mentisworks

Art Toys at the Cameron Art Museum

2009-11-09T11:30:00.009-05:00

One of the most exciting local art shows in some time is opening at the end of the week. Toying with Art: Toys Designed by Artists is an exhibition at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Caroline that will start off with its opening reception on Thursday, November 12, at 6:00 pm for members and 7:00 pm for the public. The exhibition features a multitude of primarily contemporary art toys from across the nation and abroad.

Part of why I am so excited about this show is because of our inclusion in it. Nikki and I made toys for the exhibit that we feel turned out rather well. My contribution is based on one of my previous paintings called Tears 2.0, which is also why I opted to name the toy "T.2.0 Prototype." It was made using polymer clay and painted with acrylic, standing at approximately 6.5 inches tall. During the downtime which inevitably occurs while waiting for paint to dry I also made a box to house the piece.

Nikki's toy of a kawai squid by the name of "Squidipoo" is clearly also inspired by our love of otaku culture. The yellow plush toy is approximately 16 inches tall and its eight tentacles allow it to stand or lay flat. Both our toys have gotten a great reception so far and I am curious to look into the possibilities of doing a small production run of these.

Additional pieces in the exhibit also include a custom Munny by Yanick Blanchet of Montreal Vinyl (pictured above), and one or more of the popular Slobots by Mike Slobot. I haven't seen any other pieces yet, and so all of us are in for a treat when this show opens. If you live in or near the Wilmington area I highly recommend coming to the opening reception. You can find the Facebook event page here. Otherwise, stay tuned for more photos from the show.

T.2.0 Prototype

2009-11-07T22:31:00.024-05:00

Recently finished my submission for the Cameron Art Museum's "Toying with Art" exhibition. The title of the piece is T.2.0 Prototype, which is based on the Tears 2.0 painting from last year. It's my first foray into making customs, so I used all polymer clay for this and painted it with acrylic. While waiting for coats of paint to dry I also created a box for it, which is documented below.

The back label on the box contains a fun little description of the toy. Here is what it reads...

The T.2.0 Specimen is the result of a failed genetic experiment. Created from alien genes of unknown origin, its life is sustained only by a constant flow of lachrymal secretion. The cause of this phenomenon has yet to be determined.

It was very time consuming to make this piece, and a definite learning experience. Being new to the medium I had some research to do, and was able to find some information on the Kidrobot forums. The biggest help, however, was Mike Slobot. Thank you for your patience and willingness to offer many useful suggestions Mike!

In any case, and without further ado, here are the progress shots of the T.2.0 Prototype custom toy...

Plethora of Fall Art Shows

2009-09-22T10:45:00.000-04:00

Somehow I got to doing a whole bunch of art shows this fall. We will be kicking things off this Friday, September 25, with two openings for group shows I am participating in, one at Bottega and another at Parallelogram.

The "Relevance" exhibition at Bottega will feature popular culture in art with a selection of pop art and related pieces from artists Mark Atkins, Terry Diamond, Steven Gibbs, Everett Freyberg, Scott James, Christopher Muniec, Teo Ninkovic, Candy Pegram, Kit Thomas, and Addie Wuensch. Opening reception starts at 7 pm at Bottega Art Bar & Gallery in downtown Wilmington (map).

Meanwhile, another opening will be getting on its way, also starting at 7 pm, a little further out at Parallelogram for the exhibition "Body Parts." After visiting Bottega first I will then be joining this event at Castle & 3rd (map). The show includes work from artists Sullivan Dunn, Tien Chang, Jan Allen, Erika Moya, Scott Melville Gray, and Katie Seiz.

On top of these shows, I will be sending a few pieces to a group show in Syracuse, NY. November will be even busier, with both Nikki and I participating in the new toy exhibition at the Cameron Art Musuem. Then, shortly after the toy exhibit, I will be taking [peripheral/interface] to Roanoke, VA for display at the Carless Brit Museum.

Finally, holiday group shows are on the horizon for December as well. One will take place at Parallelogram, while the other I am still waiting for confirmation on. How did things get so crazy busy all of a sudden? I have no idea, but I think it's a good sign. Hopefully with all these shows this will also mean that there will be sales. Something which is a rarity for me in Wilmington.

Young Audiences Virginia: Arts for Learning

2009-09-22T00:15:00.001-04:00

In July of this year I had the opportunity to do some teaching up in Virginia. Based on the success of my previous teaching trip to Roanoke, the non-profit organization Young Audiences became interested in working with me on another project.

This time Nikki was able to join me as we drove up to Norfolk where I taught two manga and anime art related workshops as part of the Arts for Learning Residency program. The whole point was to get the students to think about sequential art, or how to tell stories using images.

Our starting point was the story of Humpty Dumpty, which the students were to reinterpret and retell. As an example, I created my own version of the rhyme and drew up four panels illustrating it. A task that the students were also given and completed in groups.

While our groups were a bit smaller than expected, I think that everyone who attended was very enthusiastic and had a lot of fun in addition to having come up with some great results. After two consecutive workshops of this nature I now have a better understanding of how to approach this type of teaching situation and will undoubtedly make improvements to this format in the future. Chances are I will be working with Young Audiences again when additional projects come around and I look forward to it!

LOL Economics @ Anime Expo

2009-07-13T16:30:00.000-04:00

Having posted my new work from [peripheral/interface] on DeviantArt not too long ago, I was happy to find positive feedback from many people I know on that website. In addition, a number of strangers also enjoyed the new pieces and commented on them as well. Shortly thereafter I was contacted by one DA user who enthusiastically asked permission to print out copies of my "Economics" painting and hand them out at Anime Expo.

