paul windle is a colectivo futurist!

for this month’s colectivo futurist feature we’ve chosen paul windle. the Texas born and bred is a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, with a BFA in printmaking and graphic design. paul’s style comes from finding inspiration in his friends who also make things, oddities sprawled across the city he lives in, as well as vivid childhood interests, i.e. 60′s/70′s era baseball, dinosaurs, and drifters. also, paul has been spending a lot of time and effort in his latest endeavor, winners! press: a collaboration between a group of friends focused on hosting art-making events and workshops centered on the fun of making things with others, with an emphasis on limited runs of zines.

PAUL WINDLE (illustrator, Arlington, Texas)

flickr | winners press

*who is paul windle? why did you choose printmaking and graphic design as a degree?

I just turned 23 yesterday! I’m from Arlington, Texas, I recently graduated from UT Arlington and I run Winners! Press a small zine publishing collective with my friends Spencer and Whitney. I started out as just a graphic design student but I began taking printmaking classes and really got into it. It had me thinking differently. I felt like printmaking was helping my design skills and vice versa so I just ended up doing both. Plus printmaking offered a lot more standing and walking around than graphic design did and I can’t sit still for long.

* where do you normally draw inspiration from? is there much of an arts scene in your current town?

I draw a lot of inspiration from my friends, things that I think are funny, things that happen to me, people I see, childhood memories… I recently broke my clavicle so I’ve been drawing a lot of dudes in slings.

There’s a small but growing arts scene in Arlington. I think a lot of it comes from the school. Even though Arlington’s just a suburb, it seems to breed creative people. While growing up it seemed like all my friends were making art, in bands, shooting movies, or skateboarding. There just isn’t a whole lot to do so you kind of have to make your own fun.

* tell us about your recently founded Winners! Press collective. what sort of projects are you working on?

Whitney, Spencer and I had been doing some collaborative work like making screenprints and zines together so we just decided to come up with a name for it. Then we started hosting workshops and other events just as a way to get more people involved. Basically we started it because we like hanging out, meeting new people and making stuff.

Right now we’re working on a collaborative zine, with several people, called “Winners Losing” it’s the sequel to our last zine “Winners Winning” and we’re also preparing for our zine workshop tour, Zinescapes, which we were fortunate enough to receive a grant through UT Arlington to fund our trip up the west coast. We’ll be doing workshops starting in Arlington then on to Albuquerque, LA, and SF. We’ll also be at the Renegade craft fair in SF on August 1st! If you go, come say hi! We don’t have a booth but maybe there are nametags. If there aren’t nametags we’ll be wearing a red dress with a flower in our hair sitting on a bench, waiting patiently for you…

* if you could soundtrack your work, what would you choose?

It would start out with a few Jana Hunter songs, which ones I’m not sure, after that Peeps by TacocaT, then I’d sprinkle in and an episode or two of This American Life followed by the entire E.T. soundtrack and I’d end it with Hooka Tooka Soda Cracker, the Judy Henske version but everyone I know would be singing along.

* what is your favorite thing about living in Arlington?

I have a lot of friends here. I also like spotting people who have the city of Arlington logo tattooed on them, and it’s easier to spot those people here.

* tell us about your future plans? what sort of projects would you like to find yourself entangled with?

Well, I have a doctor appointment this Friday other than that I’m not completely sure. I’m not really good at coming up with future plans. Does that make me a bad colectivo futurist?

I’d like to be doing even more collaborative stuff with friends. I guess just more of the same stuff just on a grander scale.

View Comments by el colectivo futuro on September 2, 2010

filed in arte, colectivo futurists

tagged colectivo futurist, illustration, paul windle, texas, winners press, zines

everynone = making videos about everyone!

everynone is an LA & NY based boutique production company formed by will hoffman, daniel mercadante, and julius metoyer III. there is very little information on their website about the studio’s background, but regardless of their mysterious existence you should check out each and every single one of their people-inspired short films. recently, they created a wonderful short, titled “words” for WNYC’s podcast: radio lab. the 3 minute-long promo video is a captivating buildup of random life occurrences both good and bad.

also worth watching is their “everyone forever now” series. their main theme being “an examination of the collective wisdom and expression of human actions”. the three available installments; tanning, shooting a gun, and stoop sitting; can be seen below.

make sure you check out the rest of the crew’s films by going to their website. you can also follow them via twitter @madebyeverynone

View Comments by el colectivo futuro on August 28, 2010

filed in arte, film, lifestyle

tagged everynone, film, los angeles, new york, people, radio lab, video, wnyc

colectivo eats = martha’s vineyard!

