Get to know Dean O’Callaghan

Dan Arcus in his studio Dan Arcus is a Brussels-based contemporary artist. Having studied in Cluj, Romania, he draws inspiration not only from cinema and books but as well from news and social media. In his elaborate compositions he often depicts historical subjects taking part in imaginary scenes. His work invites the viewer to question reality. 1. Where do you live right now? I live in an apartment in Brussels, Belgium, and my studio is downstairs. 2. Where do you look for inspiration? My inspiration comes from a great variety of sources: cinema and books, television but also news, social media, and online archives. My concepts are generated by processing all the information I access. Very often it comes as a subtle irony or prediction of the outcomes of the ridiculous, the absurd, the ignorance, and the arrogance of our society. DAN ARCUS, Figure Study AV 3. How do you see the role of figuration in contemporary art? Since the "liberation" of the art market facilitated by the online, many of the aesthetic or conceptual codes have been adjusted to a more inclusive selection of artists, more accessible to the general public, and less interested in the complexity of the artistic process or pretentious conceptual explorations. For any market, the role of the public is essential. Most people receive an aesthetic education from nature, quotidian images, cinema, television, and maybe a brief encounter with very famous old masters during school years. Therefore, the emotional impact of an artwork depends, in many cases, on the viewers’ ability to interpret an image through the familiar aesthetic codes that they are familiar with. “Figuration” in contemporary art takes many forms and develops on different levels of accurate representation of the surrounding reality, hence the ability to provoke an emotional response, a debate, or a review, through content that is familiar to a larger part of society. Due to this principle, a higher interest in figurative art is generated, therefore a higher demand for it. On the other hand, the same wide market continues to appreciate and choose abstract art for its decorative role of an interior and for the neutrality of the conceptual or symbolic interpretations of that image. In many cases, abstract art becomes the "safe" choice. Figurative art facilitates the communication of philosophical ideas, making them accessible to a large part of society, and can be a very powerful tool for information dissemination. The role of figuration in contemporary art is not very different from what it used to be in the past. It continues to inform, educate, stimulate emotions, and to question. It also generates technological development and the exploration of artistic processes or the science behind them. It remains essential in the basic training of any professional artist. DAN ARCUS, Ritualic gestures I, II and V 4. How would you describe the relationship between art and society? Is society reflected in art? First of all, art is for society! In any shape, art is made for people and its ultimate purpose should be considered in relation to society. (I exclude the artistic manifestations of other species since I don't think it is relevant here). Last year has brought to the public’s attention the concept of "essential occupations". When the majority declares art as unessential and easy to discard in case of an ultimate survival test for humanity, they ignore the fact that artists are part of the creation of almost everything man-made. Can anyone imagine a society without music, literature, cinema, television, fashion, design, architecture, etc?! Can anyone imagine how the screen of a smartphone would look without the design team to shape the product, the user interface, and so on? How about surviving through the pandemic without Netflix? :P Joke aside, probably no species need art to survive, but humanity does! So art and society are so strongly intertwined that separating one from another would be like separating the structure of a building from the building itself. The building would collapse and the structure, even if it still stands, would lose its purpose. DAN ARCUS, The Evaluators, detail 5. How do you choose the topics of your artistic explorations? My artistic exploration develops in two directions - the psychological impact of the image and the technical means to achieve an emotional response. The topics I choose are usually related to my perception of contemporary society and the increasingly finer line between what reality is and what we are told it is. We are experiencing in recent years unprecedented uncertainty over what is real and what is fabricated and ultimately what is good or wrong. Many of us feel the need to escape the pressure, to navigate and discern through the jungle of information. The topics I choose are either related to observing the society’s reaction to this phenomenon or create a refuge in an alternate reality with possible metaphorical interpretations that would invite contemplation or meditation. 6. How relevant is your heritage for your art? I cannot determine precisely how much my Romanian heritage has influenced my artistic production or if it plays an essential role. Of course, much of who I am today was formed during the years I grew up, through the education I received in Romania. I probably include unconsciously in the artistic process aspects of my culture but in my work, I’m not determined by any cultural, ethnic, or geographical boundaries. I like to believe that I am first a citizen of planet Earth, then of Europe, and only then of Romania and Belgium. So my cultural heritage is probably as important as this order suggests. DAN ARCUS Fish Tank 7. What is your main medium? Are you looking to explore other media in the future? I work mainly in oil and pastel but I do a lot of experimentation with inks, pencils, acrylics, etc. I am enhancing my digital skills in order to develop relevant media. I am as well flirting with 3D software so I could explore 3D printing and sculpture. 8. Any thoughts on social media and art? Social media is a reality. Whether some dispute it and others embrace it, everybody should agree that it is a powerful tool of information dissemination. That being said, I cannot think of a better contemporary channel for increasing visibility for art. 9. What else we should know about you? Even though I am not that much in touch with the fashion world anymore, from time to time I like to take on different projects that give me a reason to put myself up to date with the latest pulse of this domain, and of course, it is always very nice to see people wearing something I’ve created. Discover more art by Dan Arcus by checking his profile on RtistiQ.

