OCTOBER 2009 ART DIGEST PG.163
OCTOBER 2009 | Nยบ. 4 Vol. 2
A collective by artists for artists. Tell everyone.
October Featured Artists [ Balint Zsako [ David Zsako [ [ Danni Shinya Luo [ Dominique Fung [ [ Claudia Calle [ Max Wagner [ Nimit Malavia [
PUBLISHED BY
OCTOBER 2009 | Nยบ. 4 Vol. 2
A collective by artists for artists. Tell everyone.
October Featured Artists [ Balint Zsako [ David Zsako [ [ Danni Shinya Luo [ Dominique Fung [ [ Claudia Calle [ Max Wagner [ Nimit Malavia [
OCTOBER 2009 ART DIGEST PG.163 PUBLISHED BY
OCTOBER 2009 N. 4 VOL. 2 NICOLE ANDUJAR Editor -in-Chief / Publisher editor@iniciativacolectiva.com INICIATIVA COLECTIVA All works published at the discretion of the editor. Send queries by email to editor@iniciativacolectiva.com Please allow 2 weeks for answer.
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SUBMISSION DEADLINE DECEMBER 20th 2009
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ON THE COVER Balint Zsako 'Untitled' and David Zsako ' Eternal Love'
This has to be the most significant and heartfelt edition of Iniciativa Colectiva since I started it almost 3 years ago in November of 2006. It has been in the melting pot for about six months and finally here's the final product. 160 plus pages of so much talent from around the world. I am very honored to have Balint, David, Claudia, Nimit, Danni, Dominique and Max as our Featured Artists. Some I have admired for some years now, and some are new inspiration and I will definitely continue to follow and admire their work. We have also FINALLY united forces with Fabrika Link! (www.fabrikalink.com) It's so exciting to finally be working along with my great friend Toto with whom I've wanted to work with for a long time. He's a relentless marketer, entertainer, musician and DJ (these are only some of the titles he holds!) IC is now providing the website's Fabrikarte section with our Featured Artists. Exposure never hurt anyone! I hope you enjoy this double issue, It's been a trip getting it together! Thank you for following. It is for you that this is made. With Love. To Life and Love! Nicole Andujar, Editor-in-Chief
Aaron Jay aka Randyotter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . England Alexandra Kinga Fekete. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hungary Andrei Smirny. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia Balint Zsako. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US Bryce Huffman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canada Claudia Calle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Venezuela/US Consuelo Di Carlo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Venezuela Danni Shinya Luo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US / China Davey Jones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US David Zsako. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US Dayvid LeMmon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US Diego Leitzke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil Dominique Fung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hong Kong/ Canada Evgeniy Sunik. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia Jeffrey Herrero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spain Jose R. Andujar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dominican Republic/US Julie West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UK Kathryn Gohmert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US Kenny Harris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US LENINBAK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Argentina Leonor Sanahuja. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spain Mark Ryden. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US Max Wanger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US Maxime Francout aka Max F.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . France MAD01. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russia Nimit Malavia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canada Ray Caesar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US Rebecca Sherman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US Rob Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . US Robert Tirado aka AEI. UO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spain Rubens Lp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brazil Steve Simpson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ireland/England
FEATURED ARTISTS Balint Zsako . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Zsako. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danni Shinya Luo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dominique Fung. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
050 060 070 080
Nimit Malavia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 090 Claudia Calle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Max Wanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Aaron Jay AKA Randyotter. . . . . . . . . . . . 09 Andrei Smirny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 011 Bryce Huffman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 014 Diego Leitzke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 018 Jeffrey Herrero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 021 Julie West. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 024 Kenny Harris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 030
Leonor Sanahuja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 033 Maxime Francout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 036 MAD01 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 038 Rob Shields. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 039 Rubens Lp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 041 Steve Simpson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 042
Illustration
Painting
Mark Ryden. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 047 Kathryn Gohmet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 088 Rebecca Sherman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Photography
