Landescape Art Review - March 2014 by LandEscape Art Review

A r t

R e v i e w

March 2014

Special Issue

PAUL MCCLOSKEY AGENT X URTE BEYER JUSTINE BLAU JAMES ROJAS LUC MESSINEZIS JAN BRAND J RG ZIMMER JACQIJAY RUTGER ZUYDERVELT From the Tonight is the night series, 2012 A work of

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Summary

Our net review presents a selection of artists whose works shows the invisible connection betwen inner landscapes and actual places. Apart from stylistic differences and individual approaches to the art process, all of them share the vision that art is a slice of the world to be shared. An artwork doesn't communicate anything: it simply creates a mental space. Language, gestures, or rather a masterly brush-stroke of a painter are nothing but ways to invite us to explore our inner landscapes". Thirty years have passed since this Borgesean deep and at the same time provocative statement has been written by the fine Italian writer Giorgio Manganelli.

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Rutger Zuydervelt

S P E C I A L

I S S S U E

(The Netherlands)

Agent X

(USA) gent Xâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is influenced by pop culture from the 1920s to the present. This inspiration led him to create multimedia works incorporating iconic imagery from genre magazines from the past eighty years.

Jan Brand

DEaR

(Germany)

Cubic Times

J rg Zimmer

2 0 1 4

(Germany) Art is asking after the remain of uncontrolled spaces and is appealing to everyone to take part in an aesthetic discourse about our regional and global dreams. Intensify your commitment. Tonight is the night, 2012

Paul McCloskey

M a r c h

(Ireland)

Awakening Reloaded blue and gold

Often a view will change or an area will be illuminated by a simple break in the clouds, highlighting as if a shimmering treasure or jewel, a corner of a field, the side of some rocky cliff or the dynamic sweeping curves of a valley reminding us that we are an integral part of and connected to a whole.

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Summary

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Urte Beyer

(Germany)

(Mexico)

M a r c h

The camera is the tool I use in the urban landscape to merge reality with utopia and triviality with complexity. My work revolves around the observation of what lies on the periphery – things and objects that frame our everyday life yet exhibit a spirit or a character of their own.

James Rojas

Imprint

Luc Messinezis

2 0 1 4

Through multi-media installations, I endeavor to directly involve and engage participants—as opposed to “audiences” or passive viewers—in a creative and collaborative process of city building.

(Greece)

The SoundMark Series by Luc Messinezis is an effort to identify and collect such sonorous objects [or sound matter] through observation and public interaction. Sound due to its ethereal nature is a great carrier of information but can also occupy space, characterize or even define it.

Jacqijay (Mexico)

Justine Blau

I S S S U E

(France)

I am fascinated by the way the Internet nowadays structures our way of seeing and of comprehending the world around us. Both the Internet and the photographic lens have enabled us to see things, which were once unthinkable, giving life to this unusual external gaze. Strangely enough more we seem to see and comprehend, Vitruvian Vitruvian less earthbound do we seem to become.

What Color Is The Red Planet, Really

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III

S P E C I A L

Art for me, is a term that we use to describe something that has been made to excite one’s spirit, senses and mind. This can be done through beauty and/or originality. Literally, art can be found everywhere. It’s not just something you go and visit at an exposition or at an art fair, it is all around us.

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Stay Tuned at Sounds Like, Saskatoon

#196 Winter 1

Paul McCloskey

Rutger Zuydervelt (The Netherlands)

An artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement

'Stay Tuned' An audio work and installation based on the moment when an orchestra gets in tune, before a performance. An event that I wish could last forever, which is exactly what 'Stay Tuned' is about. More then 150 musicians and singers were asked to record an 'A' (which is the note an orchestra normally tunes to), using whatever technique or style they please. So each 'A' has its own unique characteristics, but is also a small part of a much bigger drone. 'Stay Tuned' is presented as a multiple-speaker installation. From each speaker, the sound of an instrument-group is heard, continuously. The speakers are spaciously placed to create an auditive space, so visitors can literally walk through the orchestra. While wandering, the focus shifts from one instrument-group to next. Each listening position slightly changes the 'colour' of the drone, and makes different details, imperfections and instrument-characteristics audible. Early 2014, 'Stay Tuned' will be released as a cd-version, translating the experience of the istallation to a stereo environment.

Rutger Zuydervelt 2

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Rutger Zuydervelt

An interview with

Rutger Zuydervelt Hello Rutger, and welcome to LandEscape. I would start this interview with my usual introductory question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art? And moreover, what could be the features that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

Hello. Thanks for having me. You start with a question that I find very hard to answer. Art that I like does something to me on an emotional level, while a lot of the time I can't even explain why. I prefer it if an artwork is not too easily 'readable', but can be understood in different ways. I guess that's also how my music works, there's not a clear message I'm sending to the listener, though (I'm sure that) it provokes thoughts or emotions that differ for each listener. That works with visual art too as well as with contemporary dance. That probably doesn't really answer your question...

Rutger Zuydervelt

Rutger Zuydervelt was born on 28 July 1978 in Apeldoorn (The Netherlands), and now resides in Rotterdam. He started working as Machinefabriek in 2004. Except for a few piano and guitar lessons when he was young, Rutger didn’t study music. Instead, he graduated as a graphic designer. The sleeves of his releases are practically always designed by Rutger himself, being a crucial part of the music. Machinefabriek’s music combines elements of ambient, modern classical, minimalism, drone and field recordings.

an That interview reminds my of with a very good quote I recently came across, by Brian Eno: "...we don’t have to argue whether photographs are art, or whether performances are art, or whether Carl Andre’s bricks or Andrew Serranos’s piss or Little Richard’s ‘Long Tall Sally’ are art, because we say, ‘Art is something that happens, a process, not a quality, and all sorts of things can make it happen." That pretty much sums it up.

His pieces unfold as ‘films without image’, with a sharp ear for detail. After a series of self released CD-Rs, the official debut ‘Marijn’, was issued by Lampse in 2006. Since then a solid stream of singles and albums was released on labels like Type, Important, Home Normal, 12K, Dekorder, Digitalis, Experimedia and Staalplaat. Performing live has been an important expression for Machinefabriek. He took his gear all over the globe, form Canada to Israel and from Russia to Japan. Rutger collaborated (on record and/or live)

Would you like to tell us something about your background? Are there any experiences that have particularly impacted on the way you produce your art nowadays? By the way, except for few lessons, you didn't study music and you studied Graphic Design: how has this experience of formal training impacted on the way you currently produce your works? By the way, what's your point about formal training? Do you think that a certain kind of training could even stifle a young artist's creativity?

Blonk, Aaron Martin, Peter Broderick, Frans de Waard, Simon Nabatov, Mats Gustafsson, Steve Roden, Gareth Davis, Stephen Vitiello, Michel Banabila and Tim Catlin, amongst many others.

I'm trained as a graphic designer and graduated in 2001, at the art academy in Arnhem (The Nether6

Rutger Zuydervelt

Stay Tuned at Sounds Like, Saskatoon

lands). I worked as a designer for years, mostly in companies. Music has always been an interest though. I started with piano and later guitar lessons till my teens, when I got too lazy to practise. When I was about 18 I got a simple music software program from a class-mate and I started making my own crappy lo-fi versions of the trip-hop and drum 'n bass that I was listening to at that time. Basically, it slowly evolved from there to where I am now.

I'm sure my background as a graphic designer has an influence in my art. For one, I like to work on commissions, and my aproach is mostly very practical and to-the-point. There's no unnescecary bullshit. That goes for the process as well as for the end result. And it's something that's clearly visible in my graphic work as well, in which I aim for an instantly grabbing and captivating reception. Before starting to elaborate about your artistic production, would you like to tell to our readers something about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on your work? And how much preparation and time do you put in before and

Of course being formaly trained has many advantages, but I can imagine i also has limitations and puts you i some sort of straitjacket and makes it more difficult to create your own personal language. 7

Rutger Zuydervelt

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Stay Tuned at Sounds Like, Saskatoon

time do you put in before and during the process of creating a piece?

Obviously, all my work is sound-based. Also when working on installations, it's the element I'll start an with. interview And I work fast.with My attention span is short, and by working in this speed I'm hoping to capture the spontaneous energy with which the work is created.

Stay Tuned at Sounds Like, Saskatoon

Besides obvious musical tools as instruments and field recordings, silence, rhythm and texture play a crucial role in my works. For installations, I mostly look for simple solutions. I'm not so technical, so I don't want difficult technical challenges to stand in the way of the process. That process begins with the crystalizing of an idea, but normally I start making things very soon. Alot of my stuff gets created from the very start of the process, like a statue being sculpted from a piece of clay. I start working that clay immediatly, cause that's when my inspiration and imagination really get triggered.

an orchestra gets in tune, before a performance, that our readers have started to get to know in the introductory pages of this article: could you take us through your creative process when starting this stimulating project?

I'll try to make this not too long and boring... The idea for Stay Tuned came to my mind when I had the think of a proposal for the Prix the Rome last year, where I was nominated for. I'm very interested in musically unintended and small, accidental sounds, but wanted to combine it with something grander then the small scale I normally work in. Then I thought about the #196 Winter beforementioned tuning of an orchestra, and

Now let's focus on your artworks: I would like to start with Stay Tuned, an interesting audio work and installation based on the moment when 8

Rutger Zuydervelt

Stay Tuned at Sounds Like, Saskatoon

sition, and from free jazz to pop. I contacted more then 150 people, and (to my surprise) everyone really like the idea and wanted to be involved. So there was no going back. I asked the people involved to record between 1 and 3 minutes, and use any technique they wanted, as long as it was in the same note. So there were people playing the note a straight and pure as possible, while others used it in a more percussive matter or use haunting overtones. Ones I gathered all the recor-

an interview with how beautiful it would be if that moment could last forever, with each musician continuously player the A-note. When walking through the orchestra, it would be apparent that this harmonious drone is compiled of an array of individual characteristics of each player. The closer you get, the more is revealed. For the installation I needed recordings of people playing the A (the note an orchestra tunes on, regularly). The good thing about this was that it didn't matter where people were located, so there were no boundaries who to ask. I could make my own dream orchestra. So in a very early stage I started e-mailing musicians that I admire, coming form noise to academic compo-

Stay Tuned at Sounds Like, Saskatoon

Rutger Zuydervelt

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an interview with

Stay Tuned at Into the Great Wide Open, Vlieland

dings, I made loops of 'em, to make them play continuous. Then I grouped them per instrument, because the audio was devided between 8 to 10 speakers, with a speaker for each instrument group (guitars, horns, voices, etc.). After balancing all the recordings I thought about how to translate my idea to the two locations I knew it would be exhibited. One was a forest, the other one a white gallery space. For the Into the Great Wide Open festival, which was the one in the forest, on the Dutch island Vlieland, I decided to kepe it low-key, and use four ismple stereo sets, so eight speaker, which were hung in trees. This worked remarkably well, with a way more powerful sound 10

Rutger Zuydervelt

then expected. People could really wander through the trees and slowly hear the drone change colour when they moved. For the gallery, aka Gallery in Saskatoon, Canada, the staff was so kind to supply me ten fantastic speakers, In this case the space directed a different placement, so the speakers were mounted against two opposite walls. This was of course a way more minimalistic, 'designed' look, but it worked great. the room became one big block of imersive sound, with details only coming to the fore when visitors walked past the speakers closely. Your works show the immediate nature of sound and you are capable of establishing such a direct narrative of the stories that your works tell: I was wondering if digital technologies as digital editing play a role in your process... By the way, do you think that nowadays there still exists a dichotomy between art and technology? I would go as far as to say that in a way Science is assimilating Art and viceversa... what's your point about this?

Stay Tuned at Into the Great Wide Open, Vlieland

hi-tech art in which the technology get to the foreground and is a crucial part of the work, but despite me working with electric equipment and computers, I don't want the end-result to be technological, but rather human.

Of course I use technology in my work, all the editing and composing is done on a computer. But I'm not at all very technical, and use it in a very practical way, because its the most effective way of working. So in that case it plays a role in my process, but I don't let it determine the process. It's merely a tool. There's of course more

If I have been asked to choose an adjective that could sum up in a single word your art, I would say that your it's "kaleidoscopic" your artistic production ranges from music to installations to coreographic collaborative project as The Measures Taken... while crossingthe borders of different artistic fields have you ever happened

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Rutger Zuydervelt

to realize that a synergy between different disciplines is the only way to achieve some results, to express some concepts?

It is not the only way, but it is a very effective, challenging and creative way. Collaborating might mean that you'll have to make concessions, but in the end there's a piece of art that wouldn't have excisted otherwise, and is all the better for it. Choices are not only made instinctively (as in my solo project), but are also guided by the material of the collaborator. I love to go down that road and see where it leads us. It's a very exciting and rewarding process. You could say that I changed my mind about my music in combination with visuals. For a long time, I felt that the only way to truly experience my music was to have no visual distraction, preferably with closed eyes or in the darkness. That still is an ultimate listening environment, but I also discove-red the power of a gesamtkunstwerk. Of being inspired and getting into an intense process with whomever I work with. It has a sense of togetherness and excitement that is obviously absent when working on my own. It's the Your works are striclty connected to the chance of establishing a deep involvement with your audience... I would like to ask you if in your opinion personal experience is an absolutely indespensable part of a creative process... Do you think that a creative process could be disconnected from an directinterview experience? with

Absolutelly not. My work is all about experience. It's not political but more a form of escapism. It might sound a bit new-agy, but I think my works offer a nice antidote against the speed of our fast lives nowadays. I of course have my own experiences when in the process, and I'm aware that the receptino will be different for each individual. That's why I can't really make work direclty for my audience, but I do regard a project succesful if both me and the audience have an experience that means something.

Stay Tuned at Into the Great Wide Open, Vlieland

Another interesting work of your on which I would like to spend some words is entitled "Attention: the Doors Are Closing" that you have produced in

out mentioning Peter Tabor who once said that "collaboration is working together with another to create something as a synthesis of two practices, that alone one could not": what's your point about this? Can you explain how your work demonstrates communication between several artists? #196 Winter

and Alexander Whitely... I personally find absolutely fascinating the collaborations that artists can established together, especially because this often reveals a symbiosis between apparently different approaches to art... and I can't help with-

Rutger Zuydervelt

was already some audio to work with. Later in the process I'd join in and mould the raw material to get closer to the dance, and the dancers would react on that. This process continued till sound and movement would become one. Feedbacks and especially awards are capable of supporting an artist, I was just wondering if an award -or better, the expectation of an awardcould even influence the process of an artist... what' your point about this? By the way, how much important is for you the feedback of your audience? Do you ever think to whom will enjoy your Art when you conceive your pieces?

I don't think about 'my audience' when working. Of course, if it's a commission for an installation, I'll take good care that the work fits the theme of the exhibitions it's part of, and the space where it's made for, but as for the people that see and hear the work, I'm not thinking about that. On the other hand, I'm quite sensitive when it comes to reactions from either audience or the media. As for the awards… I don't have too much experience with that. The only award I was nominated for (on the long list) was the Prix de Rome last year. Very prestigious I guess, and it would be fantastic if I would've won, but that chance I found highly unlikely. Of course, if winning an awards means getting a big bag of money, it will simply create possibilities for your work. But all in all I'm not a very big fan of awards and prices. It's nice to get recognition in that form, but it shouldn't be the reason to make art.

an interview with

Thank for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Rutger. What’s next for you?

So there's the dance project with Alexander Whitley, that's also going to tour (don't know the dates yet)… As I write this the last phase of the production still has to start, but what I saw so far is incredible. It's gonna be presented in London and Paris, and will go on tour later. Furthermore, I'm going to work on music for a documentary about Edward Muybridge. That's something I'm looking forward to, especially 'cause it's with filmmaker Chris Teerink, with whom I also worked before, for a documentary about Sol LeWitt, which is going to be released on DVD soon.

Are CLosing!") and Alexander Whitley ("The Measures Taken") the score was shaped by getting into a close dialogue with the choreography. In each cases I'd start making a series of sketches, based on talks we'd had about the

I'm also really glad that he 'Stay Tuned' installation will also be presented once again, at the end of the year, in Aalst, Belgium.

or Alexander started with the choreography, there 13

Agent X (USA / Canada)

Born in Kentucky and raised in Connecticut, Agent X’s artwork has been exhibited in London, Los Angeles,New York City and Spain. he has been featured in Fluster,Unfolded ,Peripheral ARTeries, Artnois,Brev Spread Magazines and positively reviewed in Arte Fuse and The Grid. He studied art in New Haven, Vancouver and Atlanta, and was a semi-finalist in the New York Art Marathon (2011). Agent X currently lives and works and works in Vancouver, Canada and his work is now on view at the SoHo Gallery for Digital Art in NYC, New Blood Art Gallery in London and Can-Pop Gallery in Spain. Agent X’s work is influenced by pop culture from the 1920s to the present. This inspiration led him to create multimedia works incorporating iconic imagery from genre magazines from the past eighty years. By adding paint and other nontraditional and found materials, Agent X creates unique surfaces that transcend any particular era. Influenced by artists such as Takashi Murakmi, Romare Bearden, Jean- Michel Basquiat and Robert Rauschenberg, Agent X creates experimental, multimedia collages, painting, and 2D work. His work is an amalgamation of diverse cultures past, present, and future, and his signature “collage street intellectualism” is a commentary on the urban experience. The phenomena of pop culture, technology, fashion, music, politics, and race are central to his practice of designing experiential works. Agent X has received a "Spectrum of praise, from traditional collage artist such as Janice McDonald to the street artist SEIZER, who was featured in the Oscar nominated film "Exit Through the Gift Shop". The collage art of Agent X has a universal appeal, touching upon such themes as Pop culture, technology, fashion, music, politics and race, in powerful aesthetics.

