It's the holiday season, time for us to get bundled up, brave the cold, and share holiday treats in a warm and inviting environment. Join us at Light Grey for our annual Cookie Party!
Come to the gallery from 1-3pm and bring a batch of your favorite holiday treats: they can be your family's secret cookie recipe, or your go-to crowd-pleasing lemon bars. Anything is welcome! And of course, be sure to bring a container to bring some home with you!
There will be prizes awarded for achievements such as Most Creative, Most Beautiful, Most Tasty so feel free to push the boundaries of even the most classic recipes and come armed with your cookie of choice!
We'll have hot cocoa and milk, tea and coffee for everyone, so join us for a cozy couple of hours and eat your fill of cookies! Invite your friends and start baking, we’ll see you soon!
Questions? Send us a note! gallery@lightgreyartlab.com
Light Grey Art Camp International: Ireland Culture Tour Recap
A couple weeks ago, we were huddled behind a massive rock at the base of a waterfall. The unmarked path past Magic Road led up to the Mohan Waterfall, where we were surrounded by tall grass, colorful flora, and flocks of sheep. We sat in a mossy opening, reading tarot cards and talking about life. The mist rolled over the mountain and it felt perfect and serene. There were many moments like this -- of raw exploration, of camaraderie, and learning from the landscape and lore.
We had the opportunity to travel through the southern coast of Ireland with some amazing creatives, Team Turlough and Team Rhyolite, for the Light Grey Art Camp International: Ireland Culture Tour.
Throughout the program, we traveled around the Hook Peninsula and Copper Coast Geopark, exploring the shipwrecked beaches, picking wild blackberries, observing sea urchins, starfish and tide pools, searching for rocks and stripped quartz, and wandering through old abbeys, graveyards, and churches of the Knights Templar.
We also visited the mediaeval cities of Kilkenny, Waterford, and Cork, learning about viking history, trade and imports, and touring through old castles, museums and observation towers. At night, we gathered for family-style meals at the pubs for live music, storytelling and seafood chowder.
You can see more photos on our flickr pages from TEAM TURLOUGH and TEAM RHYOLITE. You can also find more details about the Light Grey Travel programs here.
Light Grey Iceland Residency 2018
The Light Grey Iceland Residency program takes place each summer in Iceland, as teams of creatives explore the diverse, lush, and ever-changing landscape by day and learn from one another in artist-led workshops each evening. Artists explore volcanic fields, basalt beaches, geothermal pools, smoking vents, waterfalls, and glacial lagoons. Wandering through the landscape with sketchbooks and cameras in hand, artist have a chance to draw, explore, and learn on site about the history, geology and folklore of the land. The intensive residency workshop program provides an opportunity to share their ideas on creativity, art and design theory, techniques and methods, and a wide variety of global creative themes.
We are pleased to announce the artist-in-residence for the Light Grey Iceland Residency 2018. Artists come from a wide variety of backgrounds including photography, illustrations, children's books, concept art, animation, art direction, video games, motion graphics, entrepreneurs, and so much more. Artists hail from areas of the United States, Canada, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, England, the Netherlands, India, and beyond.
Click the links below to view profiles of each artist and team.
The Light Grey Iceland Residency Program: Team Andi: Allison Smith, Daron Nefcy, Heekyoung Jung, Jose Maria Tristan V. Yuvienco, Juan Carlos Solon, Kashmira Sarode, Kasia Wasko, Katie Vernon, Lily Nishita, Lorena, Megan Nicole Dong, Mariela Valentinova Ganeva, Martin Gee, Shaikara David, and Stu Livingston
The Light Grey Iceland Residency Program: Team Ógilt: Ashley Yeo Yakka, Chelsea Harper, Emerald May Barkley, Douglas Pryor, JayCrosby, Jenn Liv, Jon Tiburzi, Karen J Krajenbrink, Luke Heng, Rayanne Vieira do Nascimento, Shanna Cundal, and Vanessa Port.
The Light Grey Iceland Residency Program: Team Vatn: Alanna Stapleton, Al Polston, Ashley Mackenzie, Austin Breed, Bina Santos, Danette Beatty, Devon Berquist, Genevieve Santos, Gonçalo Marques Nobre, Jay John Purugganan, Kennedy Tarrell, Louie Zong, and Patrícia Mafra
The Light Grey Iceland Residency Program: Team Jörð: Alessandra Fusi, Alexandria Neonakis, Asya Aizenstein, Emily Walus, Ilaria Urbinati, Kate Sheridan, Marko Manev, Natalie Dombois, Nick Comparone, Sam Guay, Steven Sugar, Victoria Skellan, Vivianne du Bois, and Wendy Grieb.
The Light Grey Iceland Residency Program: Team Eldur: Angela Bardakjian, Barry Eckhaus, Blake Kathryn Thomas, Brittany Inglese, Brynn Metheney, Daniella Rosu-Ortiz, Darius Cheong Chau Hong, Dave Murray, Grace Duong, Jenessa Warren, Madeline Faye Potter, Monica Davila, Nina Vakueva, and Rogelio Oswaldo Perez Romero.
The Light Grey Iceland Residency Program: Team Loft: Anoosha Syed, Brigitte La, Caitlin Ono, Cristina Vanko, Ellen Shershow, Delaney Januzzi, Irma Del Valle Nachon, Jessica Mao, Marcella Tamayo, Michael Fong, Miho Tomimasu, Sam White, and Sussana Selici
Artist Interview with Alex Dos Diaz
Meet Alex Dos Diaz. Between working on cover art for the tabletop game Champions of Hara, creating work for the New York Times, and working on his personal project The Ghost Alchemist, he’s plugging through RPG’s and flipping through his collection of art books. Dos Diaz was born and raised in Uruguay before moving to the US at 13, where he would eventually attend the University of the Arts in Pennsylvania, where he currently resides. Read more about Alex's work and interests below, and see his piece in our current show, SWARM!
Hi Alex! What's your workspace like? What do you prefer in your creative space? Do you have any collections that help you get inspired?
Right now my workspace is just the essentials: My desk, iMac, Wacom Intuous and a few books I love to browse through from time to time. I love my space being neat and organized 99% of the time; I can never really concentrate otherwise. I also love to work at coffee shops, especially at the beginning of a project. For that stage in the process I use my iPad Pro and Procreate, which is awesome because I can always go back and forth between my iPad and my desktop.
As far as collections go (besides my art prints), I love getting my hands on collective works from video game series’ I really enjoy as well as other art books. Seeing the awesome concept sketches of character designs and their all around development is just so cool. Though, I have to say I probably own more of James Jean’s stuff than any other artist.
You make such good use of the digital medium: the color use, rendering, and movement in each piece is absolutely gorgeous. Is working digitally something that came naturally to you, and did you work in other mediums before?
Thank you, I did and still work in other mediums, mostly Verythin color pencil and mixed media. I used to just draw all the time, which evolved into practicing inking and water color washes. I discovered digital painting back in 2006 (my junior year in high school), when I borrowed a tablet from my art teacher and started to practice outside of school. After I got through my “digitally realistic rendering fever,” I went back to drawing traditionally, scanning the pieces and coloring them digitally, which I did mostly through college. Painting fully digitally is something I pushed myself into getting used to, and it only started in 2015-16. To answer your question, I guess it was and still is something I am working to get better at.
You mentioned that you’re influenced by video games, anime, art nouveau, and baroque art. How do you find a center point between these different influences, and how do you use them to create something truly your own?
I grew up playing video games and watching anime so that was the thing that started it all. However, It wasn’t until I was in college that I discovered the organic fluidity of Art Nouveau, and the over-exaggeration, beautiful detail, and high contrast that is Baroque art. I don’t really believe anything is truly new or unique, but a remix of pre-existing subjects and styles. However, I believe it’s all about the percentages used in the creation of the work, which varies in every new piece. The trick is not to force a piece to go one way or another; if the subject matter lends itself to the style, then by all means I will incorporate it. As much as I love them all, the truth is there are many things about each of these influences that I don’t like, and that’s where my personal touches and preferences come into the mix.
Many of your pieces are focused on the figure. Are these figures purely an aesthetic subject, or do you try to imagine their backstories and worlds?
I like to set up a lot of my illustrations much like a sculpture, with a central figure and other symbolic elements around it. I just love the way it looks, which may be due to my design sensibilities. When it comes to Baroque art's influence on me, it is mostly the sculptural and architectural part of the movement that made an impact on me moreso than the painting. In particular, I absolutely love Bernini’s sculptural work. I also love these figures and all the emotion and meaning they can bring to the work. In my more recent pieces, however, I have started to play with more narrative compositions. I guess we will see where that goes.
Can you tell us about the piece you've created for Swarm? Was there anything new that you wanted to try with this piece, or anything you discovered while working on it?
I knew from the start that I was going to be doing something more designed and decorative, similar to what I did for the Fortune show. I’ve been really looking forward to spending some more time exploring that style of work, which I honestly really enjoy. I wanted to create something that looked aged and overall more symbolic than narrative. You can definitely expect to see more of it in the future.
What are your favorite creatures of the dark? If you could become one of them, which would you be?
