ISSUE 06 - JANUARY 2010
THE CONTENTS Anthony T.W. Myers 04 Dennis Pomales 08 Raul Romo 12 James Barker 16 Kelsey Mackintosh 22 Sean Alexander 24 Molly Bosley 28
(on the cover) James Barker “Planes of WWII” (right page) Anthony T.W. Myers “Blind Drawing” colored pencil on paper
Welcome to issue 06 of 22 Zine. Once again it has been a pleasure getting to know these fine featured artists and I can’t thank them enough for their beautiful contributions. From the spaced out water colors of Dennis Pomales to the lovely fashion photography from Kelsey Mackintosh this issue brings a range of visual art from Southern California to Vancouver over to the UK and in between. As always enjoy and be inspired. Adam Beneke editor Twenty2wo
Š2010 by Twenty2wo Press All artworks presented in this issue are used with permission and are subject to full ownership and copyright of the respective artists. Do not reproduce without permission.
Artist Anthony Myers grew up in a small town in Oklahoma relentlessly creating drawings, mud sculptures with yarn hair, homemade forts, puppets, and finger paintings. Always exploring and getting dirty in creeks and abandoned structures, Myers was hoping to discover new a species or a real live ghost. He continues to chase those ghosts in his artwork including axe wielding women ready to behead the next green goblin and melancholy robots exploring strange worlds. This artist even continues to draw while his eyes are closed. At least while doing the blind study drawings seen in these pages. Marking small holes for the pupils and having a few colored pencils close by Myers lets his hand loose. Holding off proportions with his hands he feels it is more like sculpture in a way. For some reason creepy old men seem to be the only subject matter but he promises to work on some blind paintings soon, which I can only guess will get messy. Find out more about Anthony and his work at his website. http://www.thehumanlist.com/
this spread: The Beheadresses. Three pieces, graphite and watercolor on hotpress. following spread: Blind Drawing Studies. color pencil on paper.
Anthony T.W. Myers and The Human List.
Welcome to the crazed outer space world of
Minotauro,
where creatures from odd dimensions congregate with colorful specimens that come to life by the hand of Los Angeles based artist Dennis Pomales. A self-taught artist that works under the name Minotauro, Dennis Pomales spends most of his time drawing or painting and makes some occasional videos. Inside his laboratory he connects and plays with creatures from another dimensional realm that more often than not make him explode with joy. A native of Puerto Rico he currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with his girlfriend, 3 scavenger cats and a Martian. Visit http://www.minotaurelab.com/ for more.
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Emerging Artist: Raul Romo
Raul Romo has only been shooting photos for about a year but has quickly developed an eye for capturing fashionable images. The San Diego native is also only fifteen years old and a sophomore in high school. With a growing passion for portraiture and fashion photography the young artist’s new hobby surely has him started off on the right path towards a creative career. Raul continues to balance schoolwork and print work while working with aspiring young models and artists. h t t p : / / w w w. f l i c k r. c o m / p h o t o s / r a u l r o m o /
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James Barker’s Moonbase
James Barker’s illustrations were selected for the cover feature from a group of 170 applicants through a collaboration on the wonderful artist network Society6. It was a tough decision picking one artist out of that talented bunch but I was drawn in by Barker’s bright colors and spontaneous line work. Historical references and cataloging imagery are other factors that make the work standout. James recently graduated from Norwich University College of the Arts.
You said you don’t like to take things too seriously and that you try to keep your drawings fun. Has drawing always been a fun activity for you growing up? I used to draw all the time when I was younger. I always enjoyed drawing whatever I happened to like at the time, which is no real difference to now really; although, then it usually meant drawing computer game characters or dinosaurs. It seems that you have a lot of ink and color pencil drawings. What are you favorite materials to work with? Do you draw more from imagination or through looking at objects? Colour pencils are probably my favourite to work with, I do find them pretty versatile for what I need, and as my work is pretty rough, they do give me some control, even if that may not be too obvious… While I use a lot of reference for drawing, I equally like and do draw from my imagination, I find myself getting bored if I am using reference and play around with it. Although it probably has more to do with whether I have my computer at hand to browse for what I might need. You said your interests change often. What’s currently shaping your work? Do you have any particular artists that are influential to you? I’m not sure where I would be without Wikipedia. I find myself going off in all sorts of weird tangents. At the moment I have been focusing on a lot of things related to history. I have found myself visiting various museums and doing drawings of what stood out to me, a lot of stuff of which I would like to develop further. At the moment I am currently focusing on a project based on Kings and Queens of Europe of the 20th Century. There are a few artists who have influenced me in particular. M Tom Dieck, whose use of black and white has certainly been inspirational; David Shrigley, who is very rough but his works have a lot of personality and is always entertaining. When I was younger I would always watch the The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, a British comedy show, and the films of Tim Burton, turns out that both Vic Reeves and Tim Burton’s art work has also been pretty influential, they got me when I was young. Jim Nutt has also been particularly influential on my work. http://www.jamesillustration.co.uk/ http://www.society6.com/studio/moonbase
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page 18: The Mantis and The Moon
page 19: Masks of The World
page 20: 1901 Death of Queen Victoria I of the UK
page 21: 1903 Assassination of Alexander I of Serbia
page 22: How the Earth Was Made
page 23: Inner City Pressure
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Kelsey Mackintosh talks fashion. I am a photographer from Vancouver, having just recently returned from working in Paris, France. One of my first projects being back in the city was an editorial in collaboration with stylist Sarah La Greca. The shoot focuses on combinations of printed fabrics, exaggerated shoulders, and centerpiece jewelry, taking inspiration from animals, flowers, boats, backyards, neighbours, grit, Safari, Gypsies, Free Spirits, and time capsules.
