22 Zine: Issue 07 by twenty2wo

ISSUE 07 - MAY 2010

THE CONTENTS Jovan Villalba 04 Jessica Tremp 08 Patrick Kyle 14 Denis Carrier 20 Mark Boellaard 22 Nick Paliughi 26

(on the cover) characters by Patrick Kyle (right page) Denis Carrier “Hi” pencil and digital color

Issue 07 was off to a rocky start after a few interviews fell through and several starts and stops along the way. The late addition of French illustrator Denis Carrier got things moving again with his cheerful design work and all around positive attitude. In this issue we introduce two collage artists, Mark Boellaard and Nick Paliughi, who share a complementary style despite working on opposite sides of the Atlantic. The cover artist, Patrick Kyle invites us into his troll filled world and discusses his process with interviewer and returning contributor Adam Fuhrer of PICDIT fame. Add in some beautiful photographs from Jessica Tremp and surreal landscapes by Jovan Villabla and we have another issue for the archive. As always enjoy and be inspired. Adam Beneke editor Twenty2wo

ÂŠ2010 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.

The Imagined Landscapes of Jovan Villalba My interest is in the possibilities of the imagination. Through my art, I aim to create a gratifying and refreshing experience by stimulating contemplation and escapism in a viewer. I like to think of my paintings as puzzle segments that provide a glimpse of pictorial worlds that are inviting and free to inhabit. Through the juxtaposition of curious references, and the fusion of abstract marks, I assign unconventional roles to familiar imagery.

The whimsical reconstructions of dislocated elements describe settings that emanate meaning over time, resulting in work that is simultaneously deliberate and vague. A viewer may eventually find that my art, while commenting on current social and environmental issues, reveals how I see the world around me - an interconnected place, constantly shifting between the familiar and unfamiliar. http://www.jovanvillalba.com/

above: The Falls, 2007. oil on stainless steel, 14 x 47 inches right: The Climb, 2010. oil on stainless steel, 24 x 24 inches below: The Return, 2007. oil on stainless steel, 2 panels, 24 x 95 inches

above: The Wake, 2009. Oil on stainless steel and soil, twigs, litter, 48 x 48 inches facing page: The Wall, 2006. Oil on stainless steel, 14 x 47 inches The Trail, 2007. Oil on stainless steel, 14 x 47 inches The Lot, 2006. Oil on stainless steel, 14 x 47 inches

Mysterious World with Jessica Tremp

Jessica Tremp is a Melbourne, Australia based artist, writer and photographer. Growing up in Switzerland, she transplanted to the city of Melbourne at 18 and continued to pursue creative endeavors. Relatively new to working in the medium of photography Tremp is currently focused on exploring the primal relationships between humans and animals. She was kind enough to share some of her photos in these pages and answer a few questions about her life and artwork.

To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it that way, but perhaps that is quite true. I think in both I try to convey a certain feeling that is a little below the surface. I’m not saying I always succeed, but that is definitely the motivation behind both mediums. I don’t think I’ll be marrying them up in the future. I’ve always liked the idea of people finding their own story in my images and their own images in my writing. If someone’s imagination has to involve itself I feel there is more connection to the piece.

When did you first take interest in photography and what has your path been so far getting into the field?

View more of Jessica’s photos at http://www.jessicatremp.com/

previous spread: and even though they found themselves at home facing page: and we were swimming with all our might below: a dissection of personal treasure

I think I’ve been looking through a viewfinder most of my life, even without a camera in hand, though I’ve expressed myself through many mediums before settling more seriously on the shutter button. My path is a very zig-zaggy one. One minute I’m happy with what I’m doing, the other I hate all of my work. I’ve had to learn to relax a little and find a way to cross through the middle of my emotions in shortcut fashion. I do think though if you’re passionate about what you’re doing, first and foremost, then you’re skipping in the right direction. What is the significance of using animals in your shots? Do you have any pets yourself? Yes, a greyhound. Her name is Soda and you can see her in one of the images. I have always found a deep comfort in the company of animals and nature, but I know of people who have this great fear of it as well. I guess I find that contradiction, along with our endless need to tame ’the wild’, rather interesting. Are your photographs an extension of your writing or vice-versa? Do you have any projects that marry the two into some sort of narrative?

above: if you go down in the woods left: see the clouds fly

left: bad hare day below: thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blood on your whisper