I find most insects super creepy to be honest, but I would probably chose a moth. Besides the fact that they have really awesome wing patterns, I feel I can relate to a lot of their associated symbolic meanings.
What are some of your favorite films, music, other pieces of media? And who are some of your favorite artists right now?
Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Baby Driver, and Your Name are some of the more recent movies I’ve seen and really enjoyed. I also pretty much love everything Evangelion, Full Metal Alchemist and Gurren Lagann. I can’t say I am a huge fan of a lot of new anime out there today. Music varies a lot for me; I genuinely love a lot of different music except for country music. However, The Devil Wears Prada, Northlane, Being as an Ocean, Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd have been some of my go-to’s recently, all mood permitting. My favorite current artists are Tobias Kwan, Molly Egan, Ching Yeh, Alexandra Fastovets, and of course many more.
Do you have any other hobbies that you enjoy? Is there anything you've always wanted to get into but haven't yet (art-wise or just in life)?
I love playing volleyball, lifting weights and playing video games, mostly RPGs of some sort. I also love traveling which was kind of a new discovery after my trip to Japan with LGAL (go team Inoshishi!) I am really excited to travel more soon, that’s for sure.
What would be an absolute dream project for you? Where would you like to see your work applied?
I would really love to see my personal project The Ghost Alchemist come to life at some point, perhaps even animated… that would be super awesome! Besides that, doing something for a new game like Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy or Castlevania would be incredible too.
Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?
The Ghost Alchemist is my main priority when I am not doing work for anyone else. I am also working/planning on doing some traditional work, which I am excited about. That being said, it will all fall within The Ghost Alchemist’s realm.
Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?
People can find my work on my website www.alexdosdiaz.com, but it is a curated portfolio. If you would like to see my process and all other work, you can follow me on Instagram: alexdosdiaz. Fair warning, though: you might run into the occasional picture of the most adorable dog in the world, Clementine.
LGAL Iceland Residency - Team Plover
LIGHT GREY ART LAB ICELAND RESIDENCY Mini-recap (3 of 4)
TEAM PLOVER
This year we explored with four unique groups of exceptional creatives from all around the world. Team Plover included backgrounds in photography, animation, product design, freelance illustration, writing, costume design, and more.
TEAM PLOVER explored the southern coast, visiting diverse landscapes of lava rock, towering bird cliffs, ashy glaciers, hidden waterfalls, geothermal pools and secret lagoons. It was a pleasure to travel with such a vibrant, loving, and enthusiastic group of creatives! Each day we learned about the folklore, history, and geology of the landscape, and at night, gathered around the table to listen to our experiences in the creative field and beyond.
TEAM PLOVER: Adam Hoppus, Aidan Vitti, Alice Yang, Archana Vikram, Ellen Shershow, Elsa Chang, Jared D Weiss, Jon Lau, Judit Neubauer, Junyi Wu, Michael Manomivibul, and Sasha Jones.
The topics we discussed included:
• costume design and feature films
• pursuing an authentic creative path
• creating with contrast in content
• personal projects and collaborative efforts
• creative opportunity - I.T. to illustration
• photography and art as social change - artistic voice
• feature animation and character design
• running and managing a creative business
• collaboration, studio partnerships, and accountability
• passion projects and unique characters
• overcoming obstacles and inclusivity
...and much more.
We'll be updating with the other teams as we edit photos!
Thanks to TEAM PLOVER for exploring with us!
Artist Interview with Grace Kim
Meet Grace Kim, a South Korea-born, Canada-raised illustrator, comic artist, and animator currently working in the world of childrens' animation. "Growing up, I’ve always liked to draw, but when I moved to Canada, drawing intensified because I couldn’t speak any English. Looking back on it, I think I used drawing as a way to cope with adjusting to a different culture." After attending Sheridan College in the Canadian city of Oakville, Grace lived and worked in Ottawa and Toronto before moving to Vancouver, where she is currently working as a Special Pose Artist at DHX Media. Read more about Grace Kim's work, interests, and her piece in the upcoming show, SWARM, below!
What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice? Do you have any collections or things that help you get inspired?
No matter where I work, I always seem to create clutter. I cleaned up a bunch of stuff for the photo, but usually there is quite a bit of books and mugs and toys scattered about my desk space.
I love to have the things that inspire me in close reach of me at all times, because I feel like they give me a creative boost. Really clean, minimized spaces give me a bit of anxiety and the blank canvas syndrome (the one where you can’t think of what to do).
Usually I have a lot of books on my desk; art books, novels, encyclopedias... Just whatever holds my interest! I also love having a cup of coffee right by me all the time!
You seem to be experienced with a variety of media, what is your favorite to work with? And what is your usual process when approaching a piece? Does it change depending on the medium you’re working with?
My all-time favourite art tools are pen, ink and markers! I love them because the result is immediate and there is less colour mixing involved.
When working on a piece, I usually do a very rough thumbnail, then dive straight into the final product. I'm not very good at restarting or fixing a piece, so If I make mistakes, I usually call them happy mistakes and live with them. It’s part of the beauty of inking! Although if the mistakes are BAD, I will redo a piece, but differently than the one I had been working on before.
You mentioned that you’re an animator for childrens’ television shows, is this something you’ve always been interested in pursuing? Are there things you’ve learned by working in the industry that have influenced your personal work?
I think I’ve wanted to be an animator since grade 4. Though the work is rather different than what I imagined it to be when I was a kid (no more 2D traditional animation! I didn’t even know what a cintiq [tablet] was), I love working in the animation industry. I do wonder sometimes what it would be like to do on-paper animation as my job.
Every show I’ve worked on has definitely influenced my drawings to some degree or another. Especially working as a special pose artist, I’ve learned to be more economic and effective with my linework. However, the themes in my personal work have always been mine, unaffected by the work created at my job.
Your work always seems to tell a strong story, whether you’re making a comic, a sketch, or a complete illustration. How do you go about crafting these stories, worlds, and characters?
A few years back, I went through a very long art block. I never knew what to draw, and my sketchbook was full of headshots. So one day, I promised myself to do more drawings that told a story. Even if it was just a sketch, I spent more time on the emotion I’m trying to convey. Now it’s almost become a habit for me to try and draw “stories” instead of drawing mindlessly.
These stories or ideas don’t always come to me immediately. I’ll usually draw a character or a surrounding based on something I was inspired by, then I start to build the world based on those drawings. If I draw a character I like, I want to build a world for it to live in. If I draw a surrounding I like, I want to inhabit that world with creatures!
Can you tell us about the piece you've created for Swarm? Was there anything new that you wanted to try with this piece, or anything you discovered while working on it?
The piece I did for Swarm is actually kind of interesting, because it is kind of an extension of a story I’m working on slowly. It works as a single piece, but I would love to finish building the story around it.
What are your favorite creatures of the dark? Are there any that you think get an unfair rap?
I love, but am also terrified of insects. I love watching them in HD documentaries, but when I see them in real life, I freeze like a rock! So I understand when people are scared of bugs, but at the same time I think they’re the amazing.
What inspires you? Favorite films, music, other pieces of media? And who are some of your favorite artists right now?
A lot of things inspire me... Movies, music, books… Since moving to Vancouver, nature has been a big inspiration. I love looking at different types of moss and foliage in the forests. There is something about small intricate vegetation in a vast forest that just draws me in.
I am a big fan of horror movies. I love Darren Aronofsky and Guillermo Del Toro very much. Their films are amazing because they don’t just focus on horrific images... They explore the beauty within those disturbing moments.
In terms of music, it seems like there are two people living inside me… I love bands like Joy Division, but at the same time I’m a big fan of k-pop. They’re polar opposites of each other!
Right now, I am really enjoying the art book for Nier:Automata. So far it's my favourite game this year!
Do you have any other hobbies that you enjoy? Is there anything you've always wanted to get into but haven't yet (art-wise or just in life)?
During the colder seasons, I love knitting/ crocheting. I like making little dolls and giving them to my friends. I also love playing video games; as an adult, it’s really hard to find the time to binge playing through a game, but I try to free up some weekends so I can just stay home and play all day.
What would be an absolute dream project for you? This can be personal or commercial!
I would love to make my own show or publish a collection of comics some day! I think it would be really cool to have a brand where my personal works can be kept.
Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?
I am planning on making some t-shirts this year. I’ve never done it, and I’m not sure who’d want them, but I want to make them so I can at least wear them with my friends!
I’m also working on a collection of comics this year. One is a slice of life sort of comic featuring one of my characters Worryball, and the other is a comic about a cult!
Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?
This was fun to write! Thanks for the opportunity.
If people want to see more of my work, it can be found at:
Twitter @JjacssoKim
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjacsso/
Tumblr: http://jjacsso.tumblr.com/
Swarm Opening Reception
Swarm + CALAMITY: Hexes, Plagues, and Prophecies + New Works by Zoe Keller
Friday, October 27th, 7 - 10 PM
Facebook Event
This October, Light Grey Art Lab will be showcasing three new exhibitions in a celebration of nature’s mysteries with the launch of Swarm, Calamity: Hexes, Plagues & Prophecies, and New Works by Zoe Keller, all of which open Friday, October 27th, from 7-10 PM.
