In conversation with Yermine Richardson, Theresa Baxter, Albert Madaula, Molokid, ggggrimes and many more ...
Dear non-Black humxns, I, we, Black people need your help. “You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” (Angela Davis) Why? Because “your silence will not protect you” (Audre Lorde) and because “if you are neutral [silent] in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” (Desmond Tutu) If you ‘really’ have a Black friend, or if you have Black family and if you enjoy anything that Black culture produces, the fashion, the music, the memes, then say something – Black Lives Matter is a good place to start. Normalize saying it. Black. Lives. Matter. If you can’t find the “right” words, then do something. Anything. Don’t wait until another Black body becomes the next hashtag before you decide to SPEAK UP and TAKE ACTION. Talk to your friends, your family, your co-workers. Don’t be afraid to have uncomfortable conversations. Black existence is uncomfortable. Support your local intersectional, anti-racist organisations, donate your time, cook and send meals, send money, redistribute your wealth and your privilege uplift the most marginalized in our communities and LISTEN and LEARN from the experience of Black people and People of Colour when they tell
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you what they need. These issues don’t just go away once the topic is no longer “trending”. Racism and white supremacy are not just an American problem (#BreonnaTaylor #TonyMcDade #GeorgeFloyd), it’s a Canadian problem (#Machuar Madut #DAndreCampbell #RegisKorchinski-Paquet), it’s a UK problem (#MarkDuggan #StephenLawrence #BellyMujinga), it’s a French problem (#JusticePourTheo), It’s a German problem (#OuryJalloh), Racism and white supremacy are a GLOBAL problem. It shouldn’t be a crime just to be born Black. NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT. Start by being the change you want to see. Why? Because “not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed, until it is faced.” (James Baldwin). Please don’t let my name become the next hashtag.
Lee Freeman/@Daddypuss.Rex
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@puppyteeth
Protest if you’re able – Donate if you’re able. https://www.justiceforbigfloyd.com/ https://brooklynbailfund.org/donate https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019
@b_moura
This is a drawing from 2017. No description needed. ‘White race is the cancer of human history’ - Susan Sontag 5
@suzanneforbesartist “The courtroom drawing shows a teenage defendant being brought into the courtroom by a Marshal, a type of municipal law-enforcement officer who escorts prisoners. The defendant, a person accused of a crime who has been held in prison awaiting trial, is very young and slight. He is Black and he looks frightened, confused, and above all deeply betrayed that this is happening to him. Looming over him is a courtroom Marshal in uniform, with a badge, and behind the Marshal is the US Flag.” My courtroom drawings are very different from my performer drawings. My birth name was Rachel Ketchum, and that’s the name I worked under. Courtroom artists are freelancers hired by TV stations, not by the court. I worked for a Minneapolis CBS tv station called WCCO, and some of the reporters I worked with are still there, like Esme Murphy. Her byline is on this piece where WCCO reporters interviewed witnesses of George Floyd’s murder, including a child who was there.” Rachel Ketchum 6
@reesabobeesa “On Monday a man was murdered over a suspected counterfeit $20. He did not resist arrest yet was restrained in an unthinkably inhuman way that was not part of the department’s training by Derek M Chauvin, who also shot another unarmed black man in 2008 and was placed on leave in 2011 for “inappropriate police shooting” of an Alaskan native in 2011. There have been 12 police brutality complaints against him, listed as “closed” and “no discipline”. And yet, despite protests and global outrage no action has been taken against him as of yet...he was fired. That’s it. Make no mistake, the American police are a violent gang, targeting people based exclusively on the colour of their skin. This can’t go on. Every single one of us needs to take action. Make calls, sign petitions, donate to @blklivesmatter monthly if you can (I do). Carry this outrage with you~because we only see a tiny percentage of the targeted violence that happens every single day to people of colour in our country. It is our responsibility to make an impact with those around us; talk to your family, talk to your friends. What can you do to be of service? Do what’s uncomfortable. Because it really is life and death.“ 7
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@ukrainianfashionweek_official 9
Meet The Team in Quarantine @marcel_schlutt
@nicolas_simoneau
2020 will forever be known as the year of the pandemic we’re all experiencing at the right now. We knew the Pre and it will be for sure a Post-COVID-19 Era. Over the last few days, some countries started to ease the conditions of their lockdown. The quarantine got to all of us, scared us, forced us to rearrange the way we live, work, communicate. In this special issue, we wanted to give light to artists, especially illustrators and painters, to know how his time affected their lives and their process. We wanted to showcase a different story, different arts to give a voice and platform for these creators. We hope you’ll enjoy the read, and don’t forget to always support your local artists.
@nicphilf
@nicosutorfashion
@slaterkarl
Editor-in-Chief Fashion Editor
Marcel Schlutt
Art Director Art Editor
Nicolas Simoneau
Music Editor
Nicola Phillips
Fashion Editors
Nico Sutor
mschlutt@kaltblut-magazine.com
nsimoneau@kaltblut-magazine.com
nphillips@kaltblut-magazine.com
nsutor@kaltblut-magazine.com
Karl Slater
kslater@kaltblut-magazine.com
Proofreading by Amy Heaton and Nicola Phillips
Lots of love.