Happy to receive the request, and having already planned to print out some "bills" for myself, I put together a template for these and send it off to him. As these things go, I didn't really think much of it at the time and only asked for some photos in return. So, as weeks went by I completely forgot about this until I received an email last week. At first I thought it was spam and almost deleted it until I saw the photos!

I trust you'll agree with me that these are great shots, and I think the idea was brilliant. "Economics" has gone on a mini tour to Anime Expo this year. Even though doing this series made it impossible for me to attend a con this year, it would seem that a little piece of me managed to go nonetheless. Big thanks to you DarkAssasin, you made my day! This was a great idea, and one that I hope we can repeat.

If anyone else would like to receive the template for printing these, I will be happy to send it to you. Simply contact me here or anywhere else online and we will exchange information. I would love for these to go to lots of other places and cons, providing of course that you can send me a photo!

There Is Another

2009-07-12T16:00:00.000-04:00

While doing some gallery research I came a cross a piece which obviously looked rather familiar. Since I had done a similar painting not too long ago for [peripheral/interface], I noticed it right away. Artist Susan Crile put together an entire series called "Abu Graib: Abuse of Power."

It comes as no surprise that her piece is so similar to mine, as the photograph which both of these paintings are based on was popularized by the media and therefore became a logical choice as a recognizable icon. Interesting to note is also that there are about four years of time separating her piece and mine. She created hers back in 2005 when the events were still fresh in the public mind, while I returned to the issue somewhat late. Nevertheless, Abu Graib recently came back into the media on account of president Obama's efforts.

My desire to post this was in part fueled by being surprised there was not more artwork based on the Abu Graib tortures. Granted, there is some. Yet I would have thought there would be more. Perhaps I just haven't come across much of it.

Earth Below Us

2009-07-09T16:15:00.001-04:00

For the month of July, downtown mainstay and popular hangout for many local artists, the Caffe Phoenix, is exhibiting the work of two women that I in particular am rather fond of. That should come as no surprise, given that I am married to one of them.

Nikki Wisniowski is showing a collection of brand new art. It consists primarily of collage work and mixed media pieces. I have to say that I think she's doing some fantastic things these days, but then I am a little biased. So instead I present you with Nikki's own words regarding her current efforts:

My work is subconsciously nostalgic of the place where I was born, which is very different from where I am now. I grew up in eastern Montana, which has a different aesthetic than any other place I've been. Mostly what is there is a rolling sea of grass, speckled with green juniper and the occasional tree. I think that the wide open spaces in my art reflect my love of Big Sky country, and how much I miss that strange place.

Wendy Kowalski has been a friend of mine for much of the time we have spent in Wilmington. She is a painter that I have had the pleasure to work with on the Coloring Stories for Conscious Stories project. Kowalski, a single mother and artist, is extremely prolific. Her work depicts figures that are often airborne and in motion.

Born in Connecticut and a former desert dweller, Kowalski is now painting a series of large scale mixed-media paintings entitled Nebulon. Her current studio is by the sea in North Carolina. In art she explores the transcendence to the spontaneous, fluid, orbiting, often magical, and spiritual free-flight of the mind and body. She's inspired by nature, music, her two year old son Blaze, and this magical waking circus life which is full of love and blessings. Her brush is piloted by caffeine, trance music, and insomnia.

The pairing of these two artists seems obvious. They are different but complimentary. While Wendy's paintings are of a more lofty disposition, Nikki's collages tend to be more grounded. As such, the exhibition explores the opposites of earth and sky while paying attention to how people fit in between the two.

An opening reception for the Earth Below Us show will be held on Wednesday, July 15, at 7:00 pm. Come join us and meet these two wonderful ladies and their artwork!

Sky Crawlers

2009-07-06T16:15:00.001-04:00

While purchasing some more anime on Amazon, I ran across a little gem that I had never heard of before. Sky Crawlers comes to us directed by Mamoru Oshii of Ghost in the Shell, Jin-Roh, and Avalon fame, and the two hour long feature includes some stunning animation. The aerial combat scenes are beautifully and very realistically rendered.

The story focuses on a group of young fighter pilots in an alternate historical setting. The meat of this film truly lies in the story of its characters however. In light of this, I think some may find themselves wanting more action scenes and not getting their fill. Again, as with so many war related anime, I find that Sky Crawlers really questions the purpose of war. This becomes evident when the secrets of the story are revealed.

Throughout the film I felt a sense of familiarity with the aesthetics. I couldn't quite put my finger on it until the latter portion of the film where the characters visit another town. The buildings immediately jumped out at me as being remarkably like those in Poland. Sure enough, signs in Polish and even characters speaking in Polish appeared shortly thereafter. I had no idea that this was the case when I order the film, and I was very pleasantly surprised!

One of the most recognizable Polish buildings is the tower like structure in the film. It is actually the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw. Shown above is a comparison between the building in the anime, and a photo I took of the actual building last year. As it turns out upon viewing the "Animation Research" featurette, Mamoru Oshii took his staff to Poland in order to experience the culture and take a slew of photos and video in order to base the film's designs on them. I am thrilled that an anime director of his caliber has taken such great interest in my home country.

I am rather excited to have found this film, by chance really. I highly recommend it as a more serious film to watch, but also for it's incredible visual quality. Of course if you are an Oshii fan, then you probably already know about it. Either way, don't pass this one up!

[peripheral/interface] - Opening Reception

2009-06-02T16:30:00.003-04:00

On Friday, May 29, I opened my new exhibition called [peripheral/interface]. As previously posted, the show consists of five new paintings combined with found object 3D elements. For a better idea of what that means, just watch the video above. Images of the work are also available on my website.

