Blog Archives
Matthew Dunn
Today we interview the amazing comics and drawing artist Matthew Dunn. After a spate of exhibitions and both print & original art releases (including skateboards), Matt remains an impressive figure on the local scene. He‘s currently got 2 new graphic novels on the go and continues to work tirelessly. Here we ask a few quick questions of the man:
INFX: What was the first comic or illustrations that fascinated you?
M. Dunn: Batman. It was the first comic that really hooked me as a kid, and many of my favourite artists (such as Mignola, Gianni, Pratt, Van Fleet, etc, etc) have worked with the character and helped to feed the addiction over the years.
INFX: Cool. What kind of academic history do you have?
M. Dunn: A 1 year art course years ago. The main thing it taught me was that I prefer to experiment and figure things out for myself.
INFX: Hah-ha, nice one. Can you tell us about the relationship you‘ve had with Semi-Permanent?
M. Dunn: I had an illustration in the 2011 Semi-Permanent book, and have exhibited in SP side show exhibitions the last couple of years.
INFX: Sounds like success. Tell us: Do you have a favourite cocktail/meal recipe you’d like to share?
M. Dunn: I don‘t really drink these days because I work 7 days a week and find it impossible to draw while hungover. My favourite meal is Teriyaki Chicken down on Sydney Road in Brunswick, but I‘ve yet to crack their recipe.
matthewdunnart.com
Like this:
Benny Diar
Benny Diar (AKA Benny Boggs) is a notable street artist that began life as a graffiti supremo; bombing walls and freight trains across the United States.
He started out writing DIAR at the tender age of 11 and went on to lord it up with DTC crew, among San Jose kings SAER, PUZLE, PIER and VEKS. However, Benny became the victim of a severe car crash that left him paralysed from the neck down, in 2008. Henceforth, his bombing and burning career was tragically over. During his recovery, though, DIAR “remained dedicated to art, exploring other mediums” as he learnt how to command the paintbrush regardless of disability. He has since “started to use acrylics [to] paint using my mouth” and specialises in pop-like portraiture that homages aerosol (or graffiti) art forms. Also, just the other day DIAR decided to return to painting railcars for the first time in years. Albeit model railcars (see below). INFX was lucky enough to be granted an audience with DIAR, and thus asked:
MTW: What are your earliest memories of bombing?
BD: I remember really starting to see graffiti and bombing when I was five or six years old When I started walking to school in the morning. I messed around with it ever since but didn‘t get serious with my own name until I was 11 years old.
MTW: How close do you feel you’ve been to death? Did you think you’d die after your accident?
BD: I‘ve been close to death hundreds of times. I never thought I would die after my accident but I was expected to die 10+ times at the hospital in the weeks following my accident.
MTW: What motivation do you find within your thoughts to create art?
BD: After my accident I was just happy to still find a way to create. Now my thoughts about my art are a lot deeper. Although I‘m just being the person I am, hearing from people about how I inspire them has become a cycle because it in turn inspires me to push myself more.
MTW: Will you ever hit up a freight train again?
BD: I doubt it unless they come up with some major medical advances, but even then I don’t know. I guess we‘ll just have to see.
Check DIAR in action last week:
http://bennydiar.com/
“No Time For Regrets“
Like this:
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
Grandpa Shea
Here we have a visual artistry studio of a contemporary uniqueness that would most likely be lost on your grandparents; although the website might also remind you of old-fashioned items reminiscent of back in the day. While Shea himself has not yet opted for parenthood; let alone becoming a grandfather, his works do brood over you with an inclination of the wise and weathered. He describes himself as a “frail pencil wielding artist, hermit and narrow-minded fuddy duddy“ which is demonstrated by his socially macabre thematic inclinations, amidst the quirk of his website.
The art is composed of black-and-white charcoal, graphite pencil and ink: illustrative works. He uses innovative printing techniques in adhering to his environmental conscience, sourcing “100% post-consumer recycled stock and vegetable based inks“. The subjects of most pieces are cariacatures of the everyman and of personality or identity; people posing as victims of circumstance, situation. Particularly striking are those that puncture a hole in the sense of the banal and most compelling in this is his Gradation of a Woman and Education pieces.
