Celebrating The Fourth (Cone, that is)

Happy Independence Day to those in America. In honor of the fourth, I figured I’d share another cool fourth, tetrachromacy. I recently came across an article that discussed the how some women have the ability to see a wider range of colors on the spectrum. It’s a very rare trait called, where instead of the normal three cone cells in the retina, these gals possess four.

To put things in perspective (ha), each retinal cone (blue, red or green) allows you to see about 100 shades of color. So, with 3 cones, that’s about 1 million. According to an article in Discover Magazine, these tetrachromatic women would be able to see 100 million colors. Rats are dichromats, as are dogs and other mammals. Birds have the greatest known range of color visibility, which stretches into the range of ultraviolet light. They’re tetrachromats.

So far, only one or two women (in Britain) have been discovered to possibly have this trait. Studies are still continuing. But can you imagine what it would be like to see MORE color? Of course, you’d probably have no point of reference, as it would have been normal your whole life to see as you do.

The original idea for the genetic trait came about from a 1948 study conducted by a Dutch scientist on colorblind men. Out of curiosity, the scientist studied the daughters of men who were colorblind and found that ladies (women are not themselves color blind, but carriers for the trait), responded differently to the red/green colorblindness test. It’s estimated that 2-3% of women in the world have this super vision, or tetrachromacy. I did always feel that I had foresight, but alas, this is something altogether different.

From Paris With Love

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It’s been so long since my last post. In March, I spent a week in Paris with my husband (bleated honeymoon, non?). Then my grandmother passed away and a couple of babies have been born (not mine!). After that, it was spring, time to garden and so I’ve had my hands planted in the dirt ever since.

While in Paris, we did venture to the Louvre (and by the way, what everyone says is true. You DO need a whole day–at least–to explore). I don’t recommend you do it after visiting, say, Notre Dame and another cathedral. I wanted to remove my throbbing feet and be pushed around on a skateboard. We also so the Musee d’Orsay where we caught a fantastic (and fantastically crowded) Degas exhibit and Centre Pompidou. But of course it’s hard to beat the Louvre. My god, it’s something.

Here are a few shots from our trip. I’d never been to France before, so now I get the idea. And I highly highly recommend it. Beauty is everywhere, to try and capture it seems pointless in a way. But I tried. The slideshow is but a taste.

Enjoy!

–Lisa

Disney and Unknown Pleasures

First reported on the Pitchfork music site, recently Msn.com covered the story of a T-shirt designer for Disney who had “borrowed” the design from the Joy Division album cover “Unknown Pleasures.” As the article points out, no two entities could be more unalike than the Disney empire and the music created by the long-defunct punk band (whose singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide in 1980).

The offending T-shirt from Disney, using the "Unknown Pleasures" design.

Beside that incongruity, the greatest irony is that Disney so closely guards its copyrights, if they were infringed upon, that entity would be issued a cease and desist order so fast heads would spin. The T-shirt was pulled, due to controversy over copyright theft but you can get a look at it here, and read the Msn.com article here.

The original image, according to Wikipedia, was taken from the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy, an illustration of “pulses of the first pulsar.” This original image featured a white background with black lines, so the colors were switched out for the album cover image.

It’s hard to believe someone at Disney thought this was an appropriate idea for their merchandise. It makes me wonder if the designer was a Joy Division fan a little bored with their job, and wanting to see if anyone would notice the connection. If so, mission accomplished. And ultimately, failed.

Something to be Thankful For

Watching The Rape of Europa makes me grateful. That Hitler no longer exists. In fact, it’s rather creepy to write that name. Anyhow, if you’ve never seen the documentary,  or read the book by Lynn H. Nicholas, I strongly advise it.

It’s amazing the lengths that museum workers, soldiers, preservationists, even regular citizens went through to preserve their nation’s artworks from being looted by Nazis. That people lived in the freezing underground of The Hermitage to guard the art, furniture and antiquities. Watch it. I guarantee you’ll be grateful too.

