EK HERALD GRAPHIC

Here is an EK piece created for use as a single colour graphic on EK "Herald" t-shirts. This graphic was created some time ago, but now that these shirts have finally been released, I figure I should also finally post about the artwork!

This piece is unique in the series, with its single colour graphic treatment, as almost all the other images in the EK Series are fully rendered, fully coloured pieces (except a couple silkscreen pieces done many years ago). I prefer my t-shirt graphics to be simple, 1/2 colour designs….as I like the bold, clean feel, so I felt that this was the right approach for this piece.

These t's were originally created to accompany prints of my work that were being exhibited and sold through the ARTISHOX gallery in Belgium, and through their online store, ARTISHOPIX. Unfortunately, in late 2013 right before the t's went into production, the ARTISHOX gallery had to be closed due to the owner's personal/health issues. At this point I figured I would sell the t's off my own website, but due to a busy schedule, I ended up sitting on the design for a year. By early 2015 I had found some time to open a shop on my new website and now the t-shirts are up on there for sale.

Most of the first batch of t's have sold, but there are a few of most sizes still available. I won't be re-stocking them for some time, as I am moving to France for a year (I'll post about that in the near future), but well see if I can get some going before I get back. So if you want to grab one before they are gone, they are available at: borninconcrete.com/shop/ 

On a positive note, the owner of the ARTISHOX gallery has made a complete recovery, and is doing well, running a media company and is even in the early stages of opening a new gallery.

MELTING POT

Melting Pot is a group show currently on display at the ARTISHOX Gallery in Hasselt, Belgium. Ben has packed his gallery with work from 9 ARTISHOX artists including myself. The show will be running this summer so if you are in the area go take a look!

Big thanks to Ben Wouters for putting the show together!

INSOLENT MOCKERY OF THE DIVINE UNDER CENTRIST RULE

Here is one that I picked away at over the holidays. As with other pieces in this series, this one was inspired by one of the deriding slogans painted on the walls at the Entartete Kunst exhibit in 1938. Room One of the exhibit was reserved for works of a religious nature, featuring works by Max Beckman, Wilhelm Heckrott, Karl Schimidt-Rottluff, along with a large selection of work by Emil Nolde. The title, "Insolent Mockery of the Divine Under Centrist Rule" was scrawled on the wall featuring Nolde's massive nine panel alter piece "Das Leben Christi" (1911/12). This slogan, invoking the nazi concept of Judeo-Bolshevism, is a simultaneous indictment of the art and the church.

Ever since I read those words, and from the beginning of this project I've wanted to tackle this image, but I was a little hesitant given the religious content. I'm somewhat of a spiritual person, but not a religious one. That being said, when it comes to religion, I'm sensitive to, and respectful of other peoples beliefs. I tried to represent the Christ-like figure, with all that that entails, without turning it into a caricature or parody. How successful I was will be for others to judge.....

Although most of the titles of the images in this series are displayed in German, I felt this particular title was more powerful in English. The German phrase "Unter Der Herrschaft Des Zentrums Frecher Verhohnung Des Gotterlebens" seemed to be lacking the impact of  "Insolent Mockery of the Divine Under Centrist Rule" (probably solely due to the fact that I am English speaking....). Plus that title in German is so long I had a hard time fitting it on the image!

Enjoy!

Higher rez. and a few more details on my Flickr.

THE STAR (emperor)

This new one was created as a design for a possible 2nd model kit for Michael Fichtenmayer's Industria Mechanika. The first kit, based on my Dystopic (ventilate) piece is currently in the master modelling stage and hopefully I'll have some progress images to post soon!

As the 28th piece is this series this one was inspired by the 28th path on the the Tree of Life, "the ruler". The colours are from the four worlds, and the tertiary graphic elements speak to correspondences of this path. The title comes from the tarot association, The Star. In divination the meanings of this card are hope, guidance and future possibilities, represented here by the female cosmonaut curled in a fetal position. Her fixed gaze tells us she has the determination to grasp one of these possibilities and to reach her chosen future potential.

The subtitle "the emperor", while possibly reinforcing the title of the 28th path, is more of a nod to Crowley, who proclaimed that Tzaddi was not The Star, and that the true Hebrew letter for this path was Heh, a letter more traditionally associated with Path 15 and the Emperor.

High res. and details at my Flickr.

BLOOOM

Here are a few pictures of the work I exhibited at the ARTISHOX Gallery booth at the Blooom Creative Industries Art Show that was held in Cologne, Germany over the last few days.

ARTISHOX finished my prints off with Dibond/Diasec. I had never heard of this process before. It involves fusing a piece of acrylic glass to the print, and mounting it on a aluminium and plastic plate. Apparently the colours are more brilliant and the image is sharper than framing behind standard glass. Anyways, I was happy with the end result and thought they looked great.

I had the honor of exhibiting with other ARTISHOX artists Michihiro Matsuoka, Esther Barend and Philip Bosmans.

Huge thanks to Ben Wouters for putting everything together, hauling everything to Cologne, and for curating the booth!

More pictures here.

ARTISHOPIX

ARTISHOPIX, the online shop/gallery of the ARTISHOX Gallery, is up and running. A whole bunch of my limited edition Entartete Kunst fine art prints are available on the site.

The shop also offers the wonderful sculptural works of Michihiro Matsuoka and paintings and fine art prints by Philip Bosmans and Esther Barend. The work of additional ARTISHOX artists should be appearing on the site soon.

Check it out here.

BLOOOM

I'll be exhibiting some pieces at the Blooom Creative Industries Art Show in Cologne, Germany later this month. My work will be exhibited at the ARTISHOX Gallery booth, along with work by other artists the gallery represents.

This is a large show, with a host of galleries and artists exhibiting their works. The show is also running in conjunction with ART.FAIR, so there will be lots to see and experience.

The show runs from October 29th till November 1st, 2011 at Staatenhaus AM Rheinpark, Cologne, Germany.

If you are in the area, go check it out.

ARTISHOX

I'm happy to announce my joining of the ARTISHOX Gallery and Art Agency. The gallery, located in Hasselt, Belgium, will carry a selection of my current works and I'll be creating a new series of works specifically for the gallery in the future. As an agency they will also be representing, promoting and managing my work.

For those unable to make it over to Belgium, my work will also be available on the ARTISHOX online store, ARTISHOPIX, that will going live in the near future.

ARTISHOX exhibits and represents a host of amazing artists working in a wide range of mediums and subjects including Michihiro Matsuoka, Raf Veulemans, Philip Bosmans, Lex Tintel and Esther Barend to name a few. Check them out on the ARTISHOX website.

Thanks to Ben at ARTISHOX for his belief, commitment, effort and guidance.