IN-INGS

SOUND AND VISION: GETTING INSPIRED

If you've seen my Twitter feed, you'll probably notice that I spend more time talking about music than I do about my own art. That's because, like a lot of creatives who work in a solitary environment, music is part of what inspires us and therefore somehow finds its way into what we actually produce.

A lot of abstract art is musical, and if you do abstraction for long enough, you might start to experience some form of synaesthesia, where a sound will trigger a sensation, and prompt you to use a certain colour or brush stroke. Kandinsky was a good example of a 'musical' painter, an artist who translates something intangible into imagery.

So of course, visiting a niche vinyl emporium, you get the best of both worlds. Effectively its an exhibition that's carefully curated; the cover art plus the music conveys the tastes and sensibilities of the owner. These non-generic stores are a very rare delight, and if you are a music enthusiast and have one in your town you should not only be a patron, you should let other people know about them - because they keep your town's musical heritage and culture alive.

Thanks to Nathan at Birmingham's Milque & Muhle.

''VOTE ALEXI'' TO GET MY NEW SHOE DESIGN INTO PRODUCTION - !!

Hi Everyone - check out my new shoe design ( below )!

I need a favour - to make sure my new shoes get into production, I need your vote.  

The company may ask for your email to do this - don't worry, they're ethical and don't spam. Thanks for the support! ;)

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR 'SHENZEN ECONOMIC ZONE'!

GLITCHING A RIDE

Spontaneously-occurring glitches, that indicate localised 'disturbances in the matrix' are always the best. Case in point: These beautiful alien hieroglyphs captured on my morning commute from Worcestershire to Birmingham. 

Check out the movie at the end of this post for the full experience!

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GHOST IN THE MACHINE:

COMMUTER GLITCH MOVIE

Updated and expanded blog entry, originally published on 08 / 10 / 2014.

MULTIPLE-USE STRUCTURE

Below is a good example of how it's possible to recycle a drawing over a period of years...

It started out as simple black and white comic-book element, pen on paper...

2004

Over the years it's been featured in my art many times.

2004

In the style of a manga comic, from my illustration portfolio.

2005 ( circa )

Experimenting, entering a transitional phase where the representational style is being overtaken by abstraction.

Below: Baghdad

Below: Countdown Iraq

2006

Floating City:

Referencing Hokusai, preliminary drawing for a painting ( as yet uncompleted ).

2014

Gaza / Humanity is Abstract:

Illustration ( using colours sampled from news footage of the controversial Israeli anti-Hamas military campaign 'Operation Protective Edge' ).

2015

Shenzen Economic Zone: digital rough composition.

2016

Shenzen Economic Zone: shoes by Bucketfeet.

I enjoy graphs and infographic art, and was throwing elements together to see what stuck, including the title 'Shenzen Economic Zone'. You'll see graph-paper, the aforementioned apartment block, and a homage to Hokusai's 'Great Wave' ( another visual element that I revisit from time to time ). Eventually, the final design was stripped back to the very basics, so I am aware that there is an incongruity in a design that references China, yet features Japanese imagery. 

STRUCTURES, ENVIRONMENTS & SPACE

A collection of images from my archives.

Below: Assorted abstracts, acrylic on canvas, 76cm x 101cm, 2011 - 2014

Below: Close-up of surface texture.

Below: Photographic visualisation of a proposed mural.

Below: Postcard art, 2014.

Below: Another close-up of an acrylic painting surface texture.

Below: Photographs of the area around my studio.

2015

London Underground Map, glitched:

Assorted Miscellaneous Photographs, 2015

Below: Working with architects at Urban Synthesis

Below: Inspiration from the environment.

Manchester: Lines of perspective

Manchester: Real-life abstract

2016: Superhighway and Supercollider at Concept Room art show, Birmingham, Oct 2015.

ARTICLES

VERDIANI & PELLEGRINI'S ITALIAN EARTHQUAKES / SEBASTIAN LEE'S DUBAI /

JUSTIN PALMER'S PORTLAND OREGON DATA MAPS / FAVELA PAINTERS HAAS & HAHN 

MY ELECTRONIQUE SHOES - NOW SOLD OUT!!

If you're a fan of this design classic, stay tuned to this blog or my Facebook & Twitter pages for updates!

PHONING IT IN

Before it expired permanently, my phone executed several spontaneous glitches...this is a particularly ominous one.

INCOMING

Hoping to announce a conceptual project soon. And I don't mean 'conceptual art'.

LAKE GARDA WAVE-FORM STUDIES

A few years ago, I was holidaying on Lake Garda in Northern Italy. I had a fantastic view of the lake from my apartment, and was able to observe the ever-changing weather conditions and their effect on the surface of the water.

Size: A5 approx  / Medium: Ink on Graph Paper

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: I HAVE DECIDED TO WITHDRAW FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION