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The 115 Gallery was visited this week by Andrew Jones, one of the most famous American digital artists of the moment, who was in Bucharest for a live performance in one of the clubs in the city. Of course, we couldn't have missed the opportunity to do an interview with him, so here it is.De ce crezi ca ti se spune “samanul apocaliptic al artei”?
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Why do you think you were heralded as the “apocalyptic art shaman”?De fapt, altcineva mi-a dat numele asta. Am dat un interviu unei reviste coreene care m-a intrebat o multime de lucruri despre sursele mele de inspiratie iar eu le-am dat niste raspunsuri foarte sincere si candide, cum ca ayahuasca ma influenteaza enorm, alaturi de alte plante samanice. Acest lucru, combinat cu viziunile apocaliptice pe care le-am avut in perioada 2006-2007 si pe care le-am integrat in lucrarile mele cred ca au dus la numele care mi-a fost dat. Personal, nu mi-as spune niciodata saman, pentru ca am un prea mare respect pentru arhetipul reprezentat de un saman, dar consider ca lucrarile mele sunt samanice intr-un anume fel.
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That name was given to me actually. I have done an interview with a Korean magazine and they asked a lot of questions about my inspiration and I was very candid about the source of where it all comes from, like ayahuasca that is a major influence of mine and a lot of different shamanic plants and that combined with during back in 2006 to 2007 I had a lot of apocalyptic visions that I was putting in a lot of my paintings. I would never call myself a shaman, because I have too much respect for the archetype of what a shaman is but I consider the work that I do to be shamanistic.
In ce fel difera un performance live fata de lucrul in studio?
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How is a live performance different from working in a studio?E complet diferit. Am lucrat multi ani in studio si mi-a placut intotdeauna genul acela de relatie si de concentrare si faptul ca pot avea controlul absolut asupra operei mele si a mediului din jurul meu. Ceea ce am descoperit lucrand live a fost ca scena transforma complet locul in care lucram, deoarece experienta pe care o ai atunci cand lucrezi in propriul studio, si este intuneric si alegi tu ce fel de muzica sa asculti, este una mult mai centrata pe interior, iar gandurile care-ti trec prin minte sunt complet diferite. Insa atunci cand esti pe scena poti extrage din energia a sute, poate chiar mii de oameni, si nu numai ca lucrul asta te fixeaza in acel moment, dar poti sa si culegi toata aceasta energie. Cand lucrezi pe scena, cu atatia oameni in jurul tau, simti ca nu ai nicio plasa de siguranta, este o chestie de moment si care ma pune intr-o situatie limita. In momentul in care urc pe scena, sunt prins acolo toata seara. Este o experienta profund diferita si este cu siguranta lucrul care m-a facut sa vreau sa continui acest lucru din primul moment.
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It's completely different. For years and years I have worked as a studio artist in my studio and it's always nice to have that sort of relation and that focus and that concentration and be in total control with my set and setting. What I discovered from working live is that being on stage really transformed the place I was working at, because when you are in a studio and it is dark and you got your music playing is more of an inward experience and there are completely different thoughts that run through your mind, but when you're on stage you're able to draw from the energy of hundreds if not thousands of people and it not only put you in the moment, but at the same time you're able to harness the energy of all these people. Working on stage with so many people there, there's no net, it's very in the moment and it puts me right on the edge. When I get up on stage I'm definitely locked up for the night. It's a profoundly different experience and it's definitely what's kept me on the road ever since.
Tell us about conceptart.org, it's a project that started six years ago...A inceput ca un site pentru crearea unei comunitati, ca un fel de retea artistica. Eu si prietenii mei consideram ca arta digitala este o revolutie care se intampla aici si acum, si simt ca paradigmele au inceput deja sa se schimbe, si ca lucrarile de acest gen incep sa fie acceptate. Nu sunt genul de persoana careia internetul sa-i fie o chestiune indiferenta si cred ca ar trebui sa ne dam seama cat de puternica este aceasta unealta in a aduna oamenii in jurul unei cauze. Cred ca acum, mai mult ca niciodata, a venit timpul ca artistii sa devina un grup unit.
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It began as a community-building site more like an artistic network. Me and my friends are seeing a digital art revolution actually happening and I can see the edge of the paradigm shifting, I can see these works are going to become more accepted. It has created anticipation and at the same time it is part of the momentum. The internet is something that I don't take for granted and we have to recognize what an incredibly powerful tool it is to bring people together and I think more than ever this is the time when the artists need to start coming together.
Poti sa ne spui ceva despre colaborarea ta cu compania de efecte speciale a lui George Lucas?
