With two and a half million hits on Youtube and counting, I’m betting there’s a good chance that alot of our readers have already seen Banksy’s controversial intro to Sundays episode of The Simpsons.

Following reports that 20th Century Fox have begun to outsource some of it’s animation in Asia, the artist intelligently high lights some of the issues faced by the work force on the continent.  Featuring shocking imagery of  appalling working conditions and the use of child labour (153 million children under the age of 18 are predicted to be working in Asia), the sequence has hit a nerve with show owners Fox who have  now begun to pull the intro videos from youtube.

So for those of you who haven’t seen it…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX1iplQQJTo

Sound sculptures and installations by Zimoun. Playful, provocative, phenomenal!

This video to Four Tet’s remix of Jon Hopkins’ Vessel is undoubtedly Pejhy!
Some words from the director Bison:

“We’d been looking into an old 3D technique called “Anaglyph”, which is the familiar red and cyan version of 3d that you used to get on the back of cereal boxes. The more we looked at various images that used this technique, the more we fell in love with the colours and decided that they should drive the aesthetic of the piece. In particular, we were intrigued as to what might happen if the two images were from drastically different sources.
The song is full of light and shade; with euphoric melodies and skipping glitchy beats. It seemed to us that themes of ‘duality’ ran through both the song and our visual idea.”

It’s no secrete that we give a lot of love to Ian Stevenson.  Some of you may remember Ian mentioning that he was working on a new book in our interview last year  and although we don’t normally post about book releases we found these recently released images form his up and coming publication just too good not to share.

The 30 page book  entitled “An Extra Little Something” is due for release at the start of October and will be in an edition of 500. For those of you who have yet to read our interview with Ian you can do so Here, I also recommend checking out Joseph Bull’s short documentary Here

Over 100 artists including Damien Hurst, David Shrigley and Tracy Emin have joined a campaign entitled “Save The Arts” which aims to save Britain’s vibrant art culture after the government proposed a 25% cut in arts funding. For a better understanding of how important the arts are for the UK, here’s a message from David Shrigley:

Please sign the petition at savethearts-uk.blogspot.com

Featuring over 100 hours of painting squeezed into 10 minuets of film, Sheffield based street and comic book artist, Phlegm, recently released this time lapse video of his work in the Old Market Buildings at the Rotherham Open Arts Festival.

The festival runs until the end of September, entrance to the gallery is free and professionally run art workshops will be taking place every saturday until the end of the month.

Keep watching Pejhy over the next few weeks for our exclusive interview.

Video is increasingly becoming an important medium for Street artists to show work and communicate to their audience. Whether their producing time lapse videos such as Lucy Mclauchlan’s “Tacit”,  viral hits such as Blu’s “Muto” or fully blown feature length movies such as this years “Exit thought the gift shop” by Banksy.

“It’s Snowing” is the latest animation project from the Brazilian street art duo, Os Gemeos.

I’m particularly excited about this project as i’ve always wanted to see what their creations would look like in motion and after seeing this beautifully illustrated trailer, expectations are sky high. We can’t wait to see how this one turns out.

Crystal Morey is an American based artists whose delicate work in sculpture and drawing aims to explore human emotion and our relationship with nature. Intelligently portraying raw emotion and honesty in her work through images of  open palmed hands and faces, Crystal is proving to be one of the most important figures of the ever expanding Oakland art scene.

We recently caught up with Crystal in order to find out what themes are behind her new body of work and what techniques are used when shes capturing emotion in her sculptures.

A lot of your work deals with human emotion and in a recent interview you stated that your work has become more and more introspective over the years. What mental processes do you go through in order to come up with the emotions you want to portray in a piece?

My work has actually been very introspective and personal in the past and has taken a different route lately. I have been working on a body of work that is dealing with emotion in relation to environment. I have been building sculptures with figures in full backgrounds and themes of natural cycles and man-made changes in nature.

I don’t know if I have a mental process I go through in order to portray emotion. I try not to think about how the figures in my work feel, I try to feel the emotions I want them to exude and show them in the body, face and hands.

When you have an emotion you want to portray in a piece, how do you then avoid letting your current mood and feeling effect the end result as you work on the piece over time?

I try to work really fast! If I have a new idea for a piece I try to start and finish sculpting within a week. I find that I lose ideas or an idea can be diluted even if I make detailed sketches. I like to work with vigor and potency and they both escape me if I wait to long.