From the Street to Your Wall: Quick and Dirty with Kevin “Pogo” Curtis

Sometimes my interviews are long, sometimes not so much. In the interest of time, and since his show is already hanging (at the Comet bar in Northside thru November 9), this one shall be, rather appropriately, quick and dirty.

Meet Kevin “Pogo” Curtis, who takes his inspiration from the street (not to mention, his materials) and applies them to his work. Watch for his paintings locally, and see if they don’t grow on you. –Lisa

Q. First off, I have to ask where the name “Pogo” comes from.

A. I’ve actually been called that since before I was born. My parents, my mother pregnant with me, were visiting relatives in Louisville, and after dinner got into a

discussion which soon turned into an argument over what to name “it.” My grandfather, stood up and said something to the effect of  “oh what the hell, let’s just call it ‘Pogo’!” after the
comic strip “‘possum.” Apparently, this stuck with my older sister, and some weeks later, on a trip to Mammoth Cave, during a long climb up some stairs, asked my mom “How’s ‘Pogo’ doing?” and it somehow just stuck.

Q. When did you start making art?

No. 1 (acrylic, spray paint & ink on found board, 30x24), by Kevin "Pogo" Curtis

A. As soon as I could hold a crayon in my sticky, little-kid hand.

Q. What makes you decide to paint something?

A. I went to school in Dayton for photography and I was always so bored with what everyone else was shooting, that’s when I really got into “urban exploration”, I was determined to get those shots that no one else was going to get, and from there I got into “street art.”

When the digital revolution came along, I quickly got burnt out on photography…seems everyone is a freakin’ “photographer” these days. No disrespect to digital artists, but my definition of  “fine art” is something that is one-of-a-kind and hand made. Not having regular access to a darkroom anymore, I started painting again in 2008.

Now to actually answer the question – I still drive around and explore a lot, and take “mental snapshots” of what I see – the places I depict are never supposed to be specific, but are definitely inspired by real places, mainly in and around Cincinnati. I’m especially drawn to the hills and the communication towers, retaining walls and city steps. I like the dirty parts of town and try to extract the beauty that’s hidden there.

Q.What materials do you rely on?

Shark (spray paint & ink on found board 171/4x44), by Kevin "Pogo" Curtis

A. My favorite time to go art supply shopping is on trash night. I can usually find broken furniture, cabinet doors, interior doors, shelf boards, table tops, etc. I also get a lot of stuff from Building Value, The Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and sometimes even the broken stuff section at IKEA.

I use mostly acrylics and spray paint, but also handed-down house paint, markers and one of my favorite items – the white-out pen. I’ve also been experimenting lately with making my own inks. Oh, and Mod Podge – I use a ton of it. Unless you see some of my stuff in person, you don’t realize that the foreground images are often done on paper, then cut out with an X-acto knife and then Mod-Podged onto the backgrounds.

No. 3 (acrylic, oil, spray paint, ink, whiteout pen and paper cutout on found board, 35x26) by Kevin "Pogo" Curtis

Q. Any artists or resources that you find inspiring and why?

A. Historically, I’ve always liked all that stuffy “classical” art. Which is why I like the surrealists, especially Dali, Magritte and Man Ray. I never really cared much for the other so-called “modern art.” I think most of it is bullshit. I am and always have been a big fan of “street art” going back to the New York subway car graffiti writers, and the people from the roots of
that movement, like Fab Five Freddie, Jean-Michele Basquiat, Lee & others.

Currently I really dig Sabre and David Choe, and really I’m kind of excited about how big the “Street Art” thing has gotten. It’s nice to see more people taking chances and bucking the system.

Q. Name some of your favorite projects you’ve done.

A. I hate everything I make. Just kidding, sort of. I always think I can do better, sometimes I fuck up a perfectly good piece by trying to out-do myself. I figure I fi don’t keep pushing myself, why bother? Other than that, I really like being a part of group shows.