Jose R. Andujar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Alexandra Kinga Fekete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Consuelo Di Carlo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Evgeniy Sunik. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Ray Caesar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 098 Robert Tirado. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Davey Jones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Dayvid LeMmon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 LENINBAK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
‘reach for the moon’ BY AAron jay aka randyotter IC09
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‘NEEDS A TRIM’ BY AARON JAY aka randyotter
‘JUST CHILLIN’ BY AARON JAY aka randyotter
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‘CUSTOMER’ BY ANDREI SMIRNY
‘BEDLAM’ BY ANDREI SMIRNY
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‘ASIMO TROGLODYTES (AN ADVERTISED ODYSSEY)' BY BRYCE HUFFMAN
‘MEGAPTERA DIRIGER (ASIMO VS LEVIATHAN)’ BY BRYCE HUFFMAN
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'METRO FATALIS (WE AREN'T THE THINGS WE'VE DONE)' BY BRYCE HUFFMAN
'NAUTILUS CAPSTAN (REST WILL FOLLOW)' BY BRYCE HUFFMAN
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'brujeria' by diego leitzke
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'rockabilly' by diego lietzke
'caperucita roja' by jeffrey herrero
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'audrey tautu' by jeffrey herrero
'drink drank drunk' by jeffrey herrero
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JULIE WESt
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JULIE west
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julie west
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'untitled' by kenny harris
'uNtitled' by kenny harris
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'untitled' by kenny harris
'miss moonlight' BY leonor sanahuja
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'sra hermosa' by leonor sanahuja
princess and the fish' by leonor sanahuja
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'AROUND THE WORLD' BY MAXIME FRANCOUT
'MR. HYDE' BY MAXIME FRANCOUT
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'PLAYGROUND' BY MAD01
'UNTITLED' BY ROB SHIELDS
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'UNTITLED' BY ROB SHIELDS
'UNTITLED' BY RUBENS LP
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'fifteen' BY steve simpson
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'pure pie' BY steve simpson
'icad 50x50 poster' by steve simpson
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'fun girl' by mark ryden
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'meat show detail' BY mark ryden
'the criatrix' by mark ryden
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Email: balintzsako@yahoo.com Website: www.balintzsako.com
FEATURED ARTIST
BALINT interview Age: 30
ZSAKO
1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage) These works are made with watercolors and inks on paper. I like the contrast between the fluid organic quality of watercolor washes and the sharp ink lines. This is a very practical way of working, its fast and I can put washes of different colors on top of one another to create very rich tones. The ink is applied with a quill (dip) pen. I like this because of its opacity, it can go on top of the watercolor and maintain its vibrancy. I usually start with a stack of uniform 16x12 inch watercolor paper and draw a variety of figures on each. Then I go back and decide which ones i want to work on and go from there. 2. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc) My working process is similar to writing fiction. I don’t know exactly where its going to go when I start, I just react to what’s on the page and what ideas I get while working. They are never illustrations of specific conceptual, political or theoretical ideas, they are a result of a cumulative storytelling process. 3. How did you get started with your artistic career? Both my parents are artists. My brother and I have been drawings from a very early age. I loved physics and math all the way through high school, and even considered industrial design or mechanical engineering as a career but I ended up studying new media art and graduating with a BFA in photography. I have worked as an artist since then.
4. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments? Nothing could make me happier than working on art all day. 5. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by? Everything I look at and hear comes out one way or another in my drawings. I absorb things around me like everyone else, have specific ideas about politics and social issues, and am attracted and repulsed by various things in our world, and all of this comes out in my work, but in a mostly nondidactic or non-illustrative way. I want my works to be open to interpretation. Sometimes people take a work I have made and tell me that it has captured a very specific event or feeling in their own lives. I am always happy to hear what people say my stories are about because sometimes they are better than the ones I think of. 6. How do you see your artwork evolving from now? Its always changing, they started out with simpler narratives, got very complex at one point and now they are getting distilled again. I think the relationships of the figures in my works are getting more nuanced and I am using less fantastical symbols. But every drawing I make changes the one that will follow it, so you never know what’s coming up in the future. - IC
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'untitled' by balint zsako - featured artist
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'untitled' by balint zsako - featured artist
'untitled' by balint zsako - featured artist
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'untitled' by balint zsako - featured artist
'untitled' by balint zsako - featured artist
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'untitled' by balint zsako - featured artist
'untitled' by balint zsako - featured artist
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'untitled' by balint zsako - featured artist
'untitled' by balint zsako - featured artist
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Email: davidzsako@yahoo.ca Website: www.humanmetalart.com
FEATURED ARTIST
DAVID interview Age: 26