In your landscape pieces you said that you have taken inspiration from, amongst other things, nature and memory. Is there any place in particular that has inspired your work recently? is this reflected in the piece?

I use imagery from nature to make statements about the environment and to give my figures a context. I spent my childhood living in the forest surrounded by tall trees, mountains, rocks, and streams. Nature is a reflective, quiet place for me, a space where my mind can wander and be contemplative. Nature is also a precious place, it is finite and ephemeral, I like to work with this idea as an over-arching theme.

You seem to get a lot of support from other artists, including John Casey who has photographed a number of your works. If you could collaborate with anyone either living or dead who would it be?

The Oakland art scene is really strong right now and filled with lots of new galleries and artists. There is a momentum and everyone is really involved. I have a lot of support from other artists in the area. We are all working towards the same goals and it is really motivating to work as a group or a movement.

I would love to collaborate with so many different artists for so many different reasons. I have found that in the past, when collaborating with other artists, that I learn so much about working with people and my own ideas. But if I had to come up with a short list of dream collaborators, I would have to include Kevin Taylor, Tiffany Bozic, Egon Schiele, Akio Takamori, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Jay Shafer from Tumbleweed Tiny Homes.

What’s the name of the exhibition you have coming up?

I am in several group shows that are coming up, although I am most excited about a solo exhibition at Rowan Morrison Gallery in Oakland this December.  The name of the show is ‘March Into The Sea’ and deals with ideas about the death of nature.

December 2010 – www.rowanmorrison.com

I have a drawing at POVevolving opening August 7th www.povevolving.com

What’s the idea or theme behind your new body of work that you have prepared for the exhibition?

My intention is to explore the human experience of emotion, and its relationship with the environment. I want to study the tenuous, symbiotic balance between human necessities and the health of our natural habitat of forests, oceans, mountains, and deserts. Everyday we strengthen the disconnect between what we use in our lives, and the destructive effects it has on where we live, the air we breathe and the water we drink. We have made a departure from nature and the balance that should exist has been broken. In my work I want to reveal the ephemeral quality of human life and show our dependence on an increasingly delicate ecosystem.

Which of your new pieces are you most proud of in terms of how honestly it has reflected the emotion you have wanted to portray?

“The Long Wait” is a piece I am pretty happy with right now. The idea behind the work shows that in order for new life there must be death. This piece shows a cycle of disintegration and growth at the same time.

When working on that piece what were your working conditions? What environment do you have to be in, in order to capture the raw emotion in your sculptures?

I need quiet time in order to think and read about current events. I listen to National Public Radio for inspiration. I have ongoing ideas and stories that build and need regular working time in the studio to stay constant.

To see more of Crystal’s work and to keep up to date with her exhibition schedule please vist her website: http://www.crystalmorey.com/

Another superb animation from the Italian street artist Blu.

A friend showed me this recently, and i was amazed i had never heard of it before. Salvador Dali and Walt Disney collaborate on a beautiful short. Good Stuff!

As another academic year comes to a close, universities up and down the country present to us their finest servings of fresh faced graphic designers and illustrators. This years show at Sheffield Hallam University has introduced me to the work of recently graduated illustrator Tom Casson.

Displaying his work in the form of prints and hand made zine’s, in his up and coming self publication “A Vision Of The Future” Tom has taken examples of modern culture and twisted them to paint his own (hilarious) view of western civilization in the year 2020. Tom writes “A Facebook profile is deemed worthy enough that Birth Certificates and Passports are fazed out”. We certainly hope that isn’t the case.

Showing a great sence of fun in his work we decided to invite Tom to answer a few questions for Pejhy before he enters the working world, heres what he had to say:

(Directed) handmade by Irina Dakeva @ Wizz, and is composed of approx 2000 watercoloured images painted one after another.

I was first introduced to the work of London based illustrator Gina Baber a few weeks back by master remixer and producer Gold Panda after his gig in Sheffield when inquiring who had designed his amazing t-shirt print.

Crafting her beautiful illustrations for some of  the most prestigious names in electronic music ( including Gold Panda, Erol Alkan and Primary1), Gina has begun the move from the album cover and flyer design to build up a strong portfolio of delicate drawings and t-shirt prints. I recently caught up with her to reflect on her current works and find out what we can be expecting in the future:

First I’d like to thank you for taking the time for answer our questions, would you like to introduce yourself to our readers, any formal art training or qualifications? how did you start out as an illustrator?

