Anna Carey Interview: New Age Neon Fantasy
Every once in a while, the stars align and an artist creates something that truly resonates with the current age. With her Madam Mystery series, Australian artist Anna Carey has tapped into the latest explosion of interest in New Age mysticism. From tarot and fortune telling, to angel messages and auras, people are understandably looking for comfort from a higher power during these turbulent times.
With travelling restricted during the pandemic, Anna focused on the psychic shops in Los Angeles where she was based. She noticed they favoured a particular style of branding and architecture. Candy colours, celestial imagery and neon promises.
Refugees Look For Hope in a Forgotten Place
When the Ukraine war started, you might have asked yourself what you would do if war broke out in your own country. Would you sit tight, and wait for the bombs to drop? Would you sign up and fight? Or, would you look for a way to keep your family safe? At least 12 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine since Russia invaded. Many people in the UK even opened their homes to these refugees, through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
While opening their arms and their borders to refugees from Ukraine however, European governments have been waging war against refugees from other countries. Back in 2015, the global media alerted us to a ‘migrant crisis’ in Europe – but were they calling it a crisis for those fleeing, or for the countries receiving them?
REVIEW: A Portrait of the Witch – Taschen’s New Art History of Witchcraft
Witches’ Sabbath – Francisco Goya To most people, the word ‘witch’ conjures images of old crones with pointy hats flying into the moonlight on broomsticks. Outsiders in league with malevolent forces, they cast spells on those who wrong them. Our current perceptions of witches and witchcraft are still largely shaped by the propaganda cooked up by King James I in the 1590s, memorialised by Shakespeare in the witches of Macbeth.
With ‘Witchcraft,’ a new coffee table tome published by Taschen, co-editors Jessica Hundley and Pam Grossman have gone a long way towards changing this perception. From the origins of the word ‘witch’ to the practices of witches today, they chart the history of witchcraft across the world through over 400 artworks, as well as essays and interviews with historians, artists and modern practitioners.
Soey Milk Pushes Boundaries with ‘Dare to Love’ NFT Project
Non-Fungible Tokens or NFTs have graduated from the laughing stock of the crypto world to a global phenomenon fuelled by celebrity and ‘memelord’ endorsements. So what are they? In short, they enable buyers to purchase a digital version of a piece of art which resides on the blockchain. While NFTs started out with trivia such as memes, the art world is beginning to grasp the potential benefits.
Even the British Museum has jumped on the trend, selling NFTs of Hokusai’s The Great Wave. One of the advantages to artists is that they can earn royalties from each subsequent sale, which is of course not the case with physical artworks. Think of Banksy for example, whose art is worth millions but he wouldn’t see a penny from its sale at Christie’s – hence his ‘Love is in the Bin’ stunt in 2018.
Luke Rion Interview: Lost Relics of an Analogue Past
“The flow of time is always cruel… Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it… A thing that doesn’t change with time is a memory of younger days.” – Ocarina of Time
For many children of the 80s and 90s, the Legend of Zelda games are a cherished memory kept close to the heart. This is certainly the case for Melbourne based artist Luke Rion. His most recent project, fittingly titled Lost Relics, ‘journeys through childhood video game nostalgia, and how something so vivid and so relevant in youth fades and eventually becomes discarded and lost.’
From Paris to Birmingham – Milan Topalovic revives Art Deco glamour
One of Birmingham’s most beloved artists, Milan Topalovic celebrates the city’s past and present, often evoking the Art Deco glamour of the 1920s. Birmingham has a fascinating industrial past and some great Art Deco architecture, which is a big influence on Milan’s work. Originating in Paris in the 1920s as a successor to the earlier Art Nouveau movement, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour and technological progress. It influenced everything from buildings and furniture, to fashion, trains and ocean liners.
The Electric Cinema, Birmingham Interview: Illustrator & Cartoonist Tom Dearie Keeps it Surreal
Since graduating from the prestigious Royal College of Art in London where his focus was painting, Tom Dearie has made a successful leap over to the world of comics and illustration. Last year he received the coveted ‘Grand Prix’ award at the 31st International Comic Competition (Komiksus) in Poland for his comic F is for Fire. Inspired by the fire department Tom lives near in Warsaw, the comic tells the story of a heroic firefighting father who is injured in service.