The week of the opening I was very fortunate to receive some really good press for the exhibition. Local author Joel Finsel wrote the article for the StarNews which came out on Thursday, May 28. You can read it either by clicking the image of the article or on the StarNewsOnline website here. The article goes into detail with descriptions of the pieces in the show and provides some commentary of the messages within these works. Overall, Finsel did an excellent job in providing a sense of what these works are about with clear accounts of their appearance and insightful interpretations.

Another article to have come out on Wednesday of that week was printed in Wilmington's favorite indie rag Encore. Lauren Hodges writes Encore's art section each week with enthusiasm for the local art scene and this time was no exception. I am very grateful for Hodge's effort to stir up some excitement for my new work with comments like "provocative and moving." You can read the Encore article by clicking the image above or on their website here.

The exhibition is located at The Artbox gallery on the second floor of The Soapbox (map). It will be on display until June 21. I will keep the space open on Fridays and Saturdays until that date from 7 - 10 pm. Come see me so I don't get too lonely!

My next step will be to try and generate some more interest for this body of work in other cities. I will be sending materials out to a few galleries here and there. If you know of anyone who might be interested in exhibiting this show outside of Wilmington, please let me know. I think it has the potential to get much more exposure if I can get it into a more metropolitan area.

Otaku Magazine: Play

2009-05-20T11:30:00.001-04:00

My copy of Otaku: Play came in the mail today, fresh from Romania. That in itself is a bit of a story. So yeah, ordering things from Romania makes your banking security go crazy. Be prepared for a disabled card, alert emails, and having to spend a good hour on the phone explaining to them that it's really you and you did mean to order that magazine from Romania!

But I digress. The magazine is fantastic. It is an amalgamation of all things otaku. But more importantly, its primary focus is on art based out of otaku sub-culture. The first section of the small form-factor magazine showcases several artists from around the globe. Additional pages bring in product, music, indie games, anime, and film reviews and previews.

The second half of the magazine is filled with indie manga by various creators. I haven't yet read through all of it, but the artwork is excellent. I'm very much looking forward to reading Jump! by Between and Inkamon in particular.

As a bonus, the magazine comes with a poster, in this issue a large pixel art scene of New York City, and a DVD. The disc is chock full of chiptunes, videos, and indie game previews. All good stuff. In a way, you might say that Otaku magazine is a primer for all things otaku. And even with the international shipping, the $23 price tag is well worth it. Just be quick, as they only print a limited quantity, with a mere 350 copies of this issue!

[peripheral/interface]

2009-05-18T17:30:00.003-04:00

In less than two weeks I will be opening my new exhibition to the public. A collection of brand new work, this show is made up of several months worth of consistent effort.

The title [peripheral/interface] is a two-fold description of what will be on display. Quite literally, I am using video game and electronic peripherals which are connected directly to my paintings as an "interface." More figuratively, it is also a reference to something which exists on the periphery of perception, and something else which interfaces directly. In essence, I am hoping to bring some ideas which have remained outside of common awareness into focus.

I admit that the new pieces are a bit of a departure from my previous focus on anime style pop art. While I enjoyed doing the somewhat abstracted and stylized anime paintings, I had begun feeling restricted by doing only that type of work. I decided it was time to let the other influences in my life make their presence known, and these are the fruits of those labors. My artist statement has been updated to reflect this new shift...

My fascination of documenting and exploring anime and manga visuals continues to lead me in a direction which reveals its place in our culture. This visual vocabulary, once confined by national and geographic boundaries, now permeates our Western societies. It has become part of the sub-cultural fabric of our world and continues to assert its permanence.

The wave of media that has ushered in a new Japanization of the West still serves as the foundation for my work, but now I must let in all the other elements attached to this phenomenon that have long tried to break through. The cultural trends of consumerism as well as national and international politics do not exist without effect on the media which fuels my endeavors.

While my interests are varied and many, they are now becoming one with the art I create. This is the time when I must gather video games, anime, technology, consumerism, philosophy, religion, multiculturalism, and politics together. It may be too much, but my generation lives in a world where all these exert their influence. Sometimes it really is too much.

The new exhibition will open on Friday, May 29. The opening reception will take place from 7:00 to 10:00 pm, at The Artbox in downtown Wilmington (255 North Front St - map). Live chiptune and electronica music will be performed by Subterrene during the reception! Admission is free to the public, and everyone is invited. Hope to see you there, and please bring your friends. You can also help me spread the word about the show by reposting this, or promoting the Facebook event.

Freezepop Comes to Wilmywood

2009-05-18T12:15:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, May 9, I was fortunate enough to attend a Freezepop concert. This did not happen in any particular big city. It happened, of all places, in little old Wilmington!

A few months ago in the early spring, I was rather surprised to learn that Freezepop was coming this way. I know they are used to playing for much larger audiences, and have not actually performed in North Carolina at all. So that must have taken some convincing on the part of the event organizers for The New Deal.

Part hand-made goods and art market, part fashion show and concert, and all fund-raiser for Wilmington's own Dreams charity and art education center, The New Deal was conceived and coordinated by the good folks at the trendy Edge of Urge boutique. It brought together artists, designers, crafts-people, and musicians of all kinds for a common cause, and I think it was a great success. I hope it will continue to be an annual event, as the next time is bound to be even bigger. From my experience organizing Aniwave, that's just the way it works.

After the hand-made market and the fashion show, Freezepop took to the stage to deliver an incredible performance. Finally a band that I could get truly excited about in this town! Now I may be biased, but this was one of the best shows to come to Wilmington yet. My only regret is that more people didn't come out to support them.

I am happy to say that Freezepop delivered as well on the stage as they do on their recordings. Liz did a great job on vocals, and the dueling keytars of Duke and Seth burned through the night. Many people I know where nowhere to be found by the time the concert started, and they really missed out. I can only hope that Freezepop will come this way again, though I realize that it's not likely. Either way, thanks for an awesome time Freezepop!