Hey, my name’s Gina Baber. I studied BA Illustration at The Arts Institute at Bournemouth. I moved to London 4 years ago and started working as the poster designer for Trash & then Durrr. I make artwork for bands, musicians, clubnights & various other projects and spend the rest of my time working at Rough Trade, buying records, playing tennis and watching cookery shows and hip hop videos.

We’ve seen a fair bit of commercial work from you in the music industry. What are the benefits of working as an illustrator for other creative industries? Do you have a lot of freedom over what you produce or do you still have to work to a very strict brief?

I love working with musicians because music is my other main passion and I find it exciting to produce images that reflect the feeling of the  music. With most of the people I have worked with I have been lucky enough to have the freedom to produce images that have been inspired by  the style or feeling of the musicians work.

So what music inspires you when you work?

I am inspired by punk, post-punk, new wave disco and 50′s/60′s  rock’n'roll and the style and imagery that goes with it. I also love hip hop & RnB and listen to that a lot of the time. I really like the  type and graphics used on 90s hip hop records and music videos.  It really depends on what I’m working on or the time of day but I do  seem to work at night quite a lot of the time and disco seems to fit  that nicely.

Top 3 tracks at the moment:

1. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – They Reminisce Over You

2. Washed Out – Belong

3. Harlem – Gay Human Bones

There’s a consistent set of soft colours used in your illustrations and  I’ve noticed you like to include images of “hands” in many of your pieces. How  long did it take you to find your style, and what has inspired it along the way?

I think I have always used a lot of colour in my work. I am inspired by the paintings of Hockney, Matisse, Warhol, Keith Haring & Richard Hamilton amongst others, punk sleeves & posters, North American Indian, South American, Egyptian & Aboriginal textiles and painting. Clouds & sunset.

How would you normally start a new piece of work? What process do you go through?

It depends, but I usually do lots of drawings and bits of collage and  somehow piece them all together. I often use my own photography as  initial inspiration as well. I am currently doing a lot of screen  printing and making marbled & collaged backgrounds that I then print onto and embellish.

Where do you go for artistic inspiration? Who are your favourite artists/illustrators working today? Any favourite galleries?

Some of my favourite artists/illustrators working today include Bjorn  Copeland of Black Dice, Shawn Reed of Wet Hair & Raccoo-oo-oon who  runs an amazing label called Night People records and does all the  artwork. I also love Susumi Mukai (Zongamin). He is incredibly talented.

From your website I’ve only been able to find one print for sale, entitled “O//wl_s”. Is there anywhere else we could purchase your work from? will you be releasing anymore prints at your next exhibition?

I am currently working on a set of limited prints, zines & t shirts  which I will be selling through my website and at the exhibitions I am  currently planning with my friend Patrick.

What can we be expecting from you in the second half of 2010?

I will be doing solo and joint exhibitions with a couple of friends, and hope to start a very small clothing range (mainly printed shorts),  learn to play the drums, do more artwork for bands and start a record  label and an RnB/hip hop night with a difference.

You can find more of Gina’s illustrations on her website.

First let’s get this out of the way; Exit Through The Gift Shop is not a movie about Banksy (and no you don’t get to see his face), it’s a tale of media hype Vs talent, how guerrilla marketing can make you a million pounds in one night and most importantly of all, “Exit” is the perfect example of just how self aware and mature the street art movement has become.

Featuring a stellar cast of artistic talent including; Sweet Toof, Shepard Fairy, Swoon and Invader to name a few, the film follows the story of French film maker turned chancer street artist; Mr Brain Wash, from his early years of film making and peeking at his mega hyped solo show in LA.

The film is charming, funny and intelligent. It is not a promotion tool for the street art movement and i was highly impressed with it’s honesty by showing the ugly side of modern day graffiti. Whether you’ve been into street art for years or just want to see a good movie, I couldn’t recommend this more. 10 out of 10, 5 stars, go see it now!

Daniel Brereton (AKA Dan has Potential) is a London based artist turned video director known for his raw style, use of bright colours, Aztec themes and geometric shapes.

Most of you will recognise Daniel’s work as a music video director, producing modern classics such as Radio Ladio by Metronomy , True Romance by Golden Slivers, Bathroom Gurgle by Late Of The Pier and Dream Off by Best Fwends amongst others.