RtistiQ

15 Sep 2021

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Claire Denarie depicts quiet moments: serene portraits; a tranquil woodland path; a woman lounging on a chair. From Pink Elephants to Charlie Chaplin’s and Coco Chanels. However, the colors are more intense than in reality, while the compositions are so tightly framed that they become dynamic, and the portrait subjects never reveal all to the viewer. Soffietti’s figures have secrets and hint at an interior world within the picture frame. It is her wonderfully palpable painting style and bold color choice that makes the 2D picture world seem more real than our very own. Get up close and personal with Claire Danerie. Tell us a little bit about your background and why you chose to be an artist? I didn’t choose to be an artist, I always painted as a need. Rationally, I studied law to give myself a chance in the world. Too many starving artists around to even entertain the thought of becoming one... yet, insidiously, painting crawled back into my life uncontrollably. I paint because I was put on earth to create, I think, and my four children are the living testimony of my craving for creativity. I waffle with my hands all day long, hiding and secretly hoping someone will get my message in a bottle. Your artworks always give the viewers a feeling of stories unfolding right in front of their eyes. How important is sharing an experience or memory in your creative process? Of course, paintings are part of a story. They have a beginning and an end and they initiate and finish beyond the canvas. They are the reflection of a thought, a deed, the memory of an event which took place in a far, far away land, buried deep inside. Again, I create hoping someone will understand the meaning of the vision but ultimately, it makes little difference as the process is unconditional; I shall paint whether viewers like it or not because it is beyond me. Of course, I crave recognition and I need acknowledgement (nobody likes talking to themselves) but I don't really need validation. I paint in the hope I will give someone joy but I also understand that my work doesn't have to speak to everybody and it's okay. The communion is instant and everlasting. The world has just become a better place. My culture also naturally greatly impacts the way I paint. I'm inevitably a product of my upbringing. I am fundamentally an impressionist at heart. What lingers and stays like a good wine long after the sip, is what I'm after. The message is delivered to the senses, the heart and soul are vibrating in communion. Tell us about the textures in your paintings. Le Chant De La Cigale, 2020, Acrylic on canvas Growing Love, 2021, Acrylic on canvas No matter the subject, I build a landscape, a "skin" with an average of 9 coats. Zoom in on any of my paintings and you'll understand. All my works have veins or scars running between the canvas and their subjects . What you call texture is for me a living organism which is paramount to the finished entity. Texture gives life. This is where I spend a great deal of time: the life support of the painting. For a skin to be strong and healthy, I need the natural fiber (100% Cotton Duck or linen stretched preferably on a large canvas). Then, the elasticity is given by the oil or the Acrylics. The alchemy is provided with the addition of ingredients such as oil pastels, dry chalks, ink or any medium that seems appropriate at the time. I have no shame, nor pride and I never feel the urge to justify the purity of my sources. Who are your biggest influencers? The French impressionists are a significant influence due to my childhood. Colours are everything to me (after texture). Colours give me goosebumps, they make my heart sing and trigger all my senses. A sad day becomes joyful just at the thought of colours. My pulse goes through the roof at the simple glance of a Gaugin. Lautrec is strength. Vlaminck, contrasts, Matisse, simplicity. Derain, joy. Picasso, the absence of boundaries, Van Gogh all the above reunited, plus vulnerability. I am also very much a fauvist at heart because of their use of colours. This fabulous movement survived from 1904 to 1908 before it got engulfed by new fashionable trends. The fauvists linked directly colours to impressions and they remain formidable in my book. How has your practice changed over time? Form used to matter, I wanted people to laugh out of an excess of despair and my subjects were grotesque. I was trying to depict human nature and that's all that mattered. With time, I became more demanding (with myself), less tolerant too. The mission became: progress, be better, search for honesty, don't settle, you can do better. My subjects changed, they became less amusing but more profound. The metamorphosis slowly took place and the real journey began. I was a painter for the long run. How do you set yourself apart from other artists within your space? Simple. I don’t compare. Everyone has been placed on this earth to create and do what they need to do. I rave and recognise how incredible artists around me are. I am also very much aware that it is the alchemy of all these qualities together that make an artist and we all have our forte. Personally, I only hope that no one paints like me, for better or for worse. Sartre once said, "I am the king of the perception of my world."

