Posts Tagged ‘painting’

Hired? Absolut-ly!

// September 28th, 2011 // View Comments // b-inspired, b-legendary, b-scene, featured

I think it’s fairly safe to say that everyone who has ever had a job interview will always remember THAT question.  And by this I mean the one that induces the sweating/stuttering/speechlessness resulting from the thought, ‘I really have no idea how to answer this’.

For me, this question was, ‘If you could hire any brand to represent you, which would it be and why?’ and my answer constituted a great deal of mumbling, several ‘ums’ and a fair few ‘ahhs’, before I came to the swift realisation that I would have to settle with a defeated smile and an attempt at some form of light-hearted humour.

If I were to be asked the question again now of course I would reply – with an air of smug self-satisfaction – that the brand would be Absolut Vodka (and no, it’s not because I am a university student and have a particular fondness for the product…)  

Why?

Absolut is…CREATIVE

As the tagline states, ‘It all starts with an Absolut Blank’ – but it is clear that Absolut’s newest marketing campaign did not stay that way for long.  Launched in July 2011, and comprising of 18 artist collaborations from a variety of different specialities including drawing, painting, print-making, film-making, sculpting and digital art, the Absolut Blank campaign seeks to ‘inspire artists all over the world by turning their iconic bottle into a blank canvas to be filled with creativity’.  Among the artworks are collage imagery by Mario Wagner, light installations by UVA, colourful graphic design by Aesthetic Apparatus, paintings by Dave Kinsey and mural work by Good Wives and Warriors.  Adam Boita, Marketing Manager at Pernod Ricard UK stated, ‘We brought together artist collaborators from a variety of disciplines and watched the journey from pure white canvas to exceptional pieces of art. The result depicts how artists and creativity are inspired through Absolut’. Watch the TV advert here.

Absolut is…INNOVATIVE

Last week, the company launched its free Absolut Blank app for iPhone 3GS, 4 and iPad2.  Using the camera and microphone, the app creates images and sounds inspired by the content that it has been fed with by the user – to produce an evolving piece of art.  The creation can then be uploaded to the Absolut Blank App Gallery and shared with friends on Facebook.  As Mark Hamilton, Global Marketing Director at Absolut, asserted, ‘The Absolut Blank app is both highly innovative and very addictive, it really changes your surroundings’. Want to see for yourself? Download it here and let us know what you think!

Absolut is…COMMITTED

This is not the first time Absolut has turned to artists when it comes to marketing campaigns. The company has a long history of dedication to contemporary art, with Andy Warhol (a teetotaller, he allegedly used Absolut as cologne!) being one of the first artists to paint for the brand in 1985.  According to Anna Malmhake, Vice President of Global Marketing, ‘It’s not about temporarily sponsoring something for one year, it’s 30 years of history’.  And, as a way of demonstrating this long-term commitment to creativity, the Absolut Art Award has been in existence since 2009.  Malmhake described the annual €30,000 prize as a small way for Absolut Vodka to show their gratitude to the world of contemporary art, presented to ‘an artist that we think is doing something really new and exciting and pushing the boundaries’.

It is at this point, of course, that I’m given a pat on the back by my interviewer for giving an excellent answer to such a tricky question.  Either that or I’m showed to the door and sent in the direction of Stockholm, the location of Absolut’s head office…

Looking for original artwork for your latest campaign like Absolut?  Submit a brief to the Creative Services Exchange today!

Keemo – The Simplicity

// May 13th, 2011 // View Comments // Uncategorized, b-loud, featured

Keemo is the artist behind the vibrant and engaging paintings of Keemo Gallery.  Working mainly in portraiture, he captures the moments, people and events that he encounters day-to-day.  His work offers the viewer a pleasurable simplicity through abstract shapes, dramatic colours and bold designs.  Keemo is a member of b-uncut and this week’s featured artist in the b-uncut “Special Exhibition” gallery.  His exhibition Pop! Death Wins at the Richard App Gallery opens today.

b-uncut: What was your very first artwork?

Keemo: I don’t really remember my first artwork. I have been making art for as long as I can remember. With that said, when I was younger I used to draw all of the time. You know, cars, football players, cartoons, transformers, things like that. I remember one drawing in particular that I was very proud of. It was a portrait of the quarterback of the Detroit Lions football team. I was very proud of it and was showing everyone. The quarterback looked quite realistic. Then I realized that I had wrote “Detroit Loins” on it. Now that I am older and think back to it. I like it even more.

b-uncut: Describe the one you love the most—why?

Keemo: The one? The “one” being, a person or a piece of art? If you mean person, than without a doubt, my wife, Aimee. As far as why, there are not enough words in my vocabulary to describe why. If it is a piece of art, then… that is a bit harder. I rarely fall in love with pieces of art that I create. For me it is all about the process of making art. That is the part that I love. Don’t get me wrong, there are many pieces that I like, just about every one of them. When it comes to love I usually fall in love with other people’s art.

b-uncut: What are your methods? Your inspirations?

Keemo: I am mainly inspired by the moments, events and people that I run into throughout the day. It could be anything from someone I see waiting at a bus stop or a friend or something I read or heard or just a daydream while sitting in front of the paints. My methods are actually quite simple. I work mainly with acrylic and ink and will paint on anything that I can. I usually outline with ink and then slather on the paints and then top off with ink. I love the acrylic and ink because I usually am working quite fast and need the fast drying properties to keep up with me.

b-uncut: What did it take to make it to where you are now?

