it wasn’t until my teens that I decided music was what I wanted to do with my life and I started taking songwriting and recording seriously. Growing up I remember being introduced to new music at different times - first classical and pop from my parents, then rock and rap from my friends, then punk and ska from one of my first girlfriends, then a lot of different styles of jazz thanks to a great high school music teacher, and then online I was stumbling upon weird
underground electronic music... And I really enjoyed it all. And I remember very distinctly, in one music class, when Mr. Tanod was introducing us to yet another crazy new period of jazz history, and once again I loved all these new sounds I was hearing, I decided there was no particular genre that defined me or called out to me the most, and I would make it one of my life goals to be as diverse a musician as I could. I also think that growing up as a visual minority in a fairly white culture, with zero Asian role models in mainstream media, caused me to be more open-minded about what I could pursue and what my identity could or should be.
I do, though I’ve been starting to collaborate with some other producers recently. Hopefully that material will be out soon.
You have quite a large audience subscribed to your youtube page; how do you think most of these fans find you?
I’ll be at VidCon this year in Anaheim. Nothing booked other than that but there are plans in the works for a 2014 tour of Europe.
With some of the more unique, or comedic, or technically impressive work that I’ve done, there is the element of online sharing that is hugely helpful. And YouTube is one of the world’s biggest search engines, so a chunk of it is just luck of the draw with tags and keywords. I’m immensely grateful to all the fans who are watching and sharing every week or even every day, I wouldn’t be anywhere without them.
Look out for two “sister” albums I’m putting out this summer! Infinite Summer and The Coldest Darkness. For people who are interested in checking me out: YouTube: http://andrewismusic.com Twitter http://twitter.com/ andrewismusic Facebook http://facebook.com/ andrewismusic
What is your overall mission with music?
What is your go-to musician/subject for gaining insight, inspiration, and motivation?
Since my teens I’ve been saying that I want to make the most awesome music, the most diverse music, and the most music. The best moments for me when hearing from fans is when they tell me that my music moved them, or helped them, or challenged them, or changed them. If I can keep doing those things I’ll be more than happy.
Interesting question! I don’t think I have a go-to. Inspiration comes from everywhere. I just try to live a healthy life, physically and emotionally - which I would argue is actually way better for creativity than the stereotype torturedsoul artist - and try to keep my eyes and ears open all the time.
Do you produce all the beats on your tracks?
What genre/style is your favorite type to create at the moment? That feeling definitely changes all the time, but right now I’m all about electro-pop. I just want summer. Feel good beats and synthy chords. Summer plus laser-beams is what I’ve been calling the sound of the stuff I’m working on these days haha. Do you have any performances coming up?
Any messages for the public? Do what you love!
andrewhuang.bandcamp.com 12 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
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Evenings Discover Nathan Broaddus, also known as Evenings, a music producer from Charlottesville, Virginia. He’s among the newest additions to the record label Friends of Friends (FoF).
What is the music scene like in Virginia? There’s not really an electronic scene. Dave Matthews is from here. Personally i don’t really like his music, but there are many good bands in c-ville. just not much of the music that I’m into.
Why do you go by Evenings? I seem to get the most done in the evenings. I also like the way the things look best during the evening when everything outside is either gold, or purple. I also like the word “evenings”, and how it’s partially symmetrical, but slightly unbalanced and plural. The word just seemed to fit with me and (my) music. I didn’t really have an intention when I started writing music under this name. I still don’t really have much of an intention besides to continue writing music that I like.
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What does it feel like being signed and being raved about at age 22? I dunno if anyone is really raving, but I’m glad to be where I am at the moment. I’m really into what Leeor Brown (who started FoF) has done. Shouts out to my bud Julian at FoF as well.
They seem to have a pretty good edge in introducing good quality music. What is it like being signed to them? Very relaxed, yet very exciting. FoF is a family. I feel really at home here.
Was Yore the first album you’ve created? Yore is a compilation of mainly two previous digital only ep/albums called “North Dorm”, and “Lately”...as well as a new track. FoF liked the tracks and wanted to give them a physical release, and also give me time to work on new things. It worked out well. What motivated you to create Yore? Life. People. I’m motivated to create art for the sake of art. Yore reflects a certain period in time. I’m glad it’s finally out and on vinyl. I feel like I can work hard on something new again. When i’m not writing, or drawing or something, I feel like I’m wasting time. It’s hard for me to sit around and do nothing for very long. I like writing and bringing things into existence. It’s therapeutic.
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Even-though lyrics are very minimal in your album, do the tracks have any meanings or stories to them? They all have personal meanings to me. Of course I’d rather have people use the tracks for whatever they’d like, and to develop relationships of their own with the songs. What the songs mean to me is not important to anyone else who’s listening, and I’d rather not impose too much with words. I feel like words cheapen the descriptions of the situations that I want to convey in music. If I wanted to tell you how a place felt, or a situation developed with words, I could...but it would not be as interesting, and not nearly as immersive. But music can also accentuate the meaning of certain words... it’s a balance. I’m moved by music that can apply to many people. Lyrics always convey something specific that could alienate someone or another. I’d rather have the music be applicable to anyone..if they enjoy it, that is. Do you think this will change in the future? Maybe. Nothings certain, but I really prefer instrumental music, and will probably continue with it.
