3 questions: nick vargas
Q: What’s exciting you in tattooing right now?
A: I like that more artist from art school art getting into tattooing. It’s no longer just bikers, even though I like that, that elements is still involved in tattooing. I also like that tattoo artist are venturing out and trying other art forms….
Q: There’s seems to be a clear + distinct difference in style between your tattoos + paintings, how come?
A: I have always been somewhat of a painter, even before tattooing. I just love other styles of art, such as folk art. I love to push myself and think of more things than just tattooing, and how a design would look on the skin. I love to just sit down draw images as flat and dorky as I can and just make things.
Q: What’s your connection with Russian iconography?
A: Russian iconography is my love. It’s super folky and it has alot of tattoo elements in it…I try to push myself and paint in other ways, but Russian images are where my heart is.
Check out some of Nick’s work after the jump!
Every Wednesday we sit down (briefly) with a talented artist + ask them 3 questions.
If you’re an artist + you’d like to be grilled, email me at questions@hardfeelingsblog.com
niels kalk
An illustrator by trade, Dutch artist Niels Kalk also dabbles in collage + he’s pretty damn good at it. His sense of humor is spot on + the distorted reality he creates with his collages are LOL inducing. Dog in a track suit smoking a cigarette? Check.
I asked Niels what he gets out of collage as compared to illustration + this is what he had to say:
I see the collages more as free expression. From a pile of books or magazines, the images just come to me. With my illustrations I work the other way around. I start with a concept/text, from there I sketch down all the ideas I can think of…I also use the collages for finding new shapes + fresh ideas for my drawings + paintings. The satisfaction I get out of collage is the constant surprise of all the images that appear before your eyes. It almost feels like an addictive form of therapy.
shop visit: bailey works
I’m going to assume a good portion of you dear readers ride bikes because a) riding bikes is awesome + b) it’s awesome. Enough said. I’ll further guess that you bike riding citizens know the name Bailey Works because a) they’ve been producing handmade amazing bags since the 90’s + b) you need a dependable bag (that doesn’t look stupid) to tough out the mean streets.
You might remember I posted a review of a collaboration between Bodega, I.F. + Bailey Works a little while back? Well, luckily, BW is local + I was able to set up a little behind-the-scenes tour. Jon, the owner, was kind enough to have me in, show me some amazing prototypes he’s working on (GET PUMPED) + talk shop for a couple of hours. As a city cyclist + a fan of most things handmade, durable and good looking, I was excited to say the least.
I thought some of you might be excited too to take a look behind the counter at the Bailey Works operation. Because, remember, bike’s are awesome. Good bags are awesome. And handmade, local bags you can wear while you ride your awesome bike are…doubly awesome. I hope y’all enjoy the shop visit!
grzegorz kowalczyk
Grzegorz Kowalczyk is a 23 year old student from Poland who just kills it with his pen + marker illustrations. His Flickr is a blast to look through; you get the impression that each piece is a study + Grzegorz is analyzing + refining as he goes.
roman diaz
I never really thought I’d be posting origami on HF but that was before I found Roman Diaz. I’m consistently impressed by what can be done with a piece of paper + Roman is truly masterful with the medium. Get into it.
1010
1010 is a street artist from Germany with a very distinct style that most often involves geometric bird-beaked creatures. It’s cool to visit his Flickr + look back on his graffiti from 07-08 + see the severe evolution his work underwent between then + now.
Look under the jump for a video of 1010 at work on 3 walls.
devoner gonzalez
Here is a list of things that are universally sweet: Dia de los Muertes, Russian art, the Powell Peralta Ripper, posters, outlaws + tattoos.
Now, here’s Devoner Gonzalez, an illustrator out of Barcelona. His work incorporates elements of all of the aforementioned sweet shit.
jon vermilyea
Jon Vermilyea spends a lot of his time creating hilarious if not mildly disturbing lowbrow versions of the comics + cartoons that those of us brought up in the 80’s remember fondly. His 16 page original He-Man comic looks especially nightmarish + awesome.
Sculpture
An interesting music video by London’s Sculpture. The group uses Frankenstein’ed tape equipment + repurposed decorated vinyl to create the music + visual…um, I’m not entirely sure what to call it. Stop-motion-flip-booky-record-spinning visual effects? Sure, that’ll work. Just watch it; it’s pretty cool.
interesni kazki
I don’t know much about Ukrainian artist Interesni Kazki (Aleksei Bordusov…+ maybe others) except that the murals are bananas, the art is otherworldly + the feeling you walk away with after looking at both is a sense of childish fantasy.
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