Paul McCloskey

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Agent X

An interview with

Agent X Hello Agent X and welcome to LandEscape. I have read that living in the New Haven area, near Yale University, you had the chance of being often exposed to seeing the finest artworks and free lectures on art theory and film... So, to start this interview, would you like to tell us if there are any experiences that have particularly influenced your current art practice?

First I would like to thank LandEscape and love all the artists that have been associated with the magazine. Living in the New Haven area for me was the best of times, being exposed with Art and music coming from my city and New York. Before I started doing artwork I was heavy into music and still am. My friends Mizzy, Pearlie, Gover, Jarrad, Diyancy, Micah and others were into rhyming, Djing, producing or into music. So having your know style was very important. No biting allowed lol! My Mom worked at Yale and my cousin was a student there at the time an interview with so I felt at home at Yale. I was more into film at the time when I was in High school and College,I wanted to be then next Spike Lee. So I would check out film classes at Yale and go to the art museums when not into music. These experiences of my friends deep into music and looking for samples from all forms of music and going for a "dig" for sounds is a big part of my art practice. I never make the same artwork twice like sampling the same record. Always be original but respect the past and look to the future is what I try to represent in my art. Forward thinking. By the way, I would like to ask to a contemporary artist as you are, if there's such a contrast, an inner dichotomy between tradition and contemporariness... Moreover, are there any contemporary artists who you admire, or who influence your style?

Good question. I do think there is a bit of a dichotomy between traditional and contemporary collage art. I try to keep it pretty traditional with my pieces as I want the collector to have something that is not just a amazing print. I see a lot of new collage work that

Agent X 16

Agent X looks the same with just using Photoshop. I think in the future collectors will see soon that all these pieces have the same "look". I try to switch it up as much as possible with my techniques.37 Chambers. The artists that I admire now are David Hammons, Banksy and Damien Hirst. I like the process that they being with their artwork and the messages behind it. I like the timeless work of David's bigtime. A ton of Afro American artists just do artwork on race, which I hate. If we are going to move forward we need to explore many more ideas and subjects which Hammons does. I love Banksy artwork with the wit and subject matter.Also that he keeps it real and always street. Finding his artwork is a adventure in itself. Hirst artwork and evolution process is second to none. People give him shit but his ideas alone can make any artists go "Dammm I would never think of that in my artwork". That's why he wins. I'm like him in that way, that I would have great artwork and the ideas of the work is amazing as well. What steps are involved in your creative process, and how do you choose the subjects of your pieces?

Well I don't really have a process about my subjects unless it is something that really sticks out like economics,fashion,sex. I think that if I did a collage on Justin Bieber or a Real Housewives type of thing I would feel it would cheapen my art and you could tell which time period it came from. Which I never really want. The process for me is simple. A lot of old magazines,glue and paint. If a piece needs more in it I will add it. I like to make sure that when you get a original artwork from me, it's more than just what everyone else has. By the way, what do you believe is the key element in creating a good oil painting?

I don't do too much oil painting as I focus more on the collage side of things but one of the key things to me would be subject matter. I see amazing pieces from artists that can draw 1000% times better than me but they stay in the same lane and draw the same shit. People, Landscapes,etc... The great oil painters have been using these subjects since the beginning of time. I need to see some fresher things. 17

Agent X

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Osmosis Entitlement

Now lets' focus on the works that our readers can admire in these pages. I would start from Osmosis Entitlement and Bullseyes Horizons that our readers have started to admire in these pagesâ&#x20AC;Ś What was your initial inspiration for these stimulating artworks?

For the piece "Osmosis Entitlement" my inspiration was the Osmosis of class and wealth, how it grows like a fungus. That's why I use the colors of green and brown in this piece. Also this artwork has Pepto Bismol in it, which is my disgust at the entitlement. You can see in the piece a woman getting her hair done by a slave and also a very distinguished man in pose. This type of entitlement is still the same in society now.The Rich get Richer, the poor stay poor. As for "Bullseye Horizons" this piece is how if you stick your neck out ,you all ways have a target on you. Anyone that has been a influence in culture can understand this. People like Kanye West and Lady Gaga who are humongous forces in all art mediums. I feel that if you really want to make a difference, you will have a bullseye on you. If you try to reach the horizons to the top.

Agent X How would you describe the message behind your work -- that is, the idea you would most like to convey or the story you are trying to tell?

Mostly the message behind my artwork is about futurism and economics. Even though I never try to make the same thing twice. So really my message changes with each artwork. Another works of yours on which I would spend some words are entitled Fantasia et Blunt, Unbiased Trust and especially G.B.S. that I have to admit is one of my favourite pieces of yours: how much do you draw inspiration from our reality? I would like to ask you if in your opinion personal experience is an absolutely indespensable part of a creative process... Do you think that a creative process could be disconnected from direct experience?

Thank you so much for the kind words!! The piece "Fantasia et Blunt" is one of my abstract oil and watercolor pieces. I try to make a couple of these artworks as I get bored with sometimes just doing collage work. The piece "Unbiased Trust" is about the Chinese future economy and how it deals with the western influence. The artwork "G.B.S" is about me on a Saturday night and how I move between time and space to make sure my night is on point. I draw inspiration from realty influenced from technology. I don't respect much else in this realty

Fantasia et Blunt

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Agent X

as Fame has destroyed skill and most people for the time being want fame. Get 1 million youtube views taking a dump in the bathroom and your a star. Then write a book about it, do a realty TV show then off that. Bullshit to the 10 degree!!! I think that personal experience is not a absolute part of the creative process. I can make artwork that I have no direct personal experience from. I make artwork about spaceships and other things that are even too future for me. For many artists it is about making new experiences. And I couldn't do without mentioning The Winds of Hae-Joo Chan, B-Girls and Zulu Lover: as our reader can view directly at your website http://www.agentxart.com/gallery-1.html you use both traditional media as acrylic,oil and watercolor as well as experimental ones: wool,sim cards, wire... what is the most challenging part about working with Mixed Media?

To me doing collage is no challenge.. All love :) To me it's the only art medium that I can use whatever I want to get my point across. If I want to put blood, metal, drugs or anything I can do it. I don't want to be limited to anything. Working with mixed media to with me a so exciting as the sky an interview is the limit. Every artist should feel unstoppable in the medium that they work with. Like Jay Z said "don't just be good, be great".

Zulu Lover

I would like to make aware our readers that you have been recently voted in the 2014 Top Entry "Curious Art-Pie Show" at Curious Duke Gallery, London

http://curiousdukegallery.com/exhibitions/future gallery show from February 6-12 and Finalist "Past,Present,Future" at Linus Gallery (Los Angeles) http://linusgallery.com/juried-

exhibitions/art-collecting-x-juried-exhibition-4/ It goes without saying that positive feednabs are capable of providing an artist of important support... I would go as far as to say that it can even influence a little bit an artist... however, art is very subjective in nature: what some people li-

Unbiased Trust

Agent X

The Winds of Hae-Joo Chan

as I kid. My parents exposed me to the finest things. Plus living in Vancouver now with all the different cultures. I have the best of the worlds. I'm Blessed. I would like to thank you for this interview, Agent X. Finally, what's in your sketchbook?

It seems that I am getting a lot of exhibition love so far as I have the Curious Duke Gallery/Art-pie show from London http://curiousdukegallery.com/exhibitions/future and SOMArts show from Artcrasher in San Francisco http://www.somarts.org/artcrasher/ in February .Linus Gallery show in Los Angeles http://linusgallery.com/juried-exhibitions/artcollecting-x-juried-exhibition-4/ . Plus up coming Spring show in New York at the SoHo Arthouse in March http://www.sohodigart.com/Calendar.html

ke, others do not... have you ever happened to handle negative criticism? By the way, how much important is for you the feedback of your audience? Do you ever think to whom will enjoy your Art when you conceive your pieces?

Moreover, my artwork will be in the "Hip Hop Exhibition" at the Project Gallery Toronto http://www.projectgallerytoronto.com/ from Jan 31- Feb 12I'm gunning to get to Art Basel this year with a new gallery and would love 2-3 galleries in London since I sell most of my artwork there. Plus I would like to have a gallery in Toronto and get the art scene moving in my country. After that I plan on making some new artwork this summer. Grinding.

Mostly people like my Warhol type collage work. My pieces Golden Girlz, The Office, Trayvon Till and artwork that is very easy to digest. The type of art to say "I get this" without much thought. The pieces that are more abstract are like my Blade Runner pieces. You will understand them once you see more into the future as I have. I was very lucky to live like the black Elroy Jetson since my Dad bought me tons of toys and technology 21

Paul McCloskey #196 Winter 22 1

Paul McCloskey

Jan Brand (Germany)

Viva Grupetto Messanggeri! 2013 HDTV-Videloop aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 4:43 min.

Bicycle couriers ride in an organized squad through the forest. And, in doing so, their metal racing bikes, along with their dark outfits and equipment demonstrate a stark contrast to the forest s natural surroundings. Without uttering a word to each other, they pedal in coordinated formation, spinning around each other, while changing positions and forming different groups. The rising profile of the road is ultimately conquered in a show of solidarity as they huddle in position. Are they on a sub cultural folkloric Sunday excursion; or are they perhaps training for an athletic competition? Maybe still, are they on a special mission? We remain unaware of their true intentions that motivate them.

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Jan Brand

An interview with

Jan Brand Hello Jan, and welcome to LandEscape.

Hello, yes, great to be here. What in your opinion defines a work of Art?

(laughs) That's a tough opener you've picked. I certainly spent a lot of time thinking about the answer to this question, until I came across the definition proposed by Niklas Luhmann, the German sociologist. Luhmann simply defines this as: everything presented within the system of art is art. This statement confused me at first, but then I examined it more closely and now I find myself agreeing with it. And moreover, what could be the features that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

I don't think it's possible to define the criteria for contemporary art. Contemporary artists argue their work in incredibly diverse ways. There are no boundaries. Something I find indicative of a strong an interview with artistic position is whether the work remains in my thoughts the day after the visit to the museum or exhibition.

Jan Brand

Maybe because something about the piece was surprising or made me think, or it had a visual intensity, an originality or an oddness that stuck. So, a question I find more applicable and interesting to my work as an artist would be: which artistic mode of expression suits me best, and challenges me to investigate it and develop it further?

actors. They play themselves within a framework that I've previously determined and defined, and which I orchestrate at the shooting. Shootings take a day, and mostly they take place at weekends because the participants have to work during the week.

Would you like to tell us something about your background? Are there any experiences that particularly impacted on the way you produce your art nowadays?

Before starting to elaborate about your production, would you like to tell our readers something about your process and set up for making your artworks?

I used to be interested in photography, film and situational art projects, but found it difficult to combine all three. The painter Christian Hahn suggested I try out video to bring these interests together. My videos are usually filmed from a static viewpoint â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in that way, they're like photos. People appear in my videos â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that makes them similar to feature film. But these people aren't professional

Well, at first glance my videos look more photographic, there are no visible cuts and no complicated plots. The videos allow entry at any point, and often the viewer has to look pretty closely to distinguish them from photographs. I often amplify this effect by presenting the videos on wall24

Jan Brand

A still from Viva Grupetto Messanggeri! 2013 HDTV-Videloop aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 4:43 min.

mounted LCD screens. The length of the videos is between one and six minutes and they're looped. At first, they probably look mundane or documental, but then they become more enigmatic as they unfold, and different aspects emerge.

nections might be applicable. At some point I have a clear idea for a piece in my head and then it takes about 6 weeks from this moment to the finished video, if everything goes smoothly. Now let's focus on your artworks: I would like to start with your redent work entitled "Viva Grupetto Messanggeri!", that our readers have started to admire in the introductory pages of this article: could you take us through your creative process when starting this stimulating project?

In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on your work?

Above all else I ask myself, what do I want to depict, what do I want to show, to arouse interest in the audience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and what needs to be left out, in order to allow the audience to find their own narrative within the image or their own reading of it.

Viva Grupetto Messanggeri! picks up on several social phenomena, such as the collective training with the club or cycle group on Saturdays, the sub culture of bike couriers, the bicycle messenger as urban symbol, the appearance of paramilitary groups and the black bloc at demonstrations. Also the special status of the military, allowing it access to all and any area within the countries territories, here exemplified by a military road traversing the forrest.

And how much preparation and time do you put in before and during the process of creating a piece?

That's difficult to say, because the development of ideas is something that is constantly happening. I always carry unfinished projects around with me, thinking of which content, images or con25

Jan Brand

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A still from Rosenthal, HDTV-Videoloop 6:04 Min. 2009

tant part in both works. At first glance, Rosenthal seems like classical landscape photography. Then it offers new room for interpretation as new aspects are discovered within the image.

I bring these elements together in the symbolic act of strenuous uphill cycle, a kind of silent drill that appears complex and gyrating, and sort of choreographed. As with other projects, the subject matter had been accumulating for some time, until the scene popped in my head when I was cycling through the forest on a workout, on that very military route you can see in the video. The image solidified in my mind and kept it's hold on me until I made the piece.

The title Cubic Times on the other hand already refers to the landscape of the video, which is dominated by the cubes of the locker boxes and their rectangular form. In a semiotic sense, this could be interpreted as a calculated, functional and inorganic environment. At the same time it references the film “Modern Times” with Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin slogs away with cogwheels and assembly lines, both trademark signs of industrialisation. I see the cube as a sign for the digital age: computer, smartphones, monitors, they all have a cubic form. And pixels, the elements that make up digital images, are also square.

A feature that I recognize in your work, as in Rosenthal, and especially in "Cubic Times“, is the perception of the common in our environment and the challenging of its semantic in order to create a new multitude of points of views: since our art review is called "LandEscape", we would like to stop for a moment to consider the "function" of the landscape, which most of the times seems to be just a passive background...

I'm sort of convinced that some informations & ideas are hidden, or even "encrypted" in the #196 environment we liveWinter in, so we need -in a way-

Yes, landscape or environment does play an impor26

Jan Brand

A still from Cubic Times, HDTV-Loop 3:09 Min. 2009

to decipher them. Maybe that one of the roles of an artist could be to reveal unexpected sides of Nature, especially of our inner Nature... what's your point about this?

would like to spend some words is your video installation entitled 1+1+1=5, which I have to admit is one of my favourite work of yours: I appreciate the way you have been capable of manipulating the involvement of the participants in order to subvert the dichotomy between a video and a still image... So I would like to ask you if in your opinion personal experience is an absolutely indispensable part of a creative process... Do you think that a creative process could be disconnected from direct experience?

I think the viewer wants to be addressed in a way that is aware of the multilayered, complex perception we have of ourselves and our surroundings. Artists are able to express themselves in a visual way that can be metaphoric and subjective and many other things. One of the strong points of images is that they are able to affect us on a subconscious or sensuous level. That way they allow for complex and even contradictory interpretations. I think it then becomes less about a decoding of the work, and more about finding new, “unexpected”, surprising, or even contemporary, maybe even enchanting visual elements and subject matter which the viewer can enter into associative dialogue with.

I think it's less about experience and much more about an inquiring mind and the question: “how do I portray something?”, “What suits the project?”, “what will make this work stronger?”. With 1+1+1=5 I had the location, an ill-kept football field in the air corridor of Frankfurt airport, and I had team building as a theme – I even had the individual exercises figured out. I just wasn't sure how to translate all of this into film. In conversation with an artist friend of mine, Marcus Gund-

Another interesting piece of yours on which I 27

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Jan Brand

ling, we came to the conclusion that it had to be staged exactly like this: the actors had to remain absolutely still “as though in a photograph”. This kind of depiction isn't new, there have been other artists who have done that before me. I found this approach very fitting for this project. Group projects are complex and dynamic, and the “team spirit” that team building exercises try to facilitate is very difficult to maintain in a group. The effect of “freezing” the group as a social structure or sculpture sets it apart from its surroundings, which proceed as usual. Pedestrians and cyclists who weren't orchestrated and who happen to pass by the scene incidentally create a contrast – butterflies and the rustling of leaves suddenly turn into events. In this, I also address a tradition in photographic history: in the early days of photography the sitters had to remain still for quite long periods of time, until enough light had entered the lens.

