Jon Beinart – "What inspires you as an artist and animator?"

Meats Meier – "In the past I have been inspired mostly by nature and the outdoors. Things like the climbing tendrils of vines, the design elements of perfectly functioning living creatures on this planet, and the way rays of the sun bursts through the clouds and certain days.  Now I am finding that the explosion of interest focused on the new digital art movement and new technologies and research is what drives me most. The true ability for we as artists to show people across the globe our creations alone is incentive enough to make me work through the night.  It's a completely new paradigm shift in the art world.  I'm loving the "You Tube" simplicity of sharing animations and tutorials instantly and easily.  We are all pioneers and guinea pigs right now, the speed at which my tools are advancing is downright scary….but exciting!"

Jon Beinart – "It's great to hear that you're excited by the recent surge of digital interest and technological evolution Meats. I have heard that you are personally responsible for much creative innovation within the digital realm, but since you spend much of your time working through the night in front of a computer, do you miss your contact with the natural world (your early inspiration). Or do you still make time to engage with nature?"

Meats Meier – "I went through a strange period last year – I decided to move into a loft in the worst part of downtown Los Angeles. After spending most of my life nestled in the mountains of Salt Lake City and the alien worlds of Southern Utah, I wanted to try and live the exact opposite life. I was surrounded by nothing but concrete, homeless people, crack, and urine smell for the entire stay there. A lot different than I'm used to. I guess I just want to try and experience every spectrum of life. I believe that there is something interesting and exciting to be found in almost all aspects of the world. Every thing I feed into my brain makes it's way into my art, so I want to make sure there is fuel to burn when I go to town working on a new concept or animation.  Nature itself seems to have already solved most design problems, so I find myself often focused on the raw, untouched elements that have evolved over millions of years, like bugs and plants."

Jon Beinart – "There's nothing like a good dose of human decay to get the creative juices flowing ;) I noticed on your website that you have painted with traditional mediums. Do you plan to revisit painting, or are you satisfied with the digital medium you have immersed yourself in? I also recall the last sentence of a post you made in the news section on your website when I invited you to join the Surreal Art Collective: 'I'm glad that they opened a section for digital artists………a good sign for the new real outsider art "digital"'. Was this statement made in response to a prejudice you have faced as a digital artist?"

Meats Meier – "I was an airbrush artist before I really jumped into the digital world 12 or so years ago. I still love to airbrush whenever I have some free time and there is some sun shining outside. I'm airbrushing a mural outside of the Gnomon Workshop here in Los Angeles where I have an office as a resident artist. I called digital the real outsider art because, yeah, I've been trying to convince people for a lot of years now that there is art that can be made inside a computer. First people assumed the computer did all the work. Then people connected 3D art with what they are fed by movie companies like Pixar and Disney – cute animals over and over. There is just so much potential now for a new school of art to come of age.  It's not hard to be shown in galleries with digital prints, it's just mainly hard to get people to buy them.  I think the old "outsider" artists aren't outside of much these days, they are the norm, Juxtapoz is the top artist magazine in the country and many artists are selling their paintings in the 5 and 6 figure range.."

Jon Beinart – "I was excited to find out that you collaborated with Tool & Alex Grey on the 3D booklet insert for their latest Album. This is a huge step in your career. Congratulations! What was it like collaborating with Tool? Will you be working with them in the future? Do you spend time with them socially?"

Meats Meier – "Thanks a lot. It has been great working with them so far. Their "10,000 Days" album even won a Grammy for the package design itself, and the 3d stereoscopic image that I made for it (from an Alex Grey sketch) is even being used as their concert tour t-shirt. Both Grey and Jones are extremely inspiring and talented people, anytime I can work with them I am very appreciative.  I spent most of last year working on animations for their live show, which blows me away that it accompanies their mind-blowing live music. Currently, I'm working with Maynard (Tool, Perfect Circle) on art and animation for his side-band Puscifer. He's hired me to do a few videos for him. The first one is wild, I had him scanned into 3D and am now using motion capture technology to make him a master break-dancer and river-dancer. It's some of the most favorite work I've been able to do so far, I just don't want to say too much about it at this point.  Maynard is an amazing genius, he has more focus and drive to create than I've ever seen in a human. That is if he is indeed human….. I'm also going to be doing various other projects with TOOL later this year if they don't get sick of me first."

Jon Beinart – "Has most of your recent work in digital art and animation been collaborative or on commission. If so, do you miss having the creative freedom to explore your own vision or have you been given this freedom when bringing other peoples concepts to life?"

Meats Meier – "I would say that most of the work that I do is just for myself, working on personal projects, having fun, experimenting with new technologies, and making myself happy doing the artwork that I want to do. In my career so far, I have always turned down paid projects until the time when I need money.  I'm way more stoked to have free time than extra money in the bank.  It's kept me from having lots of money, but money isn't something I've ever really cared about in the first place.  I'm glad that I have the ability to pick and choose the projects that I want to work on. I make instructional DVD's (through the Gnomon Workshop), and the royalties from those disks pay most of my life expenses, so I can always focus on my craft without worrying about a 9 to 5 job."

Jon Beinart – "Do you have any spiritual beliefs and if so, how relevant are they to your art? What do you hope to achieve in life before you die?"

Meats Meier – "I was raised in a Mormon household in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was baptized a Mormon, but don't believe in their organized religion, so I am considered a "Jack-Mormon" as you cannot wash those things off.  I actually taught myself to draw when I was younger because of the intense boredom of the religious sermons. I filled the back of the Hymn sheets Sunday after Sunday with silly drawings of the people around me to help pass the time. I hope to just get to the point of not having to work anymore (for outside clients) so that I can focus on the new art tools that are on the horizon. I don't need a lot in my life, just freedom and happiness."

Jon Beinart – "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were from Utah (excuse the lame joke ripped off from Orgasmo). Well it’s a good thing you spent all of that time drawing in church. Are your parents supportive of your art?"

Meats Meier – "I have the most supportive parents possible. My Mom and Dad have always been major cheerleaders for me. My dad bought me my first pencils and computers (Vic 20, then the Amiga and Dpaint), and my first airbrush. My Mom always said that I could be anything I wanted to be, and made me feel like I could achieve anything.  My grandma was an art teacher and did oil paintings, so I was exposed to a lot of art early in life, and have always known what I wanted to be when I grew up."

Jon Beinart – "Meats is a very unusual name. Is it short for something or made up?"

Meats Meier – "My real name is James. I got the name Meats in high school. There was a restaurant across the street called "Meier's Meats", so it was easy for my friends to switch it around and start calling me that.  Once I started doing airbrush paintings, I signed them with the Meats name, and once I moved to California, I started fresh and just became Meats full time. James died the day I left Salt Lake City."

Jon Beinart – "Ah, so Meats is not a traditional Mormon name ;) Thank you for your time Meats. I really enjoyed this interview! Any exciting news in the world of Meats Meier that you would like to pass on to our readers? Any upcoming exhibitions, projects, publications or DVDs in the works?"

Meats Meier – "Thanks, Jon, It was a pleasure!

I've got a few art shows lined up  – I have a few pieces in a traveling digital art show that is currently going around the world, it's called Sumus Vivinae, and it includes a lot of really talented digital artists. I was also invited to create a piece for a group show in October curated by Chet Zar in Los Angeles. I've also just finished the "Introduction to Zbrush 3" training DVD, which (I hear) is very much anticipated. Zbrush has just come out, and there isn't currently a lot of learning material for it. I was a lead beta tester on this version (with Pixologic, the creator of the software), so I've been lucky to be able to study it for a while…."

Meats Meier's Gallery

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These steam-punk characters, vehicles and creatures are the brainchild of Belgien Sculptor: Stephane Halleux. Stephane's detailed mixed media sculptures are the perfect fusion of man and machine with a retro comic book flavor. I am reminded of cinema classics like City of Lost Children, Nightmare Before Christmas, Blade Runner & Dark City when looking at these models, but they are certainly not lacking in originality.

Unfortunately there is no information about the artist on his website as the bio section is blank (I assume that her site is still in construction).

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Jon Beinart – "How would you describe your comics Tim?"

Tim Molloy – "I would describe my comics as an ever expanding and interconnected web of dreamlike and nightmarish storylines soaked heavily in delusion, confusion and a general sense of unease. I draw heavily on surrealist techniques, symbolist ideas, synchronicity and dreams to construct my stories. Recurring themes include (but are not exclusive to) death, rebirth, the nature and expansion of consciousness, self-destruction and discovery… There is a kind of pre- apocalyptic tension throughout, balanced (i hope) with a sense of humor that stops it all from getting too serious…"

Jon Beinart – "That's some very heavy content. I'm glad you include humor to make it digestible. How important is satire to you? Do you get a warm fuzzy feeling when you see someone in hysterics over your work, or would you prefer them to walk away with a contemplative expression on their face?"