Is there anyone who’s support motivates you to continue creating music? My brother (and) my mom. They’ve always been really supportive. My Brother is very creative also. He is a poetry grad student at NYU.
Who would you say are your most influential artists/musicians? Claud Debussy, Robert Fripp, John Adams, BOC, Brion Eno, Bibio, Steve Reich, Aphex Twin...
Is there anyone you’d like to work with in the near future? Not sure. i’m content with working alone at the moment. But i’m not against hopping in the studio with someone else if the opportunity arises. What do you do to gain insight, inspiration, and motivation from? Read philosophy books.
Any messages for the public? Read books. Smile at strangers. Hold the door. Be nice to people that you dislike. Stop watching the news so often. Go outside.
facebook.com/Eveningsounds 16 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
“Read books. Smile at strangers. Hold the door. Be nice to people that you dislike. Stop watching the news so often. Go outside.” 17 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
Jolene Lai Wigs 30 by 24 inches Oil on canvas
Thinkspace is pleased to present new work by Los Angeles based artist and illustrator Jolene Lai.
Born and raised in Singapore, Lai’s work unveils an empathetic co-mingling of whimsy and melancholy by tenderly excavating the affective landscapes of happiness and heartbreak, history and contemporaneity. Lai works from a personal wealth of imagination, and an idiosyncratic reinterpretation of cultural narrative. Drawing loosely from traditional Chinese myth and apocryphal anecdotes, and using her personal experiences to re-define this inheritance with irony and wit, Lai’s work offers sensitivity and an
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uncanny depth. The artist’s paintings are both beautiful and alienating, familiar and other, as she combines thematic polarities and narratives into new spaces, stories, and worlds. Lai’s work is technically breathtaking and detailed. Working with oil on canvas, or mixed media on watercolor paper, she combines illustrative and graphic elegance with a hyperreal painting style. Inspired by fairytale and story, her characters inhabit worlds of her own devise; at times playful and at others dark. The work’s whimsy
Moonflies 40 by 30 inches Oil on canvas
Parallel Planes 40 by 30 inches Oil on canvas
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and lightness is tempered by the inclusion of powerful juxtapositions, often staging the surreal against the starkness of reality. The artist’s interest in this co-existence of light and dark, play and revelation, reality and fantasy, result in the exquisite tensions of her imagery. The absurd is often coupled with tender punctuations and revealing pathos, while melancholic themes are softened by unexpected humor. Her compositions incorporate intricate traces of pattern and design which allow her to artfully re-invent familiar spaces, transforming the “known” into something entirely new and visionary.
The viewer is left with a feeling of having entered a beautiful world at once distant and strangely near. — Marieke Treilhard
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Top left: Mr Quag 11 by 14 inches Oil on wood panel Top mIddle: Mr Clark 11 by 14 inches Oil on wood panel Top right: After Midnight 40 by 30 inches Oil on canvas Bottom left: The Ride 24 by 30 inches Oil on canvas Bottom right: Sisters 11 by 14 inches Oil on wood panel
www.enelojial.com 21 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
Juliana
Manara
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..it is a fantasy claiming a reality and this is my main focus now� I was born in Sao Paulo and Brazil is the place I lived most time of my life but I also spent time in New Zealand , Germany, France and now I am based in London where I have my studio and Im working full time. I graduated as a journalist and also studied for international politics but always had a camera and a passion for photography ( it was my hobby). I started being photojournalist and I worked for many magazines as free lance photographer. In 2009 I joined a master in photography in the Speos International institute of Photography in Paris for 2 years and I dedicated 100% of my time to photography and that was the time I started to create Fine Arts and to connect with fine art world. I am very inspired by surrealism and fantasies, it is part of my personality. When I started to create my personal photographic projects I had in mind that I was free to create whatever I want - starting from a white studio to a lot of ideas. It is experimental photography for me ( Like a painter with a white canvas) It is very different from documentary photographs and most of other photographers. Photography for me is a possibility to create different views or to bring people to different horizons. Social communication and international politics studies gave me more culture and more experience about understanding people , life , cities, world issues, the globalisation and somehow it helped me to look apart of my own life and background - my work is based in the human existence and with fantasies I aim to claim those realities. MiniB is a character I created with a black coat representing the existence. It is life and objects connected in the same space. Observing the images they can bring us ideas of escapism from reality but it also can bring us association with reality MiniB was my imagination and now I am being able to make it visible through a playful, humorous photograph work. With fantasy it simulates some observations of human life. Each work brings ideas of feelings, facts or attitudes. It introduces multiple meanings with the universality of landscapes, sometimes surreal environments and always a good relationship between human and other animals or the needy relation between humans and material things. MiniB invites us to dialogue about our existence and also can claim to some absurdities of the human conditions. Sometimes it simulates a lost mind, sometimes the challenges or obligations or a very peaceful moment.