ZSAKO
1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage) I use pigment ink pens, metallic gel pens, sharpies, and heavy stock paper for my illustrations. To get the photo-realistic effect I trace photographs that strike me in a certain way. The source images are usually extreme or sensational, mainly documentary or exploitation in nature. When I have the core concept for the piece down, I then start to add other components such as symbols, psychedelia, and representational elements. Once everything is in place; I spend endless hours reworking the drawing with over the top embellishments and finish it off by coloring in each individual self contained bubble not unlike painting by numbers. I usually start with a stack of uniform 16x12 inch watercolor paper and draw a variety of figures on each. Then I go back and decide which ones i want to work on and go from there. 2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey? My work is a struggle between the beauty of aesthetics and the vulgarity of content. I am naturally attracted to disturbing and strange things, events, and people that exist in the real world. I enjoy exploring unusual occurrences unhindered by censorship. At the same time I am a sucker for eye candy. My stylization process which has evolved naturally into what it is today fuses the work with an attractive repulsive quality. 3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc) Research can be the most time intensive and mentally draining aspect of my work. Finding the right picture can sometimes take weeks and more often than not, I do not start out with a specific image
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in mind. The final source photography, which can be made up of several unrelated pictures taken from newspapers, magazines, or the internet, often evolves throughout the course of the research period. The final illustration usually ends up light years away from anything I had envisioned from the beginning. The hardest part in the creation process, which I have to go through with every single illustration, is to force myself to keep an open mind and have faith that the drawing will work out in the end. Fighting the urge to give up on a piece is the most necessary routine I engage in on a regular basis. It was fairly difficult to keep going when I first started making this type of illustration, but after some of my best accomplishments were born out of what I had initially thought were failures, it became easier to trudge through self doubting phase of subsequent pieces. 4. How did you get started with your artistic career? I come from a family of practicing professional artists, so to take an artistic path in life was not a very difficult choice to make and was not really met with any resistance. It is difficult to make a living as an artist especially if there are children in the mix, but being a practicing artist is something that I never question, to me it is just a given even though I may have to subsidize my art with a day job. 5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments? Having an amazing domestic life with a beautiful wife, a young son, and a baby on the way. 6. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by? Heavy metal, horror movies, and porn. Violence, gore, aggression, and sex to me are beautiful. I find a lot of inspiration in visceral things and by that I
DAVID zsako interview - featured artist
mean I give a lot of weight to things that appeal to the instinctive side of me rather than the intellectual side. I think that is why I have such a hard time describing or talking about my art, what it means, and how to interpret it; it is what I feel more than what I know. I am also a news junkie and I love political satire. Even though I do not make politically relevant pictures, the absurdities that are involved in the everyday workings of the world always seems to be in the back of my mind as I create. 7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now? I think from here I will start making more complex large scale works with even more detail and hopefully I can try to expand my colour pallet as well. Other than that I feel the more pieces I create, the work will evolve naturally on its own as I grow and gain more experience as an artist. - IC
'SKULL AND LIZARDS' BY DAVID ZSAKO - FEATURED ARTIST
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'PARADISE (AND DETAILS)' BY DAVID ZSAKO - FEATURED ARTIST
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'GUARD DOG' BY DAVID ZSAKO - FEATURED ARTIST
'NOMA' BY DAVID ZSAKO - FEATURED ARTIST
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'ECSTASY' BY DAVID ZSAKO - FEATURED ARTIST
'ETERNAL LOVE' BY DAVID ZSAKO - FEATURED ARTIST
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'NEWBORN' BY DAVID ZSAKO - FEATURED ARTIST
'ETERNAL LOVE' BY DAVID ZSAKO - FEATURED ARTIST
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FEATURED ARTIST
DANNI interview Age: 26
Email: dshinya@gmail.com Website: dshinya.blogspot.com
SHINYA LUO
1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage) I work mainly with watercolor and ink. I also will use other mixed medium with watercolor from time to time, these materials include things such as wax, pigment powder, plastic film...etc. I paint with these materials on various types of watercolor papers. 2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey? Each of the paintings I create has an idea, message or story behind them, I do not believe in creating meaningless images just for the visual. These messages or stories are usually something that I feel very strong about. Something that moved me at one moment. As an artist, I feel that it is my job to present that certain feeling or concept to others through the images I create. So I can bring awareness to that idea, hoping that it may one day touch another mind. 3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc) I am always on the look out for new ideas. I try to pay attention to new ideas and concepts I encounter in my day to day life. When I do find an intriguing subject matter, I will remember it and let it develop for a period of time in my head. After a while, I would go back to that idea, with the addition of my own personal interpretations and experiences.