One of the most awesome and fun things I’ve done was the “BARtists” live art event last spring at Mainstay, I was pretty bummed I couldn’t do the latest one they had, but I’m really looking forward to doing the next one and more things like that. I have some crazy techniques, and make a hell of a mess when I make art, so I figure I might be at least somewhat entertaining to watch.

Q. Do you have any upcoming shows?

A. Whew…yeah, I am just finishing a piece for Fabricate’s two-year anniversary group show, and I already have several shows either booked or awaiting confirmation for 2012 at Melt, Park + Vine, MOTR Pub and Sidewinder Coffee.

Q. Anything you’re hoping to try/experiment with in your art?

A.  I’ve been experimenting with making my own ink, and I’m always messing around with new techniques. I like to mix stuff together that isn’t supposed to mix together, lots of oil vs. water stuff, my art is usually some percentage of mad science…mwuahahah. Also, I’ve been thinking about going three-dimensional. I’m hoping to find a larger studio space in the near future so I can start doing some larger works.

[Thanks to Kevin, and to you, for reading!--Lisa]

Obama Poster: To Pay or Not to Pay?

Perhaps you’ve heard some of the hubbub regarding the recent Obama jobs poster. It’s a contest, calling for designers to have work appear in the Obama for America campaign’s jobs poster. At least one designer (and quite a few others on the Rolling Stone page) reacted negatively to to submitting their work on spec without compensation.

First of all, many designers find irony in the fact that a campaign that supports jobs does not pay for the work it solicits. Second, they feel that designers are often asked to work on spec for no pay, may have their designs ripped off, and are otherwise unappreciated for their work.

In fact, AIGA Executive Director Richard Grefe wrote to Obama’s campaign manager in a long letter, asking him to reconsider the strategy of the competition. I wonder, what do others think?

Beauty in a Weary World

Hello to spring–finally! To celebrate its arrival, the May issue of The Artist’s Magazine looks at Still Lifes with Dramatic Color. You will also find an article by myself, an interview with the amazingly talented Julio Reyes (below) whose haunting work speaks volumes in its mesmerizing silence. Reyes shared with me what lies in his choice of subject matter, and the “new frontier” he feels we currently reside in.

The artist, Julio Reyes

Learn more about the Californian artist and why he chose art over a career as a pro soccer player. Be sure to visit his Web site to see more of his work, including drawing and even sculpture.

You’ll note that in much of his landscapes and portraits, the artist chooses a subtle palette. Ironic, as the May issue looks at powerful color application. Rather than color taking center stage in his paintings, it’s the subjects and emotions that do the heavy lifting. Reyes’s wife, Candice Bohannon, appears frequently in his work. She, too, is a talented artist and helps him choose paint colors, a handicap the artist readily admits to. Find out why in the latest issue.

Detail from Empire, by Julio Reyes

The May issue is available in digital format here (and on newsstands for you old-schoolers), and the print version can be ordered here. Don’t forget to check out some of the other cool features on their Web site.

A Man and His Mask–David Mack

David Mack’s resume reads like an enviable laundry list of dream jobs. The native Cincinnatian lists Twentieth Century Fox as an employer and his talents as a college student at Northern Kentucky University got him notice from Marvel Comics, for which he writes the Daredevil series. He’s designed toys and packaging for companies in Hong Kong and created animation art for MTV. His designs appear on the cover of albums, including one for Paul McCartney. And we’re just getting warmed up.

The artist and writer (photo by Seth Kushner for GraphicNYC)

After publishing his book Kabuki, he became a best-selling author and the graphic novel has since been translated into seven languages. His new children’s book, The Shy Creatures, was picked up by MacMillan and is available in stores and on Amazon.com. It’s the kind of dreamy talent that spurred Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk to comment, “Mack’s style takes comic narrative to the art gallery level… Mack’s new children’s book Shy Creatures is more of his genius.”

