Friday, December 21, 2012

INTERVIEW: Antonio Natale - Painter

Throughout the year 2012, we have met many artists with a variety of unique styles in their creations. And at the end of this year, allow us to introduce you to one of them, his name is Antonio Natale, born in Foggia (Italy) in 1965. Here he attended the “Arts High School” and courses for poster advertisements and figure designs. During his school years he worked as an advertising designer and illustrator for a local daily newspaper and he also created several book covers. In 1984, he moved to Rome to attend the “Accademia delle belle Arti” (Fine Arts Academy), where he graduated in 1988. While he was at the Academy he also attended courses on artistic sculpture at the “Calcografia Nazionale” (National Moulding Graphic) in Rome. Furthermore, he conducted researches on themes such as << the myth and history in the operational procedure of the “Nuova Maniera” (New Manner) thinking.
Over this period and still in Rome, he also worked as an interior decorator and he started to travel through Europe. A very important moment of his artistic life was represented by the impact the work of northern European expressionists while he stayed in Northern countries. Since 1991, his career as an artist continues to shine, and until now he has got many achievements. We were fortunate to get a little conversation with him, who had just held a solo exhibition in Brazil.

  Interview with Antonio Natale...
-      How long have you been an artist? 
Since I began to think for my self, when I understood that with my drawings I was able to communicate better than with words. Thus, since I was very little.

-      Is being an artist a full-time career for you? 
Yes, the creativity occupies all my time, 24/24, 12 months per year. To be a creative artist, one needs to have total mental freedom.

-      Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects? 
Since 1997, I chose original banknotes from around the world as the pictorial support for my artworks. So, every single work of mine is made with original notes, and on top, my pictorial intervention. But it was not the first time that I painted on already existent supports. Before 1997, I painted on maps and plans of the cities I visited. On them, I made visible my sensations, as if they were pages of a diary.

"MONEY LISA"

-      What was your inspiration? 
My inspiration for painting on a banknote note happened in a day in 1997, when, a bit by chance and a bit for fun, I stopped to read a message written by an anonymous "writer" on a thousand lire banknote (back then, our Italian money was the Lira). And think: if words and money are compatible, could Art and Money also be? And more, Art permits that the recreational and forbidden dreams reverse the sense of money. I was there, left with the banknote in his hands to reflect throughout the entire night. The next day, exciting new creative horizons were open for me to explore. That is how my first painted banknote was born the "# 1".

-      "What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?
     What is Art... certainly a question that may seem trivial and that it can still get discounted and predictable answers. Conversely, every time I ask my self this question my answers vary from period I'm going through, and on my mood. At this time the art for me is a way to get to know deeper the human being, its weaknesses and strengths. And I, as an artist, feel called to eternalize these moments. To make the whole world see the various human conditions. And to paint these conditions on banknotes makes the “All” much more prevailing. Banknotes are always the only real evidence of our history. Since they made their first appearance, they have always lived alongside the human beings, sharing joys and sorrows. ​​

-      What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 
The advice my Mother gave me: "Feed yourself  with only a piece of dry bread, but paint what you see and imagine, without ever listening to advices of others...". It was my first advice, I have always listened to, I listen now, and will listen forever. It is Indelible. 

-      Tell me about your work space and your creative process.
When I paint in my studio in Italy in Foggia, a studio/museum. More than a studio, it looks like a grand Bazaar... I'm surrounded by items collected over many years, objects that remind me of my life until now... I need them to start creating. When I'm in Switzerland, I paint in Leysin, where I share the space with a local artist. But what I feel more mine is my studio in Foggia. As for my creative process, it is very simple. Usually I am always looking for banknotes that interest me, where I can already see the story I will paint. I buy them around the world, people give me as a present or I find them on the internet from private collectors. The process consists of two parts: the First and most important, it is the to study the banknote, and that sometimes can take me a long time. I observe the banknote until it begins to talk with my creativity inspiration. I study the country it belongs to, its history. Thus, a crucial moment.
The second moment is the one of the execution, when I paint, when I turn into an artwork. And this moment arrives when I have my ideas very clear, when I have everything ready in my head. I do make preparatory drawings, sketches, or drafts. I paint the notes directly, without schemes, or I might lose my initial idea. This time, the one for the execution does not last long, much less than the first.