A sequence of stills from 1+1+1+1=5 HD-Video-Installa

Your Just You and I series show the immediate nature of photography and you seem to keep away from post-editing techniques in order to establish such a direct narrative of the stories that your works tell: I was wondering if digital technologies as digital editing play a role in your process... By the way, do you think that nowadays there still exists a dichotomy between art and technology?

an interview with

Just you and I was filmed on a digital camera and every image was reworked post process for two to three hours. All of my works go through post-

From the Just You And I series , Photography, 2003

Jan Brand

tion, up to six channels, Loop-length from 1.58 to 3.22 minutes, 2009

would say that it's "kaleidoscopic": in fact, as our readers can easily view at your website http://www.janbrand.de/ , your Art practice ranges from video to photographic works to "actions" as Tired And Tensed that has particularly impressed me...

production, sometimes even a very time-consuming one. But this editing should never take centre stage or distract, it's only meant to reinforce the storyline and unobtrusively optimize the image. I doubt it's even possible to work as a video artist or photographer without having a certain repertoire of technical abilities. The works have to be technically flawless, faults or technical blunders can really distract from the image content.

Tired and Tensed was a lovely event that we â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as the artist group Schmalclub â&#x20AC;&#x201C; organized. About 250 visitors slept at a former tram depot. In order to create a homely atmosphere and put people in the mood for the night there was a situational, temporary and social dramaturgy incorporating different spots during the entire evening.

If I have been asked to choose an adjective that could sum up in a single word your art, I

The event was a thorough success, all of the visitors actually slept on site, and on the next day everyone had this glint in their eyes, even though they were all tired. At the moment I wouldn't stage a project like that, because situational events and happenings aren't the primary concerns in my practice. While crossing the borders of different artistic fields have you ever happened to realize that a synergy between different disciplines is the only way to achieve some results, to express some concepts?

Yes, all of these projects are the foundation to my current work. They were often exhausting, nerveracking and expensive, but above all they taught

From the Just You And I series , Photography, 2003

Jan Brand

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From Tired and Tensed

me a lot. I'm very grateful that they've brought me to myinterview current artistic with reasoning. The different fields an come together in my current work in a way that I feel is more successful.

sense in that they can form their own ideas after experiencing the works. But I do occasionally get the feedback that my work has a very physical aspect. Some people even suggest that the works are really about sculpture.

And I couldn't do without mentioning one of your early works entitled Lifeform, that I have to admit has particularly impressed me: it establishes a deep involvement with the audience, both on an intellectual side and on a physical aspect...

By the way, how important is feedback from your audience to you?

I always enjoy feedback from viewers, curators, friends and acquaintances, whether it's positive or skeptical. My work wants to enter into dialogue with the viewer, so when people give me feedback I know it's working.

It's interesting that you would pick up on Lifeform. That was the first piece I ever exhibited, I made it before I was familiar with any computer programs or before I knew much about art. I had prepared a ton of plasticine, hauled it over to the exhibition space, and then asked the viewers to treat this mass creatively. I've recently been asked about this piece twice and it made me wonder how far I've removed myself from this piece or even from myself at this time. I think there are definitely parallels to the way I work now: through hanging the monitors I integrate the space, their glow creates a sensory pull. And the message, if not the form, of the videos remains malleable to the viewer in the broadest

Do you ever think who will enjoy your Art when you conceive your pieces?

No, I actually think that would be counterproductive. When a project is almost finished, I'll show it to a few close artist friends to discuss whether it'll function the way I want it to and to see if they have any suggestions. Thank for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Jan. My last question deals with your future plans: what's next for you? 30

Jan Brand

From Lifeform, Mixed Media sculpture, 2001

Anything coming up for you professionally that you would like readers to be aware of?

In 2013 I exhibited a lot and moved to a new studio. Now I want to spend more time in production. In the next five months I want to produce three new video projects that will form the basis of an exhibition. I'll be announcing upcoming activities on my web page: www.janbrand.de .

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Sophie Dieu

(Germany) An artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement

How is the whether in paradise? What is this thing called art? Cloudy but sunny. Art is forming a collection of our longings, hopes and nightmares. We are searching for the utopian content of different styles and habits and we will contrast the aesthetic codes of dreams and ideas with the longing for another mode of being. Art is asking after the remain of uncontrolled spaces and is appealing to everyone to take part in an aesthetic discourse about our regional and global dreams. Intensify your commitment.

www.joergzimmer.com

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Zimmer start this interview with my usual introductory question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art? And moreover, what could be the features that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

Hello to you and your readers and thanks for your interest in my work. A work of art is complex. It's mysterious. Sometimes provocative. It's appealing to our senses, it's intellectually demanding and it has a spiritual dimension. Contemporariness in the arts is a very difficult issue. Often artists are reflecting the main conditions of human existence. In this way they were working beyond and parallel towards topical incidents. Understood in this way, contemporariness means the ability to react to political or social issues from a rather fundamental point of view. It does not really matter which media an artist is an interview with working with or what techniques he or she has chosen. A painting can be very contemporary. Would you like to tell us something about your background? Are there any experiences that have particularly impacted on the way you produce your art nowadays? By the way, you have formal training, since you studied visual communications/photography and film at the University of Applied Studies in Dortmund: how has this informed you and how has your art developed since you left school?

were addressing issues of common interest. Being a student in the visual arts is a demanding privilege. You live in an atmosphere of learning and experiments. You have lots of possibilities and you are on duty to use them. The process of learning comes not to an end because you graduated from university, but you have to find ways to reach a greater audience both in the art world and in the general public than before.

What makes you an artist is the summary of your biography. Something is slightly different with you, your personal background and your experiences. At a certain point you came out as an artist. The first pieces of art which really impressed me were some films of Andy Warhol I was watching in my room when I was 14 years old. I think I always tried to transfer my personal experiences and my private mythology to strategies which

Before starting to elaborate about your artistic production, would you like to tell to our readers something about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, what technical aspects do you

From the Tonight is the night series, 2012

Now let's focus on your artworks: I would like to start with the interesting “Tonight Is The Night”, that our readers have started to admire in the introductory pages of this article. could you take us through your creative process when starting this stimulating project?

“Tonight is the night” is a work which consists of the series of large-scaled photographs you already know and of a short film loop. I'm fascinated by night scenes and pool areas since a long time. Swimming pools are belonging to the magical landscapes of art and film history. They are much more than a metaphor. Often they are a place of existential changes. An intermediate realm with happenings of uncertain endings. mainly focus on your work? And how much preparation and time do you put in before and during the process of creating a piece?

Techniques are functional instruments and no reasons. Anything else depends on the concrete project I'm working on. It's the same with the amount of time which I spend on a particular piece of work. For example, “The leaving of the sun” was shot and edited within a few days. Other works need lot of time before I can finish them. Many of my works were reedited after a certain amount of time. Some pieces need time to mature until you can use them and don't forget the pearls of the archive.

From The Leaving of the Sun, Video, 2013 4’48’’

Land

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Actually “Parade” was the one of the first series I ever shot with a digital camera and it got it's “classical” look by means of digital technologies. The camera system you choose has not a great impact on the process of storytelling. The problem with using digital cameras is that it's very work-intensive to achieve convincing results, but it offers some interesting possibilities. In the process of filmmaking I'm really depending on digital technology because I do a lot of things on my own. I'm the author, the director, the camera operator and the editor. So these technologies are very helpful. Thinking about your question, I'm still convinced that “art is art and everything else is everything else” as Ad Reinhardt wrote (Ad Reinhardt: Art as Art,The Selected Writings of Ad Reinhardt, University of California Press, Berkeley1991, page 53). from the Parade series

In the last years art and technology were good companions, but this is changing dramatically in the moment. Facing the dark side of technology with it's threatening aspects of surveillance excesses and deadly drones, maybe the old enemy is back. Art and science are sharing some roots, artists and scientists are both Faustian players. Unfortunately scientists often take themselves to seriously, with the negative impacts on society we all know. Artists and scientists are looking for reasons, additionally artists are searching for meaning. Nevertheless, I cooperated a lot with natural scientists and humanities scholars on several projects and I found it very stimulating.

from the Parade series

gy an artist is using could really lead to a movement of a larger group of people and I don't think an artist should try to achieve this. An artist should not give in to the temptation to mix up art and politics in a simple way, but what we can sometimes do is to demask the strategies of the powerful and their allies in the mass media - being a voice for the voiceless and using our talents and abilities to analyze the structures of a society. Furthermore, first of all the political relevance of the artist is based on his or her ability to create a space where the rules and single-minded goals of efficiency are out of focus. What we do is meaningful, but we don't need a certain purpose in our work. From my background as a teacher working with hopeful young students in the visual arts, I would always underline the task of enlightenment.

In our society, images are used to show & communicate, but sometimes also in order to create an illusory nature, and often even with socio political aims... and even though I'm sort of convinced that Art these days could play an effective role not only making aware public opinion, but I would go as far as to say that nowadays Art can steer people's behavior... as a visual artist who often focuses on socio political phenomena of globalization I would like to ask your point about this... By the way, what could be in your opinion the role that an artist could play in our society?

It' not naive at all. It's a good traditional attitude of enlightenment. But I don't think that a strate-

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an interview with From the Exposed Spirituals series

And we couldn't do without mentioning Exposed spirituals: a feature that I recognize in this piece is the perception of the common in our environment and the challenging of it in order to create a new multitude of points of views: since our art review is called "LandEscape", we would like to stop for a moment to consider the "function" of the landscape, which most of the times seems to be just a passive background... I'm sort of convinced that some informations & ideas are hidden, or even "encrypted" in the environment we live in, so we need -in a way- to decipher them. Maybe that one of the roles of an artist could be to reveal unexpected sides of Nature, especially of our inner Nature... what's your point about this?

For me the landscape was always a sum of possibilities and a stage for a sum of possible events.

I agree with you completely.

From the Exposed Spirituals series

In the Redwood forest (intimate relationships), 2012

Another interesting piece of yours on which I would like to spend some words is entitled In the Redwood Forest, which I have to admit is one of my favourite work of yours: I would like to ask you if in your opinion personal experience is an absolutely indespensable part of a creative process... Do you think that a creative process could be disconnected from direct experience?

of supporting an artist, I was just wondering if an award -or better, the expectation of an awardcould even influence the process of an artist... what' your point about this? By the way, how much important is for you the feedback of your audience? Do you ever think to whom will enjoy your Art when you conceive your pieces?

This is a complicated issue. Most times an artist is also an entrepreneur and a consultant for his own business, so feedback and money are essential.

Not at all. Personal experience is always a major root of a relevant work in the arts. It's based on knowledge and experience.

If an award or the expectation of an award starts to influence the content of your work, you are on a wrong path. There are two different kinds of grants and awards. Some are conferred for the quality and relevance of your whole oeuvre, in other cases the tendered awards are linked to certain topics. If I review the grants and awards I got over the

So far your works have been exhibited in several occasions and moreover, you have have received a nomination for the art prize of the IG Metall... It goes without saying that feedbacks and especially awards are capable

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From the series In the Redwood forest (intimate relationships), 2012

years since I became a professional artist, I would say, also I'm grateful for any prize I received, the most important ones were those which guaranteed my income for a longer period of time, so that I could work on larger projects without interruptions. An award which takes your whole work into consideration is more interesting than one which focus only on a certain aspect of your work.

lead you to regions outside your personal artistic cosmos. Coming back to the second part of your question, I would say the essence of it is to ask if an artist would do his work even in the case no one would be there to recognize it. Imagine there are no other people existing around you; would you still create?

If an artist makes the decision to take part in art contests, he or she should know that this means to deliver the experience of art in the hope of changing it for some money and maybe for a further step in the career.

I think so because the alternative would be a bit sad, but this does not mean that a work of art is not communicating with the audience. The question is if you try to communicate something or if you offer a possibility to make sense of the world. I'm a romantic person. Imaging that there is someone out there who is influenced by my work, I feel touched.

I think it makes sense to send in a suitable collection of your work and sometimes an award can even stimulate your production, but it should not 40

From the series In the Redwood forest (intimate relationships), 2012

Besides your artistic production, you were also the initiator and head of "Kontemplative

as a part of your individual work as an artist. Thank for your time and for sharing with us your

suggest to our readers to visit the related website at in order to get a wider idea of this project... how does it impact on your career as an a artist?

future plans: what's next for you? Anything coming up for you professionally that you would like readers to be aware of?

Thank you for this inspiring exchange of ideas. In the moment I'm working on a project which is called â&#x20AC;&#x153;the_disaster_seriesâ&#x20AC;? approaching the aesthetics of failure and collapse and their disturbing but extremely creative potentials. In the planning stage is a project which is questioning our usual concepts of identity in a fragmented but supervised world. Furthermore, I intend to realize several schemes in the public space in 2014.

I'm working as a curator for several years now. It's always amazing to invite people to take part in a project which grows with the creative engagement and enthusiasm of any participant. There is no direct impact on my work as an artist or a direct influence on the feedback I get, but you get in touch with a lot of people who are interested in community-oriented projects like this.This can be very helpful if you start a project in the public space

An interview by landescape@artlover.com

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Paul McCloskey (Ireland)

An artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement

Visual artist Paul McCloskey was born in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan and is now living and working in Gorey Co. Wexford. Paul attended the National College of Art and Design (N.C.A.D) Dublin from 1981 and graduated in 1986. Paul also attended De Montfort University UK and was awarded a Masters Degree in Fine art painting (MFA) in 2010. Paul is a professional member of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;visual artists Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. He has exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally throughout the UK, London, Venice and New York and he has received many awards for his work, which can be seen in numerous collections. www.paulmccloskeyart.com The varied and stunning Irish landscape, coupled with our unsettled weather and therefore often fleeting and mottled light, inspires me greatly. Often a view will change or an area will be illuminated by a simple break in the clouds, highlighting as if a shimmering treasure or jewel, a corner of a field, the side of some rocky cliff or the dynamic sweeping curves of a valley reminding us that we are an integral part of and connected to a whole. Effectively, this encourages us to see and, most importantly, feel its beauty and spirit and therefore reconnect to this vital part of us, what we perceive as everyday and perhaps ordinary, the places we merely glance at without allowing ourselves to get lost in the breathtaking creation and beauty that surrounds us. The landscape for me is primarily a catalyst in expressing divinity and is therefore secondary, the primary purpose being process, allowing and presence. This suggestion of heaven and earth in constant struggle, merging yet separable, solid yet amorphous all suggest the multidimensional nature of the spiritual, the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega, the struggle within, between the conditioned self and the divine/spiritual self.

Paul McCloskey #196 Winter 42

Paul McCloskey

The Alpha (Awakenings spring 10) oil on canvas 2

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Paul McCloskey

An interview with

Paul McCloskey Hello Paul and a warm welcome to LandEscape. I would start this interview with my usual introductory question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art? Moreover, what could be the features that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

Thank you for including me in your magazine. For me a great work of art connects in some way other than the superficial, connects on a deeper more spiritual level, a great work of art resonates truth and if the viewer is open to that work of art, with an alert presence, a silencing of the mind, then he completes the circle, in doing so there will be a recognition, a knowing that is felt rather than intellectualised. All great art comes from the artist allowing, being present thus permitting spirit to work through him, unhindered. The more absent the mind/ego is the greater the potential of that work of art. To me all art is an interview with therefore I’m wary of contemporary if it’s relevant, ‘trends’ often new media is hailed as more contemporary than traditional media, but just because it’s new does not necessarily make it more relevant, so with contemporary media lies the danger of ‘the emperor’s new clothes’ all mediums have the potential to express the artist’s vision, nevertheless all great art that is born of spirit transcends time, irrespective of the medium used, the century created or the subject told.

Paul McCloskey

have been predominantly autonomous, art education teaches independence, allows a safe environment to discover your individual process and practice, the environment gives you exposure to your contemporaries to other creative’s, their practice, struggles, doubts and ultimate realisations, an environment of comparison, discussion and context therefore opening the door to your own potential.

Would you like to tell us something about your background? You hold both a Masters Degree in Fine art that you have recently received from the De Montfort University UK: how has formal training impacted on the way you produce your artworks these days?

