Contemporary Artists & Exhibitions
Issue 5 summer 2016
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The universe. For many artists it is their life’s work to explore this infinite expanse, and through their art, shrink it into something we can see right in front of us. They allow a glimpse of a bigger picture, literally and conceptually, while relating to ideas of what immediately surrounds us. For cover artist Julian Hanford, humankind’s relationship with the universe is something that continues to influence his work, as he asks “what if?”. Through his images he is challenging the viewer to consider new ways of thinking about where, and how, we exist in the cosmos. Martyna Zoltaszek creates her own universes in her paintings; the edges of her canvases containing entire versions of the world as we know it, yet different. They contain new rules for what could exist, and how things could look. Her work could be considered escapism, and yet it is still of our time and space. Through art we can find our place; in time, in society and in the universe.
EDITORS Kieran Austin Toby Oliver Dean COVER IMAGE Julian Hanford, The Sighting (detail - part of the planet 3 series), 2012, photograph - giclee archival print on canson daryta - 66 x 100cm PROOF READER Daisy Francome FOLLOW US InsideArtists InsideArtists WRITE TO US Inside Artists 35 Holland Mews Hove, East Sussex BN3 1JG ONLINE insideartists.co.uk ENQUIRIES info@insideartists.co.uk +44 (0)1273 748 630 Inside Artists is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without permission from the publishers. The magazine can assume no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations.
"'The Sighting' is part of a series entitled Planet 3, which features two innocent interstellar explorers recently arrived from a distant galaxy, and their adventures and discoveries of the customs and traditions of life on Earth (which is, of course, Planet 3).." Julian Hanford
EXHIBITIONS 08 Borde Hill Garden Sculpture Exhibition 2016 09 Summer highlights 10 Asylum 11 New Artist Fair Summer Exhibition 2016 INTERVIEwS 12 Julian Hanford 28 Capucine Safir 42 Filip Wolak ARTIST PROFILES 20 Martyna Zoltaszek 24 Rory Isserow 36 John Christopher Brooks 40 hERO 50 Carlos Blanco Artero 54 Alva Bernadine 58 Lyra Morgan ARTIST SHOWCASE 66 Henrik Hytteballe 68 Fiona Scott-Wilson 72 Barrie Dale 76 Philip Hearsey GALLERy 62 FineArtSeen ARTIST EXHIBITIONS 78 Summer artist exhibitions
08 EXHIBITIONS
Borde Hill Garden Sculpture Exhibition 2016 Until 30 September | Borde Hill Garden, Haywards Heath
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igurative and abstract artworks in bronze, resin, stone, metalwork, stained glass and ceramics have transformed Borde Hill’s historic gardens into a stunning outdoor gallery, giving viewers a new perspective of the magnificent surroundings of the Elizabethan house.
The exciting selection of artists showcasing work includes Ana Ruiz, Harriet Francis, Mark Stonestreet and Will Spankie. With sculptures spanning a variety of mediums and themes, the pieces have been carefully curated across the different areas of the gardens, reflecting and complimenting their natural setting. All work on display during the exhibition is also for sale.
This year marks the 17th year of the annual Sculpture Exhibition, with works by both established and up-and-coming artists on display, as well as a specially commissioned water installation by international sculptor Angela Connor. The garden provides a breathtaking backdrop to the sculptures, which are strategically placed to encourage exploration of both the extraordinary mix of artworks and the renowned plant collection.
Borde Hill Garden is loacated near Haywards Heath in West Sussex, and the Sculpture Exhibition runs until 30th September 2016, with admission included in the standard entry price. For more information visit: bordehill.co.uk
EXHIBITIONS 09
Week of Wildlife Art 28 June - 2 July, The Mall Galleries, London Forming the heart of the annual David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation's Week of Wildlife Art exhibition is the shortlist for the 2016 Wildlife Artist of the Year prize. From Earth’s Beautiful Creatures to Urban Wildlife, over 130 original works shortlisted for the £10,000 sponsored top prize will challenge your preconceptions of wildlife art. davidshepherd.org
Holly Rozier: Unheimlich 1 June - 3 July | Corridor Gallery, Brighton This June, Corridor Gallery in Brighton is host to the exciting first solo exhibition of textile artist Holly Rozier, featuring brand new site-specific installations created from domestic materials such as hosiery, stuffing and textile remnants. In a lengthy and complex process these materials are mutated; twisted, formed, shaped, hand-dyed, and delicately finished with intricate embroidery detail and intense beadwork. The title of the exhibition ‘Unheimlich’ is a slightly perplexing German word with no direct English equivalent. The translation offers three differing meanings which perfectly sum up Rozier and her bizarrely beautiful body of work; an exploration through the mediums of textiles, soft sculpture and installation. The artist describes this special site-specific show as: “A range of different scale anthropomorphic forms that look less ‘human’ than ever, whilst dealing with much more undeniably unifying and universally ‘human’ emotions than I have ever explored before.” The exhibition will show from 1st June to 3rd July at Corridor Gallery, 28 York Street, Brighton. hollyrozierartist.com / corridorgallery.co.uk
Drawn to the Valley Tavistock Summer Exhibition 27 – 31 July | Tavistock Town Hall, Tavistock The Drawn to the Valley group was formed in 2003 by the artists of the Tamar Valley Area as both a support network and a way to bring the area of natural beauty to life through art. The group now has over 160 members, ranging from painters and printmakers to ceramicists, sculptors, calligraphers, jewellers and textile artists. The annual Tavistock summer exhibition showcases this variety of work from the artists, while the Open Studios event which runs from 27 August – 4 September gives visitors the opportunity to see more behind the work. drawntothevalley.co.uk
10 EXHIBITIONS
Asylum 12 August – 10 September | Undercroft Gallery, Norwich
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sylum is an ambitious new independent group exhibition opening this August at Norwich’s Undercroft Gallery, in Norfolk.