Tim Molloy – "Satire is very important to me. I think that as the years go by my work is becoming more 'political' and concerned with the issues that we have to face collectively in 'mundane' consensus reality. By shining a light on the beasts of ignorance, greed and prejudice you expose them as the shriveled sniveling things they really are… I read somewhere that If you can make someone laugh whilst making them think than you really start to change the way they view an issue or idea, and I think that is very true…"

Jon Beinart – "I have related to the social commentary in your comics in general, but my favorite series is 'Mr Unpronounceable'. I relate to this character on many levels, but mostly to his paranoia and depravity. Although I have found parallels between his paranoid dystopia and our own sick society, most of this series appeals to me on a basic level. I love the claustrophobic absurdity of his world. Its like a bad acid trip with no foreseeable recovery. Have I missed the point? Is 'Mr Unpronounceable' a vehicle for your political and social views, or is he just an outlet for your sick sense of humor?"

Tim Molloy – "Mr Unpronounceable has been a lot of things to me and to my art over the years… He can be a useful template to channel certain ideas through, or he can simply be a whirlwind force of his own… For instance, the Mr Unpronounceable strip 'The Burning Wheel' is (amongst other things) a pretty pointed statement about the role of art and creativity in the world as opposed to other more destructive forces… Mr U finds an overgrown, quiet park, with a fountain that has run dry. He ingests a hallucinogenic statue that tastes of battery acid, and immediately begins to levitate out of his environment into outer space. After millions of years he comes into contact with a vast burning wheel that seems to be at the centre of things, and he realises that the Wheel must never stop turning at all costs. When he returns to the City and the park, the fountain has started flowing again with a thick, sluggish fluid that tastes like ''oil and blood." This strip in particular is very political for Mr U, but for the most part he as been a vehicle for my own more destructive tendencies. In fact the latest series of comics that I produced I've come to view as a visual diary of some awful stuff I was going through. The thing I've found with Mr U is that it isn’t enough to 'get out those bad feeling on the page' and have done with them. There is no catharsis with him, and I mean that in the way that writing Mr Unpronounceable actually seems to perpetuate those kind of emotions… which is why I decided to stop hanging around with him for a while! He's a bad influence on me!"

Jon Beinart – "I have mixed feelings about your resolve Tim. I'm glad to hear that you have had this realization and will be protecting yourself from Mr Unpronounceable's bad influence, but I have to say. I will miss him dearly. Have psychedelics played a large role in your creative life Tim?"

Tim Molloy – "Haha! well, they’ve played a role that’s for sure (sorry mum!) Like most kids growing up in Auckland city I had a chance to experiment with magic mushrooms. I had my first experience when I was about 18 or 19. I had just read all this literature, Huxley’s 'Doors Of Perception', Leary’s 'Book of the Dead', 'The Electric Koolaid Acid Test'', some books by Terence Mckenna, and of course I was getting into Robert Crumb and all he associated material of the era…Just all the usual stuff i suppose. Some friends invited me along and I thought 'why not?' I'm lucky I was in the right headspace at the time because it was a pretty spur of the moment decision. In any case, it was an incredible experience, and I feel like my life would have taken a different route had I not indulged. As well as all the various localized hallucinatory and delusional effects, that initial 'flicking of the switch' provided me with the initial payload for the artistic trajectory I'm still on… I also felt a very deep connection (here it comes) to the universe as a whole and for a while there actually understood my place in it! I also randomly met up with some other kids on the top of a mountain who went on to be some of my best friends… In any case, i felt that an experience like that wasn’t to be taken lightly so I didn’t 'keep experimenting.' In the Acid Test, Wolf recounts how Ken Kesey was trying to get all the Merry Pranksters to stop taking acid. He said there was no point continuing to 'open the door', and I think he was right. I haven’t done anything like that in years, nor felt the need to…I guess we all have to move through different phases in our lives to really achieve a true understanding of ourselves and what we are doing here, and whilst altering ones consciousness is an incredible thing, it does devalue the really amazing thing, the fact that we have a consciousness at all."

Jon Beinart – "Brilliantly put Tim. If one keeps opening and closing that door (of perception), one could just snap the hinges and either lose access all together or go insane. Have your comics ever really shocked or offended anyone? How do your parents feel about your characters and stories?"

Tim Molloy – "Yes, I think I've definitely shocked and offended a few people in my time… I remember one occasion, back when I was a regular cartoonist for Auckland Universities 'Craccum' magazine, they had a feature which was a survey of readers’ reactions to the content. I went up to the offices and couldn’t resist the urge to go through the surveys and see what people really thought. It's a pretty rare experience for an artist to be able to get that kind of unbiased statistical input into their work… In any case, whilst I can say that more than 50 percent of people 'appreciated my scrawlings,' there were some worrying responses to the question "What drugs do you think Tim Molloy is on?" (haha) such as "Ones that aren’t killing him fast enough." Also some people apparently though that I was some kind of fundamentalist Christian putting subliminal messages in my work to convert people… but yeah, some of those complete strangers seemed to be pretty worked up over what I was doing… the thing is, people weren’t bothered so much by the violence or the grossness or whatever. They were genuinely offended by the lack of obvious meaning in most of the strips I was doing at the time. I mean these people were actually outraged that someone would go to the trouble to produce something that didn’t spell it all out for them. I guess that's what happens when you watch too much TV, or Hollywood blockbusters… As for my parents, I think they're proud of me and what I’m doing for the most part. They both look at my deviantart site regularly as well so they can’t be too bothered. I think they've come to the understanding that it's OK to be puzzled now and then…My mother probably appreciates what i do slightly more, as she has a fairly sick sense of humor (thanks ma!) Both of them have always encouraged my brothers and I to go for our dreams and not settle for anything less so I've been lucky in that respect…"

Jon Beinart – "Gotta love da Mumma's! I am also lucky in that respect. But my father has the sickest sense of humor in our family, followed closely by my Mother (perhaps I am on par with dad). I understand you are not a fundamentalist Christian Tim, but do you have any spiritual beliefs that play a role in your creativity?"

Tim Molloy – "Well I wouldn’t really use the word 'beliefs', perhaps 'notions' is a better word… I also think it would be better phrased if you were to say that my creativity has played a part in my spiritual…notions. The whole process that I embarked on with my art was originally a kind of 'vision quest' kind of thing. A search for ''God'', as it were. My work and my life are pretty tied up together and for the most part I suppose it's all about that search for something greater or least that wonderful headlong rush into mystery… I guess the system that I have molded for myself over the years sounds like any other new-age crackpot hodge-podge, but for me it seems closer to objective 'truth' than materialism or fundamentalism, which seem to rule most peoples paths… I do believe in one thing, and that is Synchronicity. I feel like I have had too many incredible meaningful coincidences in my life to discount this phenomenon. Many of these coincidences have been inextricably tied up with my art as well, and I feel like in 'following the signs' I have for the most part walked the right path up til now. I have been given many gifts and I feel like when we walk the creative path we feed those back into the collective consciousness, and in doing so we create this kind of perpetual motion or flow of energy that begins to sustain itself… am I making sense? i don't know. Basically I think that there is something strange going on behind the scenes, a secret thing behind the curtains… whether this is some kind of super consciousness, or a manifestation of the collective I don’t know… I have more questions than answers! What fascinates me is the hypothetical question of whether consciousness exists elsewhere in the universe. In the instance that we are the only species (although a good case can be made I think for gorillas etc) that has or ever will hold consciousness in the cradle of our brains, then that is one thing. You could call Consciousness a symptom of biology, like our senses, an evolutionary tool that we have developed to interact with the world around us. In the other instance that somewhere, sometime, another species separate from humanity develops what we would call consciousness, and i suppose language to communicate with one another, than consciousness becomes something of a universal constant. A force inherent in the makeup of our universe like matter and energy (same difference right?) So then you might argue that Synchronicity could be to consciousness what gravity is to matter… (my thinking is of course muddled somewhat, not holding any sort of degree in quantum physics!) The boiled down questions here for me are 'Do ideas themselves reach out to each other across time and space? Are we just a way for the universe to ask itself questions about itself?' Of course this kind of heretical thinking will probably land me in the 7th circle of hell…"

Jon Beinart – "If you're going to hell for thinking like this then I believe you will have a lot of company. It should be fun! I'll bring my pillow and some snacks. Thank you for sharing so much in this interview Tim. Do you have any exciting news for our readers? Upcoming publications, exhibitions, etc?"

