beyond the canvas | Dale Grimshaw

My experiences as a child in a very difficult and potentially violent environment, has had a strong impact on all parts of my life. My father was a violent and cruel man, whose presence in the family home caused physical and emotional pain for us all. My mum was the focus of his violent behaviour and she really suffered at his hands. We were left homeless after fleeing the family home. We lived in so many places after that, including a caravan in a farmer’s field and also a gutted farm house that was home to chickens – the chickens still came in to visit after that! My oldest sister witnessed a lot more than me and sadly I believe it really brought the worst out in her in later years. Being a child in that type of situation is a nightmare. All the things that should be there to support you and help you develop as an adult are undermined by the fear and unpredictability of the situation. My mother did her best to protect us, but she was lonely and vulnerable herself. Despite all that happened in the early days, my Mum’s love has shone through for me and I have held onto that as an adult, despite losing her tragically early when I was only nineteen. Without this love, I can’t imagine how I could have carried on and achieved anything as an adult. I’m always intrigued yet horrified when I read in the paper about murderers or people that have sex slaves in their basements. Neighbours are quoted as saying things like “ooh he was such a quiet and polite man… who would have thought”. Sociopaths can be the most worrying, as we like to think we can summarise and judge people quickly and accurately – but we can’t always. Who knows what some people are up to behind closed doors… My work really started taking off when I realized that it was ok to express some of the darker emotions in my art. For a long time I kept a lid on all these feelings. My piece called ‘Exorcism’ is the first piece in which I found my creative voice and it’s still one of the most powerful images I have ever painted.

-  Dale Grimshaw (As told to Patrick Palmer of Ragazine)

Source: Ragazine 

artistically correct | Q+A with Yury Ustsinau

In order for art to be powerful and to encourage dialect, it has to be incorrect which is what makes an artist's work correct. Art isn't the product of any blueprint or set model, it is the product of whatever that artist desires to create. It''s such an oxymoron, right? With Yury's illustrative collection titled Wilhelm, he definitely presented work that is artistically correct. Remember, see more than just what you see. 

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Bria: What inspired the creation of Wihelm? 

Yury: Certainly it is modern youth culture, its versatility, vigor, cheerfulness and ease (levity).  I had a desire to create a series of portrait works, in which one could recognize a face of modern teenagers and "Wihelm" is one of the works of this series, which is still in progress.

B: Is there a narrative for each character in this illustration? 

Y: Many of the elements characterize this character as a stylish hipster: old-school tattoos, piercings, stylish hairstyle, snow-white smile, etc. 

B:  What do you hope for someone who has never viewed your work to learn about you from seeing Wihelm? 

Y: It may seem to be constrictive, using only two primary colours of a palette...black and white. I try to open all nuances of sharp contrasts as much as possible, shadows and smooth light transitions in the works.

B: What makes this illustration collection artistically correct? 

Y: As one of my favourite elements, I consider it to be the smile of my characters. Often it is intentionally exaggerated as if it is cut out from a strict black environment.

Check out more work from  Yury Ustsinau here. 

interview | Tony Concep

Image Credit: Tokio 

Since my first introduction to the name Tony Concep through Sean Bono's ArtBattles competition, I was highly impressed by his plethora of talents in the arts. He is an innovator and creative visionary that not only invests his mind into his artwork, but also a deep-rooted passion.  I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to explore the mind of this visual artist/designer and it is a pleasure for me to share with you all the Concept…behind Tony Concep.

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B: Describe the adolescent period of your life. 

T: My adolescent period of life was the blueprint for how I judge whether I make the right or the wrong decisions.  I was an only child that was very imaginative and observant. My mother and my grandparents raised me during my early years in New Orleans, LA.  I spent my High School years in Charleston, SC, and it was there I regained a relationship with my father, who resides in Maryland.  I studied the adults around me as a child and I often compare my past to my present realizing that I came from a crazy background and should always be thankful of how far I made it in life.

B: What motivated Tony Brown into becoming Tony Concep? (What made you want to become an artist?

T: What motivated me early in life to become an artist was primarily film, television, and New Orleans. I watched movies like Beat Street (the old NY B-Boy film) which really inspired me to write graffiti and embrace the art of hip-hop.  TV [shows] like the old Bob Ross shows where he would paint an entire painting in a half hour and I’d try to emulate him with my crayons.  New Orleans…is just filled with art; my earliest memories would be enjoying the floats in the Mardi Gras parades and wanting to paint them or admiring the colors.

B: How were each of your talents as a dancer, painter, and designer discovered and when?

T: My grandmother was the jack of all [trades], she had me dancing in the house all of the time and she sometimes drew the local newscasters on the TV on her homemade easel. I grew up thinking everybody did art and danced.  I figured out I was pretty good at it towards middle school by doing talent shows and competing with classmates [via] drawing popular cartoon characters.

B: You are originally from New Orleans, but attended schools in Florida, and then Brooklyn. What was the most interesting aspect of that traveled journey?

T: Traveling has allowed me to see the differences in people regionally and hold on to the best qualities of every place I visit.  I wouldn't change growing up in the south for anything; there I found my inner soul and integrity.  The North showed me more of how to become a go-getter and a hustler.

B: How important was it to complete your Bachelors in Film Animation to accompany your talents as a visual artist? Also, do you think aspiring artists need to also add formal education to complement their talents?

T: This is a tough subject for me, considering myself and many of my friends work predominately in fields outside of our major and owe large sums of money to college loan sharks.  My immediate opinion to aspiring artists would be…you don’t necessarily need to go to the most expensive school to earn a degree but do get some formal training.  Research what your interests are and find an outlet to learn it without creating lifelong debt.  I have worked at major companies with artists having the same title as mine, that graduated out of junior colleges, and spent a quarter of what I did to earn my art degree ya’heard.

B: One of your collections that I found truly enticing was the Gunshow collection. It was not only the artwork itself but also your creative process because you were so invested into the final product. You conjured up new fonts, textures, and typography to use in your work that would enhance your vision. How was the inspiration for the Gunshow collection born? 2) What was its significance to you?

T: The Gunshow is a collection I birthed last year here in Los Angeles after my move from Brooklyn.  In all honesty, I became intrigued with the idea of Gun art through a visit to Maryland to see my father.  He is a collector of guns and I have been around pistols throughout my life coming up in the Carolina’s where most of my homeys had pistols on the kitchen table like centerpieces.  The beauty is bitter sweet, guns control us, and they can be decision makers, game changers, and symbols of power.  My goal was to shed light on something we tend to take for granted here in the states until tragedy strikes.  I find my feelings to be greatly in consternation about guns considering maybe we should have them and maybe we should not.  It has always been my goal to bring beauty to the ugly and idea to the thoughtless.  Typography and messages go hand in hand, so it’s been a natural progression to use the two as I continue to explain my mixed love and hate for the most powerful tool in America.