In between stocking up on some holiday reading and packing my swimming trunks, I've been busy finishing off my image for the 'Versus' collaborative project with Foursight (some of this years graduates) from the glorious Stockport College. Here is a triumvirate of cheeky, flirtatious glimpses to keep your appetite whetted until the launch of the publication.
Flattered to be asked to contribute to a project by foursight (a group of graduates I had the pleasure to teach at Stockport College this year). Can't say too much about the theme of the project at the moment as I'm sworn to secrecy. I can say though that I've been delving into a bit of Greek mythology, looking at Tiresias the blind prophet of Thebes, a clairvoyant who was transformed into a woman for seven years. A combination of Alain De Botton, Russell Grant and Grayson Perry.
The first of a series of images I'm producing on the theme of productivity, this sketch is in response to the idea of preventing the distractions of electronic communications, mobiles, email and the internet in order to get more done.
Another image for Copenhagen based mens fashion magazine. This time the image deals with mens street fashion in Tokyo. I wanted to include a nod towards the Godzilla movies (that I use to watch in the 1970s) combined with the quintessential signature piece of gents clothing the leather glove. Below are roughs, prep work and the final image, including a glimpse of my fathers day present an electronic eraser (thanks Vita) which despite it perfunctory appearance is actually really useful.
New image commissioned by Danish men's life style magazine EM. To accompany an article about men's street fashion in Venice. Thankfully I had prepared well by watching all episodes of The Bridge and Borgen. Love those Scandinavian dramas!
Printed.
Mounted.
Framed.
Packed............and awaiting FedEx on Tuesday
If you use a Wacom tablet I'd recommend these replacement felt nibs, I recently fitted some on my Cintiq pen and they make a big difference, they make the pen feel a lot more natural and responsive, similar to a soft pencil or marker pen. Only down side is that they ware out much fast then the original plastic ones.
http://uk.shop.wacom.eu/Accessory/index/sCategory/70194
Doubt I'll be sporting one of these babies though, bit to much like a cyborg golf glove !
Second Image for Dan Ariely project completed. Responding to the issues and concepts raised at the forum on inequality I produced an image based on the neologism 'Less is a possibility' which first appeared in Douglas Coupland’s 1996 book ‘Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture’. It is the personal rather than global nature of the issues raised which fascinate me, I wanted to focus on repercussions of our unequal society but also in my practice as an artist/illustrator to reduce visually, referencing Mies Van Der Rohes statement ‘Less is More’. I am endeavoring to create series of personal visual mantras to encourage me and hopefully others who see them to reflect on our insatiable desire for ‘more’.
In the west we are always encouraged to do more, make more and have more, so the logic follows the more we have the happier we are, despite the fact that research has shown that as a society our happiness has not increased in proportion to our wealth. Although it’s easy to romanticise or fetishise rural simplicity when you live a relatively privileged life. I wanted to use the image ‘Less is a Possiblity’ to remind me that a bigger car, a bigger house or that new gadget won’t make me any happier (in fact it’s often the converse) also in striving for these things it often makes others around us unease, envious and upset. Henry David Thoreau (1817- 1862) purported ‘A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can let alone’ I concur with this and was inspired by extracts from his work ‘Walden (or A life in the Woods)’ chronicling two years, two months, and two days he had spent living in a log cabin at Walden Pond. The book compresses that time into a single calendar year, using the passage of four seasons to symbolize human development. Part memoir, part spiritual quest, it explores natural simplicity, harmony, and beauty as models for just social and cultural conditions.
First finished image for the Dan Ariely Project I'm working on. This image attempts to convey how disparity in wealth makes those at the top end happy and those at the bottom uniformly unhappy, this is true even if the differential is only slight.
Just arrived in the post this morning, this promo journal from my agent featuring a cover image I produced for the Xerox New York Jazz Festival.
Finally a clear day in the studio to get on with images for Dan Ariely's the Inequality Project. Being propelled forward today by coffee, kit kats and Ah Um by Charlie Mingus (other chocolate based snacks and crazy named jazz musicians available)
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Today, starting roughs for images in response to Dan Ariely's research project on social inequalities. The top 20% of americans have 84% of the wealth, the bottom 40% have 0.3% of the wealth. This image is in response to research that states that in a social groupings (or society at large) if one or more people are richer then people directly below them by comparison feel less happy with their lives. This is repeated down the line until you get to the poorest in society. Interestingly those at the very top are the most likely to favour socialcare and benefits for the poor and those one step away from the poorest are the most vehemently against benefits. This flies in the face of statistics which state that 90 % of us would like a more equal society, but I guess by that most people want to be just a little bit more equal than everyone else to feel happy.
Really excited to be working on a project with Dan Ariely http://danariely.com/ the James B. Duke Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University and a founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight. See one of his TED talks here. Having read his book Predictably Irrational I have been following his blog, an opputunity arose to collaborate on some research work Ariely has been involved in on the subject of Social and Economic Inequality, this really interested me and I was lucky enough to be chosen to submit work to exhibited in America this summer. All I've got to do now is get my head around this research and produce some fantastic images, no pressure.