An interview with Patrick Kyle by Adam Fuhrer A: Tell me a little bit about yourself. P: I’m a Fine Artist, Illustrator and Comic book artist from Toronto, Canada. I graduated from OCAD in Toronto in 2009. I work closely with two of my classmates, Chris Kuzma and Ginette Lapalme under the moniker Wowee Zonk. I live in a little apartment in Toronto’s west and with my girlfriend Amanda. A: When did you first become interested in creating art? P: For as long as I can remember I have been interested in drawing and making comic books. I never considered the idea of making “art” or “fine art” until I attended university and started seeing work that I thought was similar to my own in that context. Before that, I didn’t think the work I was doing fit under that term or could be shown in an art gallery or anything like that. A: You graduated from The Ontario College of Art and Design in 2009. How was that whole experience for you? P: Attending OCAD was probably the most valuable experience in my life. Not only because I learned a lot about drawing and illustration from the faculty, but also because it was a bit of a coming of age experience for me. I was only 17 when I started at OCAD and at the beginning I really had a really careless attitude, but a very clear vision of where I wanted to be. Attending university showed me the level of work that I would have to put forward and the responsibilities I would have to undertake in order to achieve what I wanted. I also met a lot of like minded people, two of whom I still work with today, discovered a lot of my favourite artists and found a lot of new opportunities for my work. A: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to go to art school? P: Never pass up an opportunity to better yourself as an artist or to learn more about art. Always put art first. A: It seems as though you are greatly influenced by comic books. What are some of your favorites? P: My two absolute favourites are ‘Shrimpy and Paul and Friends’ by Marc Bell and ‘Multi-Force’ by Mat Brinkman. I also really like Julie Doucet and Chester Brown. ‘Ed the Happy Clown’ had a big effect on me.

P: I’ve used a Windsor and Newtwon series 7 #2 brush and Ink for a number of years. I used to use a 4H pencil to draw before I inked the drawing, but I recently started drawing straight to ink and I can’t really see myself going back now. Brushes and ink are kind of a funny thing, because if they’re not just right, then the drawing doesn’t always come out ideally. My brush isn’t working too well right now because it’s winter and the dry air is affecting the bristles. I used to use speedball ink, but it started to clump up on me and when it gets a few months old it starts to stink pretty badly. My sister bought me a 150ml jar of Liquitex Professional Acrylic Ink 2 years ago for my birthday and I’ve been using that ever since. I only just ran out last week. I tried using my big jug of speedball again and it wasn’t happening, so I had to run out and get a new jar. It’s a little more transparent than speedball, but it flows much easier. I use Golden acrylic matte medium for my transfers and Tri-Art Acrylic ink for painting. (It’s a little thinner than regular acrylic paint, but thicker than most acrylic inks.) This is starting to sound like an advertisement, but I am pretty particular about the materials I use. A: Your work seems to contain very colorful & grotesque content yet is portrayed in a playful way. Would this be an accurate description of your work? P: If I had to describe my work simply to someone, that would be a pretty accurate way to do it. I’m interested in a lot of science ficP: Everything I do stems from drawing with a brush and ink. I like to just sit down and draw without thinking too much about what I’m going to do. If I do tion and fantasy stuff and I really like interpreting that kind of subject a drawing that I particularly like or that fits into a broader body or work I’m considering then I’ll take it to final. What I mean by that is adding colour. I do matter in my work. I prefer it when this by photocopying the drawing, painting that photocopy, and then transfer- it’s approached in a sort of nonsensiring it to a piece of watercolour paper using acrylic matte medium. I like to let cal way or when it doesn’t take itself my mind wander when I’m working, so I do sometimes listen to music or put very seriously, like a Tom Baker era episode of Doctor Who. There is a a movie on for some background noise. lot of humour embedded there, and I like to take that kind of approach A: What types of materials/tools do you use to create your pieces? A: What’s your creative process like? How do you go about creating one of your pieces? Listen to music while you work?

when I am attempting to portray something mysterious or horrific. A: What type of messages are you trying to portray in your work (if any)? P: In my illustration work, getting a message across is the point, but that message is usually coming from a third party. In my personal work or in my comics I’m not really trying to portray any particular message but recently I’ve been trying work everything into a particular world and each comic or piece defines some aspect or character of this fictional place and what goes on there. A: You have a series of comic books out called Black Mass. Tell me a little bit about them.

P: Black Mass is a comic book that I started drawing and self published in 2008. It was the first larger effort that I released after finding a pretty idiosyncratic method of drawing comics where each page is kind of a big flowing drawing with some word balloons. On top of that, I also strictly made up the story as I went, generally not knowing what was going to happen from one page to the next. This method makes Black Mass a pretty ridiculous read. I’m sure that a lot of people will look at it and have no idea what is going on, but I think I’m comfortable with that. So far there are 2 Issues, and I am currently working on a third. Lately I’ve been thinking about it like a BRated science fiction/high school movie, mainly because I’ve been watching a lot of movies like that recently. I think there is a lot of parallels between those movies and the way I make comics.

A: Where do you find inspiration?

A: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

P: I really like old science fiction and fantasy stuff or any kind of story telling that leaves unanswered questions. I think low budget stuff or anything with half baked ideas or bad acting or anything like that leaves a lot to be desired, and for me that is great because it leaves open space for people to come to their own conclusions or use their imagination to fill the gaps. It’s really inspiring and fascinating for me to see an artwork evoke that kind of interaction and involvement with it’s audience.

P: I can’t really say. Right now I just try to do what I like to do. Hopefully I can keep doing that. So, I supposed in 5 years I’d like to just be doing what I like, whatever that might be at the time. Thanks Patrick! http://www.patrickkyle.com/ http://woweezonk.blogspot.com/ Adam Fuhrer is the man behind the art blog PICDIT http://picdit.wordpress.com/

Denis Carrier

Hi Denis! Tell us a little about yourself and your work.