Swarm
As Halloween approaches the days get colder, the night gets longer, and the trees transition from lush green to a fiery combination of yellow, orange and red, before shedding their leaves to reveal the barren skeleton underneath. These fallen leaves provide cover and nourishment to all sorts of crawling creatures, who skitter and writhe underneath the surface. Light Grey Art Lab’s newest exhibition, Swarm, aims a spotlight into the shadows, hoping to uncover the beautiful side of the creeping crawlies that lurk underfoot and in the shadows.
Swarm features over seventy artists from around the world, each of whom who have been tasked with portraying all manner of vermin in a new light. Every creature on earth serves a purpose and is incredible in its own unique way, and Swarm brings a sense of wonder, mystery, and beauty to a subject that normally sends shivers down the spine.
Each artist approached their specimen of choice with a curious sense of wonder. Several chose to explore the scientific marvel of their chosen subject, while others celebrated the beauty of the color, patterns, and form. Some used the symbolism inherent to the creature itself to explore the topic from a more spiritual perspective.
“As a soul chooses a vessel to experience life in the physical world, it acknowledges the Sisters of Fate tailoring the thread of life.” says participating artist Alex Dos Dios of his piece featuring the iconic death's-head hawkmoth. “Though time is what limits the physical existence, it does not hold true for the soul. As the physical lives and dies, the soul expands infinitely. It is able to move freely without fear of an end.”
While normally avoided at all costs, Swarm gives a fresh and unexpected look at the unusual creatures that can be found crawling in our attics, lurking in our sewers, or scouring the woods in the dead of the night.
CALAMITY: Hexes, Plagues, and Prophecies
Curated by Minneapolis illustrator Teagan White, CALAMITY: Hexes, Plagues, and Prophecies is a show about what happens when nature and misfortune collide. From environmental catastrophe, invasive species, and natural disasters to poison concoctions, cautionary folklore, and prophecies of the apocalypse, participating artists confront the ways that discord occurs in ecosystems great and small, whether inflicted upon them by a malevolent entity, or as an inextricable part of the natural cycles of life
CALAMITY is a group exhibition featuring the work of thirteen artists from around the world, all drawn to the topic of misfortune and the natural world.
New Work by Zoe Keller
Zoe Keller is a Portland, Oregon based illustrator who uses graphite and ink to create meticulously detailed odes to the natural world. An even mix of landscapes, field guides, and her own memories, Keller incorporates hints of narrative into her natural explorations.
New Works by Zoe Keller is a collection of drawings delving further into Keller’s obsessive exploration of the natural world.
Opening Reception
The opening reception for Swarm, Calamity: Hexes, Plagues & Prophecies, and New Works by Zoe Keller is Friday, October 27th from 7-10 PM and will remain on display through November 24th. The opening reception is free and open to the public, and features artwork, music, and refreshments.
Artist Interview with Lilian Crooks
Meet Lilian Crooks, East Coast resident and creator of bright, graphic works that are simultaneously effectively simple and deceptively complex. Read about her practice, her piece in our current show, PARALLEL, and her various inspirations below!
Hi Lilian! Tell us a bit about yourself, where did you go to school? What kind of work do you do? What kind of projects have you worked on recently, or what projects are you currently working on?
I graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art in May of 2016. I grew up in Massachusetts and currently reside in Philadelphia, PA. I'm a full-time graphic designer at a small college and also do freelance illustration. I've been working on "atmospheric comics" (for lack of a better term) in my spare time, and used the same approach for my Parallel piece. They're not part of a major project, per se, but they have been a really fun way for me to experiment with comics-adjacent work without having to commit to sequential art, which I'm not really fond of doing. I've also made pieces for a bunch of zines over the past few months, the most recent being Strut (a retro anime fashion zine) and Ideal (an LGBT art zine). Being out of school and working a 9 to 5 job means I actually have free time now. It's been both really exciting and a little overwhelming, and I've been happy to take the time to create lots of self-indulgent personal work.
What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice? Do you have any collections or things that help you get inspired?
It's just a small desk at the back of my living room, as unexciting as that is. My work is almost entirely digital, so I rarely need much more than my computer, tablet, and an enormous cup of coffee. I've been told the decor in my apartment "feels like" my artwork, so maybe it's all just one big mood board. I'm an inveterate collector of tchotchkes and thrift store gems, which includes two huge Chinese opera masks that keep an eye on me while I work. I try to keep the space as tidy as possible, as I feel like a messy desk can discourage me from sitting down and getting to work. I keep a bunch of favorite comics and art books within reach for when I need a little inspiration, but wouldn't recommend this as I usually just end up reading them instead of drawing...
What is your process when approaching a piece? Your work is so beautifully poppy and graphic, do you often think about color and shape first or line and form?
Thank you so much! I definitely focus a lot more on shape and color than I do on line. I start with a mood board (usually on Pinterest) for more detail-specific pieces and fill it with reference pictures and inspiration. I draw a handful of thumbnail pencil sketches before moving on to one slightly more "finished" sketch. I scan that and start laying down blocks of color right away. I rarely create work with line art, so this color blocking step is often where a lot of the real "sketching" and planning happens. Once I have my basic layout of shapes I move on to adjusting colors. This can be a pretty finicky and time-consuming step. I feel that because my work is lineless the colors and values need to be juuuust so. My favorite part is probably the last step, which involves fleshing out details and laying down textures, gradients, and patterns. It brings everything together in a way I find really satisfying.
Do you have any favorite resources, materials, or research materials?
Right now I'm obsessed with the Internet Archive Book Images gallery on Flickr. It's home to over 5 million scans of antique book illustrations/photographs, and I can easily spend hours trawling it for inspiration. It's a great source for beautiful, gross, and/or delightfully bizarre images that would probably be forgotten otherwise.
Can you tell us about the piece you've created for Parallel? What kind of world did you want to create?
I was looking at mid-century futurist illustration and really loved the genuine optimism that comes across in many of the landscapes. They envisioned a kind of sleek, modular utopia that both embraced and juxtaposed the natural world around it, and I wanted to create my own vision of the future with this retrofuturist lens in mind. Our present earth feels increasingly marred by centuries of unchecked and unscrupulous corporatism, industry, and technology. It's interesting and bittersweet (and definitely Panglossian) to try to imagine a society that manages to harness technological innovation with the health of the people and the environment in mind. I imagine my parallel world as being a tranquil post-scarcity colony city on a small, distant planet.
Was there anything new that you wanted to try with this piece, or anything you discovered while working on it?
My Parallel piece is the third "atmospheric comic" I've made, and the entire panel-layout approach is very new and exciting for me! Keeping the entire illustration in mind as I work on each individual vignette is a fun challenge, as is attempting to balance micro and macro to achieve the gestalt effect I'm aiming for. I also tend to prefer making figure-centric work and probably have a tendency to lean on that, so these have forced me to try to create visual interest through environment alone.
What inspires you? Favorite films, music, other pieces of media? Who are some of your favorite artists right now?
Lately, I've been really interested in German Expressionist films. While my work is pretty bright and colorful, I'm enamored with the way they use light and dark, sharp angles, and stark shapes to evoke a mood. I saw The Night of the Hunter for the first time this year and certain scenes were so strikingly composed that they're more or less crystallized in my mind. My Own Private Idaho and The Ascent also come to mind as films I love and find really visually inspiring! At the moment I'm extremely into the illustration work of Matteo Berton, Vincent Mahé, and Jee-Ook Choi.
Various pieces by Lilian Crooks
Do you have any other hobbies that you enjoy? Is there anything you've always wanted to get into but haven't yet (art-wise or just in life)?
I do a lot of reading, shamelessly love to watch super trashy reality TV, and I'm involved in work with a local political organization. Art-wise, I'd really like to figure out how to use 3D rendering programs, and have just started to clumsily acquaint myself with SketchUp. I'd also like to work on learning how to create motion graphics in the not-too-distant future. I really, really want to go to one of those gyms (I think you'd call them gyms?) where everything is trampolines and foam pits.
What would be an absolute dream project for you? This can be personal or commercial!
Oh, man... What a hard question! I think I'd love to design/illustrate an enormous mural or billboard and be able to see it in person. Or to create an album cover for Young Thug. Maybe illustrate an enormous billboard advertisement for a Young Thug album.
Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?
I hate to say it, but I don't have any major projects on the horizon! This is a really busy season for my design job, so I've been short of time and energy. Once that calms down I'd like to continue my series of "atmospheric comics" and make another A-Z drop cap alphabet poster.
Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?
Young Thug, if you're reading this, let me design your next album cover.
My work can be found on my website, Twitter, and Tumblr. Thanks so much for interviewing me! I'm incredibly excited to see everybody's work for this show, and it's an honor to be a part of it.
SWARM Artists Announced!
Thank you to everyone who applied to the upcoming SWARM Exhibition. We are thrilled to welcome 70 artist to the print and original exhibition coming this October!