On The Cover Artwork Yermine Richardson
Read his interview > p.42
All Copyright at KALTBLUT
www.kaltblut-magazine.com
@kaltblut_magazine
KALTBLUT MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY MARCEL SCHLUTT AND NICOLAS SIMONEAU All of KALTBLUT´s contributors are responsible and retain the reproduction rights of their own words and images. Reproductions of any kind are prohibited without the permission of the magazine, editor and each contributor. 10
Norbert Bisky > p.36
Alva Skog > p.66
Ruttu > p.124
ggggrimes > p.54
TOMA > p.86
Mark Wardel > p.130 11
While We Wait (to Hold Each Other Once Again) A letter to my lover from across the Mexican border in times of lockdown
Text and Artwokrs by AndrĂŠs HernĂĄndez
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On March 20th, the US-Mexican border, the most heavily trafficked land port of entry, was closed for “non-essential” workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unable to quarantine in the same household, families, friends, and lovers have since been separated until further notice
May 13th, 2020 Neville, I no longer know how to translate this pain. It’s been nearly fifty-four days since we shared the same bed, since we held each other in a warm embrace and whispered eternal love, a declaration only audible to the texture and folds of our skin. The last time we showered together, there was music playing in the background and warm water pouring down my back and shoulders. I couldn’t hear the music nor feel the water, but I could wrap my arms around your lower waist to bring you closer to me. To touch you, to taste you, to bathe you in salt, that was called living. You see, what the way your body moves and talks and questions mine has taught me is that there is so much beauty to be found in the mundane. Maybe it’s silly to say it out loud. Maybe a declaration of love so pure might seem obsessive, overdone at times, empty and lacking given how many other lovers have said the same words before in vain. But it doesn’t matter, because this letter is for you, just for you. We have nothing left but the heavy drag of the light shifting across the room in sharp angles, bringing with it occasional warmth. Somedays, it doesn’t even show up, it sits behind a bed of clouds, and so we shut the blinds, maybe light a candle. We pretend it’s the sun or we sit in the dark and feel our limbs as they harden with time. Legs, shoulders, neck, spine. I stretch in bed whenever I remember to. I pick up a pen, press it across tomorrow and the day after, I stop at the 30th, and jot down a question mark. I scribble over it and remind myself that hoping for the best has done nothing but prove to be the quickest route to disappointment. The line between optimism and foolishness shaves itself thinner every day I don’t leave the house. 13
When I was younger, I used to run from my parent’s house all the way to the beach, all the way to the tall, brown fence that rose from the sand to mark the limits of my country, a border that, to this day, keeps growing taller. Some people say it grows to make space for more names to be written on it. The names of the lost, the names of the dead, the names of the mothers and fathers and children and lovers, lovers just like us, separated by the doings of those whose understanding of the world does not fit compassion. So, I do what I do best and cry. I cry for you, and I cry for everybody else because that’s the only thing I can do. I cry for myself last, and then I keep the tears in a jar to remind myself that sometimes sorrow deserves to be held as tenderly as we hold joy. It is on this beach that I sit to write this letter. My bed is the sand, and the sheets are the waves that leave on me the scent of the bodies they shower. This kind of loneliness feels so familiar. The turning of the handle, the piling of cups and glasses and wraps, the not-looking-forward-to-anything that comes like clockwork when I stare at accumulated toilet paper used to wipe the cum off my belly, reminiscent of sweaty armpits and long-overdue showers, and that heaviness and that knot on the side of the neck that, like a night bird, keeps me turning and twisting down and to the right, forward and to the left, up and down and then a momentary sense of relief before the handle turns again. I don’t know how to drive, but last night I dreamt I knew how to just to go see you, and when I drove across the border the CBPs had no questions, the freeway lay empty, and you were waiting for me at 12 & Imperial just like the first time we met, with your shorts on and your hair in twists, waiving and calling my name, smiling the way we both smile with wrinkles around our eyes, and we took the trolley up to Seaport Village, and we talked about making chicken stew for dinner, and we bought a small bag of cuties, and we ate them all in one sitting. It’s strange to think of a time when I took your embrace for granted, your fingers braided with mine, our legs clasped together in bed, how I’d turn to let you hug me from behind in the middle of the night, putting your warm palms over my lower stomach, how you’d whisper “my baby, my baby, my baby, I love you, my 14
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baby.” It’s strange to think that we’d be set apart, not by our past or by mutual hurt, by a disconnect in our frequencies, but something greater and more threatening. It’s easier to fall apart when love turns sour on both ends, when missing comes with an underlying feeling that it was all for the best. I sit to wait for the pears rot and turn sour. I sit to feel the tangerines and lemons in my garden run dry. I sit in the shower, and my tears blend in with the water. I remember bathing your body, adoring it, grasping your fullness in my palms, nurturing it, admiring the way the liquid would fall and change with your chest, change with your legs, change with the small of your back. I sit and cry for the way I’d take your face in my hands and kiss your eyelids, kiss your forehead, kiss your cheeks. It takes me back to epsom salt and white wine nights in the bathtub. My fingertips conjure back your presence, and I trace in the air your body, and, when consciousness falls back into this body, I pretend to hold you with eyes shut. And while we wait to hold each other once again, the unkempt grass grows for nobody to see, it cuts the pavement in strings and you, you move like the wind shifts and chases, you shine hard and call and go through hair, through doors and tunnels and branches, you reach the depth of the water, the roots in the soil, the bottom of the glass. And it is then that I am reminded that things exist in a perpetual state of chaos, and life is only trying to figure out how to cope with the fact that there is no such thing as a consistent state of peace. Peace, like water, cannot be held or attained, and it only grows more unattainable there more we point out its lack in presence. And in this chaos, I write to tell you this: I’ve loved you, and I love you still, like I love the soft early-morning light. Yours truly, Andrés
@andrewgrams
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Ieva Ragauskaite Phnom Penh, Cambodia @ievarag It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? Just in a few words, I feel good. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster and now everything is pretty much stable in the city I’m at. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? In the beginning, I was very energetic because the time of quarantine started right after my holidays so I was really relaxed and full of ideas for upcoming projects. That lasted for a few weeks followed by a few weeks of absolute numbness and laziness. I took it all in as part of adapting and learning new “game rules”. But most of the time I was just creating in some sort of ways. I didn’t learn a new language, haven’t done yoga or came up with a massive business idea. But I came to terms that I haven’t done as much as I was pushing myself for and I’m fine with that! How has the situation affected your work? I was working as a graphic designer here in Cambodia so sadly I have lost this job. Small freelance projects do happen but rarely. I put on hold searching for new jobs and gigs since it seems to be a great time to focus more on illustration and challenge myself in this field.
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Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? Kinda. My routine changed since I have no work anymore so I feel like sometimes I let myself go. But pretty much every day I wake up and make myself an espresso and write into my journal and after that, I try to work. I say “try” because in the past weeks I had no motivation to do it and I just spend a lot of time reading and in the evening riding my bike around the city (since Cambodia never had strict lockdown rules). I made a lot of space in my everyday life for video calls/chats which to be honest I love! Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? What do you wish for the future? For sure. Even before lockdown, I spent the majority of my time at home alone but now I had to really spend time alone and it gave me some sort of empowerment. It’s just me and my thoughts. That being said there was plenty of time to think (and overthink) and plan a little bit where I wanna head next, what I wanna do with my life after all this craziness goes down. For me, this time was very self-centred and even therapeutic. Where can we buy your art? You can get my art at FY! (www.iamfy.co/shop/ieva-ragauskaite) since I can’t ship any orders myself at the moment but I always appreciate people who contact me and orders from me directly.
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Suzanne Forbes Berlin, Germany @suzanneforbesartist It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? I’m feeling ok. I am extremely privileged to be able to work from home, because of the support of my Patrons, and I’m so grateful to be in Berlin. I overworked the first seven weeks, so I’m recovering now. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? I went into self-isolation on March 1, the day after Torture Garden Berlin. I’m disabled, asthmatic and immunocompromised, so I knew I was locking down for the long haul. I slept for four hours after TG and then immediately started working from the minute I woke up to the minute I went to sleep, seven days a week, until late April.
