TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK
MASK
The masks I make have slowly changed into what they are today. My masks are solely created for the street. They have to be strong and simple to make. The easier they are to make, the more I can do which means I can try new ideas more often. I'll try to do something a little different every time I create one. Different colours, dripping or blending paint. I even gold leafed one recently. HOW DID THE IDEA START? You know what, when I first started making masks I was at a real low point in my life. My life at work was shit; my life at home was shit. I was so stressed I couldn’t sleep. The hell never ended. In that moment I got really creative. I guess I was just trying to find enjoyment again. Art is an expression of the self. My masks with the drips from the eyes, that’s me crying. I’ve moved on from that now. I got my life sorted out and you can tell by looking at how the masks have changed. The most recent ones have brighter colours and are not so depressive looking. That really is a piece of me I'm putting up on the walls. WHY? I’m into it now. I love the feeling of actually doing something. It just comes from an urge to create. If other people love it or hate it that’s not so important to me. I just want to get out there and show everyone my artwork. I’m very active, I’m very creative and I want to have a go at everything. Right now this is what I’m doing. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHERE TO PUT THEM UP? When I first started going out during the night I would be a little nervous so I’d head for chill spots where I knew I could stick them up easily without being seen. Now I've had a lot of experience I’m pretty cool about it all. I'll know roughly where I want to go but basically now I’ll just have 9 or 10 masks prepared with all the tools I need and head out. I'll wonder around and stick them where I get an opportunity. ARE YOU INVOLVED IN ANY OTHER ART STYLES? Well I used to be a writer. I did a lot of graff a few years ago. I learned a lot from it. Combining straight lines, curves, matching colours, shapes, angles. The motivations of graffiti are everywhere. I can see graff in plants, in trees in fact it’s all over the natural world. If you look closely at a flower the colours and shapes would be good to use or you can look from a distance. Say, the shapes of different countries could inspire something. Architecture, sports cars etc. The motivation for it really is endless. Unfortunately graffiti is still very much an unacceptable anti social art form. Joe public just doesn’t like it. SO IT WAS JUST GRAFFITI YOU WERE INVOLVED IN? No a couple of years ago I was doing paintings on canvas. Using just brushes with acrylic paint, inspired by graff I developed a style of blending colours against continuous, flowing curves. The paintings were very beautiful. Also importantly, I had never seen anything like them before so I knew the style was totally mine. It’s important to be original I think. I made a nice collection of paintings and had them displayed in a couple of galleries and even had some put up in a wine bar. That place was the best I sold 6 in 6 weeks from there. Ultimately though I find it much more exciting to go out in the middle of the night putting up my art for everyone to see. Not just art gallery, wine bar types. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? Who knows?! If any good opportunities arise then I’ll welcome with open arms but for now I’m happy making and experimenting with masks. I'll be trying out new colour combinations and facial expressions defiantly. I recently carved up a nice scary pig face. It’s cool and I’ve made a few but really they're too much work for the street. They take ages to finish and considering I’ve got to creep around long distances at night time they're fuckin heavy. So I guess the future as far as my masks are concerned is better quality, nicer finish and more of them spread further around London. Actually London’s not the only city I’ve put them up. It would be cool to get them international also. It's a slow process, but that’s where I’m heading.
MASK@thecreativetimes.co.uk
Urban Art In Profile Name
1 OV 1
Sex
Male
Age
Unknown
Education
No
Habitat
Street / Urban
Styles Freestyle with paint, ink, charcoal, oil, (both engine and the more conventional paint), seemingly anything available. You don’t need to see my face
From classic still life depictions in oil, carefully applied to street furniture, through to SAMOesque howlings on walls and abandoned shore / ditch flotsam and jetsam, 1OV1 has a style and attitude that spits in the eye, and lovingly wipes our brow, all in a single gesture. Contemptuous of stencils, paste ups, posters, limited edition prints, or any other reprographic process, each piece is unique. Literally, 1 OV 1. Raw and uncrushably underclass, 1OV1 is Wayny OV Leeds, Daz OV Donny, Scum OV Society, poured into the mould of the fist of poverty, and smashed out with venom. One can’t help but feel that 1OV1 paints not because he can, but because he thinks he can’t. Doomed to the failure of his class, even his attempts at un art, anti art, are so ignorant as to become iconic, capturing the innocence within the artist, whose work has now become, despite (because of?) his own obstructive-ness, increasingly collectable, with even small pieces selling for hundreds of pounds. An outsider amongst outsiders, 1OV1 is a perfect example of the slum street / urban folk art sub genres, with a don’t take shit, don’t give a shit style that’s enough to brighten up the deepest of recessions. Apparently, he also does very nice watercolours.