Keemo: Work. It has taken a lot of work. I really shouldn’t refer to it in the past tense. It takes a lot of work. I try to paint 5 to 7 days a week and the business/promotion/shipping/communication side of it really is a 7 day a week job. Since, I am mainly a self-promoting artist, there is almost as much time promoting and my selling art as there is creating the artwork. I think the key to it all has been learning to not mix the creation side of art with the business side of art. When I am making art, that is all that matters to me. To be true to myself, I make the art that I want to make. However, when I am done making that art, I switch to the business side and focus on that. When I first started getting serious about selling my art, I found it hard to switch between the two and would try to conduct the business side with all the emotions of the artist side. It doesn’t work. It was was unhealthy as an artist and was not successful as a business. I know it sounds a bit clinical but it is what I have had to do to keep my love of creating art intact while trying to make a living as an artist.

b-uncut: Your paintings are vibrant, expressive, and emotionally complex—does your art define you? Or do you keep your professional life separate?

Keemo: Well, my goal as an artist has always been to create artwork that I think represents who I am. This is why partly why my artwork is often accompanied by a short story or poem. I always thought that if I am not being honest and open myself up in these paintings and stories, than there is no reason to really be doing all of this. If I am not doing this to express myself, than I might as well just go cut the grass or wash the car or take a sleeping pill. So, I suppose there is very little separation between my artwork and me.

b-uncut: If you were to design the ultimate dinner party, what 5 artists (dead or alive) would you include for stimulating conversation?

Keemo: David Lynch, Tom Waits, Henry Miller, Beethoven and Leonardo da Vince. I would also ask John Coltrane to supply the music.

b-uncut: Which museum would you like to exhibit your work?

Keemo: I don’t really have any particular museum that I am striving to get into. If there is a wall, I am happy to hang my work.

b-uncut: Your biggest (albeit endearing) flaw?

Keemo: Hmmmmm…. I suppose I work too much. Most evenings ends somewhere between 1:00 and 3:00 AM and as consequence I am always a bit tired.

b-uncut: Your parents advice you should have followed, but didn’t?

Keemo: They weren’t really the kind of people that gave advice. Shoot, I was the youngest of 6 kids, so by the time I came around my parents had their hands pretty full. They were pretty distracted and hands off. I will say though, that my mother led more by example. She never seemed to tell you what you should do but was a fantastic listener and helped you come to conclusions by helping you along your own path. (Even though I am sure my path at time was not always quite what she had hoped for me).

b-uncut: The superhero power you wish you had?

Keemo: The ability to live without the need for sleep.

b-uncut: Your least favorite interview question?

Keemo: Any question that contains words that end with -ism.

b-uncut: Where do you see yourself in…

One month? In the studio, pushing the paints.

One year? In the studio, pushing the paints.

One decade? In the studio, pushing the paints.

Museum Of Bad Art, Yes Really

// December 17th, 2010 // View Comments // Uncategorized

Have you ever been to an gallery and wondered how certain pieces were there in the first place? M.O.B.A has decided that even the worst art deserves its chance to shine…

The Museum of Bad Art has been dedicated to showcasing bad art since 1994. Its mission statement is simple: to bring the worst of art to the widest of audiences. The M.O.B.A operates as a website and three galleries in the Boston area of the U.S. The M.O.B.A’s collection spans almost 500 pieces, with exhibitions of 50 to 70 at a time. The only museum in the World dedicated to bringing the worst art to the widest of audiences, M.O.B.A claim to feel morally compelled to explore new, more creative ways of bringing  bad art to a global audience.

Starting out in the private basement of a house, M.O.B.A secured the use of a Boston-area cultural institution, the Dedham Community Theatre. Their first permanent gallery is located outside the men’s room in the 1927 movie theatre. They have since added the Somerville Theater in Somerville, Massachusetts to their repertoire of galleries.

Since securing the use of a third gallery, M.O.B.A has started an email newsletter called MOBA News, made a virtual gallery available on CD-ROM, and published a book called ‘Museum of Bad Art: Art Too Bad To Be Ignored.’

Check out the website of the art collective that wants you to give bad art a chance…


'We Love 77' Launch Party: Sardine & Tobleroni

// March 2nd, 2010 // View Comments // b-scene

Sardine & Tobleroni present 77 paintings of 77 different bands that epitomise PUNK in their Conceptual Art Brut style. Launch night was a charming reunion. Lot’s of fun; I’ve now got the chance to win Sardine’s 77 leather jacket with a £2 raffle ticket. Or was it £3, beers were only £1.50.

The casual affair had its ceremonies. Paintings were at a special price of £1977 till 10.30pm, no less than Don Letts on the decks, custom punk cocktails and an appropriately ragged speech by the artists. Nothing vicious happened like their last exhibition in Manchester where a fight broke out. It could be the mellowing effect of having two female curators or nostalgia has tipped the edge over la revolution.

The paintings are like record sleeves resonating a past activist romance. The cultural phenomena that spawned this work is a distant memory but from the crowded turnout there are still those carrying the punk torch.

There is a definite revolution in the presentation of their work. The ‘Launch Party’ far removed from the pretentious private view syndrome (PPVS) of East London. As the night moved into the latter half, spirits were high and the music playing to their kin, the paintings,  gave rise to an enjoyable atmosphere. PPVS couldn’t have suited the work and their solution created a noteworthy vision that is a refreshing undertaking for any gallery.

Photographs by Eduardo Barreiro.

'EYES ON THE CROWD' @b-uncut: ISSUE 1: Figurative February

// February 26th, 2010 // View Comments // Eyes on the Crowd

At the end of each month we will select a small number of artists to feature in our new publication, Eyes on the Crowd. These artists will also receive an invitation to sell their work in our curated gallery. This months theme is the figure and after much deliberation and debate here is the selection…

Click on the artists below to see more of their work:

Yael Zaken
Dmitriy Kedrin
Stephen Sheffield
John Sauve
Kurt La Quaglia