Mark your calendars for October 27th from 7-10pm for the opening reception of SWARM, a solo collection by Zoe Keller, and the exhibition CALAMITY: Hexes, Plagues, and Prophecies curated by Teagan White. More details coming soon!
SWARM Artists: Adam Pritchett, Adam S. Doyle, Al Polston, Alex Dos Diaz, Amanda Master, Andrew Kolb, Angela An, Angela Taguiang, Asya Mitskevich, Caitlin Ono, Charlotte Gomez, Chelsea Harper, Christina Rycz, Christine Griffin, Christopher Hegland, Claire Hummel, Claire Mojher DeLucca, Cleonique Hilsaca, Crystal Floyd, Douglas Holgate, Eduardo Vieira, Eva Vilhelmiina Eskelinen, Gica Tam, Grace Kim, Holly Avery, Jana Heidersdorf, Jasmin Dreyer, Jess Schnabel, Jeszika Le Vye, Jo Yeh, Jordan Constance Witt, Joseph Magaña, Karina Posborg, Karina Rehrbehn, Kate O’Hara, Katherine Walsh, Kelly Wagner, Kendall Quack, Kora C., Kring Demetrio, Kristin Siegel, Lara Paulussen, Liam Andrew Cura, Lillian Duermeier, Lindsay Nohl, Lynn Scurfield, Maddelyn, Maggie Ivy, Marie Toh, Marion Bordeyne, Matt Hayton, Monica Amneus, Angela Rizza, Olga Chicherova, Paige Carpenter, Peggy Shi, Renée Park, Sam Schechter, Sarah Morris, Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn, Sheena Klimoski, Shelby Hersleff, Syd Weiler, Tim Furey, Tom Weiner, Trisha Previte, Vanessa Port, Wenjia Tang, Wenz Hu, Xib Vaine
Artist Interview with Pat Presley
Meet Pat Presley, a San Francisco-based illustrator who has had an artistic hand in many franchises, including Star Wars, X-Men, the fighting game Injustice 2, and many more. Read about his views on being a professional concept illustrator, his piece in our upcoming show Parallel, and his fascinations with the Apocalypse below!
Tell us a bit about yourself. Where did you go to school? What brought you into the art world? What kind of work do you do?
I was born in Bangkok, Thailand. I spent most of my childhood there dodging traffic and taking in a steady diet of movies, comic books and ghost stories. My formative years were in eastern Kansas where I got my degree in Interior Architecture and Product Design from Kansas State. Initially, I was studying to be a Psychiatrist because I wanted to make loads of money, but I almost flunked out because I'd rather be hanging out in the Billiard hall and playing Street Fighter. Then one day, I accidentally walked into the College of Architecture's gallery and thought "Hell, I can do this!"
Architecture didn't exactly work out as a career either. It was stressful and I like sleeping too much. So I moved to California looking for a different path. I got my first break with a game studio, Factor 5. My first project was a PS3 game LAIR, which was considered one of the "Top 10 Most Disappointing Games of the Decade". Hard to top that accolade! After that I spend over 5 years with Lucasfilm in Marin County working on several Star Wars animated series, The Clone Wars and Rebels, as well as a few other SW related projects.
Another project I've worked on is Subnautica, a Sci-fi underwater exploration game developed by Unknown Worlds. It was a refreshing experience working with an indie developer on this unique project.
Now I am a freelance concept designer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, working in Film, Animation and Games. I have done work for Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, and Disney Imagineering, among others.
What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice?
We have a tiny apartment in The Bay Area, a hallway really. Because I like to work in a cave, my workspace is in the darkest corner of the place, and is boxed in by a large bookcase. Most of the time it is really messy. I feel like a little chaos creates a good workspace: things on the walls, books and papers piling everywhere, etc. Usually my desk looks like it's just about to spin out of control.
What is your process when approaching a piece? Do you have any favorite resources, materials, or research materials?
My main approach, which is typical for my professional work, is through problem solving. It's a simple idea of identifying problems that need visual solutions. For example, if the client asks for "a spaceship", then you start asking various questions that are pertinent to that. What is the function of the ship? What is the type of speculative technology at work? What are the story elements that take place here? What is the history? Sometimes I ask those questions to the clients, other times I just ask myself those questions. It helps me to identify a clear target. After you identify the "problems", you start doing research, which usually means collecting tons of references relevant to those questions. These early steps of the process are pretty crucial but the important aspect is to have fun with it. I draw spaceship and fantastic cities for a living, I can't take myself too seriously.
What's it like to be in the concept art industry? How do you maintain your artistic voice when working in a group of people, or is the collaborative atmosphere something you find exciting?
It is a lot of fun and very challenging at the same time. Because of my Architecture background, I find concept art to be very similar since it deals with solving problems visually. My "artistic voice" isn't so much an expression of self but a communication of ideas. It is done in a community. When you come together behind an idea or a narrative and answer to its needs, it becomes part of the satisfaction.
A lot of the work you do involves machinations, futuristic environments, and amazing structural detail. Are these things you've always had an eye for? How do you invent things for worlds and realities that have rules and cultures totally different from our own?
I guess you can blame it on my love for architecture and science fiction. Also, I’m a bit enamored with a sense of place and how it can affect you. So I end up painting things I want to see.
I can't create out of a vacuum. My output needs a lot of input. Most of the work is a reflection of things I see in the real world, and I either look at it sideways or add a twist to it.
What's your dream locale? You've spent so much time creating and exploring these new worlds, is there a specific environment that you yourself would want to inhabit?
I’ve always wanted to be on earth when it ends. I have a recurring dreams of the end of the world. So I would love to have an opportunity for a front row seat to the apocalypse. It would be really terrifying but it would be so impressive to see such a rare cataclysmic event that you can only experience once...literally. Unfortunately I think that we are in the most boring corner of the universe where not much happens.
Can you tell us about the piece you created for Parallel?
This is a piece I recently created and thought it would be fitting to submit to Parallel. The piece is titled The Floodplain, and it's actually the second piece from a series of paintings called Postcards from Asia. It's a visual travelogue of an alternate universe. I was having fun with the idea of how we are increasingly defined by our surroundings and more importantly, water. It's an imagined life in this flood area, including the strange machines and technology necessary to live in that zone.
What are some of your favorite pieces of media? What inspires you? Who are some of your favorite artists right now?
I draw a lot of influence from film and architecture. These two mediums are, in many ways, a nexus of various art and science. I also have great respect for comic artists, animators and the art form of visual storytelling. People like Moebius, Hayao Miyazaki, Otomo Katsuhiro have transcended the medium and took it to places you didn't expect.
On favorite artists front, I will always have J.C. Leyendecker, Dean Cornwell, John Singer Sargent, Moebius, Ralph McQuarrie, Syd Mead and many others.
That said, there are many other bright spots out there currently. I love Nicolas Delort's work and the way he's doing things. When I first saw his pieces The End of the Road and A Rumor of Angels, I was blown away by how elemental they are. His work is classical and fresh at the same time.
I also enjoy Sterling Hundley's illustration work. His work is one of those rare breeds where it serves its function as communicator of ideas, but is also able to move you on emotional level. Somehow he is able to find that balance.
What would be an absolute dream project for you?
Outside of drawing and designing, films and reading are my little happinesses in life. Making a short film or writing a book (or a comic book) would be an absolute thrill.
Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?
I recently finished concept work on one of the "X-Men" films in production. I was working directly with the wonderful production designer, Molly Hughes. They’re shooting the film right now. As an artist, you're always curious how much of your work survives the final cut, so I am very excited to see that.
Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?
Thank you for allowing me to share a bit about me and my work! You can find more at www.phattro.com, and you can follow me on instagram at @phattro
Artist Interview with Evan Kang
Meet Evan Kang, a Pennsylvania-born connoisseur of the splashy, colorful media of the late 20th century. Although very illustrative, much of Evan’s 80’s-tinged work exists in 3-D space, in the form of models and dioramas. Read more about his interests, processes, and how he creates these playful worlds below, and check out his piece in our upcoming show, Parallel!
Tell us a bit about yourself! Where did you go to school? Where did you grow up? Where do you currently reside? What brought you into the art world?
I grew up in and am currently back in my hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It’s the state capital, but nobody's heard of it! That’s for good reason though, it’s a small and quiet town with not much to do, and I’m only here temporarily to be closer to family.
I was briefly in the illustration program at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, with the prospect of refining a more conceptual approach to image making (working with abstractions, coding, etc). It was a bit of a struggle, because my process doesn’t really mesh with what was being taught. In art school I feel like you’re supposed to fit a certain mold, at least to an extent, and that just wasn’t happening for me. Even so, the overall experience has been invaluable, and I definitely came away from it a stronger illustrator.
Working with models and dioramas have been my primary focus lately. Miniatures have this sort of allure and charm that I find really attractive, so I’d like to push my work further in that territory.
What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice?
I’m currently sharing a studio space with my partner (who is also an illustrator), which is actually just a tiny extra bedroom. We have a pretty standard setup: a desktop computer, scanner, printer, and an extra desk for analog projects. In between the two desks is a little tube TV with an N64 and Sega Genesis, for those quick but frequent breaks… The responsible thing to do would be to move the games into another room, but that’s just not going to happen. There’s also some shelves and bookcases filled with toys, comics, and lots of reference material.