La Greca’s styling is unique to its own raw energy with ultra feminine subtleties and positive charisma. We have worked hard to put a cheeky twist on pieces that are coming out for this Fall / Winter season by using a mixture of classic, vintage pieces with that of modern garments, creating a shoot that is playful and cognisant of city living. http://www.kelseymackintosh.com/
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A Bit About Drawing by SEAN ALEXANDER
I like drawing as an unalterable form of communication. It differs from painting in that I can’t decide to cover up what I have already done. I commonly follow a thought while drawing that ends up ruining the piece. Other times I will follow a thought and be pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The more I draw the better I get at making decisions regarding where to take the picture. In this way, my vision as an artist is becoming clearer. The process is one of growth and many of the challenging aspects of being alive can be explored on an empty page. For Example: I am working on a section of a drawing and I get tired. Lets say the section will take four more hours to complete and its 11pm. I know that if I stop drawing that the line work will be a little different if drawn the next day because I have trouble maintaining pen rhythms and line thicknesses. If I decide that I am too tired to go on or that I only have an hour left in me, then I have to accept that the section will not be harmonious or use that last hour to hit a stopping point that invites the change in line work; a halo or a pleasing shape. These types of thoughts are infinite and changing all the time. I find that if I am not focusing on what I am doing or hurrying, then I will commonly make bad choices. Hastily chosen colors, poor convergences, ugly postures, over cuteness etc…
opposite page: “LITTLE ONE” ink and colored pencil on paper 30” x 22” above: “SEA AND SKY” ink on paper 16” x 12”
I am aware that the drawings have a life of their own and that they are just as imperfect as me, but I like when there is a complex interaction between the clumsy parts and elegant parts, sharp parts and dull parts, bright parts and dark parts… whatever makes it breathe. For subject, I prefer to work with my own life and symbols. If I make a drawing about a room then the picture will be based on one of my rooms. If there is drinking involved then the can will be the same as the one I have been drinking from. If I feel hopeful, or hopeless, I make a picture about it. I bank on the fact that there are lots of other people who feel the same way as I do. The work is about being human. We’re all dealing with similar things here. We’re all bonded in that way. Storytelling seems like the easiest way to bridge the gap between artist and viewer. Everyone likes a story. Sean Alexander lives on his mom’s rental farm in Longbranch, Washington. From 2006 to 2008 he co-owned a small, progressive art space in Tacoma called ‘The Helm.’ His hobbies and creative ventures include making pictures, writing songs, watching football, playing scrabble, making coffee and spending time with his girlfriend. His most recent exhibition took place at Public Space One in Iowa City. He is currently brainstorming for future projects and enjoying people. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluebrownwhiteman/
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this page: “Z HORSEY” ink, watercolor, and graphite on paper 10” x 10” opposite top: “KEEP ON (DANISH ROOM)” ink, colored pencil, graphite, and watercolor on paper 22” x 30” opposite bottom: “HONKY CAT” ink, colored pencil, and watercolor on paper 22” x 30”
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Molly Bosley is a mixed media artist living in Brooklyn, New York.
Since I was a child I’ve been drawn to this kind of melange of pieces when creating artwork. I am the type of person who loves more, more, more and more. I started to get into mixed media more seriously a few years ago because I liked how I could try out different and unusual techniques all in one composition and I can achieve the layering and mixture of images to create a scene or narrative. My resources for my artwork usually come from junk stores and yard sales. I search for family photographs and old books that pull me in and make me feel like I’m stepping into that world. I am attracted to old tapestries and patterns. I think it’s easier to consider themes in art which influence me rather than art or artists themselves and a lot of the things that inspire me aren’t even art. http://www.mollybosley.com/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/mustardfestival
this page top: “The Orchard”, 8X9, 2008 this page bottom: “Team Building Exercises”, mixed media collage on wood, 7X8, 2007 opposite page: “I Said, Waiting to Change”. 2009 following page: “Max’s Aircraft”, mixed media collage on wood, 8X9, 2009
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Become a contributor. Submit art or writing to info@twenty2wo.com
Twenty2wo needs your art submissions. A special numbers theme issue is in the works. Any drawing, photograph, painting, etc... of or relating to numbers is acceptable. With a few submissions already sent in the deadline will stay open until we get enough images to fill a zine. Regular 22 Zine issues will continue as scheduled and contributors are always welcome. We need help finding emerging artists, writing reviews and conducting interviews. Send an email to info@twenty2wo.com For more information see http://twenty2wo.wordpress.com/
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22 Zine Issue 06 | January 2010 Published by Twenty2wo Press Image by Dennis Pomales, see page 8 for more