Tim Molloy – "My pleasure Jon! I'm currently working on my first, tangible, real world comic book in over two years! Its all completely new material, and totally wordless. I'm quite excited about it and feel it's a bit of a new direction for me. When that's finished I'll have some kind of release party/gig here in Melbourne. I'm also going to get my own website up and running soon, which is long overdue. I'm also in the planning stages of a graphic novel which is set mostly in and around the lives of people I know, but will retain a surrealistic bent and a focus on the role of the meaningful coincidences that run through our lives. Otherwise, it's business as usual…"

Tim Molloy's Gallery.

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Galerie 10 invites all interested parties to a gallery tour on Thursday, 31th May 2007 from 5 PM to 10 PM.

For the first time in Galerie 10: Luigi La Speranza, Wessi , Amanda Sage & Peter Gric. The artists will be present at the opening. The exhibition runs to June 29th.

Galerie 10 also show prints and originals from: Ernst Fuchs, Arik Brauer, Rudolf Hausner, Friedensreich Hundertwasser et al.

Galerie 10

Getreidemarkt 10, A-1010 Vienna / Austria

business hours : Friday and Monday from 10 AM to 6 PM and on appointment

Phone: +43-1-5875744, Fax: +43-1-5870767

kunst@galerie10.at

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Jon Beinart – "How would you describe your passion for painting?"

Maura Holden – "I'd describe it as a loving bigamous marriage to a dominatrix who pays me."

Jon – "Haha. And who is this dominatrix and what is her vested interest in your creative output?"

Maura – "Painting is the indifferent air through which my arrow flies, and my favorite mode of communication."

Jon – "So what do you feel you have communicated through your art? Is your visual voice conscious or do messages reveal themselves as a painting or drawing unfolds?"

Maura – "I hope I've communicated some of the beauty and intensity of the inner hallucinatory worlds… I've always been fascinated by dreams, particularly the mythic/cosmic type. They inspire awe and a feeling of profound awareness or meaning beyond words.

I'm conscious of meaning before I paint an image, but while I paint, my mind often entertains me with parades of alternative meanings. The fascinating thing about parables and pictures is that they're hard to nail down definitively."

Jon – "The way you balance your odd-shaped over-populated compositions is beyond me (a great example of this is Thanatos Wave). I assume that you take quite a long time on each piece. Do you draw preliminary sketches before taking on one of your major works? How much of your process is playful and spontaneous?"

Maura – "Yes to preliminary sketches — I have suitcases full of them! And yes, it takes years to complete the more complicated paintings… Once I've drawn the main figures, I suddenly "see" other figures or structures around them. I click into the playful visionary mode. This is my favorite part of the painting process. It feels like being a magical child — or, if things take a bad turn, the sorcerer's apprentice."

Jon – "What role have psychedelics played in your work Maura. I assume that you're not under the influence when painting your detailed images, but I recall reading that you have experimented with psychedelics."

Maura – "Psychedelics are very important to me. I'll go so far as to call them my sacraments. To me, they are absolutely sacred allies… Mind you, I don't recommend psychedelics to others. People have different experiential capacities. Some people can be psychically injured, or swept into harmful delusions, or they may just never break through into the profound… That said, I'll maintain that under their influence I have traveled through the most sublime and terrifying realms, and beyond all realms — into the Great Unity. The images for all of my major pictures have come to me under the influence of psychedelics. I've done lots of drawing  — those preliminary sketches, as well as highly polished drawings — under their influence. Painting is another matter. My methods of painting are exponentially more complex than drawing. While tripping I need a fast, direct vehicle in which to chase the moving hallucinations."

Jon – "I understand you are a very spiritual person Maura. Can you please describe your spiritual beliefs and how they relate to your art."

Maura – "To be honest, Jon, I don't actually have any spiritual beliefs… I think of beliefs as convictions about things that one has never directly perceived. For me this is, at best, a guessing game.

I have lots of "spiritual" experiences, though — if apocalyptic and heavenly visions; states of blissful beatitude; universal love and compassion; and the acute perception that creation is one, world without end… qualify as such. I've been tempted to draw conclusions and form beliefs from these experiences — the human mind naturally jumps to conclusions — but my path doesn't involve creating a system of beliefs (a religion). If I have any attitude towards the formulation of beliefs and religions, it is that I personally prefer to avoid all forms of religious crystallization.

In my art I'm recording parts of my journeys in the non-material worlds. Between 1999 and 2004 I made pictures of apocalyptic/transcendent realms. More recently I've begun a transformational heaven/garden/love phase, with passages suggesting that wonderful experience, the acute perception that creation is all one, world without end."

Jon – "Thank you Maura. Very beautifully put! Is creative writing also an important outlet for you as an artist? I have always enjoyed your writing style and I'm curious to hear of any plans you have as a writer."

Maura – "Thanks, Jon… Writing is a wonderful, difficult medium… I love to read well-written prose … But my stage of development as a writer is about equal to what my stage of development as a painter was at age 20 (I'm 40 now). I don't feel that I've mastered words in any way — all great art takes long-term dedication — though I do fantasize… I most enjoy writing in the short story form, partly because poetry and novel writing seem too advanced for me, but also because it's a good form for expressing dynamics rather than character… I recently wrote a short story for the Spring 2007 issue of The Visionary Revue. It should be out soon. I have no concrete plans for future stories, but when I'm less busy I'd like to try another."

Jon – "Does humor play an important roll in your art? I remember a drawing of a toilet with teeth that you sent me on a CD once and I am always drawn to the tiny business man with a top hat taking a piss over the edge of a building in my print of 'Thanatos Wave'. (I know my examples were linked to my own preoccupation with toilet humor, but I have found many characters and events in your images quite funny)."

Maura – "When the can bites,

When the pee springs,

When I'm feeling sad,

I simply remember the humor of things

And then I don't feel so bad.

I'd say that today my pictures are less humorous than they were seven or more years ago, though I don't necessarily consider this trend continuous. "Black humor", which is really a way of providing comic relief to the downtrodden, has always felt natural to me. I'm fairly sure that I can credit my wonderful family and the glories of life on the underbelly of Philadelphia with teaching me this mode of entertainment.

But my circumstances in recent years have been so wholesome… The goofiness of humanity and my own brain may be my only remaining comic resources."

Jon – "Well regardless of your new 'wholesome' life I still detect a hint of Black humor in your work and I love it ;) Thank you so much for your time Maura. Do you have any exciting news for our readers? Any upcoming exhibitions or publications?"

Maura – "The Visionary Revue, Spring 2007, and of course Metamorphosis. I'm preparing to launch some prints through Nemo's Utopia, and I'm working with Delvin on a new card for the Oracle Complex — Galactik Trading Cards. Otherwise, I just want to finish some very elaborate paintings that I've been working on for years.

Thanks for everything, Jon. As always, it's been a great pleasure sitting at the keyboard with you."

Maura Holden is also one of 50 Artists published in Metamorphosis

and wrote the essay: Tsunami. 

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The desolate landscapes found in Ugarte's paintings contain mammoth structures long since abandoned.  Looking across the hundreds of scenes I felt like an explorer left to travel across the remains of some long lost civilization. 

 The following quote from Michel Random as found here sums up the works quite well…

 "…a world suddenly petrified and fossilized, an ancient human metropolis of gigantic, rigid massess and immovable, hostile blocks. These cubic cliffs of black concrete appear in strong contraposition to the rolling landscapes where an all-powerful nature progressively invades and reclaims its territory.

A striking contrast emerges between power and desolation, where neither humans nor animals persist. Like a burial shroud, an ochre light envelops this vision of the end of the world. Is this fantastic realism or a vision of the near-future? Beware of such visionaries, since they risk becoming the accurate forecasters of the future."

Ugarte's website can be found here.

Here is a shortcut towards his most recent paintings.   

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I just happened upon this beautiful anthropomorphic sculpture 'Children of The Sun' (2002, Mixture of Finnish wood and oil on canvas) created by a Finnish artist 'Hannu A. Leimu' (1969).

Hannu had long been thinking of how he could express the origins of humanity and our connection to nature which led to him sculpting 'Children of The Sun' (right).

Hannu A. Leimu is a member of the Finnish Painters' Union (Taidemaalariliitto). His paintings and sculptures are in several public collections.

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Andy Huang, creator of the animation: 'Doll Face' used personal funds to manifest his vision. The concept was originally conceived from a series of paintings he did at high school, but he felt that Surrealist imagery alone without the addition of time would fall short of effectively conveying his idea. He was able to produce the Doll Face animation at a relatively low cost, the major cost being his time.

Andy almost quit before he had started because he feared he wouldn't be able to pull off the complex imagery he had in his head. Fortunately for us he did finish 'Doll Face' and here it is in all of its glory (to the right).

Andy Huang's heroes include Michael Gondry, Chris Cunningham, Norman McClaren, Jordan Belson & Jan Svankmajer.