In terms of perfect spaces, I’m not too picky. All I need is to put on some background noise and to have my partner working in the same space (so it doesn’t get too lonely). Throw in a bit of ambient or natural lighting and I can get into the “zone” pretty quickly!
What is your process when approaching a piece? Do you have any favorite resources, materials, or research materials? Does your 3D work require different processes than your 2-Dimensional illustrations, or do you find that they actually come from similar places?
My process is a little backwards and probably counterproductive. I’ll typically lie down, shut my eyes, and try to visualize a scene/narrative in my head without actually putting things on paper. Pretty off the cuff stuff, and I don’t recommend working this way, it just happens to work for me. Now and then I’ll make some chicken scratch notes or incoherent scribbles, but I mostly wing it. It’s sort of like image making improv. This approach is the same whether I’m working in 2D or 3D, model-making just requires a little more trial and error because there’s some engineering involved.
For research and reference I’ll usually look up things through online sources or I’ll snap my own reference photos for a very specific gesture. Pretty straightforward. Occasionally, I might revisit a movie or video game to make mental mood boards.
The materials I like to use most are Evergreen sheet styrene, Super Sculpey [modeling clay], and Vallejo model color paints for all 3D pieces. Most of my 2D work is digital, so my ancient Wacom Bamboo tablet has been my go to.
What brought you to the idea of creating your characters and spaces in model form? Did the techniques required to create these models come fairly naturally to you?
Growing up with Nintendo Power magazines: the covers would sometimes feature models or clay dioramas that always made a big impression on me. I loved that these pieces were specifically crafted just for a one-off image! I’m also a big toy collector and drawn to all things miniature, so the desire to build in model form has been there for a long time.
As far as the techniques I use, I find that there’s a lot of overlap in skills between working in 2D and 3D. Model making is just drawing in a 3D space. You’re still thinking about planes, forms, and overall composition, but with an added technical aspect of physically puzzling pieces together. Kind of like a jigsaw.
Can you tell us about the piece you've created for Parallel? What kind of world did you want to create?
The piece [is] a physical diorama composed and then photographed as an image titled Garbage Day. It’s set in an off world trash heap. I wanted to create an environment that could take place at the end of an 80’s sci-fi/action movie. A lot of these films have their climaxes take place in these run down, industrial backdrops. To capture that mood but then combine it with a mundane and unflattering job performed by martian-like characters seemed really funny to me. Civilizations produce waste and it needs to be handled by someone, what would it look like in another dimension and what kind of pests do they have to deal with?
Was there anything new that you wanted to try with this piece?
I’m really aiming to shoot everything in-camera and have all the pieces be physical objects. Usually, I’ll edit in a photograph to use as a background or use digital tricks to finish an image, but I’d really like to make this piece as tactile as possible. It’s going to be a real challenge!
What are some of your favorite pieces of media? What inspires you? Who are some of your favorite artists right now?
Bad sci-fi movies like The Stuff, R.O.T.O.R., and Robot Jox in addition to the classics like RoboCop and Terminator have a large influence on the work I make. There’s sort of an endearing quality to bad movies, and the special effects are always fun to look at no matter how terrible they are. I grew up watching these films and I often subconsciously pull from these sources when I’m working.
Sean Chao is an artist that I really look up to. He creates incredible dioramas with clay, cut paper, and found objects that are just full of character and charm. His work is meticulous, look him up!
Do you have any other hobbies that you enjoy? Is there anything you've always wanted to get into but haven't yet?
Video games and collecting are two of my biggest hobbies. Nostalgia is something that influences my artistic practice and personal interests. Over the years I’ve collected some of the consoles I played when I was younger, as well as some of my favorite action figures (like G.I. Joe, as an example).
In my practice, I’d really like to explore the techniques and capabilities of 3D printing. I’ve done some freelance and personal projects using digital 3D modeling and would love the take that to the next level. There are a lot of interesting things being done with 3D printing, so I’d love to learn more about it for myself.
What would be an absolute dream project for you? This can be personal or commercial!
Eventually I’d like to launch my own toy line in the same vein of franchises like G.I. Joe, complete with TV show or comic book tie ins. Things like that were highly influential to me as a kid, so as an adult I’d like to bring my own stories to life in a similar way. I started a project called Rad Warriors when I was at PNCA that included my first experiments in designing and fabricating my own action figures. I created the figure itself as well as the packaging for the finished piece. It was immensely challenging working out the kinks but also hugely rewarding to hold the finished project.
Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?
I recently finished a cross country move and I’m still settling in, but I’m working with my friend and fellow artist Anthony Anello to crossover the characters from my Rad Warriors series into his comic series, Fallguy and Car-man.
Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?
You can check out my work over at my personal site www.evankang.com and follow me on instagram @therealevankang
Parallel Opening Reception
Light Grey Art Lab will be showcasing four new exhibitions that feature scientific alien words, repeating timelines, far flung fantasy, and limitless imagination with the launch of Parallel, Crossroads, The Magic Fish, and Then | Now: Childhood Revisited, all of which open Friday, September 22nd, from 7-10 PM.
Parallel
Theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku once asked, "Is it ever possible on any scale to perhaps flip between different universes?" It’s an idea that’s been explored over the years via thought experiments, scientific studies, and a plethora of science fiction. The very concept of an alternate dimension has a way of instantly capturing the imagination - ranging from slightly skewed takes on the status quo to unrecognizable foreign alien worlds, the permutations are limitless. This vast trove of inspiration sits at the heart of Light Grey Art Lab’s newest exhibition, Parallel.
Parallel is a group exhibition featuring over sixty artists from around the world, all coming together to explore the concept of ‘what if?’ Each participant was asked to create the vision of a world or dimension that could be, creating a unique and engaging peek into a parallel universe. For the launch of Parallel, these fantastic landscapes will come together as a series of large format panoramas, each a window to an alternate dimension, turning Light Grey Art Lab’s main gallery into the nexus of the multiverse.
Crossroads by Matt Rockefeller
In conjunction with the Parallel exhibition, Matt Rockefeller will be exhibiting a body of new work, Crossroads. Rockefeller is an illustrator and comic artist known for work that is rich with details that provoke a strong but unspoken narrative, who’s created work for Harper Collins, Cartoon Network, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Random House/ Penguin, and DC Comics.
Crossroads is a series of wordless comic pages from the world of Rockefeller’s own story, Dragonfly Holiday. Set in an alternate fantasy America, the story centers around an epic road trip and the relationship humans have with nature and urban sprawl. Each piece will tell a smaller narrative within the world, depicting pivotal moments and revelations through image alone.
The Magic Fish by Trung Nguyen
Old stories have a habit of finding new life in new places. Themes and conflicts repeat themselves again and again throughout time and across worlds, which explains why we might seem to already understand them deep in our bones. This idea is at the center of a new collection of work titled The Magic Fish by comic book artist Trung Le Nguyen, aka Trungles, who has contributed work for Oni Press, Boom! Studios, Limerence Press, and Image Comics.
The Magic Fish is a collection of drawings, comics, and zines that aim to explore classic stories and folklore through a new lens. The titular story, The Magic Fish, is based on an old Vietnamese fairy tale, Tấm Cám, who could be considered a morbid ancestor to well-known story Cinderella, and explores themes of the heroine being reborn again and again.
Then | Now: Childhood Revisited Launch
Despite the fact that we were all young once, children have imaginations most adults can’t begin to comprehend. It’s almost as if kids can see details that exist on another plane, creating characters, narratives, and worlds whole-cloth in an instant. But what if you could visit the world you once knew existed, and bring back an updated, high-resolution glimpse for everyone to see?
Then | Now: Childhood Revisited is a new book that asked thirty artists to dig through their attics and archives to unearth some truly bizarre and endearing artwork from their early days, and reinterpret and recreate it with the tools and abilities gained after years of professional practice.
A published collection was successfully funded on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter earlier this year, and creators Adam Hoppus and Bob Rissetto are prepared to release the outrageous Then | Now: Childhood Revisited to the public. This launch will be the first time most of the world will get to see all the artwork from the project, and get their hands on a copy of the book, hot off the presses.
Opening Reception
The opening reception for Parallel, Crossroads, The Magic Fish, and the Then | Now: Childhood Revisited launch is Friday, September 22nd from 7-10 PM and will remain on display through October 21st. The opening reception is free and open to the public and features artwork, music, and refreshments.
Huldufólk at American Swedish Institute
While Wanderlust was showing off work from the 2016 Iceland Residency, one of our favorite places in Minneapolis, the American Swedish Institute, invited us to show a special collection of work from Huldufólk, our 2015 Iceland Residency exhibition.
A huge thank you to everyone at the American Swedish Institute for allowing us to showcase the incredible to a whole new audience! If you've never been, do yourself a favor and get over there, for amazing food, art, culture, and fun!
You can see all the work from Huldufólk on our website, and check out more photos from the American Swedish Institute on our flickr page!