4. How did you get started with your artistic career? I was under an apprenticeship with a very old Chinese watercolor artist. After a few years of studying with him, I attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. I've been painting watercolor ever since. 5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments? I believe my greatest accomplishment is always the next one. There is never the greatest, but always greater. I think the artist should always try to improve and push his or her own limits. Currently I'm happy with my explorations in the human psyche. The conflicts and tensions of the human emotions is complicated and deeply meaningful. I do my best to reflect that in my paintings. 6. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by? I find my inspirations through the beauty of the female figure, beauty of nature, human fears and obsessions, psychological tensions, current events, music, and eclectic fashion. These are all topics that have strong influences on me, so I try to discuss my personal point of view of them in different paintings. 7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now? Currently I am working on adding more elements to enhance the whole emotional atmosphere of my paintings. I want to achieve this through the backgrounds and the expressive poses of the figures in the paintings. The goal is to create more intense images, to push the boundaries of the viewers and my own comfort zone. - IC
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'reach' by danni shinya luo - featured artist
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'one lick to paradise' by danni shinya luo - featured artist
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'a guardian's dilemma' by danni shinya luo - featured artist
'what do u know about me' by danni shinya luo - featured artist
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'her mistake' by danni shinya luo - featured artist
'insecurity as a cuttlefish' by danni shinya luo - featured artist
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'tood alice' by danni shinya luo - featured artist
'prey' by danni shinya luo - featured artist
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FEATURED ARTIST
Dominique interview Age: 22
Email: mail@dominiquefung.com Website: www.dominiquefung.com
FUNG
1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage) In the past, I have experimented with various mediums such as oil on canvas, as well as digital painting. However, as a new independent artist, I felt that my body of work had reached its limit in those particular medias. Instead of conforming to one particular media, I am now using mixed-media on Stonehenge. My work process begins, like all pieces of art, as a mere sketch. Once my idea has been set, I will scan my image onto the computer and add the necessary details and changes, and then enlarge the image to conform to the scale of the Stonehenge paper. After printing, I will piece together the enlarged sections, and then trace my digital image onto the Stonehenge paper. Once the tracing is complete, I then spray on a fixative to protect the surface from any smudges. I will then add layers of washes in various amounts.
3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc) One of the most important practices as an artist and this also applies to other fields, is to always explore and to never give up. I find inspiration from found objects, shapes, images, stories, but mostly from the people around me. If inspiration comes, then I’ll draw up a small sketch in my sketchbook. Process is vital, and every artist has ways that they prefer to work in 4. How did you get started with your artistic career? Ever since I was young, I was always inter-
ested in the arts. My family has been supportive from the beginning and wanted me to develop my creative senses. From playing the piano to art lessons, it was always drawing that stuck with me. Starting from my elementary year, I started taking art classes, until the past year, upon receiving my Bachelors Degree in Illustration at the Sheridan College in Oakville. I believe that formal training does not define the talent of an artist. But I do believe that an education in learning the fundamentals and skills as an artist is necessary. The artwork that I create now does not follow the elements of design to a tee, but due to my thorough knowledge and understanding of art, I am now able to look past the technicalities, and break free from the restrictions. 5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments? I believe that one of my greatest accomplishments was gaining my independence away from my hometown in Ottawa, Ontario. To be off on my own and to be producing Art as a living is a privilege. For people to understand my concepts and wanting
to be a part of what I create is inspirational. Next stop will hopefully be New York or California! 6. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by? My inspiration comes from all my surroundings from the simplest things like a rock to giant sculptures and buildings it all has a large impact on what I draw. The environment that I immerse myself in definitely does influence my works. I also believe that a lot of it comes from truly seeing the beauty in everything. 7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now? My work continues to grow everyday and I’m willing to learn and to adapt new ways in depicting an image. There isn’t a set way that I see my work evolving but I do know that I am passionate about advertising, marketing, fashion and galleries. I see myself doing more print work in the next little while, but also still trying to maintain an organic feel, more so than completely digital. Never stop learning. - IC
2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey? Some paintings have a more personal meaning behind them then others. Recently, I have been focusing on habitat awareness, concerning plastics flooding our natural environment. It scares me that even within our community, there are still thousands of endangered wildlife due to the lack of recycling. The earth is headed toward a downward spiral due to the pollution. If we do not try to preserve our habitat. Our government promotes that every person makes a difference, no matter how small. Through my art, I’m hoping that I can contribute towards that difference :) I think it’s beautiful creating something from nothing. Almost creating a playground for yourself in the world that you imagined. There is something powerful about that.