My Masters encouraged me to narrow my focus and examine all aspects of my practice; this has resulted in me exploring in-depth what art means to me, it has helped me put words on that meaning and place it in context, my essay ‘Art and Spirit’ can be read on my website and it has allowed me to investigate this theme across the trilogy the ‘Alpha and the Omega’ series which are still ongoing http://paulmccloskeyart.com/art%20and%20spiri t/art%20and%20spirit.html

Yes I attended the National College of Art (NCAD) Dublin for five years also qualifying as a professional teacher of art and design and in 2010 I received a Masters degree in Fine Art from De Montfort University, in the UK. Apart from the professional teaching diploma, I have found that ultimately my degrees in artistic practice BA/MA etc 44

Paul McCloskey for me is an intuitive and instinctive act allowing me to enter that place of no mind, however the painterly qualities of the paint from impasto to simple marks, the exploration of the characteristics of the medium itself also matters to me, I try to maintain quality and respect the craft, there is no reason why concept, skill and craft cannot be given equal standing. A painting can and in my opinion should be a thing of intense beauty and excellence, irrespective of how dark or light the concept is behind it. Now let's focus on your artworks: I would like to start with The Omega (Awakening 3D) that our readers have admired in the starting pages of this article: would you tell us something about the genesis of these pieces? What was your initial inspiration?

My latest work ‘The Omega (awakenings 3d)’ still in progress, builds on my previous series ‘Awakenings (The Alpha)’ and ‘Awakenings Reloaded’ this is the third in the trilogy of the awakenings theme. They consist of a number of cubes, some of which are wall mounted and some of which are suspended at varying heights from the ceiling, allowing the viewer a full 360 degree view of the works, the cubes question and challenge the staple of painting being confined to the two dimensional surface, pushing the boundaries into the third dimension and is also a more literal translation of the work of post impressionist painter Cezanne and the subsequent Cubist movement, however the painted surfaces of my work has more in common with the Romantic philosophy, in particular that of Turner and Rothko. Although the primary purpose of The Omega series is to suggest the dichotomy of spirit, being all things in all directions at once.

Before starting to elaborate about your production, would you like to tell to our readers something about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on your work? And how much preparation and time do you put in before and during the process of creating a piece?

Often the seed for a series of works will grow over a period of time, months even years, even now as I’m working on ‘The Omega (Awakenings 3d)’ flashes of new ideas are coming to the fore, suggestions in my mind slowly leading somewhere, to be revealed when the time is right. In relation to ‘The Alpha and The Omega’ series, the concept is important, but once the concept is clear each painting leads to the next, I work from my imagination, clearing my mind of thought, it’s the process of allowing and trust in that process that brings each painting to a conclusion. Painting

The trilogy is also relevant in so far as the triune is representative of the whole, mind, body, spirit or energy, matter, ether; this is a deliberate reference to divine presence suggesting all that is substance and spirit alike that makes up our entirety, including the divine. My aspiration is to express spirituality or the power of divinity within my works. I have attempted to achieve the preciousness of Turner’s intricateness combined with the impact of Rothko’s scale and force, with the intention of drawing the viewer into the flows and obscure textures of the 45

Paul McCloskey

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The Omega (Awakenings 3D Violet 2) - oil on board

an interview emerging landscape,with almost as if witnessing its creation, its birth, its expansion and ultimate contraction, from the beginning to the end, the alpha and omega, representing for me the internal struggle, between the conditioned and the divine/spiritual self. http://paulmccloskeyart.com/3d.html A feature of your works that has mostly impacted on me is the deep involvement that you have been capable of establishing with the viewer: I really think that your Art encourages us to find and feel beauty... I'm sort of convinced that some information & ideas are hidden, or even "encrypted" in the environment we live in, so we need -in a way- to decipher them. Maybe that one of the roles of an artist could be to reveal unexpected sides of Nature, especially of our inner Nature... what's your point about this?

Awakening Reloaded blue and gold â&#x20AC;&#x201C; oil on canvas

reminders or signs point in the direction of this truth and that is where the deep involvement comes from, a recognition of truth from both the artist and the viewer, the creator and the observer, the dance and the dancer, then become one. But this circle can only be complete when the viewer is open to seeing/feeling.

Absolutely I agree the role of the artist is to remind us, perhaps to present with fresh eyes what we already knew but have forgotten. Indeed the key word here is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;feelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; using a subject such as landscape as the catalyst for the initial transaction between onlooker and the work, but they are only reminders that all is one and from the same source, these

Indeed the artist must also take this responsibility to observe the work outside of himself, as once the work is completed the artist must relinquish that connection and also become a witness to it. #196 Winter As you have remarked in your artist's state46

Paul McCloskey about, but in recent years I have focussed on landscape as the means in which to do that. Although my Alpha and Omega is often perceived as abstract their source is founded on my surrounding landscape. A sweeping â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;curveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; leading to the vortex of the landscape has emerged in my work, its physical influence partly relates to my surroundings of the Monaghan, Wicklow and Wexford landscape, of hills, deep valleys and sweeping lines, I feel it adds considerably to the drama and movement in my paintings, giving an organic, almost panoramic sense of depth to the paintings. Bringing all things together, textural, atmospheric, dark, light and gold causing a tension and cohesion, shaping volatile qualities that transcend the two dimensional surface of the canvas and in the Omega series this is taken quite literally into the third dimension. The wider meaning is best described in my opening statement; the landscape is ever changing, seasonally and on a moment to moment basis with the shifting and ephemeral light, synonymous with the Irish weather, this transient landscape reminds and persuades us to take a second glance at what we thought was familiar and observe with fresh eyes the ongoing beauty of creation, seeing what we may perceive as ordinary to be in fact the most enlightening.

ment, your work has been inspired with what we perceive as everyday and perhaps ordinary, the places we merely glance at without allowing ourselves to get lost in the breathtaking creation and beauty that surrounds us... And since our magazine is entitled "LandEscape" I couldn't do without asking you: what is the significance of the landscape and -in a wider meaning, of the background- in your Art practice?

Any and all subjects can be the catalyst to express divinity, which is ultimately what my work is

The Omega (Awakenings 3D Green) - oil on board 47

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It’s my intention to evoke a sense of spirit, by suggesting the vastness of the landscape, earth and sky, matter and space as the means in which to express this sense of spirit, inducing for me that sense of personal growth, the sense of awakening to the beauty, divinity and perfection, to the divine order within all things. I would like to mention also your Portraits series: as our readers can view directly at http://www.paulmccloskeyart.com/archivesportraits.h tml it's a series of portraits of famous Irish writers and poet as Seamus Heaney and William Samuel Beckett. Dealing with real subjects, it goes without saying that in a certain sense you "hold" the consistency of the material that you are going to represent through an artwork... However, it's clear that the crucial step of this process is the transfiguration of what we just "see"... so I would ask you if you visualize your works before creating: do you know what it will look like before you begin? I was wondering if in your opinion experience as starting point is not an absolutely necessary step for creating an artwork...

Knowing what a work will look like before beginning, an interview with means the work is crafted, contrived and of the mind. However I see it as vital to have something to express/say about your subject, some feeling, emotion, essence or story, but if my purpose is to record a superficial likeness then there are much easier ways to do this, with the use of technology etc. My intention is to look beyond the subject, whether landscape or portraits, to its essence, core and spirit. I may well have an idea or vision of a work before starting but I find attempting to interfere with the outcome or realisation is more of a hindrance.

Sean O’Casey – mixed media

tions throughout your country: it goes without saying that feedbacks and especially awards are capable of supporting an artist, encouraging him: I was just wondering if an award -or better, the expectation of an awardcould even influence the process of an artist... By the way, how much important is for you the feedback of your audience? Do you ever think to whom will enjoy your Art when you conceive your pieces?

If I get out of my own way and allow creation to work through me and not of me, then I cannot know the outcome and the more I allow this process to be, the more I realise that I am merely a catalyst to divine expression, when this happens for me it’s beyond joyous and that revelation is beyond anything from merely my mind made construct.

I’m sure there are occasions when artists may well be influenced by the expectation of an award, but I believe an artist must never compromise his work for anything, otherwise it defeats the purpose of being openly alert to the process, of allowing divinity, creativity to work through him, once any element in this process is contrived in any way then it is no longer ho-

You have exhibited your all around the world and your creations are in numerous collec48

Paul McCloskey

Seamus Heaney – mixed media

Patrick Kavanagh – mixed media But now I can't do without posing you a really

nest, it now has become of the ego, the mind. When painting, its purpose cannot be for anything, awards, audience or recognition, it can only be for and of itself, only then is it truly art.

that I've happened to interview during all these years, especially because even though it might sound the simpler one, it gives me back the most complex answers: what aspect of your art practice do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest satisfaction?

However once the work is concluded with integrity then the circle is completed by the audience. I love to get feedback from people regarding my work, especially when they ‘get it’ and I’ve had many lovely, encouraging and inspiring comments from people especially on my Facebook fan page over past couple of years, yes it’s important and I have had an amazing year in terms of feedback, collections, sales, exhibitions and awards, yes it does matter but it must always be secondary to the integrity of the work. https://www.facebook.com/PaulMcCloskeyPaintin gsGallery

For me it’s the process, especially when working on a new series, as I am now with ‘The Omega’ (Awakenings 3d) the exhilaration as each new work reveals itself to me never fails to astonish me. The process itself demands to be totally present in the moment. This place of presence can best be described as peace, those moments for me result in complete fulfilment, joy and connection, at those moments I am closest to God. 49

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Harbour dance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; mixed media Another pieces of yours on which I would like to spend some words are your early works Harbour Dance and especially the interesting series Lough Dergh: a visual of these pieces that has really impacted on me is the sense of movement: your works are very "dynamical" ... By the way, any comment about your palette and how has changed in the years?

I found exploring a singular theme across a series the most rewarding in my practice. In the Lough Derg series I try to capture the sway and movement of people, gesturing in devout expression as they walk on the pilgrimage route, burdened with their inner and secret yearnings in the hope that their prayers will be answered.

My earlier works such as harbour dance and wash say symphony explore more random subjects, often unrelated in content, however as my portraits, they do show the beginning of my search for something beyond the surface. Whereas the Lough Derg series, based on the poem of the same name by my favourite Irish/Monaghan poet Patrick Kavanagh, is where

I can see when I look back at this series painted in the late 1980â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that the romantic influence is there even then, with a dramatic influence of the baroque period, however the pallet is inclined towards my favourite Irish painter Jack Yeats. They are almost theatrical, strong contrast in light with the broken crosses representative of a dispirited #196 painted Winter during Irelands Celtic era. These were 50

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Lough Derg - Procession - Oil on Linen

Lough Derg - Cubicles - Oil on Linen

previous economic recession and they reflect the desperation of people of that time. It was also a period in which the separation of Church and State was becoming more pronounced, a darker theme resulting in a darker pallet, a time of immense uncertainty. Thank you for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Paul. My last ques-tion deals with your future plans: what's next for you?

I have been offered a solo exhibition in New York at the beautiful Artifact gallery in 2016, so I’m considering that for now, however that’s a while off yet, so for now I’m looking to 2014, in the meantime I aim to continue with the Omega series, as of yet I haven’t decided where I will exhibit the third installment of the Alpha and the Omega (awakenings) series, so if your readers check in to my website regularly they’ll see on the site announcements upcoming shows etc.

Lough Derg Procession 2 - conte on card

I would just like to say a huge thank you to all who have supported my art over the years, my family, friends and those who have followed my progress and encouraged me to keep creating. An interview by landescape@artlover.com

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Urte Beyer (Germany) An artist’s statement The camera is the tool I use in the urban landscape to merge reality with utopia and triviality with complexity. My work revolves around the observation of what lies on the periphery – things and objects that frame our everyday life yet exhibit a spirit or a character of their own. Buildings that seem to stare back at me, brutal residential blocks that radiate their cold anonymity, or martial temples of Nazi origin cast in rock. I make copies of my prints, change their proportions, detach details and elements from their original cityscape surroundings. I then cut, fold and rearrange the prints, into three-dimensional volumes. The final products are sculptural re-stagings; photographic models whose irritating, estranged appearances are of particular interest to me. Nothing familiar seems to last and visions arise of a time that has never been and will never be. The synthetic scenery of my photographic sculptures model cities of their own - constitute a further layer to explore with my camera, resulting in the large, digital colour prints in the series like “City Parts”. To me, visions arise of a time that has never been and will never be. Perception and memory are inherently unstable, their contents changing, their objectivity limited. Searching for familiarity in an estranged, anonymized, stereotypical, culturally created world, I work with architecture to conjure visions of parallel worlds, distorted places and historicity. I amalgamate visual impressions, lived experiences and vivid fantasies. With my methods of work – blow up, cut up, montage etc. – I am discovering and exploring opportunities to revisit the apparent reality of space, city and architecture.

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Urte Beyer

white city, Boxes of insects, 4C Print folded 200cm x 120cm x 60cm, 2013

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Urte Beyer

An interview with

Urte Beyer Hello Urte, and welcome to LandEscape. I would start this interview with my usual introductory question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art? And moreover, what could be the features that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

It is very individual and subjective how one defines a work of art . When I visit an exhibition, often some works attract me a lot more than others. That can be due to a specific atmosphere, a particular humour or an unexpected view. These things uncover a hidden meaning for me or a quality that was unconscious before. It is as if someone is explaining their innermost thoughts about life or society, and you say “wow” that is exactly the same way I feel, I just couldn't find the words. I believe that art should be an emotional as well as an intellectual experience. One cannot “explain” art by simply pointing out the artist’s an interview with attitudes and motifs. It is more important that everyone experiences the work of art personally and so brings it to life.

Urte Beyer, (photo by Anna Maria Rippl)

Would you like to tell us something about your background? Are there any experiences that have particularly impacted on the way you produce your art nowadays? I have read that you studied Sculpture at the Alanus University of Arts in Bonn, Germany: by the way, how has moving to New York after graduating, informed you and how has your art developed since you left school?

I definitely fell in love with carving marble early on when I was in school and had my first camera when I was 15. I experimented a lot with black and white photos then.

ple, I lived in New Zealand and Palestine before going to university. It was exhilarating to explore the way other people live and it confronted me with myself and also gave me great input for my work. When I moved to New York after university it became clear that stone was not longer the material that allowed me to express my ideas best and quickly translate them into a physical form in this fast moving culture.

At university I studied sculpture in a very traditional way and there was a great emphasis on creating “aesthetic” pieces. I really enjoyed learning various sculpting methods including clay modeling and molding plaster. When I completed my degree I was free again to travel more, because I love exploring and immersing myself in different cultures. For exam-

I chose photography, sound recordings and eventually video for my main media. This allowed me to capture my impressions and thoughts about what I saw and felt in this stimulating environment. Video in particular allowed me to immerse myself in New York’s lively and inspiring atmosphere. As a juxtaposition, I took pictures 54

Urte Beyer last few years. My main topic which is like a red line throughout my work is the search for individuality and the conflict which arises from that. Before starting to elaborate about your artistic production, would you like to tell to our readers something about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on your work? And how much preparation and time do you put in before and during the process of creating a piece?

While I am working there are always several steps developing at the same time. In the first step, I am the observer of my surroundings. Then there is the documentation of these mainly urban situations through photography and the adaption of the prints. Cutting, folding, building and rebuilding is the most intricate part of the process and results in the sculpture. Technical solutions often occur during the working process, sometimes they even happen by coincidence. Finally I examine these new three dimensional spaces with my camera and create a nondocumentary photo from these spaces and sculptures. There is no chronological order to these steps as one informs the other.

of lonely shopping carts and deserted cemeteries while filtering through New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s streets for hours. I also came in contact with interactive new media art at Harvestwork, a nonprofit organization, where I learned video cutting. This gave me the opportunity to capture the fast pace of this city. When I returned to Germany to my hometown where I had grown up, I felt that I needed more options to manipulate my photos so I could bring the past into the present in my artwork. I developed a process where I cut and fold my prints, to in essence rebuild my surroundings. Everything came together for me when I combined the two and three dimensional methods which I had experimented with in the 55

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City Parts VIc, 2012 Photography 4C Print, 100cm x 50cm

Now let's focus on your artworks: I would like to start with the interesting “White City”, that our readers have started to admire in the introductory pages of this article. Could you take us through your creative process when starting this stimulating project?

At that time I was fascinated by the ugliness and yet aesthetical patterns of urban buildings. While roaming through the streets of Berlin, I took photos of balconies of industrialized apartment blocks or in the suburbs. These hardscapes showed so obviously the anonymity we live in, which also is one of the themes I am interested in. A while later, I had the an interview with chance to get a number of very old boxes insects had been preserved in from the Museum of Natural History here in Berlin. At first I thought they were perfect for my three dimensional paper work, but then realized that I was unable to build something into these confining boxes. Because, I needed more space I experimented with putting one glass frame on top of the other and cut and layered the photos between the frames.

City Parts II, 2012 Photography 4C Print, 100cm x 70cm

Digital technologies play a crucial role in your City Parts so I would ask you: do think that nowadays there still exists a dichotomy between art and technology? I would go as far as to say that in a way Science is assimilating Art and vice versa... what's your point about this?