Organised and curated by Russian artist Gennadiy Ivanonv, the show brings together over 20 artists, philosophers, singers, poets, and scientists who have been invited to create new works, both together and individually. Seven different labyrinthine Asylum rooms will act as ‘shelters’, each shelter given a different theme ranging from music and subculture, to pain, death and money. Each artist has chosen their
shelter, working collaboratively on the theme of asylum in their chosen media to the scale of their choice whether in painting, drawing, sculpture, film, sound or photography. Ivanonv intends to create an experience of synaesthesia through the exhibition, mixing art with graffiti artists, DJs, installation, video, light and sound. The exhibition asks the viewer to ponder questions of the world around us, and the effects of modern culture on our mental health, and ability to survive. Asylum opens at the Undercroft Gallery on 12th August 2016, running until 10th September. studioart.org.uk
EXHIBITIONS 11
By Lola Betiku
By Bev Jones
New Artist Fair Summer Exhibition 2016 9 – 11 September | The Old Truman Brewery, London
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ver 100 emerging and recently established artists will be showing their work this September as part of the New Artist Fair, which returns to exhibition spaces in the iconic Old Truman Brewery.
For new buyers looking to start their art collection, New Artist Fair is the perfect platform with high quality work available at affordable prices, ranging from £50 to a maximum of £2,000. Last year’s summer exhibition boasted a record number of sales and attendance, resulting too in a record number of happy artists.
Founded in 2011, the New Artist Fair provides a platform for bringing the best emerging and recently established contemporary artists to market, selling their work directly to art lovers, buyers, investors and collectors in Central London gallery locations. Most of the artists will also be available to meet throughout the weekend, adding a truly personal element to the buying experience.
New Artist Fair is free for all to attend, with over 2,000 originals and prints to browse in a relaxed and friendly environment. All of the art will be affordable and of the highest quality, enabling a wide range of buyers to invest in art whilst supporting new talented artists. newartistfair.com
12 INTERVIEW Julian Hanford
Julian Hanford
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ulian Hanford’s conceptual works see him exploring the mysteries of the universe, and humankind’s changing relationship with the cosmos within which we exist. A long and distinguished career as an award-winning Creative Director in British advertising has informed his aesthetic, which utilises his advanced skills in image manipulation as well as installation and other media to create strange and unnerving observations and critiques of the illusions, self-delusions and ironies we have so far traditionally held to be true.
Tell us a bit about your process; what’s your starting point for a photo series? How much do you plan what the final image will look like before you begin shooting? So, firstly I should say that everything I do starts with a thought, and not necessarily with the idea of photography as the end result. True, a lot of my work has been based around photography, because (A) it’s a medium I have a certain mastery in, (B) there is a certain expectation with a photograph that it is somehow ‘real’, however manipulated, and (C) I don’t want a particular artistic technique to overshadow the message of the piece. In terms of planning, for certain series I am meticulous, but then sometimes, because I am often working and thinking along a particular theme, the universe seems to put fully formed images in front of me. It’s about intent - If you concentrate on seeing blue Volkswagens out on
the street, very soon you will notice loads of blue Volkswagens - the human mind works like that. So I either have an image fully formed in my head, which is then a case of making the real image conform to my internal vision, or seeing the image out there in the real world and capturing it. Your work can appear very slick, and often looks as if it would be just at home gracing a giant billboard as it would a gallery wall; would you say your background in advertising continues to inform your practice, both conceptually and aesthetically? That is deliberate - as a society we are all very literate these days when it comes to absorbing slick advertising imagery, so it is actually the perfect medium for subversion. And I am also highly influenced by the work of the great
Julian Hanford INTERVIEW 13
The Significance of Synchronicity, 2014, Installation - wood and emulsion, 61 x 61 cm
14 INTERVIEW Julian Hanford
The Pursuit of Happiness, 2013, photograph - giclee archival print on hahnemuhle pearl, 66 x 100 cm
renaissance artists, who were very slick and polished, and whose work was so often really commissioned ‘advertising’ for the church and the powerful in their time. So much fine art these days tries very self-consciously to take a low-key low-craft aesthetic as some kind of ‘anti-reaction’ to mainstream communications imagery - I just want to do something different to everyone else and embrace this type of imagery for its ironic potential. You speak of exploring the mysteries of humankind’s relationship with the universe, by asking the questions do you also aim to provide the answers? It would be the ultimate ego-trip to even begin to think that I, or anyone else on this little blue rock, had the answers to the questions that motivate a
lot of my work. They are huge and philosophical. But they are questions so necessary to ask, if we ever want to progress as a species. Stanley Kubrick’s work, in particular, comes to mind - by deliberately asking ‘what if?’ viewers can and should make up their own minds, rather than relying on old, worn-out social paradigms on which to fall back. Personally my conceptual stance is that as a civilisation we need to grow up or implode - it’s a clear-cut choice - love or hate, money or bliss, peace or war, gods or truth. Your work does feel very personal despite the enormity of your subject matter, and there’s definitely poetry in your airbrushed aesthetics; if not answering the questions you ask for the viewer, do you at least aim to somewhat reassure bigger thoughts in your own mind?
