Blog Archives
Yosuke Yamashita
Yosuke Yamashita is a Japanese musician and artist from Tokyo. He has performed extensively worldwide, and has composed music scores for various films, from the late 60s until the present; most notably for Shohei Imamura‘s 1998 Dr. Akagi. He has also recieved various awards, including Japan‘s Award for Fine Arts in 1999 and the Medal With Purple Ribbon in 2003. Currently, he is a visiting professor at both the Kunitachi College of Music and the Nagoya University of Arts. The ten minute video featured below has its‘ origins in one of Yosuke‘s most intruiging works. This 2008 piece, titled Burning Piano is exactly that; albeit with Yosuke playing an improvised jazz piece on the piano throughout its‘ inflammation. However, this was not the first time Yasuke had played a burning piano. That was some 35 years earlier, when he was approached by filmmaker Kiyoshi Awazu to play a burning piano for his short film of the same name. The 2008 version was filmed after Yosuke had revisited the original work, and thus he felt it needed a revival. The 1973 film can be found on Awazu‘s website: www.kiyoshiawazu.com
Aeon Oner
Aeon is one of Europe‘s emerging Street Art talents. His styles range from blockbuster through wildstyle and the abstract. This Belgian-based graffiti artist has joined the ranks of those giving hard evidence to INFX about their exploits and endeavours:
INFX: Quelle est la force de la scène graff en Belgique?
Aeon: She is very diverse, we may as well hold back the [old] school, new school, the organic or wild style. Given its industrial past, Belgium has many abandoned buildings, which allows us to move on surfaces diversified and come to the frescoes of [many] sizes. Many more urban festivals are based on the graffiti which allows us to showcase our style.
INFX: Je suis creuser votre plateau de skate. Y a-t-il un intérêt à travailler avec les marques de skate locales ou grand?
Aeon: Yes, because it could lead to changing the image of the skate by the combination with graffiti; it could breathe new life into the movement. It is also good to work with both: local stores allow us to share in the region while industrial [companies] open more doors. I have a preference for the more industrial, but I do not neglect the local stores.
INFX: Quelle est la chose la plus effrayante qui soit arrivé à vous tandis que la peinture?
Aeon: One night on the subway lines, marking a room in elevation with the aid of a ladder. My hand touched the high voltage line and 1,500 volts went through my body; I think it’s my most frightening. I know I got lucky.
INFX: Où habitez-vous? Avec des amis? Dans la ville? Banlieues?
Aeon: I rent an apartment in the city alone.
INFX: Dans un (ou deux) mot, comment qualifieriez-vous décrit votre art?
Aeon: Aggressive and malleable. I want to make a dedication “13, GAV, AKF, D2K, P50, B80, V2T… and everyone I do not have room to quote because the list is long…
THANK YOU
Oui -un grand merci à Aeon et son posse! Voir les vraies affaires. Regarder les photos:
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www.aeon-oner.com
Other Cinema
Hailing from San Franciso‘s Mission District Other Cinema (or ‘OC‘) is an alternative film & video production, performance, and distribution network that brings a voice to the Media Arts community. This counter-cultural outfit has been operating for nigh on 30 years, and it continues to spearhead Fine Arts film-making. Craig Baldwin established this vanguard of ‘underground cinema‘ under a range of names from 1978, because he “didn’t see anything coming up from the ground that ended up on the screens”. Since then, OC has developed into an artistic collective led by a dedicated team of curators and artists. Other Cinema continues to enhance Film & Media Arts projects in the Bay Area; which of course flourishes elsewhere due to the renowned esteem of OC.
Currently, Other Cinema is in the midst of a Benefit initiative, to raise money for their operations. As part of the fund-raising effort, they have compiled the video below, to engage with the public in what the OC has going on:
Cosmic Nature – Beastman
Organic, geometric and full of magic, Beastman lets you see through the cracks. With a style that could easily be compared to the spiritual and visceral art of ancient religions, his work is simply mind blowing. In his solo exhibition ‘Cosmic Nature’, Beastman explores the nature of our reality and how small we really are on a cosmic scale. What this man can do with an aerosol can, will never cease to amaze me.
