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Levi Van Veluw

Levi Van Veluw is a multidisciplinary artist from the Netherlands. He takes a series of self-portraits, then modify his face as an object and starts combining with other elements to create a third visual object of great visual impact. The work you see therefore is not a portrait, but an information-rich image of colour, form, texture and content. [ link via Pingmag ]

Let's Talk, Kenyon Bajus

Philadelphia artist Kenyon Bajus uses satire to illuminate the subject matter in his work. Often politically and socially charged in nature, Bajus isn't afraid to tackle issues of race and class; nor does he shy from skewering politicians (Democrats or Republicans) or commenting on the human cost war. His illustrations convey messages through simple lines and striking images. "When I started drawing and making art," Bajus says, "I wanted to make work that would get attention and excite people. [As a result] my sketchbook quickly became full of drawings and collages that definitely tested people’s perception of satire." By testing peoples' perceptions, Bajus says that sometimes he is the only one laughing. However, that type of reaction is only natural given the challenges his more controversial work presents. "If I had a room full of people that were upset by my work," he adds, "that would be better than everyone walking by with no reaction at all." I recently caught up with Bajus to talk. Here's how our conversation played out. -Matthew Newton

In an effort to orient the folks at home, I should ask, how did you get started as an illustrator?

I have always been into drawing. Doodling in class, in my books, on the desks, in the bathrooms... I really started to take it seriously in high school where I spent a lot of time painting and drawing. Then when Apple introduced the PowerMac, I took a slight detour. I gradually moved away from drawing and painting and focused more on motion graphics and video, and then mostly design. I was barely putting the pencil to paper anymore and eventually I realized I missed it. So I got back into drawing more regularly and it has dominated the body of work I produce.

However, I find the term illustrator funny because it makes it sound like I do it full time. I have a day job that’s unrelated to my artwork and some people are surprised when I tell them. But it works well for me because I can pick and choose the work I want to do. It is mostly for myself or for clients who already like my style and will give me full artistic license to render ideas how I see fit. It works better that way so I don’t have to take any jobs I don’t want to. But I must admit, it would be nice to do it full time and make a living. I just don’t like comprising my ideas or changing my style. I am rather stubborn that way.

How then, I wonder, would you be able to do your work full time without comprimising?

I wouldn’t. I guess that’s why I don’t, or can’t. Who knows. Unless you have rockstar artist status, clients will art direct you.

There's a heavily satirical slant to much of your work. What inspired this approach?

Humor and wit has always played a big role in my life. As a kid, I liked imitating and making fun of people and things, impersonations from movies and such. It was funny to me, and I liked the reaction from whoever was paying attention. I was a bit of a wiseass and jokester and I liked the attention.

So when I started drawing and making art, I wanted to make work that would get attention and excite people. I wanted to get a reaction out of people. I started experimenting with it in middle and high school. I remember my sketchbook quickly became full of drawings and collages that definitely tested people’s perception of satire. I used to leave it lying around the art room and soon it became the hot topic: kids were going home and telling their parents about it, then teachers were asking about it. I remember I even wrote a disclaimer at the beginning of the book. But I was lucky enough to have art teachers that didn’t censor my work. They encouraged my experimentation. My work has matured and has become a bit more subtle, but the principles are the same. I like making work that walks the line between funny and offensive.

If I had to name any one influence, I think I was really inspired by Jello Biafra's work, both his music and his collage work. I used to spend a lot of time looking at the record covers and inserts while listening to the Dead Kennedys. I loved it. I still love it. I think his shit is genius. It made a lot of sense to me and his sardonic sense of humor really influenced my own work. I think I was making satire and had developed a sarcastic wit without even knowing it.

That’s interesting, because I notice a lot of young artists—in their twenties and early thirties—identifying with art connected to music. What other albums or album art really caught your attention growing up?

Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any other specific album covers that really made as much of an impact on me as Jello’s stuff did. But if we are talking about other commercial art that was inspirational, I would have to say skateboard graphics were a huge influence. There was a lot of parody and logo flipping and other cool looking shit being done. I used to spend way too much time looking at all the tiny graphics in the back of the skate catalogs and mags of the different decks and tees. Almost obsessing over them. Transworld and the California Cheap Skates catalog were like the holy grail for new graphics and doubled as beat-off material for a budding young graphic artist at the time.

There are so many visuals clamoring for our attention today. Do you think walking that line—between funny and offensive—has enabled your work to stand out more?

My style is nothing extraordinary, mostly just black and white line drawings, so yes, it must be the content. I think the most effective pieces are the ones that stand right on that line. My intentions may seem ambiguous and the piece is open for interpretation by the viewer. Half of the audience may think it is sarcastic, and others might think the opposite and be seriously offended. I like it when the crowd splits. I don’t think I’ve ever shown anything that has received a unanimous reaction unless it has just been purely whimsical. I am not looking for approval from everyone, or anyone for that matter. If I had a room full of people that were upset by my work, that would be better than everyone walking by with no reaction at all.

So do you believe art should always elicit a response?

I don’t think it has to, but I think every piece does, no matter how subtle.

Storytelling is a major element in your illustrations. How do you come up with and capture these ideas?