Dan was recently kind enough to take some time out of his work schedule for a brief telephone chat, here’s what he had to say:

Where do you go in search of art?

I’m always on flickr looking up crass images, recently I’ve enjoyed the work of M Bomba and Mattew Lock from ww.puffandmagic.com his work is amazingly intricate.

You mentioned on your Flickr page that you draw inspiration from Outsider artists such as Joseph E. Yoakum. What styles really get you going?

I love Outsider art or folk art, basically anything that is figurative. I think the best art is from the imagination when you can’t see clearly in a piece that forms have been studied.

I think that a lot of my best work comes from being spontaneous; I’ll produce my best drawings with little preparation as it doesn’t help to think about ground rules.

In your self portrait you’ve made your self look very in-human, almost robotic. Has this come from your love of triangles?

With my self portrait I was experimenting with lines and shapes, building up a picture. I love looking at drawings and deconstructing them.

When directing and producing music video’s how much creative control will you have in comparison to what the record label and artists want?

I have to approach work very differently when it’s for a client, which is probably why I don’t do a lot of commercial work.

When producing music videos my level of creative input will varies on the artist and record label I’m working for. Late Of The Pier, for example had a lot of input where as someone like Metronomy had less so.

The music videos you direct can have a very strong personality, for example the video you directed for Best Fwends features your original Onionhead character and many other themes we see regularly reoccurring in your artwork. Has there ever been problems with creative differences, e.g your ideas not meeting the bands image?

It’s a strange thing, the music industry, as image is a very important thing. I understand how some of my ideas my not match the bands ideas.

The Cribs were a difficult band to produce for at first, they have such a strong image that the record label clearly wanted to preserve. When working on that project my approach was very different, I had to adapt my ideas to what would work with them.

Are there any videos are you working on at the moment?

January is a pretty dead time for the music industry so nothing going on at the moment, however I’ll soon be working on a new music video for Your Twenties, who are Gabriel Stebbing’s (From Metronomy) new band.

Do you listen to music while working, say if your thinking up ideas for a specific music video will you listen to the track in question over and over again?

When working i like listening  bands like Metronomy… ect. At the moment I’m really into Neil Young and Cat Stevens

You’ve been off the exhibition circuit for quite some time; do you have any shows lined up in the near future?

Aside from my video work, I draw every single day so I’m always working. The next show I’m involved in is called “The Art of Conversation”. The idea of the show is basically like a visual game of Chinese Whispers which each artist creating a piece in response to the one before.

The show will feature a tone of artists and will stretch from London to Berlin.

Dan’s brand spanking new handmade zine  is available now from the Chapter One gallery, a steal at only £4.00. Limited edition of 20.

Director Stéphanie Di Gusto has produced this beautiful video for the launch of Vanessa Bruno’s Spring 2010 collection. It features model/actress Lou Doillon in a dreamy reality where three differing emotive scenes are accompanied by their own delightful piece of music. Stephanie’s photography is also worth checking out.

Thanks to everyone who came to Pejhy’s live drawing event with Ian Stevenson at Bungalows and Bears last month.

If you missed it then don’t worry, Ian’s creations will be on permanent display behind the bar and the graffiti he drew in the Gents is’nt going anywhere either.

Due to the success of our first drawing event we’ve been given the go ahead to bring you a series of Pejhy nights throughout 2010.

Our next FREE event will be in February and as always they’ll be live drawing, free cake, sweeties, Art materials for you to get messy with, DJ’s playing some great music and some very special guests… We’ll keep you posted!

Here’s what happened in December:

KID ACNE taking some snaps

Ian Stevenson's live drawing

Your Creations

Your Submissions

If your at all intrested in getting involved in our next event (e.g. live drawing, DJing, marketing… ect) then all you need to do is pop into bungalows and ask for Ste or drop Pejhy an email on our contact link.

PEJHY thanks: Jennifer Peters for her fantastic photography, all the DJ’s who travelled from Norwich, London and Nottingham to be there, Ste for all his organisation and effort, Kid Acne, Lucy and the archipelago works for all their support, everyone who came out after and got messy and Ian for his great great work.

It’s that time of year agian when bloggers and  journalists sum up the last 365 day in neat little best of list’s.

Summing up the greatest music and art from 2009 is not an easy task, so luckly the great hype machine have got it covered.

The site invited 50 different visual artists to each create a piece of work inspired by the 50 most blogged musicians of 2009 and the results are fantastic.