Could you describe your process on creating a piece?

I’m Denis Carrier, a French illustrator who lives in Grenoble, a town surrounded by mountains in France. I like nature, animal documentaries and to spend good time with my family and friends.

When I begin an illustration, I always try to build a short story around the illustration. Sometimes, it’s very easy and sometimes not… But when I find this story, I can begin to draw it. First, I draw all with pencil and after I scan the illustration. Finally, I clean and color the illustration with Photoshop.

I finished my studies of Graphic Design 5 years ago. Then, just after I finished my studies, I started to work alone. For 3 years I made many flyers, posters and album covers. Last year I founded PNTS, a graphic design studio with Aurélien Arnaud. Besides my studio, I’ve started to make illustrations for different brands. When did you start art making and when did you realize it was part of your career path? I started to draw quite late. With my graphic design formation, the drawing was not my first graphic answer. But last year, I began to draw and I realized that illustration would be a new graphic language in my work. Since that time, I made a lot of illustrations and now it’s an important part of my professional work.

What is your favorite part about being an artist/designer? I have no boss in my work. I can manage my day like I want and I can work with clients I have chosen. It’s really a luxury for me because I have my vision of design and I like work according to my convictions. Thanks Denis, I hope you keep doing the work you love. To see more work by Denis visit his site, http://www.studiofolk.com/ or for his design studio, http://www.pnts-studio.com/

Mark Boellaard

page 23: Solar System Blues, 5.4 x 4.1 in. page 24 top: The Psychology of Transformation, 4.1 x 5.8 in. bottom: The Aztecs Were Right, 5 x 8.4 in. above: Return to Atlantis, 7.9 x 9 in. facing page: La Chute, 6.3 x 8 in.

For a few years I was intensively experimenting with photography and making increasingly collage-like pictures. In late 2005 my camera was stolen, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Over the course of 2006 the idea for these collages slowly started to form. By late 2006 I started collecting all kinds of materials like travel books, encyclopedias, postcards, photographs, comics, religious and esoteric books. This material was found all over Amsterdam, in secondhand book stores, thrift stores, flea markets and sometimes even on the street. At the start of 2007, armed with a pair of scissors and glue, I got to work.

By juxtaposing elements from a wide and unusual range of resources I attempt to create original works that invoke a sense of shock, wonder and delight upon the spectator. Works that are very much open to interpretation and that contain many possible narratives and undercurrents. Creating these collages is done in a very intuitive manner where chance and coincidence are important parts of the creative process. My work is lighthearted and humorous on the one hand but on the other hand it is a serious meditation upon art, history, culture and the passing of time.

At the moment I’m collecting frames (second-hand and antique) for each work. The idea being that every collage has a frame as it’s counterpart somewhere in the world and it’s up to me to find it... At the beginning of 2010 I started a blog called Collage Adventures and in a few months the first exhibition of my work will take place at multi-disciplinary night theater the Sugar Factory in Amsterdam. See Mark’s work at http://www.collageadventures.com/

Nick Paliughi I started making collages while recovering from 3 broken ribs, after falling through the top floor of a barn at a farm I was working at. Knowing that my mind would eat itself quickly without physical activity, I immediately started shredding up old National Geographic magazines and the habit has stuck long after my recovery. One thing I love about collage is that technical skill isn’t really a requirement, it is pure imagination. You don’t need to know how to draw or paint to create a really striking image. You begin to develop your own language based on the images you’ve stockpiled and its all up there swimming in your head as you go through new materials. Often times, when I have a clear picture in my mind of what I’m trying to do with one collage, I get derailed while searching for a specific image and end up making a second collage which is more interesting. So instead of doing one collage at a time, I start 4 or 5 of them at once to allow room for my mind to wander.

I’m a self-taught artist, or more accurately I’m taught by friends and by observing others, and trial and error. After high school I spent several weird and crusty years on the road - riding freight trains back and forth across the USA with all manner of ne’er-do-wells, living in abandoned buildings in our finest and most expensive cities, floating on boats made of junk down the Mississippi river, starting a singing telegram’s business in San Francisco with my partner Siena, and meeting many great friends along the way. Now semi-settled in South Florida with a surfboard and 4 chickens and a lot of old magazines, ready to be a member of society while still waving my freak-flag high. Find Nick’s work on his web portfolio. http://www.nickpaliughi.com/

facing page: The Heart of This or Any Other Matter, 8 x 11.5 inches

this page: Dancers, 6 x 10 inches facing page: Sea Parade, 8 x 11 inches

below: Peanuts, 7 x 10 inches right: Good Times, Great Oldies, 7 x 7 inches left: Thoughts of He, Thoughts of She, 3 x 5 inches

Twenty2wo is always looking for art submissions and good people to collaborate with. We need help finding emerging artists, writing reviews and conducting interviews. Also get in touch for distribution or sponsorship opportunities. Contact us at info@twenty2wo.com For more information visit http://www.twenty2wo.com/

22 Zine Issue 07 | May 2010 Published by Twenty2wo Press

Image by Denis Carrier, see page 20 for more