Artist of the Week

Kari Kraus

It is one thing to be able to discover in life what you truly love to do, and have the ability and time to do it well. However, to be able to transfer that love and understanding to a student is a whole new set of skills that few possess. In a time when schools are cutting art budgets for sports programs, independent and city run programs are becoming increasingly vital for our youth and our culture. Just as we strive to support the independent artist with need to support the education of the youth on every level. When a child is allowed the opportunity to let their minds focus and create the benefits can be substantial.

In the Western Suburbs there are not too many opportunities for a young artist, but Batavia's Kari Kraus, and everyone at Water Street Studio and the Batavia Artists Association, is making a major difference in her community. In her role of Director of Educator for the center is able to pass down to joy for art to her students. In her personal work she uses fabrics and dyes to create intense patterns and installations. She takes an energetic and creative approach in everything she does, and the result have been incredible.

Recently, Kari was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.


Orange Alert (OA): Your work with dyes and fabrics are fascinating. Can you talk a little about your process?
Kari Karus (KK): I mix all my dyes from a powder form to create stock solutions, then from there I mix the dyes with other chemicals to prepare the dye bath. In terms of methods used when making my work, I use a lot of Shibori techniques. Shibori is a Japanese term that describes a wide range of resist methods for fabrics. The resists can include folding, twisting, stitching, binding, and compressing the fabric in different ways to create patterning on the surface of the cloth. A method that I use often is arashi. Arashi is a form of Shibori and it means rain/storm in Japanese due to the diagonal wave-like patterning that occurs. Traditionally the fabric is wrapped around a pole, but I do it on a much smaller scale since my pieces are smaller in general.

OA: Is there any way to control the design or appearance of each piece?
KK: You do have control over the final product to some degree, however much of what I do does take on a mind of its own. The technique I use affects the level of control over the end product. For example, if I am stitching into the fabric, then I have more control than if I arashi the fiber. When dying, the type of fiber also affects the end product. Wicking is the way in which the fiber absorbs the dye by means of capillary action. So, basically depending on the fiber, the dye will seep into the resisted areas in different ways and rates that affect the design. I really enjoy that the pieces take on the characteristics of the fiber and that, in combination with my intentions for the piece, make a unique collaboration between artist and medium.

OA: Do you feel that living in a smaller town has hindered your career as an artist in any way?
KK: No, I love being a part of a smaller community. I was born and raised in Batavia, IL. I feel that my life here is so rich and I derive so much of my inspiration from my surroundings. I feel that living here hinders me in no way. Yes, I believe that there are other opportunities elsewhere, but with the Water Street Studios project and my roots here, I just feel really content and grounded. I feel that Batavia is a great middle ground that provides me with balance. Not to mention Chicago is a relatively short commute, it is less than an hour away so I can easily get to the city if need be.

OA: How did you get involved in the Water Street Studios project and what is your role there?
KK: Let me begin by giving a explanation of the goal of the project: We are converting an old industrial warehouse in Batavia into a 16,000 square foot art center equipped with 28 artist studios, classrooms, and gallery space. It will be a fantastic space for artists and the community alike to gather and share in a collective creativity and passion for the arts.
I got involved while attending the annual Art in Your Eye festival in Batavia and walked past a booth for the Batavia Art Center (before we had named ourselves Water Street Studios). At that time I was looking into renting a studio space or possibly partnering with them and the company I worked for at the time. I had been the Assistant Director of a non-profit art school and wanted to expand that brand to this area. After attending a few meetings, I found myself so energized and excited about the project that I wanted to be a part of it in any way possible. When it did not work out for my previous job to partner, I still continued to attend meetings and soon became so active that I was made their Director of Education. Like a dream come true, I was able to begin building our non-profit school of art from the ground up, as one of the founding artists on the project. I currently am operating the art school out of our temporary location at the 160 W. Wilson store. There I recruit teachers, create a schedule, coordinate all of the classes, handle payment and registration, draft the policy and procedures for the school, and market the classes to name a few of my duties.

OA: I’ve heard there is a certain tact and skill that goes into teaching art. The center has only been open for a few months, how do you feel the classes are going and where do you see the center going in the future?
KK: Our temporary location opened on November 25th, so we have only been open a little while but have had success in terms of gaining public attention and awareness. I see the school being quite a success in the future. There is a need in this area for the type of arts education that we will bring to the table. Classes have been going well at the store and we are beginning to gather some great students.

The most successful class for Water Street so far has to be Star Wars. I got the idea to teach a themed art class a few years ago when I noticed that we needed to reach a certain group of kids. I felt that if I could focus a class on something that children (especially boys) liked and were passionate about, then I could grab their attention and show them all that art has to offer. After taking my class, the student can walk away with knowledge of a wide range of artistic techniques. They have also created work about something that they love and enjoy.

OA: What is next for Kari Karus?
KK: I am entirely dedicated to the Water Street Studios project and will continue to work day and night to get the project completed and up and running. The center, which is scheduled to open in May, will be an amazing asset to the community. I would love to get back to making work on a more regular basis as well. The project takes up the majority of my time and that in combination with my regular full time job does not leave a lot of time for creating work, so next for me is making work again!

Bonus Questions:
OA: Do you see the Fox River Valley as having a flourishing art scene? Besides Water Street Studios where could someone look to find it?
KK: I feel that Water Street will help the Fox River Valley become a focal point for the arts in this area. This project is the beginning of Batavia’s renaissance and promises to help put Batavia on the map as a center for the arts. Besides Water Street, there are many small galleries and individual artist studios to see in the area. There is tremendous talent in the Fox River Valley and the art center will begin to bring it all together in a fantastic package and really help generate this collective creativity.

OA: What types of music do you enjoy and who are a few of your favorites?
KK: I really like and am open to a wide range of music styles and artists. I have to say that I really love classic rock, AC/DC and ZZ Top are two favorites from that category, and in addition to that I like, Frank Sinatra, TLC, The Killers, and Bjork.

For more information of Kari Karus please visit her myspace and for more on Water Street Studio please visit their site.

Artist of the Week

Katy Keefe

The word opportunity is about as complex a word as you will find. With our nation's attention thrust in the direction of a man from Chicago, I think about opportunity. Is it something that we wait for? Is it something that leaders or politicians can provide for us? No, it is that window that we open for ourselves. It is that doorway that we build before we can walk through it. It is what we make that allows us to make something of it all.

Chicago artist Katy Keefe is not only creating intense and original pieces of art, but she is also creating many opportunities for herself. Since receiving her BFA from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, Katy has consistently shown her work in the many galleries around the city including two solo shows. Through experimentation in her work she continues to grow and learn and develop as an artist. She has a great deal planned for 2009, and it all got under way last week at Caro d'Offay Gallery and her two person show with Scott Cowan called "Sandusky".