Antonio at work.

-      What has been the biggest challenge in the work you create?  
 That of telling the world that money can have another meaning.

-      Where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?
Usually I go to many Art sites, and I stop only on those that really interest me. Lately, Asian art site intrigue me. But I always prefer to instruct myself on specialized magazines.

"DALLA SUA FINESTRA"


Here are some of Antonio's works from his exhibition "Fora de Circulação" held in Porto da Barra, Brazil, December 8th, 2012. His next exhibition will be held  in Switzerland. We will try to follow him, so we can preach to you. If you want to know more about Antonio's work, you can visit his facebook page here!

 "IL GRANDE AMORE DI UNA VEDOVA PER IL SUO CAPITANO"

"SENZA TITOLO" and "LE PAROLE DEL CAPITANO"

"Fora de Circulação", 2012, the event....







Source: 

Monday, December 17, 2012

“In The Dollhouse” by Dina Goldstein

Barbie and perfection, two words which are difficult to separate, but perhaps that is what is recorded in our memories about this phenomenal doll. She is gorgeous, has a beautiful house, and in the end she met Ken, another perfect doll. But have you ever think about other possibilities of the perfect lives of Barbie and Ken? If not, perhaps Vancouver-based photographer Dina Goldstein could give you a little illustration about the other side of their lives through her project "In the Dollhouse", which imagines the less than perfect lives of B&K, who may have a few too many interests in common. 










Photo credit: Dina Goldstein


At first we thought they were real dolls, but in fact they are real human beings who transformed like dolls. Vicky Lee Chan is behind the make-up design for this project, also worked with Dina on her groundbreaking series, Fallen Princesses.
To know more about Dina Goldstein and her work, please visit www.dinagoldstein.com or www.inthedollhouse.net  

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

"GRAVITYLESS", A Video Project by David Olkarny


"GRAVITYLESS", A Video Project by David Olkarny 


Director       : David Olkarny // contact@david-olkarny.com
Bboy            : Karimbo // karimbokingz@hotmail.com
VFX             : David Olkarny / Raphael Beyaert
Thanks to Rafael Deprost
Music          : The Flashbulb - Undiscovered Colors
Canon 7D + Canon 50mm 1.4 + Canon 24-70mm 2.8 USM

INTERVIEW: Carles Miró - Fashion Photographer


     Carles Miró is a fashion photographer born in Barcelona in 1985. He published his works in magazines like Ragazza Spain, Elite Spain, Core Scotland, and newspapers like La Vanguardia (Spain). 
     He has worked as a photographer for Formula 1 and MotoGP in the Catalonia Circuit, and also in events, jewelry catalogues. He really loves his job. His companion in all trips is his Canon 5d Mark II. He has taken photos in California, New York, London, Scotland, Paris, Monaco.


Interview with Carles Miró...

-      What led you to fashion photography? Is there any formal training or assisting in your background?
It is curious the way it happened. All my life I had wondered what it was going to be my job. I have always loved all related in art, but there are many artistic variants, so what I have been doing all my life it is trying many things: drawing, 3D animation, acting, painting. I had studied 3D animation for so many years, but when I finished I realized that it wasn’t what I expected. Photography came to my life when I was 12 years old. I created my own little dark room with the red light and I experimented with a stenopeic cardboard camera. When I was 20 years old I worked for two years in a nightclub taking pictures of the people. When I left the job, I realized that I missed to take photos of people, so I saved money and I bought a good camera and flashes, and I began to take photos to many people. I started to follow some photographers and I began to feel really attracted to the fashion world. I photographed models of many agencies and I began to have my own style. Nowadays, I am lucky because I can work as a fashion photographer.



-   Which photographers have inspired you and your approach to fashion photography?
Annie Leibovitz, Eugenio Recuenco and David LaChapelle, they are amazing.