LGAL Iceland Residency - Team Tern
LIGHT GREY ART LAB ICELAND RESIDENCY Mini-recap (2 of 4)
TEAM TERN
This year we explored with four unique groups of exceptional creatives from all around the world - with backgrounds in animation, design, advertising, photography, academia, visual development, and much more.
TEAM TERN explored the Southern coast of Iceland climbing along pouring waterfalls and remote mountain vistas. They searched for puffins and hidden wreckage on the basalt beaches, sketched and napped in the mossy fields, and become fast friends over late night workshops, car karaoke, and heat-to-heart conversations about creative endeavors. This team had an affinity for exploration, a love of landscape painting, and a huge sense of adventure that brought us all together to explore, make work, and reflect amongst the dramatic background of Iceland.
TEAM TERN: Anna Filbert, Carisa Swenson, Emily Lubanko, Heidi Unkefer, Sishir Bommakanti, Syd Weiler, Tiffany Turrell, Zackary Filbert, Rafael Mayani, and Zoe Persico, led by Jenny Bookler, Lana Crooks, and Claire Hummel.
The topics we discussed included:
• Icelandic Folklore and geographical importance
• creative problem solving - seeking diverse solutions
• exploration and visual language in landscape painting
• personal growth, seeking new projects, and art limitations
• dolls as sacred objects in history and culture
• conspiracy versus good storytelling - dreams and the subconscious
• creating moveable paper dolls
•color, light, and shapes of emotion in background painting
• personal symbology in the tarot
• passion projects, collaboration, and reinvention
• overcoming obstacles -- when your art has a life of its own
...and much more.
We'll be updating with the other teams as we edit photos!
Thanks to TEAM TERN for being amazing team-mates on our adventure in the SOUTH.
NEW CALL FOR ARTISTS: SWARM
CALL CLOSED! Thanks to everyone that submitted! Details will be posted shortly for the final participating artist list! Check back in a day or two for the roster, and keep an eye on your email! Thank you!
SWARM
BEAUTY IN THE GROTESQUE
Opens October 27, 7-10pm
Light Grey Art Lab
118 E. 26th Street #101 - Minneapolis, MN 55404
The underside of this rock breathes the way water ripples to the shore on a windy day. Pulsating figures writhe in the dark, sliding across the surface - a mitosis of little bodies merging. Folding over one another, slipping past each-other, with a kind of sensual movement. Hidden from the light of day, they come alive to do their delicate job.
In the dark, the soft sounds of wings conjure visions of etherial entities. Specters who drift to and fro between the naked branches. And in the moonlight, small spirits skirt against the still surface of the pond, the click-clicking of their static voices barely audible.
This October, we are asking artists to fill the gallery with an exquisite menagerie of real-life creepy critters -- legs, claws, wings, pincers, eye-stalks, and more will proudly be displayed as we celebrate the beauty of all of the decomposers, poisoners, swarmers, transformers, night-dwellers, and much more.
We are looking for artists to glamorize the unique creatures that are overlooked because they're underfoot, lurking in the shadows, or slipping silently through the air in the still of night.
Our cabinet of curiosities could contain a still life with silk moths. Scientific references of reticulated reptiles. Tap into the elements that trigger our phobias of the strange and unfamiliar, and help us elevate the beauty in their existence. So imagine dangling your limbs into dark water, or your skin crawling at the thought of spiny legs scurrying, and look again at the creatures that make us shiver.
If you're interested in be a part of the show, all you have to do is comment in the comments section with your name, email and a link to your work online like this by September 4th:
Lindsay Nohl
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lindsaynohl.com
(Please do not send any emails with your info because they get lost in my in-box! We want to make sure your entry is included!)
The call for art closes September 4th, and at that time we'll be jurying, selecting the group of participating artists for the exhibition and sending a big email out to everyone involved with specifics, dates and details! We will send information about selling work / editions and file guidelines in the artist sign-in email!
Like many of our exhibitions, we print the exhibition piece for free for all digital artists so that we can make it easier for people to participate from afar!
Dates & Details!
Call for art closes on September 4th
Participating artists emailed and public announcement posted September 6th
Artwork files & art info due to the gallery on October 6th
Opening Reception October 27th!
We're excited to announce that we'll also be hosting new work by Zoe Keller and a curated show by Teagan White, called CALAMITY: Hexes, Plagues & Prophecies during the same timeframe, and the whole month will be a celebration of nature's mysteries! We're inviting you to come out to the big party and enjoy some amazing work! Hope you can make it!
We're looking forward to this exhibition so much! Questions? Send me a note at hello@lightgreyartlab.com.
LGAL Iceland Residency - Team Merlin
LIGHT GREY ART LAB ICELAND RESIDENCY Mini-recap (1 of 4)
TEAM MERLIN
Every year we head to Iceland for an incredible adventure that changes us for the better. Iceland is a magical place with a long history, a fanciful mythology, and an abundance of breathtaking natural wonders.This year we explored with four unique groups of exceptional creatives from all around the world - with backgrounds in animation, design, advertising, photography, academia, visual development, and much more.
TEAM MERLIN explored the Northern-most coast with us, bringing with them a wealth of perspectives. We found out that we have a lot in common - many of us having been instructors in our past (or in addition to our current practices), many of us have had a thirst for adventure that has taken over our lives in the last few years that could only be satiated by traveling to crazy corners of the earth, and many of us continue to battle balancing all of our creative desires and ambitions -- trying to push ourselves further, faster, better.
TEAM MERLIN: Adam Davies, Anne-Louise Erambert, Avner Geller, Britton Robert Snyder, Gabriel Garza, Ingrid Kallick, Isabella Mazzanti, Jeff A. Menges, John DeLucca, Justin Oaksford, Meg Hunt, Mike Freeman, Rory Phillips, Francesca Buchko, and Vitor Lima Mazon.
The topics we discussed included
• stop-motion armatures
• creative embroidery
• creative character design and people-watching
• changing courses and following one's true passions
• building worlds and making work inspired by culture
• evolution and change as it pertains to ourselves and our work
• creating moveable paper dolls
• the golden age of illustration and why it's important to archive for future generations
• movies as inspiration for illustration - lighting, cinematic composition, and storytelling
• making independent video games from scratch
• progressing beyond one's perceived boundaries and infusing one's practice with new inspiration
• RPG character building
• The growth mindset vs. the fixed mindset and how we create our own limitations
• Instant photography and capturing etherial moments
...and much more.
If you'd like to join us for next year's Iceland Residency Program, please check out the program details here. Applications are open through August 15th!
Check out all of the photos from the program here! We'll be updating with the other teams as we edit photos!
Thanks to TEAM MERLIN for being amazing team-mates on our adventure in the North!
Light Grey Game Night: Love & War
When you think of war in gaming, you might think of a table full of grunts, clashing over a contested capture point. And you could be right. But there are tenuous political alliances, supply chains and logistics, brave heroes and bold personalities, friends, foes, and drama, as well. And we'll be exploring them all, so if you're ready to gear up for battle, it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, August 17th from 6:30 - 9:30 pm!
As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is Love & War!
Brave the physical and psychological hardship of war with your brothers in arms in the WWI coop The Grizzled, strategize troop deployment over a map of feudal Japan in Samurai, create a colorful cast of brave heroes in Roll Player, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite board game, bring it!
So grab your friends, family, or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier!
Artist Interview with Sishir Bommakanti
Meet Sishir Bommakanti, a current MCAD MFA candidate, Ringling alumn, dream enthusiast, and lover of oddities. When he's not creating visually stunning depictions of chaotic neverwheres, he's exploring the subtleties of his favorite films and spending quality time with his oddly characteristic cat, Alfe.
Read more about his processes, work, and current Light Grey exhibition below!
Tell us a bit about yourself! Where did/do you go to school? What brought you into the art world? What kind of projects have you worked on recently, or what projects are you currently working on?
I am currently a canidate at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design MFA program. I am focusing on Visual Studies, however my main line of work is illustration and painting. I got my BFA at Ringling College of Art and Design (class of '12) in Illustration, and I currently live, study and work in the city of Minneapolis.
My illustration work is focused on editorial, publishing and everything in between, but within my own practice, I tend to focus on "the fringe" and the odd corners of our world. This ranges from the paranormal, supernatural, and mythological to other weird areas that people tend not to look into.
My process is wide-ranging: from pen and ink to mixed media, painting, glitch distortion and so forth. Depending on the project or context, I adapt my process to a specific structure. Most of the individual elements I create end up becoming assets for collages, so I can build a narrative using individual shapes, textures and lines.
Recently, I worked on a major project with Popular Mechanics, creating a series of images about everyday objects that can kill you. I also recently worked with the VCU [Virginia Commonwealth University] Communication Arts Department on a cover illustration for their student run comic anthology. Currently, I am working on a series of spot [illustrations] and a full wraparound for an independent publisher, as well as finishing up a series of drawings and paintings for my solo show [The Sleep of Reason] at MCAD's Gallery 148.
What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice?