This resulted in an even more three dimensional perspective than I had accomplished before. I like the idea of breaking out of the confinement of the box and overstepping pre-determined boundaries. If the “box” is too narrow, I dismantle it and open it up. Difficulties, for example with statics, do not frustrate me but challenge me to look for new ways of realizing my vision . This process often leads to new and unusual solutions. To overcome difficulties in a creative way is an important part of my art.

In my view art is almost defined by readily assimilating but also questioning new technologies. In turn, technology and science also take advantage of this independent, sometimes naive openness of art. For example, in “City Parts” I used my digital camera in a way that you would not normally, but as an artist I am free to do so. 56

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Crowd, 2012 4C Print 300cm x 20cm

pected sides of Nature, especially of our inner Nature... what's your point about this?

As someone who mainly takes photos of the products of human thought such as urban spaces and architecture, I am very interested in this concept. For example, I love to find buildings or other objects that are so exciting that they almost seem to possess a soul. In my art, I am interested in mundane objects that frame our social experience of everyday life and

And we couldn't do without mentioning Crowd and especially Sateliten I: a feature that I recognize in this piece is the perception of the common in our environment and the challenging of it in order to create a new multitude of points of views: since our art review is called "LandEscape", we would like to stop for a moment to consider the "function" of the landscape, which most of the times seems to be just a passive background. I'm sort of convinced that some informations & ideas are hidden, or even "encrypted" in the environment we live in, so we need -in a way- to decipher them. Maybe that one of the roles of an artist could be to reveal unex-

Sateliten I, 2013 4C Print folded, nylon cord, 200cm x 200cm x 200cm

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I transform them into a world of their own by exaggerating them and their context. These objects are made to stand out through a modification of their conventional conditions. With the natural landscape I think the beauty is already there and I can't add it. In our society, images are used to show & communicate, but sometimes also in order to create an illusory nature, and often even with socio political aims... and even though I'm aware that that Art these days could play an effective role not only making aware public opinion, but I would go as far as to say that nowadays Art can steer people's behavior... as a visual artist who often focuses on socio political phenomena of globalization I would like to ask your point about this... By the way, what could be in your opinion the role that an artist could play in our society?

Artists like Ai Weiwei can play a crucial role in society, and I admire him for his courage. For my part it is more in a direct person to person contact with art. It is maybe a glimpse of a second when

an interview with

â&#x20AC;&#x153;shoe trilogyâ&#x20AC;&#x153; | video installation | 2007 | Urte Beyer

someone discovers something in an art work. For me it is important that art is not exclusive for a certain kind of people. Instead, it should be accessible to everyone as a way to discover and process the difficulties and quirkiness of life. The viewers are induced to see things in a different perspective, or might experience them in a way that was not obvious to them before. In an ideal situation art would be more a part of everyday life. Another interesting piece of yours on which I would like to spend some words is your video installation entitled shoe trilogy, which I have to admit is one of my favourite work of yours: I would like to ask you if in your opinion personal experience is an absolutely indispensable part of a creative process... Do you think

Venedig KLVI | Photography 4C Print | 100cm x 70cm 2013 | Urte Beyer

Urte Beyer

Venedig, Photosculptur, 50cm x 70cm x 20cm, 2012

You are currently based in Berlin, and so far your works have been exhibited in several occasions throughout Germany. It goes without saying that feedbacks and especially awards are capable of supporting an artist, I was just wondering if positive feedback and especially the expectation of an award could even influence the process of an artist... what' your point about this? By the way, how much important is for you the feedback of your audience? Do you ever think to whom will enjoy your Art when you conceive your pieces?

A reaction to my work is always a "plus" and that is what makes art alive. Especially when people discover something new which I didn't notice or they express it in their own way. There are certain moments in the creative process when I think of the viewer. It is when I am asking myself if what I am creating really goes to the extreme, so people recognize what I would like to express with my work and that can be very nurturing for the process.

that a creative process could be disconnected from direct experience?

Well, this is difficult so say. Nobody can have experience in each sphere of life but an artist tries to sink into these questions mankind has or develops a sense for the questions not yet asked and tries to express this through their creative process. And I think it always has a connection with the artist, otherwise it wouldn't be authentic. For the shoe trilogy I froze my fingers trying to capture the fast moving feet in winter with my video camera, each pair expressing its own sense of purpose. And it results in a real time interactive video installation showing the visitor`s feet. So the visitor was involved directly in the art work.

Thank for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Urte. My last question deals with your future plans: what's next for you? Anything coming up for you professionally that you would like readers to be aware of?

Just now I am preparing for the next exhibition in Berlin, and I am also working on a collaborative project with three other artists coming up soon in Berlin. Thank you for your interest in my work.

Urte Beyer 1

Urte Beyer

James Rojas Through multi-media installations, I endeavor to directly involve and engage participants—as opposed to “audiences” or passive viewers—in a creative and collaborative process of city building. In particular, I use a collaborative model making process to bring people together to imagine and actively design better communities. Through this participatory process, my projects document and re-imagine the shape of urban communities, culminating with the creation of a temporary installation or activities that mimics the dynamic and collective nature of urban life. The resulting artwork, then, reflects how varied groups of players— strangers, neighbors, friends—interact to create a sense of place in cities. My art practice transforms urban planning from an exercise to an experience. It raises people's consciousness of the built environment around them and how it impacts their daily experience of place. It provides them access and insights into the planning process. My work investigates how the memory, experience, and imagination shape our environment and how we can capture this information to inform public projects, plans and policies. creativity—based in their on-the-ground knowledge about what does and

James Rojas www.placeit.org http://imageofmycity.tumblr.com

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James Rojas

An interview with

James Rojas What in your opinion defines a work of Art? Moreover, what could be the features that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

From the perspective of my particular practice, I consider an artwork as something that involves self-reflection, imagination, and play. A work of art does not have to be a single, complete, finished project—it can be a work in progress, it can be impermanent and ephemeral, and it can grow from and involve the participation of many ideas and individuals. Moreover, I see in art and art making, a platform for civic discourse—and in so far as these express and engage current issues, this type of art is inherently contemporary. Can you tell our readers a little about your background? I have read that you have studied at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology: how has this experience - I should say, a wonderful experience- impacted on your current an interview with art practice?

James Rojas

was my introduction to urban planning! My love for cities was reaffirmed when I lived in Europe— and this led to my decision to study city planning at MIT which afforded my the opportunity to explore in depth the strategies through which Latino residents in East Los Angeles have transformed their physical environment. I worked closely with anthropologist Lisa Peattie who examined the informal settlements in Latin American.

My art evolved from my childhood love of building model cities, my academic studies, and ultimately my urban planning career. I grew up in a Mexican neighborhood in East Los Angeles, and my approach to art and urban planning has been shaped by its vernacular landscapes—including the streetscapes of its commercial strips and residential areas, as well as the ways in which people customize and adorn their domestic spaces during the holidays.

Through this collaboration I began to understand how imagination shapes cities through informal and formal process based on resident’s experiences, needs and desires. How do we as urban planners tap people’s imagination to understand the future of cities? In 1991 I began my career working as an urban planner. I opened up an art gallery, called Gallery 727, in Downtown Los Angeles. During these years, I collaborated with many artists—and I appreciated how artists use their imagination to capture the landscape through various mediums and to engage the public. It was this experience that prompted me

When I was two years old my grandmother gave me a shoebox filled with small objects like buttons, and plastic bits she collected from around the house to play with. She challenged me to use my imagination to create structures and compositions from these assorted items. Over time, the shoebox expanded as I examined and considered every small object as a potential building materials: popsicle sticks became streets; salt and pepper shaker tops became cupolas; screws became spires; large bolts became warehouses. Every few months, I would crack open this box and spend hours recreating city landscapes. This 62

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Construyendo la ciudad ideal Camino Verde

making your artwork?

to publicly share and display the city models that I had been building in secret for years. I was pleasantly surprised at how well these models were received. During one of these displays, my model caught the attention of Doreen Nelson, who developed Design Based Learning based on John Deweyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pedagogy theories. Her method educates students by using their hands, and creative thinking to build model cities to teach math, sciences, English, and other subjects. From exposure to her work and ideas,

My process requires knowledge of a cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural and build environment, and current urban planning issues. However this information is implemented two different ways. If I am facilitating a workshop I need to ask the right question of the participants to collect data for a project, plan or development. If I am creating a model I need this information to design and construct the model. In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on in your work?

I wondered, Why not apply this method to engage people in urban planning issues? And it is from here that I began to rethink my city models not as a static pieces of art, but as an interactive tool to get people to explore and express their ideas about how their physical environments could be better designed to meet their needs and aspirations.

I focus on the physical conditions of the environment and what ifs. What would the city looked like if a removed a highway, made it car free or uncovered a river. This provokes the viewer to look at the city in a different way. And how much preparation and time do you put in before and during the process of creating a piece?

Before starting to elaborate about your production, would you like to tell our readers something about your process and setup for

Ideally I allow for a day or two of a site visit and reviewing maps and plans of location. 63

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Now let's focus on your artworks: I would like

ding structures, landscape, and services. Workshop sessions were lively, well attended by partners, stakeholders, and residents across ages, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. Through both workshops Phoenix and Tijuana residents came together to designed answers to create their future communities. The workshops served as a mechanism for leveraging the strong leadership capacity of local residents, stakeholders, and community partners to lead efforts in shaping the future of their community, while at the same time preserving the cultural identity and their rich history of these communities.

Central City South and Camino Verde Interactive that our reader have admired in the starting pages of this article... could you tell us something about the genesis of this project?

These two projects engaged â&#x20AC;&#x153;hard to reachâ&#x20AC;? audiences in the formalized planning and design process. Both projects were located in low-income, Latino/Mexican, underserved neighborhoods of Phoenix and Tijuana. The size and scope of both projects and plans differed. The Tijuana municipal government was proposing a build a park over a dry creek in the informal Camino Verde neighborhood. The Phoenix Revitalization Corporation developed a Quality of Life Plan to help stir investment and wanted community input. I collaborated with the women of these communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to host family friendly activities. We employed my method for both projects to engage the residents. The logistics differed because Camino Verde is in Mexico and Phoenix is in the US. In Mexico we facilitated the activities in an outdoor public space where residents naturally gathered that attracted mothers with children. In Phoenix we had to pick indoor locations and venues such as the senior center, library, community rooms and church to facilitate the workshops.

Your art practice is strictly connected to the chance of establishing a creative interaction with your audience, which, far from playing a

At the workshops community members of all ages participated in designing their community, inclu64

James Rojas By using our imagination and hands to build we tap in to our subconscious need to create and discover something about our selves, each other, and the environment. People have an easier time building a solution that talking about it because cities are inherently spatial. My workshops make it possible to engage this spatiality in rich and subtle ways that aren't possible in other settings. Photos, maps, video and computer models are excellent at capturing various aspects of urban space, but necessarily do so in an abstracted way. An interactive model allows people to physically engage urban space in a direct way, with their bodies and hands, changing their viewpoint and posture, focusing and standing back, touching and changing things. Unlike an architectural model, it is a site that people are invited into, to interact with the city and each other. It is communal and provides a visual language that all kinds of people can participate in regardless of typical barriers such as language, age, ethnicity and professional training. Through participation the model changes. New ideas and opportunities emerge that weren't visible at the beginning. People are freed from the roles, biases and preconceptions they came with and are able to explore their ideas about the city together in a fluid way. Through this rich exchange of ideas from various people through building do new ideas emerg.

passive role is directly involved in the participatory process. This has reminded me a quote of the artist Peter Tabor who once said that "collaboration is working together with another to create something as a synthesis of two practices, that alone one could not": what's your point about this? Can you explain how a work demonstrates communication between several artists?

Cities are created by spatial collaboration of diverse interests. City are constantly changing because of technology, economics, migration, and culture. Collaboration is city planning. In regards to creativity I have found that the more diverse people are in collaborating in building solution, the more interesting the outcome.

Another project of yours on which I would like to spend some words is Re-Imagine Raleigh "A

A Sustainable Vision for Central City South

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Re-Imagine Raleigh A Creative Urban Planning Project

an interview with

Creative Urban Planning Project", that our reaers have started to get to know in the first pages of this artice and I would suggest our readers to get a more concrete idea watching this interesting and explanatory video directly at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJwbKzyNOLM

key geographical features, street patterns, and cultural landmarks of the city. The model was made out of foam core, metal window screen, moss, construction paper, cellophane, tape and other everyday materials that helped the public depict the city. The streets and landmarks were labeled to help people read the model like a map. The geographical features that visually define and characterize Raleigh were highlighted.

In collaboration with the Raleigh Urban Design Center, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, and the SPARKcon festival, I facilitated interactive planning activities to engage the public to raise awareness of the upcoming downtown plan update, called the Livable Streets Plan. To achieve this we crafted the event Re-Imagine Raleigh and invited the public to reflect upon, explore, participate in, and craft the look and feel of downtown Raleigh.

I will set the stage for the interactive process by arranging the buildings on the model. However, they were not be not glued down, thus people were able to place them anywhere they choose to. Through this process one would be able to understand how this city is physically created, experienced and imagined. With the public constantly intervening in the project, the model constantly change. The public engaged in the three-dimensional model by reading it like a map, by projecting their memories onto the model, and

The project engaged the public in the urban planning process through an interactive model of the downtown. I created on-site an interactive model of Raleigh that captured its topography and urban form. The model interpreted and represented the 66

James Rojas

On Foot! Community Design and Public Health

by touching and modifying it. By touching and moving the small buildings on the model the public will be allowed to investigate various urban forms that typify Raleigh and project their own ideas onto the model about the physical nature of the city. In this way the viewer of my artwork becomes an active participant in the creation and evolution of the work.

sciousness, could even steer their behaviour... what's your point?

The model was placed on the street during SPARKcon so hundreds of people could access it and engage with it. Over the course of four days, the Urban Design Center documented the results of the workshops and interactive model building into a video synopsis that they will use for the Livable Street Plan.

Through art and play I push the limits of civic discourse of life and its attendant components, including education, economic development, urban planning, transportation, health and etc. My inclusive facilitation tool that allows the public to communicate with each other to adopt plans, projects, and help solve urban issues by bringing them together to self-reflect, share values, inspire, and team build. I tap the imagination, and physical experience of the participants by making them play and build a solution using recycled materials. This approach promotes creative thinking, and creates a third space for negotiation.

Even though I'm aware that this might sound a bit naif, I'm sort of convinced that Art could play an effective political role in facing social questions, and not only in showing an issue to a wide audience...

And it goes without saying that the collaborative process has -in a certain sense- a socio political implication: and I would go as far as to state that that urging people to interact with the environment, besides raising people's con-

James Rojas

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an interview with

I create a safe zone for people to participate in civic matters regardless of age, language skills, technical knowledge, or gender. Play loosens up people so I can engage, educate, and empower the public to participate in the urban planning process by making them use their hands, and their imaginations. I lead participants through a twentyminute exercise where they simply build their solutions to various problems in their neighborhood using recycled objects. My design strategy is

to give everyone autonomy in the planning process because this motivates them. With this newfound knowledge they can make informed decisions that ultimately change the culture of planning. As you have remarked, participants have some time to reflect on their life experience: of course, this does not mean that they just think about their "past", but I would like to ask you if in your opinion, personal experience as start-

James Rojas shapes our lives. We have to take ownership of it and learn from it. It goes without saying that the creative interaction with technology plays a crucial role in producing the creative synergy that marks your art practice... So I would ask you: do you think that nowadays there still exists a dichotomy between art and technology?

A dichotomy between art and technology will always exists because they are to different approaches understanding the world. Art is embraced through emotion and judgment while technology is embraced by logic. Art is opened up for interpitation with gives every one access to it while technology or the creation of it is by logic. Emotion leads to action while logic leads to conclusion. I use technology as a way of recording my work. By the way, I would go as far as to say that in a way Science is assimilating Art and viceversa... what's your point about this?

I transform the logic or science of urban planning into a physical and emotional interactions because cities are experiences for people. Just wondering if you would like to answer to a clich that we interview: what aspect of your work do you enjoy the most? What gives you the biggest

My greatest satisfaction comes when participants share a different vision for their city which is not typically told through my art practice. People unearthed their vision simply by playing with discarded plastic toys, buttons, scraps of this and that, etc. These alien yet familiar objects, help people create their utopian visions in a few minutes they already knew what they were missing in their urban experience and were only waiting for someone to ask.

ting point is an absolutely necessary part of creative process... what if an Australin aborigine or a Saharian Tuaregh could take part in this process? Could he ever liberate himself from his experience? I think that even though this might sound a bit funny, it could be a nice idea...

Thanks for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, James. My last question deals with your future plans: what direction are you moving in creatively? Anything coming up for you profes-sionally that you would like readers to be aware of?