-  How important are personal projects in the development of a photographer’s growth?
They are really important. Personal projects make you grow more as an artist. You can experiment and do what you really love. When you something that you like, limits don’t exist.

-     What would we find in your camera bag for a typical assignment shoot in studio or on location?
A 70-200, 50 and 24-105mm Canon lenses, cards of 8 and 16gb.

-   What is your approach to lighting? Do you prefer artificial or available light? What are your most used light modifiers?
I like both. Artificial light for me is easier to work with, because you have all the control where you put the lights. With available light, the limitations arrive. You absolutely depend on it, and you have to do many changes with the parameters in the manual mode.

-        Do you spend a lot of time processing images? Could you please describe your digital work flow and the software you use?
One hour, two, sometimes many hours… I’m really perfectionist and Photoshop is my passion. Depending on the quantity of photos I retouch but I prefer working without thinking about the hours. I use Photoshop cs6.


-    Do you make use of custom white balances and color checks when you shoot?
Yes, I do.

-        What do you consider a successful image?
A beautiful image that manage to tell a story or express something: feelings, emotions...

-       Image printing, how is that handled?
I’m hopefully really luckyin that way. My father has a graphic design factory, so when I have to print something, I go there.

-        Are you a Mac or PC lover?
Mac lover. I had used PC in my childhood, but when I grew up I changed to Mac. I love it.

-     When you look through the viewfinder what is the most critical moment in the capture of an image?
I try to find “the moment” and when I find it, I just push the button. This moment is magic, it is what makes me feel alive. I really enjoy when I’m waiting to see the image on the camera screen, and when I see what I was expecting, I feel great.


-   With today’s economy what changes are driving the fashion market place and how have you adjusted?
Now, with the crisis, it is difficult. Many magazines have closed; there are a lot of editorials that don’t pay… My idea currently is to work with new faces and update the portfolio of agency models. Earning money with fashion is difficult, there is no economic stability, so you have to open more doors, and in my case I work in jewelry, hair stylist catalogues, personal books…

-       What seems to be the biggest obstacle to over-come in building a client base?
  Nowadays, there is no money, and a lot of people want to be a photographer. There is a lot of competence with prices and quality. If you are good in your job, people will speak good about you and this makes thatmore people knows you and contact you.

-        How important is an awesome website for your business?
I’m working in image, so it is absolutely important the way you sell yourself to the others. It’s very important to give a flawless image, but even more to be impeccable. It would be pointless to pretend to show something that you are not.

-      If not fashion photography what would Carles Miro be doing with his time?
Something artistic and creative for sure, like drawing, Photoshop illustration, 3D modeling…

-  What has been the best advice given to you by another photographer?
That I have to practice a lot, do many contacts, be in all the events, give mycard to everybody, have your own style… and the most important thing is to fight and never give up.

-     What advice would you like to share with photographers starting out?
To follow good photographers, watch thousands of pictures, takemillions of photos, interact with many people, experiment, watch tutorials, do master classes and enjoy during the process. Then, I am sure that the results are going to arrive.

Some other works of Carles...




For more information about Carles Miró Photography, you can follow him now on Twitter @carlesmiro, and visit his Facebook page here!

“Cigarette Ash Landscape” Sculpture by Yang Yongliang


“Cigarette Ash Landscape” Sculpture by Yang Yongliang
Burn a city, and what is left afterwards? Maybe this is our personal question successfully translated by the Chinese artist and photographer Yang Yongliang through his sculptural installation that captured through photography.

Full-view of the installation.
From a distance, Yang Yongliang’s sculpture looks like a large, upside down cigarette. Perhaps the details of this work will not be realized quickly. But a close inspection shows that the ashen tip depicts as a city. As you can see in the other photos at the link, below the cigarette is a pile of ash in a field of, fake grass and artificial flowers. Upon closer examination, the tip of the cigarette reveals a tiny city made of fastidiously layered, paper-cut urban skylines.

'Ash' Landscape in detail.

Fallen 'ash' in detail.