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Can you tell us something about your collaboration with George Lucas's special effects company?Este vorba de un internship pe care l-am facut la trecerea intre anii de juniorat si cei de seniorat, si am fost primul stagiar de la scoala mea de arte plastice care a ajuns acolo, astfel ca a fost o mare onoare. Am si desenat putin, dar cea mai mare parte din munca mea acolo a fost una de stagiar, si a fost o experienta pe care am luat-o cu modestie. A fost motivant sa-i vad pe toti artistii aceia si sa pot arunca o privire la intreaga industrie din varful ei. Erau unele zile in care ajungeam la studio si ma uitam afara si stateam o clipa si ma gandeam :”wow, am ajuns aici, sunt la cel mai bun studio din lume si lucrez cu cei mai buni artisti” dar dupa aceea imi ziceam “O.K. Am ajuns unde vroiam... Ce urmeaza?”. Cred ca a fost o experienta extraordinara pentru mine sa ajung la acel nivel pentru ca acest lucru mi-a largit orizonturile. Asta a fost unul dintre motivele pentru care mi-am infiintat propria companie si unul dintre motivele pentru care nu mi-as mai dori sa lucrez pentru nimeni altcineva in afara de mine.
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It was an internship that I had between my junior and senior year and I was the first intern from my particular art school to go there so it was a big honor. I did a little bit of drawing but honestly a lot of it was intern work and it was a really humble experience at one level, and it was exciting to see all those artists and to see the industry from a pinnacle. There were days when I came to the studio and I looked outside and I'd take a moment to reflect “wow, I'm actually here, I'm actually at the best studio in the world and I'm working with the best artists” but I think it's part of the man's nature too, I mean once I was there I was like “O.K. So I got what I wanted... So what's next?”. I think it was a great experience for me to be at that level because it increased my horizons. This was one of the reasons that I have decided to create my own company and it is one of the reasons why now I think it is better to work for myself than for any company.
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Where do you find inspiration? What inspires you most?E o intrebare buna. Raspunsul ar fi Dumnezeu si divinul. Este vorba despre a ajunge intr-un punct in care sa pot indeparta suficient de multe din valurile identitatii mele si in care sa pot functiona ca un mediu pentru un spirit maret si mai puternic decat al meu. Am realizat ca o parte din misiunea mea este sa creez opere de arta spirituale si ca am fost ales de Dumnezeu sa fac ceea ce fac.
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That's a good question. It's God and it's the divine. It's getting to the point where I can lift enough of the veils of myself and of my identity and be ready to act as a vessel for a spirit that is much greater and much powerful than myself. I realized that part of my mission is to make spiritual artworks and I know that I'm called by God to do what I'm doing.Spune-ne mai multe despre proiectele educationale in care ai fost implicat
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Tell us more about the educational projects that you have been involved inIau parte la multe workshop-uri de arta. Cu ajutorul conceptart.org am inceput sa lansam propriile workshop-uri de arta deoarece ne-am dat seama ca am reusit sa punem pe picioare reteaua asta mare si ca pentru a inchega cu adevarat o comunitate este nevoie sa facem posibila intalnirea tuturor acestor oameni in lumea reala. Am dus workshop-urile in Amsterdam, Praga, Berlin, Bucuresti, Austin, San Francisco, Seattle, Montreal, iar urmatorul va avea loc in Noua Zeelanda. In ultima vreme workshop-urile au inceput sa ia o turnura in care arta personala a devenit mai importanta decat instruirea artistica. Motivatia mea este aceea de a inspira si de a da putere oamenilor, precum si aceea de a da mai departe lucrurile pe care le-am invatat in viata.
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I do a lot of art workshops. Through conceptart.org we started launching our own series of art workshops because we realized that we were making this great networks and that the way to really fuse a community is to make people meet up in the real world. We've been in Amsterdam, in Prague, in Berlin, Bucharest, Austin, San Francisco, Seattle, Montreal, and the next one coming up is New Zealand. They seem to have taken a course lately where it's somewhat less about art instruction and and more about personal art. My motivation is to inspire and to also empower everyone and pass on the things that I have learned in my life.
Ce crezi despre Galeria 115?
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What do you think about the 115 Gallery?Cred ca este o galerie minunata si sunt bucuros sa vad un grup de oameni care sunt atat de inspirati de arta digitala si care o respecta si sunt gata sa-si investeasca timpul si energia pentru ea. Ma inspira sa vad lucrurile pe care le-ati facut, mai ales proiectul outdoor. Nu am avut prea des ocazia sa vad galerii care sa se implice atat de mult. Felicitari.
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I think it's a great gallery and I'm excited to see a group of people that are so inspired by digital art and they respect the digital art actually as a an art and are willing to invest their time and their energy into it. It's very inspiring to see what you guys have been doing and especially the work that you had on the buildings. To be so hands-on is not an experience I have had with a lot of galleries. Bravo to you guys.
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foarte tare performance-ul
thanks andrew
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