Julian Hanford INTERVIEW 15
Love, Actually, 2014, photograph - giclee archival print on hahnemuhle pearl , 66 x 100 cm
Absolutely, which is the reason why I’m compelled to do what I do creatively. It’s my own self-generated psychotherapy. Who hasn’t asked themselves these questions at some stage in their life? My personal way of dealing with them is to try and reframe them visually and metaphorically.
there’s always a danger that humour will rebound on the overly-intellectualised art establishment, and they don’t like that idea one bit. But of course, great artists have known about the power of humour for a long time. DuChamp, Magritte, Warhol, Koons, Wurm - the list goes on and on.
There are a fair few visual jokes throughout your work, how does humour come into your practice? Probably one of the most important things I learned in my previous commercial life was the power of humour to skate under the cynical radar that we all build up around ourselves, to screen out the majority of intrusive media messaging that we are immersed in daily. Humour in the art world has been a dirty word for a long time - not considered serious or heavyweight enough, and
The thing about humour, also, is that it doesn’t sit very well with over-intellectualisation. The power of a humorous message in a piece can be destroyed by earnest curators and art historians so easily - the way a joke is spoiled when you have to try and explain it. Humour is really on the art agenda now though, from artists like David Shrigley and Martin Creed in particular, and it’s super-effective when it contains wry and ironic observed truths.
16 INTERVIEW Julian Hanford
Welcome to the Flock (part of the planet 3 series), 2014, photograph - giclee archival print on hahnemuhle pearl, 66 x 100 cm
Do you see your portrait work as being separate from your more conceptual work? They are distinctly different and yet the same, if that makes any sense. The portraits are usually about me witnessing one person’s take on this world, my art pieces are observations about all of us collectively. I see them as different trajectories along the same circle, eventually joining up and forever crossing over each other. And you can learn a lot about the bigger picture by seeing the detail in one person’s approach to life. What are you currently working on? Moving away from photography and into installations, painting and interactive works. I believe that audiences now need and want
to get more involved with art, and that art’s ultimate purpose - to enlighten - is more effective, memorable and profound when the viewer is really participating in both a sensual and intellectual way. I want to make some big statements, which will be both conceptually and physically imposing and not limited to the four white walls of a gallery. This is probably the billboard artist in me coming out again! julianhanfordart.com julian@julianhanfordart.com
Julian Hanford INTERVIEW 17
We’ve got to get out of this place, if it’s the last thing we ever do, 2013, photograph - giclee archival print on hahnemuhle pearl, 100 x 100 cm
18 INTERVIEW Julian Hanford
The Dream of J. Bruce-Ismay, 2013, photograph - giclee archival print on hahnemuhle pearl, 66 x 100 cm
Julian Hanford INTERVIEW 19
20 ARTIST PROFILE Martyna Zoltaszek
Martyna Zoltaszek
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artyna Zoltaszek works from her studio in Bristol having studied Fine Art at the Wroclaw Academy of Fine Arts in her native Poland, where she gained her Masters Degree in 2004. Fresh from graduating, she undertook a residency at the art department at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, having won a scholarship in a painting competition. She creates bright new worlds in paint, her illustrative background giving an extra layer of intricate detail to the scene. Taking inspiration from nature, pop culture references and vintage
Electric, 2016, oil on canvas, 76 x 102 cm
paraphernalia, her works are detailed slices of strange new macrocosms, each new piece filled with tangents and hidden mini-stories. Oil paint, oil sticks, glazes, and textured material collaged onto canvas add new layers of colour and texture to her paintings, which seemingly mirror real life, although perhaps as seen through a fairground mirror. Zoltaszek has exhibited regularly in both group and solo shows across London and internationally. martynazoltaszek.com info@martynazoltaszek.com
Martyna Zoltaszek ARTIST PROFILE 21
Camouflage, 2016, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm
22 ARTIST PROFILE Martyna Zoltaszek
Burn It Blue, 2013, oil on canvas, 60 x 60 cm
Martyna Zoltaszek ARTIST PROFILE 23
I want to be a Superstar, 2014, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm
24 ARTIST PROFILE Rory Isserow
Rory Isserow