The selection of MiniB Collection for the magazine are pieces in the exhibition now and very well criticised by the public. There is a very popular work called Mind The Cloud where I try to bring the idea of our minds flying away from the moment. Electric Walk simulates an idea of ambitious moment to take the shoes and keeping walking and how dangers and hard to get into what we want. I also bring The Stylist where MiniB is producing a Zebra ( it was made for my fashion designers friends ) I also love the one called Youth where I try to explore an idea of being naive and sometimes we get into places, relationships that are not so healthy. The White Carpet was an inspiration after watching the celebrities awards so I felt representing it with the penguins from the zoo .... I many other pieces I try to bring critics to world issues , the best image representing it is " The Water is Gold" and Oxigen where I simulate people queuing for water or O2 in a moment western Europe has no more clean water or the world has no more Green. Again it is a fantasy claiming a reality and this is my main focus now. I have always a lot of comments from the public, they want to share their feelings about the images with me, and it is very interesting because one image brings different feelings and some point we all reflect about the same subject. Most of my creations are part of a montage process using film and digital photographs and I am always looking for a unique space or a escapism with a bit of mistery. I shoot the landscape or I develop a scenario in the studio and after it is photographed I start to develop the composition photographing the objects. After all photographed I illustrate all in a same image and get to the final result. With the large format I am able to play with the negatives. Photography is my tool for the expressions and it provides the possibility to play with many great ideas. As a photographer I received prizes including winner of new talents in Photograph in Paris and a commendation from Sony International Photography Awards. It was exhibited in the London Fashion Week and other great places as Coline de Chaillotin Paris and a group exhibition at the Somerset House in London The work is being part a growing up collection and I am holding an exhibition in London during the summer.
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www.julianamanara.com 25 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
H
Raas an A mad interview
Meet Raashan Ahmad! An MC born in Trenton New Jersey, raised in L.A.
What was the very first project you embarked in? I started out as a dancer with my crew back in the day called the “nappy heads” (haha yeah I know...) anyway we went on an audition to open up for Cypress Hill and they didn’t want dancers so me and my 3 friends (shoutout Woodstock, Bungee and Deni) decided to form a rap group. I freestyled over a instrumental and have been at it since then! What was the initial mission for originating Crown City Rockers and has it changed over time? Fun. Really we didn’t have anything in mind. We all met playing at jam
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sessions through-out the city and just enjoyed playing together and decided to form a crew. (We work by) bridging all of our backgrounds and cultures and making timeless music. (Our mission) hasn’t really (changed). For a while it was difficult to just have fun when our band as a business was struggling. Growing and needing money to be a band took the fun away for a while trying to figure out how to do both but we realized in the end the energy we had just having fun was when the best ideas and songs came, so we kinda dropped everything else and focused on that. What exactly is your part in this group?
Translating everyone’s instruments and bringing the message of the music in lyrical form. Would you say you focus more on your career as an MC rather than this group? It depends on what I’m promoting. If a Crown City release is out my focus is all with the crew and if I’m promoting a solo record I go all in. That said even as a solo MC I focus on promoting my crew. We all have solo projects and usually feature on each others releases. I’ve been doing more solo stuff lately but I still keep in touch and even collab with the crew on my solo projects and theirs as well.
Even though you are am MC from the West side (CA) of the U.S. And he’s an MC from the East side (NY), do you find yourself relating to him in any way?
much fun but also just felt like hanging out with my friend. Good times. (Check out the video here:
Definitely! I’m originally from the east coast. All of my family lives there plus I lived in Boston (that’s where Crown City Rockers formed) so I have a big east coast influence. Plus no matter if I’m in Brazil or Bosnia or Africa as soon as the cipher starts and the rhyming starts its all fam… How do you compare the hip-hop scene in the Bay Area from L.A.? I’d say the bay is more connected, maybe since it’s smaller everyone runs into each other and is influenced by each others hustles...The street/ conscious/indie/etc cats used to all sell records at Amoeba to the same guy. Whereas in L.A. you can have the project blowed scene in Mid City L.A. and have a completely different scene in O.C. or the Valley or Venice. It’s just more spread out and more people doing it.
Did you work with anyone you had not worked with before?
How do you think this album defers from your previous albums? This is more of a reflection of my travels than any of my previous work. I was heavily influenced by the people I met and the places I visited. I’ve collaborated with people from Africa, Australia, Chicago, France, Oakland and more on this project. I wanted to really express my journey to this point in my life and also as a world citizen. (I enjoyed) the
Does the title of the album, “Ceremony” (which released April 19th y’all), have a specific meaning?
collaborations. Having other people on the album from such different backgrounds really pushed me to create differently than I would if I was making music by myself. Hearing a verse or singer or musician changing the vibe or flow of a track into something I hadn’t originally thought of but to a higher level is incredible.