You can check it out here

These wonderful paper craft animals are courtesy of Yamaha motors and designer Mukouyama Ku-kan. Various collections have been designed but the most pleasing are the rare animals of the world.

The aim of the site is to introduce and highlight certain animals that are scarcely seen in the world. Each model page includes rendered or white pdf templates to print and make. There is also a guide on each animals detailing their characteristics and habitats.

Click here to make your own rare animal. Please do send in photos.

Being influenced by the everyday strangeness of the world around him, Ian’s signature combination of odd words and distorted characters make his style one of the most recognisable in the world of illustration.

I’m not really sure what it is about Ian Stevenson’s work that makes you so emotionally attached to his characters, or if any love you gave to them would even be appreciated. Some of the creations that dwell in his universe would appreciate a cuddle I’m sure, others would  be just as likely to cut you up in to little pieces and bury you in their garden.  No matter you get from Ian’s work one thing is clear, once you let your self be immersed in his world, there’s no going back!

A lot of readers may recognise Ian’s work from his commercial projects, having worked for a number of A-list clients including Microsoft, Perrier, E4, MTV and Paul Smith to name a few. If you’ve been reading our posts for any amount of time then you’ll know what huge Ian Stevenson fans we are here at Pejhy, so it is with great pleasure we give you our exclusive interview with the man behind the pen:

What’s your favourite website at the moment?
Here is an amazing website that reveals the people who copy and plagiarize. Brilliant, just brilliant! get your digital pitchforks at the ready for some good old fashioned justice… www.youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com

Any superpower, what would it be?
My super power would be Sarcasm, I’d join a gang of superheroes and they would call me ‘Sarcasma’. I would be the first person to appear at the crime scene and I’d use my sarcasm skills to annoy and wrong foot the enemy, possibly I would mock the villains outfit or mimic their voice. When they are suitably annoyed the other members of the team would arrive to defeat them properly.

If you could banish any three things from the universe what would they be?
I’ve thought about this one a lot and although I would like to change many many things I have started to think that if I did have the power to remove things I don’t like, then life might be too good and I would have nothing to moan about. I’ve managed to think of a few that would make my world a better place. The first would be working for free unless it’s for charity. There could be a law to protect artists and maybe it could be called Stevenson’s law or something and would mean that all jobs had to paid for properly. I’d also have to get rid of some of the trumpet based free jazz music as it seems to make me feel uneasy. Finally I would remove some of the talentless and useless celebrities, they deserve nothing more than to be constantly ignored.

What’s the best computer game ever made?
Commuting is like game, I weave in and out of the pre-programmed human like objects in my walking space ship.

If you dug a hole through the earth from one end to the other, lets say from the North Pole right down too the South Pole, and then you jumped down that hole, what would happen?
I imagine it would be fun for a few seconds, then you’d probably black out and eventually die either by being unable to breath or by your body being shredded to bits as it bounces off the sides like a rag doll.

When will we see your “Rubbish” book?
Soon… hopefully soon, oh I do hope it is soon. I have all the photos collated and now it just needs to be made into a book.

To see more of Ians work you can vist his brand spanking new website at www.ianstevenson.co.uk

For those of you new to his work I highly recomend you check out his new group show athe the Archipelago Works in Sheffield, and be sure to pick up a copy of his “Best Wishes, Get Well Soon” book, it’s basicaly his “best of ” collection and a steal at £10.

French is a London based illustrator, known for his dark and often macabre drawings. Sourcing inspiration from his two greatest loves, Skateboarding and Death Metal, French’s work has taken him across the globe showcasing his talents in London, the USA, Denmark, France, Israel and Australia.

His Latest show “Blood Oath” at the Archipelago Works in Sheffield has so far received an overwhelming positive response, proving to the critics that he’s a talent to look out for in the future.

I recently met up with the man at his latest (and fantastic) show to talk about Skulls, Heavy Metal and London Pricks!

Tell us about you current show “Blood Oath” at the Archipelago Works?
The theme for this show is skulls, we’ve produced 12 different screen prints all of which are skull related and will be available exclusively through the gallery.

How have you managed to make each piece in this show feel unique despite the very specific theme?
I’m total fascinated by skulls. Their are so many different variations you can do on  one subject that will stop an exhibition from being repetitive. So even though the theme is specific I’m only limited by my imagination.