Grandpa Shea continues to refine his styles with the aid of his quirky imaginations (or realisations?). The studio resides online at Grandpastudios.com and on facebook.com/grandpashea -definitely worth perusing!
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.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
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
Gil Scott-Heron
Hello Friends,
As part of my Remix Culture studies I have compiled a video to complement Gil Scott-Heron‘s classic track The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The video is made up from old Drive-In theatre advertising film reels, in a nod to the postmodern advertising epidemic that is the subject of this track. The music itself is slightly modified, fragmented and mixed to epitomise the repetition of advertising.
Although I have removed nearly all of the companies from the adverts, one still remains: Winston Cigarettes. This particular advertising brand was saved due to the nature of the commercial, but also because of my affection for cigarettes.
-RTB
Semantic Clutter
I was up near A’Beckett today and took the time to check out this exhibition that is part of the Liquid Architecture Festival.
West Space is a truly independent art gallery operated by the artists themselves as an ARI (Artist Run Initiative), established in 1993. The gallery is driven by works that reference multimedia, visual and media arts. They offer a comprehensive range of visual arts literature and ‘alternative’ or underground, independent publications.
This exhibition purports to present the “creative detritus generated throughout an artist’s work process” and includes audio-visual, sound and installation works by Paul Candy, Lizzie Pogson, & Tess Elieff with James Wright (among others).
I was impressed by the nature of Candy’s piece that references 16th and 17th century cathedral architecture in an ode to atonality pioneer Arnold Schoenberg. However, I was moreso taken by a part of the curtains and projection piece that is displayed upon entry to the venue. Although being immersed in the feel of this work, I couldn’t help but tie it to an existentialist or perhaps superflous view of the natural environment. Having the title of the show, Semantic Clutter foremost in my rationale, I chewed on the notion of this piece as representing a reality that is detached from objectiveness and language, signs and signifiers. I was also drawn to a piece featuring moulding fruit and vegetables on display; and the scent that confounded my senses and released inquisitive emotions. The sound pieces by Pogson were also sensational. In all, it was definitely an enjoyable experience and I look forward to the next incarnation of the 3-part cycle of works; beginning Tuesday 13th july.
West Space: Level 1, 15 – 19 Anthony Street, Melbourne.
-Rock The Boat
Behold Solar Equation
Federation Square has a scale model of the Sun on show at the moment, by renowned Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. The exhibit is titled Behold Solar Equation and is a simulation of the Sun, based on mathematical equations (of which you can participate in via the iPhone, for all the iPhone people). Regardless; I was there to check out the contrition that is the Banksy movie and here are some pictures of this exhibit that I found more entertaining than said film:
-Rock The Boat
The Beat Invitational
Braving the storms of a previously excessive foray into the night until morning, I was joined by some outrageous and tender-hearted friends to check the Producers Showcase at Roxanne.
Although arriving after Cinderella got home from the ball, live art was still in effect by the “insanely talented” Otis Chamberlain and the mad bass of hip-hop fused dubstep was on the make. Featured producers included Dizz1, Sean Deans, Cosmo, Mike Kay, and Chopper whom were “showcasing their latest creations and unleashing their unreleased beats …the future sound of Australasia’s beat heads”
Obey, Ableton Live, and Jazz Crimes presented the freshest dope music-makers dribbling beats and boinks in an ensemble of the next musicological greats. Check the art below by the crafty and guilely Otis Chamberlain, complemented by breaks from ITF Champion and X-Ecutioners DJ Total Eclipse on the night:
-Rock The Boat
Please Come In
This Friday launches the Gert Gallery bonanza ‘Please Come In‘ -with 9 artists vying for visual supremacy at the humble 1800s Hyde Street residence, curated by Gert Geyer.
Your host appears among the artists in this smorgasboard of visual treats; encompassing themes of woman alongside refined skills from the featured visual arts set.
-Rock The Boat