RtistiQ

27 Oct 2021

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With the excitement of the Summer Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 still fresh in our memory and the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 just around the corner, Japan is still on our minds. Unfortunately, we were not able to cheer live for our favorite athletes or to get lost in translation on Tokyo’s vibrant streets, but nothing stops us from discovering more about the unique Japanese history, culture, and art. Because of its long isolation as an island nation, Japan’s history overflows with one-of-a-kind perspectives and unique cultural forms. That independent streak makes Japanese art an always exciting realm of new experiences and fresh ideas. Over the 20th century, Japanese artists also began leading the pop art blend of mainstream fare with a critical artistic lens, while often embedding a rich mixture of themes and nods to historical legacy. Despite Japan’s incredible cultural output, many people around the world are not nearly as familiar with artists from the nation as they should be. Below, we’ve put together a list of five Japanese artists you should know. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and it’s in no particular order. This is a quick stroll through Japanese visual art, something to get you started on your own journey of discovery. 1. Mariko Mori Courtesy Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami Mariko Mori (1967) is an artist known for work in many fields, including: sculpture, digital art, and photography. Her oeuvre is filled with futuristic visions embedded with a profound influence from Japanese history. Her work plays with imaginative worlds and space-age forms, and the end result is always ethereal and mysterious. Some of Mori’s pieces are particularly sweeping in scope. Primal Rhythm saw her place sculptures in a bay, standing above the water in haunting silence. One, Sun Pillar, is a transparent sculpture that juts out of a large rock. Beside it in the water is Moon Stone, an orb that changes its color depending on the tide. While the shapes and material appear futuristic, they collaborate with the natural environment. It’s both beautiful and poignant, and it gives us an opportunity to rethink the way we interact with the world around us. Mori’s profile has steadily risen since the 1990s, and for good reason. She continues to explore new methods while staying true to the conceptual depth and attention to form that have made her work an integral part of contemporary art. 2. Yuko Mohri Copyright Yuko Mohri Yuko Mohri (1980) is an installation artist who recombines items from our day-to-day life into what she calls “ecosystems.” These installations often seem perilously balanced. Mohri includes sound and narrative as well, often telling stories through Rube Goldberg-like contraptions. In Moré Moré (Leaky), the artist made visual riffs on the use of buckets and plastic to catch leaking rain water that she saw in a subway station. Many of her pieces focus on the relationship between the human built world and the natural world. But the work is never overly ponderous. Often, the installations create a sense of fun. 3. Takashi Murakami Copyright Takashi Murakami Takashi Murakami (1962) is one of the most controversial artists in the contemporary scene. His anime-influenced sculpture and design have become the center of massive debates in the art world. Plus, his forays into commercial work have made him more popular than ever among fashionistas while angering art world purists. Murakami describes his style as “superflat,” a term he also used for postwar Japanese culture as a whole. Aesthetically, the term refers to Japan’s legacy of 2D art with little use of perspective. But societally, it points to the reduction of class influence on Japan. Today, Murakami asserts, the differences between high and low culture have flattened out into a single plane. Murakami has done everything from an anime-character sculpture show at Versaille, album covers for the likes of Kanye West, and hypebeast fashion crossover designs with Supreme. His flower motif is world famous, appearing on Louis Vuitton bags and jewelry worn by hip hop artists. It’s become a kind of calling card for the rebel. Today, he devotes a large amount of his time cultivating the careers of young Japanese artists while still making art that destroys our notion of high and low culture. 4. Yoshitomo Nara Courtesy Wikipedia Yoshitomo Nara (1959) is a sculptor and painter who creates images of childhood with an unsettling undercurrent of horror. His subject matter is very consistent, but it is through this steady stream of similar images that he’s been able to communicate so effectively. His characters, children with cartoonishly large eyes, are often engaged in naughty behavior, a rebelliousness that matches the artist’s own. Nara constantly subverts the nostalgia of childhood while still evoking it. The effect is a strange blend of the cute and concerning. Nara is closely associated with another member of this list, Murakami, as both a contemporary and as a fellow traveller in the superflat school. But while Murakami is in a pitched battle between the high and low, Nara is much more focused on the expression of genuine human emotion. In 2020, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art held a retrospective of Nara’s work spanning 36 years. The major event has helped boost his recognition outside of Japan. A well-earned honor 5. Yasumasa Mormura Copyright Yasumasa Mormura Yasumasa Mormura(1951) is a master of parody and humorous counterfeiting. But while many of his pieces are great fun, his career has an undercurrent of serious critique at its heart. Mormura’s pieces appropriate the great works of Western art and other iconic images, inserting his own photography into them. The works are strangely shocking. We are so used to the Mona Lisa, we feel at home within its frame. And then to see it changed into a self portrait of Mormura himself turns everything on its head. It’s a confrontation with the dominance of Western culture throughout the world. It subverts not only our expectation of a given painting, but our expectation of Western art as the source of all great masterpieces. In this way, Mormura is something of a punk rock artist. His themes of identity and imperialism are incredibly relevant to our times. That is why, late in his career, Mormura is still able to command attention for his important work. Asian art is more popular than ever, and collecting them is a fascinating hobby that can enrich your life through beauty, culture and education. Learn why you should start collecting Asian Art today.