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ike a daydreamer finding distinguishable shapes in clouds, photographer Rory Isserow’s ability to re-imagine structure and forms in his surroundings defines his artworks. Through his gaze, patterns in oil on water transform into mythical beasts, and elephants become immortalised in the organic formations of melting ice. Originally from South Africa, Isserow finds inspiration from nature and landscapes, but it is his vivid imagination and a keen recall for experiences which play the biggest part in his process. His eye for the capture gives a spontaneous edge to his art, and sees a theme running through his work which leans towards the abstract, as he continues to capture the hidden
Elephant in Ice, 2013, c-print on aluminium, 102 x 152 cm
shapes. Even in images he considers ‘planned’, Isserow’s technique allows for spontaneity, creating the final shot as he perceives it through the viewfinder. Isserow has sold art through the Saatchi Art Gallery and exhibited all over the world. His photography has received numerous prizes and he has been a semi-finalist in the Hasselblad Masters Awards. rorysart.com rory@rorysart.com
Rory Isserow ARTIST PROFILE 25
Glass and Old, 2010, c-print on aluminium, 152 x 101 cm
26 ARTIST PROFILE Rory Isserow
Repetition, 2015, c-print on aluminium, 152 x 101 cm
Rory Isserow ARTIST PROFILE 27
Minotaur, 2016, c-print on aluminium, 152 x 101 cm
28 INTERVIEW Capucine Safir
Capucine Safir
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apucine Safir is a self-taught, Miami-based French sculptor. It was her first encounter with stone in 2011 that led her to discovering her medium as a sculptor and began her artistic journey. Her move to Miami in 2013 really set her free as an artist, as she discovered new materials and evolved her process. We spoke to the artist about her process and influences, and how she has developed her distinct, tactile style.
As a self-taught artist, how did you first discover sculpture as your medium? Deep inside I’ve always known that I was creative but my education made me hide this part of me somewhere inside. I grew up in an entrepreneurial, down to earth family. However, art has always been part of my education. Growing up in Paris I was taken to many museums and visited old monuments, but I was a viewer not a do-er. It all started by a combination of circumstances. Life is challenging and those challenges are
leading you somewhere you couldn’t even think about. This is what happened in my life. In 2009, my second son was born disabled. At this period, I was opening an interior design business in Paris, France. It took me months to understand how much my son needed my full time and energy. It was a full time job and I did it for three years. In 2011, my friends offered me a stone sculpture class as my birthday present. I didn’t know how to take it because I felt that something major was
Effervescence, 2015, mixed media, 92 x 71 x 51 cm
30 INTERVIEW Capucine Safir
Soul #2, 2014, carved plaster, 17 x 27 x 25 cm
about to happen to me and I was not sure how to handle it. A few days later, here I am, facing my first stone block…. It instantly triggered a neural connection. The stone was talking to me and I loved everything about it right away: the noise, the dust, the physical strength needed. For a year and a half, I carved from time to time with jubilation, and in between sessions I was obsessed with my work in progress. I was thinking, talking and dreaming about it. I started experiencing new emotions, deep ones. Sometimes close to trance. I was so moved deep inside. I produced a lot and gave away my sculptures to my friends and family. Until they start telling me I should try to go further in my art and consider myself as an artist. In 2013, I moved to Miami. This was the perfect timing for me to give my artistic life a try.
Tell us more about your process; do you find each piece requires planning and research or do you find you have more of an instinctual practice My art is very instinctive; I usually don’t have plans, very few sketches and an overwhelming amount of ideas. Nature is my main inspiration but the rage I have inside enables me to create. Michel Angelo said: “I saw an angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free”. I feel the same; it is the block I have in front of me that will lead me to a point where I’ll face the piece and then, only, I’ll be able to interpret it. When I arrived in Miami, I faced the difficulty of getting stones. Here, we have sand and keystone but nothing good to carve in. So I had to be creative and find new materials and new
Capucine Safir INTERVIEW 31
We Are All Nuts, 2015, carved plaster & concrete, 17 x 29 cm
technics. Since I expanded the materials I work with, I had to do some research and Youtube is a great help there! I also have few fellow artists to whom I can talk to and ask advice but it is mostly by experimenting that I learn. Luckily, I’ve been pretty successful in my different approach so far. Your stone sculptures appear very figurative while I’ve noticed your mixed media pieces take on much more abstract form, would you say you have a different approach to the different materials? Do you see them as separate aspects of your work? I learn about myself and my material as the relationship progresses. Artists don’t usually start with abstract work. It takes time to be able to let go your emotions and reveal yourself through abstraction.