Focus on the Coast Feature

2009-05-17T17:15:00.002-04:00

I was recently featured in the Making Art section of Focus on the Coast! Big thanks to the FotC staff, editor Ruby Cline, photographer Laurence Maultsby, and author Judy Smith. Thank you all for putting together a really good looking spread. Here's an excerpt from the article...

Director of Aniwave, illustrator, graphic designer and editor of Coloring Stories for Conscious Children, Wisniowski's art has been featured in galleries both locally and across the United States. I was intrigued with the subject.

[...] The art exhibition will be different and will focus on found objects and the philosophy of current events and the world. Incorporated into his new works will be the influences of politics, international events, video games, consumerism and anime. [Read the full article...]

Braid

2009-05-16T18:00:00.003-04:00

A little while ago I finally had a chance to try out the Braid demo. All thanks to Steam. Since I don't own a 360, I've been waiting for the Steam release for a while. At this point, Braid is nothing new really, and anything I may write about it feels like retreading whatever might have been said already.

Still, I feel I should at least make mention of the game. It's been a curiosity in the indie scene, which I also appear to be getting more and more out of touch with. What does keep Braid relevant to me perhaps are its artistic attributes. While the references to Mario are entertaining, the depths of Braid's story seem intriguing right now more for its psychologically constructed nature.

Meanwhile, the painted look appeals to me as well. As the character moves forward, each world moves with it in order to enhance the sense of time manipulation in Braid, which is a very nice feature. Add to that a wonderful musical score and pleasantly challenging puzzles, and this game seems right now to be full of promise to me.

I haven't had time to get the full version and play it through, but rest assured I intend to. I'm very curious about how the story will unfold, and whether the pleasant removal of death within the game will be enough to make the experience less masochistic than the afore referenced Mario Bros.

The Social Media Tool: Small Marketing Muscle for the Rest of Us

2009-04-29T11:00:00.000-04:00

Video from a recent Twitter Meetup in Wilmington [link]

Over the last several months I have seen an increasing number of people being interested in social media. I've had a lot of people I know sign up for Twitter, follow me, and then post something about how "I don't get this Twitter thing. Looks pointless." When I see those types of responses to social media, which I know people have had in the past and continue having to more accessible services like Facebook, I try to send them a little information that might clear up some of the confusion. With an increase in these types of inquiries, I decided to post this information here and make it more widely available.

I think we have all been there. And by we I mean, those of us who are regular users of some or all of these online tools today. I think everyone has had that initial reaction of "what do I do with this." I certainly did, but I ended up doing a little digging to find out how I can use these tools to further my interests. Over the last three years I have spent a lot of time trying to establish myself as an artist. Actually, I've been trying to do that for much longer than that, but it's been in the last three years that I have taken more serious steps in that direction.

As an artist, I am essentially an independent business, and an entrepreneur. I have to look at the business side of things, that's just the nature of art today. So I also have to market myself. Since much of what I do is on a shoe-string budget, advertising is not something I can just throw money into. That's why internet tools are a boon. For anyone trying to market themselves, these are tools that are certainly viable not only for social networking, but also marketing. As such, the first step is to change our thinking of these services from being time-wasters, to being marketing tools that offer a free way to advertise ourselves.

While I am not going to get into the specifics of what you should be doing with Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, I am going to list some of the information I have found useful in understanding how to market via those tools. The next thing to become more familiar with, is that each one of these services is suitable in particular for different uses. Ari Herzog has written a good article explaining how these services are different, and what they are better suited for in terms of marketing in Your Status Updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. As you might suspect, it focuses on using the status update feature of these services as the focus of communication, and getting familiar with using status updates is key for any of them (but especially Twitter).

Another great article I found on Mashable goes into some detail about how artists can use Twitter in particular as a way to further promote their work. These are great tips, and are also applicable to many other situations aside from artistic professions. In Tweetable Art: 10 Twitter Tips for Artists, Natasha Wescoat lines up a few suggestions ranging from posting work-in-progress shots to offering specific discounts and perks for your followers on Twitter. Again this would be applicable to just about anyone, so don't let the artistic focus of the article deter you.

Along similar lines, Henry Hutton has published an article which focuses on how authors can use social media tools as an advantage. Authors and the Social Networking Advantage presents information on how these marketing tools can increase an authors readership and book sales. As suggested by the video above, generating revenue from using these internet tools is still at the forefront of some business peoples' concerns. This article shows us that there is certainly some possibilities of that happening.

Ultimately, networking via the internet is just as much about simply connecting and communicating with people as traditional person to person networking. The difference is that we can connect and communicate with more people in more diverse and distant locations, and at faster speeds, than before. And that in turn presents additional challenges of keeping up with the waves of individuals already doing it. It may seem that perhaps it's harder now to get in touch, what with everyone else vying for each other's attentions, but I haven't necessarily found that to be the case. In my experience, communication has become easier because certain individuals will gravitate towards a specific kind of communication method. That just means we have more options to connect. Some people, for example, are terrible at answering emails but I can often get in touch with them on Facebook.

Which brings us to the actual act of updating. It is certainly daunting to think about having multiple accounts on all these services and having to keep up with them all. That's a problem, and one that has quickly been addressed. We now have multiple tools available that facilitate interaction with multiple social networks, simultaneously. For a list of popular Twitter clients, you can check Mashable's Most Popular Twitter Clients Revealed, or 20+ Great Twitter Tools for Firefox. Those are great, if you're primarily Twittering. As for the other social networks, there are a few additional options.