With simpler drawings, I worked even faster than usual, and on one night I drew from THREE shows. I haven’t drawn three shows in a night since Folsom Weekend 2006 in SF! Like a kid in a candy store, I overdid it, triggered my autoimmune disease, and now I am resting and recovering. Of course, I have FOMO about the online shows I can’t draw, just as I have FOMO about the IRL events I’ve missed because of my health. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? Nope, not now that I’m in a health problem flareup. I just sleep when I can, throw food at my husband and cats, and work as much as I can. I am trying to get 14 Patreon posts up per month since March, which is a lot, since each post has at least a couple pieces of art, plus all the links and info about the performers. But it means I have a couple hundred extra euros to donate to Berlin mutual aid funds for LGBTQ folx, sex workers and refugees each month. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? Knowing I don’t have to do any of the things that normally drain me and take energy away from my work, like medical appointments and
How has the situation affected your work? For that first seven weeks, I felt fiercely energized. I’m a trauma survivor with C-PTSD, so when there’s a crisis I go into endocrinological power space. I was galvanized, and I worked so much. Suddenly I could “attend” and do my documentary drawing at far more drag and burlesque shows than usual! Normally I have to ration the events I go to really carefully, because of my physical limitations. But suddenly all the shows were coming to me, online! It is very, very different drawing live from a screen, from a Livestream. I keep the same rule, that I have to do the main part of the drawing while the performer is live, but a feed provides much less information than my eyes do. Even in a dark, smoky club, I can see much more of the performer in meatspace than I can when they’re reduced to two dimensions on-screen. This is why I’ve been live-drawing primarily streams where I know most of the people and have drawn them IRL before - I have a mental map of their faces stored! My first livestream-drawings were really bad. I got the hang of it though. I make my stream drawings a lot simpler. 25
travelling to events, was so freeing. As an introvert, being around people and going places makes me so tired. Even though I love people, love events and love Berlin! So having to be home always has freed up creative resources for me. Which I am using to witness and document the incredible mutual aid, support, and creativity of our community in this time. I’m immensely grateful to witness the solidarity of Berlin’s queer community, and having the ability to help a tiny bit makes me feel useful.
What do you wish for the future? Universal health care, vaccine research for TB and HIV as well as SARS-Cov2, social justice, Berlin’s queer and kinky performers and spaces and businesses making it through this time! And personally I’d like to be a teeny bit more well known, so more people could have my free art :) Where can we buy your art? People do buy my art, and I am available for portrait commissions, but my primary mission is about giving my documentary art away online. I’m crowdfunded through Patreon, so subscribing for even one dollar/Euro a month helps me keep making documentary art of Queer Berlin and releasing it for free. www.patreon.com/SuzanneForbes I’m still hoping for a post-SESTA-FOSTA crowdfunding site for explicit art to be invented because I have to censor myself heavily for Patreon and I would really like to get paid to go to sex parties again. When that is possible! Meanwhile, I have my vanilla site, https://www.chipinhead. com/, and my age-gated NSFW site, https://www. suzanneforbes.com/ 99% of my artwork is free to download, use for yourself and share, here on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/suzanneforbesart/ The images attached include three from January and February, the last time I was out and about in the scene. There’s Godx Noirphiles at House of Presents at Monster Ronson’s, and The Pain-Proof Priestess at Torture Garden Berlin. Then there’s a drawing of Antina Christ done from the screen, during the HOP Livestream, and one of Godx done from a talk show by The Beige Biitch put on by Sophiensaale. You can really see the difference in style between drawn in-person and drawn from the screen, as well as me trying to draw visual effects in Godx’s video like glitch and overlay! Next, Pansy from the HOP stream, super meta cause I took a screenshot of her onscreen, printed it out and glued the space background behind the drawing and posted the drawing on Insta all while she was still live. I used to draw Star Trek comics for DC, and the background of outer space in a comic is something the inker takes care of - the penciller, like me, just writes BWS for “Black with stars” in the area. So no way I am drawing BWS when I could print it instead! Next is performer Jada Love, from Cybertease, an online strip show to benefit sex workers. I can’t post that on my Patreon so I can’t get paid for it, but I’m happy to help promote, support and document sex workers always. And the last two are Daddy Sparkles, for the Venus Boys’ live show Digital Boys, and Miss Poppycox and Nana Schewitz doing the Bad Bruises Livestream.
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Albert Madaula Barcelona, Spain @albertmadaula What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? Generally speaking, I have had more time to dedicate to my home and family. I also had the chance to work on a daily basis, which has been of great help to deal with this stressful situation we are in now. How has the situation affected your work? Indeed, big projects have been stopped in their tracks for now, since I do not believe it is a good time to invest in such projects. That led me to work on smaller and more affordable projects in order to stay active during this time.
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Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? I have tried to keep my daily routine. Wake up early, working 5 days and resting on weekends. What do you wish for the future? To slow down, respect myself and pay more attention to my personal life and continue my belief in what I already thought before this crisis started: less is more. Where can we buy your art? Through my Instagram account: @albertmadaula. Shortly I will launch my website which I’ve been working on during this lockdown: www.lapalmeraestudio.com.
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Norbert Bisky Berlin, Germany @norbertbisky
What is the inspiration behind ‘Desmadre Berlin’? What drove you to make a show that revolves around your native country’s capital city? For many years I have been living in Friedrichshain, one of the night lively neighbourhoods of Berlin. So when I walk out of my studio late at night I stumble into club kids on their way to Berghain or Watergate. I really love to have a studio in the midst of it all. So I finally wanted to pay tribute and make an entire show related to Berlin’s infamous nightlife. How do you think Parisians will relate to a show about another capital city in Europe? Oh, I guess most Parisians have heard about the Berlin club scene. I hope the show puts a smile on their faces. It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? I am fine, painting in the studio every day. The noisy city around is what I am missing. I never imagined Berlin could be so damn quiet. The situation right now is devastating especially for the clubs, the project spaces, the queer scene and the art venues. Hopefully, everything will go back to normal. After all, I am optimistic. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? Painting, painting, painting. And I started to have long conversations on the phone again, like back in the 90ies. How has the situation affected your work? Right now there is no direct impact on my work. I am not a newspaper. Let’s see in a few months if there will be changes in the painting process.
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Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? Yes, I start early afternoon and leave the studio late at night. Right now there is no place to go to anyway. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? Well in the first week I got more sleep than usual. That was okay. But at the very moment when the deceleration, deep breath, intensive feeling, society criticizing discussion started, I was against it. I mean hey, this is a goddamn
pandemic. If you want to re-think and change your privileged lifestyle, do it. But if you need a shutdown like this, with all its isolation and death, then shame on you. What do you wish for the future? Concerts, parties, openings, festivals, orgies, events, gatherings, crowded streets. Where can we buy your art? I am busy painting. If someone likes to get a piece, then contact the galleries I am working with, like Templon in Paris or Kรถnig in Berlin.