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'Fantastic Planet' is the English title of The French and Czech full feature animation 'La Planète sauvage' (literally "The Savage Planet"). This psychedelic cult masterpiece was directed in 1973 by René Laloux (based on a French novel titled 'Oms en Série', written by Stefan Wul). Fantastic Planet rightfully won the special jury prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival. Artist 'Roland Topor' was responsible for the fantastic imagery brought to life in the film.

The planet Draag is populated by 'Oms' (who look human) and The giant 'Draags' (an intelligent species who keep Oms as pets and are mainly preoccupied with meditation). Strange (Hieronymus Bosch like) creatures roam the landscape, including a cackling creature which traps tiny fluttering animals in its cage-like beak, shakes the life out of them and hurls them to the ground.

Fantastic Planet is an analogy about our destructive relationship with nature, amoung other things (or at least that was my interpretation), but whether you wish to ponder the meaning of this film or just enjoy the seductive imagery and psychedelic score with a head full of acid, this film must be viewed…. By all ;)

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Jon Beinart – "Where do you draw your Inspiration from Tristan?"

Tristan Schane – "From just about everywhere. Much of my ideas come from things I read, anything from book titles (one was a socio-anthropological book title called the "Medieval Identity Machine" — tell me that doesn't inspire all sorts of imagery!), to articles and whole books.

I also get ideas and inspiration from just walking around and seeing things, thinking, looking at other art, which if it's the right artist can be very stimulating. But, pound for pound I think more of my work has been inspired by something I've read than from any other single source.

Much of what I read is non-fiction and my work has always had, at least for me, an undercurrent of sociological analysis or observation. I don't create works specifically to say this or that about life or society or what not, but a great deal  of my work is developed when I am thinking or reading about this facet or quality of human life and culture.

The only area I'm sorry to say I get no inspiration from are my dreams. I rarely remember my dreams and the ones I do remember are nearly always very prosaic and dull, completely barren of any useable imagery or concept. Once in a very long while I will have a very strange dream, from which I always wake with a feeling of real accomplishment! However, never have I gleaned anything to put in a work of art. Not that I'm consciously aware of at any rate."

Jon – "Obviously your imagination is lucid enough. Your sculptures and paintings are certainly very dream like (sometimes nightmarish), so perhaps your dreams are manifesting subconsciously. I have noticed a recurring theme of flesh & infancy in your sculptures (I am particularly referring to the two works published in Metamorphosis: 'Litter' & 'Mermaid' as well as the concept drawing for the upcoming sculpture: 'Starting Point'). What do these works mean to you? And why is this subject important to you?"

Tristan – "Yikes, here's a tough one. I have to say I spend very little time analyzing my work. When I come up with an idea it is usually fully formed, but if it's an idea that develops as I work on it, like one of the more complicated paintings, components for the imagery are arrived at from a more unconscious process then one of deliberation. I never say to myself, " How am I going to say such and such with this piece." Rather, images come to me and they either feel like they belong or they don't. I have a terrible time trying to explain my works at shows. Once an image has appeared which belongs in the work all my thought goes into the technical aspect of executing it.

What I can say is that in works dealing with the human condition, I use what to me are raw, undefined proxies — ants for example to me can symbolize mankind, and have done so in a number of works. Babies may play this role as well, not yet being differentiated in to bankers or soldiers or what not, they can represent humanity in it's natural and basic state. There is also something delicate and sensitive to our psyche about babies so using them in art is for me very potent.

When I show my work in galleries, people who see the work are much better at providing cogent analysis than I ever am. I used to try, but as I create intuitively rather than with a conscious and deliberate scheme, I never was very successful at it. So now when asked I've settled to throwing back this trite refrain, 'Well, what does it mean to you?'"

Jon – "I can definitely relate Tristan. I too work subconsciously and focus mainly on aesthetic and technique. It is always interesting to hear how others have interpreted my work. I'm sure you have received a lot of praise, but have you been criticized or judged for your work? When I have shown off your works in Metamorphosis many people have found your sculptures disturbing (I personally find them beautiful). How do people generally react to your sculptures? Please describe the strongest reaction you have witnessed?"

Tristan – "Yep, "disturbing" is the number one response I hear, hands down. The funny thing is how often that takes me by surprise.

When I was working on the Mermaid Baby I was concerned that people would think it was too cloyingly cute and dismiss it for that. When I sent pics of it to my gallery at the time they took a while to get back to me to tell me they didn't want to show it. Too disturbing.

They had sent the pics on to some other people for more reactions, but everyone uniformly responded negatively to it. The sculpture of the Sphinx I thought also would be safe (disturbing people can often be a sure way to make no money in the arts world). After all, it's mostly a cat and it's smiling. Where's the threat. Again, "disturbing…disturbing…. disturbing…".

On the other hand, in a different gallery one time someone told me the Mermaid Baby reminded them of their own child. Hmmmm…..

I don't think I've had any stronger reaction to my work than just the continuous, "disturbing", but it does sometimes seem to me when someone reacts that way they are blocked from appreciating anything in the work and stop at this first, initial and superficial response. That's disappointing.

It doesn't exactly answer the question but the most significant thing I've learned is that I have no internal meter to gauge what people think is disturbing and what they don't. I've since decided not to try to edit myself away from potentially disturbing imagery (which I'm incapable of doing, anyway, apparently), and to just follow the imagery where it leads me.

Sometimes in a show I will stand anonymously as another gallery goer to hear what people think. Generally, most responses are in the neighborhood of being very positive about the work, but not something they'd want to have in their own homes. Fair enough. I don't make work to go with the sofa or dining room set. Artwork is supposed to stimulate you. It's supposed to get your mind going, on not just that artwork, but as a vehicle for cognition in general. If you do a show and you don't show me things to get me thinking, then why did I leave my house to come see it?

I have several concepts for works I hope to be able to tackle this year and doubtless I will hear the same sorts of Reponses. I'm waiting for that one eccentric billionaire to say, 'Disturbing, but I Iove it! Sold!!'"

Jon – "Well, if I was a billionaire (or even a measly millionaire) I would certainly buy up all of your sculptures and fill my house with them (regardless of what my easily disturbed friends thought). I also can't gauge what will disturb people. I personally find your mermaid so adorable that I'm sure I would feel an irresistible urge to pick it up from a plinth and cradle him/her while wiping the tears away (Don't touch the art!). As we have already established your sculptures are very life like. Have ever worked in the film industry?"

Tristan – "No, not as a sculptor. When I started sculpting, the artists I looked to for technical know-how as well as inspiration were film effects sculptors. It's still that way. By far the most talented sculptors, and many very talented artists in general, are working in the effects industry. Even an unwatchable crappy horror or sci-fi film will often have some great artwork that went in to it.

I have over the years become friendly with a few of the film effects sculptors, and certainly learned nearly everything I know about the technique of contemporary sculpture by talking to them.

Starting in the last year and a half I have done a small amount of work for film, but it has been as a concept artist and only doing drawings, no sculpts. Wouldn't mind doing more."

Jon – "I recall an email conversation we had a long time ago about Patricia Piccinini (The Australian Conceptual artist) and her series titled 'We are Family'. Would you mind relaying your views on Piccinini's fame and her role in the creation of her hyper realistic sculptures?"

Tristan – "All of Piccinini's sculptures were created by Australian artist Sam Jinks. Jinks was a special effects sculptor and concept artist who she hired and who is now starting to get established as a recognized fine artist on his own.

I really have had this discussion so many times with so many artists that while I'm happy to respond, I don't think I'll be as eloquent on the subject as I may have been the first 10 or 11 times. I have, like Jinks, done sculptures for famous international artists who have taken credit for work I did. I have spoken with Sam about it — it's soul crushing to have praise of your own work given to someone else who stands there as says, thank you thank you. Jinks has told me that piccinini was always free herself to disclose who he was and that he made the sculptures, but in truth the machinery behind her which she could have stopped, was deliberate in presenting everything that came out with her name as her work.

My feelings about Piccinini and the artists like her is that they are more like brand names. Also, there's a constant lack of sophistication and depth in the sort of work created by them, despite the technical sophistication added by those of us they hire. This is because people who are incapable of creating artwork are incapable of going through the revelatory and developmental process by which that work is imagined. I grow in my concepts by going through the process of creating. If you can't create it — you can't conceive of it. You can't go through that process by hiring people to create.

When an artist takes credit for another's work it's fraud. When they hire someone else to do their work but give credit than it's not, though there's a wide swathe of gray area there. In the latter case, to what extent the work someone is seeing is actually the product of the titular artist is sometimes hard to say.