YES! From Geoffrey Oreyema, 20syl, Heather Vaughan, Rico Pabon and a lot more, It was great! (I actually had even more collaborations with other people that didn’t necessarily fit the album so those songs didn’t make it) With all of the features it was exciting to step into a latin world, or world music etc…Just trying to push my base of hip hop into other places and see what happens. What was it like working with Homeboy Sandman? Ahhh Boysand! Really great. I met him over in
Yes. When I was in the final stages of making this album I was hanging with these people in the desert of New Mexico and when we were going to eat it was called a “Ceremony” and when it was time to dance it was called a “Ceremony” and time to meditate it was a “Ceremony” etc...Basically when it was time for people to come together to express or share it was a “Ceremony”. I thought it was fitting for this album especially with all the collaborations. For it you released a video which skillfully merged all the tracks from the album; one can tell you had fun with this project. Who came up with the idea to this video and what was it like creating it? Ha. YES! It was crazy fun shooting it! I actually came up with it but my friend (and fellow Crown City Rocker) Woodstock has been making videos lately (mostly shot on his i-phone) so we went out a couple days in L.A. and shot it. It was so
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London when we were both on the same show and became a fan indeed! I definitely love his work and as soon as I heard the track I knew I had to get him on it. It was really natural and everything just flowed.
passion seek new ways of expression and doing what they do when and wherever they can. Once a mutual respect is established the rest is easy.
I love that your music has a positive outlook on life. What helps you maintain this outlook?
This is probably going to sound bad but make bad business decisions. I’ve met so many people who won’t sign with that label because it’s not what they deserve or won’t play that show because they deserve more or collaborate because the money is too low. They have a whole business plan but don’t do anything outside of their own scene or city. I always weigh the circumstance. We all deserve more but it takes a while to get it. I’ve made some horrible business decisions but they always lead to a better choice or situation later. Also performing in front of crowds that don’t know or care about you is invaluable. Nothing makes you up your game like realizing your actually not that good if your friends aren’t there to cheer you on. If your serious about getting better it’s a great way to see your weaknesses and get better quick!
Probably all the pain I’ve been through. I’m so damn happy that life is better for me now or at least knowing the pain or stress I’m experiencing is temporary helps. Traveling and seeing real struggle has put a lot of things in perspective for me so even when things are really bad I can’t help giving thanks for my problems knowing how much worse things could be. Being a musician can be challenging at times; are there ever any times when you experience doubt? Is there anyone/ anything you look to for guidance.? YES all of the time. I can see how much I’m really selling or how many people are coming to my shows compared to other people or how much money I’m making for some shows or how many you-tube views I have…it goes on and on. I look at everyone for guidance. Usually I find it in strangers, conversations with homeless people, random encounters with people before and after shows. The words from people to keep on and that my music is making even a small difference pushes me to keep on and try and get better. How is it that you have access to so many musicians? Just reaching out and asking. I love looking at the back of my records from the 60’s and 70’s and seeing this bass player on that guys album and that horn player with that other group of musicians. I think all musicians with
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Do you have any advice for musicians/ MCs/rapper striving to become successful in the music scene?
Do you have any performances coming up? Yep! Next one is a festival in Khazakstan at the end of the month then everywhere from the Czech Republic, to Salt Lake City to Idaho to the South of France over the next couple of months. I post my dates on raashan.net if anyone is interested! Any messages for the public? Live your passion, and be a good human being and support independent art! What is your go-to musician/band/ subject for gaining insight/inspiration/ motivation?
Ahhhh, way too many to mention! Everyone from Bjork to Blu to Jimi Hendrix to De La Soul to Johnny Cash to James Blake to Billie Holiday to that guy at the gas station to that sunset in the desert to that documentary on the prison industrial complex to strawberry milk and blueberry mini muffins to N.W.A. to hikes in nature to the bus stop at 5pm when everyone is getting off work. I get it from everywhere.
