Leo Plaw - Fantastic and Visionary Artwork

Visionary Art Culture Creators

2008-08-05T12:40:14Z

Boom Festival 2008 is shaping up to be a very potent mix for Visionary arts. The epicentre for this can be found at the Liminal Village where a number of events and activities will take place. I’m looking forward to attending the festival for a number or reasons.

As I wrote in my previous post the Vision Gallery will exhibit Visionary artists from all over the world, and I have been fortunate enough to be included.

Two artists that I have long admired, Robert Venosa and Martina Hoffmann are giving a presentation entitled, “Some History, Thoughts and Images on Visionary Art”.

They will also be running a workshop, “Sketching the Fantastic” in which participants will be guided in exploring a simplified, exciting technique which provides a rapid entry into the magic of sketching, as well as allowing access to one’s innermost, intuitive visions. Anybody can participate.

The Visionary Art Culture Creators Panel will explore the new world of visionary culture with a fascinating panel discussion about the place where art present meets art future. As a catalytic force in the co-creation of planetary culture, visionary art may be a key to unlocking the secrets of what is to come.

I have also been invited to participate as one of the panelists. The panel will be moderated by Delvin Solkinson and feature the other following speakers, Laurence Caruana, Carey Thompson, Luke Brown and Jen Zariat.

The Boom Festival runs from the 11th to the 18th of August, in Portugal.

Boom Festival Liminal Village

2008-08-05T12:23:56Z

I’m off to the Boom Festival next August in Portugal to exhibit with other Visionary artists. This August 11-18th marks the 6th. incarnation of the Boom Festival, a massive global trance culture gathering. For the third time at the Boom Festival, the Liminal Village returns presenting the Vision Gallery.

The In:sights Exhibition is a global collection of visionary artworks celebrating the inspired imagination and reflecting the beauty of our world and of many worlds beyond.

24 artists have been gathered from around the world. Amongst them will be a number of artists I have only ever communicated with via email but I will now meet for the first time face to face. I am very much looking forward to the exchanges.

The exhibiting artists are as follows:

Europe

Laurence Caruana, Leo Plaw, Dennis Konstantin, Luminokaya, Brigid Marlin

South America

Pablo Amaringo, Isabela Hartz

Asia

Satoshi Sakamoto, Luke Brown, Symbolika

Oceania

Andy Thomas, Jarah Tree

Africa

Anton Kononov

North America

Roberto Venosa, Martina Hoffmann, Carey Thompson, Simon Haiduk, Victor Olenev, Kathryne June, David Heskin, Andrew Jones, Maura Holden, Xavi, Nemo

Chet Zar

2008-08-03T11:12:47Z

Chet Zar at Strychnin Gallery, London.

I seem to recall attending another Strychnin Gallery opening previously on Friday the 13th. However on this occassion I was there to see Chet Zar’s exhibition “Ugly American”. Arriving early I had a chance to take in all of the exhibition and meet a few people, including the artist himself.

I found Chet to be a very warm, open and friendly soul. He’s nothing like his paintings. As he puts it, his intent with his paintings is to reflect back the ugliness he sees around himself in Los Angeles. He’s worked extensively in the movie industry. He had found it rewarding, but now is very happy to progressing to a life as a full time painter, as he did not enjoy the ugly side of Hollywood. This I surmize has given him endless inspiration for his artwork.

I whipped out a copy of Metamorphosis for him to sign for Jon Beinart and myself. My bag went home a little heavier as I also purchased a catalogue of Chet’s artwork. There was also a hard bound limited edition, but this was a little beyond my budget for the moment.

Laurie Lipton who will also be exhibiting with Strychnin Gallery again in Berlin, also attended the opening. So it was a very social evening talking to the artists, other guests, Yasha Young (the gallery owner) and her lovely staff.

Some of Chet's paintings at the Strychnin exhibition.

Chet’s artwork glowed, although the themes were monsters. He indicated that the colour theme was different to what he usually works with. He went on to explain that he was inspired by a dream with incredibly luminescent colours. It is always interesting seeing the real personality of a painting. The layering, brush strokes, technique, all of the things that are lost in four colour process printing or a digital image on a website. The image is always flattened. It was therefore a real joy to see the detail and masterful layering of Chet’s original artwork.

The night lengthened with the conversations, and eventually closing time arrived. Having already been engaged in a number of stimulating conversations, Chet, his friends, myself and mine, all trooped off to a local bar in the Truman Brewery around the corner. This lasted for one drink, until a bright spark pointed out that there were lonely beers waiting for us back at the gallery.

With a less distracting atmosphere, we settled on the gallery floor until the early hours of the morning for further existential and philosophical discussions.

We all eventually parted ways, leaving Chet to bed down in the guest room at the gallery, and ourselves to seek our repose. Did we all dream of monsters that night, or of the comrade in paint?

You can see Chet’s works for yourself at Strychnin Gallery London, 65 Hanbury Street, London E1 5J, UK.