Did I forget to mention that Mack’s series of tarot card paintings exhibited to great praise in Brussels and Paris last year? Oh, and he also created an animated series of Dexter for Showtime. Seriously, how does this guy even find the time? Well, he graciously shared some with me to answer questions about his brilliant career and his upcoming show, on view at PAC Gallery in Walnut Hills. That is, before he ran off to set up all day and night at the gallery. David Mack: Dream Logic opens Friday, January 21, with a reception from 5-9 pm. It runs through February 21.

from his Tarot series

LW: How did you become involved with Marvel Comics, and were comics something you were drawn to as a child?

DM: I began work at Marvel comics as a writer. Joe Quesada was the editor and artist of Daredevil and other books at Marvel and he’d read my Kabuki books.  He called me up one day, inviting me to be write Daredevil based on my writing in Kabuki.

LW: Where did Kabuki stem from?

DM: I did the first Kabuki volume when I was in college at NKU. I turned the published books of it in for my senior thesis in Literature.

I wanted to make a book that was personal and incorporated my passion for learning, experimentation and explorations of life and ideas. I was a big fan of autobiographical comics like American Splendor and Crumb, but didn’t feel unselfconscious enough to do a fully autobiographical comic at that time.  And I was so young, 19-20, I didn’t really feel fully formed as a human at that age to be able to do that objectively.

Daredevil comic book

So I decided to write a story where the surface details were very different, the protagonist a different gender, set it in a different part of the world. That way, I could tell personal stories through a veil, though the Japanese mythology and archetypes I was learning about in school and in my travels. I hoped to make the stories have a mythic universal accessibility so that readers could look at the characters and see themselves rather than seeing me.

But at the same time, it gave me an outlet to work out personal things that I was going through at a young age–the death of my mother, some childhood challenges, the formation of self, becoming an adult, being responsible for making my own way in the world, the book became a laboratory for me to attempt to make sense or order of all the things I was experiencing.

As Shakespeare said “Give a man a mask and he will tell you the truth.”

LW: You earned a full scholarship from Northern Kentucky University. Was it for your writing or your art?

DM: NKU gave me a four-year scholarship for Fine Art and a fifth-year Dean’s Scholarship for academics. I chose Graphic Design for my BFA because it included all the fine arts and design classes, as well as general studies. So it gave me a lot of different disciplines to draw from and funnel into my work.

I knew while in high school that I was responsible for putting myself through college, so I worked hard to apply for as many scholarships as possible, art, academic, etc. My high school art teacher Tamara Smith was very helpful directing and advising me on the best way to present my work for scholarships.

I received partial scholarships from other schools, but was still unable to afford the differences. I was 17 as a college freshman and didn’t have much money. I’d even gone to sign up for the military in order to get them cover my education. In the nick of time, my art teacher Mrs. Smith informed me of the NKU scholarship and I began working in comics professionally during my freshman year there.

LW: Do you consider yourself equally writer and artist?

Kabuki cover, series 1

DM: Well, I’ve made most of my living as a writer. I’ve been working in comics and graphic novels professionally for the last 20 years and I’ve written more books than I’ve drawn. And there were a few years that I was on the payroll of Twentieth Century Fox as a writer for the film. So I’m a writer primarily, but I still make art outside of books as well, and will always do both.

I’m naturally inclined to be a storyteller. The reason I chose to work in graphic novels is because it gives me the liberty to use the visual as another tool of the writing. I can integrate all of my passions and crafts into this medium.

LW: How did Chuck P. come across your work?

DM: Chuck Palahniuk has been very kind to me and has become a great friend.  He wrote the introduction to KABUKI: The Alchemy, the newest Kabuki volume which is on exhibit in its entirety at PAC Gallery. (They also have the 320 page hardcover with an original drawing, available at the gallery).

Chuck and I had a letter writing correspondence, and he invited me to meet him for lunch when I was in his neighborhood in Portland. So I meet with him whenever I’m in town and we have some super conversations at the tasty restaurants in Portland.