I’m growing and becoming more mature in my artistic and creative life and it is with abstraction that I want to express myself today. I started working with stone in France, and then as I had to adapt to my geographic relocation my work evolved. I have blocks of stone in my studio but it is just not the right time to carve in them now. When I look at my work from the beginning I see the evolution of myself as an artist, and as a person it reflects this evolution. I didn’t study art but starting my creative life in my mid-thirties, as a grown-up woman, wife and mum, enabled me to skip few steps. How would you describe your work’s aesthetic? My work is sensual. People always tell me that they want to touch my sculptures and this is
32 INTERVIEW Capucine Safir
Tubogram, 2014, wood + polyurethane foam, 220 x 240 cm
exactly what I want. I want everybody to feel the same thing I feel when I create them. When I work, I close my eyes and caress, again and again. My hands are my eyes. I love the contrast of the impression of lightness of the finished piece and the actual heaviness of the material itself. Is there a piece which has held a particular significance with you? ‘Tubogram’ was a commission for an exhibition about the Surrealists and the American Journalist
Varian Fry who helped over 1,500 people to escape the German occupation. This piece is very strong and is very important to me since it was the first time I worked on such a powerful subject. Tubogram was the name of a technique to transmit messages in occupied France. The technique was to put messages inside condoms that were hidden in toothpaste tubes. Varian Fry was sent to Marseille with a list of 200 people to save from the German occupation in France but he soon realized that the rescue would concern more than the 200 people that were on the original list. Thanks to the tubogram,
Capucine Safir INTERVIEW 33
Black soul, 2015, carved plaster & paint, 17 x 29 cm
he communicated his needs directly to the US government and obtained more passports and visas. The sculpture is made of hundreds of toothpaste tubes glued together on a large Magen David. The accumulation of tubes is a reminder of the piled-up bodies in the mass graves of the concentration camps. Do you have any projects you’re currently working on? I usually have several works in progress since they all require different steps: some are drying, others have to be sanded, or the finish has to
cure. I have a large installation project in mind I’m obsessed with since last year but I didn’t start working on it yet. I need to refurbish my studio first. The project is about the murmuration of starlings. It amazes and inspires me a lot. To be continued. capucinesafir.com capucinesafir@gmail.com
34 INTERVIEW Capucine Safir
Happy Storm, 2013, ping pong ball assemblage, 50 x 45 x 40 cm
Capucine Safir INTERVIEW 35
Hippo, 2012, french limestone, 27 x 37 x 11 cm
Wide Eyes, 2013, french limestone, 30 x 20 x 17 cm
36 ARTIST PROFILE John Christopher Brooks
Blue Wall 1, 2013, digital print on dibond, 51 x 76 cm
John Christopher Brooks
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ohn Christopher Brook’s educational background in the history of building, architecture and engineering alongside Art and Art History continues to be a huge influence in his photographic work, which often consists of studies of these forms. Inspired by the scale and form of large structures such as high buildings, bridges and industrial facilities, his images reflect the energy and mass of the subject while also portraying the complexity within the structures. Recent work has seen him emphasising specific details of architectural design; creating abstract
compositions by mirroring and layering to create linear, thematic configurations. The last four years have seen Brooks win nine international awards for his photography. As well as showing work in several exhibitions across the UK, his work is represented by galleries in Los Angeles, Vancouver and Maine in the USA. john-brooks-art.com info@john-brooks-art.com
John Christopher Brooks ARTIST PROFILE 37
Peasant Meal at Shaoguan, 2013, archive print on cotton paper, 30 x 46 cm
Foshan Roofs 2, 2005, c-type print, 51 x 76 cm
38 ARTIST PROFILE John Christopher Brooks
Westminster 3, 2015, digital archive print on dibond, 61 x 89 cm
Shenzhen Apartments, 2013, digital archive print on dibond, 61 x 91 cm
John Christopher Brooks ARTIST PROFILE 39
Cage of Fenders, 2015, archive print on hannemuhle paper, 38 x 51 cm
40 ARTIST PROFILE HERO
Milky Way, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 70 x 50 cm
Flesh Memory, 2015, acrylic on canvas, triptych 3 - 80 x 20 cm
hERO
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elen Roowalla is hERO, a visual artist creating playful abstract works that pop with bubble-gum-bright colours, as well as sculptures in clay and larger murals. Currently based back in her native Switzerland - having spent time living in the States where she moved to complete her education - she has been actively painting since 2009. hERO’s signature inventive style which is characterised by bold lines and bright colours emerged several years ago. Her artistic career started with large-scale insects painted in oil; however she now focuses primarily on developing her abstract pieces, which are
painted in acrylic. With bold, curved lines and organic, cartoonish shapes full of movement, her work draws influence from a variety of life experiences such as her heritage, her travels, nature and animals. Aside from sculpture classes to learn new techniques, she is entirely self-taught, developing her style and painting techniques through experimentation and consistent work. This year will see hERO exhibiting paintings in Rome and Switzerland. Her painting triptych ‘Flesh Memory’ has been selected for the Swiss painting competition, Premio giovani artisti Young artist award 2016 - Memory in art. hero-artist.com hero.artistinfo@gmail.com
HERO ARTIST PROFILE 41
la Reve, 2015, acrylic on canvas, 70 x 70 cm
42 INTERVIEW Filip Wolak
Filip Wolak
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ilip Wolak is equal parts photographer and commercial pilot. Recently he combined his two passions to create the award-winning photo series ‘Winter from Above’, a breath-taking aerial view of New York City blanketed in an all-consuming layer of bright white snow. The series won Wolak the Sony World Photography Award, and this spring the image ‘Central Park from 10,000 feet’ was exhibited at Somerset House, London.