...Live your passion
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“Virus” 2002 - 2013
NOrman GRAY INTERVIEW BY JON MEASURES
Norman Gray is a Los Angeles based sculptor who after many years in isolation is starting to get some recognition for his work at the age of 65. Norman is reclusive and with high functioning autism has found it hard to find his place in the world. He was born in 1948 in a small village but these days divides his time between various sheds he has built around LA and the desert. As Norman doesn’t have the ability to speak or chooses not to, I’m not sure which, this interview was conducted via e-mail. JM: What would you say are the major influences in your work? NG: I like Pablo Picasso and Henry Moore, Henry Moore liked to put holes in his sculptures and I like to do that a lot too. I am not copying him all my art is done by me but sometimes you help me because I work too slowly to get my sculptures ready for exhibitions. I also like cartoons a lot. You showed me the film “Beauty is Embarrassing” with the funny artist Wayne White. I like his paintings with the words because you can read them. I learnt to read in school and I have never forgotten. I like that his art is funny, that is why I like Picasso too. I used to like Andy Warhol a lot but now I think I have seen one more Warhol than I should have and now I don’t need to look at his things again unless he was to come back
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“Backbone and Balls” 2002 -2013 (below)
“Skyhole” 2002 - 2012 to life and make something that is different and you know that won’t happen of course because people don’t come back to life except in the movies or on TV like in Dallas when JR came alive again. JM: If I remember rightly you never had any formal training in art, is that true? NG: I did go to Coventry School of Art for a short time in the 1960’s but I didn’t like it and so I dropped out and moved to New York to try and get a job with Andy Warhol at his factory. That was in 1967. My Mother was very worried when I moved to New York, she said that it is very different from Long Itchington and that people there will think I am odd. Long Itchington is the place where I grew up in Warwickshire in England. She was right about it being different but I felt like I was more odd in Long Itchington than in New York City because in New York you get all kinds of different people some are really crazy or just weird and a lot of people who are artists. In Long Itchington they only had one artist, his name was Mr. White and he painted flowers and birds using water colors. I always thought it funny that he was an artist and his name was the name of a color, actually white is all the colors combined, it’s pure light.
“Skyhole” 2012 JM: How did you wind up living in California? NG: In 1968 Mr. Andy Warhol who I was working for got shot and that for some reason really badly affected me, I think because I liked Mr. Warhol. He gave me presents sometimes as well as paying me to clean up in the studio that he called The Factory. I had a nervous breakdown. After the shooting, the Factory changed and it became very controlled, Mr. Warhol stopped trusting weird people as much and so I wasn’t welcome. I understand why he would feel that way. The Warhol factory was my reason for going to New York City so I thought I should try something else,
California seemed sunny and cheerful and that was what I needed, I still need that actually. NYC can be very black. England can be very grey.
tend to be more artistic. I think it’s funny that artistic sounds like autistic because I have been told that I am also autistic, maybe those two things are related.
JM: Did you always want to be an artist?
JM: You mainly do sculpture but are there other types of art that you make?
NG: When I was very little I wanted to drive diggers on a building site but people always told me I was good at art and they patted my back, not literally, although maybe once or twice I don’t remember. I thought maybe I am more suited to art than driving diggers because when I look at the digger drivers they were always big and sort of like bears, I am not really like that I am more like a camel and camels I think
NG: I like to draw, I also like to make collages and because you showed me how to make animations in the computer I also like to make animations but I have only made one animation so far. I will make more animations because that is a lot of fun. JM: I recently organized an exhibition for you at The Time and Space Gallery. This is the
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“Hot” 2012 “Glorious” 2012 (below)
second show I have helped you with now and you have managed to sell quite a few pieces. Does showing the work and selling the work encourage you? NG: I don’t really need to be encouraged much because making art is like an addiction, I have to make art. I do like it when I have an exhibition but I don’t like to go because there are too many people. Selling the art is very good, it gives me a large smile on my face and all over my body. I think, wow! Someone wanted to spend money on my little 3d doodles that is so wonderful, I would say it makes me want to cry but I don’t mean that I really want to cry but I am very happy and my heart is happy because I want to buy a new bike. JM: Would you like to have large-scale exhibitions in museums someday? NG: Golly, I haven’t really thought too much about museums. I am just a regular person but very shy. The work I had to do for the last exhibition you organized was more work than I am used to. You and Olga, who is your wife, I thought I should say that because the readers probably won’t know her, you both helped me a lot. If I had to do an exhibition at a big museum would I need to make even more art, or bigger art? JM: You would possibly need to make more work and maybe bigger work but you would perhaps have longer to prepare and we could help you a bit again also. NG: Okay, in that case I will do it? I don’t like to get stressed and do too much work that doesn’t suit the kind of person I am. You are more the kind of person that wants to work all the time. What museum am I going to do an exhibition in first?