Someone had forwarded me a link where he had put Kabuki and my children’s book The Shy Creatures on his top 5 Author picks and he said such nice things about my books. And he didn’t even tell me he had done that.  When I saw his quotes about my work, I wrote to him and thanked him and eventually asked him to write the introduction to The Alchemy.

LW: You must be so thrilled to work on an animated Dexter series. (I LOVE Dexter). How did the opportunity come about–and is the project completed?

DM: Showtime asked me to create animated episodes, Dark Echo. It’s a six episode story, kind of an origin story of the character in his college years. The episodes were written by the writer of the TV show, Michael C. Hall does the voice over, and I was able to collaborate with one of my close friends Bill Sienkiewicz who’s work I’ve loved since I was a kid.  You can watch the episodes for free on YouTube or Showtime’s site Sho.com. Watch Dark Echo, Chapter 5, here. There is a making of episode with me on it that they ran at the end of the TV show.

LW: What are some of your influences?

DM: In my paintings or drawings, Egon Scheele, Gustav Klimt & Picasso are probably primary influences. Even if it’s unconscious.  In my stories, I try to create a different style for each story depending on what visual atmosphere is best to communicate that particular story.

LW: What spawned a children’s’ book–and how has it been received?

DM: I did my first children’s book in college in a children’s literature class.

Children’s literature has been a theme in the Kabuki stories. The first Kabuki volume is in a sense a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, the journey from childhood consciousness into adulthood. If you look closely at it, you’ll see that all the characters correspond to characters in Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

Book cover of The Shy Creatures

The Kabuki stories intertwine themes from eastern and western myth, including children’s stories.  In The Alchemy, there was a sequence in which Kabuki is reading a children’s book inside the story. So, I created that book just for that chapter. Kind of in a very simple retro style with brush and ink, and the characters in it are meant to allegorically correspond to themes in the Kabuki story. Macmillan publishing saw it and felt it would make a good children’s book, The Shy Creatures. I like that it’s kind of a material world artifact from the Kabuki story.

LW: You cover so many bases of interest in your work. What gives you the most joy?

DM: I like making things. I like telling stories. And my work has been my vehicle for communicating and for expression, and for just sorting things out for myself. But I love that people find personal connection in the story. I enjoy when readers tell me they found something useful and inspirational from my stories.

LW: Tell me a little about your early life. Where are you from?

DM: I was born in Cincinnati. My father is from New York and my mother is from Pennsylvania. My mother was a first grade teacher in the Sixth District Covington Schools. We would spend summers in Pennsylvania on the farm where she grew up. My mother is definitely the single-most formative influence on me artistically. She would make things by hand to use as lesson plans for her first-grade students. I think I naturally saw art as a means of communication and education because of that. And she had plenty of supplies and materials on hand that I always had access to as a child from my earliest memories.

LW: You’ve received a lot of kudos. What award do you most treasure so far?

DM: NKU awarded me with their Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2003 and it really meant a lot. There are scientists, doctors, and inventors that win that award. I was very touched that they thought of me and it shows their commitment to Arts and Literature, and an open-mindedness to the sequential art medium and its influence and capabilities.

Mack's tools

LW: Any favorite tools of the trade?

DM: I use a brush and ink a lot when drawing for fun.

LW: How do you go from inspiration to production? (feel free to give the Cliff Notes version)

DM: I write my ideas down on paper and then I keep developing them into notes and a full script and then draw the story based on many revisions of a full script.

For drawing, I just do it. Just for fun without too much thinking. The danger with too much thinking is that you can censor ideas out of existence. Best to do the work first and consider finessing it after.

But in general terms, not just writing or art, but the “inspiration to application” is important in life. My most recent book The Alchemy is very much about that idea. It documents certain principles and specific practical applications that I have developed over that last 20-plus years that have been very helpful to me in taking things from idea into reality.

another piece by David Mack

The book is very much about imagination and the practical applications for turning your dreams into reality. The original art from the entire book is on exhibit and you can actually read it page by page in its original form. It’s such a different experience than in the book, because the story is surrounding you on walls all around and you’re walking through the story.

