Tag: painting

ukiyo-e = floating japanese art!

western cultures are usually obsessed with japanese things, particularly food, cars, and technological gadgets. however, japanese art forms are in most cases overlooked or flat out ignored, except perhaps for origami, which became popular a few years ago. we recently came across a technique that became widely used in the 17th and 18th centuries, called moku hanga, which translates to woodblock printing. this technique had various sub-genres, the most famous of which was the ukiyo-e, or pictures of the floating world.

mostly, artists which engaged in the technique are very difficult to track, particularly because most of them adopted pseudonyms according to the school they belonged to; and in some cases apprentices would acquire the pseudonym of their masters once these had passed away. this approach, gives the impression that artists were more interested in spreading their art organically, without the need for big sums of money or fame. however, there are a few woodblock painters who became more renowned and thus highly profitable, such is the case of hiroshige and kunisada.

hiroshige

kunisada

below you can find a selection of some our other favorite ukiyo-e prints. for more info regarding this wonderful genre of japanese art, its history, and some of its main artists, check out this wikipedia entry.

No Comments by el colectivo futuro on March 1, 2011

filed in arte, illustration, painting

tagged art, hiroshige, illustration, japan, japanese prints, kunisada, painting, prints, ukiyo-e

cody hudson = struggl(inc.) for art!

cody hudson is a chicago based, all-purpose artist with a passion for clean, multi-dimensional graphics. he takes influence from old-school graphic designers, such as paul rand, bruno munari, and josef muller-brockmann. his work has been exhibited around the globe in several important outlets, such as the museum of contemporary art in chicago, rocket gallery in tokyo, or the lazy dog in paris. he has also worked with different clothing brands like stussy, nike, or sixpack france.

cody’s main endeavor takes the form of struggle inc., a commercial art house which takes cue from urban modernism and organic visual deconstruction. whatever that means, we are absolutely in love with his work. not only is cody entrenched with commercial projects, but he’s also open for public works, such as a permanent installation at the white sox/35th CTA station as part of the arts in transit program, which was commissioned by the city of chicago.

another facet of cody’s work takes form in his wood-based installations. he mostly uses different pieces of scrap wood, which he claims to find in a close-by dumpster in the neighborhood where he keeps his studio. we also dig his album cover pieces, particularly the one he did for the berg sans nipple, seen below.

it’s hard to find an artist who does one thing well, but cody seems to have no problem working with so many different clients and mediums. perhaps this is simply a way for him to remain interested in what he does; either way the man can do no wrong at the moment, and we can’t wait to see what he’s got up his sleeve next!

1 Comment by el colectivo futuro on November 12, 2010

filed in arte, design, illustration, painting

tagged chicago, cody hudson, graphic design, installations, painting, struggle inc.

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!!