Photos by Iris Bitter of Strychnin Gallery.

Peter Gric Catalogue

2008-07-10T22:45:18Z

My good friend Peter Gric has
released a catalogue of 55 paintings from 1990 to 2008. I was very honoured that he sent me a copy of his catalogue. We had been discussing Print on Demand (POD) as an option for getting our artwork in to print.

While the catalogue is not an offset print coffee table book, I find it good, as did other artists, Brigid Marlin and Laurie Lipton. I think Peter's bold move has been a source of inspiration for others.

I have an earlier catalogue from Peter and I am very pleased to have this latest one in my collection as it shows the range of themes he has worked with up until now.

The catalogue
format is 21 × 29cm, paperback, with 68 digitally printed pages. The
Catalogue can be ordered via the Lulu Marketplace and costs €20.

Zozoville

2008-07-11T22:40:16Z

Somewhere between imagination and Berlin lies a special place called Zozoville. The doorway to this land of oddball under the bed monsters, devils and dysfunctionally cute can be found at Mainzer Strasse 12, Friedrichshain, Berlin. The only characters that you will find within approaching any possible sense of normality are Johan Potma and Mateo.

Some years ago when I was hawking my artistic wares on the Boxhagnerplatz flea market, myself and other artist friends found an abandoned American artist in a cardboard box on the market with his brushes and colours. Taking pity on the poor starving creature, we took him home to our corner of the market where we fed and watered him with our artistic comrade and the occasional coffee or morsel of food.

So it came to pass that Mateo was in our midst every Sunday. At some point later like a rabbit out of hat came Johan. We were not sure where he came from, but we were almost certain he was one of Mateo's magic tricks.

Thus began the creative partnership that was to evolve into the multi-eyed organism called Zozoville. Housed in a tiny shop front on the streets of urban cool that are Friedrichshain, this industrious pair founded their creative factory.

The Zozoville window is like some aliens come to earth and hiding behind a thin veneer of normality, but with an odd suspicious appendage popping out film. The sort of shop where you take a strange cute pet home, but not realising it is some ravenous beast from another world whose soul intent is to eat your geraniums.

Johan and Mateo's endevours grow from strength to strength and people are starting to notice. In the past year they've had a run of media coverage, culminating with several TV interviews.

As I write this they are currently exhibiting their artwork in Paris. Their artwork is taking them to the corners of the unsuspecting world.

Zozoville.com

Journey to Japan

2008-05-09T09:36:44Z

All great adventures involve something not going to plan, and so it was on the very first day as I set out for the IFAA exhibition in Japan. After not sleeping for two days to complete all of my work and tasks before I departed to the other side of the globe, I found myself standing in a queue for two hours after my flight was cancelled due to strong crosswinds at the London City Airport. To complicate the situation further, I was meant to be meeting with Anja Brinkmann and Luigi La Speranza at the Frankfurt airport for our connecting flight to Japan. So it came to pass that they had to fly without me and I then came later via roundabout journey through various airports.

After long and uncomfortable flights I finally arrived at Kansai Airport some twelve hours after Luigi and Anja had been collected by Shoji Tanaka and Satoshi Sakamoto. I was very grateful that they both made the complicated journey back into Osaka to fetch me from the airport also. This was not an easy task given the chaotic network of roads that snake through Osaka and the navigation computer that was giving wrong directions.

Late that Saturday night I was finally united with Anja and Luigi. I was also finally united with a bed in which I could lie horizontal and sleep comfortably.

Otto Rapp’s Essay on the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism

2008-03-20T23:47:23Z

Recently, artist Otto Rapp wrote a response on my "IFAA Exhibition Kyoto" which I was very pleased to read. He brought to my attention an essay in progress on his website.

His article about the Vienna School of Fatastic Realism is by far the most succinct and informative writing I have read yet. He presents a great deal of detail that I have not seen yet. He goes on to explain the central characters and protagonists and give them life. I had from various sources previous heard that Ernst Fuchs can be somewhat of an agitator, or provocator, but now I have an appreciation of why and how that has been a central benefit to the life of Vienna Fantastic Realism.

I believe Otto's essay brings some clarity to the "mythos" that surrounds Fantastic Realism, or dare I say some realism to the fantastic?

It has given me cause to go back to my personal library and dig out a book purchased per chance on a Berlin flee market. "Die Wiener Schule des Phantastischen Realisums" by Joahnn Muschik (ISBN 3-570-06123-x). At the time I did not delve into the book as my command of German was rather lacking, but now, I feel it should be sufficient.

While this book may also be illuminating, Otto's essay also elaborates on Vienna School's influence outside of Vienna, especially that of Japan. With my recent contact with the Japanese Fantastics, Otto rightly reckonned that I would find this relevant and interesting.

I certainly look forward to Otto's further work on his essay, and thank him very much for bringing it to my attention.