In my practice the past or personal experience is a good starting point because it gives people the conviction they need to participate. Our past sha-

You will be seeing more play in planning! 69

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Luc Messinezis (Greece) An artist’s statement 9 Aphorisms about sound I. I am unethical. I eavesdrop and gain access to your most personal moments. The naked body of sound allows me to do it and I will seize the opportunity without feeling any kind of remorse; maybe just some strange kind of satisfaction. If you feel it is improper, don’t forget that God too is an eavesdropper or at least you’d like him to be. You pray and you hope you will be heard. God might not listen, but I will. II. I exist before anything else. It is not the world that stimulates my eardrum; it is my intent and my will. Wherever I turn my ear a new reality emerges from the depths of the beautiful dark of silence. III. I love the silence. It reminds me of the dream of the anarchist; Utopia. We know it is possible, we know it is within our grasp yet we feel helpless reaching out for it. Do not forget! As peace is the in-between of two wars, Silence is what lays in-between two noises. IV. I love noise too. If silence is white disc, then noise is the same substance painted with the full spectrum of colors. Just give it a very fast spin! V. I love reading. I love listening to myself narrating to me within my head but above all I love the way my voice changes in pitch and color as the various characters of the book speak to one another; the perfect schizophrenia. VI. Have you heard about Schizophonia? The researcher quotes: “It is the phenomenon of a sound being detached by its source and reproduced within different context”. I remember being in a bus and listening to a vintage old telephone ringing from within a lady’s purse. That was a magical moment; A big black analogue old telephone in a lady’s purse. VII. I love reality. What I love more is a reality I would love more than reality. So I take the real, I polish it and shine it and I make it hyper-real. I just need to be careful with the borderline with the surreal. VIII. This is not a place. It is a recording of a place. In the gallery it is the recording of a place played back in a gallery. When I am home, it is the memory of a recording of a place played back in a gallery. IX. I love the quiet. Do not mistake it for silence. I love sitting and listening to the racket of the quiet.

#196 Winter

Luc Messinezis

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Luc Messinezis

An interview with

Luc Messinezis Hello Luc and a warm welcome to LandEscape. I would start this interview with my usual ice breaker question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art? And moreover, what could be the features that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

Art is associated with intelligence. We humans are the only known species on this planet that have expressed the need to create something not only because it would be useful, but because it could be beautiful or just interesting. An artwork for me is nothing more and nothing less than that. It is the expression of the inner self through the filter of imagination, reaching outwards; an action that defines us as humans. For some people a work of art is the result of the creative interpretation of the world. For me it is the creation of a new one. When it comes to contemporariness I cannot help but think about money and fame! But this is a narrow an interview with way to look at it. If I was to distinguish the features that mark the contemporariness of an artwork and try not to be cynical, I’d try and see how much the piece of work is compatible to the aspects and needs of modern life. By this I do not mean only the use of technological achievements or generally accepted techniques by the mainstream standards of the era, but instead notions such as spirit, tempo, pace and ”colour”.

Luc Messinezis

Luc Messinezis is a sound artist originally born in Athens, Greece in 1977. Despite his scientific background, after relocating in the UK, he achieved an MA in Sound arts and ever since he engaged professionally and in depth with sound and its potential for artistic expression.

May I ask you something about your background? You hold a MA in Sound Arts that you received from the University of the Arts, London: how has this experience impacted on the way you make Art nowadays and that lead you to produce your works this way? By the way, what's your opinion about formal training? Sometimes I ask to myself if a certain kind of training could influence too much an artist... or even stifle his creativity...

Luc’s interest mainly focuses in concrete sound and phonographic work. Phonography, concrete/acousmatic/electroacoustic composition, audiovisual works and sound installations are just a few of the media that Luc uses in order to realize his ideas. As a researcher he is interested in the way sonorous objects may be used within the contemporary art world and also inspired by the existentialist doctrine he investigates routes of connecting this particular philosophy with soundscape art.

I am of the opinion that if one wants to excel in anything and in order to produce something origi72

Luc Messinezis vity, I will just say that the limitations that are raised to one’s practice depend only on the individual. Formal training is a starting point; it should be faced like one and then be exploited. If an artist gets “stuck” to what he learnt and cannot evolve, he is the only responsible party and then he or she most probably will end up to become a critic. Before starting to elaborate about your production, would you like to tell to our readers something about your process and set up for making your works? In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on your work? And how much preparation and time do you put in before and during the process of creating a piece?

Each piece is a living entity and therefore the artworks are so much different from one another, that processes, materials, preparation and used techniques vary according to the subject, the source of inspiration but above all my intent the given moment of conception. In general as my practice focuses on the use of concrete sound recordings as a medium for artistic expression, I use mostly a portable audio recorder, a laptop and audio editing software. Depending on technical needs of the piece though, I might use audio programming languages such as MAX/MSP, sophisticated recording setups such as M/S microphones and other equipment. Finally if the work is in installation format materials that have been used include loudspeakers, cables, metal, wood etc. In regards to preparation and time, again it depends on the artwork.

nal, he needs to possess a deep knowledge and understanding of what’s past within the field of his interest. During my studies at the University of the Arts, London; I had above all the opportunity to meet, learn by and work along actual sound art practitioners and researchers such as Dr. John Wynne, Peter Cusack, David Toop, and Angus Carlyle amongst others.

There are pieces that have been produced as practice based research and therefore months of designing, researching and re-designing were needed for the actual outcome to take its final form and others that have been created at the blink of an eye with materials gathered in a way that resembles collecting shells while walking along a beach [Quoting John Cage from his book “Silence”]

Their vast knowledge both in theory but also in practice has definitely affected the way I produce art nowadays although my practice has evolved and transformed with the experience I have gained over the years. Regarding my own opinion about formal training and how it affects creati-

Now let's focus on your artistic production: I would like to start with SoundMark Series and I would suggest to our readers to visit your soundcloud page wherecan find an excerpt at 73

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I started working on the SoundMark series at the time during which I was an artist in residence in the town of Krems an der Donau, invited by AIR-Krems; a lower Austria organization. At the time, I was exploring ways through which the Soundscape [which was introduced by Murray Schaeffer as the aural equivalent of the Landscape] can be used for artistic purposes. I could not help but think that as specific sites of importance that merit preservation are called Landmarks, the aural equivalent should be a Soundmark. After conducting an initial research on the subject I realized that of course I have not been the first one to think of this, yet I found out that there is lack of a complete collection and even more a creative output of the subject. I then started creating a collection of Sonorous objects that may be identified as soundmarks and decided to undertake the task to discovering creative ways to present these findings to a wider audience. This research is ongoing and the SoundMark series keeps growing. It has a very strong socio-cultural information and research potential and the biggest challenge that I am still facing is answering to questions such as: “Which sonorous object could be identified as a soundmark?”, “How can a soundmark be preserved?” and “How can soundmarks be used for artistic purposes?” .

Of Dignity and Rights @ Marble, Metal and Sound

I noticed that you shift between media as often as possible: your art practice ranges from phonography to electro-acoustic/concrete composition, from performance to audiovisual works and sound installations: while crossing the borders of different artistic fields have you ever happened to realize that a synergy between different disciplines is the only way to achieve some results, to express some concepts?

I never focus neither predetermine the final outcome when I start working on an artwork. #196 Each format exists toWinter serve specific purposes. As

Forest in a Forest @ Levendel Bloch Gallery - Ein Hod, 2010

Luc Messinezis combining the visual and the aural. In other words, the concept and the intention of the artist are the main factors that determine the media that will be used and except for sound - which is a constant in my practice - I see other media as available tools to strengthen my point. To answer more clearly to your second question, I believe there are unlimited ways to expressing a concept, yet sometimes the synergy of different discipli-nes is necessary. I see this as something good which also results in interesting interdisciplinary relationships and collaboration between artists. Other pieces of yours on which I would like to spend some words are Of Dignity and Rights and Wunderkammer; The Sound Cabinet of Curiosities: [http://luc-messinezis.com/installations/] I would say that the pieces you create is nothing more than raw feelings and emotions, as all music is at some point in it's a progression from thought to action... I would like to ask you if in your opinion personal experience is an absolutely indispensable part of a creative process... Do you think that a creative process could be disconnected from direct experience? By the way, how much important is for you the feedback of your audience? Do you ever think to whom will enjoy your Art when you conceive your pieces?

When you asked me what in my opinion defines a work of art, I answered to you that I see art as an outward gesture. An artist is as much a receiver as he is a transmitter. The “waves” he receives or transmits are emotions. What changes from artist to artist is the convertor hidden within. As a result, personal experience – which in that example is the convertor – is in my opinion indeed an indispensable part of the creative process. At this point I would like to add that I espouse the existentialist doctrine but not in a strict and dogmatic way.

- Paxos Island, Greece 2012

an example I will use my acousmatic piece ” I Saw” [sounfjord gallery, London 2010] [http://lucmessinezis.com/compositions]which aims to stimulating the aural perception of the audience by making an audio parallelism to visual attributes and its concept dictates that the outcome should be realized strictly with just the use of sound. On the other hand my still unpublished piece “The Modern Book of Cynics” [http://vimeo.com/24121265], examines the attributes of the act of reading and although the message is again communicated through created emotions such as confusion, or frustration, this time the outcome is achieved by

As a result I embrace Sartre’s idea that “existence precedes essence” and therefore I never think to whom will enjoy my art as the audience is sort of “created” by the artwork. This does not mean that feedback is not appreciated. On the contrary creative feedback is a vital resource to 75

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development and the appreciation of the audience when noticed is mostly welcome as it is the sign of a successful communication. How has the usage of technologies as digital post-editing or ProTools impacted on your process? All in all, in these last years we have seen a great usage of digital technology, in order to achieve outcomes that was hard to get with traditional techniques: so I would like to know your point about this... do your think that an excess of such techniques could lead to a betrayal of reality?

The use of new technologies and digital audio editing/programming software in particular are tools at the disposal of an artist. Sometimes it is true that even the tool may be source of inspiration by itself but for some other design could be completely useless. The use of technology can affect my practice although this for me has been more common in the past during the early stages of my career. By growing up in age and experience I have started paying attention mostly on the concept, communication, the philosophy behind the artwork and being out in the field. Whatinterview I need in orderwith to materialize an idea, I will an get by selecting the proper tool. In general though, definitely technology has made working a lot easier but less crafty. Regarding the excess use of modern technologies and techniques and if it leads to a betrayal to reality, I would not think so. It is up to each artist to decide what his work reflects and communicates. Reality is subjective and even if the reality through some processing is being distorted, it creates a new one. In particular I am a fan of Hyper-reality. According to some thinkers when a sound is recorded it automatically passes from the realm of the real to the hyper-real. A good example of how technology and the hyperreal transformation may be vital in realizing a concept is my performance â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sonic Garbageâ&#x20AC;? [http://luc-messinezis.com/audio-visual/]. This work is a live improvisation using a laptop and sonorous objects of discarded sonic artefacts. Each composer or artist that deals with sound usually edits his recordings and trashes sounds like wind distortion, microphone handling noises, clicks, pops etc. I collected those artefacts from my own recordings

Eavesdropping Crists @ Ethnographic Termina

and using modern technology recycled them and used them creatively in order to express various emotions through structure and articulation. The result is something hyper-real, yet to the ears of the audience it is the reality they experience at 76

Luc Messinezis The performative aspect plays a crucial role in your works... since our art review is called "LandEscape", we would like to stop for a moment to consider the "function" of the landscape, which most of the times seems to be just a passive background... I'm sort of convinced that some informations & ideas are hidden, or even "encrypted" in the environment we live in, so we need -in a wayto decipher them. Maybe that one of the roles of an artist could be to reveal unexpected sides of Nature, especially of our inner Nature... what's your point about this?

The landscape and its aural equivalent; the soundscape may indeed seem like just a background or a constant but I absolutely disagree with this. At this point I will re-quote Jean Paul Sartre by saying “existence precedes essence” and to become more specific I will add that the world is NOT an abstract catholic quality which the individual passively perceives and analyses. Existence precedes it and therefore the landscape (or the soundscape) is a dynamic environment being constantly re-shaped and re-created depending on the position, will and intent of the individual. As a result the artist does indeed reveal unexpected sides of nature; outer or inner. I am really happy you asked me that question because a big part of my recent research has to do exactly with this. In 2012 I presented a paper at The Global Composition world soundscape conference in Dieburg, Germany. The paper titled “Audiopsy: Jerusalem” [https://soundcloud.com/luc-messinezis/audiopsyi-jerusalem-excerpt] explained the procedure I followed in order to produce an installation using field recordings of the city of Jerusalem. What is special about this piece of work is that the recordings were made from an existentialist point of view. The microphone was not passively receiving an absolute concrete reality but it pointed actively outwards, becoming a gesture that created its own reality based on the intent of the artist. The alternative approaches to creatively exploiting seemingly absolute qualities such as the landscape, the soundscape or even society or culture and their relationship to the individual, is my constant field of research.

lia - Montreal, Canada 2011

the time of listening to the work. Therefore I will disagree that the use of technology can lead to the betrayal of reality. Any kind of excess though [which for me is obsession], usually leads to narrow mind-ness. 77

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And I couldn't do without mentioning Day of the Butterfly [http://luc-messinezis.com/audiovisual/] that you have produced in collaboration with the artist Yiannis Brouzos and that has presented at Athens video art festival 2007... I personally find absolutely fascinating the collaborations that artists can establish together as you did, especially because this often reveals a symbiosis between apparent-ly different approaches to art... And I can't help without mention Peter Tabor who once said that "collabora-tion is working together with another to create something as a synthesis of two practices, that alone one could not": what's your point about this? Can you explain how your work demonstrates communication between two artists?

Collaborating is something very important in my career. It is as much a necessity as it is a desire. Several designs of mine would have never been realized if I had not collaborated with other artists. First of all I believe that one should know his own limits and in order to get the best results possible, help from an expert in another field an interview with should be asked. For example Yiannis Brouzos is a colleague and a friend and we have worked together a lot realizing together several of his designs or mine respectively. I have provided the audio content to some of his sculptures and he has helped me materialize and visually establish a lot of my works such as Eavesdropping: Crisis [Ethnographic Terminalia, Montreal 2011] But there are those times where two distinct disciplines through two different artists work like a counterpoint compo-sition; two independent horizontal move-ments seemingly unrelated that vertically create a perfect harmony; one single product that could have not existed other-wise. very good example of this is our presentation at Art Athina 2013 Art fair â&#x20AC;&#x153;Destination: Journeyâ&#x20AC;? [https://soundcloud.com/lucmessinezis/destination-journey-excerpt]. This Asound sculpture consisted of two completely different elements a sculpture (Yiannis Brouzos)

Destination: Journey @ Art Athina Art Fair - Athens

Luc Messinezis

and an audio tack (Myself) diffused by headphones that were attached to the sculpture. These two pieces of work were produced indepen-dently and yet the result of putting them together created a harmony and elevated both pieces as one in a way that we could not have expected. Thank you for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Luc. My last question deals with your future plans: what's next for you? Anything coming up for you professionally that you would like readers to be aware of?

This is a time of transition for me. I try to continue my research in philosophy and sound art as well as to establish a strong base for artworks that deal with psycho-geography and anthropology. Practice based research though is so much more difficult when there is no institution to provide relevant support (and I do not mean just financially) but I do not give up and hopefully it will all work out, or some people might get interested so that the findings may be delivered to a wider audience. My next anticipated presentation will probably be at Art Athina 2014 Art fair Festival as part of ARTia Gallery’s creative platform ”Emeis33”. I aim in creating a sound sculpture that deals with esotericism but at this stage and for the reasons I explained above, I will not comment further regarding the final outcome. Thank you very much for providing me this opportunity for expressing my thoughts and for the interest you’ve shown to me and my work.

Greece 2013

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Jacqijay

Carpe Noctem can be downloaded on Itunes.

01. I am a lover 02. Susana 03. Tropical shift 05. 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Oriental stamina Log fire - Stargazer Lust A dark romance Listen to me The sparkle … The hunted Apologize Escape society

This album counts 13 tracks and the listener should be aware that the grooves on this album have the power to seduce you in a distinctive way. Now’s the time to relax - Turn up the volume and enjoy!

http://www.jacqijay.com

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Jacqijay

An interview with

Jacqijay Hello Jacqijay and welcome to LandEscape. I would start this interview with my usual ice breaker question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art?

Thank you LandEscape for having me. Art for me, is a term that we use to describe something that has been made to excite one’s spirit, senses and mind. This can be done through beauty and/or originality. Literally, art can be found everywhere. It’s not just something you go and visit at an exposition or at an art fair, it is all around us. All we need to do is open up our eyes. Why don’t we take a staircase as an example: If it’s a wooden one, you should consider taking a closer look at it. Most probably, you are thinking that it is merely a staircase and that it was designed to be functional. Well, that’s correct, yes. How about questioning yourself how it was constructed? Why was it made out of this type of wood and how was the staircase assembled?

an interview with

Was the staircase made in a flash of a moment or did the carpenter devote his time using his craftsmanship, skills and knowledge to create something unique? If you look at this example, the staircase was built with a love for wood. Maybe you will disagree - but art has a functional aspect too. Maybe you will disagree - but art has a functional aspect too. Whether you are a goldsmith - creating a beautiful piece of jewellery, or maybe a sculptor holding a mallet and a chisel in your hands - We all have the power to create something original. That’s the beauty about art. It is a human extension of expression.