Photography and flying are both very different passions, when did you decide to merge the two disciplines together? It actually came quite early - I picked up the camera to document the process of getting my pilot license. I have always been extremely astonished by the views of the world from above, and would travel in an airliner with my face glued to the window, no matter day or night. The early captures were quite naive - simple snapshots through the window - but I have learned relatively early that the aerial photography is a craft that requires a lot of planning and skill in order to get pleasing results, in both a technical and artistic aspect.
‘Winter from Above’ is really a poetic look at the effects of the season as much as it is an ode to New York City, did you always plan to shoot during snow? Snow has been really an ideal medium to me; it offers a 'blank page' on which I can draw with light and shadow, with minimal distraction from the surrounding environment. I have been photographing many seasons and each has its own unique look, however winter offers that special quality that crosses the border between the drawing and photography.
Central Park at 10,000 feet, 2015, GiclĂŠe Print, 102 x 67 cm
44 INTERVIEW Filip Wolak
Fallen Trees, 2014, Giclée Print, 67 x 102 cm
Tell us more about the process of shooting from above? Does each shot have to be meticulously planned or is there room for spontaneity and improvisation? It's actually both. Most of my flights start with flying around a certain area in a search for a subject, or inspiration. Once I find something interesting I circle around and observe the scene from different angles, calculate for wind, adjust the altitude. Knowing what works best, I then take the airplane away and plan to overfly directly over the subject. That's the spontaneous way of capture, with a lot of room for improvisation; I never know what I will find on my 'location scouting'. Some captures, however, are the result of meticulous planning that starts on the ground. I often return to previously visited places when conditions are more favourable, especially for the play of shadows; their angle, their length and
contrast. Take - for example - the ‘Central Park at 10,000 feet’: with such a perfect shadow alignment I had to be at a right place at a right time, there was maybe a 3 to 5 minute room for error. And doing the photographing, while piloting the airplane myself... The frenetic, irreverent energy of your early nightlife work seems about as far removed from the peaceful minimalist aesthetics of the ‘Winter from Above’ series. Does this mark a new direction in your work? Photography is a way of expressing my feelings at the time of the capture - I have as much fun in a nightclub as I have flying. I have always treated flying as an escape from the frenzy of earthy reality, a form of meditation and dialog with nature. Even though those two subjects are at two extreme points of the scale, they are still
Frozen Lake, 2014, GiclĂŠe Print, 102 x 67 cm
46 INTERVIEW Filip Wolak
Solar Panels, 2015, Giclée Print, 67 x 102 cm
a representation of my emotions at that very moment. I am just happy to be able to go deep in both cases.
around NYC. I also have a few travels lined up, some of them are a continuation of previous projects - India, Ladakh.
Are you planning more ‘from Above’ series? I am. I will continue the Winter project, but I also plan on expanding my subject matter. On the more global scale I would like to start documenting change, but that requires years and years of commitment to a single subject. I am hoping the success of this series - already confirmed by winning the Sony World Photography Award - will allow me to fly over many interesting areas of the world. It may not be cheap, but it's well worth it.
Do you have any upcoming exhibitions? I am currently working on a solo exhibit in Poland - September / October and in New Orleans October / November. A larger exhibit is also expected in New York City by year's end.
What are you currently working on? I am continuing my 'From above' series, weather and time permitting - all photography is taken
fotofilip.com filip@fotofilip.com
Filip Wolak ARTIST PROFILE 47
Brooklyn, 2015, Giclée Print, 67 x 102 cm
The Flock, 2014, Giclée Print, 76 x 51 cm
48 INTERVIEW Filip Wolak
Greenwood Cemetery, 2015, Giclée Print, 67 x 102 cm
50 ARTIST PROFILE Carlos Blanco Artero
Man eating olives, 2015, waxes on paper, 60 x 42 cm
Geisha, 2015, waxes on paper, 60 x 42 cm
Carlos Blanco Artero
A
s fantastical as his works may appear, Carlos Blanco Artero almost always begins painting from reality.