Recently, Katy was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): What can you tell us about your current show, SANDUSKY, at Caro d'Offay Gallery?
Katy Keefe (KK): Presented by a forgetfulness of Self within the mixed up feelings of freedom, hope, fear, and consciousness, Sandusky brings the distance of the historic past and the unimaginable future to one single point: the present. Artists Scott Cowan and Katy Keefe invite you to a multi-media installation that questions where the dark undercurrent of the political climate stem. In addition, Kelan Phil Cohran, the legendary Chicago space jazz musician infamous for his participation with Sun Ra's Arkestra, will play the Harp from 6-7 P.M.

Upon entering guests are faced with a monumental wall of Moai heads similar to those found on Easter Island dripping with paints of blinding whites and astro-black. The attention is then drawn to the colliding sounds of the intonnations of political speeches, droning frequencies, and the victory of guitar solos. The walls portray a landscape of imagined locations and galaxies, lined with the glitter of gold and silver trees. A rabbit skin tarp hangs above leading to a table of snacks that are free of charge.

As William Black stated, "If the doors of perception were cleansed then everything would appear as it is - infinite". As always, though obviously pressing in the current days of suspicion and anxiety, there is a greatness found in the strength of being powerless; in the dismissal of knowledge there lies the roots of wisdom. There is hope found in that which have the appearance of the absurd and also in a love that is grown with a distaste for self. Sandusky offers a thought on the expectancy of such a mentality - the visitor decides on how it should be carried out.

OA: Is your approach to a two person show different than a solo show? Did you consider the look of Scott's work or his approach in anyway?
KK: Yes, I approach a two person show much differently than a solo show, although this dichotomy is a key element to my artistic process. Where my solo shows are very intense introspective undertakings, these collaborative events offer the complete opposite. Here is where I can relax, experiment with new mediums and processes, but most importantly learn from my show collaborator. My decision to work with Scott was a result of a car ride in Kansas City, but mostly because of his approach to artmaking and the pieces he creates. We approach our work differently, that is true, and probably what allows us to work well together. Mainly though, he and I are on the same page subconsciously, and because we don't have to talk about it, collaborating is completely natural.




OA: Your pinhole photographs are amazing. Your description of the images says that they were "created spontaneously and without control". Can you talk about that process and how you came to work with a pinhole camera?
KK: I have been using a pinhole camera off and on for a few years now just as an alternative to painting, but really got into it this summer when I left the city and moved to Wisconsin; the landscape I was in really inspired these photographs more than anything. And the natural results completely, and for the first time, inspired my watercolors! When I reference creating these photographs spontaneously I am speaking of the camera itself. I literally have no choice but to fall victim to the device; I cannot control the shot since there is no viewfinder, the photographs overlap because the winding mechanism is screwed up, and I don't calculate the exposure time. So I guess its not totally the camera's fault, it is also my lack of knowledge with photographic equipment.

OA: You seem to enjoy changing your media and tools frequently. You have worked with watercolor, graphite and ink, oil paint, mixed media, linen, canvas, paper, and so on. Are you searching for the right platform or is this a certain set of tools for a certain mood? Do you have a preference or feel you work best with a certain combination?
KK: My constant experimentation with medium is both of what you say; I am always searching for a perfect combination of materials, but never want to stop with just one, and my moods and/or subject matter are better dictated through particular tools. For example, the watercolors I did this summer were very light and airy, resulting from work created in a state of complete elation and discovery. Right now the weight of building these bulky plaster heads against a dense forest of pine trees and painting large golden prisms reacts to the onslaught of winter. So yes, everything changes according to what is supposed to be made at that particular moment.

OA: You seem to have had success, but do you feel that there is enough opportunity in the city for a young artist?
KK: There is always too much opportunity in any city, you just need to make it for yourself. In other words, it won't come to you.

OA: What's next for Katy Keefe?
KK: Alot is next actually. I have a painting/watercolor show at the Green Gallery in Milwaukee, WI in March. In April my collaborative/social activist art group will be hosting a Read-A-Thon at Co-Prosperity Sphere where participants will be sponsored to read for X amount of hours in an effort to raise money for Proximity Magazine in the midst of site-specific rooms created by various installation groups. Hopefully in the summer Scott and I will be creating another interactive installation at Golden Age where we will be building chandeliers and throwing a debutante ball. In September I will be showing those pinhole photographs at FlatFile Galleries in the Fotowerk 2009 exhibition. And then, hopefully I'll get into grad school. And probably some other stuff will come up...



Bonus Questions:
OA: If you could sit down to coffee with anyone (dead or alive) who would it be?
KK: I think if I could sit down and have coffee, specifically, I would talk with the person who discovered that you could actually brew and drink coffee and see how that came about. But I would want to have it with him/her in their time, not mine.

OA: What type of music do you enjoy and who are a few of your favorites?
KK: Music changes alot, not really though. I mean I like Bob Dylan alot, Sun Ra, Sam Cooke, Black Sabbath, Donovan, Beyonce's new album sadly enough. You name it.

For more information on Katy Keefe please visit her website.

Artist of The Week

Chris Roberts

If you have ever been told that nothing positive comes from hatred then you were lied to. Just ask artist Chris Roberts who has turned his hatred of clowns into a twelve year collection of paintings and illustrations. Regardless of his origins or his motivation, Chris' style has evolved into something that is explosively original. Whether working on a mixed media collage or original painting or a book cover, Chris has managed to put the clowns aside and truly push and explore all that his materials have to offer him.

What first drew me to Chris was his unique and uninhibited approach to creating book covers. He breaks all of the rules, but the outcome is visually appealing and compelling enough that the average person would want to pick up a book he designed (example). I have long felt that it is the artist responsibility to take their training, their inspiration, their hatred and love, and all that they see around them, and filter it through their wildest dreams and imagination. This filtration process will eventually generate something unique and distinctive, and it seems to me that Chris Roberts understands this process perfectly.

Recently, Chris Roberts was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): How would you describe your work?
Chris Roberts (CR): In a word, odd. In more than a word, I'd really like to leave that to those who happen to stumble upon my work. I'd like to think that my work is interesting. I'd like to think that my work is unique. I'd like to think my work is at least something that nobody has ever seen before. But an honest & detached perception of my own work is something I fear I'm totally incapable. Leave it to the end user I say. It's my job to get the images out of my head & on to some surface or other. The rest is up to the viewer. Must I do everything? Well, must I? Wink!

Ultimately I try not to take myself or my work too seriously. Recently came up with a motto of sorts for my freelance company Dead Clown Art. Probably won't go over very well, but here it is: It's Just Art. Wouldn't get me oodles of projects I'm sure, but that's really not why I do what I do. Honest not modest, I think I'm okay at what I do. Just okay. The many artists I flutter & fawn over are truly amazing. I'll never come close to the likes of Dave McKean, Ted McKeever, Henrik Drescher, Ashley Wood, Vincent Chong, Ben Templesmith, Ralph Steadman, etc. But that's okay. I continue to do what I do - hopefully evolving a little along the way - because it's what I'm supposed to be doing.

What was the question again? Let me try another tentacle. My work is guided by the unavoidable collection of weird images bouncing around in my head. These images are compelled by projects I'm working on, random odd-servations of the silly world around me, & every once in awhile a dream that didn't fully abandon my brain from sleep to wake. Or it could just be a wonderful & weird series of accidents. Ideal moment to thank the gods of Accident & Luck. You both rock, & without you, none of this would be possible.

