THINGS I LOVE ABOUT AMERICA.......cont.

Fucking Great Big Cities that have sprung up out of nowhere!: Just look at these places. You have to bear in mind that these cities were just settlements, or townships as recently as 100 years ago, and have been built on optimism, with optimistic investments and the sweat and labour of immigrants hoping for a better life in America. Nowhere else in the world has such a large and powerful infrastructure been built in such a short time on nothing but a dream: The American Dream.

The Crime Movie: I can't imagine a world without such movies as Pulp Fiction and The usual suspects. The cinematography, crazy plots and mixed up timelines were somethings that spoke to me from my early teens. Going back earlier than the 90's to films like 'North By Northwest' and 'Cape Fear', it is the same mix of style and casual violence that makes the American Crime Thriller my favourite genre of film.

The Graphic Novel: There was a very low point in my life where the only reading and looking at artwork I did was in the form of the graphic novel/comic. Thank FUCK for the graphic novel I say!! It was Writers Like Ryan Carey and Warren Elliss and artists like Peter Gross and John cassaday that may have saved my life.........may? ok, they did! Many of the artists and writers I like are actually english/british, but they couldn't do what they do without the genre in general as it is.

THINGS I LIKE/LOVE ABOUT AMERICA (bear in mind some of these things will appear in dislikes as well)

Music: Stone Temple Pilots, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Audioslave, Elvis and Rock n Roll in general, The blues, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Bon Jovi, The Animals, Guns n Roses, Scott Weiland, Chris Cornell, Zakk Wylde, Johnny Cash.

I hate this soooo much, but my classmates seem to love it, so I'm gonna embrace it for the purposes of this blog. Look out for it in my 'Things I hate.......' blog

Food: I can't help it, and I would love to say I didn't, but I do LOVE the occasional Macdonals, KFC and Pizza Hut. Above is what I might look like if I didn't have some self controll. Sexy? The whole Texican BBQ thing is a winner for me also



                                      

Look at the state of this, so shit but at the same time you gotta love it for its barefaced, material wasting, gas guzzling, pointlessness and its unashamed brashness

Shameless Brashness: I love the way alot of Americans are bred to show off. usually in the most classless and cheesy way, but because of this rather than inspite of it, it gets a thumbs up from me.

Area 51

                                         http://www.illuminati-news.com/0/ignored911.htm

Conspiricacy Theories: The best Conspiricary theories seem to surround US events, and the most fanciful theories seem to gain some credence in the states. Wether I buy into these or not, it doesn't matter, they're very entertainig and sometimes make me go...'hmmmmmmmm?' Is Elvis still alive? hmmmmmmmm?

The Great Outdoors: Need I say anything?

ARE ESSAYS A DISTRACTION DESIGNED TO TAKE OUR MINDS OFF PRODUCING WORKS OF GRAPHIC DESIGN AND A MEANS IN WHICH TO ALLOW STUDENTS WITH NO REAL CRAFT/DESIGN/ART SKILLS A CHANCE TO PROGRESS THROUGH THE YEARS OF AN ART/DESIGN DEGREE THUS JUSTIFYING INFLATED FEE'S AND GOVERMENT FUNDING WITH BETTER(?) GRADES? DISCUSS

Below is the bit where you can tell me I am out of order or not.

Lies, lies, lies....he was a tax inspector in Twat, USA

The late Kirsty Mcoll, with what I can now verify as mere speculation.

THE KING IS DEAD......LONG LIVE THE........oh hang on, he really is dead now!!

What would you say if, after more than thirty years you found out that Elvis hadn't been dead at all, just merely living in a small town called Twat, Indiana, USA, working as a Tax inspector?

Then how would you feel if the way you found this out was being called to the scene of a crime to collect evidence, and finding that Elvis WAS dead now.......Like properly dead this time.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.................................................................

(I'm)...........STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK.........hmmmmmm, hang on?........nope! still STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCK STUCKETTY STUCK STUCK

James Dodds.............JEEPERS!!

 Lino Cut

 Wood Cut

 Wood and Lino cut

A friend of mine sent me this link earlier in response to mine and Hannah's Lino Cut illustrations. I was vaguely aware of his work in the form of quirky local interest books, but had more or less forgotten about him whilst I have been trying to find a wood and lino cut artist locally that I think is awesome. I have now found (rediscovered) one!! His lines are so strong and definate, and the inverse white deatil on black shapes really helps with the power of these. I much prefere the 'inverse' effect in lino cuts, and had been aiming for that effect in most of my last lino cuts. I think I need to be more brave next time and maybe illustrate into the lino, taking into account the way it will work when printed, rather than transfering an image I have allready done onto the lino and cutting along the lines. I think it will translate better that way. I remember having certain issues, where something works fine in a line drawing, but when it came to turning that into a series of cuts and grooves, it just didn't translate.  

James Dodds also does books and paintings which are well worth a look.

http://www.jardinepress.co.uk/index.html

Meh!...............wish I was at Somerset House for 'Pick Me Up'

Because I can't go to Pick Me Up today I thought I'd take a little look at some of the artists showing their work there this year.


ANTHONY BURRILL:

 I LOVE his tri-tonal simplicity in the above 3 pieces. Black/red/white is deffo a favourite of mine at the moment anyway, but i find myself being more and more drawn to the starkness and simplicity of designers/artists such as Burrill. Often a strong use of type (which I find a little daunting as a designer) and more often than not a use of simple geometric shapes.

Coming into Graphic Media as an illustartor and someone who had never consiously designed anything let alone used bold type and mathematical shapes as their design, I'm suprised at how i'm starting to be able to think along these lines if the brief calls for it.

This last Burrill Image is last years poster (and general design) for the look of the exhibition. It really worked on the very large scale, (on hoardings in the foyer and stairways as well as the courtyard) and in small scale on things such as post cards, mini guides etc..... I hadn't actually realised it was an Anthony Burrill design untill months afterwards though!!

(via Pick Me Up website) For his ten day studio residency at Pick Me Up designer Anthony Burrill has invited long-time collaborators to join him in creating new work across different media. In addition to various special guests, Burrill will hold a daily fanzine session where members of the public can participate in making collages which will later be photocopied into a zine. For the last two days of the fair, No Days Off will join Burrill in the studio to work on Top 40 which will see them using various collage elements to customize 40 charity shop-bought album sleeves. The finished sleeves will be offered as a raffle prize. Music and film will feature when video artists Paul Plowman and Zac Ella document the open studio and performances by Burrill’s band Späce Rock.
Entrance to the Open Studio is included in your Pick Me Up ticket.

ANGRY the ANT limited run "BOOK and PRINTS" edition

Hard cover childrens book 'ANGRY the ANT' and 10 original lino prints presented in a hard case made from recylcled materials. £100

ANGRY the ANT: A Childrens Book.

ANGRY the ANT  (J and M publishing 2011) Childrens book created using lino cut prints and letter press type, printed on uncoated paper and bound in a cloth covered hardcase with silk finish dust cover.

BOOK: £15 (on its own)
ORIGINAL PRINTS: £75 (set of ten A4 size)
LIMITED EDITION BOOK AND PRINTS: £100 (presented in de-bossed presentation case)

Illustrations: Adam Merchant and Hannah Parry

Layout and design: Adam Merchant

Bookbinding: Adam Merchant

Type-setting: Carey-Ann Gladwell and Perry Martin

Printing: Design and print intergration, UK.

A short video courtesy of 'colgraphicm3dia' youtube channel