Paul Noble @ Gagosian Gallery

Cathedral, 2011

Nobson is full of shit. Literally! Actually it is full of litter and shit. But it is not ordinary shit that some maniac scattered and smeared all over the place. It is meticulously drawn shit by an extraordinary maniac with nearly supernatural drawing skills.

After this introduction I understand I might come across as some kind of perverted coprophiliac, when I admit that I am a massive fan of Paul Noble, ever since I have seen his show at Whitechapel Gallery back in 2004. Welcome to Nobson, Noble’s new exhibition at Gagosian Gallery, is overwhelming and indeed everything evolves around excrements. The post-apocalyptic cities are full of ruins, junk and inhabited by turd-shaped people, who shag constantly. The works exhibited are mainly pencil drawings (one is over 4 meters tall!) and few sculptures (of poo!) It is an excellent body of work, full of humour and incredible craftsmanship. Welcome to Nobson is the final stage of the 15-year project to map the imaginary Nobson Newton.

The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman - Grayson Perry @ British Museum

Grayson Perry and Kenilworth AM I

Alan Measles is unimpressed with the twenty-first century. He sees the Facebook generation distracted by their smartphones and obsessed with celebrity. The multimedia collage of modern life makes it hard for an upcoming god to establish himself without a web presence.

Grayson Perry

As we climb the central staircase of the British Museum's Great Court we stumble upon a very bizarre object: a pinky chopper with a teddy bear shrine attached above its back wheel. Situated by the entrance to The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman, the motorcycle is an invitation for a trip to the world of imagination of Britain’s most eccentric contemporary artist Grayson Perry.

Tomb Guardian, 2011

It was back in 2010, when the existence of the almighty Alan Measles was revealed to the unaware humanity. Alan is an ancient god who stepped down to our mortal world and inhabited the body of Grayson Perry’s cuddly teddy bear. The same year artist constructed a vehicle, which would be worthy form of transport for god and together with Alan they drove on a spiritual journey to Germany to make peace with his childhood enemy.

The concept behind the show is based upon the idea of pilgrimage, which is explored on many levels. The physical pilgrimage is represented by Perry’s quest to Germany, but also it is the two-year research through the British Museum collection that artist undertakes in order to gather the objects that would compliment his own creations. Finally it is the path of his professional life that leads him step by step to this prestigious event. The arrangement of the exhibition space automatically turns anyone who enters it into a pilgrim as well. From the very beginning we are unknowingly destined to reach the final chamber, which hosts the sacred work, and our ultimate reward, The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman.

Pilgrimage to the British Museum, 2011

The metaphorical pilgrimage for both the artist and the spectator is the spiritual journey within oneself; the spectator’s journey into the artist’s mind, the artist’s creative journey into the depths of his own imagination and finally the message that the artist sends to the spectator urging him to revisit his own imaginary world. It is the pilgrimage back to ones roots, both personally (childhood) and, when we are confronted with the artifacts of our civilisation, as a whole of humanity.

The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman is Grayson Perry’s homage to the legions of anonymous craftsmen, who with the work of their skillful hands defined cultures and civilisations around the planet.


Click here for Alan Measles blog

Stealing Olympia - grand finale!

The 7th day I spend painting in all the details.. and voilà!

(now I just have to wait hundred fifty years for the colours to fade slightly out..)

Stealing Olympia (after Édouard Manet), 2011

Édouard Manet Olympia, 1863

Stealing Olympia - work in progress (part 2)

After completing the first part - which is the layout, sketch and base colour of the body - the real challenge starts: matching the colours to the original painting! (colours on these photographs may slightly differ)

Stealing Olympia (day 3) - shaping up the body

Stealing Olympia (day 4) - the black lady

Stealing Olympia (day 5) - background

Stealing Olympia (day 6) - foreground, flowers and the cat

Stealing Olympia - work in progress (part 1)

One of our recent Illustration projects involved a transition of a classic painting. For this assignment I have chosen Édouard Manet's Olympia. I would like to present here the progress of Stealing Olympia.