An exhibition of new paintings, Cosmic Nature opens this Thursday 8th December at 7pm and continues until 18th December at Kind of Gallery, Darlinghurst.
www.beastman.com.au/
Land of Instant Forget
These are now the final days of the 2011 RMIT Media Arts Graduate Show.
Visit the upper confines of Curtin House, in the heart of the City on Swanston Street to view an excess of works from the graduate class of 2011. These emerging Media Arts artists offer works disseminated across video, audio and sculpture. The show is billed as a space that has been ”transformed to create a world where you can leave your memories behind“ as you immerse yourself in these parallel lands. Below, you can sample one of the works on show. This piece is projected onto a giant, free hanging t-shirt and is titled Trashface by Rob Graham.
The Land of Instant Forget
Running until 30th November, 12pm until 6pm.
Curtin House, Level 6 252 Swanston St. City
Tom Tom Crew
The Tom Tom Crew present a tour-de-force of hip hop culture, acrobatics, beatboxing and contortionist curiousities that leave you gripping your seat and chanting for more!
I‘d only just got the chance to see them at The Forum the other night; and the show has been running since the 4th October. It winds up on the 23rd too so there are only a couple of shows left. The crew is headed up by Tom (beat-boxer extraordinaire and established graffiti artist). They formed at the 2006 Woodford Folk Festival and became an instant hit. You get the impression that there was a hip-hop & breaks crew warming up alongside an acrobatics and trapeze troupe; and they suddenly realised “let‘s mix both acts together“. Since their inaugural show, the crew have toured globally, from the Adelaide Fringe to Edinburgh, London, New York, Berlin, Taipei, NZ, Belgium, and the Netherlands; as they‘ve criss-crossed the world in the last 5 years. This is a truly epic performance show, and a lot of fun. If you get the chance, they‘re well worth seeing.
The Salt of Life (Gianni Di Gregorio)
Gianni Di Gregorio‘s film is one of the more thoughtful and comically entertaining films due for release this year. Di Gregorio (Writer/Director of 2008‘s acclaimed Gomorrah) both directs and plays the leading role in this wistful comedy; markedly titled Gianni e le Donne (Gianni & The Women) in his native Italian. Gianni (the leading character, and not to be confused with the Actor/Director himself) has recently reached a turning point in his life: the onset of ‘old age‘. Having been made redundant from work, he finds himself mindful of not only his aging face & body; but of his relevance to the world-at-large.
The film is endearing to the plight of this ageing Italiano and charming in it‘s climactic (yet restrained) final scenes. Its looks at the romanticism and sexuality of Gianni as he ponders his lacklustre marriage and his attention to (and from) young women. At once an humourous, heartfelt and honest observation of the aging man -The Salt Of Life is wonderfully shot with subtle stylisation. The film won‘t stir up any media-pack accolades but it‘s surely a fine production; with a brilliant cast.
The Salt Of Life opens this week at Cinema Nova.
VeinOne
INFX recently caught up with one of NYC’s great artistic talents: VeinOne. A member of the well-respected Bt (Bronx Team) Crew, Vein was raised throughout New York City, growing up in all 5 boroughs; mostly in Queens. Our main man Vein started getting up proper from 1995 and has gone from strength-to-strength ever since. Here we have the interview wherein we see the story told from the man himself:
INFX: You‘re a born and bred New Yorker -how did you start up on the graff scene?
VeinOne: I remember being in 4th grade [and] I would see a couple of my friends practising their throw-ups. At first, I really didn‘t take it serious because I was a toy and I didn‘t really know a lot of writers.
INFX: What do you think of the current generation of NYC writers?
VeinOne: I think most of the new writers are eager to paint but they have no one to guide them and teach them the history of this art. To the new writers I say everyone pretty much starts off toy but its where you take it from there. Keep doing your thing.
INFX: What are your main artistic motivations or influences?
VeinOne: I would have to say my crew motivates me. We are a family of creative individuals and we all push each other to produce some dope walls.
INFX: How do you see yourself within the “art market” as such?
VeinOne: I would love to make a living off my art, I hate being a starving artist.