1OV1 enquiries to: editor@thecreativetimes.co.uk
You need to Face face Yourself yourself
Old traditional and hot young modern make the most fabulous and curious bed mates. As anyone with access to the internet will know. Soooo……In order to keep the Ying Yang balance of traditional and contemporary art in a state of harmony thereby ensuring all beings are happy and free from suffering, I go see my man Dominic at Langham Gallery, Lambs Conduit Street. The first time I met Dominic, my girlfriends dog licked his sandwich, so I guess the wheels of Karma have come around and there’s one less person on my Sorry About That Mate list. Because Dominic’s an alright guy, and I like him, and his gallery is a very nice place to visit. And I am forgiven.
Sir William Russell Flint "Witch In Red Slippers" No one buy it. You can buy the others, but not this one. I like this one.
Langham Gallery specialises in classical art, from the 19thand 20th century. I confess to being a bit vague on this front, but every time I visit Dom, usually a couple of times a month, I like what I see. I’ve actually got my eye on a piece myself, ‘Witch in Red Slippers’ a really nice give from Sir William Russell Flint.
Buy this instead. Humphrey Jennings (1903 – 1950) 1942 “odalisque” oil on canvass 13.5 x 17 inches. (Are inches still legal? Tender.)
How long have you been in the art scene Dom, and what changes have you seen over the last decade? I've been in the art world for the last 13 years. (Curating 2 West End galleries and then setting up on his own). The main changes I've seen in the last decade are the explosion in prices of modern works and the change in direction the auction houses have taken. The large auction houses (Sotheby's, Christies and Bonhams) are now retail outlets themselves rather than auctioneers. Who are the big names and favourites in that genre, is it as fast moving as contemporary art, what's the score with the scene? Is there a score? Or is the score the scenery? Like cricket. With tea breaks and gentlemanly conduct. At times like this I know sweet jack dick about art. If only Sheffield Hallam hadn’t barred me from the campus I’d have less of this ignorant knowledge to spread around like so much farmyard deliciousness. Go on, tell us about the art, I’ll briefly still my frivolous tongue . That means it’s your turn to speak. Off you go. The big names in my field are Victorian landscape painters like Sidney Rich- Nice juxtaposition of the young dominating the old. Oops. Wrong magazine again. XXX ard Percy and Alfred de Breanski and early 20th century artists like Eduoard Photography by Nick Delaney. Nice. Leon Cortes and Antoine Bouvard. My favourite, however, is little known artist called Henry Pether. He specialised in moonlit scenes of the Thames and Venice. He died at the age of 37 (having spent the last 6 years of his life in the workhouse) so he never produced a serious body of work. I tend to see only 1 or 2 of his works a year. Poor bastard. Paints beautiful. Typical. He should’ve gone street. Ahh well. Karma, eh. I hope he enjoys seeing his work in print in The Creative Times. What do you think to the urban and street art scene? Have you been tempted to get involved? I am very interested in the urban and street art scene. I think some of the artists are doing some very exciting and innovative things. I would like to be more involved but I think you really need to know your stuff before dipping your toe in the water. (I suggest studying tct for up coming talent. We don’t just know the score. We make the score. Up.) So if you fancy a taste of the more civilised echelons of the art market, go see Dom the gent at Langhams. Just don’t buy my painting. That’s all. Buy a Henry Pether. Langham Gallery . 34 Lamb Conduit Street . London . WC1N 3LE. 0207 242 0010 info@langhamgallery.com
It’s my utter delight to introduce Henry Pether, ladies and gentlemen, Henry Pether. One of the true greats, and underappreciated geniuses of the arts. Remember the name. HENRY PETHER. Say it with me….His name was HENRY PETHER… His name was HENRY PETHER. Lets chant… His name
I published a book called
How To Say I Love You In Every Language In All The World I decided to burn them Here is humanities heart aflame Here is our Passion Our Love Our Madness And our Rage
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