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'DREAM' BY dOMINIQUE FUNG - featured artist
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'AFFLICTION' BY dOMINIQUE FUNG - featured artist
'NATURE' BY dOMINIQUE FUNG - featured artist
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'THE GREAT PACIFIC' BY dOMINIQUE FUNG - featured artist
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'VICTIMIZED' BY dOMINIQUE FUNG - featured artist
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'COMPUTALIST' BY KATHRYN GOHMET
'BU YAO, AYI' BY KATHRYN GOHMET
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FEATURED ARTIST
NIMIT
the magik7 interview Age: 21
MALAVIA
1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage) With the majority of my personal work I try to explore and utilize a large variety of traditional mediums. I work with acrylic a lot, usually layering it with different dry mediums on top, like pencil crayon, chalk, and at times collage, to offer depth and give the image a more finessed quality. With my black and white work I use graphite a lot, usually with layers of acrylic placed over top. 2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey? I usually try to work from what I know, in an effort to depict the 'human experience', or at least my perception of it in the most honest way possible. I often try to develop my work based off of emotions and ideas I have, sometimes fleeting dreams. A lot of the time, I find myself creating from feelings of suffering and strife, to try and understand and appreciate the quiet beauties of moments lost. 3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc) Each piece begins with a concept or feeling in mind, from there I like to work up a few very loose black and white roughs, usually rather small. Once I am happy with the basic design and gesture of the rough, I gather any reference I may need, usually photos or textures, and jump right into the final. I try not to finesse my roughs too much, I find if I work up a rough too much, I become really attached to the way it is represented in the sketch and I kind of lose some of the energy in the final. So I try to keep most of that for the final piece.
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Email: nimit@nimitmalavia.com Website: www.nimitmalavia.com
4. How did you get started with your artistic career? I was fortunate enough to be able to take an internship with a gallery in LA, it gave me the opportunity to show with a number of galleries across the States, Canada, and even in Europe while I was still in school. It opened a lot of doors for me which have since led to a number of illustration and design opportunities. 5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments? I think being able to showcase my work to people, and to just be able to create work for a living is something I'm thrilled about. Not many people get to do what they love, and I feel extremely fortunate that I'm able to do that. 6. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by? My inspiration comes from just about anywhere. Sometimes it's something I hear, a song I listen to, conversations, a feeling, something I read, etc. My experiences, I guess. Lately I find myself looking at a great amount of sculpture work, mostly from the greats like Rodin, Bernini. Some other artists that I am particularly inspired by would be J.C. Leyendecker, N.C. Wyeth, Ryan McGinley, Klimt, to name a few. I'm also really fascinated by older package design as well. 7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now? I'm looking forward to working on a much larger scale, hopefully I can work life-size, if not larger!! I'm hoping to continue to explore different mediums and surfaces, and really just grow myself. I think if I allow myself to develop personally, and hopefully the art will do the same. - IC
THE MAGIK7 INTERVIEW - NIMIT MALAVIA - FEATURED ARTIST
'A LOOK INSIDE' BY NIMIT MALAVIA - FEATURED ARTIST
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'HER SING SONG TO BRING ABOUT OBLIVION' BY NIMIT MALAVIA - FEATURED ARTIST
'DAY MARES AND NIGHTSTALIONS' BY NIMIT MALAVIA - FEATURED ARTIST
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'WORLD OF DREAMS' BY NIMIT MALAVIA - FEATURED ARTIST
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'MOMENTS BEFORE CRISIS' BY NIMIT MALAVIA - FEATURED ARTIST
'I FELL VIOLENT FOR YOU LOVER' BY NIMIT MALAVIA - FEATURED ARTIST
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'FRENCH KISS' BY RAY CAESAR
'PRINCE OF TRUTH' BY RAY CAESAR
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'WAITING WIFE STUDY' by RAY CAESAR
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'FOLIAGE IN THE CITY' by rEBECCA SHERMAN
'pearls of pollution' by rebecca sherman
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'chic squid' by robert tirado
'nana galaxian' by robert tirado