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“Knob” 2012 “Birth” 2013 (far right)
JM: Well, the question was hypothetical Norman, there is no museum show arranged as yet but I am sure that before long you will be in a position to do that. NG: Oh I see, well I thank you for your confidence in me Jon Measures, you are a very good friend. I especially like that you gave me your computer that you weren’t really using and that you made a place in your garden for me to build a shed. JM: I think the interview went very well, what do you think? NG: Thank you Jon Measures, can I go and smoke my cigarette now.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Norman-Gray/146292698874001 https://twitter.com/norman_gray
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Maria Redko
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“...These painted people are unique creatures, that make our reality more profound and brigther...” — Maria Redko 37 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
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Metro
Is tattoo art more of a collaboration, or do the clients have a very clear idea of what they have in mind? I consider tattooing, and this just being my personal opinion, to be more of a craft than an art. A craft that caters to the will of the client. We are in a service industry and we must serve and fulfill our clients wishes. However, there are certain things that may or may not work with a tattoo, or better put there are some rules that should not be broken if you wish to create a fluid and successful design. Some clients know exactly what they want and pick it right off the wall. That always makes my job a lot easier and if so desired, and allowed, you can always add a bit of your own flare to it. Other people will bring me something that they found somewhere and wether or not that design will work as a tattoo can be a matter of communication and dispute. Some things look better on paper than they do on the skin. Some things will just make horrible tattoos. If I don’t think the idea will work I’d rather send them somewhere else. In other words I’d rather not do a tattoo than do a bad tattoo. Do you get to have free will with some tattoos? If so how do you initiate this process? I keep a book of custom designs that I bring to conventions. These are just things I drew up that I feel will make some sick pieces. Also, when you tattoo for a while you often develop your own style with a certain look or subject matter that you become well known for. It is always very rewarding when someone contacts you and says, “Hey man I love your work. I just want you to tattoo me. Do whatever you want.” When I have the golden ticket of complete artistic license, sky is the limit. I can really let my creative juices flow and challenge myself in the places I see fit. What made you want to become a tattoo artist? I was always attracted by tattoos. Ever since I was little I would run away to sneak into tattoo shops and stare at the art on the walls. I wanted a ninja turtle tattoo. In high school people would pay me to draw on them with markers. I even gave a couple hand poke tattoos using a bic pen and a sewing needle. There was something about the bad ass rebellious nature that came with tattoos that always made me want to be a part of that art form. I got my first tattoo when I was 13. I got a cross on my stomach that I paid 40 bucks for. I told the guy that I was 18. Im sure he didn’t believe me. My cousin was a tattooer and I remember he came to stay with my family for a while and my mom would threaten him not to tattoo me or she’d kick him out. I would always open up all his equipment when no one was around. I was just fascinated with all that shit.
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Do you have a story you would like to share about one of your tattoos? This is a hard question. Every one of my tattoos has a cool story behind it. My collection is more of a sketchbook from different people I met along my lifes journey. Many of them have lessons inside them. Interesting ways to lay down a line or shade or color a certain way. Some are just fun things I let people do on me so I could remember them and the good times we had. Theres definitely some cool history under my skin. Â Sometimes I wish I had one cohesive jaw dropping body suit that was consistent and mind blowing. But then that wouldn't tell MY story, the story
of MY life. I also don't think I have the balls for that shit. I'm actually pretty terrified of needles and getting tattooed sucks. Its fun to have them but the process is horrible. I'll be the first to admit that shit hurts.
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that I work hard and keep my eyes, ears and mind open to. I really believe that this is just the begining of a long and promising career.  Please contact me if you are interested in a tattoo or if you just want to say whats up.  I’m very open to people and love to help anyone so long as I have the time.
Anything else you would like to add? I would just like to say thank you for digging my work and I feel honored you would consider me for an interview. I feel that I am just scratching the surface of a beautiful and ancient craft/ art form that will be around for quite some time. I feel very fortunate that I get to wake up every morning and be able to make a decent living doing something that I love. Even more fortunate to be a part of something that I can always get better at so long 44 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
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Lowleaf Interview
Discover the beautiful Low Leaf. A vocalist, writer, harpist, pianist, and overall artist from Hollywood and surrounding areas. How did you become interested in the harp? My mom asked me if I wanted to play the harp when I was 9, so I took lessons for 2 years then stopped because my harp teacher retired. It wasn't until I was 22 that I revisited the harp to sample it into my beats. From then on I returned to ground zero on the harp and just began playing again. I'm pretty much self taught on the harp. I learn by listening and imagining, and get inspiration from harpists all around the world on youtube.
How young did you get started with music? I always loved to sing ever since I can remember existence. I started taking classical piano lessons when I was 5. I taught myself how to write and record songs on the guitar when I was 14 and I started making beats
family parties. I acted like I hated it and would make them beg me to play, but I secretly loved being able to draw people together as I played on the keys, and show off 'who I was', a musician. In my growth since those days, I have developed a more spiritual relationship to my music. In my search for identity as a first-generation filipino being raised in American culture I have always felt like a foreigner in a lot of ways. Filipinos had no place in the media, so most of the idols that I looked up to were musicians, none of whom were of my heritage. I began to use music to find my sound, to express who I was, a filipino at that. Since I didn't know of a definition or standard filipino sound, I allowed myself to be free in my music. Today, I aim to hear the voices of my ancestors and heal people through music and art.