RtistiQ

26 Aug 2021

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Anna Laifalight - Digital artist since 2009. Based in Kyiv, Ukraine. RtistiQ: What is your current situation Anna? Anna: From the very beginning of the war on February 24, my family decided to stay in Kyiv. But, on the 21st day of the war, I moved with my daughter to a quieter area in western Ukraine to my parents since there were explosions in our district and a large nine-story residential building was damaged not far from the house where we live in Kyiv. My husband and many other families with children still remain in their homes in Kyiv, and constantly testify about the explosions. RtistiQ: Explain more about your art. Anna: I mainly create digital art in Adobe Illustrator. That’s why it is easy for me to take everything necessary for it with me to another place: my laptop, my wacom tablet and an external hard drive. I have been working as a digital artist since 2009. My first collaboration as an artist was with stock agencies such as Shutterstock, Creative market, Adobe stock. Lately I saw that my artworks were used around the Globe in different projects, including many commercial ones. Some of them you can be seen here: https://www.laifalight.com/custom-design . I started to get freelance orders for art from different countries from time to time. In 2020 I launched my own site https://laifalight.com where I decided to represent only exclusive artworks. Although I have never arranged personal exhibitions, I found my art printed on canvases, book covers, murals, paper glasses, and textiles worldwide. "The series of beautiful streets with fashion people '' has become my "visit card" and has been created by me in my own way since 2010. RtistiQ: What do you think of NFTs? Anna: The use of the technology (NFT / Blockchain) provides a great opportunity for fairness to the authors, as this will help to avoid theft of digital works. Thank you for supporting artists from Ukraine in such a difficult time of the war. Our country and people are in great need of support.