Summer may constitute different things for different people, but as those exuding warm winds touch onto my small side of the world, my mind starts to wander into the gastronomic adventure that this blissful season brings… Buttery glazed grilled lobster, plump sweet belly fried clams, creamy rich clam chowder, or a perfectly seared succulent scallops.

I want you to follow me into a picturesque part of America, somewhere that may have well indeed been part of a Norman Rockwell painting. Martha’s Vineyard is an island just off the south of Cape Cod in New England. Once a prominent whaling town in the 19th century, it is now the quintessential summer retreat to those seeking a “true American experience.” Intertwined with rich history, this small island also holds a sumptuous score of delicious island fare.

One spot that continues to be a staple in my visits is Giordano’s Clam Bar in Oaks Bluffs. The lobster roll hits certain pivotal points on my palette that remind me why I keep coming back. Accompany this with half a pint of fried whole clams and you have set yourself up for the perfect island menu.

But my lobster fixation doesn’t end there. My hunt for the perfectly steamed crustacean delicacy leads me to the other side of the island in Menemsha. Larsen’s Fish Market boasts some of the best lobster on the whole Vineyard and arguably the United States. This small shack sits right on the harbor and seating is very primitive: plywood for tables and wooden stumps for chairs. But any discomfort melts away as soon as you start dipping that lobster meat into that melted butter… A true Vineyard experience! Just a word to the wise, make sure you hit up The Bite on your way down to Larsen’s for some of best fried clams and oysters the island has to offer.

Typically my first night on the Vineyard is reserved for dinner at Water Street in the Harbor View Hotel & Resort. The menu is broken down into small and large plates and consists of a delectable variety of fresh organic produce, farm-raised meats, and day boat seafood. The Grass-fed Steak Tartar is both tantalizing and beautifully presented, topped with an egg yolk, crispy potato, and black truffle: enough to build-up your appetite for the main course. There are many items that catch my eye (or stomach) like the Ricotta Gnudi with Forrest Mushrooms and Dante cheese, or Katama Farm Chicken with the pan gravy. But my visit to Water Street would be in vain if I did not order the Day Boat Scallops. These delicious cylindrical treats literally melt in your mouth and paired with the cauliflower puree, chorizo and shallot confit round out the dish quite nicely.

Though much of the fare on Martha’s Vineyard may consist of excellent seafood, there are places to go catch a good steak and even enjoy the beautiful weather with outdoor dining. Atlantic Fish & Chop House serves up some great cuts along with quality seafood. All meats are USDA Prime and supplied by famed Allen Brothers from Chicago. Some highlights include the Large Bone Veal Chop (14 oz.), Bone in Rib Eye (20 oz.), and a Marinated Kurabuto Pork Chop Apple Brined (16 oz.) served with an exquisite homemade applesauce. Throw in a side of hash browns, truffle french fries or even some roasted artichokes, and for the cherry-on-top, pair it all with a 2007 Pinot Noir, Matua, New Zealand and sensory overload will be in full effect.

Blueberries are in full bloom during the summer season and you can’t really miss it. A significant amount of blueberries are produced in the Northeastern part of the United States, especially all low bush blueberries. These delicious sweet fruits are dark and rich in color and taste amazing alone or in a pie. Which brings me to a must have treat… Eileen Blake’s Blueberry Pies! A pie lover and crusader for the best pies, Eileen’s really takes the gold statue. A roadside destination, this place has strictly been made famous by word of mouth. Make sure you bring your own ice cream in the car cause this pie won’t make it home whole.

Finally, what would a summer be without a greasy spoon diner, especially after a night of knocking back locally brewed Ales. Art Cliff’s Beach Road Frittata can revive any human soul from its boozed aftershock… Three scrambled farm fresh eggs over layered Yukon Gold Potatoes and Toast with Bacon, Tomato, Cabot Cheddar. Their breakfast sandwich of monolithic proportions presses farm fresh eggs, arugula, swiss cheese, and spinach between two perfectly toasted slices of brioche and may quite possibly induce a food coma (in a good way). But what would Art Cliff be if it weren’t for those savory sweet potato muffins with their very own maple butter. If you’re one of the lucky ones to catch these before they sell out then consider yourself just shy of winning the lottery because the exquisite muffins have put this joint on the map!