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Theresa Baxter Los Angeles, USA @reesabobeesa It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? Once the panic subsided and the quiet set in, I started to get some much-needed clarity and focus. I feel like this time has been an incredible opportunity for introspection; for me to evaluate what is truly important to me. And it turns out, I’ve been spending my time and resources on things that don’t feel important at all anymore once a global pandemic breaks out. And I’ve let those things go where and when I can. This has allowed me space and clarity to refocus on the people and communities I love and on making things that spark imagination and bring joy. I carry a lot of sadness for the huge loss of life this virus has claimed, as I know we all do. And I have a lot of fears about economic change and what that means for us. It is a very challenging time to be a small business owner, and that weighs on me heavily. But the ways that I have seen people step up to support and care for each other gives me so much hope for our future. And I see so many beautiful opportunities for change. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? I’ve just been creating a lot. And connecting with old friends. And going outside whenever I can. How has the situation affected your work? I have had to make some hard choices business-wise since lockdown. And it has been very difficult at times to let go of things – I’ve had to take a step back from one of my former business partnerships 42
because I couldn’t keep my commitment to it during the lockdown. It was the right choice, but I am mourning the loss where I can. I am as well very concerned for the studio space I run with another partner as we have vacancies for the first time in about two years…and the future seems so uncertain. Amidst all this, I have been incredibly blessed by my online community though, which does offset the loss and worry considerably. My online store has been thriving in ways I never could have imagined. That gives me so much comfort and inspiration. I have stayed busy packing orders and thinking of new things to make! And so many folks have been so ready to help donate masks and make charitable contributions to the LA Regional Food Bank. It is so meaningful to be supported and to give support to others who need it. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? I do! And I honestly really enjoy it from start to finish. I get up without an alarm (wow!) anywhere from 7 to 8:30 and take my dogs for a nice little stroll in a mask, dodging other people on the street and trying really hard to smize. Then I feed the little buggers and make myself a nice real breakfast while I listen to NPR. I don’t start work until I have eaten and poured myself my second cup of coffee. Which I’ve perfected during lockdown. The key is horchata. Honestly if you aren’t using horchata as your creamer, start. I sit in the kitchen with my coffee and check emails and make a to-do list for the day. Usually, that involves some drawing and zoom meetings in the morning. I try and stay home until lunch so I don’t have to get food outside (yikes!) and then I head to the studio to pack orders or tour potential tenants or what have you. I take the pups with me because they love the grass in the neighbourhood. Then I come home to make dinner. I usually watch some insanely inane YouTube videos while I cook - like beauty drama chans or Tiki’s Tok compilations so I can keep up with the young people and their lingo and fashions. I’ve been eating a lot of ravioli - my current favourite is fig and mascarpone. Best served with butter and lightly sautéed veggies alongside a couple of huge asparagus. Come ON. Then I work a little more…probably pretend to draw but really just send voice memos to my friends. And at some
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point, I decide work is done and roll a cute little J and go smoke it in silence on my fire escape. Then maybe I take a bath, but I definitely watch a show about cults or true crime. And maybe my quarantine bae comes over, or maybe they don’t. I am in bed by 1 am. It’s all very mundane and lovely and quiet. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? Absolutely. I have a new and deepened appreciation for everyone I love. My family, my friends, random strangers. And I am so much more inspired to
create than I have been in years. And all the things I’ve let go of, while painful, have made space for me to do one thing at a time…well, sort of. What do you wish for the future? I want to see radical change. I want to see all this energy and empathy and passion carry over into “normal” life. I know for me, I have a renewed sense of my mission here. And a renewed well of compassion and energy to make things that make an impact. I want to see that impact. I want to see ripple effects. I want to see the world get better and safer for everyone in it. I also want a fucking yard for my dogs. Where can we buy your art? reesabobeesa.com
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Yermine Richardson
Barcelona, Spain @Popcaribe It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? I’m doing great! Don’t get me wrong, I know what’s happening in the world, but I took this surreal moment to know more about myself — think how can I be a better person and better at my work, to expand my Caribbean galaxy, and connect with people who work with different materials that made me see beyond my self-imposed limitations. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? I’ve been researching and experimenting to push the boundaries of my style: new formats and new materials to keep expanding the diversity of my work. I’m also making design objects with wood and ceramics and Glicée prints. How has the situation affected your work? It’s harder to get supplies but also a good opportunity to be more creative with the materials I have. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? I try to not put limits on my days now: it’s a unique opportunity to not experience weeks and hours as they used to be. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? Yes! The importance of ART in the space you live in. I’ve been selling many pieces during the lockdown to many new young
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collectors who realized they want something to make them smile in their house, something they love and will probably be part of their entire life. For a newcomer like me, that’s an F! honour. What do you wish for the future? The end of poverty on our planet. Where can we buy your art? DM my Instagram @popcaribe Or send me an email caribbeanpopart@ gmail.com. But anyone can help all independent artists like me with follows, shares, and likes!
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ggggrimes
New York City, USA @ggggrimes
It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? I’m feeling a lot better these days than I was even three weeks ago. Being in isolation has made me examine a lot about myself and deal with some demons I was avoiding. It turns out being nice to yourself during a global pandemic is pretty necessary and worth working on. I’m scared for the world, for my friends and family, and for my community, but I’ve been doing my best to manage my anxiety through inner trauma work. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? I’ve been playing Animal Crossing, watching movies, learning how to mix cocktails, working projects that make me happy, and spending less time online. I’ve been doing a lot more than that, but I think that’s a pretty good summary. How has the situation affected your work? I’ve been more strategic with making money. I’m doing all the same things I was doing last year, but the time frame is entirely different because of necessity. Projects that I would have done over a month last year I’m doing over a week. I have more sales, and I’m fortunate, but it’s a result of way more work than I’m used to. I’m feeling overwhelmed. People are online more often too, so more people are interacting with me than I’m used to. As an Instagram artist, my job involves so many different aspects that are all in overload right now because of how communication has changed since COVID hit western countries. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? My girlfriend and I always start the day having breakfast together. We have coffee and watch a TV show while eating, usually with our cat sitting right next to us on the couch. We have lunch together and dinner together, and we’ve been trying to have dessert too. Anything else we do in the day changes and is up to us, but it’s been so amazing sharing meals with my partner. I’m used to our breakfast routine, and it feels very natural and grounding. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? I wouldn’t call the positive things that are still happening benefits. I hope we can come out of this situation with social reforms that help people since our systems are clearly all the way fucked up, particularly in the US. I live in New York right now. It’s the only place I’ve lived in my life. I was born and raised here. It’s painful watching how things have become when living here was already a struggle for its poor residents. We can’t even get a rent freeze here. I’m glad for the people (including myself) who get to use this time to better themselves and pursue passions, but that’s not a benefit. More than anything, at least for me, it’s a way to cope with this reality. What do you wish for the future? I wish that governments would take care of their people. I wish people would care about the safety of others more. Where can we buy your art? My website is ggggrimes.com :) 54
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Ally Zlatar
Glasgow, Scotland @allycardone It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? It’s been tough. Most days have blurred together and you realize it is already May. I think it is a difficult time, but trying to make the most of it and stay positive. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? A lot of research for my doctoral project and been taking part in a-couple residencies and artist initiatives. Other than that, I have been watching a lot of 90 Day Fiancee. How has the situation affected your work? I was originally going to have a lot of projects and exhibitions scheduled to commence this spring but they have been put on the back-burner for now, given the limitations and current situation.
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Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? I have a 5 am start, followed by yoga and a quick workout. Then responding to copious amounts of email, followed by work. In the afternoons I love to go for a hike and unwind with some snacks and reality TV. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? Yes, I get to spend a lot of time with my partner and focus on selfreflection and personal development. What do you wish for the future? What I hope is that things can change, but for the better. It has been truly enlightening and shows how much we can grow and endure globally. We can learn and now try to make the most of each day given being taken away from it for so long. Where can we buy your art? Shop: https://society6.com/allyzlatar Learn More: https://ally.pb.studio/
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Alva Skog Stockholm, Sweden @alva.skog
It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? I’m feeling okay. I live in London but I went back to my family in Sweden before the lockdown and have been here since. I’m happy to be close to my mom, dad, sis, cat and dog. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? I have been watching a lot of TV-series like Devs, Hidden and the Loop, and I have been reading a lot of books like Picnic on Paradise by Joanna Russ and The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. How has the situation affected your work? I’ve been making a lot of personal work in response to the situation and this has kept me motivated and also has become a way for me to channel what I’m feeling. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? Not really. I’ve been biking a lot and taking long walks with the dog. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? To be close to the family and not alone in quarantine in London. The situation has also given me some time to reflect on what I want to do in the future and where I want to live. Also, the fact that I haven’t seen or heard a single aeroplane. What do you wish for the future? The work that doctors, nurses and health workers are doing right now is remarkable. I really hope people realize how important those working on the frontlines are to society as a whole, and that we will experience a shift in society’s view toward those who have had to continue working. I also hope that there will be less travel by plane and that we will become more environmentally friendly. Where can we buy your art? At the moment you can only buy my sculpture at uniqueboard.com my printshop is unfortunately closed until further notice.
