Fantasy projects 01 [
Unrealised concepts for murals and installations designed during the Covid19 epidemic Remi Rough ]
I paint for a living. Actually I paint because I love it. At the start of this extraordinarily unprecedented time in lockdown due to the Covid19 pandemic everything changed and many things stopped. I noticed my friend and studio neighbour Ian Davenport post an incredible animated drip rendering on Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim New York and was immediately inspired to do some of my own fantasy concepts. I am no stranger to rendering artwork onto photographs of buildings as part of the initial process of mural commissions, however, they are never buildings specifically of my choosing so I decided to change that dynamic. Things that I have discovered during this time are that I have a complete love of concrete, an even stronger love for Japanese architecture and architects and that I am missing painting walls. I have also discovered some incredible buildings and phenomenally talented architects and designers during this journey. I am fortunate enough to be able to still access my studio and to have the skills and the tools to create things like this book. Times have changed and may never be the same again. I don’t know how the world will look after this and how life will be. I hope that we will have learnt from our mistakes and that we will change for the betterment of ourselves, our communities and our planet - I know that I have begun to already. I am appreciating so many things I didn’t prior to this pandemic, like gazing at the stars, catching sight of the satellites moving around in the night sky and seeing animals roam more freely because there is less traffic and fewer people on the streets. I am lucky enough to still be working and adapting to this new landscape and I will continue to do so because we all need creativity in our lives and the world of art will continue, perhaps in a new shape and form. To quote Ian Davenport “If we can’t physically do them at least we can still dream!” To quote Ian Davenport “If we can’t physically do them at least we can still dream!” - Remi Rough _
Artwork by Ian Davenport The Guggenheim Museum New York, USA Designed by Frank LLoyd Wright _
Remi and his creative work have always been at home in the world of Architecture, he fits right in, why? Great architecture attempts to retain the vitality and immediacy of the initial sketch, harder said than done, and this may be why Remi’s artwork sits so well in the context of the built environment. Like the architect’s initial sketch, Remi’s work remains vibrant, animated and alive, it reflects the DNA of architectural design at its best. Even In the context of the most conservative architecture his formal composition and colour, applied to the facades, shouts ‘why so serious?’ Remi’s work throws down the gauntlet to architecture to stay fresh and stimulating, it is a battle cry for architecture to capture the imagination and never be less than this exciting. There is a dexterity to Remi’s armament of forms that can dance effortlessly across walls and windows alike, or project at a diagonal trajectories across an otherwise passive wall plane. Architecture needs more artists like Remi. While Remi’s work is prolific, don’t let that mislead you, these forms are sophisticated, instinctive, intelligent and ultimately balanced compositions. This ability comes from a huge effort on the artist’s part, try adding a line or additional colour onto any of Remi’s finished compositions and you’ll only find imbalance the result, these are highly tuned and sophisticated artworks. Remi’s work also isn’t just surface, it aspires to create its own space and volume, it has architectural depth. Since renaissance times architects have attempted to create the illusion of space and distance on a flat surface through the mathematical system of linear perspective. The vanishing point and its visual rays are the principle organizing strategy of perspective. The dynamic overlaid lines in Remi’s compositions work often intersect beyond the limits of their canvas extending the influence of the visual rays in perspective. Each particular artwork therefore becomes a window into a larger unseen compositional world of Remi’s. Like the architectural visionaries Superstudio in the late 60’s one can imagine a global network of laylines connecting all of Remi’s individual artworks into a singular compositional whole. This book is a celebration of the creative opportunities that can exist when we are able to free ourselves from distinct categories, and instead see the immense possibilities cross discipline collaborations can give the world. - Max Connop (Global design principal Aedas) _
01. Tate Modern, Blavatnik building London, UK Designed by Herzog and de Meuron _
02. The Ulster Museum Belfast, Northern Ireland Designed by Francis Pym _
03. The Museo Maxxi Rome, Italy Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects _
04. The Denver Art Museum Denver CO, USA Designed by Daniel Libeskind _
05. The ICA VCU Richmond VA, USA Designed by Steven Holl Architects _
06. Shenzhen (MOCAPE) Shenzhen, China Designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au _
07. MO Museum (MO muziejus) Vilnius, Lithuania Designed by Daniel Libeskind _
08. The F Town building Sendai, Japan Designed by Atelier Hitoshi Abe _
09. The R•Torso•C house Tokyo, Japan Designed by Atelier Tekuto _
010. ‘It took a fucking long time for me to climb this high’ Skip Gallery London, UK Skip Gallery concept by Baker&Borowski _
011. The wall in White Cube Bermondey’s courtyard London, UK _
012. The Ibere Camargo Foundation Porto Alegre, Brazil Designed by Alvaro Siza _
013. The Forum Hong Kong, China Designed by Keith Griffiths, Aedas _
014. Casa Sulla Morella Castelnovo di sotto, Italy Designed by Andrea Oliva _
015. Turner Contemporary Margate, UK Designed by David Chipperfield Architects _
016. White Cube, Mason’s Yard London, UK Designed by Rundell Associates _
017. Koenig Gallery Berlin, Germany Designed by Arno Brandlhuber _
018. The vertical house Tokyo, Japan Designed by Muji Global _
019. Crystal shaped private residence Pliezhausen, Germany Designed by Steimle Architekten _
020. Shirokane House Minato-ku, Japan Designed by MDS Architects _
021. Polaria aquarium Tromsø, Norway Designed by JAF Arkitektkontor _
022. Lisson Gallery, 67 Bell Street London, UK Designed by Tony Fretton _
023. House folded residence Osaka, Japan Designed by Alphaville Architects _
024. Himeji observatory house Himeji, Japan Designed by KINO Architects _
025. Private residence interior Monterray, Mexico Designed by Tadao Ando _
Fantasy projects 01 [
Unrealised concepts for murals and installations designed during the Covid19 epidemic Remi Rough ] _
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Design and concept - Remi Rough - remirough.com remirough.com @remirough
Typfaces used - DIN-Light, DIN Light Italic, DIN Medium Italic and DIN Bold Texts - Max Connop, global design principal Aedas, Hong Kong and Remi Rough Printed by Ripe Digital - ripedigital.co.uk Thank you to Max Connop, Michelle Morgan, Charley Peters and Ian Davenport Š 2020 ]
© REMI ROUGH 2020