I have been hired to do sculptural work which was to be part of a larger installation piece. That overall piece is the work, not merely my sculpture. However, in Sam' jinks case, the whole work of Picciniini's work is the sculpture, so how can she feel any sense of authorship. At best she's an art director. I have ideas for buildings, that doesn't make me an architect. When someone hires me to do a portrait, because they have selected the subject does that make them the artist? On the other hand, an artist sometimes will create pieces which employ the technical discipline of non-artist specialists — engineers, pyrotechnicians, so on and so forth. In those circumstances, by and large I would say the end product is the artist's. As I said; big gray area.

I could go on and on about this and more eloquently too, but you get the idea…."

Jon – "Sorry to drag you through that question again Tristan. I hope your response will direct our readers to the amazing work of Sam Jinks.

I also recall another email conversation when you mentioned that you were in the process of moving away from 'Fantastic & Visionary imagery' in your paintings and that you had coined your new direction 'Subversive Realism'. Can you please explain why you made this decision and what exactly is 'Subversive Realism'?"

Tristan – "Yes, for a while in my art I have been exploring imagery which is much more subdued and only strange in a subtle way. This for me comes from my ongoing interest in hyper-realist painters. However, I have two paintings I am about to start which image wise are entering a new area of more visionary subject matter. Subversive Realism is my term which I started using for the direction I have been trying to pursue in trying to develop a genuinely personal visual language. It's really a work in progress with me trying to configure a type of imagery that represents what it is I'm trying to show with my work. I don't feel a personal connection to traditional surrealism nor with fantastic realism, though what constitutes fantastic realism is a very broad spectrum.

My technique as a painter and sculptor is on a straight trajectory developing hyper-realist representation. However, image wise, Subversive Realism is sort of a goal I'm working towards. It's a style that for me owes itself evolutionarily to various other artistic movements — what style doesn't? — but ultimately can only work as a purely personal visual language which will be authentic in it's connection to the feelings and ideas I'm trying to explore in my work.

Each time I start a painting I feel like I'm finally almost there. By the time I finish the painting I feel like I've still missed again. Somehow the sculptures feel like they are closer to proper Subversive Realism than the paintings. Perhaps I should focus on translating the aesthetic sensibilities of the sculpture to the paintings. Hmmm….."

Jon – "Thank you for your time Tristan. I find your mind almost as fascinating as your art (and you know I love your art). Do you have any exciting news for our readers? Any upcoming exhibitions or publications featuring your work?"

Tristan – "Hmmm… there are some exciting things that may be starting for my fine arts work, but until they're locked down and definite I'd rather not reveal them. In the next few weeks I should be able to be definite. Thanks for wanting to interview me, Jon. It was a lot of fun."

Tristan Schane is one of 50 artists featured in our first publication: Metamorphosis.

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Jon Beinart – "What inspires you to create art David?"

David Bowers – "I'm inspired a variety of things. Once I saw an antique bird cage in an antique store and I immediately thought of a Victorian woman's head in a birdcage.  This idea became my painting titled "The Hummingbird Trainer." Sometimes I'm influenced by an old master's painting or a photograph that I've seen in a magazine. I guess for all artists, we have a desire to depict our world on canvas, whether it's the real world or the imagined."

Jon – "Do you have a theme in mind before you start a painting or does it come to you as an image unfolds organically?"

David – "Both. Sometimes I come up with the title before I start the initial sketches, and other times, it's kind of a metamorphosis."

Jon – "Do you have any spiritual beliefs that play a role in your creativity? Do you source any of your ideas from mythology or religion?"

David – "Not really. Occasionally, I base an idea on mythology. I recently completed a painting titled "Leda and the Swan." The painting is a modern remake of Leonardo's painting with my own little twist."

Jon – "Who are some of your favorite artists and why? Has your work been influenced by a particular artist?"

David – "When I go to a great museum, I'm always drawn to the little Dutch paintings.  I attribute this to the fact that my work is small and most of the Dutch paintings that I admire are also very minute in scale. The small scale, meticulous technique and their attention to detail is what I really respond to. It's really hard for me to pick just one.  Although, if I had my pick of one artists' work I could own, it would be, Gerrit Dou. (1613-1675). Also, It's difficult for me to single out one artist that's influenced my work, because I've been inspired by so many."

Jon – "What are your thoughts on the contemporary art world? How receptive have both galleries and art critics been to your paintings? Have you ever been discouraged by a prejudice against traditional figurative painting?"

David – "It seems like those at the very top right now, that it's more about the hype than the quality of art they produce. The few galleries that I've approached have been very receptive. I think realism and figurative work will always have a place in the contemporary art market. No, not really, but I haven't really been in situation where I was exposed to such criticism."

Jon – "I read in your bio that before you focused on fine art you worked as an illustrator for many years and had a very successful career (being published on the cover of Time Magazine and winning numerous awards as well as other great achievements). As a fine artist have you been able to support yourself financially without having to do the odd illustration job? Are you much more fulfilled since you decided to focus on your own creative vision?"

David – "I've been very lucky. My fine art career is actually paying much better then when I was doing illustration and is ten times more rewarding! Although, I think it's more difficult being a fine artist because the ideas no longer come from a manuscript or the copy in a magazine. It would be easy I guess to set up still life's everyday, but when you do conceptual/fantasy work, it's hard not to be trite."

Jon – "That’s great David. It is rare that even a skilled and imaginative artist like yourself can support themselves with art alone. How important is it to you that you are remembered for your art?"

David – "Thanks, Jon! Like I said, I've been very very lucky. It's very important to me. I'll probably slip into oblivion when I die, but I hope my paintings live on in some capacity."

Jon – "Apart from art, what else is important to you?"

David – "First and foremost, my family and friends. My home is also very important. I like having a beautiful lawn and landscaping."

Jon – "Thank you for your time David. I have enjoyed getting to know the man behind the art. Do you have any upcoming exhibitions and/or publications you would like to share with our readers?"

David – "Your very welcome, Jon! I'm honored that you wanted to do this.

My book (available in June 2007) has been a dream of mine for some time now, so when the former director of the Ft. Pitt Museum approached me to do the book, I was stunned. The book is a cross section of my illustration work and fine art paintings to date. 

I'm also going to have a little essay and six pages in New Art International magazine later this year.

I really lucked out and won first prize in the Direct Art magazine competition and I'm going to have the cover plus four pages inside, I think. Also, I had four paintings selected for Spectrum's Fantasy Art annual.

Group show at the Klaudia Marr Gallery in October – 668 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA.

Group show at the Roq La Rue Gallery in June – 2312 2nd Ave, Seattle WA 98121, USA.

Thank you again very much for doing this interview and for showing my work on your wonderful site!"

David Bowers's Gallery 

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Jon Beinart – "What inspires you Naoto?"

Naoto Hattori – "I simply love to draw from my head. I remember when I was in kindergarten, I always drew made-up characters and made stories with a drawing. Some of my sketch books from my age 3-5 are filled up with tits and peeing images (lol) you can see them on my web page. I remember I drew so many made-up characters when I was in elementary school while in class so all of my drawings from this period are on the textbooks and note books which sucks cause I lost them. I've been painting weird images since I was a kid so I never thought of what really inspires me. Some people decide to become a painter/artist at some point of their life, are inspired by other artists or something, but I can't even recall a point when I became an artist.  I still feel like a kid and paint images from my head. That way I can express what I really want to paint without thinking of other people's thoughts or critics."

Jon – "So your mind was perverted from the age of 3 ;) Some of those early drawings are fascinating Naoto. I have noticed a phenomenal amount of art is shown on your website. You must be very dedicated to your art. Do you make time to eat or sleep?"

Naoto – "I usually paint 12-14 hours a day on weekdays. I don' like the way a day is 24 hours cycle. I usually sleep 4 hours but if I don't get tired, I paint 24 hours straight. Because of the style of my artwork, some people think that I'm on drugs when I paint (lol) but there is no way I could paint on drugs. Working on details is more like a needlework. I have to concentrate on every single stroke. I feel like I'm in a trance when I paint. I start painting in the morning and next moment I look outside the window and it's getting dark. I have so many images I want to paint in my head and I can't catch up to paint all. I always think that it would be great if I could get a copy of myself.

I don't paint at all on weekends though. All I need to do is have fun."

Jon – "Two Naoto's. A scary thought! But I believe the world would be a richer place. I'm not sure if the art world is ready for two of you ;) Your answer takes me to another question I have had on my mind. I understand that you have to be sober when you paint, but during your 'fun' weekends do you ever indulge in psychedelics? I only ask because of the mushroom & marijuana references in some of your paintings. Your imagery is also reminiscent of what I have seen on acid."

Naoto – "I have had many experiences on psychedelic substances but they are not helping the direction of my art, but I'm sure they helped me create my imaginary world somehow. They put me into another place where I can open up my mind. I feel like there are so many doors and windows in my mind and some of them are not able to be opened with a sober mind. I used to imagine a still image in my head when I painted but my imaginary world is more like a zoo now. I see so many images, characters, creatures living in my head. I grab hold of them and paint. Recently, I see so many weird animals in my head and I don't know why…"

Jon – "What kind of feedback have you received in your career. I'm sure you have been praised countless times for your technique and imagination, but have you received much negative feedback or have you been subject to any abuse because of the explicit content of your work?"