OA: With my interest in literature I have been fascinated by the book covers you have created. They seem unconventional in many ways, but they are so interesting and intense. How do you approach designing a book cover? How did the Ray Bradbury cover come about?
CR: I love to read. Imagine it starts there. I'm fascinated by books. The internet or little electro-gadget pretend-o-books will never replace books. Oh they try, but they fail. Miserably. Why? Because they're not books. It's as simple as that.

I'm glad you enjoy my book covers. I enjoy my book covers. I'd pick up a book with my cover surrounding it. Hell yes. If I, um, wasn't me. But all humility aside, I think the covers I've done for PS Publishing are pretty impressive, & fairly unconventional.

My design approach? After reading the words, I let the images take over. Sort of. I'm not much of a sketch person, but I do take what I suppose you'd call visual notes. Words for pictures for words. Then I just let all of the disjointed words & descriptions & images come together in my head. Edit. Organize. Refine. When I'm ready, I dump it all out on cardboard or wood. Few digital pics or flatbed scans later & I'm finishing it up with my good friend Photoshop.

I think one thing that makes my book covers stand out is that they don't know that they're book covers until they're wrapped around a stack of interesting printed pages. Surprise! They always seem quite pleased though. I don't think about the artwork as 'book cover'. I have absolutely nothing to do with that part of the process. I don't think about sizes & margins & file formats & fonts until I need to. I look at every illustration as simply my visual interpretation of the words provided.

And what fabulous gatherings of words! Will Elliott's The Pilo Family Circus, Sebastien Doubinsky's The Babylonian Trilogy, & Ray Bradbury's A Medicine For Melancholy. Ray freaking Bradbury! I'm not anywhere near worthy. Ideal moment to thank Pete & Nicky Crowther from PS Publishing. You both rock, & without you, none of this would be possible.

So how did the Bradbury cover come about? After completing Babylonian & Pilo covers for PS, Pete emailed me, then called me about doing the cover for the second book of a 2-book deluxe edition of Ray Bradbury's The Day It Rained Forever & A Medicine For Melancholy, signed by both Ray Bradbury & Caitlin Kiernan (introduction), with a 100 copy run. Nearly fell out of my chair after reading the email. Damn near dropped my cell while talking with Pete... BTW, I'd love to have Pete's accent & manner, if that could be arranged.

Okay, that answer is long enough.

OA: How did the name and concept of Dead Clown Art come about?
CR: I hate, strike that, loathe clowns. They creep me the f**k out. Can I say that here? If not, please replace f**k with heck. So I took my hatred, nay loathe-tred of clowns, spun it around in a cotton candy machine for a bit, stretched it on a taffy puller for a time, dressed it wildly in a bright orange wig, puffy clothes, horrid suspenders, enormous shoes & a red rubber nose... then proceeded to beat it to death with a dull-yellow wiffle bat. Too harsh? Possibly. But it's therapeutic, with a delayed comical shock value.

OA: You have entered a few different contests. Do you do this for the competition or is it more for promotional purposes? How do you handle self-promotion of your work?
CR: Neither really. I'm not competitive at all. If pressed I'd pick promotional purposes. Any exposure is good exposure. I've entered every contest that I can recall because, well, it was there. It's really good practice. Here's a problem, solve it. That's what I do. It's almost irresistible. Like throwing a dead chipmunk in front of a wolf & telling it not to eat it. Come on! It's a dead chipmunk for piss sake! Each contest I've entered has been an exercise. Never expected to win any of them going in, & never did. Not important. Just wanted to solve the problem.

Self promotion? Emails & postcards to unsuspecting art directors. Interviews like this. Getting my work in front of as many people as possible. That's always worked for me... that & a big yummy chunk of luck. Hey, check out my online portfolio - has been surprisingly effective. Here's what I've done, now let's see what I can do for you. Repeat as needed. Stir briskly. Serve chilled.

If an art director likes my site, the work that I've done, thinks I can add some value to whatever it is they're doing, great. If not, no worries, thanks for your time & consideration. Peace out.

OA: You are also a writer. How is the process or release different when writing a poem as opposed to painting or designing a piece?
CR: Not all that different really. I've never thought of myself as a writer. Just now getting comfortable with thinking of myself as an artist. Labels. Whatever pops into my head that needs rough passage to surface, is handled pretty much the same way. I look at my writing as stuff I didn't think I could effectively translate into an illustration or painting. My writing has the same awareness as my artwork. It knows more than I know. Spooky, huh?

It's taking all of the assembled pieces & putting them into an order. Not necessarily a desirable order. An often bizarre order, yes. But an order that I saw in my head, then moved in whatever format to external surface, so that everybody else could see it.

Like it or hate it. There it is. No matter the medium. Something that wasn't there before.

OA: What's next for Chris Roberts?
CR: Waiting for that next project. I'd love to work with Pete & Nicky at PS Publishing again. They seem to like what I've given them so far, so hopefully I'll be hearing from them shortly.
I have the infant pieces of an odd children's book floating around just behind my eyes. I'd like to paint more in 2009. A resolution of sorts. Larger format stuff. Possibly put together a solo show somewhere. Your guess is as good as mine. I do know that I'll continue to adore my supporting, patient & way-too-hot-for-me wife; & spoil silly our smart & pretty daughter. Two of my wonderful constants.

Bonus Questions:

OA: Coffee? If yes, where is the best place to get a cup in Des Moines?
CR: Yes. I'd say Friedrich's Coffee. Good coffee. Good people. Good atmosphere.

OA: What type of music do you enjoy and who are a few of your favorites?
CR: If I had to slap a label on it, probably Alternative. 98% of radio music makes me want to hurl, slit my wrists, or both. Don't get me started on MTV & VH1. Dang. Okay...

Best band ever: Radiohead. And anyone who thinks otherwise is totally wrong.
Damien Rice. Portishead. Cold War Kids. Jesca Hoop. Tori Amos. NIN. The Tragically Hip. Sia. The Cure. Fiona Apple. Blur. Tool. Okay, that's all I can think of right now.

For more information on Chris Roberts please visit his website.

Artist of the Week

Britton Walters

The most challenging aspect of pursuing a career as a creative professional (artist, writer, or musician) is taking the time to stop and create. I've talked to writers who say they have to write for 30 minutes per day, but it is the more ambitious projects like Brendan Losch's song per week project that really drive creativity. Since 2005 Chicago's Britton Walter's has been forcing himself to do something similar, and the results have fueled a career that is just starting to really take off. His yearly project is called 4x6x366, and it finds him focusing what energy he left to create a personal painting or drawing every day. It is an ambitious goal, but one that has helped him create hundreds of original drawings.

Yet, Britton is so much more than just drawings, he has created a series of illustrations that are filled humor and creativity. He has been able to turn these illustrations into successfully marketed products. A skilled graphic designer, Britton has been able to take his creation from the canvas and place them on stickers, t-shirts, buttons, and more. Under the heading of Nerfect, he has created favorites like Diabolical Dog, Hip hop hamburger and many more.