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jaik puppyteeth
Vancouver, Canada @puppyteeth
What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? I have been drawing a lot and renovating my studio. How has the situation affected your work? I have been lucky to have people still supporting me by commissioning artwork and buying things on my site, so it hasn’t changed too much. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? No, I just wing it. Some days I feel lazy, some days I am motivated. It feels like I have fewer deadlines with other people not working, so I have to try extra hard to motivate myself to work sometimes. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? I feel like there aren’t any explicit benefits of this pandemic. I spent enough time with my thoughts before and now I have way too much self-reflection time. What do you wish for the future? Wishfully thinking, that people will respect each other’s personal space more.
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Cute Brute
New York City, USA @thecutebrute It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? I’m doing alright — adapting, I guess? The world feels so day-to-day, but I’m both healthy and employed at the moment so I feel very grateful for that. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? I’m a bit of a workaholic by nature, so this self-isolation hasn’t disrupted me too much. If anything the lack of socializing has forced me to revisit some old projects, which excites me. But overall, I try to stay productive and that’s my coping mechanism. Drawing. Lots of cooking. Working out (just kidding! not at all). At the beginning of this, I told myself I would use this time to finally watch all of the high-brow cinematic masterpieces I’ve neglected over the years, but I still default to the comforting garbage television. There was also a hot moment when I got into diamond painting kits we had been gifted. One was a scary portrait of Santa and I quickly became obsessed. How has the situation affected your work? In addition to the Cute Brute, I have a full-time gig as an art director/toy designer and I’m balancing a couple of other side projects. Creatively, it’s a bit exhausting — especially when I’m stationed at the same workspace for 12+ hours a day. In order to not burn out, I have to be more judicious with my creative practices. Weekdays are devoted to my job, evenings are for miscellaneous projects, and weekends / any other free moments are all about Cute Brute. That work is still my passion. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? I usually wake up around 7 am, at which point I make coffee and my boyfriend and I spend quality time together before 80
throwing ourselves into our workdays (he’s camped out in the living room, I have the bedroom office). If I can swing it, I’ll take a quick walk around the neighbourhood in the late evening to get a little fresh air and trick myself mentally into commuting. Showering is super important. In the early days of isolation, I was all about pyjamas, a decent T-Shirt and a quick run of my fingers through greasy hair. But now I need my daily cleansing rituals to keep me energized. That and pants without elastic waistbands. From about 10 am to 6 pm I’m in full work mode. It’s a constant stream of video conferencing, reviewing the toy samples that are mailed daily to my apartment, and various designing/emailing. Most days I skip lunch, but I’m trying to get better about setting boundaries. Once the workday ends, I’ll try to make another errand to get out of the apartment. Like running to the corner store to pick up more cheese or vermouth. Or, if I’m too lazy for that, I’ll just start the cocktail hour. Because the days feel so draining, I need my nights to be super restorative, which translates to lots of cooking, bathing and bad TV. I also look forward to video hangouts with friends and family on those days when I haven’t had too many meetings. Around 11:30 pm or midnight, I’ll take an edible, courtesy of one of my best friends who makes outstanding weed candies. (SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES, FOLKS!) I read about 20 minutes of a trashy horror paperback and then fall into a deep, blissful sleep. Wake up. Repeat. However, this weekend my boyfriend and I are finally leaving the city. We’re driving 10 hours to a secluded (and responsible) cabin getaway in which I plan on cutting off my hair, filling up my sketchbook and getting a tan. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? Well, for one, I haven’t had a cigarette in 2 months (and counting) which is a personal record. In a broader sense, I think this pandemic has absolutely redefined working culture. My hope, once we reach the other side of this, is that some of these practices may continue and will allow for a more flexible work/life balance. What do you wish for the future? One of the things I personally miss most right now is travelling and as soon as it’s safe again to do so, I look forward to hopping on a plane and spending some significant time away from New York. We’ll get there. We just have to be safe about it. Where can we buy your art? When I’m not exhibiting, I routinely sell prints through Instagram (at the moment I’ve pulled that information from my bio as my printer has temporarily ceased his operations, though this should be back up and running by midsummer). I keep meaning to set up a more official online shop, but I get a steady enough stream of purchases now and it feels easier to manage. Just DM me and I’ll make it happen.
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TOMA (Thomas Mondet) Montpellier, France @tomaillustrations It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? Like a random guy in a straitjacket, trapped between four walls but surprisingly appeased. My state of mind is very opposite since this quarantine and before that, I went from a super active partying guy always outside to an old chill granny with her cat, it’s enough to shake up my brain and question everything. You quickly feel ultra-small and helpless during this particular period. The best I can do is refocus on myself and share what makes me vibrate, my illustrations. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? I have been enormously productive through my lifelong passion during the quarantine. I tried to not lock myself in a circle of laziness, which would be rather easy. The past few months, before all of this, have been a bit chaotic personally and I have completely stopped drawing, unfortunately. So I had the opportunity to actively retake creating illustrations and I finally became a freelance illustrator. This period allowed me to reflect, to make a total introspection. Illustration is my future. How has the situation affected your work? Well, I started my activity, it’s funny that I needed a break all over the world to finally get the click. I exorcise a lot of things through my illustrations during this time who were buried in me. I draw what I know obviously, from my own experience. My art is a reflection of my feelings and my emotions. I’m not very strong to exteriorize, except in my art - which I use 86
as a tool. It helps me with that. However, something seems a bit rusty since the quarantine, the poor things experienced right now seem to exhaust the inspiration a little bit. I lose my mojo with the lengthening period. I want to live something to soak it up, it’s a little frustrating. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? I feel like I’m in the movie “Groundhog Day” or “Westworld”, I live the same day in loop but less thrilling. Like most people (it’s not really original), it’s an opportunity to regain control mentally and physically as well, eat healthier, at least try and do some sports... It’s a completely different new lifestyle, where everyone has to adapt. Sometimes, I feel like I’m back in my teens, I’m looking for inspiration in movies, video games, songs and get back to basics. But this time, I’m an updating version of myself, more serene and confident with my creations. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? The feeling is a bit special and paradoxical, on one hand, I feel being in stasis, my life is on break. But on the other, having so much free time for myself, it’s like there are no more excuses to leave things behind. This is an opportunity to put in light abandoned projects, right? Even if it’s a bit hard on morale with loneliness and the sedentary lifestyle, it’s surprising how there were many positives emerging from all this. What do you wish for the future? Don’t be a ridiculous tortured, cliché emo boy with his own inner fantasy in a corner alone. I hope my art speaks to some people, the different ones, those who are weird and sweet. This is an opportunity to open up to the world, and I’m ready. This period is like a good lesson for myself to get back in my path. Where can we buy your art? I’m not selling my illustrations yet, maybe in the future! My art is strongly focused on symbolism, I explore some concepts like vulnerability, identity, repression and freedom. I can adapt easily my graphic style which turns out to be of sombre esotericism sometimes of a delicate melancholy or even of a childish mood. So you can come see me on my Instagram account and I will be happy to take your orders and realize your original and beautiful fantasies. I don’t bite, I’m sweet, I promise!