INFX: What new styles are you picking up at the moment, and where are you heading in terms of style and the future in general?
VeinOne: Lately, I‘ve wanted to focus more on background scenery painting. I‘m always open to learning new tricks and techniques or anything that can make me a better artist. As far as my style, well I guess we‘ll have to wait and see where it goes because it‘s always evolving one way or the other.
So there you have it -And keep an eye out for VeinOne Bt hitting up the scene in a big way!
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The Light In Winter
Fire In The Belly: Projector Bike.
This year‘s Light In Winter Festival at Federation Square features dozens of cultural activities; making for the perfect winter warm-up. Featured as part of the Fire In The Belly programme, the Projector Bike will present works from various local up-and-coming filmmakers and visual artists: featuring works from Me: your favourite bloggage host, alongside members of the creative genus born from RMIT Media Arts (among various other students and artists). The Projector Bike will visit different locations in the course of both evenings that it is exhibiting, and everyone is welcome to ride along -whether in utilising the Melbourne Bike Share or indeed upon your own ride. The screenings will be projected onto different surfaces in unique and hidden spaces about our fine city.
Sunday 12 + 26 June, 7pm - 8.30pm, departs Fed Square Bike Share Station (and it‘s free!)
1 x 2 DEATH SET
Opening Tuesday evening; drop by First Site gallery, out front of RMIT, to sample the acute meanderings of this wondrous new show, by up-and-coming Media Artist impresario Spencer Lai.
The Death Set is driven by a sublime foray into the real and the unreal. “Two spaces and two realities“. Given your own particular perspective; delve into your appreciation of the actual and contrived. Upon inspection of the works on show, Monsieur Lai invites you to revel in an “immersive exploration of death, dread, reality and fiction“. Expect hyper-realism buffeted by theatrical visuals, and the low-res exploits of the internet fiefdom.
1 x 2 Death Set: RMIT First Site Gallery: June 7 – June 18
Carbon
The absolute in Graff and Street Culture showcase hits town this weekend.
With an outstanding line-up of artists of multiple persuasions turning out en masse for parties & workshops, Carbon also features talks by industry stalwarts including Futura, The Hundreds, Noah Callahan Beaver, and local heavy-weights Tristan Ceddia & Dan Preston. Hosted by Acclaim Magazine, this primo event promises relentless insight and privledge to those that fork out for the rather outlandish ticket prices. However, it is also set to offer unprecedented access to all your favourite street art and associated customary endeavours.
Be sure to catch a glimpse, even just for a day -and we‘ll be there to check some of the action if you cannot.
Check it fo‘reals: This weekend, April 29th ‘til May 1st at Federation Square.
acclaimmag.com/carbon
Carl Scrase
Carl “Synchronicity“ Scrase is a Melbourne born-and-bred artist; an exile of the leafy suburban bourgeoise set. From this somewhat culturally tethered outlook, Scrase resolved to “change the world“ through art. Immediately following his graduation from the VCA Fine Arts (Painting) programme, Scrase hit the ground running with an impressive display of works. As an exhibitor in the Next Wave Festival, he was accordingly represented in the esteemed Melbourne Art Fair. Subsequently, Scrase has maintained his artistic integrity with shows at local ARIs (Artist Run Initiatives) including TCB Waratah Place, and as part of the Platform Artists Group in the Degraves Subway. He says that some of his greatest influences come from “psychologists, philosophers and writers; Carl Jung, Haruki Murakami, Tom Robbins” and I believe you may well be able to detect shades of Half Asleep in Frogs Pajamas in some of his works.
As stated, Scrase endeavours to change the world and has established a framework in doing so; using a three-pronged approach that encompasses (documented) personal introspection, his pronounced tactility in objets d‘art, and in seeking to determine the nature of societal reflex and the possibility of such an endeavour. Although I define these 3 directions in my own words; his Artistic Statement can be found on the carlscrase.com website. I must also comment that within these endeavours it is clear in my mind, that Scrase has achieved such a pronouncement in the tactility of his art. This was most recently seen in his 14-metre tall The Generative Power of Opposites; an inflated “2-finger salute“ that was featured at the Splendour In The Grass festival and then re-mounted during February at the Perth Cultural Centre.