Recently, Britton was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Now that you are nearing the end of your 4x6x366 project for 2008 how do you feel it has helped you as an artist? Has your approach to doing this changed since you started working this way in 2005?
Britton Walters (BW): The daily drawing series have been extremely helpful to me as an artist. On a basic level, it is an exercise of sorts. The practice helps me build up my skills, and the daily deadline keeps my imagination cranking. I also get to experiment with a lot of ideas on a day-to-day basis. Not every drawing is a winner, but I know that I have another shot the next day. You don’t always get that when you’re working on larger pieces.

When I started doing the daily drawings, it was mainly because I had noticed that I hadn’t done quality personal work in quite a while. I needed to warm myself up by starting this practice.

The drawings from that first year, seem a bit alien to me now when I look at them. I tended to over-think and overwork the pieces. I see them as to too tight, tense even. I feel that as I’ve moved on with this project, I’ve been able to be able to really loosen up and let things flow more
naturally. If a drawing stinks now, so be it, but back in 2005, I might have redraw a bad piece again and again.

Now, I’m at a stage where I’m a bit more comfortable just letting things happen, and to trust my gut more.

OA: Have you ever had anyone take you up on your offer to finish their paintings?
BW: A handful of folks have and the results have been really good. I think people know roughly what to expect out of me and in the pieces I’ve “finished” have been really well received by the people who submit work to me.

I’m actually surprised that more people haven’t taken me up on the offer to finish their unfinished artworks. Every artist I know has a couple pieces they just didn’t complete lying around, and I don’t charge a crazy amount for the service. It’s a bargain, I get another collaboration in my portfolio and the submitter gets a sweet piece of artwork.

OA: You have created a wide range of sticker designs. What is your most popular and when do you know drawing should or could become a sticker?
BW: Diabolical Hot Dog is definitely my most successful creation lately. Anything I put him on moves out the door. The character just has the right magical combination of parts and people dig him.

It’s hard to say what makes me think a particular design is worthy of getting produced as a sticker, a t-shirt or whatever. In the beginning I just put stuff out that I was happy with and I just kept my fingers crossed that someone else out there in the world would be willing to buy
it.

Originally, I saw making stickers and buttons a way of getting affordable bits of my artwork out into the world. Now, as more and more shops have begun to carry them, and it has become more like a real business, I rely on feedback from the folks who sell my stuff in the retail environment. If something is doing really well as a button, I will consider turning it into a sticker or t-shirt.

OA: Tales of the Danged looks interesting, what can you tell us about your comic book?
BW: I’ve always liked comics, and over the years I’ve tried my hand at the comics form. Tales of The Danged is the last real comic book I put out. It was a real labor of love, and if I had the time and maybe a team to work on comics with to take a bit of the pressure off, I’d love to do more comics in the future.

The original idea Tales of The Danged was for an anthology book that I could try different kinds of stories in, but as I was working on it, one of the stories seemed to grow and grow and was eventually the length of the book. That story was the story of Secret Dog and Doug Nerfect, a
couple of unintentional adventurers. There are a lot of twists and turns, a few things that I thought were funny, a 3-D center spread (glasses are included), and a special appearance by Diabolical Hot Dog.


OA: Is Chicago a good place to be a professional illustrator and artist? With the internet does it really matter where you live?
BW: Chicago has a large community of professional artists and with a lot of ad agencies and publishing firms located here, it is a pretty good place to find work. The gallery and art scene is pretty healthy, but has a bit of room to grow.

Granted, as you suggest, the internet really frees people up. As an artist, you can really work globally and build a strong network of connections. You can truly set up shop anywhere as long as you have the chops and a good core base of clients.

However, it really helps to be able to physically attend shows and make personal connections with others in the art community offline. You never know whom you might meet at an opening or how going out to lunch with a client can benefit your career.

OA: What's next for Britton Walters and Nerfect?
BW: I feel really good about the upcoming year artwork wise. There are a million things I’d like to work on and develop.

I’m moving ahead with the daily drawings. So many ideas come out of that series that are ending up in the larger pieces I’ve been doing lately. I’ve been doing a bit more painting these days and am really excited to show these pieces off.

Speaking of which, I have a couple of shows in the spring that I’m doing work for and planning now. Please check out Nerfect.com regularly to find out more about them. I’m also keeping my eyes open for group shows and new opportunities to show my work.

I also plan to continue developing the merchandise extension of my work. I’ve got a few new items in the works and hope to get my stuff into more environments around the globe in aught nine.

To be honest, the most exciting thing coming up for me are those opportunities that I don’t even know of yet.

Bonus Questions:
OA: If you could sit down to coffee with anyone (alive or dead) who would it be?
BW: I would really love to chat with physicist Richard Feymnman. He was a brilliant, curious and interesting human being. The collections of his essays and other personal writings are very entertaining.

OA: What type of music do you enjoy and who are a few of your favorites?
BW: I’d like to think that I’m pretty eclectic in my tastes in music. There is so much great stuff out there. On a single day I could easily go from bluegrass to old school hip hop or classic soul and funk to hardcore punk. As long as there is some honesty in it and it is a bit rough on the edges, I’ll give most anything a spin.

For more information on Britton Walters please visit his website.

Artist of the Week

Pierre-Paul Pariseau

In music they call it sampling, but when placed in the hands of an artist the results can be vibrant and surprisingly original. The same principles apply, cutting and pasting, layering images upon a bed of creative expression. It is more than just a remix of images, the product is a completely original piece. What is exciting is the endless supply of images and all the possibilities that lay within. The genre of mixed media is consistently growing, and the work of Montreal's Pierre-Paul Pariseau has been involved in the scene for years. His work has been seen in numerous magazine and he has won several awards.

Buzzing with vivid colors and an endless array images his mixed media work is bold and ever-changing. Recently, Pierre-Paul was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): As a professional illustrator how do you balance personal work and professional work? Are there qualities in your personal work that you do carry over to your professional work?
Pierre-Paul Pariseau (PP): Personal work is as much important as professional work, and the contrary is true also. There are different qualities in both kind of work. The personal projects are very important because then you can let yourself go completely in the depths of your imagination, into a loose narrative. You can be "crazy" as you want, to surprise yourself as you never did before. My personal works do not always have clear meanings, they allow a wide space for interpretation. Being totally free it is more easy to experiment with the different technics (no deadline to respect, you have the time to re-do as you want) and to come out of this with interesting discoveries that you can use in commissioned works later, if relevant.

The constraints (subjects, sizes, delays, etc.) brought by the professional works can be an important challenge for the spirit. It is a positive experience that brings you into areas of discomfort that could be, at the end, very freeing. Again, you discover part of your imagination that you would probably not have otherwise. This state of mind can be used in your personal works later on.

Both kinds of artworks, the personal and the commissioned, are feeding each other.

OA: You work a lot with found images are there any legal issues involved with this type of art?
PP: Of course you have to be aware of the copyright laws when you use this medium. It is allowed to use part of photos. I transform so much the cutouts I use that the final image has absolutely nothing to do with the different sources it comes from. I never had any negative feedback about this all along my career so I must have "well behave", be respectful.

OA: You seem to utilize a lot of vivid colors in your work. What role does color play in your work?
PP: The colors play a very important role in my work. After the composition is done and it is pretty clear where I am going with this image it is the colors that brings everything into life. They create the energy between each part of the image, put emphasis on certain parts, give the general mood. I like vibrant and lively colors but working in b/w would be great also or in a certain tone if needed.

OA: In your professional work, is it difficult or painful to make alterations to your images? Have you ever refused to change an image?
PP: I never had any problem making alterations to my images. I probably have been lucky to work with experienced and sensitive art directors because I have learned a lot from them and the changes they asked me to do. This, especially, at the beginning of my career as I am a self-taught artist; I have learned the craft day by day doing commissioned works and the personal ones. I remember doing some compromises that were not at the best for the final result, according to me, but everybody was happy except me. I wouldn't do it again now.

Now that I have more experience I am not ask so often to change anything, I have a good idea what would be best for the picture and what is wanted from me by art directors. If there is a change although I always keep an open mind, I listen and I learn what there is to learn, concerning the picture or something else.

OA: Is there a specific quality or trait that makes a piece a Pierre-Paul Pariseau piece?
PP: I think that my style is easily recognizable. It is difficult for me to describe it although, you see it and that is it. The way I use the color, surrealism, pop, composition, humor; all these are used in my own personal way that makes a picture of mine easily recognizable. Other people can tell you more about this than me, perhaps I do not have enough distance from my work to describe my style with words easily.

OA: What's next for Pierre-Paul Pariseau?
PP: More illustrations to do with a various range of clients, plus a continuous collaboration with the current ones, I wish. A trip to Europe in the current year is also something expected.

Bonus Questions:
OA: If you could sit down for coffee with anyone (living or dead) who would it be?
PP: There could be so many people I would like to have dinner with. This question comes right at the time when I was discussing this with my girlfriend the other day and we had just seen an interview with Alice Cooper on TV. He was witty, humble, saying all kinds of interesting and funny anecdotes, that we said we would love to invite him for dinner (curious choice isn't it?), with friends and other famous people. These days I am reading books by Alexandro Jodorowsky and I would love to meet the man. Next week it could be someone else.

OA: In a past interview you mentioned that you listen to music while you work, who are a few of your favorites while painting and in general?
PP: I listen to all kinds of music but comes often electronica when working, bands like Fila Brazillia, Thievery Corporation, Bonobo, The Cinematic Orchestra, Morcheeba, etc.... But lately I have been listening to John Coltrane and Chet Baker. Tomorrow it could be French singers... and the day after some groovy hip-hop.

For more information on Pierre-Paul Pariseau please visit his website.

Artist of the Week

VoodooToaster

As I walked through the isles of this years DIY Trunk Show here in Chicago there were so many discoveries to be made. From jewelery to plushies to prints to shirts, but one of my favorites was a collection of shadow boxes filled with tiny collections of discarded items by VoodooToaster. From old cassettes (still functioning) to stamps to seashells and bells, these mirco-collections are a salute to the forgotten and rejected. Each box is unique, and as I talked with Anna Gregoline and Jesse Thomas (who is also a local musician) about the boxes they could not have been nicer.

It became clear that these boxes had purpose and that Anna and Jesse were passionate about giving meaning back to the forgotten. What fascinated me was the detail and nostalgia of it all. It felt like each collection had been hand selected and placed in a specific way. These were not mass produced, these were honest representations of what Anna and Jesse felt needed to be gathered together.

Recently, Anna from VoodooToaster was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Where did the name VoodooToaster come from?
Anna Gregoline (AG): I've always been intruiged by toasters - they are the only common kitchen appliance that has one function - to magically change bread into toast! Such a slight and yet important change. One day I started thinking about this transformation and how it changes bread into something else that is almost the same - the undead bread! The name VoodooToaster was born out of that somehow.

OA: I am fascinated by your shadow boxes. Where do you find the items that go into the boxes?
AG: Everywhere! We get our shadowbox items from all over the place - we've collected scrap metal from other artists, found broken eyeglasses on the street, received boxes of broken jewelry from friends and sometimes purchased weird miniature toys in junk shops. Once you let people know you're in the "cast-off junk" collecting business, it's not hard to get a collection of things ripe for gluing to other things.

OA: How long does it take to complete a box and when do you know it is finished?
AG: It ranges - sometimes a box is completed in a flurry, over one day or a weekend, but much more often we work on one for a while and then hang it on the wall. It usually stays on the wall for a few weeks, coming down every now and then for additions, and then returning to the wall. Once one feels done, it is, and we name it and label it. Even after that, sometimes we find the perfect addition and have to alter it further.

OA: With stamps, cassettes, and pocket watches, it seems like you both are rebelling against progress while making beautiful art. Is this a fair assessment?
AG: Yes. We are children of the end of the 20th century, and beholden to such wonderfully obscure ephemera as instant photos, cassette tapes, and snail mail… and we think perhaps people at times long for these ancient technologies, for the limited range of choices they entail. It’s important that all the cassettes still function too, so the shadowboxes can be experienced on an aural as well as visual level. Tape decks not included.

OA: How did you get involved with Sacred Art and what has your experience been like with them?
AG: We met Sara, the owner, at the DIY Craft Show a few years ago, and she expressed interest in having our work at her gallery. Our relationship has been nothing short of a blessing. Sarah has not only given us a venue for our ideas but, because we are always trying to generate something new ostensibly ‘for the gallery’, has had the remarkable side-effect of advancing our work, mutating it at an accelerated speed. We love Sarah and hope to continue working with Sacred Art for as long as possible.

Bonus Questions:
OA: Coffee? If yes where can you find the best cup in your area?
AG: Jesse works at Kopi Café at 5317 North Clark, and the coffee is excellent.

OA: What type of music do you enjoy, and who are a few of your favorites?
AG: We both enjoy DC Dischord rock and roll, electronic music, and howlingly intense noise rock. We sometimes dance in our kitchen to the Slits Cut. If you just happened to drop in on us, there’s a good chance we’d be listening to Talking Heads The Name Of The Band Is Talking Heads. But a lot of our music listening time is spent actually making music. We have our own live music act called Feedbacula which is improvisational electronic free-form love jazz…and Jesse is the leading man in a power trio called Genius School, like a 21st century Grand Funk Railroad…he is also the guitarist for local legends ONO who do things like slam sheet metal around and such.

For more information on the work of VoodooToaster please visit their website.

Artist of the Week

Thomas Graff

For the photographer the world, and all of its broad and ever changing figures and scenes, is a canvas. What is modern and edgy or classic and refined lies squarely in the eye and mind of the photographer. Yet, their still is an overwhelming sense that there is an interaction between the subject and the artist. It is as if the photographer is giving a stage to the subject to tell their story. This is most apparent in portraits, but landscapes and still life all possess tales.