What does Low Leaf mean?
when I was 18. I am now 25. How do you think your heritage/culture has influenced your music? Being pushed to play classical piano was a very filipino kinda thing. My piano teacher was filipino and the majority of her students were filipinos, and all our families knew each other. We'd have monthly piano workshops where we'd eat filipino food afterwards, and have annual recitals with this community of kids who were also being forced to play piano. My parents were incredibly strict about it and pushed me to get my high school diploma in classical piano. At times I felt like they just wanted me to show off to their friends, making me play my pieces during
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Low Leaf has become a humbling symbol for me that embodies the interconnectedness and fluctuation of all creation. I came up with it by simply imagining the visual in my head, little did I know how dense it became the more I grew with it, as a plant myself.
How did you know you wanted to pursue a career in music? There was just never any other option.
Who are your influences?
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"Today, I aim to hear the voices of my ancestors and heal people through music and art."
www.creatordiy.com It's hard for me to tell what or who influences me directly. I do know that I am inspired the divine creator, nature, love, the cosmos, holistic health, peace and dreams. I am also deeply inspired by musing The Philippines, as well as all the beautiful people and musicians in my life who are creators as well.
How did you develop your own style? My style is still in development and will always grow...but I'd say, my desire to create a new and honest sound with pure intentions has enabled me to sound the way I do today.
Is/Are there a/any comment/s by a fan/s that have stood out to you? 48 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
What was it and why this? How did it make you feel? Yeah... after one of my first shows in 2011, a woman approached me and told me that I wasn't from this place, but a goddess visiting earth. She said I was working with magic and had a great power to spread love and wake people up on the planet. It felt good to be seen and acknowledged by someone who could see my highest purpose... I just took it as more affirming signs to keep doing what I do.
Who were your major influences? Growing up I was very inspired by Gwen Stefani, Bjork, Aaliyah and Lauryn Hill. They were all strong women to me with their own
sound and style, and I admired their spirit and strength.
It seems you are a very spiritual individual; how did you become this way? I have always felt a connection to my imagination, and the knowingness that there was more to this world than just the physical plane. The idea of angels and heavenly planes was introduced into my life when I was very small, being raised catholic. So the idea of spirits walking amongst us was a very real thing to me, even to this day. Although now I don't claim any religion, I have come to know God through self-love, meditation, music and nature. Is there a specific track off your most recent EP, Alchemizing Dawn, which you enjoy performing most?
Off it, I enjoy performing The Witch Song because I rarely get to play on a grand piano, or a real piano of sorts. Can you tell us more about this EP?
I recorded all the songs at home in my personal bedroom studio, except for The Witch Song, which was recorded at an awesome recording studio called East West. I received help with the mixing process from my boyfriend, and my co-worker Adam helped me master it in the studio in one
off the top...I don't think about the lyrics too hard, they just happen in that moment, so I usually end up writing about where I'm at in that point in time. I aim to one day write less personal lyrics, and just write all my lyrics as prayer, or praise to the divine creator.
night. Yes. The title Alchemizing Dawn has to do with spiritual alchemy; self-transformation, and rebirth through the promise of a new dawn. Most of these songs were written during this purification process that I had started in 2009 up to 2012. I chose my favorite 7 tracks about how the sun's restoration gave me hope to feel true inner
Do you have any performances coming up? Are there any major differences between Alchemizing Dawn and your previous works? Yes, in the nature of the sound, the intention, and the spectrum I cover in Alchemizing Dawn is its own within my
In September I'm going to play at a festival in Tolouse, France.. and in October/ November I'll hopefully return to the Philippines to play some shows out there and grow.
Any
peace, letting go of the past, and emerging anew.
I wanted to put out an acoustic-based project since that's where I felt my roots lied. I envisioned it being a mix of my singersongwriter harp/piano songs, mixed with my production skills I've picked up from making electronic music.. The instruments I played on it were a grand piano, a rhodes, the harp, acoustic and electric guitars and electronic synths. I pretty much gathered old and new material to put out, which ended up being the most personal project I've released thus far. Where did you record it?
universe of sound. I didn't create the songs to be intentionally different, I was just being
messages for the public?
honest to who I was during that time.
Create or Die. World peace begins within.
Do you write you own lyrics? What do you find yourself writing the most about?
Check out my website for all of my content as well as information about consciousness and love.
Every day is a new song.
Yes! I started writing poems before I even played the piano. I tend to write about love, hope, my dreams, and space and nature. I haven't quite gotten a writing style down yet, for the lyrics come out in the form of a stream of consciousness most of the time.. I'll record the melody in the form of babble and fill in the words upon hearing the playback, or I'll straight up just improvise the entire song with the lyrics and melody
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Kevin SLoan
Consequences of Hypnosis 48” x 42” Acrylic on canvas 50 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
Just as painters of The Age of Discovery set about to illustrate and make sense of their world, I set out to do the same in ours, but imposing unexpected, modern objects of our everyday existence into mostly natural environments.