With satisfyingly simple forms and eye-catching colour palettes, Tom’s work feels both completely current and strangely familiar. It would be equally at home in a classic comic or on a New Yorker cover. While the commercial potential of his work is obvious, it’s also playfully surreal and often catches you off guard – his Steamy Pete illustration for example looks like some kind of psychedelic Where’s Wally or Tintin in a parallel universe.
Magic, Mice and Medieval Maidens – An Interview with Illustrator Serena Malyon
Rising star Serena Malyon is a Canadian illustrator mainly known for her work in children’s books. Inspired by artists from the Golden Age of Illustration but with a totally unique style of her own, Serena has the gift of conjuring whole worlds from just one image.
A master of watercolour and gouache, Serena has worked on a huge variety of illustration projects including children’s books, graphic novels, textbooks and fantasy maps. She has won a number of awards, with her Salt Harbour map winning the Cartographer’s Guild ‘Most Creative Map’ award in 2019.
Some of her most impressive work to date can be found in the Mouse Guard Alphabet Book, created with established comic book creator David Petersen. His beloved Mouse Guard series is set in a world of sentient mice who live in a medieval era, protecting and serving their fellow mice. Serena has brought this world to life with timeless illustrations that are sure to make this book a classic. Each illustration is a stunning work of art in its own right.
Interview: The Enchanted World of Ashraful Arefin
“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl
With so much doom and gloom in the world today, many of us are looking for ways we can escape without getting on a plane and flying away. Fine art photographer Ashraful Arefin has found a way to do just that – discovering magic and enchantment in everyday objects. Dreamy and ethereal, Ashraful’s photographs remind us that there can be beauty everywhere if you look for it. If you’re suffering from lockdown anxiety, these images will help to soothe your mind with a moment of peace, quiet and calm reflection.
After being captivated by his Flower Stories and the fantastical Alice in Wonderland themed cinemagraphs on his website, I was so excited to have the opportunity to ask Ashraful a few questions about his work and inspiration.
You are renowned for bringing everyday objects to life with a sense of fantasy and childlike wonder. What inspires your magical outlook on life?
I used to daydream about dreamy scenes and fantasy stuff when I was a little boy. When I started photography, I wanted to express those ideas and my imagination. Also all the fantasy storybooks, and Harry Potter movies really inspire me to add magical elements to everyday life.
Your photography brings a sense of peace, quiet and reflection. I wondered how living in a busy city such as Dhaka has influenced your work?
I think since I have lived in the chaos and crowd of Dhaka, I learned to appreciate quiet and peaceful moments more and this inspired me to look for these moments. Especially when I started shooting streets, I saw people even in the middle of a large crowd taking time to relax or just getting lost in their world. That inspired me to create these quiet atmospheres.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I noticed you often include literary quotes alongside your work. Do you have any favourite authors who continue to inspire you?
I do love the poems and songs of Rabindranath Tagore. Also, I am a big fan of Rumi. His words and wisdom have always been inspirational to me.
Having studied Fine Art before photography, were there any artists you particularly admired, and what drew you to their work?
I am obsessed with the works of Rembrandt. I studied his paintings when I was a student of fine art and his lighting techniques have a big influence on my work. Another one of my most favourite artists is Claude Monet. I learned about colours by studying his works and I always try to apply those techniques in my photography.
Are you able to say anything about any current or upcoming projects?
Currently, I am working on a series of cinemagraphs inspired by Harry Potter and the wizarding world. I am also planning to create a cinemagraph series inspired by 16th century Dutch still life paintings.
You can check out more of Ashraful’s work here:
About the Artist: Ashraful Arefin is a Fine Art Photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He started studying Fine Arts and chose Graphic Design as his major at university. Ashraful was photographically born in 2013 when he completely fell in love with photography and found his true passion for it. Ashraful tries to portray his appreciation for the beauty of simple things through his work, capturing beauty and emotion within his photographic frame by using colours and simple techniques.
Copyright: All pictures in this post are copyrighted Ashraful Arefin. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.