Jacquijay

always looking through the window thinking about all the stuff I needed to explore. Questioning why and how something got created - always made me curious and it still does. I was brought up by a single beautiful mum who had to work hard to keep the house running. Money always was a serious issue in my upbringing. In order to get around, My brother and I had to go to work and learn different skills. This has been an important lesson in my life. Adjusting to different situations and dealing with reality from a young age on - really had an impact on me. “I live to learn” - that’s what I tell myself every day and I take it serious with a smile on my face.

May I ask you something about your background? Are there any experiences that have particularly impacted on the way you make art nowadays and what lead you to produce your music this way? By the way, what's your opinion about formal training? Sometimes I ask myself if a certain kind of training could influence too much an artist... or even stifle his creativity...

I never was much of a good example at school. I was 82

Jacqijay Another aspect that influences my music is the lack of mystery in our Western culture. I feel like we are all trying to impress each other. Sharing as much information as possible through the social media. Once you start travelling - You will notice that there is so much more to life than meets the eye. We all have our customs and I’ve been fascinated how other cultures do things differently. I have no record deal and there is no agency that represents me. Music gives me a freedom to express and that’s how it should be when you are creating something personal. Sure, if a record label would offer me a contract, I would take their offer in consideration. But to what extent would I remain free to express myself? Formal training should help an individual discover and understand certain aspects of a craft. If the training has the intention to sparkle an area of creativity, then I think you can agree that it has a positive impact. As long as one can express freely in their own way, I don’t believe anything can be wrong with that. No matter who you are and what you create - You should always be honest to yourself. Once it is imposed - you can question the value of free creativity. I guess it all depends on your character. It doesn’t matter how you look at it, we all have our influences and that counts for people who have had the privilege of receiving a training and also for them who have been self-taught. Before starting to elaborate about your production, would you like to tell our readers something about your process and set up for making your works? In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on during your work? And how much preparation and time do you put in before and during the process of creating a piece?

Don’t we all go through phases in life? There are ups and downs and depending on the mood that I am in - reflects in the music that I make. My album ‘Carpe Noctem’ never was created to book any commercial success. I just had an urge to express myself and music gave me that opportunity. There are no strings attached to it and no obligations whatsoever. That’s the fun part of being independent. When I reminisce about the past, I vividly remember that there always was music being played at home. I’ve had my share of influen-

When a certain event or thought inspires me, I do some research about the subject. Let’s take my song ‘Susana’ as an example, you will notice that I am singing about a mysterious gypsy girl. I’ve met and dated beautiful women in my life but Susana is the girl that turned me inside out with her dark eyes and exotic style. When I started writing this song, I wanted to create a mood that captured the essence of the situation. That was the hard part. When you start producing a track you need to take all sorts of aspects in consideration: What will represent a good speed in bmp (beats per

and James Brown to Roxy Music and Grace Jones… 83

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Honestly, you should see me work… I am screaming it out! Then, the next day - when I get back to my track - I can’t hear the magic that made me so ecstatic the day before!. Aaarchh!!! I guess you could compare it to looking at a painting from too close. It helps to take a few steps back. Taking a break helps for me. Every day is different.

minute)? Texts need to fit into the production etc… Because I was dealing with an entire album, I wanted to keep the rawness that you hear throughout the album in this song. The story was the key element, the build up felt good and the nomadic sounds that I chose created the atmosphere. Once I found the right combination of sounds - I started building track layers on top and around them, always aiming to achieve the right balance that would help create the right feeling. The amount of time I spend on a track varies. On some songs I spend weeks, others less. It’s hard to make an estimate.

Concerning the technical aspect - you need to respect certain levels in the studio. Different layers of sounds can react in a very peculiar way and this can lead to quite a dilemma. Eliminating work is hard but it also allows me to stay focused. Other musicians that I know, tend to hold on to everything that they create. I can’t work like that. I like to maintain an over- view of what I am doing. It’s true that the work you eliminate could be useful for a next song - but whenever I start a new one - I just like to start with a clean slate.

It also happens that the production heads into another direction. This process is the tricky part as you create new possibilities that sound just as amazing. Working digitally allows me to experiment with so many vigorous sounds. All of them going through a process of being altered and adjusted until a perfect match is found. That’s all fine and dandy, except that It requires more time…

Now let's focus on your artistic production: I would like to start with your recent and interesting album entitled Carpe Noctem: would you tell us something about the genesis of this work? What was your initial inspiration? And what was the biggest challenge on this project?

Sometimes you just need to let go of what you are creating in excess. There are moments that I really dig what I am making.

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started. Initially, I wanted to make an album thathad a mysterious sound to it. Music that could unlock your dark side. Yeah, it had to be dark! I wanted to express a fantasy blended into a raw vibe. Then when I got to writing my songs, I couldn’t help myself writing seductive orientated texts. Above all, It felt good!

If you want to go for something in life - you need to persevere. You should never underestimate your own capacities. Don’t let anyone bring you down - What do they know?

Somehow - I’ve been able to express my lust and this has resulted in ‘Carpe Noctem’. So what, if the album has become sexually tainted. Do you honestly think I am the only one running around with an appetite for lust and seduction?

I would say that the music you create is nothing more than raw feelings and emotions. As all music is at some point, it's a progression from thought to action... I would like to ask you - if in your opinion your personal experience is an absolutely indispensable part of a creative process... Do you think that a creative process could be disconnected from direct experience?

You can reach your goal. All you have to find is dedication and passion. Once you get them to dance the tango together, magic happens.

Get out of here. It’s in our genes. We all have emotions and we all hold an intense desire for something. The biggest challenge here must have been the learning process. It is time consuming, especially when you have to do everything yourself. How can you settle for something if you’re not fully convinced it’s the way you want it to be? To what extent will you go for perfection? Not only was everything self-written, the programming, the vocals, the mixing and the music videos were all done by myself.

Yes indeed, I use my experiences in my music making. This work is way too personal. My songs are a reflection of what I am and what I have experienced in life. It’s all about expression. Everyone does it in their own way. In my case it happens to be music. When I read about artists that you have interviewed - I see all sorts of backgrounds with different experiences. Many of them being 85

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us getting a better idea of what our audiences are talking about. In my case, I wanted to get my music online available. In the making of, I found out that, once I had made a choice, there were quite a few interesting opportunities.

reflected in their work of art. Isn’t that just amazing?! However, you don’t need experience when you are creating something. That’s the great thing aboutinterview it. It all depends on what you are aiming an with for. Enrich yourself and dare to experiment! And yes, of course, the more frequent you keep yourself busy making something - the more experience you will gain. No matter what you take on in an artistic way - There is always a first time.

There are several options for musicians bringing out their music. Just look at Itunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, Beatport etc… They all offer musicians the possibility to spread their work. That’s just phenomenal - wouldn’t you agree? Social media allows us to stay connected on many grounds. Of course It has its pros and cons. We can argue about this subject for hours. Several platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow the public to interact with the artist. Communicating and getting feedback has never been easier. However, do take in consideration that the media also uses this medium. On one side, their presence is an advantage for artists. On the other hand, their opinion can be devastating - as it reaches so many people in such a short timelapse. The bigger the crowd - The more indispensable it becomes. It goes without saying that it is all about public accountability.

A piece of your own which I would like to spend some words on is ‘De aqui hasta el mar’ and I would suggest to our readers to visit your website directly at http://www.jacqijay.com to get a wider idea of your work... By the way, if we look at the online ecosystem, we are stricken by an enormously great number of web services that present works which are accessible for immediate feedback on a wide scale and attract massive attention. It goes without saying that this helps an artist to receive feedback...

The online possibilities definitely help getting exposure out there, there’s no question about it. From an artist’s perspective - we need to be thankful that we can use the internet as a tool. It helps us spread our work and yes, it surely helps 86

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It’s all wonderful if you are willing to use it and it’s hard to imagine - not having it at your disposal. I’m all in favour - as long as it doesn’t interfere with my private life.

find what they are looking for. Whether you are into Reggaeton, Industrial Rock or maybe Trip Hop… Digital technology is present! I don’t believe that people listen to only one genre. We listen to music that makes us feel good and our style shifts throughout the years. Music is always evolving. Just look and see what you were listening to - let’s say - ten years ago and compare it to what you are listening to now? Just the other day I was playing Depeche Mode. Their music still gives me goose bumps. They’ve been around since the begin of the eighties and no, not all of their songs appeal to me - but they sure have amazing stuff. Like many other groups Digital technology is present and it will be there in the future because it reaches out to so many people. The person who says that you can’t be a lover of Metal, Jazz and Electro, all at the same time, isn’t living in the present tense! People like variation. Just take a look at you music collection.

Your pieces are marked with an intense electronic feeling mixed to such a tribal touch, as in ‘I am a lover’. How has the usage of technologies as VSTi or ProTools impacted on your process? All in all, in these last years we have seen a great usage of digital technology, in order to achieve outcomes that was hard to get with traditional techniques: so I would like to know your point about this... do youthink that an excess of such techniques could lead to a betrayal of reality?

LandEscape, we are living in such an exciting new era! - Especially when it comes down to making music. With a limited budget, you can set up a studio and work from home. Do you know what the greatest advantage of it all is? You are free to come and go as you please. Yes, I work with digital technology. I also record acoustic instruments and mix them into my music. I love the endless possibilities. There are so many types of music using digital technology. The wide variety allows everyone to

What I can conclude about this is that as long as music can touch you, trigger a special emotion or get you in a specific mood - You should just accept and enjoy it. If you are open-minded, go and discover it. If music is good, it’s good - With or without digital techniques! 87

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I think that it's important to remark that you have shot the videos completely by yourself, in Devon, England... since our art review is called "LandEscape", we would like to stop for a moment to consider the "function" of the landscape, which most of the times seems to be just a passive background... I'm sort of convinced that some information & ideas are hidden, or even "encrypted" in the environ-ment we live in, so we need -in a way- to decipher them. Maybe that one of the roles of an artist could be to reveal unexpected sides of Nature, especially of our inner Nature... what's your point about this?

when I edited the footage. I just couldn’t believe it was me! The entire video was shot for 95% inside and when I started thinking about my second video, I felt it would be a good idea to shoot it outside in the nature. ‘De aqui hasta el mar’ tells the story in Spanish about how everyone around the world wants to dance. The title translates ‘From here until the sea’. There were these ideas that I had about the countryside, medieval ruins and of course a beautiful coastline. That’s how I ended up filming the video in Devon - South West England. To have a connection with my first video I transformed myself again and started running from dawn till dusk, not stopping until I reached the sea. I wanted to add some humour to the video so I shot myself pulling funny faces. After all, laughing is healthy.

I am drawn to nature. It makes me feel relaxed and I love nature sounds. Especially when I go running… The lyrics from ‘I am a lover’ - are about me being focused on a sexy girl… I wanted to highlight the contrast between my normal looks and my dark side. That’s where I came up with the idea of being black. Watching myself being transformed into a black person was quite amazing. The dark expressions came to life when I started making test shots. The biggest surprise was to be seen

As you can see, the video shows a beautiful unspoilt country. Just the way I had pictured it in my mind. They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It is true, beauty is subjective. 88

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A not young producer once told me that "when vanity and competition take center-stage in the music industry, we have real problems"... it goes without saying that feedbacks and especially awards are capable of supporting an artist, but I was just wondering if an award -or better, the expectation of an awardcould even influence the process of an artist... By the way, how important is it for you receiving feedback of your audience? Do you ever think about whom will enjoy your Art when you conceive your pieces?

I won’t deny the fact that if you do receive an award for your work - you are recognised (at least in the bubble that you sojourn or reside in) and that’s just great.. An award is like the icing on the cake. Be happy and enjoy the compliment. Thank you for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Jacqijay. My last question deals with your future plans: what's next for you? Anything coming up for you professionally that you would like to share with our readers?

Sure, feedback and awards can be useful. (Especially for those who crave recognition…) To be honest, just let me do my thing and I’m happy.. I have learned that if you don’t expect to much and you are thankful for what you’ve got you can be the happiest person around. Award or no award! Be my guest - Share your thoughts about my work - But please have the courtesy to show some respect. An award shouldn’t influence your process. Just keep your feet on the ground and keep them there because once you allow vanity on the scene you start losing your grip on reality, resulting in different consequences.

You’re welcome, the pleasure has been all mine. Now come a little bit closer... I want to whisper something in your ear... I have a new album scheduled for May 2014. Get ready because it is going to provoke you musically like you've never been provoked before. I’ll be posting updates on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Jacqijay Feel free to stay tuned. Thank you for your interest. 89

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Justine Blau (France) An artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement

with gathered photographic data found on the web and in publications, to create photographic montages, sculptures, installations and videos. I am fascinated by the way the Internet nowadays structures our way of seeing and of comprehending the world around us. Both the Internet and the photographic lens have enabled us to see things, which were once unthinkable, giving life to this unusual external gaze. Strangely enough more we seem to see and comprehend, less earthbound do we seem to become. Many of my works evolve around the landscape, though my main subject remains us, human beings, as I am interested in the landscape as a mental construction and how this is translated into photographs, aerial views, maps, diagrams, etc.

What Color Is The Red Planet, Really? Photography 2013, 300 x 700cm

Through my pieces I like to explore the ideas behind nature, which are endowed with notions of archetype and origin, as well as foreign and exotic. What may we qualify as nurtured and what as natural? When does something stop from being perceived as natural? I often gather photographs available on the web to create archetypal or generic landscapes, which exist as sculptures and illusionary photographs. The process of making these sculptures is very slow, in opposition to the flow of digital information. The rendering is a

90 x 120 cms, 2010 The Circumference of the invitation to the voyage to the travelers and commuters of Manchester Piccadilly Station. The work constituted of a series of nine light boxes territories, located all around the world. Though what at first appear to be picturesque views of sunburned deserts, lush jungle, puffing volcanoes and high mountain peaks are actually constructed fantasy worlds that the artist has created by means of photographs found on the web. The images are

crafty clumsiness and kitschiness. These landscapes do follow a certain figurative art tradition, but I am actually more interested in the way we nowadays engage with nature while entering the alleged anthropogenic era. The Circumference Of

which were then shot in a studio environment to create an optical illusion. The project is an exploration of visual imageries #196 connected to the very actWinter of 'traveling'. The images 90

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(Commission Cna, Dudelange - Photo credt: Romain Girtgen)

nature. Homo Faber is a video installation made of found imageries that depict wild and natural landscapes encountering a transformation through the use of Photoshop. Following the movement of the ‘mouse’, the viewers can observe an animation unfolding in front of their

take as inspirations, drawings and paintings made during expeditions to new worlds, with the like of Columbus and Cook, a time when Europeans started trawling throughout the world in search of new territories. The photos represent natural environments that bear little signs of human presence, hinting towards the possibility of an untouched land in its primal state. The pictures, by their very nature, sway between the worlds of reality and fiction, culture and nature. Located in a train station, a place associated to transit and voyage, the photographs mimic the visual language of tourism billboards, fulfilling our thirst

the ground. Stones are piling up, twigs are weaving together and leaves are flying off the ground to form structures that take up many various forms, from shelter, urban construction, fence to religious totem. The work looks at nature when undergoing the process of civilization, the step when nature becomes culture. The miniature space of the photograph – window to

places, devoid of signs of modernity. The photographs play with striking imageries asso-ciated to travel, and do not only play with our idea of exoticism, but also our ambiguous relationship to

offers ground to play, to replicate human’s disposition to play God. 91

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Justine Blau

An interview with

Justine Blau Hello Justine, and welcome to LandEscape. I would start this interview with my usual introductory question: what in your opinion defines a work of Art? And moreover, what could be the features that mark the contemporariness of an artwork?

This is an interesting question, especially at a time when anybody can be an artist, and anything can be an artwork. And on the other hand, when artworks can hit millions. Already when we solely focus on the visual arts, the works are so polymorphous and multidisciplinary, it is quite fascinating. To me an artwork should take you on a journey and allow a pause in the stream of daily life. It is a place for ponder, emotions and maybe some extra-vagance. Works of art are what characterizes us, as human beings. They carry the DNA of the epoch we live in. They interview are the mirrors of who we are as a person and an with as a civilization. And there is also the artwork, which the artist produces and the artwork the viewer takes ownership of. This is never the same object.

Justine Blau, photo by Mark Terry

What I like about the visual arts is its non-verbal form, especially in the society of verbose that is ours, where everything is reasoned and identified with words. I like to believe in some form of transcendentality in the unsaid.

way of connecting to life and thus have drastically modified the way we are making art. New forms of expressions keep looming.