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Daria Coxranima Murmansk, Russia @electr.ophor.esis
It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? In fact, it’s still difficult to put all the feelings together — the situation is really extraordinary. But what I really feel is like I’m in some kind of frustration, a misunderstanding of what is happening. I mean, everything that happens in the world now seems unreal. We usually write about it in books or make science fiction films, but it’s very difficult to get used to the fact that our society actually found itself in such conditions. I think this is a completely normal psychological reaction to stress. My brain is trying to defend itself and says to me, “this won’t happen to you!” [laughs] But, of course, I understand the danger and try to be responsible as much as possible. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? Now I don’t have the opportunity to do simple things: I can’t go to the pool, visit my relatives in another city, go out with friends or have a beer at the bar. At first, it was a little annoying, I even forgot that shops, for example, do not work. Just a week before lockdown, my pants were torn, and now I can’t buy new ones, because there is a pandemic and economic crises in the world — it’s so sad that it’s ridiculous. Besides doing my main job, I use the rest of my free time to slow down and doing what I really like and something I never had time for. How has the situation affected your work? Oh, you know, I can say that almost nothing has changed in my job because of the virus. The Russian government has made a special list of enterprises and professions that should continue their work. My main job is a lawyer so, I didn’t stop my activity and I still go to the office, fulfil my duties and move along the streets. But a couple of months ago, I seriously started developing my work as an illustrator, because this is exactly what I would like to do for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, at the moment this is not the best time for this as many publishers and customers simply cannot pay, they need to first save their business. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? As I said, I don’t have the opportunity to walk and enjoy the spring, so I use the road to work and home as a pleasant ritual during the period of general selfisolation. Once a week I call my therapist via video connection and we discuss my feelings and emotions. This helps a lot, not only during a pandemic. My boyfriend and I are trying at least sometimes to go out into the woods, into nature, to distract ourselves and take a walk. I also do all sorts of household chores, as it calms me down. 92
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Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? As in everything, in this situation, there are positive aspects. I have the opportunity to take a break from social interactions, from constant fuss and rush and everything around has slowed down. Now I understand exactly what I want to do and how to achieve this. I began to call my relatives and friends much more often, began to learn how to cook and pay more attention to the development of creativity. Now I have the opportunity to develop my blog, participate more in unpaid projects and replenish the portfolio with interesting artworks. I think I’m lucky — in this situation my office work allows me to focus on the development of drawing skills and the search for projects. The world is now a little frozen, and I have time and resources to sort out all the materials for
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the projects, draw for myself, hold a competition for free drawings, organize the portfolio and understand for myself in which creative direction I should go next. What do you wish for the future? Despite all the bad that the virus brought us, the world began to change in a good way. It became clear that many industries can work online, and employees can have more free time for their personal lives and still be productive. I think that after overcoming the crisis it is very important to reformat working conditions. The virus showed how people can be mobile and self-organized. Musicians can give online concerts, a favourite coffee shop can deliver coffee to your home, and activists can hold a rally using Google maps. This is very cool and in the future, we need to move further in this direction. It seems to me that even when the virus disappears, we should try to save online options for those people who cannot or do not want to attend an event. Where can we buy your art? I don’t have a store with my works yet, but you can always write me an e-mail if you need illustrations or pictures for your projects: coxranima@gmail.com. Also, you can support me on Patreon: https:// www.patreon.com/coxranima
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Emma Weird
Berlin, Germany @emma.weird
It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? As a firm optimist, I’m feeling quite hopeful, that this might be the beginning of a better world. Though I am still longing for spontaneous happenings, human touch and connection, sweaty dance floors. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? I’ve been painting, finding new ways of making art, spending time in nature, trying to secure an income, drinking wine at noon, connecting with friends near and far. I have also been studying, as this lockdown and all the free time has enabled me to finally get a high school diploma through online studies. How has the situation affected your work? I’m used to working from my bedroom with a shoestring budget, so my work setup didn’t drastically change. I normally have IRL shoots for reference photos that I use for painting, but that hasn’t been possible since the lockdown. Instead, I’ve had friends send me nude selfies. I actually love working from these grainy smartphone selfies. At the moment I am painting friends from as far as Brazil and Pankow. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? I wake up at sunrise, paint, work out and the rest is up to how I feel each day. That’s the closest I can get to a routine. I’m highly intuitive and not a big fan of routines. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? It has been heartwarming to see so much solidarity in my surrounding communities during these times of uncertainty. With life slowing down so tremendously I have been able to reassess my life and what I want from it. What do you wish for the future? I don’t wish everything goes “back to normal”. I wish for the abolition of oppressive systems, enhanced collective care of the most vulnerable, and global basic income. Where can we buy your art? At emmaweird.wordpress.com, or via Instagram at @emma.weird
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Klaus Kremmerz Milan, Italy @klauskremmerz It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? I feel good, I think those who work in creativity take the lead in this situation. Personally I’ve always worked alone, the isolation, the work closed in a room, it’s normal for me. Of course, I miss the freedom to be able to go out without precautions, without a mask for example, but all in all two months is not that long if we were talking about a year it would be different. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? I work and I have a nice monthly collaboration with the Financial Times for the magazine “How To Spend It” so I make 4 images per month for them, one for each issue of the magazine. I have a monthly image also for GQ France, and other occasional projects, recently I worked for Men’s Health UK, I made an image for WeTransfer that was printed and given to employees in quarantine, and I just finished a series of images for Die Zeit. How has the situation affected your work? Well, I’ve certainly had a decrease in orders, some projects are cancelled, others are postponed (which means probably cancelled). But I think we needed this moment of contraction with everyone. My clients at the moment are cautious, they prefer to cut what is not fundamental and this often means the images created ad hoc, it is understandable. I think however that everything will go back as before, even if we did not say when. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? No, I don’t have a lockdown routine. My routine hasn’t changed much, let’s say I have more time than before to think about personal projects. There is, for example, a game for adults that I have in mind that I would like to make but it has to be thought 104
out properly. I’ve made a few sketches, we’ll see how it will go. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? What do you wish for the future? The benefits will be mainly environmental, I think. I hope this situation pushes even more decisively on green investments. I have seen these days images of Venice with clear water, pink jellyfish swimming in transparency, I think this effect will be felt globally. Many cities are thinking of speeding up the reduction of traffic by favouring electric vehicles and pedestrian areas. In short, my hope is that we can actually take possession of a better world. so what I think also coincides with the hope of a better future. Where can we buy your art? At the moment you can’t buy my prints, I haven’t organized yet, but LUMAS is a company that I like, if a proposal came from them I could consider it, I know they are based in Germany, maybe you can introduce me ;-)
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postitpals
Los Angeles, USA @postitpals
It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? I feel good. I usually always feel good. I’m somewhat optimistic about the future and grateful that I’m able to paint and still continue making art during this time.
shared a communal bathroom. My situation was not ideal, to say the least. I tried to ride out the storm for as long as I could, but ultimately I pulled the plug and moved back home to my parents’ house - a place I had not lived in since I moved out for college 6 years ago.