My workspace is part study room, part editing station and part traditional painting studio. Although I am a messy person, I still tend to organize that mess in its own rows and columns. I initially work traditionally, and most of my experimentation tends to be within the traditional application, so I have a large part of my studio dedicated to drawing and painting. I have another part of my studio dedicated to editing, composing and processing things digitally. Finally, I also have a nice little couch where I can chill, read and ideate for new projects or images.
A perfect creative space for me is one where i'm most comfortable. Too often, previous iterations of my studio have been incredibly messy, unorganized spaces, which inhibited my work process. I've been learning and appreciating how important it is to have at least some form of organization within a studio space to allow for a more stress-free environment.
What is your typical process when approaching a piece? Do you have any favorite resources or materials?
When approaching a piece, I start with a bit of research, drawing and thumbnailing. Although my process is generally reactive, I still build a 'container' that will allow me to limit my process. After building some structure, or getting a 'general idea', I start reference gathering, often trying to find various angles of certain subjects. This allows me to build upon my thumbnails, but still limit myself to the shapes and elements that I already decided on. Finally, I draw the elements out individually using traditional media, scan them, and composite/collage them into an illustration as a simple line drawing that can then be colored and pushed further via digital processes.
My favorite materials are pen and ink! I also use a range of brushes: nice clean ones to damaged ones that I use for textures. I have an Epson v700 scanner and spend a lot of time scanning in various textures I've made at incredibly high resolutions to create my own unique and personal library of assets. Another favorite resource is collecting old black and white photographs, both in real life and through online sources. I don’t necessarily use them for any major reference, but they work as interesting compositional materials, especially since older, analogue photography involved a reasonable understanding of composition and value.
Can you tell us about a little bit about your current show up at Light Grey?
The series featured within Light Grey’s Fairly Dark exhibition includes a series of my illustrations and drawings that lean towards the abstract. The illustrations provide a good summary of imagery I often repeat, such as ghosts, demons, rotting creatures and other surreal elements stitched together as if they were a set. However, my drawings are more experimental. They were a ritual of reaction: drawing one element at a time, I reacted to each image to see how the composition would work once the entire page was filled up.
For me, emotions such as stress, anxiety, mania and other psychological ailments are what I consider demons from the darkness. Each image is meant to provoke that feeling of being overwhelmed or in a panic, like the initial shock of having a hundred things go through my mind when dealing with a situation. It's an interesting phenomenon we all deal with, some more than others. The ritual of drawing, for me, would then be an act of sealing these demons, so they can’t bother me again, at least until the next time.
The work in this show and much of your other work seems to draw from dreams, chaos, and the surreal... Do you do a lot of research when approaching your subjects, or does it come more subconsciously?
Definitely a mixture of both. My illustrations are more research-heavy, in order to create an image that can compliment the article, story, or idea that I’m given. My personal work operates within this same process, but I get the opportunity to be a lot more esoteric and layered with my approach and execution. Personally, I like layered narratives, like those incredibly subtle references within movies, stories and video games.
With my work, I want to be able to provide a clear compositional narrative, while allowing the layers of content to become an opportunity for the viewer to look into the image even more. I guess I’m kinda haunted/bothered by the quote, "You spend more time with your work than your viewers." [Creating these layered works] is a way to extend the viewing time of an image, and allow the opportunity for dialogue whenever possible.
What draws you to these themes in the first place? Do you feel like it's just a natural part of who you are?
My upbringing. I'm glad I had the opportunity to grow up in India with a good family that allowed for diversity in my beliefs. That's often not the case where I came from. This opportunity allowed me to ask questions about religion, science and history without being criticized or ignored because I was a child. I grew up around grandmothers reciting Hindu prayers, cousins studying science, my father explaining the structure of the universe while fortunetellers were explaining astrological charts. I find the surreal, the spiritual and the sublime very fascinating because of how weird and interesting legends, folktales, and dreams can be; yet the historical, scientific world we live in is equally or even more stranger than fiction.
I would like to, as an illustrator, bring some of these concepts I’ve been researching into an environment where people can be introduced to something new or surreal. Currently, my interests are focused on dreams and their limitless potential as a from of storytelling. I think our contemporary culture has fallen out of favor with allowing dreams to be part of our lives; they have become peripheral events that are meant to be dismissed in order to function in society. With my work, I hope to be able to rekindle this conversation with people.
What are some of your favorite pieces of media? What inspires you? Who are some of your favorite artists right now?
Music has been a major influence in my work. I can't listen to music when I'm working because its direct influence is too distracting, but while taking walks or just in my room, I like to create associations with imagery, narratives and made up movie scenes when I'm listening to something. I’m mostly interested in the more abstract, ambient and instrumental music of Tim Hecker, Stars of The Lid, Dead Texan, Matthewdavid and Arca (just to name a few).
I often find my biggest inspirations to be media completely unrelated to my line of work. Currently, I’ve been obsessed with photographers such as Daido Moriyama, Joel-Peter Witkin, Sally Mann and Weegee. Also, experimental filmmakers such as David Lynch, Bill Morrision, Andrei Tarkovsky and more recently, The Vasulkas. An all-time favorite for me will always be the film Decasia by Bill Morrision.
Within the realm of Illustration, I keep looking at Kathe Kollwitz, Hannah Hoch, Dean Cornwell, Harvey Dunn, Barron Storey, Robert Weaver and Mucha, to name a few.
Is there anything significant or process-changing you've learned recently? Something that you feel really pushed you in the direction that you're going?
Repetition. My fear was always that repetition would cause my work to lose its evolution, so for a while I was working with a variety of media using a variety of approaches. This was both a good and bad experience: the good being that I learned a lot, the bad being that I had no general direction, and I was throwing away potential processes before they could bloom into something substantial. There was no real improvement in my work.
Through my MFA studies, I’ve started to embrace this concept of repetition. The biggest thing I’ve learned recently is that repetition will allow for evolution. Like studying, doing a specific process, approach or style over and over will allow you to understand it better, and eventually discover more efficient ways to approach an illustration or image. It’s a process that allows one to build upon and then divert to a different direction. The Horror Vacui drawings done for Fairly Dark are a good example of me embracing this process of repetition. Drawing similar subjects over and over, but in a diverse manner, allowing me to find new ways to say the same thing. This process has not only helped me push my drawing and compositional skills, but also to begin to create a consistent body of work.
Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?
I'm currently finishing up a body of work for a solo show [The Sleep of Reason] at MCAD's Gallery 148 in Minneapolis. I’ve spent the summer working on a series of images that relate to a dream journal that I created in 2011. I've been using that journal as a point of inception to build narratives and imagery related to reoccurring dreams, nightmares and other liminal states. I wanted to create a show and environment where I can have a dialogue with people about dreams and their potential application in the waking world. Hopefully I will be able to have those conversations during the opening on August 31st! Tell your friends!
Do you have any dream projects that you’d like to work on, either personal or commercial?
I had a dream project that was recently corrupted by the Great iMac Crash of 2017. However, a few days ago, I discovered that the main files for it were backed up in a corner of my dropbox! I've been building a fantasy world full of its own culture, history, and geological landmarks. I wanted to take all the research I've been doing in history and mythology to inspire and allow me to create my own world. It’s the slowest, most inconsistent, and most ever-changing project ever, but I'm totally ok with that. It's a corner of my own creative world where no one can ever bother me, and I'm free to create as I wish, knowing that the only deadline is my own mortality. As a child I would create my own world and narratives (as I’m sure a lot of us did), and this project is meant to maintain that child-like imagination whenever I get the opportunity. Needless to say, I never get bored during long lines.
Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?
You can find my work over at www.sishir.com
You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @cadmiumcoffee
My tumblr is Cadmiumcoffee.tumblr.com
Artist Interview with Kathleen Jennings
Meet Kathleen Jennings, a Brisbane, Australia-based illustrator and writer who creates playful, fantastical worlds and characters. Most recently, she has illustrated Kij Johnson’s upcoming book The River Bank, which will be out in September via Small Beer Press.
Check out our interview below to learn more about Jennings’ literary interests, artistic process, and the work she currently has up in the gallery!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your background, recent projects, etc.?
I was raised mostly on a cattle property (aka a cattle station) in Western Queensland, Australia. It wasn't incredibly remote, but far enough from town that I did most of my schooling through School of the Air (over-the-radio schooling using a Royal Flying Doctor radio) and spent the last two years at a boarding school. I then went to the University of Queensland in Brisbane, where I still live. I didn't study art – I studied English literature, German, and Law, and practiced for a while as both a translator and a lawyer.
I've always drawn and written, but when I was working as a lawyer I decided to make a point of drawing every day (using the website Illustration Friday as a source for prompts), as well as putting something on my blog every week. It was through that – and contacts from writing circles – that I got my first book cover job from Small Beer Press, with whom I still frequently work.
I've always worked on the literary end of science fiction and fantasy publishing for adult readers (more grown-up books need pictures!), but lately I've been moving into young adult and children's books. Kij Johnson's The River Bank is coming out from Small Beer Press this year, and I’ve also been working on upcoming projects within the publishers Little, Brown and Simon & Schuster.