I have a hard time drawing anything abstract. If I am going to draw something, I feel like it has to say something or mean something. I don’t start by drawing and see where it ends up. I already have an idea of exactly how I want the finished piece to look and what I want it to communicate before I begin.

The ideas come to me anywhere. I have no rituals for brainstorming. I think the best ideas are when you aren't trying to think of any. I can get ideas from song lyrics, or from conversations I overhear. I just hope I have something to write on when I do come up with an idea.

When I come up with an idea, I write down exactly what I am thinking so I have a clear message of what I am trying to communicate, rather than trying to sketch the idea, and then coming back to it and say “What the fuck is this about?” Which happens often when trying to sketch something out quickly. So I will write out full sentences to describe my thoughts. I have sketch books and a box full of post it notes and scraps of paper with these ideas. I even email myself over and over with ideas. Often times the same idea, reworded. It’s like I am my own client trying to make sure I understand the idea, which is insane because I am the one who thought of it. Anyway, I will go through the box and pick out an idea and work on how I am going to communicate the idea visually.

Do you try to keep current on world events, news, and politics as fodder for illustrations.

I don’t think you have to try. There is so much media coverage—TV, radio, Internet, that it is impossible to escape what is going on in the world. Even if you could unplug for a while, everyone around you talks about what’s going on and it gets into your brain.

But I don’t want to be considered a political cartoonist. I really just draw whatever interests me at the time, or work on an idea that has nothing to do with current events. I actually have a lot pieces I work on that are pretty random, like inside jokes, and a lot of the time the only person who understands them is me.

What projects and ideas are you working on at the moment?

I have been going back to the basics using pens and paint brushes and creating actual pieces on paper or wood instead of just working on the computer all the time. I love working on the computer, but I get too hung up on working on something until it is just right. I need to make stuff and then move on to another idea. I’ve got a ton of old ideas I want to work on, so I need to hustle so I can work on some new ones.

That being said, I am trying to get more involved in showing work in shops and galleries. Next up, I will have a piece in a group show called Working in Centimeters at Andenken’s Amsterdam gallery.

As for t-shirts, The Hundreds recently released a Barack tee I did for them. And I just had one t-shirt illustration come out on Upper Playground/Fifty24SF label. I have two more coming out with them in the next season or two. I have another tee coming out with Akomplice Clothing. And I have another tee coming out on Tank Theory’s Artist Society label. And I did another design for a tee company out of Serbia called Carrot Clothing. They are all dope labels so I am stoked to be working with them.

But literally, right now, I have a drawing/painting of Ice-T on the easel. It’s a portrait of him wearing a McDonalds hat and drive-thru attendant’s headset. The idea comes from his lyrics from New Jack Hustler “all I think about is kees and gees, imagine that, me working at Mickey D’s.” I think the piece is funny, but anyone who sees it has no clue and asks why Ice-T is working in McDonalds. This is one of those ideas where I am the only who gets it—and I’m the only one who thinks it’s funny.

Related links: www.kenyonb.com www.prplnrpl.com www.futurerelic.com

Ad of the day: Amnesty International - Crazy Leaders

Advertising Agency: Scholz & Friends, Germany

Checkout the film on ibelieveinadv.com

And checkout Amnesty International

Source: Fil

Parasol Dead

It's Halloween, everyone's entitled to one good scare. The entire Parasol Island crew and countless volunteers got united for a weekend shoot.

Inspired by Italian D-movies of the early 80s and with the sense of a high-school-movie, Parasol Dead is slaying audiences. If nothing else, it will offer your very first glimpse of the crew sans makeup, since this has been shot after long night projects, when everyone looked, ehm, pretty tired.

Mogwai - Friend of the Night

This clip for Glaswegian band Mogwai is a sweet celebration of metamorphosis and the grotesquely beautiful. A woman's tears run down across a table, through a child's loop the loop road set, and become little white globes of the earth, teapots, bottles, salt and pepper shakers. A great video from one of my favoutite bands on the always cool Portable Film website.

ilK has refreshed

Nice refresh and new works for ilK™ ,Paris™, France®

The Detroit Institute of Arts

Head Gear Animation has just completed two spots for The Detroit Institute of Arts
Watch Son of Hatman and Thinker
Full credits and comments from Head Gear director Julian Grey are here
Their 2007 campaign for the DIA is posted here

Florence & Johann

FLORENCE is a graphic designer & illustrator, & JOHANN is a photographer. They live and work in Switzerland.

More at Fabrik Project!

Design Assembly

Design Assembly is an interactive discussion forum managed by industry professionals for fellow creatives.

The Swatch 007 Villain collection

The Swatch 007 Villain Collection of 22 limited-edition Swatch watches are inspired by the best of the worst: the bad guys Bond fans love to hate, said the company. Each model is named after a villain from the 22 James Bond movies released so far.

CIA Shop

The Central Illustration Agency have launched a brand new section to their website - a lovely shop where you can find some spankin works for sale from some of the top illustrators around.

Sarah-Jane Lynagh

Sarah-Jane Lynagh completed a degree in Fine Art at the Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork, Ireland in 2003. She has just completed a MA in Fine Art photography at the University for the Creative Arts, Rochester, UK.

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