Though I have skimmed through some crucial eateries on the Vineyard, I have only begun to brush the surface of the amazing food that this tiny island has to offer. Summer brings sunshine and good weather (for the most part, if it weren’t for the rain), so indulge. And if you find yourself on this side of the world remember, you can never go wrong with local and freshly caught!

Gabriel Berthin (twitter: @gabrielberthin)

View Comments by gabe on August 22, 2010

filed in lifestyle

tagged colectivo eats, food, lifestyle, martha's vineyard, new england, summer

pepa prieto is a colectivo futurist!

this month’s colectivo futurist is none other than spanish-born, multi-faceted artist: pepa prieto. so far, pepa has plastered her unique drawings and designs for a host of clients, such as mtv neworks, moleskine, and los angeles based design studio, poketo. she recently spent some time living and working at the fountainhead residence in miami, a place that provides an environment where artists can work comfortably and focus on their talents. her drawings and paintings evolve in a curious little world where funky creatures and folky textures and colors coincide. make sure you read our interview with pepa below for an insight into what makes her fantastic mind tick…

PEPA PRIETO (Fine Arts, Madrid/New York)

website

* who is pepa prieto? what were your initial steps into the art world? how would you say your approach to art has evolved thru the years?

hello collective! I was born in Granada, a small city in the south of Spain surrounded by mountains, I soon went to live to england and since then I think my life has been marked by movement. Art has been for me one of the things I have enjoyed all my life, basically since I was a child. I think it takes me to a different place mentally and this is something I have always enjoyed… Then I decided to study Art so I went to college… and little by little I became a professional….

* where do you normally draw inspiration from? your current paint related output seems to revolve around similar characters, is there a storyline to them?

Inspiration comes from every little thing for me…… and yes my paintings could be defined as narrative, oneiric, or a mixture of figurativism and abstract…well ”I think” I am going more into abstract.. hahahhah! most of the time there is a story behind them, which is up to the spectator to interpret…….well hopefully they can read into them…

* your works have been selected in many different publications and you’ve worked with many different clients, which would you say have been the most important collaborations throughout your career?

It’s hard to say. I think everything has been really important in the evolution of my career; I know my words could sound stereotyped but for me it’s the truth. There is never one thing more important than the other… one complements the other and at the end they make the total….

* if you could soundtrack your work, what would you choose?

Of montreal, Cornellius, Tom Waits, Grizzly Bear, Ween, Dr Dog, Camaron de la Isla, Nick cave, and the song by Celia Cruz..”la vida es un carnaval”

* what is your favorite thing about living in Madrid-New York?

I love Madrid because my “familia” is sometimes “around” there, and I have a bunch of great friends.. I really like the sky of Madrid too… and I like N.Y because of the hudson river, my bike and the variety of incredible choices you have..it’s a big rainbow with lots of colors, I am making new great friends too!

* tell us about your future plans? what sort of work would you like to focus on?

I am putting all my effort into painting now. I just arrived from an artist residency in Miami and now I am painting in the studio in NY…. I am really focused in painting as it’s what I have always wanted to do and now I think is the right moment for me to really focus on it, enjoy it and start to work in that direction….

we’ll see how it goes, I am very excited!!

View Comments by el colectivo futuro on August 8, 2010

filed in arte, colectivo futurists

tagged granada, illustration, madrid, miami, new york, painting, pepa prieto, spain

tetsuya ishida = trapped in the machine!

tetsuya ishida was a japanese painter, born in 1973 in shizuoka. unfortunately for the arts world, he died prematurely in 2005 after a suspected suicide. the recurrent themes in his paintings were based around ordinary japanese life with a surreal twist: the usual main character, a self-portait of ishida, is either trapped inside some sort of machine or he’s part of a production line. perhaps he was making a statement about how mechanized and orderly japanese people behave in their society. his paintings clearly evoke despair and anxiety both through facial expressions and the bizarre settings where he places his characters.

tetsuya graduated from the musashino art university in tokyo. during his lifetime he won several awards and held various solo exhibitions in his home country, but as it usually happens with great artists, his work didn’t gain much attention across the world until after his death, with some of his paintings being sold at auctions for large sums of money.

you can check out most of the artist’s work via his official website, even though it’s in japanese, you should be able to browse around thru the images.