How would you describe yourself as an artist?
People like to fit me into the whole “Street Art/Skate Art” thing because i design skate decks but I’m an illustrator, that’s how i make a living. I don’t really know anything about street art or graffiti and am not particularly interested in whats going on today, i do however like all the old Santa-Cruz graff from like 20 years ago.

How would you normally start a new piece, would you approach a logo different to how you would a sketch or drawing?
I treat every piece i do as a sketch or a drawing, no matter who or what the piece is for. If, for example, i was asked to produce a logo, i would treat the letters as an illustration so the end result will look like a picture rather then a logo or a load of letters.

Did you study illustration at collage of university?
I have a degree in fine art, not illustration. That’s something I’ve taught myself, drawing and learning how to use computers to produce pieces.

Do you listen to music while you work, if so who are your favorites?
Oh so many, i grew up listening to Death Metal, in fact I’ve just got back from a metal festival in Helsinki. My favorite bands of all time would be Revenge, Bolt thrower, Blasphemy and Ozzy to name a few.

Who are you favorite artists?
I’m really into Derrick D’Beck and Murdock Stafford, his work is all skulls and stuff. As for more “classical art” i really like the work of Goya. I recently bought a book by an artist called “Bruegel” which is full of pictures of Hell and people being eaten by demons.

Would you say you were more influenced by the classic stuff?
Yeah, defiantly. I’m heavily influenced by dark religious art. I like pieces to have a lot going on in them.

Is their any kind of art you really dislike?
I can’t stand bland art, shit that looks like it could be selling in Ikea you know. It’s so non-offensive it’s offensive!

You’ve done a fair bit of commissioned work for Modular Records and other advertising agencies, how is the work process for a client different from private work?
The first time you work for someone it can be difficult, but once you’ve built-up a relationship both parties will know what works and what doesn’t work.

Would you let someone change your work if they were dissatisfied?
It would really depend on how big the change is, for example i recently designed a T-Shirt for the band WolfMother which had a crow sitting on a skull. the record label suggested that i changed the crow to a hawk to make the piece seem more 70′s looking. Small changes like that I’m fine with but you should be careful because whoever pays for a commission can have a huge influence on how a piece turns out.

Have you ever worked in 3D?
No, I’ve never made sculptures or anything like that. I’ve got a friend whose a fashion designer, he owns a little shop on Carnaby Street in London. I’m gonna be designing some belt buckles with him. My first design is a gas mask with horns coming out of it.

Are you living in London at the moment?
Yeah, with my girlfriend.

What do you both think about the illustration and art scene down their?
(French) I’ve done stuff with Stolen Space Gallery and have friends who exhibit in the capitol frequently, i always go to their shows but i feel separate from the London thing, East London especially is full of “Jazzy Cunts”

(Frenches Girlfriend) To be honest sometimes people can take themselves to seriously but their is a great art scene in  i can’t lie. East London can be very pretentious, French will go to his friends show but can’t stand the whole “trend” thing, he doesn’t suck up to anyone. If what the London galleries wanted matched what French wanted then he would do more shows there.

The prints featured in this interview are exclusively available through The Archipelago Works, there are twelve prints in total, six single colour and six multi-colour, all in an edition of six (666)!

To see more work by French (including his skate videos) you can follow his blog here.

Conrad Shawcross has been one of my favorite artists ever since I first came across him whilst studying at university. Although he is fairly famous for his light machines, I remember looking at a piece of work called ‘The Nervous System’ which was being shown at the Saatchi Gallery and i was massively bowled over. It was a large contraption weaving coloured rope into a double helix (the shape of DNA), and it produced something like 20,000 metres of this a week. It was just super.

The Nervous System

I was amazed at an artist fusing together these wonderful mechanical contraptions with science, something i wanted to achieve, but didnt quite have the knowledge to do!!

I then went to go and see his work ‘The Steady States’ at the Victoria Miro gallery, and it was even more fantastic than just seeing the images and reading the fluff about it. So since then i have been waiting eagerly for his next piece of work and finally its here!! But unfortunately i found out abit too late to see it (you needed to book tickets) and it finished yesterday! RUBBISH!!!!