First of all, you might already be seeing that Firefox is generally the browser of choice these days. This is especially true when dealing with social networking on account of Firefox's customization features. It allows one to add additional plugins that work seamlessly and efficiently with the browser. I personally use the Firefox plugin FireStatus. It disseminates my status updates to Facebook and Twitter simultaneously, and also has the option to send those updates to FriendFeed and Del.icio.us for anyone using those services as well. Unfortunately it still lacks MySpace and LinkedIn compatibility.

Alternatively, for power-users across all social networks we have HelloTXT. It allows the sending of your status updates to virtually every imaginable social network across the globe. The current downside for me, is that it's a website and requires navigating away from what you are currently doing or wanting to share. So for its powerful features there is some compromise in efficiency. Fortunately, they are working on a HelloTXT plugin for Firefox as well (currently in the experimental stage).

Finally, there are also multiple ways to interact with your social networks using mobile devices. Blackberries and iPhones have specific applications designed for that purpose, allowing access to your networks on the go. While I personally prefer to leave the internet at home, or at least in a few other select locations, many may find it necessary to stay connected continuously.

The bottom line for me, as to whether any of this is worth doing, lies with a person's specific need and wants. For those of us who work independently in some capacity, marketing our goods and services is a must. Nobody else is going to sell us, so this is the most effective way to make that happen. On the other hand, if you are a person who already has a satisfying career, and don't require the ability to self-promote, social networks may be unnecessary. But even then, sometimes it's just fun to connect with people.

Mushishi

2009-04-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

Though rather late, I finally got to watching all of Mushishi. I became rather excited about it a long time ago when Nikki found it online, right around when it actually came out. For some reason though, I just couldn't get to watching it all this time. Nevertheless, I just got the urge one day recently and went through the whole series within less than a week.

Mushishi is a rather different kind of anime. For one, there is essentially no over-arching plot to speak of. Each of the 26 episodes is a self-contained plot, with very few recurring characters between them. This is anime at its low-key best. Like Niea_7, by and large it presents us with the daily struggles and mundane efforts of common people. No end-of-the-world scenario here, and to me that's rather refreshing.

The main character, Ginko, is a traveling Mushi-shi, or bugmaster. His primary role is to find and control or eradicate mushi. While the word mushi itself is translated as insect, it also means to disregard, or ignore. I find this of significance, because the mushi of this anime are essences of life that are neither animal nor plant. They are ghost-like creatures comprised of energy. Most of them are harmless, but like animals and plants can have negative effects on people if disturbed in some way.

Since only a few characters in the anime can see them they are often feared and misunderstood, and therefore also ignored as the translation suggests. Mushi can exist harmoniously and in balance as part of the natural world. Undesirable consequences only come to pass when humans interfere with the natural order of the world, which has created the need for those who can control the mushi in some way and restore balance. Enter Ginko-san.

Part exterminator, healer, and part teacher, he travels without end. Due to his past with the mushi, he tends to attract them and must always be on the move. Yet in each episode he presents the characters with reason, a cure, or solution. Sometimes he also presents a difficult choice, as being rid of the mushi in the scenario may mean having to give something up. Something that may be very important to the characters.

This brings us back to the nature of the individual plots in the series. Each episode introduces a new set of characters who have been somehow affected by a mushi, creating a significant obstacle. Often times, individuals' lives are at stake. Yet to save a life, they may have to give up something dear. At times it may be a part of their body, and at other times their entire village. In all cases, people's attachments are laid bare and difficult choices are the only resolution.

I suspect that each episode's story harkens back to Japanese folklore. They all sound brilliantly fantastic and reminiscient of kami in the Shinto tradition. Whether it be the wandering swamp that comes down from the mountain, or a guardian being of a particular area. Each mushi is neither good nor bad, but simply exists as a necessary part of the world.

The bottom line is that this anime is wonderfully idyllic and relaxes me in a similar way as Niea_7 does. It doesn't depict epic battle scenes, but rather presents us with a set of tales that are soothing and in some way bear a message we can learn from. I don't want to call it educational, because that sounds too dry, but Mushishi does have a lot of depth for anyone willing to look beyond the lack of fancy sword fights. And for those familiar with Eastern though, Mushishi holds yet another interest which will be quite apparent and stimulating. My only criticism would be that the series isn't longer. It seems to have come to an end all too soon. Still, more resolution at the end may also be a plus.

Facebook Quiz Madness!

2009-03-23T11:30:00.000-04:00

I've become an avid Facebook user, that much is clear. And while there are a number of features about Facebook which I am not entirely thrilled about, nothing has been irritating me more than the wretched quizzes. Every day, a ton of people in my home news feed keep posting their quiz results. After taking a couple of these quizzes myself, I quickly realized how irrelevant and ridiculous they truly are. Since anyone can create a quiz with a little know-how, it's no wonder that they don't make any sense.

If it's not the "What Painting Are You" quiz, then it's the "Who Were You in a Past Life" quiz, or the "Where Should You Live" quiz, etc, etc. There is probably hundreds of random quizzes on Facebook when you click on any "more quizzes" link. Anything from finding out what flavor of ice cream you are, to what car you are. Not that anybody cares. I certainly don't care about the results of everyone's quiz taking, no offense. I am much more interested in communicating with people about more important matters.

And so, since I can't not see the results without removing all updates from a particular user from my home news feed, I have taken on a different approach to fighting back. That's right. I have created a quiz! The quiz of all quizzes. The "What Quiz Should You Take???" quiz! As an artistic experiment of sorts, I created results which are even more ridiculous than the quizzes themselves. This quiz itself is nothing more than a parody of Facebook quizzes, designed to illustrate the utter nonsensical nature of those things.

So, if you are like me and are tired of quizzes on Facebook, then join me in spreading this viral retaliation using the very thing we wish to be rid of. Be a part of the quiz against quizzes campaign!