BIrds of America: The Donation 60” x 40” Acrylic on canvas 51 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
Modern Romance 30’ x 24’ Acrylic on canvas
Modern Blindness 30” x 24” Acrylic on canvas
T
he question arises: which is more foreign to us, a penguin or an extension cord? Which belongs within the borders of the formal picture frame and, which elements will be left to observe in 1000 years? These characters puzzle over timepieces and teacups near the sea. They stare bewildered at piles of books and balance on children’s toys. In these small dramas, they actively participate in the world of modern things but with a child-like irreverence. These objects, often so valuable and revered by us are just more things to stumble over
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The Emperor’s WIsh 28’ x 24” Acrylic on canvas
The Times 60” x 54” Acrylic on canvas
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Birds of America: Audobon’s Tea 30” x 36” Acrylic on canvas
The Odds 24” x 20” Acrylic on canvas
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and attempt to make sense of in the animal world. They innocently and clumsily interact with their worlds, sometimes with great drama and spectacle and sometimes with a futile silliness. I have an on-going concern for the welfare of the “silent inhabitants” we share this world with. These animals entertain, comfort, feed and sometimes inconvenience and frighten us. Whatever our relationship with animals, particularly wild ones is, it’s often pushed to the background. They exist in vividly filmed television documentaries, a trip to zoo, and sometimes a surprise encounter on an early morning walk. But for the most part, the natural world is somewhere “out there” removed from our daily lives. I choose to personify
these creatures as a means to make them more approachable - more like us. If we see them doing human things in the paintings, and see objects from contemporary life, it creates a momentary bridge between our two worlds. In this respect, perhaps for a moment, we see them as not so foreign and wild but kind of like us. Or, we’re kind of like them. -Kevin
Cache Reef 36” x 32” Acrylic on canvas
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Window, Sienna 30 x 30� Acrylic and oil in high-melt wax on wood panel [Schoenberg Collection]
Barbara Kerwin 56 ARTNOIS No 6, June 2013
Gold Butterfly 30 x 30” acrylic, oil in high-melt wax on panel
Grandfather McGlaughlin 20 x 20” Oil, oil in high-melt wax, acrylic on panel
Pattern of Perception, GOLD BARS 65 x 70” acrylic on wood panel. Photo Credit: Josua White
Everybody Wants to Rule the World 24x24x 2.5” Medium: Oil in high-melt was over board on panel [Paul Allen, Vulcan Ventures Collection, Bellevue, Wa.]
White Rotation 20x20” Oil, oil in high-melt wax, acrylic
I Know Where I’m Going 37 x 27” Oil in High-melt wax over board on canvas
on panel
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Red Window 44 x 46� Acrylic, oil in high-melt wax on panel [Craig Blum Collection, Newport Beach] My work expresses a love of systems and a catalogue of feelings, nuance and measurement. The paintings mark time and its passage. The work is labor-intensive, utilizing scores of paint layers. I am currently creating Patterns of Perception, large scale works of complex, geometric patterns utilizing the rectangle as a motif. The paintings are acrylic, oil, oil in highmelt wax, or other mediums, dependent upon the need of each work.
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Tainted Love Oil in high-melt wax over board on panel [Farnum Collection, Los Angeles]
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Mydeadpony
Anger Chic 30 x 40 cm
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Top: Desires within desires 30x40cm Bottom: I am all out of stars and there is a blackholein the driveway 30x40cm
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Left: One last hour 30x40 cm RIght: Runaway2 30x40cm
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Top: Geometry of discomfort 30x40cm Bottom: Runaway 30x40cm
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Manipulating rainbows in the eyes of hades 30x40cm
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www.mydeadpony.com Megaton 30x40cm
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Bartosz
Matenk I am not a press photographer. I feel more as a narrator, writer, who instead of holding a pen uses his camera. Instead of sketching in a notebook I use Tumblr, instead of writing books I post on my blog, insted of creating volumes of poetry I make artbooks. To better understand the rules of storytelling I studied Polish literature. To learn how to frame the world I studied cinematography. To see all the shades of black and white, I learned painting. However the best lesson was simple observation of life on the streets and stories of people I met by talking to homeless, friends or random people on the subway. I try to discover unreality in reality. I document nuances of the world and show its magic. Oftern it’s something we wouldn’t like to see or our eyesight is too limited to notice. The situations and people I meet fascinate me and I want to share them with others, regardless if it happens in Szczecin, New York or Johannesburg.
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ko
Matenko
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MEGAN Cutler Art expresses what my words fail to say, and what my voice is too timid to whisper. Through painting I am able to take something of corruption and decay and turn it into something beautiful, expressing both a feeling and a moment. Where language is limiting, my painting steps in. Paintings first take their form as journal writings, and are transformed with emphasis on a
specific emotion expressed through bold color and aggressive strokes. Recent works are embedded with words and lines in the form of collage. Thoughts and emotions are laid down raw. Unhindered beauty and the freedom that comes from losing all hope and control are readily available for those who seek the truth within the painting.
T N A T S
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IN
CA
N O I T A
USE ME
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LOVE
ME
s e d a F y t u
a e
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