Fortunately, my parents were happy to have me (once my self-quarantine ended) and I set up shop in their garage. I get my supplies mailed to me and it’s almost like I never left New York. I’m producing a steady amount of What have you been doing to pass your work and am very thankful for that. time in quarantine? I had been living in New York when the Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? outbreak hit its peak. Things were getting a I’m not much of a routine person. Like many others, creativity hits me little too hairy for me so I decided to head at random times of the day, which is my main source of energy to stay home to be with my family in California. I focussed or get things done, and that makes it hard to keep a routine. I spent 2 weeks self-isolated thinking about usually wake up pretty late, around noon, and make a cup of coffee - those how to manoeuvre my career as an artist are two things that definitely happen every day. during this unique time when it seems the last thing on anybody’s mind is art. But every day is different. This week I’ve been building canvases, so there’s Ultimately I came up with a pretty simple a lot of outdoor work, woodcutting, and canvas stretching. Next week will decision: continue doing what I had always be a painting week. been doing. Not to slow down the painting, I try and get out of the house at least once a day, so I’ll take my bicycle for not to take a break, but to just keep on a stroll around the neighbourhood in which I grew up listening to music. chugging along like I was in New York. The weather has been great, it’s very nice and peaceful. I’ve been thinking a lot about my childhood and how I can incorporate that into the work I How has the situation affected your work? produce out of this garage. So as I mentioned earlier, I was living in New York when this all started. I had Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? actually moved to New York in January after I get a home-cooked meal every day - that’s the biggest benefit of living deciding to make art my full-time pursuit. with your parents. So there I was, being an “artist” in the big city. I had leased studio space in Brooklyn What do you wish for the future? and was fully immersing my self with the On a sociological level, I hope we (as a people) learn from this. This has art culture of New York. I was using my time been a huge reality check for us all. I hope people understand that things in NY to develop my skills and fine-tune my can change in a second and that it can’t hurt to be a little prepared, to take style as a painter, the current medium I am care of ourselves, and to be better to one another. making art with. Once the lockdown orders in March hit, all of that went out the window. On a selfish level, I hope to see my friends soon. I’m looking forward to a My supply stores closed, studio visits were reopened world full of concerts, art shows, birthdays, parties, you name it. impossible, and riding the subway to get essentials every week was not something I Where can we buy your art? intended to do. Not to mention, I was also Through Instagram. If you like what you see, shoot me a DM or email me at living in my art studio at the time which hi@postitpals.com for commissions.
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Social Isolation with
MOLOKID Photography, Creative Direction and words by Karl Slater @slaterkarl Artworks and Creative Direction by Molokid @molokid Model is Austin Sugar @austin_sugarrr Wardrobe HOMO London, Man Store, RUFSKIN, Moschino
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Slater and MOLOKID team up together again, this time working with London’s hottest queer pinup boy Austin Sugar. MOLOKID and Slater show the duality between cyber seduction, human observation and natural beauty, combining all elements to create this breathtaking series. Paying homage to our youth, while we waited patiently with a dial-up internet connection, homoerotic images slowly loaded on our screens. Glitches or elements misplaced or replaced with abstract elements, all while using Windows ‘98 as our parents slept one room away. Hey Molokid, tell us a little about yourself and the kind of artist that you are Hey! I’m a 37-year-old collage artist and graphic designer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I have a fascination for pop culture, drag queens, pop music, trash celebrities, bizarre movies. Everything from a life in plastic!
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Now social isolation has become the new norm, talk us through a day in your COVID life Precisely speaking of this structure and flexibility, I try to make my days not all the same. It is very easy to enter a loop where every day is the same and there are no differences between morning, noon, and night. This is why I try to balance both structured and flexible days.
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I am very lucky to be able to continue working and that the work I do with collage I can do it from my home. But I do not allow this to consume all my day. I am looking for a variety of activities within the possibilities that I have. At one point I find myself enjoying breakfast. Immediately afterwards I can work on some new series of collages and then, if the day allows it, enjoy a little sun and end the day with physical activity. The variety of activities allows me to not feel the burden of isolation so much.
Have you used your work as escapism? Yes, yes, yes, yes I have. Like it or not, work is, was and will be for me a form of escapism. I really enjoy doing what I do, that is why I can spend hours and hours immersed in the new universe that I am creating. Thankfully, I don’t know if it’s because I’m more predisposed to create new pieces of art, or “more liberated” but I’m giving myself the opportunity to explore much more in collages. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this current situation for you? Despite all the bad aspects that we may be experiencing because of this epidemic, over time, I was able to rescue positive points. One of the first things I can think of is that I can spend a lot more time on artistic work than I do. But also, one of the positive aspects and I think that it is more enriching is that I was able to face many things that 121
I had pending in my life. I also had the opportunity to value what I have. To be able to see how privileged we are in the place we occupy. And so we can also be more supportive of our community. Are you working on any new projects? Yes! Fortunately, many projects in which I did not have time to work, will have their time and place to be completed. For now, the workflow is very good. I am 122
also working on an exhibition that I hope can be done very soon. If you could be a virus what would you do? I would like to be a type of virus that makes you dance when you listen to a pop song. And the dance would be nothing improvised. It would be a perfect choreography like Britney Spears or NSYNC. I would also like to see something fabulous when they analyse my composition under a microscope. I would like to have a holographic layer that changes colour depending on the person I attack. Of course, it would be a harmless virus and could be attacked with a simple pill.
What was the last track you listened to? As I answer these questions I am listening to the new Charli XCX album, it is SO GOOD. A few days ago I was very obsessed with the new song by Kim Petras “Malibu” I love her, she is unique. I am also giving myself the opportunity to listen to new bands and songs and I am finding many interesting things. In a few days, the new
album by Lady Gaga will be seeing the light and I can’t wait. I know it will be my new obsession! I can feel it.
What are you currently obsessed with? Mmmmm ... Currently, I think I’m obsessed with skincare routines. I am also obsessed with the new music that is being released (I am a huge fan of music, it is a great and inspiring company). I’m also obsessed rewatching horror movies from the 1980s again.
