For all the girls out there – if you happen to meet a good-looking guy from Russia, you might want to pay attention to his tattoos! If you think that a tattoo of the Joan of Arc looks sexy, think again. In the world of Russian crime, tattoos play a very important role in identifying your crimes and gang affiliations. As an FYI – the Joan of Arc tattoo represents a conviction for murdering a loved one for cheating. Aside from being very helpful to the police force in identifying the members of gangs, the art also happens to be quite impressive. It’s not often that art could get you “locked-up”, but you may want to display some caution when displaying your tattoos when you next visit Russia. Enjoy the art…and you never know when some information like this might come in handy… from Russia, the world of criminal tattoos…
the a[n]d blog
Atelier visit – Jewels Stevens (Melbourne)
From Melbourne, Australia comes Jewels Stevens. A creator of luxurious abstract paintings. She’s had a number of solo exhibitions and artist residencies in the United States and Singapore and places as far afield as Iceland. Her work is heavily inspired by music and when you see Jewels for the first time there is no doubting the importance color plays in her life. She draws inspiration from meditation and with a focus on getting so ‘in-touch’ with music, at times she feels she is painting music itself. Take a look!
Atelier visit – Angki Purbandono (Jogjakarta)
A stark prison is not usually a place to find inspiration, but for Indonesian artist Angki Purbandono of Jogjakarta, it was a very different experience. His short time in prison for marijuana use laid down some important stepping stones in his scanography career and importantly for him it provided an environment to share his knowledge and love of art with others. Angki’s work is pure innovation. His scanography is described as alluring and fascinating and is becoming increasingly sort after by collectors…. And what is scanography some of you may be asking? Take a look!
a[n]d talk – Gilbert and George
Provoking viewers and making them question convention and taboos has been the mission of Gilbert and George’s work since they met at St Martin’s School of Art in London way back in 1967. Presenting themselves as “Living Sculptures”, Gilbert and George’s work is inspired by what they are confronted by in the streets of London. To them, the streets of London and the area in which they live mirror what’s happening in the world today.
The resentment of authority, rules and convention are core themes which run through their works. Large in scale Gilbert and George’s art works are thought provoking and challenging and are often underpinned by a dry sense of humor. Let’s see if you agree…
Atelier Visit – Juan Ford (Melbourne)
Our a[n]d crew headed to Melbourne, Australia to meet the ‘hyper realism’ artist, Juan Ford.
With numerous international exhibitions under his belt, he was also a finalist in the renowned Archibald Portrait Prize at the Gallery of New South Wales in Australia.
When you first set eyes on a ‘Juan Ford’ painting you’ll swear you’re looking at a photograph. Juan Ford pushes the boundaries of realism with each of his works, often examining how our environment mixes with humanity. For Juan Ford we are all a part of nature and he believes the environment we live in needs to be nurtured and preserved. His artistic mission is to transmit this message via is work. Remember – you are not looking at a photograph…
Artist Meeting – Vinc
VINC was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1961. A gypsy artist and wanderer, his love for traveling began with his first trip to California with his parents at the age of fourteen. Eternally commited to glamour, to that little something that playfully lives in all of us with a mischievous glint, Vinc presents his Girl Playing Over the Fire series. Entombed in resin, the time-honoured high heel shoes which women love provacatively personifies the gender with passion. A tribute to the female paradox, he exalts women with grace, laced with the ambiguity of luxury and temptation.
Vinc’s art, in all its forms, diffuses the same energy, so pure and so powerful that it could make a lame man want to jump up and dance to some Rock ‘n Roll.
Atelier visit – Nixi Killick (Melbourne)
She has designed for Lady GaGa, Kimbra and has been named as one of the world’s top 100 independent fashion designers. But for Nixi Killick, who hails from Melbourne, Australia being classified as an artist or even a designer is not sufficiently accurate as she sees herself as an “imagineer”. Her psychedelic clothing designs create the perfect mix of art & design. Brought up by two artist parents in a rural setting, Nixi‘s work combines an incredibly vibrant mix of colors with an uncompromising drive to achieve her vision. Nixi Killick’s works sit outside any mainstream themes and when you think about it, to create something that looks unique is a huge achievement today.