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'untitled' by robert tirado
'soldier's exctasy' by robert tirado
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'untitled' by jose r. andujar
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'untitled' by jose r. andujar
'untitled' by jose r. andujar
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'mask serie' by a.k. fekete
'mask serie' by a.k. fekete
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'mask serie' by a.k. fekete
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'mask serie' by a.k. fekete
'mask serie' by a.k. fekete
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FEATURED ARTIST
CLAUDIA Age: 33
Email: calle@claudiacalle.com Website: www.claudiacalle.com
CALLE
Visiting the Republic of China had a great impact on me, not only because of its fascinating culture and history, but also because I can now see a socioeconomic phenomenon that was once invisible to me. I discovered the nature of exploitation hidden inside the commercial relationships. The investor gives a certain amount of money to buy a labor force, and pressures the workers to work more hours than usual, many times paying them even less than the minimum wage. Nobody is really indispensable in a country of over one billion inhabitants. As a consequence of excessive labor hours, families are becoming more isolated, where the ”only child” grows up without the appropriate care from his parents. This unlimited thirst for profits goes beyond values, and what is worse, the Chinese are destroying the ecosystem in which their future generations will live. More and more Chinese people are adopting our Western culture, forgetting their ancestral heritage and methodologies. They dream of buying new cars and wearing foreign clothing brands; now they not only produce these products, they want to buy them too. The illusion of progress is changing their “Long life” for a lifestyle that is short, solitary, unhealthy and stressful.
duce are cheap copies of the originals. What I wasn’t aware of, is that nearly 80% of the things I use and consume daily are made in China. Almost everything that surrounds us has the energy of their work and the sacrifice of their people. Through my work I realized that these millions of people that work in factories daily are only processing orders. However, they are not robots, they are human beings that feel, cry, love and dream. China is a nation that is growing silently and incredibly fast. After every day that passes by, I am still amazed by their underappreciated intelligence. Little by little the “fortune cookie” monster is taking over the other half of the world. “In honor of all the women in the world who do not have the privilege that I have of expressing myself freely” - Claudia Calle
Isn’t it ironic that the great multinational corporations produce their collections in a country where everything is “cloned”? A country where “©opyright” laws don’t exist? All of this is done to lower production costs. A big part of my work uses pieces of wood as a base. The color and texture of each piece of wood is unique. In this same way I perceive Chinese people, they may look alike, but each one of them is a unique human being. I also work with photographs, photocopies, and repetition of images, symbols and different printing techniques. For many years I have criticized China, thinking that all they pro-
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THE MAGIK7 INTERVIEW - claudia calle - FEATURED ARTIST
the magik7 interview 1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage) At the moment I’m working with a combination of medium including photography, acrylics, design and collage. The “Made in China” series was mostly done on wood because every piece of wood, has an unique characteristic which is what I wanted to represent with China, that even though we look at them like they are all the same, they are totally different one from the other. 2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey? Visiting the Republic of China had a great impact on me, not only because of its fascinating culture and history, but also because I can now see a socioeconomic phenomenon that was once invisible to me. That triggered an inspiration to let people know more about their human side and impact on the world. 3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc. Through the creative process something wonderful happens. My mind, eyes, hands and spirit aligns and without premeditation, in a magical second, I capture the essence of the people and things that are in front of me. The final result is always perfect because it comes from a spontaneous act. I enjoy experimenting with photography, painting and mixing elements over different and non – conventional materials. In my work I use symbols as part of the human occultism with the purpose of spreading and protecting the truth.