Naoto – "I get really good feedback which makes me happy to keep myself busy. I really appreciate people support my artwork. I don't receive negative feedback but sometimes I get a funny email saying that they think I'm a drug dealer or something.  Also some girls keep sending me their naked pictures asking me to use them in my artwork. Oh, I love when people send me a photo of their tattoo based on my art."

Jon – "Naked women and tattoo's eh? You lucky man ;) Who are your favorite artists and why? Have these individuals influenced your own work?"

Naoto – "I like Van Eyck and Bouguereau's paintings. Van Eyck's work is amazing. He puts so many details on a small size board. I believe great artists can paint on a small size canvas/board and show their technique and brush control. It's easy to paint a realistic work on a large scale. My instructor from an art college (School of Visual Arts in NYC) is obsessed with Bouguereau's paintings and I learned portrait technique from his work. But learning from paintings is nothing compared to learning a lesson from nature. Understanding the theory of color, light and shadow, anatomy… etc, makes more sense to my artwork and also help my creatures look alive. That's why I respect Da Vinci. He studied so many things for his work."

Jon – "Many of my friends are obsessed with psychedelic trance (I'm more of an old school Blues and Tom Waits fan myself). I have noticed your images printed on a few psytrance CD's and have always wondered whether you listen to this genre of music. What music do you listen to? Do you listen to music when you paint?"

Naoto – "I like DJing. I spin breaks, drum and bass, Chicago house and hip-hop. I listen to psytrance too. I have a lot of friends into the psytrance scene too. I used to go to parties every weekend when I was in New York. I've been busy painting for upcoming shows so my turntables are collecting dust now. I barely listen to music when I paint. Sometimes I put some music on randomly from my i-pod."

Jon – "Please give us more details about these upcoming exhibitions. Also, will your work be featured in any new publications? Do you have any exciting news for our readers?"

Naoto – "I really love showing my work at gallery shows. It's hard to see details and correct color on the low-res images on the website. the gallery show is the way people look at my artwork up close. I have been working on my book project so I hope I can publish my portfolio book sometime soon."

Jon – "Naoto's is having a solo show of new works from June 1st – July 1st at the Lineage Gallery – 21 N. 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA USA."

Naoto is also one of 50 artists published in Metamorphosis.

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Jon Beinart – "Where do you draw your inspiration from Oleg?"
 
Oleg Korolev – "The existence of inspiration is not depending on us or our personality. It is like a Sun. All we have to do is open ourselves to it's rays. The less the ego works, the brighter our inspiration. Sometimes a sudden beauty can inflame something in me and lead to new expression."

Jon - "Are there particular philosophical and/or spiritual beliefs that you wish to communicate through your work?"
 
Oleg – "When talking about philosophy, I think I must say not about some particular school (like Existentialism or Rationalism etc), but rather about certain introvert , meditative, esoteric approach.  I am an Orthodox Christian and have a great respect and interest in the Hesychasm, though I feel more comfortable and clear if I approach things the Apophatic way (via negativa). A negative approach to the search for truth is more appropriate for me, because I feel a lot of irony around. Humor allows me to reject many things which seems actually are false. From my point a rejection of the relative realities and conventionalities is much more connected with the surrounding world than a cultivation and concentration on mythologies and symbols. Nevertheless I understand that symbolic, achetypal sacral space makes me a part of the ontological cosmos and I become a symbol among other symbols.  But from my point, this practice demands especially organized conditions and spaces, which are not always fit to each artistic outlook. So I can say that artists also look for truth and express it in their work "via negativa" or "via positiva".., like a sculptor who chops off all the unnecessary and another sculptor who acts "positively", building his sculpture by adding clay. The Abstract which exists beyond these two, and which can be expressed by the mean, is what I wish to communicate through my works."

Jon – "Do you have the whole composition in mind before you start a painting? How much of your process is intuitive and how much is planned?"
 
Oleg – "From the very beginning of a work I try to act as spontaneously as I can… It means before it I choose a certain subject, which I believe must be reflected by my painting, and then try to "ask the Existence", to concentrate on the image in the Abstract, initially having no image in my mind. After all, when I make sketches (usually getting unexpected images), I try to operate more dialectically, using the school and professional knowledge, involving aesthetic feelings."

Jon – "You mentioned before that you are an Orthodox Christian. Over the past 2 years I have found you to be quite open minded. Surely you are not strictly orthodox with your acceptance of so many other religious faiths, traditions & symbols. Perhaps my view of what it is to be an Orthodox Christian is a little misinformed, but I always thought that you guys were very strict and inflexible with your beliefs (by the books). I am sorry if this line of questioning is rude, but I feel that we have become fairly good friends (I know you enjoy a good debate) and I would like to understand more about your personal faith. But then again, you are talking to an agnostic Jew (who occasionally dabbles in atheism), so perhaps I will never understand, but I try to keep an open mind."

Oleg – "Well, I actually already answered this, it has to do with the two common ways all humans perceive Orthodox Christian theology (Apophatic-negative and Cataphotic-positive). I prefer the negative one – Apophatic way. This opens the consciousness, destroying the conventional illusions because all the affirmations of all the 'religious faiths, traditions & symbols' including my own are just products of our own mind. The Ultimate Truth remains beyond all mental constructions. Cataphotic – opposite, leads to a concentration on symbols, canon, which narrows the focus on the ontological metaphysics (these people can seem to you 'inflexible'). By the way 'Orthodoxy' it is how you in English call this. In Russian this religious denomination has a different name, so the word 'Orthodoxy' itself leads to a wrong perception. I think the term 'Original Christianity' or 'Initially pure' would fit better, it means the ancient teaching which have not changed from the very beginning. I wish to tell you a short anecdote my friend, so you can understand my personal faith principle better and how things can be done well, including art work: An old Jew is dying and all his big family have gathered together because only he knew the secret of a tea cooking… For many hours all of them, one by one asked him: 'Moishe, Moishe, tell us the secret of a tea cooking!', but he kept silence… Then they asked again and again: "Moishe, Moishe, tell us the secret of a tea cooking!".. and he suddenly said OK, shut up, I will tell you! PUT MORE TEA!' :))"

Jon – "I think I understand where you are coming from now. You're right about the English definition of 'Orthodoxy' causing some confusion. I associate the word with strict adherence to a particular doctrine. Thanks for clearing that up Oleg. Your anecdote put a smile on my face. I could visualize the old dying man's last bust of energy to shout at his family ;) Oy Vei! Moving right along (away from religion), I'd like to hear more about your background as an artist. Did you want to be an artist when you were child? (which was a loooooong time ago now, but please try to remember for our interview)."

Oleg – "Well, actually the anecdote was about how to involve energy and to create an artwork. "Put more tea", it means to be total in action. Totality is the right thing for a contemplation and it is an absolutely necessary condition for art. I can not exactly say when I started to paint, and not because it was a long time ago, but because it seems like always. My parents played a great role in my relationship with art. My father was a self-taught artist , a lover of arts and I remember when I was maybe 8 years old (it means a little younger than you are now), our family went often to Art museums. It was like a dream for me. Later I was enrolled to a Classical drawing art studio, then Art School and College of Art. Visionary Art is actually not a mainstream which we had in USSR, or better to say it wasn't in that time, because people could be persecuted, and even now it is true ( I mean that it is a not a mainstream) for a present moment in Russia, but because a very narrow circle of art audience are interested in it. I think a reading of books on various forms of philosophy, theology and psychology, or experiments with some entheogens usually brings people to the style. Not all do it, so we have not so many followers and art lovers as other styles have. We all in the movement are 'touched by Spirit', charmed with it's force, it's play and beauty. I think we all in the Visionary Art , not depending of our actual religious denominations, experience some kind of a shock and a delight with the fact that consciousness is a special space, which can be explored, cognized and realized artistically."

Jon – "Have you experimented with entheogens Oleg? I have noticed masses of swirling energy recurring in your imagery and wonder if this has been at all derived from visions induced by psychedelics. I never assume that Visionary Artists are trippers. This movement is made up of all sorts ;) I also wonder if you have ever been persecuted for your art?"

Oleg – "No, I do not use any special 'additions' to evoke visions. I believe they leave a person in the digital dual space, which is never ending one. The space is similar to a computer video game, but it is not the eternity in the Absolute meaning and a way for the personal realization in It. Drugs close a way to the Absolute and to any perception and understanding of It. I think that people who seriously practiced with entheogens either realize it and after all avoid the usage or remain with the worlds, becoming an integral part of them, acting according to the shamanic conceptions. As for the persecution, in a political meaning, absolutely no, and I hope I will be able to say the same in the future, even after my answers to you. :))"

Jon – "Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your world Oleg. Do you have any exciting news to share with our readers? Any upcoming exhibitions or publications featuring your work?"