The funny thing is, that after I wrote all the questions and results, it turned out that the quiz was more insightful than I had anticipated. Even if it is a parody, it is actually a pretty good quiz, too.

Anime & Manga Art: A Brief Introduction

2009-03-17T11:30:00.001-04:00

Based on the short talk I gave at the Anime & Manga Art Workshop at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia. This is a cursory treatment of anime and manga, it's historical and cultural background, and the art movement that has resulted therefrom.

0. Introduction

Some might find it strange that a Polish artist, living in America, is making art based on Japanese culture. Because I grew up living in many different countries, and have this multicultural background, I look at the world in a multinational way. I see the flow of media across continents, and my work is based on my observations from that very multicultural perspective.

Culture is integral to any art that is created, and so too with anime and manga there is a lot of history and cultural context that has shaped it over the years.

1. Ukiyo-e

The Japanese art form of Ukiyo-e, which began around 1620, essentially laid the groundwork for a Japanese sensibility in art that would later find its way into manga, and then anime. This form of painting which started some 400 years ago had already established the use of flat colors and black contour lines.

2. Hiroshima & Nagasaki

In 1945, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forever altering the nation of Japan and its people. The motif of the atomic bomb and destruction on a massive scale would come back in anime and manga again and again, and continues to resurface to this day.

3. Westernization

Having lost the war, Japan starts out on a rapid process of rebuilding and industrialization. In order to survive in this new world, many Japanese ideas are replaced with American ones, and the country undergoes a significant Westernization. This process permanently changes Japan into an economic and technological superpower. In essence, this was and is a realization of the stuff science fiction is made of.

4. Disney & Tezuka

Post-war Japanese artist Osamu Tezuka, often referred to as the founding father of manga, saw what Disney was creating in the US. He was then inspired to create work of a similar character, but with a more distinct Japanese sensibility. Enter Astro Boy, as it came to be known in English, which cemented Tezuka's career. It's interesting to note how Astro Boy shares some visual similarities with Disney's work of that time.

5. Robots & Technology

Tezuka at this point established the popular themes of robots and technology with Astro Boy. These themes would evolve and persist to this day, culminating in their own genres and sub-genres of anime and manga.

6. The Anime Boom

The 1980s saw a boom in the anime industry in Japan, as well as a growing popularity stateside. With more money flowing, experimental film begin to be created. Among those, the cult classic Akira sets new standards. With Akira, we yet again see a resurfacing of the atomic bomb motif portrayed by recurring scenes of large scale destruction, intricately linked to the presence of technology.

7. Serious Themes

Works such as Akira presented a seriousness which became more common during the period of the '80s and '90s. Further elaborated in the film Grave of the Fireflies, dealing with the issues of war, bombing, and destruction more directly became more accepted and applauded.

8. Experimental Anime

Building on the trends of experimentation with the successful films of the 1980s, the '90s saw further exploration into uncharted waters in a serialized format. Neon Genesis Evangelion took those serious themes, and combined them with technological science fiction elements and motifs of robots and atomic bombs. It went one step further, by putting all these subjects under the umbrella of metaphysics.

9. Serial Experiments: Lain

The period of experimentation culminated with the creation of Serial Experiments: Lain. The series built on multifaceted approach of including technology, but then advanced into a league of its own by becoming heavily cerebral. Lain embedded over a hundred references to literature, philosophy, history, and more. Its content is in my perception some of the most artistically created in the anime industry. So much so, that it served as the impetus for my shift toward this subject matter in my art. In 2000, I created my first anime styled painting, inspired by Lain (pictured above, right).

10. Japanese Pop-art

During the '90s, artists Takashi Murakami (pictured above, left) and Yoshitomo Nara (above, right) spearheaded a new movement of art based on Japanese popular culture. Using the visual vocabulary of anime and manga, this movement gained a lot of momentum in the 2000s. The international success of these artists has served as inspiration for other young artists the world over who have become fascinated by anime and manga as it flows across national and geographic boundaries.

11. Powerful Means of Expression

It is interesting to me that I did not know about Murakami and his Superflat movement until several years after beginning to create work based on anime and manga. Personally, I found anime and manga imagery to be incredibly powerful as a means of artistic expression. Yet it would be difficult to deny the fact that knowing Murakami's work later on did not have any impact on my work. While I never tried to emulate his style consciously, I think it still exerted its influence on me in ways that I was not aware of.

Currently, my work is beginning to move away from the style I have been developing over the last few years. I am now on the verge of a significant change, looking at what moved me all those years ago when I first began creating this type of art and then opening up to let in a multitude of other cultural influences finally make their presence known.

12. Conclusion

The most important thing in all of this, is to realize that while anime and manga may seem like a shallow consumer product at times it is in actuality a product of hundreds of years of history. Major cultural changes all contributed to the creation of a visual work that we are seeing today. This is true of any art form, but it is important to understand how this work has been influenced by the world we live in today and all that has come before us.

Anime/Manga Workshop at the Taubman Museum of Art

2009-03-16T17:35:00.001-04:00

After about a two plus hour flight delay I finally got into Roanoke, Virginia on Friday night. The purpose of my visit was to be a guest teacher of an anime and manga art workshop at the Taubman Museum of Art, which took place on Saturday. Following my late arrival, my host picked me up and showed me around a few Roanoke art exhibitions.

First we caught the tail end of the opening for an exhibition at Roanoke College, which features gallery space of a significant size and quality. We intended to see another show at The Water Heater but ended up missing much of that due to my flight's tardiness. Finally, after fueling up on some sushi after a tiring time in transit, we pretty much called it a night.