But of course you must see his art to make of it what you will, yourself. Carl “Synchronicity“ Scrase (or) his Wemakeus Collective will no doubt be exhibiting at a gallery near you.
Psychological landscape of a man flying off the planet.
Photo Collage on Wood, 2010
Carl Scrase is represented by John Buckley Gallery in Richmond.
Secret Wars: Scale vs. Pierre Lloga
Last night brought the noise in the Melbourne Series 2 Semi-Final for Secret Wars.
Pierre Lloga this time went head-to-head with his sometime contemporary nemesis and the Round 1 champion, Scale. Despite the fact that the two share a notional bond with one another; Scale held no fear in depicting Pierre as pathetically imprisoned within his hand-written, pencil-pushing cell: A caricature buffeting itself with cat icons; typical of Lloga‘s work. In the meantime though, Lloga invoked a graveyard-inspired defiance to see to it that Scale in turn was illustrated as the last of the graffer; as encrouched upon by Pierre himself, with the aid of a chainsaw!
In all earnestness: This battle has exhibited the best of art I have witnessed in the series so far.
So without further adieu, please do visit a video of the late evening:
http://secretwars.com.au/melbourne
Natassja Brodie
Taj defines her artistic practice as ‘character design and illustration‘ although this omits the highly emotive nature of her artistic endeavours.
Using various mediums but mostly consisting of screenprinting and illustration that uses richly dark shades of bright colours (indeed) she delves into a psycho-analytical realm of cartoonish caricatures using airbrush and printing techniques. She has also spent the last 3 years as an illustrator in 2D and 3D artwork; specialising in video games.
These works invoke moody scenes, or characters and associated environments that are both adorable and slightly repulsive: however, the works shine in their slithery thick colourations.
Think a turqoise flourescent bulb in the corner of a pitch black room and your can perhaps imagine this colour palette.
Also, check the fresh website: http://www.natassjabrodie.com
Secret Wars: Deb vs. Ken Taylor
Round Three of Melbourne Series 2 was upon us tonight, with the heavyweights pulling some hefty punches upon one another.
The crowd favourite was Deb as she brought the house down with a fascinating ‘novel‘ piece that could be said to reflect an aversionary character synthesis; or such.
Ken Taylor was the certain victor, though: his skullduggery hastily enduring the whitewash.
Without further adieu, do view the photography, and stay tuned for the next exciting instalment in 2011.
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check: secretwars.com.au
DJ Krush
Thursday evening saw Japan’s No.1 DJ hit the decks and fx down at The Corner in Richmond.
Reverberating the venue (I refrain from suggesting dubstep) with what could be described as down-tempo tech breaks, the set rocked to the bemusement of the crowd. I must say I could really dig this vibe and it was fantastic to hear Krush in the now; throwing down new, unique and thumping sounds.
However, after half time he realised the crowd were, let‘s say ‘traditional‘ fans and thus Krush‘s appeasement then ensured that the rest of the set reflected the mediocrity of the Mo‘ Wax back-catalogue with a tweak or two on the side.
The video below features half a dozen short clips that give a fairly broad overview of the set.
-RTB
Joshua Wiffen
Drawing upon the graffiti artform, Josh hits his canvas with a depth of colour layers that are quite engrossing. His use of text calligraphy is striking as it brushes up against themes including societal quips, the female form, trashed pop iconoclasts and, perhaps flesh-eating disco zombies from outer space. Extra pursuits to his gallery works include aerosol murals, paste-up’s and the notional tag here or there. However, his creativity rises to the fore using an array of inks and paints on a fixed surface such as canvas or wood.
Wiffen’s visual style marks an awesome creative effort and his works prove themselves worthy of the modest sum that you would hardly expect to pay: that is, they’re a fucken bargain!
Next up, Josh is working on some further mural endeavours (such as that featured below) and he is co-curating major launch/ exhibition It’s Official from the 14th – 21st December 2010 at Gallery: 5 Crown Lane in Wollongong, NSW.
You can contact Josh for wall commissions and artist workshops at: wiffen.com.au
-RTB