RtistiQ

08 Apr 2022

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Claire Denarie depicts quiet moments: serene portraits; a tranquil woodland path; a woman lounging on a chair. From Pink Elephants to Charlie Chaplin’s and Coco Chanels. However, the colors are more intense than in reality, while the compositions are so tightly framed that they become dynamic, and the portrait subjects never reveal all to the viewer. Soffietti’s figures have secrets and hint at an interior world within the picture frame. It is her wonderfully palpable painting style and bold color choice that makes the 2D picture world seem more real than our very own. Get up close and personal with Claire Danerie. Tell us a little bit about your background and why you chose to be an artist? I didn’t choose to be an artist, I always painted as a need. Rationally, I studied law to give myself a chance in the world. Too many starving artists around to even entertain the thought of becoming one... yet, insidiously, painting crawled back into my life uncontrollably. I paint because I was put on earth to create, I think, and my four children are the living testimony of my craving for creativity. I waffle with my hands all day long, hiding and secretly hoping someone will get my message in a bottle. Your artworks always give the viewers a feeling of stories unfolding right in front of their eyes. How important is sharing an experience or memory in your creative process? Of course, paintings are part of a story. They have a beginning and an end and they initiate and finish beyond the canvas. They are the reflection of a thought, a deed, the memory of an event which took place in a far, far away land, buried deep inside. Again, I create hoping someone will understand the meaning of the vision but ultimately, it makes little difference as the process is unconditional; I shall paint whether viewers like it or not because it is beyond me. Of course, I crave recognition and I need acknowledgement (nobody likes talking to themselves) but I don't really need validation. I paint in the hope I will give someone joy but I also understand that my work doesn't have to speak to everybody and it's okay. The communion is instant and everlasting. The world has just become a better place. My culture also naturally greatly impacts the way I paint. I'm inevitably a product of my upbringing. I am fundamentally an impressionist at heart. What lingers and stays like a good wine long after the sip, is what I'm after. The message is delivered to the senses, the heart and soul are vibrating in communion. Tell us about the textures in your paintings. Le Chant De La Cigale, 2020, Acrylic on canvas Growing Love, 2021, Acrylic on canvas No matter the subject, I build a landscape, a "skin" with an average of 9 coats. Zoom in on any of my paintings and you'll understand. All my works have veins or scars running between the canvas and their subjects . What you call texture is for me a living organism which is paramount to the finished entity. Texture gives life. This is where I spend a great deal of time: the life support of the painting. For a skin to be strong and healthy, I need the natural fiber (100% Cotton Duck or linen stretched preferably on a large canvas). Then, the elasticity is given by the oil or the Acrylics. The alchemy is provided with the addition of ingredients such as oil pastels, dry chalks, ink or any medium that seems appropriate at the time. I have no shame, nor pride and I never feel the urge to justify the purity of my sources. Who are your biggest influencers? The French impressionists are a significant influence due to my childhood. Colours are everything to me (after texture). Colours give me goosebumps, they make my heart sing and trigger all my senses. A sad day becomes joyful just at the thought of colours. My pulse goes through the roof at the simple glance of a Gaugin. Lautrec is strength. Vlaminck, contrasts, Matisse, simplicity. Derain, joy. Picasso, the absence of boundaries, Van Gogh all the above reunited, plus vulnerability. I am also very much a fauvist at heart because of their use of colours. This fabulous movement survived from 1904 to 1908 before it got engulfed by new fashionable trends. The fauvists linked directly colours to impressions and they remain formidable in my book. How has your practice changed over time? Form used to matter, I wanted people to laugh out of an excess of despair and my subjects were grotesque. I was trying to depict human nature and that's all that mattered. With time, I became more demanding (with myself), less tolerant too. The mission became: progress, be better, search for honesty, don't settle, you can do better. My subjects changed, they became less amusing but more profound. The metamorphosis slowly took place and the real journey began. I was a painter for the long run. How do you set yourself apart from other artists within your space? Simple. I don’t compare. Everyone has been placed on this earth to create and do what they need to do. I rave and recognise how incredible artists around me are. I am also very much aware that it is the alchemy of all these qualities together that make an artist and we all have our forte. Personally, I only hope that no one paints like me, for better or for worse. Sartre once said, "I am the king of the perception of my world."