Saturday was the big day, and we got up nice and early for it. The Taubman Museum of Art is a gorgeous new building, completed just last year. Designed by architect Randall Stout, the building's forms are reminiscent of designs by Frank Gehry. Apparently Stout studied with Gehry at some point, as indicated by the museum's literature. So came as no surprise that I found the museum's interior spaces light and inviting, and find myself wishing this type of structure existed in Wilmington as well. The education spaces were very well designed from a utilitarian perspective, but seemed a bit small in comparison with the large open halls of the central atrium space. This became clear when the room filled with students attending the workshop, of which we had more than expected. I think we had close to 20 students, which got a little crowded but still manageable.

I opened the workshop with a short talk about the historical and cultural background behind anime and manga. Starting with a mention of the foundations in ukiyo-e, and then moving onto the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I intended to show how Japanese traditions, World War II, and the country's industrialization process were all major contributing factors in the creation of anime and manga. I then moved on to give examples of Astro Boy's connection to Disney, as well as popular motifs of robots and technology in the anime that followed.

Half-way through my talk I touched on the anime boom of the 1980s, and the experimental work that came out of that era and the time after it. My examples included Akira and Grave of the Fireflies, as bringing back serious and historical themes dealing with Japan's history. This served as a transition into Neon Genesis Evangelion and Serial Experiments: Lain as taking experimentation in anime one step further. At this point, at the mention of Lain, I shifted gears and talked about the fine art movement that essentially started with Murakami in the 1990s.

I showed images of work by Yoshitomo Nara and Takashi Murakami, and then moved onto examples of my own paintings at the end of the talk. It was probably only ten or fifteen minutes of speaking, which I think was the right length of time for this age group. Any more history and background information and I think they would have been bored to tears, but this seemed just right to hold their interest. We followed the talk up with some drawing exercises, a subject matter lottery, and continued to draw "cover" ideas for a comic book or manga. The workshop concluded with a short tour of the museum's exhibitions, which weren't all open unfortunately.

In addition to the above photos, I put up an album on Facebook of the workshop. I should be getting a few more photos of that at some point, which I will add when the time comes.

All in all it was a very productive workshop, and the kids seemed to enjoy it. So much so, perhaps, that some of them wished it had been longer. I on the other hand was more than ready for lunch at that point. We ended up eating at Norah's Cafe in the museum, which had excellent food and a very pleasing atmosphere. It felt cheerful and bright, even with the rainy weather outside.

The rest of the day we spent with more visiting of art shows and gallery spaces. Most notably, the current exhibitions at the Hollins University's Eleanor D. Wilson Museum struck me as the best that I had seen in Roanoke. In light of only some of the Taubman's galleries being open, the exhibition at Hollins proved to be better than what the museum had to offer. The work of Vietnamese artist Binh Danh was especially powerful, warranting further examination and contemplation.

That Saturday was naturally the highlight of my stay, as Friday and Sunday were marked by mostly being in transit and feeling funny. Altogether, the weekend was a great experience, but remained a fairly exhausting venture. I would have to say that what struck me the most about Roanoke is how, even though its size is not that much bigger than the Wilmington area's, the arts have taken on so much more of a vital role in that community. With the Taubman, a multitude of private galleries and alternative exhibition venues, and several school art facilities, Roanoke seems to be a very art oriented community. They even have an arts focused alternative high school (albeit not a cheap one). Most of the people I spoke with seemed to be very involved in the arts there.

All of this served to contrast sharply with the tiny art scene of the Wilmington area, which makes me yet again dissatisfied with my current place of residence. I am now again thinking of the move that we feel might be coming up at some point this year. But for now I think I must simply remain patient.

Auctions Almost Finished!

2009-03-09T23:34:00.004-04:00

My ebay auctions that I recently posted are almost finished! They have now officially under 17 hours remaining, with my anime DVDs, Grandia game, and Copics apparently being the favorites. Here's that link again...

eBay Auctions for Art

Looks like the auctions will close sometime around 5:00 pm tomorrow, so if there is anything that is still of interest to anyone, now's the time to keep an eye on it. Good luck, and happy bidding!

deviantWEAR Design Battle Semi-finalists

2009-03-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

The results are in, for the deviantWEAR Design Battle Semi-finals. Not surprisingly, my submissions didn't win. Oh well. There were hundreds of submissions, so it's to be expected. Still, I felt my chances were good and my designs might just get in.

I submitted two t-shirt designs to the "Fashion" category, which just means that I didn't include the deviantART logo. After checking out the designs which did make it into the semi-finals [link], I must say I am somewhat underwhelmed. There were two I mostly liked, but nothing I would actually buy. Go figure.

So now I just have to look into the possibilities of getting my shirts printed on my own. We'll see how that goes.

Magical Easel!

2009-03-06T11:41:00.005-05:00

For a mere $25, you too could have your very own magical easel! That's right. A few days ago on Wilmington's section of Craigslist, a "Magical Easel" was posted as being for sale.

Very nice, very portable (magical) wooden easel that is wood and wing nuts and clamps and very easy to put up and take down with a wide bottom "shelf" and a top brace/canvas holder that adjusts easily. (No, I have no idea what I am talking about!)

(Though I have no knowledge of painting supplies nor painting, I picked up this easel at a junk store recognizing that it had magical properties. As I have no understanding of the process, I do not know what those properties are.)

Fascinating. I would be curious to know just how this person realized that the easel has magical properties. Though it does seem odd that, while he was able to intuit the presence of magic, the specifics of its properties eluded him.

eBay Auctions for Art

2009-03-03T17:00:00.003-05:00

On account of having a new show coming up in a few months, I am now planning things out and needing to acquire some materials and supplies to that end. For a while now I've been meaning to sell a few items, and this seems like the best opportunity.

