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American artist Kenny Scharf, born in Hollywood in 1958, is recognized for his distinctive works in the realm of Pop Surrealism, often associated with the Lowbrow art movement. Currently, Scharf’s latest exhibition, Tout Suite, is on display at Galerie Almine Rech.

Scharf’s childhood Saturdays, shaped by the psychedelic lights of early color TVs, inspired his fascination with color. Influenced by iconic cartoons like The Flintstones and The Jetsons, he draws inspiration from the dualities of American suburban life portrayed in these animated series.

Initially aspiring to become a commercial artist specializing in album covers, Scharf’s artistic journey took a transformative turn during his studies in art history. The vibrant art scene of New York, echoing the spirit of Warhol’s Factory, convinced him that the heart of artistic expression beat in the city that never sleeps.

Accepted into the School of Visual Art, Scharf’s path intersected with influential figures like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Introduced to street art by Basquiat, and exposed to the energetic East Village scene by Haring, Scharf’s artistic evolution veered away from formal education toward the dynamic city environment.

In the ’80s, Scharf’s distinctive, accessible style garnered widespread acclaim. Emulating Haring, he embraced diverse mediums, marketing his art on T-shirts and various objects to make it universally accessible. To Scharf, art, like music, should be appreciated on multiple levels, from visual pleasure to a profound understanding of the message embedded in the canvas.

Tout Suite, Scharf’s latest exhibition, takes a poignant turn as it delves into environmental urgency and climate change. Through his signature brightly-colored icons, he not only raises awareness but also invites the audience to engage with the playful joy emanating from his canvases and sculptures. Explore the world of Kenny Scharf, where art becomes a medium for both enjoyment and introspection.

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Robin Kid is a versatile Dutch artist born in 1991, excelling in ballpoint pen drawings, oil and tempera paintings, hyper-realistic silicone and bronze sculptures, and captivating installations. His latest exhibition, “Kingdom of Ends,” is on display at Galerie Templon from September 2 to October 21, 2023.

Growing up under the care of his grandparents in a mining community, Robin Kid displayed a remarkable flair for creativity from an early age. Despite his solitary upbringing, he ingeniously constructed imaginative worlds using a treasure trove of objects and toys discovered in his attic, drawing inspiration from TV series and films. His meticulous attention to detail and a talent for crafting immersive experiences permeate his creative pursuits.

As a self-taught artist who left formal education during his teenage years, Kid’s unquenchable thirst for artistic expression led him to explore various techniques independently. His learning journey often involves delving into books or online tutorials, allowing him to master intricate processes. For hyper-realistic sculptures, he immerses himself in the techniques of acclaimed artists like Ron Mueck, Maurizio Cattelan, and Duane Hanson, experimenting with materials and honing his craft.

Robin Kid’s artistic narrative is deeply intertwined with pop culture, particularly the childlike and adolescent realms portrayed in American television. He emerges as a distinctive voice of his generation, shaped by the alternate realities of TV shows where stories conclude optimistically, mirroring the ideals and values of his upbringing. However, his recent exhibitions, like “It’s All Your Fault,” reveal his disillusionment with the hollow promises of the American Dream.

In “Kingdom of Ends,” Robin Kid skillfully appropriates the symbols of mass culture and advertising, creating an immersive theme park experience. These familiar icons, emphasizing universal beauty and kindness, take on new dimensions with the incorporation of objects such as axes and baseball bats. Drawing inspiration from artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Jim Dine, and the German Capitalist Realism movement, his artworks resemble children’s toys or ensembles that provoke introspection among adults.

“Kingdom of Ends” offers an exhibition that blends the enchantment of Walt Disney with the unsettling reality akin to Chris Cunningham’s creations. Kid invites viewers to peek behind the spectacle of contemporary mass culture, social media, round-the-clock news, and the burdens of an uncertain future that weigh heavily on his generation.

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Claire Morgan is an artist born in Belfast and currently living in Newcastle. She is known for her sculpture made with taxidermy and plastic crumbs but also for her watercolor and more recently paintings. From her studio at home, she shares with us how she dealt with the lockdown and how it affected her creative process.
Her work gives importance to nature, death and time ; in the interview Claire Morgan talks about how she sees the world currently through her artist lens. She also talks about this crisis as an opportunity to experiment and accelerate an artwork’s evolution.
This episode will allow you to deep dive into a beautiful artist’s mind.

Claire Morgan : http://claire-morgan.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/clairemorganstudio/ 

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Iván Navarro évoque dans cette dernière partie sa passion d’adolescent pour les concerts clandestins qui à l’époque étaient à la fois l’expression de la liberté artistique et une réponse au pouvoir en place. L’artiste pousse sa passion de collectionneur de bootleg et de vinyls jusqu’à lancer son propre label, Hueso Records, sur lequel il signe un groupe emblématique de cette période, les Pinochet Boys.
Il explique ensuite comment il a développé sa connaissance du Light Art au delà des images qu’il connaissait d’artistes comme Dan Flavin ou Keith Sonnier. Puis à quel point les voyages et sa découverte d’artistes tels que Meyer Vaisman ont pu élargir ses horizons et lui donner confiance en lui en tant qu’artiste.

Pour Iván Navarro, toute passion doit à un certain moment être abordée et approfondie sérieusement, c’est la clé pour en faire un art.

In this last part, Iván Navarro talks about his passion as a teenager for underground concerts which at the time were both an expression of artistic freedom and a response to the ruling power. The artist pushes his passion for bootleg and vinyl up to launch his own label, Hueso Records, on which he signs an emblematic group of this period, the Pinochet Boys.
He then explains how he developed his knowledge of Light Art beyond the images he knew of artists like Dan Flavin or Keith Sonnier. Then how much traveling and discovering artists like Meyer Vaisman would broaden his horizons and give him self-confidence as an artist.
For Iván Navarro, all passion must at some point be approached and deepened seriously, this is the key to making it an art.