Local photographer Thomas Graff is fascinated by form and fashion, and is about to dedicated his professional life to photography. Currently in his final year at NIU, Thomas is already displaying flashes edgy originality while maintaining a strong sense for the classic nature of fashion photography. His works can currently be seen at The House Cafe in Dekalb as part of a group show for the NIU art group "Ars Nova".

Recently, Thomas was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.


Orange Alert (OA): Last month your show at The House Cafe in DeKalb, Form & Photography, took a new look at photography, developing, and fashion. What can you tell us about that show? What was your process like for the pieces that were on display?
Thomas Graff (TG): The work displays a new way of looking at traditional darkroom photography. It incorporates both painting and photography by using chemicals in the darkroom to splash developer on paper, fabric, and canvas to create the feeling of a painting by using photography. Although my initial intention was to mainly deal with painting and the use of photography, the process ended up creating interestingly new forms and therefor felt the show was demonstrating these "Forms and Photography."

The process started last Spring and has evolved from only using photo paper to now using canvas and fabric. Overall, it has been completely enjoyable and I am excited to continue working this way.

OA: What is it about fashion and form that you find so appealing as a photographer?
TG: I am fascinated by fashion photography because it is more than just photographing any subject. Fashion deals with people and culture and must be carefully set up in order to be successful. As the photographer, possibilities are endless. Having the control of setting up a photo shoot with live models and using different kinds of lighting is more than just pushing a button on a camera. I love the challenge it brings.

Dealing with different forms of photography co-insides with fashion because clothing comes in many unique forms. Using fashion imagery on the clothing creates a good combination for what I am doing.

OA: You have also traveled a bit. Do you feel it is important for photographers to expirence different cultures and environments? Have you found a favorite place to photograph?
TG: I love to travel. I recently got back from a four and a half month study in Salzburg, Austria and found that being abroad is inspiring and life changing. I definitely think that it is important for a photographer to step outside of his/her boundaries (whether that be traveling to an exotic location, or finding a new environment in his/her hometown) because new experiences can change a perspective for a photographer. During my semester abroad I took a trip to Morrocco, Africa and found that being in a culture that was so totally different from my American culture took my breath away. I couldn't stop photographing there. The people were beautiful, the weather was incredible, and the colors were completely unique. It is the best place I have photographed thus far.

OA: How do you decide if an image should be in black & white vs. color?
TG: I personally think that traditional black and white has such a great quality to it. Although all of the works from the Form and Photography show were black and white, I am experimenting with using color in this process. For the show though, I felt it was important to use black and white because it instantly displayed that the works were traditional darkroom prints. The process I am using is very different and many people didn't understand how it was done, so it may have been more confusing by using color.

OA: What has your expirence been like at NIU? How did you decide on their program?

TG: I have been very fortunate with my experience at NIU because I have been able to challenge myself and get involved in a number of different things. I decided on their program because my mom got her Master's Degree from NIU and I found the University to be affordable and in good location to my home town.

OA: What's next for Thomas Graff?
TG: I just finished displaying my work in a week long art show at The Holmes Student Center at NIU. It is an undergraduate photography show and includes work from about 8 other artists. I am excited to be studying abroad this summer in Australia and after I am expecting to graduate in Fall of 2009. After graduation I aim to travel more and become a fashion photographer.


Bonus Questions:
OA: What type of music do you enjoy, and who are a few of your favorites?
TG: I love many kinds of music. Besides doing photography, I sing and play saxophone in a 50's and 60's Rock and Roll band called "The Affects." I also sing in a duo acoustic band with my friend Rachel. Music is a huge part of my life. My favorite musician is John Mayer because he is an outstanding blues guitarist and his words are very meaningful.

OA: What was the last great book you have read?

TG: "You are What You Eat" by Dr. Gillian McKeith. This book will change anybody's life.

For more information on Thomas Graff please visit his website.

Artist of the week

Scott Wolniak

It may be an obvious statement but art transcends medium. Art is more about the idea or message and less about painting vs photograph vs drawing vs video installation. For an artist who works in several mediums the challenge lies in finding the most appropriate outlet for their creativity. In which format can they cleanly and substantially convey their thoughts and visions. For Chicago artist Scott Wolniak this is often video, but he also works in other mediums. Through video he is able to rely his point in a more fully realized way and with a refreshing amount levity. One of my favorite videos is called "The Buddy Cycles" and it looks at all that can go wrong in friendship. Scott utilizes videos to discover and uncover the various patterns of life, and it is through these discoveries he has found a substantial amount of reality and clarity in the absurd.

Recently, Scott was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): I've really enjoy your video work. Do you find it more limiting or more
freeing than drawing or painting?
Scott Wolniak (SW): Originally I found it liberating because it was new to me and I didn’t have all of the rules and habits that I had with painting and drawing. It has gotten quite focused since then, but I still I feel like I can more directly confront ideas with video because of the multitude of structural possibilities. Time-based media allows for progressive structures, which I like…you know, build up, crescendo, resolution, etc.

OA: Have you thought thought about doing a longer project, maybe feature
length film or a collection of films?
SW: A collection of related short works, yes definitely, but not feature length. At least at this point I wouldn’t want to get into anything that all-consuming. Most of my videos are short bursts, geared for the casual glance of a gallery viewer. I still think like a painter and try to cram lots of material into compact spaces. I have become more interested lately though in duration as a powerful element and am thinking about making some cinematically oriented work.

OA: You work in several different mediums, how do you deliver the same message or create that "visceral experience" in the various mediums?
SW: I try to just let the idea dictate the medium. One of my main concerns is embodiment, like how can I most clearly flesh out a concept without neutering it. Drawing is the foundation of my practice and I use it to develop all of my work. My work exists on many different scales, from very quiet and intimate drawings to big dumb comedic videos. In any case I strive for complex craft and a hand-made quality. I feel a bit schizophrenic sometimes because I genuinely love lots of different kinds of art and feel inspired by many disparate things.

OA: You have a show coming up in 2009 at the Chicago Cultural Center. How long does it take you to prepare for a show, and what can we except to see in 2009?
SW: It takes me a log time to prepare for shows but deadlines are very helpful and motivating. Some of my work is quite labor intensive and requires many months to make, especially the animated videos. But conceptual development is the probably the most tedious part because my ideas never stay put. I am highly prone to tangents and free associative developments. This can be good for fluidity, but also problematic if a gallery is expecting something specific. The new project for the Cultural Center is finally crystalizing. The fun part is making the work once the concepts have stopped shifting around. This new project is about creating a modernist-inspired color-therapy space to sooth sad wintertime Chicagoans and art-lovers alike. It is a bit ironic and subtly humorous, but I also very seriously. I want the form to envelop and hypnotize. I’m collaborating with Relaxation Record (aka Jim Dorling) for the soundtrack on the new video.

OA: You have lectured at both SAIC and University of Chicago, what might you lecture on, and what is like to actually share your experience with the up and coming artists?
SW: I have taught video production, drawing, a couple of studio-seminars and some grad advising. Teaching is fun because it is social and I get to talk about good stuff. I also learn a lot from the students, who are often smarter than me. We generally have excellent conversations. I just feel grateful to have a job. I do my best to introduce challenging material and the students do the rest. It’s always exciting to see quality work being produced on my watch.