You can find daily updates on David Mack’s work at davidmackguide.com, or check him out on Facebook.

Art for the Holidays

After a BIG, LONG hiatus, it’s nice to be back.The break was due in part to full-time work (someone’s gotta pay the bills, kids) and utter laziness. No whining. Except for being too sick to see the Fuck You, I Love You show at The Mockbee in Brighton last weekend, as well as the Final Friday gallery walk. I was bummed to miss the fun, but also realized I’m getting old, as I still call the Mockbee SS Nova.

Looking for something? Check out 1305 Gallery this month.

To do: this Friday and Saturday December 3 and 4 is Open House at Essex Studios. Go see painting, sculpture, photos, and more. For the gift-giver, it’s a perfect chance to support your local artist and get a one-of-a-kind gift. Personally, I’ve got my eye on a fabric necklace that I waffled on buying at the LAST open house. A lesson learned: If you really want something but aren’t sure, and it’s still there a month later, it was meant to be. Or something like that.

For more gift-buying, check out Yuletide ’10: Gift Art by Local Artists & Crafters at 1305 Gallery. It’s located at that very number, on Main Street in Over-the-Rhine.  You’ll find neat, handmade stuff by more than 20 different local artists and crafters. The show runs Tuesdays and Sundays (and by appointment) all month of December. And if the recipient doesn’t like their gift, you can just tell them it’s “art.” That should shut them up. Hee hee.

Last Chances… This Weekend

This evening is the final night of the Essex Studios Art Walk. Well, until December. So, hop to it! and visit the open house of more than 100 artists’ studios. This large building was once home to a tailoring company, and now houses the American Sign Museum (check out their cool online sign gallery!) as well as a diverse array of studios. The Art Walk runs from 6-11 PM tonight, and is located in Walnut Hills at 2511 Essex Place, Cincinnati, OH 45206.

Also, this weekend marks the final days of  PORTRAITS: Artwork by Aaron Cross and Kitty Commando. If you haven’t been to Sidewinder coffee shop, now’s the time to stop in for a skim latte and curry chicken salad (or maybe that’s just me. yum.) and check out Cross’s portraits. Affordably priced, they have been selling like hotcakes. In fact, when I was there recently, one sold right off the wall.

Portrait (title unknown) by Aaron Cross.

Recently, I spoke with Cross about this surprising series of work. Surprising because of both the artist’s unassuming demeanor, and the content of the pieces–rural characters, set on top of graphic, brightly colored backgrounds.

Cross says the pieces were inspired by a book his mother had given him, called Stinking Creek by John Fetterman, about her hometown of Barbourville, Kentucky. The characters in his paintings (mostly male) are relatives from the Brown family, who appear in the book, and who hail from the Browns Hollow area.

Portrait (title unknown) by Aaron Cross.

Created from spray-painted  stencils, the portraits have a purposeful flat quality, that yet seem alive and appealing.  Cross had made a lot of stencils, but this was his first foray into using three and four colors. “I always considered myself a pencil or pen-and-ink guy, but the stencils just felt more satisfying, like the feeling you get when you peel away that last layer, and see it for the first time. It kinda leaves you speechless,” he says.

A native of Independence, Kentucky, Cross attended art classes as a youth at the home of an elderly woman’s house. There, he spent his time drawing a lot of birdhouses and barns. His current work reflects an appreciation and captures an essence of rural American life.

Portrait (title unknown) by Aaron Cross.

Attached are a few of the portraits. My apologies for the distortion and glare; it was difficult to get good straight-on shots. Cross is preparing a month-long show at Fabricate, and his work will be appearing at the new bar, MOTR pub in Over- the-Rhine.

So, if you miss his current show, you have no excuse to miss the upcoming ones