Showing posts with label pen and ink. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pen and ink. Show all posts

Wednesday, 29 January 2020

ALEXI K: DIGITAL, ANALOG, MATERIAL ARTIST


DIGITAL

'DATASTREAM ARABESQUES' : Vector Compositions, 2017

Photo courtesy of Moxy Downtown Hotel, NYC.






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ANALOG

'POLYGRAPH NUDES' : Ink on Paper, 2009






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MATERIAL

'ELECTRONIQUE' SHOE : Pattern Design, 2015

Photo courtesy of Bucketfeet


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All artwork copyright Alexi K. 


Thursday, 25 October 2018

HOMEWORK

I have a set of pencils, pens and rulers that I take on holiday in case the inspiration hits me. I draw on blank postcards, because they're easy to transport. Doing small art is extremely satisfying, because it's the only time that I can ever do a completed work of art in an afternoon.

Below: Experimental Drawings ( pen and ink on watercolour postcards ), made in Greece, Sept 2018



Thursday, 1 February 2018

...THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY

A Facebook blast from the past - 



It's great when I get requests from students in the UK and around the world, who want to interview me regarding my POLYGRAPH NUDES drawings. Some of them have even done really cool versions of their own in this style. At some point, I'll compile them into a blog article.

There are other people in the internet - seemingly professional artists - who are also intent on heavily imitating this style... to varying degrees of success.

This style has taken on a life of its own since I originally drew them in 2011 / 2012. A portfolio of the nudes made its wider internet debut in 2013 in Robert Kothe's great but short-lived art magazine The Corner, and then in a gallery debut in the West Midlands Open in 2014. The following year, they appeared in NORA Apartments, Orlando, and continue to generate interest wherever they go.

I'll be embarking on a new chapter in this style, later in 2018, and you'll see them here on this blog.

Thursday, 23 November 2017

TRUNK CALL

I was asked by an American design company recently to resurrect my 'POLYGRAPH NUDES' style, to which I happily obliged.

Over the years, this particular way of drawing has attracted the interest of many architects, interior designers, fabric designers and students. Therefore, when I was asked to supply some drawings for a hip hotel currently being built in New York City, I saw this as a good excuse to, at long last, explore this style again and see if I can evolve it.

Below you will see a rather belated attempt at a male figure...I'm not sure that it's particularly successful, either, as it does look somewhat androgynous. However, I rather like it, so maybe I should consider including more male figures in the future?

Below: Male Abdomen, Ink on Paper, September 2017


Thursday, 25 August 2016

BPN ARCHITECTS: SECOND PHASE DAY 2


Experimenting with anamorphic shapes today...the image below should suddenly resolve into a solid shape when you walk by a certain spot on the pavement.

Pic shows fellow artist Rob Walsh, who's helping me with the install.



Very pleased with the sculptural quality of the image ( below ).





Wednesday, 24 August 2016

BPN ARCHITECTS: SECOND PHASE BEGINS

Started work on the new image, a cluster of abstract skyscrapers, plus experimenting with floor effects.




Thursday, 18 August 2016

BPN ARCHITECTS: DAYS 3 + 4





Above: Indictive of how a site can affect the creative process in a positive way, the pyramid above the entrance could expand to be a major feature on the second wall.









Monday, 15 August 2016

BPN ARCHITECTS: SITE INSTALL COMMENCES


The archetypal blank canvas...first day onsite at BPN ARCHITECTS.




Below: View of the street. The sunlight made Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter look like an Edward Hopper painting.




Below: The quality of light today in Birmingham has been amazing.







Below: End of first day...several more to go.




Sunday, 14 August 2016

THE MANHATTAN PROJECT - END OF TEST PHASE


Photos courtesy of Rob Walsh.




It's interesting to note that this time, the creative process happens at a different tempo from the postcard doodles that it's based on. So the things that were instinctive first time round, are given much more room for deliberation, allowing me to understand why those kind of creative decisions were made in the first place.




A lot of art is musical, in that you are creating something either harmonious, or dissonant. For example, if you play off-key deliberately, it somehow becomes its own key, albeit somewhat off-kilter and avant-garde, and it's the same with art. 

In this case, by exploiting 'dissonance', the piece becomes more effective. If an angle clashes with the angles around it, that's good, because it creates more definition. If anything, this 'test-piece' illustrates the need for more dissonance. 

Below: Experimenting with transparent and solid forms that 'leak' out of the composition.






To my way of thinking, the vertical lines act as a visual underpinning. If they are spaced correctly, the piece will balance well. However, within that, is the space to allow for the dissonant parts. One reassuringly odd aspect of this, is the need for a 'deliberate mistake'. The piece was looking too balanced so it felt satisfying to sneak one in. 

It acts as a visual pun, and rather like a Rorshach test, it's probably only visible if your mind is aligned in a certain way.



Tuesday, 2 August 2016

THE MANHATTAN PROJECT

In these pictures you will see me - ably assisted by fellow 'geometric' artist Rob Walsh - execute a test-run of my forthcoming mural design for prestigious Birmingham-based practise, BPN Architects.


The artwork is originally inspired by an early-morning bike ride on the 4th of July, 2013, around Battery Park, Brooklyn Bridge, and City Hall, New York City ( see photo ). The area was deserted and it made for an exhilarating experience, going from bike-park to bike-park before the time limits were up.



Postcard-sized artwork inspired by NYC:



Below: Making a start at Rob's studio at The Works, Jubilee Centre, Birmingham, UK.







Below: Alexi K up a ladder.




Below: Rob Walsh, and the results of one afternoon's experimentation with tape...










Below: Good definition from a distance.





Below: Day 2 of experimentation.