OA: What's next for Scott Wolniak?
SW: I’m finishing the new show, which opens on Jan. 9 at the Cultural Center. Besides that I am just trying to eat right and stay warm. I'm thinking about an idea for a performance piece involving a spray-tan.


Bonus Questions:
OA: Coffee? If yes, where can you find the best cup in Chicago?
SW: If I’m downtown I like Intelligentsia, or in my neighborhood I frequent Café Ballou on Western Ave.

OA: What type of music do you enjoy and who are a few of your favorites?
SW: I saw Deerhunter at the Metro last weekend… it was completely mind-blowing, sonically dense, beautiful, I would go so far as to say breathtaking. Their new record kills, Bradford Cox is definitely a force for good in the universe. Bonnie Prince Billy is a constant. I’ve also been liking the new Department of Eagles record, and Windy and Carl.

For more information on Scott Wolniak please visit his website.

Artist of the Week

David Keel

When I asked Chicago artist David Keel to describe his work he replied by asking me how I would describe his work, and so I will. In a world filled with man-made structures that are solid and unmoving, nature is the only thing that is free to move. In fact, nature is constantly moving, bending and wrapping itself around homes and buildings. There are certain seasons when the leaves and trees and life moves at a faster pace, and these are the seasons that David seems to capture. He paints the wind, cold and calming, as it scraps the edges of physical structures that restrict its path. He captures the flowers as they bend to a near crumble, but released them before they break. His paintings move and sway, and recently he was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): How would you describe your work?

David Keel (DK): If someone asked me "how would I describe my work?" I'd ask them "how would you describe my work?"

It doesn't really matter what I think. There's ways I want it to be and things I want to say through it but to try and control these things I've found a lost cause because it seems peoples' minds are made up.

OA: The pieces on your website seem to focus on nature, flowers and leaves. Where did your fascination with flowers and leaves come from?
DK: I wouldn't so much say I have a fascination with leaves but more so a minor obsession with the lines used to create them. Its just a line and its inverse repeated over and over again. I used the shape to teach myself how to draw and compose compositions in my own way. Its as good a shape as any as well as a fairly universal one in nature. Everything I draw is rooted in this shape- eventually i see it phasing its way out of my paintings completely, but it will still probably be there, underneath the surface.

As far as flowers, I started painting them because I recently learned how to garden and I've been surrounded by them in my day to day life. To understand the process by which things grow and the pace at which things happen was a very important thing to me. We are very much conditioned to think things happen quickly and all at once. To truly understand that a flower is created by something as mundane as putting a seed in the ground and that we, as nature, naturally move at this pace and function in this way was more or less a relief. So painting them was just a means by which to confirm and get closer to this concept.

OA: Do you utilize a set color pallet or does it depend on the painting? Do you feel you use color to evoke a specific emotion in the viewer?
DK: I try not to let my idea of how I want or think things should be or the color I want something to be bog me down. If a color i have my heart set on needs to change, Ill take a deep breathe and paint over it. I've found the more comfortable I get with abandoning things i have my heart set on, the more likely they are to come back to me. Of course you have to learn to recognize them when they come back because they almost never come back in the form you think they will.

As for color, I definitely use color to evoke emotion but sometimes painting an apple white is much more effective than painting it red.

OA: You just recently begin maintaining a website. Do you feel it is important for an artist to have and maintain a web portfolio?

DK: Important enough to take the time to do it.

OA: What is your opinion of the Chicago art scene? Is Chicago a good place to be an artist?

DK: I think nowadays any place is a good place to be an artist. There's enough of an art scene over the internet that if your serious about it you can find ideas and opinions to keep you stimulated and moving forward . Chicago is great because there are an endless amount of spaces to show art, people are fairly receptive, and there are a ton of artists. Chasing down the next new thing or getting too wrapped up in "the scene" I find to be unhealthy and completely exhausting. Turning your focus towards finding meaning and beauty in everyday, repetitive life is much more realistic and challenging, and what a viewer can relate to.

OA: What's next for David Keel?
DK: I'm moving my studio to Brussels for part of the winter as a way of dealing (or not dealing)with the Chicago winter. Then onto planning the next show, which should happen in may.

Bonus Questions:

OA: Coffee? If yes, where can you find the best cup?

DK: A coffee shop is opening up in my neighborhood on the corner of Milwaukee and Logan blvd. They're supposed to be serving metropolis coffee which I've heard nothing but good things about, so hopefully that will be the best cup in town.

OA: What type of music do you listen to and who are a few of your favorites? Do you listen to music while you paint?
DK: A friend of mine gave me a Lykke Li cd for my birthday which I've been listening to non stop for the last week.

For more information on David Keel please visit his website.

Artist of the Week

Laurence Doyon-Thibeault

Once you have created something and step back and take a look at the results of your creativity and labor, what do you see? What do you call your creation? Each project is an extension the artists personality, their thoughts and their soul. In fact, a painting is essentially the center of the artists soul. A soul that is swimming with images and colors and small lives waiting to be born.

Laurence Doyon-Thibeault is a freelance designer from British Columbia. She has affectionately dubbed each of her creations "Organs of the Soul". These extensions of who she is are lively and whimsical, and the things of children's stories. They are detailed and mostly brightly colored. What sets her work apart is her interest in other cultures mixed with a beautiful innocence.

Recently, Laurence was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): How would you describe your work?
Laurence Doyon-Thibeault (LD): My work is an instant and vibrant emotion I have to put on a piece of paper. It is an extension of what I am. I simply draw what I feel at that moment. I try to capture the essence of a feeling or emotion such as joy, sadness, laughter, etc. But the main purpose of my work is simply to let myself be myself by being a drawer...It's something I feel I have to do somehow.

OA: I love the idea and sound of "organs of the soul". It's like these drawings are the internal workings of who you are. How would you explain that phrase and how did you come up with it?
LD: The organs in our body control or at the very least are essential for the functioning of these bodies. So, when I say that my art is the organs of my soul, I mean to say that my art is essential or a determinate of my spirit. As for how I came up with the phrase "organs of the soul": a couple years ago I was making some drawings (p. 12 on my website) and they somehow reminded me of human cells or blood cells or something. Given that art is the manifestation of one's self, I saw these blood vessels or "organs" as the organs of what I was trying to represent: my interior.

OA: I read that you enjoy children's books. Have you ever considered illustrating or writing your own children's book?
LD: Absolutely. I would love to illustrate children's book. My boyfriend is a writer and we plan to collaborate on a book in the near future. I was really attracted to books when I was a child and I remember spending hours looking at the details and letting my mind wonder. It is still one of the biggest inspirations for me today as an illustrator.

OA: You use such vivid color in your drawings. Why do you think you are drawn to brighter colors? What do you hope these colors will do for people viewing your work?
LD: I think brighter colours comfort me...I often feel safer looking at them and they usually make me more happy. Although the majority of my drawings are black and white, I think multi-coloured art can cover more emotions than black and white can. I hope my drawings, whether black, white, red, or yellow, have an emotional effect on the viewer.