Oleg – "Well, I have no plans or great expectations. I would say that I have dreams rather than plans. A future will bring something, but currently a stream is carrying me to a cooperation with some of Moscow's Art collectors. I like a direct cooperation with art lovers."

Oleg Korolev is one of 50 Artists featured in our first publication: Metamorphosis.

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The Dmochowski Gallery website has a collection of black and white photography taken by Zdzislaw Beksiński. The pictures created during the 1950's provoke much of the same haunting and bizarre visions that his fantastic paintings and drawings would display in future decades. Click here to view the photographs.

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Earthrites.org presents: The Invisible College 2nd edition PDF Magazine.

Featuring the artwork of Robert Venosa, Bryan K ward, Kathleen Preissing and Mike Crowley.

The Art and Times of Robert Venosa – "There can be little doubt that altered states of consciousness have a profound effect on the creative quality and productive output of the artist. The inspirations are certainly individual and dependent on the artists ability to retain, filter and discern what is possible to exteriorize from the phantasmagoria presented by that which altered his consciousness."

The Art of Bryan Ward – "I have recently been wrapping my head around what I think I have been doing with my darker visions, something like painting the beauty of a lamentation, but for me it is including the mourning but without the regret: that sorrow, sadness, suffering and tears should be embraced as a part of a beautiful human experience and not be wholly shunned."

The Art of Kathleen Preissing – "As I have moved along the Life Path of Art I have been influenced by what I call the Molecules of Life. These are the various entheogens, some modern, and some ancient."

The Fractal Art of Mike Crowley – Mikes interest in mathematical art dates from the 1960's when some of his op-art pieces were exhibited in London's west end. He began working with computers in 1969, discovered fractals in the early 1980's and wrote his first computer program to generate the Mandelbrot Set in 1987. Thus began a long and intense love-affair with the graphical consequences of the square root of -1."

Some 90 pages in all are included, this is full of interesting articles, short stories, poetry and art. Including articles on; Beltaine: Connecting With the Heritage, a Tour of the Psychoactive Supermarket, a how to guide (with photos) on making Homemade Hash and Musings on the ingredients of the Kykeon at Eleusis. This is a large pdf file but worth the download wait. Also check out the first edition with featured Visionary artist Martina Hoffman.

Earthrites Mission Statement – As the wisdom of our ancestors have led us here… we have the obligation to assure the wide and tumbling world is there for our descendants. Together, we can change the world, preserving what is good, and altering that which is not. EarthRites.org is made up of various peoples from all over the world, coming together to offer what we can to bring about the shift of consciousness in these times. Earthrites.org strives to bring the knowledge of our various traditions, both native, and modern to a new synergy that benefits all beings, all consciousness be it animal, plant or mineral. Just as spirit is everywhere, so shall we be.

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Jon Beinart – "Where do your images come from Suzan?"

Suzan Blac – "As a child I alway's found escapism with pencil and paper, but, as a teenager my drawing's became very 'dark and horrific', which disturbed many people who labeled me 'evil' to be able to conjure up such violent imagery. And, because I felt so 'bad' I began producing 'nice,happy picture's'. I continued painting and selling these up until two year's ago. One day, I just decided that I would NEVER again paint to please other's… I was going to paint what 'I' wanted!… my creative canker was about to burst!!

So… now I paint… my fear's, my anger, my frustration and pain…. I bleed all over my canvasses!

We are conditioned to suppress our negative feeling's… but' they' do the most damage!… So, I embrace them, it is such a cathartic and liberating experience…to be able to express and share such a 'collective emotion' with all the people who identify with the pain of my art…. for they bleed like I bleed."

Jon – "It sounds like years of repression and painting pleasing images made your (current) personal art more guesome. Do you delight in watching people react to your images. Please describe some of the negative feedback you have recieved? I understand that you metaphorically 'bleed' all over your canvases (considering the emotional content of your work), but do you also use your blood as a medium?"

Suzan – "Oh my God… yeah! All those wasted year's!… But I'm going to make up for them now… you ain't seen nothing yet! I'm just testing the water at the moment, because of all the past negative reaction's, but now the positive, amazing reaction's fuel my desire to paint 'from my gut's' and to be as graphically explicit as I want to be! Yeah, I love the reaction's, my art reflect's the viewers mind, depending on their own personal experiences and emotional level's.  Their reaction's keep my art alive! The negativity come's from people who don't like to 'feel' unpleasant, morbid thought's, they are in denial, living out their daily 'pseudo-happy' live's.  It's not that I wish to 'taint' their world…. I want to show them 'absoulute honesty… pure truth'.. because 'that' is freedom. I have been called…. evil.. insane..mentally disturbed… f****n sick… a satanist.. a witch… oh, and that I need psychiactric treatment!!….. and I thought that I was quite the protagonist!

Ha ha…I have an extremley rare blood group, so the national blood donor org. are alway's taking more than they should…so I dont have much left to paint with, but I do occasionaly throw some on the canvas to match up the colour (I am a perfectionist) or observe how it drips/splatters onto different surfaces…. so whoever buys my original art… will also own my D.N.A…. which could establish proof of authenticity…. Ooh, and they could 'clone' me!.. AAAARRGGHHH!! Hmm… okay.. maybe they are right… I do need pschiatric treatment."

Jon – "Hahaha. If your crazy Suzan, then perhaps I am aswell. I can relate to alot of what you said. I definately agree that a persons reaction relates more to their own mind than the content of an artwork. Are you a fan of B-grade horror films Suzan? I see traces of Hell Raiser in your imagery. Did you overdose on 80's cinematic gore (with terrible acting and poorly written scripts) in your childhood? I was breast fed on the shite (not that my mother totally approved)."

Suzan – "He.He…. there is 'no perhap's Jon!

It is these things that have influenced my art… after all.. my art 'is' my mind."

Jon – "Yes, I've heard that ignorance is bliss Suzan, but I think it may be too late for you unless you're lucky enough to aquire a brain injury ;) Touch wood. So you draw inspiration from the real horrors of our society. Have you been influenced by other artists? Who are some of your favorites and why?"

Suzan – "Haha… Jon, but I do have a brain injury, in the psychological sense I mean, it has been damaged beyond repair, so it is just as well that my work is such a servile and solitary occupation. I don't have or desire much contact with other people, art is my sanctuary and my reason for living. It is so ironic that as an artist, my senses are so heightened to the painful ordeals of life, yet, I am able to produce such visceral and intense imagery.

These are my heroes, they gave so much to the world, even though the world tormented and abused them."

Jon – "Thank you Suzan for sharing so much of yourself in this interview. It is great to get to know the woman behind the art. Do you have any upcoming exhibitions or are your works being included in any publications. Any exciting news for the people ;)"

Suzan – "My absolute pleasure Jon! I have to say that I am a 'newbie', I only started networking in December, but so far Ihave had two group shows with the Strychnin gallery and an L.A film director is going to use some of work in his next horror movie…. and now  I am happy to say that I am featured on your amazing website!… So, not too bad so far!!

I want to thank you for that Jon, and thankyou so much for the interview. Mainly because it made me think about my work…. So, I just want to say to all the people who love and identify with my art… and have sent me so many beautiful messages and comments….a HUGE thankyou, and that I will not let them down, I will produce the art that 'they' want…. and that I 'will' paint!!"

Suzan's Gallery

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Jon Beinart – "What inspires you to paint Terrance?"

Terrance Lindall – "The question should be, what inspired (past tense) me to paint. I stopped painting about six years ago. The reasons for painting and the intensity levels of my devotion to painting have varied over the years. At first, when i was a teenager, it was a pleasure to render, to create three dimensionality in ideas from the science fiction and fantasy comics I read, i.e., Steve Ditko stories and the like. By the time i was in college my choice of subject became more philosophical. I liked to create a concrete philosophical point, as with my "Stone Eater." Always precise rendering was a pleasure.  In doing covers for magazines, something else happened. I was in another state of consciousness. I would pick up my brush and start painting at 6 PM and when i next looked up it was 4 AM, and I did not realize time had passed to that extent. Inspiration is not "caused." Painting for me is a natural extension or expression of the self like talking is for most people. it is natural and there is no "work" to it. It just flows."

Jon – "I had no idea you stopped painting. Was there a reason for this Terrance? Since meeting you I have seen such a huge body of work and naturally assumed that you were still creating prolifically. What is your current creative outlet?"