His main line of work revolves around the human figure, and more specifically in the face and deformation. His unique style sees him distorting every aspect of the figure’s body, while maintaining a formal and aesthetic balance, an aspect of his practice which allows us as viewers to still feel a certain human connection to his protagonists. His new series of work has an even more experimental approach, with the artist starting with an abstract
drawing, within which he discovers recognisable forms to enhance. Currently based in Spain, Blanco has travelled and lived across the world and has featured in many international exhibitions in New York, Miami, Paris, and Hong Kong among others. carlosblancoartero.com carlosblancoartero@gmail.com
Carlos Blanco Artero ARTIST PROFILE 51
Waiter, 2015, oil on wood, 65 x 50 cm
52 ARTIST PROFILE Carlos Blanco Artero
Moñú, 2014, waxes on paper, 70 x 50 cm
Carlos Blanco Artero ARTIST PROFILE 53
Head IV, 2015, oil on paper, 30 x 30 cm
54 ARTIST PROFILE Alva Bernadine
Alva Bernadine
D
espite his completely self-taught background, Alva Bernadine has become a formidable name in art and photography. His work is unconventional, sometimes surreal and is very singular in style. It ranges from a classic use of perspective to experimental work involving body parts, stylised violence and death. Bernadine rarely uses studios for his photography, preferring to work on location. His process often begins amongst the shelves of charity shops and bargain-bin outlets that sell cheap kitsch, searching for objects and trinkets that may lead to ideas for images. Describing himself as a ‘visual exhibitionist’, the photographer’s work always aims to hold
Starry Ecstasy, 2003, metal print, 61 x 91 cm
the gaze, through stylized and often shocking sexual imagery. There is always an ‘event’ in his pictures, which can both attract and repel the viewer. His photographs often resonate in the mind long after they have been seen. He has recently had success with his series ‘Reflect Upon This’ which found viral status last year, and was voted one of the best of 2015 by Juztapoz magazine. He has photographed for numerous magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Elle, and the Sunday Times, and has published two books, ‘Bernadinism: How to Dominate Men and Subjugate Women’ and ‘Twisted’. bernadinism.com alva@bernadinism.com
Katrina Mirrors, 20014, metal print, 61 x 91 cm
56 ARTIST PROFILE Alva Bernadine
Lilly Five Mirrors, 2003, metal print, 34 x 51 cm
Ruth Three Mirrors, 2003, metal print, 81 x 122 cm
Alva Bernadine ARTIST PROFILE 57
Zex Mirror, 2011, metal print, 91 x 61 cm
58 ARTIST PROFILE Lyra Morgan
Colour says Love, 2016, mixed media, 100 x 100 cm
Lyra Morgan
T
he instinctively balanced statement paintings of Lyra Morgan are expressive of the calmness she feels as she creates them. With ataractic shades of blue, white and purple, she forms layers of paint and mixed media using a unique non-brush technique developed through an open and experimental approach to her practice. Philosophical and scientific notions have inspired the artist’s work, specifically human relationships with water and nature. She considers the unseen extra-ordinary in everyday life, and is fascinated by the transient quality of water and its ability
to take many forms. These influences are seen in the textures she builds on her canvas, which appear like ripples on a puddle, or drips on a rain-flecked window. Snow covered mountains and icy shapes are recurring forms throughout her work. From her studio in Derby, Morgan can usually be found working on more than one painting at a time, enabling her to create serendipitous diptychs and triptychs. This spring her work could be seen in the pages of British Vogue magazine. lyramorgan.com lyra@lyramorgan.com
Lyra Morgan ARTIST PROFILE 59
ReExistential 2, 2015, acrylic paint and oil bar, 140 x 100 cm
60 ARTIST PROFILE Lyra Morgan
Strata 3, 2013, acrylic paint and inks, 140 x 100 cm
Lyra Morgan ARTIST PROFILE 61
Karma 3, 2015, acrylic paint and inks, 91 x 61 cm
62 GALLERY FineArtSeen
FineArtSeen
F
ineArtSeen is a curated online gallery which selects work from passionate artists across the world, offering a platform for new and experienced collectors alike to acquire new, beautiful and affordable works of art.
Loreen Hinz
The selection of original and limited edition art has been hand-picked by reputable curators with industry experience, who are constantly discovering new talent; from painters and photographers, to sculptors and collage artists and beyond, with the mission of making art more accessible to everyone. Artist Omar Obaid is one of the co-founders of FineArtSeen. “As an artist myself, I have had years of experience selling my own artwork and building relationships with collectors”, he explains. “This has grown my understanding of the market and by watching the rise of online galleries; I noticed the need for a truly curated online art gallery designed for both artists and art lovers”.
