A Living History: The Art of Mark “Feijão” Milligan II
June 1, 2020
Artist Mark “Feijão” Milligan II brings to life the history of the African Diaspora. From the travels of the Moors through Spain to the mythos of the people of West Africa, his paintings chronicle the spirit of a people dispersed across the world, gifting each temporary home with their voice and stories.
Interview: Cartoonist Jim Rugg on ‘Octobriana 1976’
May 27, 2020
In 1971 a book was released titled Octobriana and the Russian Underground, chronicling the history of the comic character Octobriana from her creation in the 1960s by a group of Russian dissidents. Keeping with the character’s Communist ideals, she is publicly owned and all artists are free to use her to tell their own stories.
The Precision of Illustrator Martin Ansin
May 7, 2020
The lines are clean. The likeness of the lone figure, a well-known actress, is drawn with only a fistful of lines, and it should be stated—it’s perfect. The illustration, colored in crisp sepia tone with pops of electric blue, accompanied the 2014 review in The New Yorker of the drug-fueled sci-fi thriller Lucy by French auteur Luc Besson.
Neither illustration nor film is a landmark in the career of their respective artist, but both showcase the casual yet workman-like skill of each. A piece of art held together by incredible craft and skill. This is the core ethos of illustrator Martin Ansin’s work.
A Brief Look: The Digitial Dismantling of Illustrator Alvaro Tapia Hidalgo
May 19, 2020
The figures created by Chile-based illustrator Álvaro Tapia Hidalgo bypass any form of subtlety and drive to full-on dramatic. Each element separated from the body and reattached potato-head style. No matter the level of distress and dismantling, Hidalgo keeps the human form front and center.
The Bold Voice of Illustrator Jake Alexander
May 26, 2020
The colors are bright and dirty, and you can feel the paintbrush. Either a perfected real-world technique or digital analogy, it does not matter. The illustrations of Jake Alexander have the broad strokes and compositions of flower-sack painted film posters from ’80s Ghana.
Modern American Goddess: Interview with Model Anna Lisa Wagner
May 3, 2020
Model Anna Lisa Wagner is a perfect beauty — an archetype of feminine grace and charisma. Channeling the classic supermodel of the ’90s, Wagner stands as a modern American goddess. The art is to be present, in true collaboration with the photographer. The former Penthouse Pet has amassed a large fanbase and gives as much attention and effort to the business of modeling as she does the art of modeling. Behind the camera, her art takes another path, one of exploration and improvisation.
More is More: The Work of Illustrator Romy Blümel
May 23, 2020
The scenes created by Hamburg-based illustrator Romy Blümel are maximalist in nature — bold colors and imposing shapes overlap, falling into each other. Perspectives vary throughout the canvas, leading your eye through the moment with the ease of a filmmaker. Blümel’s work borrows visually from linocut, the organic flow of knife and ink, but it is pure paint drawn on with ink and pen.