Stealing Olympia (day 1) - the under-sketch

Stealing Olympia (day 2) - the under-sketch completed

Stealing Olympia (day 3) - the flesh - base colour

The Lost Identity Land - Screenprint

 i printed some of the maps without colourful background..they have this distinctive vintage look

full colour print

 here i was playing a bit with screen printing techniques.. the effect is great!

The Lost Identity Land - Screenprint - phase 3

The next step is to design the urban part of the landscape..

6) sketch of the locations of the cities.

7) the buildings and streets carefully copied on the terrain sheet to be printed in red.

RED












8) the outline of the urban landscape copied on the rock mountain sheet to be printed in grey.

GRAY











9) i wish i would do all the lettering by hand as well, but unfortunately i run out of time.. obviously photoshop is the quicker option..

BLACK












10) since all the images are scanned lets have a cheeky look on how it would look like printed..

hmmm..not to bad:))

The Lost Identity Land - Screenprint - phase 2

Ones the basic shape of The Lost Identity Land is ready, the next step is to create the illusion of depth and 3D of the face, hands and the background..

4) sketches for the sea and the land topographic contour lines.

5) the skeches are carefully copied (use light box; tracing paper is not so precise) onto separate sheets of paper.

DARK BLUE
sea and the land outline

RED
terrain and mountains

GRAY
rock mountains










I actually really like how these images look on their own.. especially the last one - the face and hands shaped from the rock mountains..

The Lost Identity Land - Screenprint - phase 1

The Lost Identity Land is my 1st year final project for both Illustration and Printmaking.. It is hand drawn and than screen printed map of all the places, which either are close to me, have significant impact on my life or I just lived there for longer period of time..or simply all of it.
I would like to present here all the stages of the drawing and screen printing process..

1) sketch and general idea development

2) three colours drawn on separate sheets of paper.. this will create the base for my map.

BLUE

GREEN

DARK GREEN













3) ones screen printed the image looks like this..

Ferdynand Szypuła @ Rondo Sztuki Gallery in Katowice

On my last visit to Poland I had a pleasure to visit by happenstance a very interesting retrospective exhibition of works by previously unknown to me Polish artist and printmaker Ferdynand Szypuła, held in Rondo Sztuki Gallery in Katowice.

Satelita 1969

Szypuła was born in the 30s and studied Fine Art Printmaking and Applied Graphics. In the 60s he was working for Polish Television as a camera operator and than in the 70s as set designer, when he got himself a name Mr Blue Box. In 1972 he began close affiliation with the Organizing Committee of the International Printmaking Biennial in Krakow, as well as Integrafia in Katowice, at which he is a regular curator, jury member and exhibition designer. He works in the media of graphic art and poster design.

Tarpany 1969

The exhibition is divided in different parts, so the viewer can observe the transformations that Szypuła’s work has undergone with the passage of his creative time. From woodcut and linocut, through serigraphy to, most recently, digital print. The early works are full of grotesque and already in them one can recognize his fondness of everyday objects. Szypuła treats them equally to his human subjects, portraying their beauty and wondering about hidden meanings. His latest digital works, opposite to earlier poetic still life prints, present cosmic space visions.

Muzykant 1965

The most fascinating and intriguing for me is the use of rich texture in his prints. Looking at them from a beginning printmaker’s point of view one can only wonder: how did he achieve this? How can I do this? I like as well his very tiny prints, almost inch-by-inch, yet presenting razor-sharp very detailed image. I admire Szypuła’s work for the supreme craftsmanship and distinguished poetics.

Rycerz 2005

Panopticum 2005

End of the Year Printmaking Show poster

the final version of the poster I designed for the End of the Year Printmaking Show, which went to print..
can't wait to see them ready.. exciting!

Printmaking Poster early ideas

 2 stages of the idea development for the poster for the End of the Year Printmaking Show.

Tree of Life (negative)

etching and aquatint on steel

inverse black

7 easy steps to make your own earings..

Little 'How To' guide I have drawn for Create Your Own Jewellery