4. How did you get started with your artistic career? Since my younger years I spent long hours at my father’s creative studio drawing and playing with all the materials they used to produce billboards and signs. With the years, I got inspired to study Visual Arts in Colombia and then Photography in Mexico, completing my studies with a Photo Design degree from the Miami AD School. I was deeply involved in the music photography and design for years, which lead me to a more spiritual and artistic desire for traveling and creating art based on my trips. 5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments? One of my greatest accomplishments is to wake up and be able to do what I love to do. At this stage of my life, I’m using my art as an expression, a meditation, a therapy and a communication tool to speak louder than my voice. 6. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by? My inspiration comes from being present. Being aware and conscious of my surroundings also inspires me. 7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now? I’m in a constant search for new media and materials that can communicate to large masses and be more accessible to the world. I’m more interested on being part of an evolution than being trapped in a museum. - IC
CLAUDIA CALLE - THE MAGIK7 INTERVIEW - FEATURED ARTIST
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'©opyright ®egister usa' by claudia calle - FEATURED ARTIST
'©opyright ®egister ENGLAND' by claudia calle - FEATURED ARTIST
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'©opyright ®egister FRANCE' by claudia calle - FEATURED ARTIST
'MAO'S EYES: MAO'S DAD' by claudia calle - FEATURED ARTIST
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'MAO'S EYES: MAO'S MOM' by claudia calle - FEATURED ARTIST
'MAO'S EYES: MAO'S SON' by claudia calle - FEATURED ARTIST
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'PROPAGANDA' by claudia calle - FEATURED ARTIST
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'SELLADAS / SEALED' by CONSUELO DI CARLO
Panamรก Viejo and the Historic District 2009
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'SELLADAS / SEALED' by CONSUELO DI CARLO
Panamรก Viejo and the Historic District 2009
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'SELLADAS / SEALED' by CONSUELO DI CARLO
Panamรก Viejo and the Historic District 2009
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'IMAGINARY PLACES' by EVGENIY SUNIK
'IMAGINARY PLACES' by EVGENIY SUNIK
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'IMAGINARY PLACES' by EVGENIY SUNIK
'IMAGINARY PLACES' by EVGENIY SUNIK
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'DIETY' BY DAVEY JONES
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'TRANSMISSION SUBSTINATION' by DAVID LEMMON
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'we took the wrong step years ago' by david lemmon
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'in gold we trust' by leninbak
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'in gold we trust' by leninbak
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'in gold we trust' by leninbak
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'in gold we trust' by leninbak
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FEATURED ARTIST
MAX
the magik7 interview age: 30
Email: hello@maxwanger.com Website: www.maxwanger.com www.maxwangerblog.com
WANGER
1. What type of medium do you work with and explain how you use it? (Paint, design, photography, collage) I'm a photographer and I currently shoot everything digitally. As much as I love the look and feel of film, it's much easier for my workflow to shoot digital. Plus, I've invested so much in lenses that there's no turning back now :)
4. How did you get started with your artistic career? I've had a love for art, design and photography for as long as i can remember. I started to shoot professionally only a couple of years ago and this is my first full year of mainly doing weddings. I really just sort of jumped in feet first. I didn't know what to expect. But so far so good.
2. What was your main interest in producing this artwork, or is there a statement you wanted to convey? I got into wedding photography because I wanted to see if I could do it differently. I wanted to be as non-traditional as possible, in the hopes of attracting the right clientele. I make it clear when I meet with couples that I'm not a typical wedding photographer. I like to be as creative as possible and I don't like to follow any rules. I do what I think looks and feels best, I trust my instincts and my eye. Hopefully my photographs speak for themselves.
5. What would you say is one of your greatest accomplishments? Deciding one day (not too long ago) that I wanted to photograph weddings and seeing where I am now and what I've been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.
3. Tell us about your creative process, do you have any rituals, routines you follow? How does your artwork come together? (Do you use found objects, image banks, etc) I always carry around a notebook. Actually, I have a bunch, some in the car, some on my desk, one in my pocket (it's a small little Postalco notebook I just picked up in New York that I love!) if I have the time, I love to storyboard my shoots, or at least just sketch ideas and write down thoughts. I'm also always scouring magazines and books to find inspiration.
6. Where does your inspiration come from? Or is there any particular movement, artwork or artist you find yourself influenced by? Inspiration comes from everyday life. Traveling inspires me. Music inspires me. Art inspires me. I love the work of Rodney Smith. Every time I see an image of his, my jaw drops. 7. How do you see your artwork evolving from now? I hope to continue to shoot weddings and I hope I can branch out into other arenas as well. I would love to do more editorial and commercial work in the future. I'm constantly learning and being inspired – Hopefully my photography will only get better and better.