Whatever we opt for, any artwork currently produced is contemporary, it may borrow elements from the past but then in this case it works as a reference, a pastiche or a nostalgic statement. Of course most of it will not make it through history, but they are all witnesses of a period. The contemporariness of a piece is defined by techniques and themes in line with the times, they may be societal, philosophical or political and borrow from the humanities and science.

Would you like to tell us something about your background? Are there any experiences that have particularly impacted on the way you produce your art nowadays? By the way, I've read that you took part to the collective project ArtRole in Kurdistan-Iraq, with other artists from UK: would you like to tell us something about this experience?

I share two nationalities, the Luxembourgish one and the French, and I have lived abroad for almost half of my life, for instance I am currently based between Luxembourg and Berlin. I think this dual nationality, this nomadic life, as well as

An artwork is also marked by the technologies made available at the time, for instance the fast moving IT technologies have radically changed our 92

Justine Blau between the Middle East and the West. These years within this project were very intensive and informative. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were going on, and there was this distorted vision of the Muslim world, which the media and the politicians were feeding. The Iraqi artists were very isolated and were thriving to connect with a world that they could mainly bond through books and the internet. The British and American artists were able to find out about the history of the place and to get to know a culture, which was alien to them as so little is shared about it in our world. This was a very strong experience and I am happy to see that ArtRole is still running nowadays I then moved to London for a Masters in sculpture at Wimbledon College of Art, the access to such high profile galleries and museums in the capital city was very enriching. The scene is very international there, so you are in contact with different trends and aesthetics. It did allow me to embrace ideas on figurativeness, spectacle and beauty in a formal and conceptual way. Elements that seemed taboo during my original fine art studies in France, where some of the leading references remained Guy Debord and Marcel Duchamp. Before starting to elaborate about your artistic production, would you like to tell to our readers something about your process and set up for making your artworks? In particular, what technical aspects do you mainly focus on your work? And how much preparation and time do you put in before and during the process of creating a piece?

the various locations I have set foot in, have affected my perspective on things and my way of making art. There are recurrent themes in my work and here are some keywords that seem to hover a lot around me: identity, foreignness, borders, exoticism, nature and origin.

I never start just like this playing with materials to see where it is going to lead. I wish sometimes I could be like this. I need my ideas to be clear before starting making an artwork, so there are moments of idleness, or actually that seem idle to me where I am actually gathering thoughts and ideas, and then I have periods of intensive production. There are subjects that itch me and I know I want to make a work on them, however the route I will take to give shape to these ideas can sometimes be hazardous and sometimes very spontaneous. I do cherish these “Eureka” moments. A sentence, an observation, a comment, a radio show, an article, another artwork, an opera can produce this desire to realize a piece and give clues to the shape it shall

I have always worked alongside my practice and these employments have helped me to think further on the notion of the “foreigner”, of the “other”. When I arrived in the UK I worked as an interpreter for asylum seekers for a while, I also taught photography to young people and adults with some learning disabilities. I then developed ArtRole with Adalet Garmiany, who as a Kurdish Iraqi artist wanted to set up an organization, which would enable educational and cultural links 93

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Homo Faber, detail

take. Sometimes several of them with help me to solve the jigsaw. Then there is the period of production, I do sketch and build small models, but very little, it is mainly while making that things come together.

Homo Faber Video, 2011-13,

For me it is important to know that the creative process is fluid and can be rewound. In the recent years I have also decided to develop my collage technique and to articulate new ideas around that way of making. I like to be able to rely on a technique skill, it is very comforting. Another reason is that the making process is very laborious, so the production leads to new ideas, where I am aiming to push some boundaries around it. Though I like to remain open to any form of forms.

Android tablets, size and duration varies

when starting this stimulating project?

Homo Faber constitutes a series of android tablets where animations are being revealed in which interventions on various natural sites are taking place. These frantic activities have been generated, by reinventing the basic copy & paste technique in Photoshop. There is a fascinating sense of threedimensionality that occurs by doing so.

I can spend a long time on a piece, several months of production for some collages. And then I like to counterbalance with some more spontaneous Haiku-type pieces

The photographs all originate from Flickr and are all places that have ‘Paradise’ as a toponym. The landscapes are devoid of any signs of human presence, however many of these sites are actually highly touristic and overbuilt places and I like the ambiguity that exists between reality, the name and the photographer’s intention. #196 Winter

Now let's focus on your artworks: I would like to start with “Homo Faber”, an interesting video installation that our readers have started to admire in these pages. Could you take us throughthrough your creative process 94

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Photo: Gudrun Bechet-Bartberger. Copyright centres d'art NLDL/Ville de Dudelangee

tions are done with humor and some of them allude to real human endeavors. The animations are all displayed side by side on a wall and viewer can follow the movement of the ‘cursor’, to see man-made structures taking shape. Stones are being piled up, twigs are being weaved together and leaves do fly off the ground. They form shelters, ruins, bridges, trees, barriers, land art masterpieces, sculptures, etc. To me the work reveals nature undergoing the process of civilization.

Photo: Gudrun Bechet-Bartberger. Copyright centres d'art NLDL/Ville de Dudelange

As you have remarked, the landscapes in "Homo Faber" slowly undergo a Photoshop intervention: how big is the impact of digital technologies as digital editing in your process? By the way, do you think that nowadays there still exists a dichotomy between art and technology? I would go as far as to say that in

I am interested with our relationship to nature, and the myths that evolve around it. I am also interested in the fine line when nature becomes culture. My intention was to play with the notion of “lost paradise”, virtually interfering in these raw environments with my mouse, as the man did when starting colonizing the planet. I like to compare the space of the photograph to a space of land, especially as the virtual world has changed the way we relate to space and photographs in general. There is also this strange similitude with the way land and photographs are evolving, becoming more and more these privatized, for which one have to pay to have access to. These are the thoughts that lead to the piece. Even though this may sound quite earnest, the ac-

Photo: Sebastian Grisey

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Justine Blau

a way Science is assimilating Art and viceversa... what's your point about this?

My work is very much concerned with the impact of the media and the digital age on the arts and our daily life. It is a running theme, especially in relation to the photographic medium. I have for instance found writings on that issue by people like Marshall Mc Luhan or Jean Baudrillard as eye opening and very inspiring. When I work around the Curiosity pictures of Mars, I question what we are actually looking at, and what instruments we are relying on to be able to “see” this landscape. For Homo faber as I earlier said, for me I was arguing that “space”, as an economy and a territory can only be apprehended differently in the digital era. We just need to think of Second Life where virtual land can be acquired with the local Linden currency that has as much value in our tellurian world. The virtual world and the real world are one and a same place, but the digital media have offered possibilities of extension. Art and technology have always gone hand in hand, since the birth of humanity. We, as artists can only work with the technological means made available antheinterview with we can also see that at time being. However the resulting change in culture and fashion helps projections in the future that will require new technological answers. It is a bit of an egg and chicken situation. Regarding the digital technology, the advent of photography in the early nineteenth century was the stepping stone for it, it affected the artistic production in terms of looking and making, and had a true impact on people’s life. In the 20th

What Color Is The Red Planet, Really? Photography 2013, 300 x 700cm

would like to stop for a moment to consider the "function" of the landscape, which most of the times seems to be just a passive background... I'm sort of convinced that some informations & ideas are hidden, or even "encrypted" in the environment we live in, so we need -in a way- to decipher them. Maybe that one of the roles of an artist could be to reveal unexpected sides of Nature, especially of our inner Nature... what's your point about this?

century, we have had the computer and all the revolving digital technologies that came to life, and this is just the beginning. This lead us to another work of yours on which I would like to spend some words: "What Color is The Red Planet, Really?" which depicts a wide Martian landscape made with pictures recovered during NASA's space missions. A feature that I recognize in this piece and that is recurrent in other works of your as the Mountain series, is the perception of the common in our environment and the challenging of it in order to create a new multitude of points of views: since our art review is called "LandEscape", we

I fully agree. I am actually interested in the cultural landscape, the way we set our eyes onto it, how the landscape is a fabricated notion, because the moment we are able to think and analyze, we are capable of dissociating ourselves from our natural environment. There is the dichotomy human and nature, which seems so 96

Justine Blau their original version. The Mountains series are sculptures made with an image of a mountain summit, which I have printed several times to recreate one single generic peak. They are displayed in a dome, as they belonged to another world and remind us a bit of collectables of ancient natural history museums. Via this work I am wondering what remains to be discovered on our planet. I am also pondering on how we really experience nature, these sculptures seem so familiar, but have no real location, they are the idea of what one makes of a mountain, a sublime version of it. A human version.

(Commission Cna, Dudelange - Photo credt: Romain Girtgen)

obvious to us, but what does it imply? What is nature? What was nature? I recently learnt that through archeological diggings, we have found out that the Amazon is a man made forest, and not a primary one as we originally suggested. This is very destabilizing. Maybe it is the same dilemma as the virtual world and the real world: in one hand in opposition, on the hand forming one. I have started making 3d collages made with photographs as I was interested in recreating a kind of life-like diorama model with photographs found on the Internet, questioning modern relationships to travel and exoticism. I was myself surprised by the illusionary effect of the end result. The photographs seemed so organic and natural, and felt even more like substitutes of

Mountain (white) Sculpture, 2012 Glass dome, digital prints, staples, h: 60cm, w:30cm

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Atlas, Bookwork, 2013, Emproidery pattern, Digital print, 30 x 22 cm

“In what Color is the red Planet, Really?” I have recreated three Mars landscapes with photos found on the NASA’s website. The title stemmed from an article where the real colours of Mars were called into question, arguing that the technologies were unstable and each photograph of the planet came up with different hues. They also disclosed that the NASA does photoshop some of its photographs to give them a “natural look”. There my first intuition was how do we know, as we only rely on external technologies to see them? I was offered by the Centre National d’Audiovisuel in Luxembourg to

create an artwork for a large lightbox display in their building. The lightbox was fitted in a wall and reminded me of a display window, such as in old zoological sections in museums. I wanted to recreate a parallel landscape. I also wanted to use archival documents, as the CNA promotes photography but is also active in generating a database of what constitutes our visual history. I wanted it to be about the now and history, Mars and its very busy rover Curiosity #196 Winter became the obvious subject. Curiosity had recently 98

Justine Blau By the way, as we can see in "Atlas", you often use material ”found” materials: not to mention that this is nowadays a very common practice. The feature that mostly amazes me of this kind of projects is the capability of trascending the substance of the materials, discoverig in them other meanings... Folks often wonder about the personal contribution of the artist, in such case... it goes without saying that also white canvas, acryls tube and pencil, they are all material that already exists... roaming and scavenging through "found" material to might happens to discover unexpected sides of the world, maybe an hidden order underneath of our inner world... and maybe the answers to the questions that this interesting work poses to us: Where is the border, where is the surface, where is the country?

The notion of hidden or inner world you are referring to speaks to me, not every artist uses found materials with this prospect in mind, however I recognize myself in this, a quest for something spectacular and unreal. I mainly work with found imageries, not so often objects. Or maybe I shall preferably say found “signs”. This is where the “border”, the “surface” and the “country” can be found, as trough my actions these words are challenged and have multilayered meanings. Your mind creates new analogies, your eyes are confused with the play of scale, your emotions can be of awe or discomfort. All this comes into play when you watch the pieces and it is a very personal journey. Atlas, Bookwork, 2013

I like to build links and connections between ideas and things, therefore the techniques of collage and assemblage do suit me well. What does it imply to tear a photograph, what does it mean to transform skin photographs into embroidery patterns? I could use paint, canvas or pencils to express myself but would not know where to start, I have also never learnt to make art in such a way. I recently watched a documentary on Marx Ernst talking about his collages, and he explained his process with his fear of the white canvas. I think many artists working with assemblage or reutilization of existing materials will recognize themselves in this. I also can’t and I am not sure it would appeal to me. I enjoy distorting reality. Found materials or never neutral, nor unequivocal, they are emblematic of a culture and a society, of

Emproidery pattern Digital print, 30 x 22 cm

landed on Mars adorned with seventeen different cameras by the NASA. Very quickly on a weekly basis, images came to us from this remote planet via press, making it look so familiar and natural. We all seem to know Mars, even though no human being hay yet set foot on it. I used the available NASA colour archives going back to the 70th to create this vision we have of Mars, so real, though also so fabricated. This also reveals how complex and ambiguous our relationship to landscape and nature has become. 99

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a system and a discourse. Just one little tweak and a whole new perspective comes to light. In our society, images are used to show & communicate, but sometimes also in order to create an illusory nature, and often even with socio political aims... and even though I'm aware that days could play an effective role not only making aware public opinion, but I would go as far as to say that nowadays Art can steer people's behavior... what's your point about this? And what could be in your opinion the role that an artist could play in our society?

I would hope so, and this is a question that often crosses my mind. Though when I look at the art market I feel that it is so simple to asepticise an artwork and annihilate its essence. Another threat is the abundance of images nowadays which often borrow from the arts however these are often gimmicks and I am afraid that many people cannot differentiate one another, as they do almost identical. We also have the cult of the artist nowadays and many people will glorify some artists just because it is the taste of the moment. Images remain very powerful tools, I am myself subjugated by them, but I try to hold a critical eye. I have run workshops with youngsters around our usage of images and I am surprised to see how much they take them as face value, there is not question on the source nor on the manipulation. However I believe in the power of an artwork to steer emotions and thoughts that can lead to actions of some form. We then carry them an in ourinterview memories. Thewith Internet has become a fascinating place for discovering art, a very democratic platform in compa-rison to what happens in institutions. However I do become more and more appreciative of the pace of an art exhibition in a museum, slow and silent and sometimes arduous. This contrasts with the Internetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pace. There is also the materiality of the object, the emptiness of the space and there is time for you to connect with the pieces and to live it out as an experience. In regards to the artist role in society, it is strange to see that more and more artists are getting hired for tasks as varied as to enable some economical and political structures to communicate their data better, to give form to abstract concepts in science and social science, to educate people, to reinsert criminals, to work with architects, to conceptualize future life on Mars, etc. Their outsider gaze, their individuality and their creative mind is appreciated. These are great opportunities, as long there is no instrumentalisation, and as long as art will exist for simply being art. I regards to art practice I am becoming slightly concerned about how generic art has become, with many works looking so similar, as a consequence of the media, of globalization and the art market. In London and Berlin I have discovered interesting independent groups of individuals, which address themselves to smaller audiences with no massive media exposure requested. I think such raw

Forest (Green), Sculpture, 2012 Glass vitrine, digital prints, polystyrene,

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Justine Blau and authentic practices that reject the mainstream are truly important. This is a note to myself. So far your works have been exhibited in several occasions: you have recently had your solo Los primeros emprendores at the Galerie Toutouchic, in Metz and moreover, you have been awarded from the Arts Council England and the Centre National dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Audiovisuel ... It goes without saying that feedbacks and especially awards are capable of supporting an artist, I was just wondering if an award could even influence the process of an artist... what' your point about this? By the way, how much important is for you the feedback of your audience? Do you ever think to whom will enjoy your Art when you conceive your pieces?

I do often wonder, what are the consequences of making my artworks visible to others. As there are consequences. I think the moment you decide to make it visible you change your way of apprehending things. Feedback is rare, too rare I would say. The most honest feedback I am getting is by fellow artists. And sometimes a review can be enlightening. I have also had some very spontaneous reactions by audiences during openings, which were heartwarming and insightful, it is amazing when one see that the work can move. It is also interesting to hear the description of what people see or feel, as sometimes it is very remote from my original intention. I do not really think to whom is addressed the work. I guess it is for everybody, I like it to be open and to allow people in. The audience is important. I see myself a bit like a storyteller. I like the work to surprise, to discomfort, to trigger emotions. But being a visual artist is quite a solitary activity, as one creates in a remote environment. I guess, I also like the mental journey to reach a piece. In regards to your comment on the role of awards, to me there are two types of awards, the financial ones that allow you to produce an artwork and give you some legitimacy, and can open you doors in terms of exhibitions, participations and press. And then the other ones, which are more of a praise of the art world; they usually give visibility and help to increase the interest by professionals in the art. The ones I have received were out of the first category and have helped me to produce works, which otherwise would have remained invisible due to the costs. Thank for your time and for sharing with us your thoughts, Justine. My last question deals with your future plans: what's next for you?

Thank you for asking me these questions, it was very stimulating. In 2014 I will be part of Plat(t)form 2014 at the Fotomuseum Winterthur in Switzerland, which brings together photographers and artists working around photography with professionals in photography to discuss their work. There will also be a presentation to the public. A good occasion to get some interesting feedback by other people. There are also several exhibitions planned in Luxembourg and Belgium.

pins, stables, h: 240cm, l: 120cm, w: 70cm

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