Otto's essay: "The Vienna School of Fantastic Realism"

IFAA Exhibition Kyoto

2008-03-16T00:38:12Z

The day draws near when I fly to Japan with Luigi La Speranza and Anja Brinkmann, where Luigi and I will be participating in the International Fantastic Art Association annual group exhibition. I feel honoured that the director Shoji Tanaka has extended this wonderful invitation to us. I have previously written about Shoji and the IFAA, and how I came to know them.

I am excited to be visiting Japan, and more so Kyoto where one can still find much of the old Japan that no longer exists. I am also excited to be meeting the other artists and seeing their artwork. A tiny image on a web page does not compare to the real thing.

Likewise, meeting cyber friends and contacts is an interesting experience. I am looking forward to meeting Satoshi Sakamoto who I "met" on MySpace. It is good to meet the human face behind the digital text and images.

I will be updating the blog with further news about my travels to Japan, and about the exhibition. Make sure you come back and read about it.

Details of the exhibition follow:

International Fantastic Art Association
Fantastic Art Show-Kyoto-2008
Exhbition 1th April to 6th April

DOHJIDAI GALLERY

F1 1928 bldg. Gokomachi Sanjo Nakagyo-ku Kyoto Japan

Participating Artists:

Miyuki Aihara
Katsumi Asano
Shinji Asano
Kyoko Baba
Yasuko Fuchioka
Yasuo Hagiwara
Akiko Ijichi
Koichi Iyoda
Shu Iseki
Kashima
Kuniaki Katsu
Kazuaki Kita
Kaoru Koga
Tetsuo Koyama
Satomi Kuwahara
Yoshiko Maezawa
Midorineko
Chinatsu Miyake
Taeko Mori
Mitsuru Nagashima
Akiko Oikawa
Hitomi Okubo
Shigeo Otake
Kyoko Ote
Akiko Sakagami
Satoshi Sakamoto
Kyoko Sato
Leo Sawaki
Tomoko Segawa
Yuko Shiizaki
Takashi Sotohara
Hazuki Suketake
Hayato Suzuki
Minae Takada
Mitsuo Takeda
Shoji Tanaka
Itsuki Tatsukikawa
Hiroko Yamaji
Sayaka Wakabayashi

Special Guests:

Leo Plaw
Luigi La Speranza

On Demand Book Printing

2008-03-16T17:19:35Z

Like most artists, I dream of seeing my artwork in print and better still that being a book. After watching Jon Beinart go through the motions of publishing "Metamorphosis" (which I am in) I have feeling for the reality of it. There was some serious financial outlay to produce the book, which puts this sort of activity out of the reach of most people.

But then there's on demand printing. With the advent of digital printing, it became viable to do short print runs. Traditional offset printing is still the most cost effective for high volume runs or 500 or more.

The internet has made the ease of getting your idea to print even greater. There are now a number of companies, such as Lulu.com and Blurb.com which allow you upload the files for your book through their website. They then print your book and post it out to you. Both also offer online store facilities to sell your publication through

Both offer templates for those of us who are not professional layout artists. But that said, it still makes a world of difference if you enlist the help of some one who has skills in those directions. Book formats vary from soft covers to hardback and in set size ranges

Charley Parker on Lines and Colors has a more detailed view of on demand book printing

C. B. Newham makes very detailed comparisons between the largest online print on demand pubishers.

Shinji Himeno

2008-07-13T23:59:40Z

I recently visited Japanese artist Shinji Himeno in Berlin. It was a great surprise to discover him there after I had lived there for three years, never knowing he existed. I wonder who else is hidden there.

Myself, my girlfriend Anja (http://anja-brinkmann.net) and Micha Krebs (colory.de) all went to visit him and were amazed by his superb work!

His works often have figures whose heads are covered with a cloth, and many then have hovering masks. When we asked him if there was a meaning to this, he simply replied yes, but never elaborated further.

What I like about his work is that while he is obviously trained in classical Western painting technique, the influence of his homeland is evident in his work. This immediately sets him apart from others that have trained the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism.

He started his studies at the same university that Peter Gric and Luigi La Speranza were finishing at and it is through them that I've come into contact with him. He studied from 1993 - 1997 under Arik Brauer at the Akademie der bildenden Künste, Vienna. While Fuchs is certainly famous, Brauer has trained many of the outstanding artists of the current generation of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism.

Shinji most certainly falls into the category of outstanding artist, with his fine technique and orgiginal themes and content. His works are usually rather large, which I find a pleasure because it allows the artist to indulge in more detail. But this does make for slightly crowded conditions in his home studio.

We spent several hours talking, drinking tee and eating freshly backed cake. I of course brought his attention to beinart.org, and I am very pleased to say that he agreed to have a profile and gallery on the website. We naturally also spoke about Shoji Tanka the forthcoming IFAA exhibition in Kyoto.

After having a very enjoyable time, we all had to part ways because of other commitments that day. I certainly look forward to staying in contact with Shinji and seeing his new creations.

His website: shinjihimeno.com