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'untitled' by max wanger
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'untitled' by max wanger
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Art Digest
• COMPETITIONS • • EVENTS • • HAPPENINGS •
AIGA BIRMINGHAM POSTER CONTEST - Deadline: October 24, 2009 Free to enter, Open to everyone.Design a poster on the theme of “Rejection.” All submitted posters will be exhibited at the Salon Awards Show on October 24, 2009. Winner announced on the night of the show based on votes by attendees. Guidelines: 11 × 17, PDF format with 2MB maximum size Mandatory copy: Salon Des Refusés, October 24, 2009, Birmingham, Alabama Submissions will be accepted from September 1 through October 22, 2009 at midnight. Wolda Worldwide Logo Design Annual Deadline: January 31st, 2010 Wolda is the high-profile graphic design award scheme that rewards the best logos and trademarks designed throughout the world. The winners are selected by an international three-tier jury consisting of 10 top design professionals, 10 marketing managers from major international clients and finally 10 members of the public (provided respectively by the worldwide organizations Icograda, Aquent and Consumers International). This innovative judging mechanism reflects the actual process that turns any logo idea into a successful logo: 1) The designers decide what to present to the clients, 2) The clients decide what to present to the public, 3) But in the end it is always the public that decides if a brand is successful. The core of excellence generated by this process is collated in a printed annual on SAPPI acclaimed papers by Fontegrafica. Endorsed by over 100 design associations and schools and 18 prestigious Media Partners, Wolda is open for entries by January 31, 2010 collecting logos that have been designed both in 2008 and 2009. Entry Fee includes a ’09 book copy free of charge (including shipping). Registrations and logo submissions are held online only. MINI SPACE DESIGN COMPETITION Deadline: December 15th, 11:59am GMT. Reinterpret the topic "50" by designing a background for the MINI Space website. Designs should be created to work both as a background image for the homepage of MINIspace.com and as a stand-alone image. The design can be made out of any type of still media (photographic, illustration, graphic, etc.) as long as you have the rights to all design elements that you use. You are welcome to use MINI material in your design but it is NOT necessary nor will it increase your chances of a win. Do NOT use the MINI logo. Your image should be 1280x800 pixels in size and JPG format. TEE PARTY - Deadline: November 4th, 2009 You are cordially invited to join us for a little Infectious Tee Party. No formal attire. No crumpets. No jam. Just joyous t-shirt fun. You bring the art and imagination, we bring the cotton, inks and all the other voodoo required to introduce community made t-shirts to the Infectious product line. No themes... it's a wide open field for creativity. You have till November 4th to delight us with the freshest t-shirt designs ever. Each design gets 5 days of community voting and feedback. We'll be announcing winners over the course of the contest. Out of the designs selected for print, the highest scorer gets a tee-licious $2000 just in time for Christmas. You can buy a whole lot of Earl Grey with that. Some specific rules for this one... * You must show us your artwork on a t-shirt. * You can only use 8 colors in your designs (white and black count as colors). * Metallic inks are allowed. * We might turn winning designs into device skins or skateboards.
ART DIGEST - COMPETITIONS • EVENTS • HAPPENINGS
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Events
pinkghost's grand re-opening party!
SEPT 5th 2009 – Hanging out at the Grand Re-Opening of one of South Florida’s awesomest stores - Pink Gost… Located at 1888 Polk Street, in the heart of Downtown Hollywood, sisters Paola and Andrea Mendez have moved their fabulous art and designer toy store to a livelier part of town where we can already see that they’re gonna keep thriving as they have for the past three years. Iniciativa Colectiva wishes the girls and Pink Ghost all the success that they absolutely deserve! If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by and say hi, you won’t be able to resist playing and examining all the wonderful toys they have, it’s like a grownup’s playground!!! Cheers! Nicole
photots by dawn dubriel and nicole andujar IC164
EVENTS - PINKGHOST'S GRAND RE-OPENING
EVENTS - PINKGHOST'S GRAND RE-OPENING
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FONTS USED Chambers Sans OT by Verena Gerlach. Rev2 Font Black Sabbath by YWFT All Content Copyright 2009. Iniciativa Colectiva. All rights reserved. PUBLISHED BY Nicole Andújar COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All work contained within this issue of Iniciativa Colectiva is the property of the respective artist. No reproduction of any content is allowed without proper written permission from the artists. MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATIONS: Nicole Andújar. THANK YOU To all the participating artists for all the remarkable work and to you for your continued support. Don't forget to sign up to our NEWSLETTER so you can get IC directly to your inbox. Sign up at iniciativacolectiva.com