Filed under: ART OF THE DAY, COLOUR, CULTURE, STREET ART
April 6, 2011 • 3:04 pm 0
ALEX PARADEE
Heavily dominated by his interest in Horror films and graffiti, the art of Alex Paredee, displays an emotionally imbued self-created universe given life on the canvas and brilliantly electrified with the most bizarre of other worldly creatures.
Using his art as a means of self-medication after months of hospitalisation for depression and anxiety in his early teenage years, the artist overcame his adversity through his own creative technique of therapy art. His works translate a passion for painting and drawing stemmed from his preoccupation with creepy and grotesque imagery found in pages from Tales from the Crypt comics. This distinct style is one developed from a history of watching horror films, listening to gangster rap and writing graffiti.
Using ink, watercolours, dyes, and pens for majority of his pieces, the artist is currently attempting to branch out and use more oils, latex and acrylics for his future works. His art envisages that of a ghoulish circus show populated by the vibrant undead. The works are given life by a translation of varied shape and colours into indications of absurdity and torment. From the contrast of these juxtaposing tones, Pardee’s work become more intimate to his viewers, enabling them to instead project their own emotions and feelings onto the visions of his twisted realities.
Filed under: ALEX PARADEE, ARTISTS, COLOUR, DRAWING, GRAFFITI, ILLUSTRATION, MACABRE, STREET ART, SURREAL
April 4, 2011 • 1:48 am 0
HERAKUT
Contemporary street art has transcended beyond the traditionally urban boundaries with the dramatically unique fusion of two uniquely diverse artists Akut and Hera to who have collaborated together to create the superbly accomplished ‘Herakut’. Herakut consisting of the classically trained painter, Hera and the contrastingly hyper realistic self originated talent of Akut have formed a respected name in the street art world through their innovative contrast of classical art and traditionally street art forming a talent that has rarely been seen before.
The immensely talented duo first met and has been working in conjunction since the 2004 Urban Arts Festival in Spain. The two have been artistically inseparable ever since. The initially unlikely paring of the two artists whose completely conflicting technical and conceptual aesthetics were at first believed to be unworkable has instead proven to produce an interesting result. This drastic battle between these aesthetics have come to construct one of the principle collaborations in contemporary Urban art and has originated an experimental presence in modern painting.
Hera being classically trained in a very conservative environment strives to express her own artistic freedom using various tools such as spray cans, paint brushes and her own bare hands in a freestyle manner to contrive her highly emotional and gestural figures.
Contrastingly, Akut began his artistic expression of graffiti when he was just 14 years of age. His passion for street art was nurtured from its infancy with no prior experience of art except his involvement in the midnight art scene. He along with fellow street artists helped to generate the eminent German Crew entitled Maclaim who painted the streets in photo- realist graffiti. Akut ventured on in exploration of ways to evolve his production style and to really get a sense of he belonged as an artist. Specialising in hyperrealism, Akut creates remarkably unique images of animals and flesh using his can.
Herakut has been described as being the visual communication of both Hera and Akut speaking simultaneously, each expressing completely different ideas of a shared story in their own individual methods. The entirely distinct styles have been employed to enhance the aesthetic of the works with the contrasting imagery rather than competing they appear to work off one another.
Filed under: ARTISTS, COLOUR, GRAFFITI, HERAKUT, MIXED MEDIA, STREET ART