I've recently spent six weeks in the USA, attending the Illustration Master Class at Amherst and Nico Delort's workshop at Light Grey, as well as Readercon in Boston and publisher visits in New York, so I'm just setting up my studio again now.
What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice?
What it currently looks like is both predictably untidy and unnervingly not a cascade of paper for once. I currently live alone, so my studio is usually set up where the living/dining room would otherwise be. I had some friends house-sitting while I was travelling, so I had to tidy it all up, and then I bought a new sit/stand desk that I can (hopefully) also use as a drafting table. I'm just getting properly unpacked again as we speak.
The perfect creative space for me and my practice is in the middle of everything. I like being surrounded by life – sometimes I'll do thumbnail sketches at the café or bar, and I love rambling with a sketchbook. I know more people in my usual haunts now, though, which makes it harder to concentrate. I also like being surrounded by other people quietly working, so sometimes I will round up a few friends and we'll set a timer and work between conversations.
If I could do anything to my house I would put a deck on the front so that I could see and wave to my neighbours while working there.
What is your typical process when approaching a piece? Do you have any favorite resources or materials?
Most of my work is based on stories written by other people, and all of it has a strong narrative basis. My first step is to get a handle on the story presented to me. I'll read the manuscript while making little visual notes – drawing on a printed copy, flagging up a book, or taking screenshots if it’s digital (which ends up being the most unwieldy of the three). If it's a new story, or my own version of a fairytale, then I'll draw my way into it more – sketching characters into costumes or turning events into interesting compositions.
Pinterest is very useful for rounding up references and inspiration, even if I don't refer back to them when working on the final piece. I don't usually draw from a reference directly, but I do spend time drawing references until I feel out a visual shorthand I can use. I try to work out the quirks of the animal or the tailoring or the line of movement which expresses a particular vehicle. Then I can use this to more usefully do my own thing.
An indirect type of research is reading a lot of old non-fiction – memoirs and obscure older histories. They capture the human idiosyncrasies of their subjects and writers so beautifully and are a reminder to put that into my illustrations, as well as being a frequent source of stories of high adventure and romance. Regency memoirs and early aviation anecdotes are my current favourites. For the same reason, I like to go out and about sketching people walking and working. It gives me a visual library of motion and expression.
My favourite tools are fairly simple ones – black paper and a knife, a dip pen and ink, scratchboard, pencil and a faint tint of watercolour, flat digital colour. When I'm sketching from life, I use markers so that I have to draw confidently and commit.
Can you tell us a little bit about your current work up at Light Grey?
Light Grey invited me to bring art to the gallery when they heard I was visiting Minneapolis. I was already travelling, but fortunately I had just attended the Illustration Master Class in Amherst, Massachusetts and had also left some illustrations with Small Beer Press the last time I passed through. So my current work at the gallery is a mixture of work from this recent trip and forthcoming publications. The work includes ink and wash illustrations I have done for Kij Johnson's new book The River Bank, which is coming out from Small Beer Press this year. It's a genuinely delightful sequel to The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame , and I highly recommend it. It was a delight to draw.
There are also a few gouache pieces I worked on at the Illustration Master Class in Amherst this June – a relatively new technique for me – and some cut paper silhouettes. One of those silhouettes is an illustration from Light Grey's TOBEYOU exhibition, and is about growing up on fairytales in western Queensland. The others are bats, because they're so much fun to depict.
Oh, and if it's still up, I have several watercolour pieces in the Wanderlust exhibition: illustrations for a fairytale based on Light Grey's Iceland residency, which I attended last year.
Your work seems to draw a lot from fairy tales and fantasy, what draws you to these themes? Are there other themes or subjects that you find yourself consistently drawn to?
I've always liked fairytales. It was probably the illustrations that first drew me in – beautiful ones from an Italian publisher, if I recall. But growing up in the country, surrounded by trees, fairly isolated and with rather primitive technology at the house, the stories seemed to seep into reality more than they might have otherwise.
Fairytales are also a wonderful vocabulary (almost an alphabet) of storytelling among people who know them. You can use fairytale elements to build entirely new stories; images that work as independent pictures and narratives for viewers and readers who are new to them. But once that audience becomes aware of the depth of history and the ongoing conversation that is happening through all those layers of tellings and retellings and reimaginings, there is a splendid depth and resonance you can access.
I also find myself drawn to Regency stories and history. There's a wild energy and a sly delight in their communication and a very particular visual vocabulary associated with that time, and the possibilities of clothing and drapery within storytelling are generally attractive to me as an artist. I also love the adventure and romance of the early stages of many technologies (railways, aviation, etc), although as I don't like drawing straight lines I'm still working out how to incorporate those elements into my art.
What are some of your favorite fairy tales, and why do you feel like they're so strong?
Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Ravens/Swan Princes school of stories are two to which I frequently return. Both have a lovely balance of action (birds, questing sisters, twining vines, seven-league boots) and beauty. Tam Lin, for the sheer energy and malevolence and bold efficacy of the story (my Iceland illustrations are for a story that draws in a lot of Tam Lin themes, as well as a bit of Cinderella).
But the one I come back to most often is Little Red Riding Hood. There are so many versions and nuances in that story – [Charles] Dickens constructed the sprawling, gorgeous Our Mutual Friend around them, and I refuse to believe it wasn't deliberate. The paths of needles and pins, the washerwomen helping the heroine in her flight, the balance of threat and safety: I think it is a very useful tool to use when keying in emotion in a story (whether drawn or written).
Who are some of your favorite artists, or favorite pieces of media right now?
You're making me pick favourites? There are so many amazing artists out there, and many of them friends! But for resonance with my own storytelling sensibilities, I really love Rovina Cai's work – an intense beauty, but never saccharine, and with a constant sense of movement.
Most of the books I've been reading recently haven't been published yet, so here's an old one (apart from Our Mutual Friend): Time Was: The Reminiscences of W. Grahame Robertson. He was a Victorian/Edwardian theatre set designer and friend of the Pre-Raphaelites, and it's just charming as well as being fascinating for artists and dramatic types.
Is there anything significant or process-changing that you've learned recently?
Yes! Stacks of things – I've been on a six week study tour, after all. But one of the many lessons I learned was to commit to an angle and push it further: Choose a particular emotion for a piece? Go over-the top. Want to play with scale? You're not playing nearly enough with it. Identify a compositional weakness? Try doubling-down on it. It was a theme at several of the workshops and conversations I was part of. I'm naturally inclined to compose safely, so I consider myself challenged!
Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects? Anything you’re working on that you’re really excited about?
Many are still on the quiet. However, I'm completing an MPhil [Degree] on Australian Gothic literature, and I'm illustrating my written project for that. I'm looking forward to getting those images together: I'm going back to my old home town and also to Hanging Rock (as in: Picnic at) as part of the research. There's a Hokusai and a Dior exhibition on in Melbourne at the same time, so I'm planning sketching trips with some of my art and writing friends.
I'll be able to announce some big projects for several young adult novels soon, and I have a few projects on foot with British and World Fantasy Award winning author Angela Slatter, as well – we work together a lot.
I also have a number of smaller projects on foot through my Patreon, mostly focused on the monthly calendar I illustrate.
Do you have any dream projects that you’d like to work on, either personal or commercial?
I'd love to be turned loose on Pride and Prejudice or Time Was or Harriet Wilson's Memoirs or Cold Comfort Farm – or some new classic-to-be, like Naomi Novik's Uprooted or Megan Whalen Turner's Thief series – to simply draw my way chattily through it, catching the movement and humour and humanity. Oh, and to illustrate a theatre set, like [Edward] Gorey's designs for Dracula. Or illustrate a published script for a play, e.g. Liz Duffy Adams' Or, and do the art for a board game... so many things.
I'd also like to spend more time officially drawing at events. I've been the Artist at Large at the Brisbane Writers Festival and got hooked – it would be great to be engaged to formally sketch people at work or having fun at, oh, an exhibition or air show or behind the scenes at a theatre.
Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?
You can find my portfolio at kathleenjennings.com and my blog at tanaudel.wordpress.com. I'm on Patreon at patreon.com/tanaudel, and am tanaudel most places, including Twitter, Instagram, Redbubble and Spoonflower.
Fairly Dark Opening Reception Recap
Thank you to everyone who came for our opening reception of Fairly Dark, a collection of solo exhibitions featuring new work from Nico Delort, Sishir Bommakanti, Natalie Hall, and Kathleen Jennings!
The night kicked off with an artist lecture by Nico Delort, who discussed his intricate and intensive scratchboard process, his inspirations, and his path as a visual artist, surrounded by the amazing work from the Fairly Dark exhibitions!
Following that, we cleared space for a massive Drink & Draw, hosted by our friends at THE VACVVM. Visitors spent the night getting to know one another with friendly discussions, comparing sketchbooks, and cold beverages! THE VACVVM even provided a set of prizes which were raffled off during the night, and some lucky participants walked away with some amazing pieces of art!
Thanks again to all the artists who participated and to everyone who came to see us!
You can see the artwork from the Fairly Dark exhibitions on our website:
Nico Delort -- Sishir Bommakanti -- Natalie Hall -- Kathleen Jennings