OA: I see you are planning a trip to Thailand in the next two years. Why Thailand? It's hard to project, but do you feel that experience will add to your vision as an artist?
LD: I want to travel through a different country, a different culture, because, I want to in a sense feel lost, if that makes any sense. I want to experience a country whose language I cannot really speak. I feel this is going to push myself and my art in other directions I haven't been before. Moreover, I have chosen Thailand in particular for almost no reason other than something inside me, a thought or an impulse, has told me Thailand. I want to one day see India, Russia, Morocco, Nepal, and many other countries, but for now I feel I am attracted towards Thailand.

OA: What's next for Laurence Doyon-Thibeault?
LD: I am having my first exhibition in April in British Colombia so I am really excited about that. I am also starting to use bigger canvases as a medium. Through my recently established company "Jacky Ink" I want to begin selling cards, T-shirts, illustrations, and jewellery (i am setting up my studio). Finally, I want to in the near future make my art available to buy online through my website and Etsy.

Bonus Questions:
OA: What was the last great book you have read?
LD: Bernard Werber's ''The Empire of the Angel'' is the first book that comes to mind.

OA: What type of music do you enjoy, and who are a few of your favorites?
LD: The Ditty Bobs, Sigur Ros, Radiohead, Jolie Holland, Nellie Mckay, Tchaikovsky, Beirut,
Emily Haines, Fiona Apple, Portishead, Iron and Wine, Jesca Hoop, Po'Girl, Neil Young, The Beatles, and much more...

For more information on Laurence Doyon-Thibeault please visit her website.

Artist of the Week

The Searcher

2008, Oil, acrylic, epoxy, metallic pigments, collage, and sand on canvas, 9 x 12 inches

Jason Robert Bell

When left to travel the mind can go to some incredible places. Inventing new creatures and patterns, styles and forms, the artists mind was meant to roam. To approach a canvas with an open mind and a general idea, and just begin to layer paint has to be a liberating experience. The point is to allow the image to just appear, uncontrolled and wild, and it is merely defined by the artists hand.

This is part of the process in the work of Jason Robert Bell. In his latest series of work, Jason is allowing the images to come to him, and the results have been incredible. When not exploring these "Metaphysical Portraits" he is working on his pet project, Caveman Robot. A comic book and animated figure, he is quit possibly the oldest robot in existence. What drew me to Jason was fun-loving freedom in his work, and the more I explored the more fascinated I became.

Recently, Jason Robert Bell was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Charlazander in Majesty

2008, Oil, acrylic, epoxy, metallic pigments, collage, and sand on canvas, 8 x 10 inches

Orange Alert (OA): How would describe your work?
Jason Robert Bell (JRB): This is classic question you get at a dinner party with a friend of a friend, I usually say “You are familiar with the work of a Spanish modernist painter, by the name of Pablo Picasso?” They say yes, “then I say my work is just like his expect, totally awesome.”

As for a non-sarcastic answer, my work is about using the visual arts as a mode of hermetic philosophy, to explore assumptions of the nature of reality and create new forms of expression from the vast sea of the human imagination.

OA: Your latest series of paintings or metaphysical portraits are fascinating. You call them "wholly enigmatic entities". Do you have a vision in mind or sketched before you begin painting?
JRB: Sometimes I have a set idea, other times I just start playing with the form of a head or face, I am always trying to get myself into a different mental place, a primal mystic “Eternal Now”, where the entity that is coming into existence in the paintings is a wholly distinct separate person/creation. I am not interested in depicting things that already exist, or quoting pop culture or past art, I am trying to create new culture new myths, new heroes, gods, and monster.



OA: Caveman Robot seems like it has a life unto itself. What is it like to be involved in a project like that, and to see your illustrations utilized in that way? What is the status on the cartoon series?
JRB: Caveman Robot is Mickey Mouse to my Walt Disney, I have been very lucky to be able to bring in many talented people who have worked for free on the project. We have published some great comic books, and put on a 6 week run of a Theatrical Musical, which I am very proud of. Currently however Caveman Robot is mostly me, drawing, drawing, and more drawing. I spent the last three months teaching myself a program called Toon Boom , and I am trying to translate a pilot script into a animated short. It is hard work, but hopefully the final product will be worth it.

OA: I love concept of "Trashsures". Have you done any lately? Do you ever revisit locations to see if your projects are still there?
JRB: Thanks, I have not done a official Trashsure in a few years, I enjoyed the project, and can always do more, but I can’t do everything all the time. Last year I did a three day performance/ art installation in San Francisco, called “the Twilight Kingdom” which was part of a citywide, COCA, Center for Outdoor Contemporary Art event. The project combined my Trashsures series, with my circus performance talents. I made daily appearances in 8 foot stilts and a giant paper mask, as the "Old Man", modeled after Emperor Joshua Norton, who surveyed the park and offering visitors formal citizenship notes of the kingdom. The Trashsures are part of me, and I should get back to them sooner or later.

OA: In January you will be involved in an exhibit here in Chicago at the Thomas Robertello Gallery. What can we expect to see at "The Unreasoning Mask"?
JRB: This will be my second one person show with Thomas, It will be my metaphysical portraits, small playful sculptures, one giant drawing/collage on paper, and a few surprises. The one thing I am always trying to give people is “the unexpected”, I want people to be “blown away” when they see my work. The title for the Show comes from a quote from Moby Dick, about the nature of reality.

“All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event — in the living act, the undoubted deed — there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. If man will strike, strike through the mask! How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall?” - Ahab

That is what I am going for pasteboard mask, that hint at deeper and more powerful realties beyond us.

OA: What's next for Jason Robert Bell?
JRB: Rock 'n Roll all night, Party everyday...

Invito

2008, Oil, acrylic, epoxy, metallic pigments, collage, and sand on canvas, 6 x 8 inches

Bonus Questions:
OA: Coffee? If yes, where can you find the best cup in your area?
JRB: Coffee makes the demons in my mind stop screaming, There is Gimme Coffee around the corner from me in Brooklyn, but the best cup of coffee is made at home from my espresso pot with and Lavazza Coffee.

OA: What type of music do you enjoy and who are a few of your favorites?
JRB: What is that Kurt Vonnegut quote, "If I should die, let this be my epitaph: his only proof for the existence of God was music" I tend to enjoy music that relates to my work, mixing recognizable forms with mysterious ideas, I like music where you can understand the lyrics, but it still does not make sense. Or music with a otherworldly connection to the past. Also I don’t seek out new music, all the music I listen to has been due to find vinyl records thrown away on the streets of New York and Chicago.

My all time favorties are Steely Dan, Roxy Music, Ween, Roky Erickson, Scott Walker, Gary Numan, Queen, Nick Drake, Frank Zappa, Devo, Daft Punk, Sergio Mendes, The Silver Jews, The Move, and the immortal Django Reinhardt.

For more information on Jason Robert Bell please visit his website. All of Jason's work is available through Thomas Robertello Gallery.