Terrance – "I stopped painting partly because I have so many other activities in my life. Also, I am not as driven as i used to be. When I was in my early 20's, if I could not paint I would go crazy. I was desperate to paint and very upset if anything prevented me. Today it is very hard to sit down and paint. I have ideas I want to put down, but to do so I would need the time and so I never sit down to start. Our art center is a daily time consuming project. Even though we are closed for renovation, I had to get involved as President in overseeing the capital improvements, working with city officials, project managers, etc. Also, as you know I am making movies. I just wrote a grant for new equipment for that. I do not know if you saw the "rough cut" Paradise Lost project on Youtube.

I am also finishing up my personal project of my "Treasure Room." which contains important art & artifacts and which I am contributing to the Yuko Nii Foundation to preserve for future generations. Some of the objects in this room are furniture by Pierre Antoine Bellange’, a furniture maker in Paris. At the end of 1811, he became the Imperial Furniture Warehouse and in 1817 President James Monroe purchased a suite of furniture for the White House, which was made famous in Jacqueline Kennedy’s TV tour of the White House. Other French objects in the room are documents signed by Napoleon as emperor, Joseph Bonaparte as emperor and a letter signed by Marie Louise, Napoleon’s young wife

British historical objects include the last will and testament of Dowager Lady Strathmore, the mother of the beloved Queen Mother of England who died in 2002 at the age of 101. Also included are her marriage contract and the entire inventory of Glamis Castle where she grew up as a child. There is also a remarkable and lavish coat worn by the Royal Herald of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The treasure room contains several paintings dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries. From the studio of Titan there is the fortuneteller, and from the studio of Rembrandt by Govert Flinck is a portrait as beautiful as any Rembrandt. There is one beautiful Hudson River landscape by Asher Durand, similar to the one sold by the New York Public Library to the Heiress of the Walmart Stores recently. There is a large Spanish painting of the raising of Lazarus and various portraits that add to the splendor of the room bringing forth the lives of characters that may have lived there.

In many ways this treasure room project and the documentary movies satisfy my artistic cravings. But one more factor comes in. I am overwhelmed by the high quality of the artists of our surreal/visionary genre. I have done my work and it is for these superlative young masters to carry the movement forward.  I expect to do more work as my life settles down. But i am satisfied with what i have done."

Jon – "It is great to hear that you still have an outlet for your creativity and I look forward to seeing the finished versions of Paradise Lost as well as your Brave Destiny documentary. As I have mentioned in previous conversations with you, I grew up on Creepy and Eerie comics (although they were before my time, i had access to my fathers collection). I was excited when I learned that you had painted the cover art for both Creepy and Eerie. Have you had much association with the 'Lowbrow' Comic Surrealist movement and the earlier efforts to get comic influenced art shown in serious galleries (which has obviously been quite successful, especially for artists like Robert Williams, Mark Ryden & Chris Mars). In your early career was it difficult find galleries that would show your paintings?"

Terrance – "'Lowbrow comic surrealism!' What an expression! Anyway, yes, I guess I was part of that with CREEPY, EERIE and HEAVY METAL. I guess that is what originally turned off the mainstream art world from our art, it's being lowbrow. But that is changing! Important art movements like Impressionism, Cubism, Ashcan School, etc, all spring from what, in their own time, was considered "lowbrow." or art not of current running pack of dogs and their adherents. The current running pack always attacks the newcomer. The newcomer continues, and as the saying goes, "what does not kill you makes you stronger." Eventually people get tired of the old pack and look for something fresh. Right now, the low brow comic art is something fresh to the "high brow" public. In fact, I was interviewed last year by Time Out Magazine in New York, a really big magazine, about Graffiti art. There was a large show at the Brooklyn Museum which included Michael Tracy ("Tracy 168"), Melvin Samuels, Jr. ("NOC 167"), Sandra Fabara ("Lady Pink"), Chris Ellis ("Daze"), and John Matos ("Crash"). Seems that my art as well as others from Heavy Metal and Creepy, etc. influenced them. A group of NYC famous young Graffiti artists here in Brooklyn stopped by our art center once a few years ago and we were rapping away. They asked me to join them in a project, which I kindly declined. High art or low art, there is no difference. Great art is great art!

Difficult to find galleries??? More like impossible. Mainstream was against it! But I stuck with my vision and i am reaping rewards greater now than I ever could have if I had followed the pack and painted shallow, acceptable 1960's post modern work. Sure I could have made it big in the gallery world with that acceptable style and content. As they say, "copy success to be successful." But I do not think it would have made me happy. Most important for any artists out there: follow your own unique vision…to thine own self be true! You will eventually reap the rewards! Today, people who would not have touched my art are begging for it. There is  nothing available for them. You have to have the eye and the judgment to know what is important when you see it, no matter what others say.  Ordinary art collectors cannot see it, so they follow. And they lose out."

Jon – "Yes, I did feel a little awkward when I used the word 'Lowbrow' (notice the inverted commas), but it has been used as a descriptive word for comic derived art since the publication of 'Lowbrow Art World of Robert Williams' (much to the regret of Williams himself). Words can be so limiting. I'm so glad you persevered and made a mark with your own personal style. You are right. If all artists adapted to the type of art that is fashionable then there would be no innovation or evolution in the art world. I wasn't aware that you had run out of available work. Lucky I was able to purchase one of your original oils from Damian Michaels' Art Visionary Collection some time ago. (one of my personal favorites in the beinArt Collection).

What exciting news do you have in stall for the future Terrance? Beyond the film projects you mentioned previously, do you plan to host a second Brave Destiny Show?"

Terrance – "My future projects are wrapped in a mystery known only to myself. I guarantee that within the next ten years something very remarkable will unfold. It expands perception. It brushes alternative realities. It uses technology in new ways. It has to do with wave technology in new applications. We will create closed system environments of sight, sound, smell, taste and feeling. It will engulf emotion, mood and attitude. No person experiencing it will walk away unmoved. It is truly the ultimate in surreal/visionary/fantastic! PREPARE! Good luck Jon. You are doing marvelous things. Keep it up!"

Terrance Lindall has also published two Essays on beinArt.org: Brave Destiny & A New International Surrealist’s Look at Progress, Overcoming and the Irreversibility of the Avante-garde, Massurrealism and The Death of Art.

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If you are familiar with my Toddlerpedes I'm sure you understand why this bizarre photo by Phillip Toledano appeals to me.

The following text is Phillip Toledano's Artist statement.

"I was born in London on December 6th, 1968 to an american father and a french Moroccan mother. After a convincing presentation on the merits of photography to my parents at the age of 11, I received my first camera. I have been taking slightly odd pictures ever since. My photography career was briefly interrupted by a ten-year stint as an art director working at ad agencies. I resumed full time picture-taking a few years ago. I believe that everything should start with an idea, whether it be a single image, or a series. I also believe that a photography should be like an unfinished sentence. There should be space for questions. I live and work in new york city."

I also recommend the hope and fear section of Phillip's website for more inspiration.

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In 2006 my friend Leo Plaw (who is responsible for programming beinart.org and is a great Visionary Painter himself) received a myspace 'friend' request from a Japanese painter named Satoshi Sakamoto. Leo shared Satoshi's colourful paintings with me (which I found beautiful and stylistically unique) and I invited the young Japanese artist to join our online gallery.

In the few pleasant email conversations I had with Satoshi he told me that he was very excited about being represented on beinart.org and that he finds the life of an artist in Japan difficult, since the local contemporary art community are not receptive to his style of art.

I have found out, through communicating with many of the artists on our website, that this attitude and prejudice is typical in most nations, which is a huge shame, as the general public is more receptive to Surreal, Fantastic, Psychedelic & Visionary art than much of what is shown in highbrow galleries.

I'm sure the Japanese public would love to get lost in Satoshi's mesmerizing psychedelic imagery. I am hopeful that this trend will change soon (as fashion is constantly changing), and skilled/imaginative artists like Satoshi Sakamoto will be celebrated and able to support themselves with their art alone. Fingers crossed.

I am not generally into such colourful work, but the way Satoshi balances his hyper palate is incredible. His images are packed with organic alien forms & swirling masses of psychedelic brain matter.

I always look forward to seeing Satoshi's New work and hope to see one his paintings in the flesh one day. I believe many of them are massive and packed with detail. I'm sure the photo's I have posted here wouldn't do them justice. All the same, it is an honour to be able to share Satoshi's beautiful work with our readers.

Here is Satoshi's artist statement:

"I trust the power of colors. I set out to create a phenomenon on the canvases with mainly primary colors. First of all I try to maximize the meaning of red fully in anger and mercy. I think that red cautions us against the sacrilege of human ego disregarding nature. I thought of Sur-naturalism, that which might be regarded as the conservative reformism which connotes succession from the 20th century. Also, it is close to the ancient designs and the recollection of the Renaissance."

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