RtistiQ

27 Oct 2021

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Dean O’Callaghan is an Australian artist and educator. After decades of juggling between the two careers, he is now a full-time artist. His very well defined minimalist geometric abstract style has brought him a well-deserved recognition. His art has been part of numerous exhibits in Australia and are now part of private collections. Get to know Dean and find out what are his current projects and plans. 1. Where do you live? I live and work from my studio in Moora, a rural Western Australian town around 187km north of the city of Perth. 2. Tell us a bit about you and your artistic career? I Studied Fine Arts and I took an Education Degree course at Curtin University of Technology and graduated with a Bachelor of Education with distinction in 1990. In 1983, I became a member of the Western Australian Contemporary Art Society and from 1987 to 1988, was elected president of the Society. During this time, I participated in many mixed exhibitions at various galleries in Perth and Fremantle. I have held three pivotal solo exhibitions in 1995, 99 and 2019. I lectured part time in visual arts in Technical and Further Education Colleges in Western Australia. Art by Georgia O’Keeffe,Alexander Rodchenko and Patrick Wilson 3. What are the biggest sources of your inspiration? I’m inspired by modern and contemporary architecture found in New York, Singapore, Melbourne, and Perth. I love Georgia O’Keeffe’s cityscapes paintings, the New York-based artist Gary Petersen and I follow Californian artist Patrick Wilson. I admire the work of Russian artists and photographers such as El Lissitzky, Alexander Rodchenko and Arkady Sjaichet. Another constant source of inspiration are the rural landscapes of Western Australia. 4. Is there a single work, a project that is pivotal in your career? Solo exhibition in 2019 was a pivotal moment in the development of my minimalist style. 5. Could you please describe your creative process? I like to work through a process of exploring ideas using digital drawing tools. From there I transfer my design to canvas using a grid method. I mask up the canvas and apply an underpainting for each hue using a brush and follow up with final applications of color using either spray or brush techniques. By using this underpainting and spray technique, I feel that I have the option to allow subtle color variations to come through. It also provides a strong base for any final spray application. Once I have my areas of color completed, I apply line work which provides another dimension to my work. 6. What is behind the pictorial language of geometric abstraction? With my work based on architectural forms, I was looking to simplify, and to minimize the forms down to their basic shapes. Building facades, windows etc. were all treated in flat areas of colors and I became particularly interested in the Deconstructive architecture style developed in the 1980’s. With the work I produced based on rural landscapes, the geometric shapes and color were directly influenced by the shapes of fields, the color of various crops over a growing season, and road networks crisscrossing the landscape. From the beginning of 2021, I decided to take out diagonal lines and shapes and use only vertical and horizontal lines and shapes. I felt a sense of calm contemplation coming through my paintings and I became interested in using tonal variations and lines to create depth within my paintings. Enter Stage Left, 2021, Acrylic on canvas Summer Nights, 2021, Acrylic on canvas 7. In addition to being an artist you are an art educator, what advice would you give to a young artist? Having lectured in visual arts for many years, my advice to young artists is to be true to yourself. Although it is important to take influences from other artists, contemporary as well as historically, always aim to explore ways you can bring this into your own experiences and cultural heritage. Contemporary art is not about a style. It is more about what the concept is and how you use techniques and media to communicate your concept. 8. What are you working on right now? I continue to work on my paintings based on abstract minimalist forms. While I have been fortunate to have work shown on platforms such as RtistiQ, I am looking forward to an opportunity to exhibit my work in either a Singapore or European art gallery in 2022-23. 9. How did the pandemic affect your creative process? I am very fortunate to be living and working in Western Australia which has been on the most part, free from Covid 19 lockdowns. Recently my paintings have developed a Covid 19 theme but mostly, my creativity continues as normal. However, travelling internationally or indeed within Australia has led to a couple of cancelations to prominent art fairs. Arrival, 2020, Acrylic on canvas Outward Bound, 2020, Acrylic on canvas 10. Any thoughts on social media and art? Social media has provided an excellent way to get feedback from people from around the world. It’s also a way to get noticed and develop networking opportunities with galleries and art fair directors. 11. What else should we know about you? I have undertaken collaborative work with the Moora Indigenous community with the most recent being a mural at the town speedway. Learn more about the project here. Discover more art by Dean O’Callaghan by checking his profile on RtistiQ.

RtistiQ

13 Oct 2021

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