Daniela Schweinsberg
FineArtSeen GALLERY 63
Lucie Jirku
“FineArtSeen is not a marketplace; we are an online art gallery. We wanted to bring the traditions of a brick-and-mortar gallery to collectors so they would have the same experience while they are browsing and buying art from the comfort of their home”. For artists looking to reach a wider audience with their work, FineArtSeen is an exciting resource as they are able to showcase work for sale without having to go through a traditional
gallery or agency, only being charged a small sales commission without any extra fees. Omar explains “As our website is built by artists, we designed it to truly support artists at every stage in their career. We have become a hub for art lovers, and in such a short space of time we have experienced exponential growth, that sees us on the radar of major players in the industry”. With artists from around the world showcasing their work for sale on FineArtSeen, the website’s
64 GALLERY FineArtSeen
Angela Dierks
policy of free worldwide shipping is a big draw for many collectors, who are able to connect globally with new talent without the high costs or risks. “Collectors can find art they love from talented artists around the world and buy it without the worry of shipping costs”, says Omar. “Every artwork is shipped, tracked, fully insured and delivered safely to collectors' homes. This truly makes art accessible to everyone”. With such a vast range of authentic art, FineArtSeen is sure to meet your taste and budget. “We are the home of original art”, adds Omar, “Where people who are passionate about art can connect with talented artists and browse and buy from our collection of beautiful authentic artwork”. fineartseen.com
Gillie and Marc
FineArtSeen GALLERY 65
Ovidiu Kloska
Kim McAninch
66 ARTIST SHOWCASE Henrik Hytteballe
Wild Dogs, 2015, acrylic on canvas,, 120 x 100 cm
Henrik Hytteballe
H
enrik Hytteballe creates stories on canvas. His astonishingly vivid paintings, created predominantly with a spatula in his personal signature style, demonstrate his superior ability at balancing numerous colours. Alongside his
work as a professional artist, Hytteballe’s artistic passion has also manifested into music and composition. info@henrikhytteballe.com henrikhytteballe.com
Henrik Hytteballe ARTIST SHOWCASE 67
Kaas, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 120 x 200 cm
Urban City, 2015, acrylic on canvas, 120 x 120 cm
68 ARTIST SHOWCASE FIONA SCOTT-WILSON
Sandpipers Wading, 2015, cut paper, 42 x 59 cm
Fiona Scott-Wilson
A
lthough working in a variety of traditional materials throughout her artistic career, it is with the art of cut paper that Fiona Scott-Wilson’s work has really flourished.
Finding a passion for the medium, which sees the artist hand cutting thousands of intricate component shapes from coloured and textured papers for each new piece before painstakingly arranging them into complex images of life and
nature, Scott-Wilson has focused on developing unique techniques to elevate the craft into a new art form. fionascottwilson.co.uk fionascottwilson6@gmail.com
FIONA SCOTT-WILSON ARTIST SHOWCASE 69
Gift of the Sea, 2016, cut paper, 42 x 30 cm
70 ARTIST SHOWCASE FIONA SCOTT-WILSON
Dancing Sea, 2016, cut paper, 42 x 30 cm
FIONA SCOTT-WILSON ARTIST SHOWCASE 71
Children On The Beach, 2015, cut paper, 30 x 42 cm
72 ARTIST SHOWCASE Barrie Dale
Once Proud and Noble, Now Falling Elegantly, 2016, 24 x 30 cm
Barrie Dale
F
inding fine art in nature, Barrie Dale’s ethereal extreme close-up photographs conjure up images of strange new worlds, playing with the effects of changes in light. The photographer is drawn to indications of tension, imbalance, movement and equilibrium, the fragile dreamscapes which emerge from his images offering a sense of mystery and escapism. His technique favours
natural light and slow shutter speeds over technical set ups, allowing for true spontaneity when working and a more responsive final image. wildhaven.co.uk barrie@wildhaven.co.uk
Barrie Dale ARTIST SHOWCASE 73
Once Fierce and Proud, Now Fading Away, 2016, 36 x 24 cm
74 ARTIST SHOWCASE Barrie Dale
A Punctuation, 2016, 36 x 24 cm
Barrie Dale ARTIST SHOWCASE 75
Flamenco Flower, 2016, 36 x 24 cm
76 ARTIST SHOWCASE Philip Hearsey
Cycles XII, 2015, bronze, gold leaf and cumbrian slate, 47 x 40 cm
Philip Hearsey
P
hilip Hearsey’s magnificent bronzes are inspired by natural forms and landscapes, evoking an appreciation of simple, universal forms. Through his practice of using the ancient sand casted mould technique, the sculptor creates works which engage in the qualities of bronze as a noble
material in its own right. Hearsey’s work, which aims to challenge perceptions of bronze, can be viewed in galleries across the country as well as in upcoming exhibitions throughout the year. philiphearsey.co.uk info@philiphearsey.co.uk
Philip Hearsey ARTIST SHOWCASE 77
Acanto II, 2015, cronze and spalted beech, 61 x 37 cm
78 artist EXHIBITIONS
Upcoming artist exhibitions Rory Isserow
Rory Isserow at Tintico Art Wall Finchley, London Until 31 August
Gena Ivanov
The Asylum exhibition The Undercroft Gallery, Norwich 13 August - 10 September
Holly Rozier
Unheimlich Corridor Gallery, Brighton 1 June - 3 July
hERO
Lady Nu film premieres Various locations, Switzerland 18 June, 16 July & 7 August
Philip Hearsey
Amanda Aldous Fine Art Summer exhibition Hackwood Grange Nr. Basingstoke 10 - 30 June Church House Designs Congresbury, Nr. Bristol 12 - 30 June AAF Hampstead Represented by Degree Art 16 - 19 June Sculpture at Doddington Hall 30 July - 11 September
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