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Alejandra Oviedo Bogotรก, Colombia @ruttu_ruttu
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Ruttu
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It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? I’m lucky to have what I have so I don’t feel like it had affected me or my lifestyle too much, I’m used to staying at home most of the time and working here, but is not being able to visit my parents regularly is one of the things I miss the most, besides my dance partners. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? Basically, drawing all day. I love it so it’s something I do all time even if it is not for commissions. I try to study and learn new stuff that helps me improve my skills; also trying to create pieces to keep others entertained at least for a couple of hours, I know this situation can be difficult for some people, so this can help them to cope with anxiety, or at least I hope it helps. How has the situation affected your work? Well, I certainly have had more commissions, and more audience during this situation, with everyone’ on their phones, is natural not only for me but for everyone. With my store had been a little bit complex, postal services in most countries are not working as usual, so orders are taking longer to be delivered. Here in Colombia, all business closed, so it took me two weeks to print the stuff I needed to dispatch. I had to close my store for some time, but it will be back this week, now that I have all my products ready and fully stocked. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? I do have one but don’t follow it strictly every day. Regularly I wake up at 7, make breakfast for me and my daughter, then I clean the house, work out and take a bath, then we sit together and I work on commissions while she studies, make lunch and have a little break. In
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the afternoon, keep drawing personal or custom projects, then I take a break to study, dance, or just rest, after that I get back to draw while watching a movie, we have a little snack and that’s all. When I have to go out, I try to do it in the morning, when I have to pack orders, it takes me a whole day. If I’m feeling like I need a rest just take A couple more hours than usual, but never do that two days in a row. It is more about listening to my body, and also demanding to myself. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? Mainly, time to do the things how I want to do them, even if I’m used to staying home, this certainly deleted all pointless reasons to go outside, that means more time to organize my schedule and try to find the best way to complete all tasks in a way I feel comfortable with, reducing anxiety for the pending projects I postpone. Also, I have made lots of friends from other countries and time to connect with them, even if we are apart. What do you wish for the future? I wish that society finds a way to get over this situation of course. This proves that people can get the worst of others in each situation, but also there are lots of good people and its a majority. Colombia is a very unequal country and has a lot of corrupt politicians, which makes watching news an anxiety trigger, but also there’s a lot of people who are being solidary during these days and that’s what we need the most, not only during the pandemic. Where can we buy your art? I have an Etsy Store, is https://www.etsy.com/shop/ruttu for commissions I get projects via email.
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Mark Wardel AKA TradeMark London, UK @mark_wardel It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? As someone who works pretty much alone, self-isolation is not, in truth very different from my usual state so it’s not affecting me as badly as it is others. What I do hate is that I can’t go anywhere, London is basically boarded up and I miss hanging out in Soho with friends.
competitions’ in which I post a line drawing which they colour in and the winner gets to own the original.
What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? From the start I decided to use the situation to get down to a lot of projects I’d been meaning to start, to keep busy and not think too heavily about the new reality we are currently imprisoned in. For the first few weeks, I produced a new drawing each day, I’m also working on a book/art project and have several commissions for portraits and paintings. Aside from this and to try to ease some of the boredom of my Facebook friends I have been running weekly ‘corona colouring
Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? Yes, the lack of distractions, extra time to use, far less pollution (for the first time I can remember, the air in London is fresh!) and importantly a lot of time to consider how we as a society have been living and think about new ways.
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How has the situation affected your work? I find that with fewer distractions I’m more productive than usual. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? No, I’m not that organised but I do work every day 7 days a week for at least part of the day I keep meaning to start an exercise routine as I’m missing the gym but so far this hasn’t happened.
What do you wish for the future? I’d like to see the world/society re-balanced but with the current ‘powers that be’ I’m not optimistic. Where can we buy your art? My online store TrashDNA.com is currently closed because of the lockdown but I am about to start putting some work for sale on Instagram also I can be contacted through my website www.trademarkart.com.
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Barbara Moura Vienna, Austria @b_moura
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It’s been almost 2 months since self-isolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? Quite a bit better now but still feeling the uncertainty. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? I think for most of the beginning of this lockdown/ isolation I was oscillating between anxious and depressive thoughts and found it very hard to be productive and that my hands were quite tied up. It was very hard to dive into creative mode again. I think social media pressure really didn’t help, and as much as I think it’s nice to see people baking bread, finally organising their underwear drawers and promoting quarantine as a blessing for productivity, for most of us just to be able to cope with the scenario is enough, and this was quite hard for me to accept, but was also really lucky to have a partner during the whole thing. How has the situation affected your work? It was quite drastic, I lost my side job and was not able to go to the studio for over a month, so I had to find new alternatives to produce work. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? Trying to wake up early, have a lot of coffee, write a list and try to plan my day as normal as possible, and always trying to keep entertained with tasks, one after the other, be it bureaucracy stuff, a bit of work, looking for online opportunities and later on back to drawing/painting finally. But I also tried to have a good time, cook good food, enjoy the little things and definitely avoid the news. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? I think in my case it put a lot of things into perspective, especially about dedicating myself completely to my artistic practice and not go back to other jobs just by fear of failing, but money is a bitch we all need. I was also lucky that my partner is a great graphic designer so we finally made me a new beautiful website. What do you wish for the future? That the art world can function again, I think selfemployed artists were definitely very affected, there is very little economic support for different types of artists and galleries who are not super successful and for the people who have associations or spaces and art events, so I really hope this situation will be addressed better or at least that most of this affected places can survive in post-corona so artists can still show. But apart from that, I think just wish the same as everyone, for the invisible enemy to be gone. Where can we buy your art? www.kunstabhinterhof.at/artist/barbara-moura/ www.mymuseum.co/ artworks?name=&artist=Barbara+Moura 138
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Ole Paland
Berlin, Germany @ore_ore_ore_
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It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation has been enforced worldwide, how are you feeling? I’m doing ok. I’m still not used to the whole situation though. It’s funny to me how much I missed meeting people during those past months because I usually am a pretty reserved person who doesn’t go out that often. But not being able to meet my friends in person really showed me how important that stuff is to me. What have you been doing to pass your time in quarantine? Mostly I’ve been working and sleeping a lot. Got my sleeping rhythm all mixed up. It’s been a few videocall-heavy months. But I appreciate how fast people find ways to adapt to the situation. Playing D&D, watching movies together, even celebrating birthdays over a zoom call was certainly a fun experience but there is just so much that you can do to simulate the real thing. How has the situation affected your work? I certainly had a tonne of time to think
about what I do, what I wanna do and how I want my work to develop in the future. Reflecting on myself has really influenced my way of working. I really want to work more conceptionally and wish to improve on the possibility to tell a unique and interesting story through a single image. Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine? Not really. It’s really hard for me to develop a routine for anything if I don’t somehow get pushed to do so. And even though I think routines are very essential for productivity and happiness, I work best with a loose set of rules as long as stuff gets done by the end of the week. Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you? I’ve been taking pretty long walks recently so that’s a plus. I also appreciate how people get together by sharing this fate. It’s really interesting how this time is challenging all of us to adapt and rise to the occasion. Something to tell your kids about once this is over. What do you wish for the future? I have a couple of bigger projects planned out for the future but until then I just want to go on and create. There is still so much I have to improve upon and I am thankful for having a platform to share my progress and experiences! Where can we buy your art? Sadly, you won’t be able to buy my work during this time because I have no way to ship it out to you due to the pandemic. But as soon as that changes, you can visit ore-ore-ore.com for merch, prints and more. 143
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27 - 29 NOVEMBER 2020
OPEN CALL FOR ENTRIES FASHIONCLASH.NL 148