Chord

But still Shawcross has excelled himself whilst creating ‘Chord’. ‘Chord’ has been comissioned by Measure and is situated in Holborn. Its actually been built in Kingsway tram subway on Southampton Row, an underground tunnel which has been disused and closed to the public since 1952. He has completely utilised this space by building two machines that run up and down the tracks of the old tube station. As they go up and down the tracks, they are weaving a mass of chord, hence the name. Because of the location of the work, only 20 people are allowed to go view it at any one time, and they  go for an hour tour along the tracks. It almost like going to see a wild beast in its natural habitat.

Chord

Hopefully some art god like Saatchi will buy the machines so I can get the chance to see them. If you want a bit more of Shawcross you can head to the Victoria Miro website who represent him.

Have a good evening.

Sink or Swim

Julian Callos is a Los Angeles based artist who creates beautiful dreamy water coloured illustrations full of flexible limbed humans and water washed backgrounds. His unique style has led him to exhibit widely across the globe from San Francisco to London, building an  impressive and consistantly brilliant portfolio of sculptures and paintings.

Julian is one of those artists who never produces a bland piece of work, I absolutely love everything he’s done so far and cannot wait for his next show over here in the UK. Julian recently took time out from his extremly busy scedual to answer our questions, heres what the talented young artist had to say:

You regularly blog ideas and early sketches of your work; how close do your finished pieces match what you aimed to achieve in you mind?

It really depends on the project…sometimes my final piece, after various stages of sketches and revisions, is completely different from what I had originally conceived in my mind. Other times I’ll come up with an idea that I’m happy with from the very beginning and just stick with it through the entire process. I just try to make sure that my final sketch is something that I would enjoy turning into a finished painting, regardless of whether or not that sketch was exactly what I had in mind in the beginning.

How long has it taken you to develop your style to where it is today?

Well I’ve been drawing ever since I was about three years old, and my style has evolved throughout the years along with changes in what inspires me, what interests me, etc. I guess what you see now has mostly been developed in the past couple years in college. I’ve really tried to take all the inspirations I’ve had in the past and the present — cartoons, comics, pop culture — and mash them up into my own thing. I’m still learning new things all the time, though; my tastes are changing, different things are starting to inspire me…I think these changes will certainly influence my work, as change has always done.

What is your typical work process and what conditions do you work under? Do you like to draw and paint to music for example?

I love to work while music is playing. Sometimes I’ll work with the TV on in the background, or with a movie playing. Other times I’ll work in complete silence. It really just depends on my mood.

Looking on inprint.com i noticed that you will sell any one print in a varity of sizes and prices. How important do you think it is to make your art accessible and affordable to everyone?

I think accessibility and affordability, especially in this economy, is very important. And it seems like art prints are a good market these days…It’s nice to own something by an artist, but not everyone can afford an original, so it’s pretty cool when you can buy a print.

What has had the biggest influence on your work recently?

Recently I’ve been looking to a lot of indie comics for inspiration. Pen/brush and ink stuff. You can create such beautiful lines with a brush; combine that with bold colors and lots of contrast and you’ve got a stunning piece of art to look at.

One thing i’ve noticed from reading comments on blogs and various sites is how impressed the audiance is with your ability to create soft movement in your pieces. Do you have any plans of creating an amimation?

Actually when I was younger I wanted to be an animator because I love cartoons, but I never really pursued developing that particular set of skills. I’d love to see my characters in motion, though!

Do you have any exhibitions planned for the near future, either as a group show or on your own?

I’m in a few shows in different galleries coming up before the end of the year. Off the top of my head there’s a group show with Black Maria Gallery in Los Angeles called “Skip the Mall,” as well as “Paper Pushers” at Gallery 1988 San Francisco. If you follow my blog (http://juliancallos.blogspot.com/) I’ll keep you updated on any and all shows I’ll be participating in. And I’m hoping to have my own website up soon, so look out for that as well.

What Develops

You can check out more of Julians work at: http://www.society6.com/studio/juliancallos/

I have been wanting a Teasmade for a while, they were popular in the 1940′s and were seen as a quite up and coming thing. They’re an electrical contraption that you have by your bed with an alarm on, and then when it goes off in the morning you have a lovely brew waiting for you. That was until I saw this…

Yuri Suzuki’s breakfast machine was featured in most of the London papers today and I happened to catch a glimpse as I was traveling through on the underground. Yuri and another chap, Masa Kimura, spent 3 weeks building this and it’s mostly built from recycled parts and cost a total of £900. This machine is rather splendid, not only can it make you a tea, it can also whip you up a omlette and even put jam on your toast. I just wish I had room!

Go see more at Yuki’s website.