I have a few things up on eBay which might interest some of you. In particular, these anime DVDs are for sale as a package deal:

Cyborg 009 (Vol. 2: Episodes 5-8).
Bubblegum Crisis (Vol. 1, 2, and 3).
You're Under Arrest (Vol. 1).
Ceres: Celestial Legend (Vol. 1: Destiny).
Panda-Z: The Robonimation (Vol. 5: Episodes 22-25).
Planetes (Vol. 3 Double DVD set).
Overman: King Gainer (Vol. 3, 4, and 5).
Gantz (Vol. 1).
Bonus: first episode sampler DVDs of Wild Arms and Noir

Other stuff going up on eBay includes Copic markers, a couple of games, and other miscellaneous items. To see my eBay auctions, just follow this link:

eBay Auctions for Art

Newly available in our Etsy shop are prints of the Eye After Nobuhiro Watsuki Series of paintings. Just added those, and you can also purchase the entire set of three prints at a discount. The rest of our prints are all priced affordably at $10 each!

Visit the Mentisworks Shop

For those of you who are interested in video games, you might be able to help out in another capacity as well. I am looking to get a few non-functional game peripherals to make part of my artwork. Since these accessories break pretty often, it shouldn't be too hard to find them. Specifically, I am looking for a DDR softpad, and a wired guitar controller. Again, both can be broken. I am also looking for miscellaneous wires and cables, which do not have to work either, but I need to get a pretty good amount of those.

And finally, I would like to get an okay pair of headphones to make part of one piece which has an audio component. These do have to work though. Any of these items I would welcome as a donation, but I am also willing to pay or trade for them if necessary. If you would like to contribute, feel free to contact me using the link below.

Contact Michal

Joost Has Anime, Too

2009-03-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

Shortly after posting about anime availability on Hulu, I received an email from a representative of Joost.com, informing me that they too have a number of anime titles. "I saw your post today about Hulu and its anime library. I work for an online video site that also provides legal anime, like Hulu," writes Kerry of Joost. I hadn't actually visited Joost in a long time, and so I headed over to their anime section to see for myself their offerings and how the site functions.

As it turns out, Joost has in their library all of the anime that is also available on Hulu, plus a few more. Here's a list of their currently available titles...

Angelic Layer [watch] [info], dubbed.
Aquarion [watch] [info], subtitled and dubbed.
AstroBoy [watch] [info], dubbed.
Avatar [watch] [info], dubbed.
Basilisk [watch] [info], dubbed.
Bastof Syndrome [watch] [info], dubbed.
Best Student Council [watch] [info], dubbed.
Black Blood Brothers [watch] [info], dubbed.
Bleach [watch] [info], subtitled and uncut.
Blue Gender [watch] [info], dubbed.
Buzzer Beater [watch] [info], subtitled.
Cosmo-Warrior Zero [watch] [info], dubbed.
Death Note [watch] [info], subtitled and uncut.
Galaxy Railways [watch] [info], dubbed.
Ghost Hunt [watch] [info], subtitled and dubbed.
Gun Frontier [watch] [info], subtitled and dubbed.
Ikki Tousen [watch] [info], subtitled and dubbed.
Izumo [watch] [info], subtitled and dubbed.
Jyu-Oh-Sei [watch] [info], subtitled and dubbed.
Kaiji [watch] [info], subtitled.
Kiddy Grade [watch] [info], dubbed.
Moonphase [watch] [info], dubbed.
Naruto [watch] [info], subtitled and uncut.
Naruto Shippuden [watch] [info], subtitled and uncut.
Origin [watch] [info], dubbed.
Peach Girl [watch] [info], dubbed.
Rumbling Hearts [watch] [info], subtitled and dubbed.
Saiyuki [watch] [info], subtitled and dubbed.
School Rumble [watch] [info], dubbed.
Shigurui: Death Frenzy [watch] [info], subtitled and dubbed.
Shikabane Hime [watch] [info], subtitled.
Shuffle [watch] [info], subtitled and dubbed.
Slayers, The [watch] [info], dubbed.
Slayers NEXT, The [watch] [info], dubbed.
Super Milk Chan [watch] [info], dubbed.
xxxHolic [watch] [info], dubbed.

That's a pretty good lineup, and I guess streaming rights are available for mostly the same series, which is why we are seeing so many duplicates on both Joost and Hulu. The only series missing are Mushishi, Speed Racer, and Suzuka, which are available from Hulu.

However, Joost seems to have a department that is working a bit harder on getting new material than Hulu. Kerry also informed me that they "add new anime every week (and are adding a number of new series in the next couple of weeks)." In addition to the above mentioned anime, Joost also has streams of news videos from Anime News Network [link], as well as Wizzard Media's Track-shun.tv video reviews [link].

At this stage, it does in fact appear as though Joost is paying closer attention to demand for streaming services. So here's a "Thanks!" to you guys. And if you are reading this, I have a couple of suggestions. First, it would be helpful to know on each series' thumbnail if it's a subtitled or dubbed anime. This could be easily accomplished by adding another mini-icon. Second, it may be prudent to take to heart Marc Andreesen's proposition to link a free service such as this with purchasing options. Adding the ability to buy the anime on DVD or via digital download would not only be beneficial to the industry as a whole, but I also imagine it would bring more partners on board for Joost. The end result should be additional revenue for all parties involved.

So good luck to Joost, and good job. As for the rest of you, enjoy the free anime out there, and feel free to let me know if more series are added to the lineup.

The Artbox: Opening Night

2009-03-02T12:00:00.001-05:00

Friday night, February 27, marked the opening of a new group exhibition within the black walls of the Artbox in Wilmington. The group show, which featured yours truly as well as several other great local artists, got some great press in the Encore, which I previously posted about [link].

While I didn't have any sales that night, nor did I expect to given the nature of the market right now, it was great to show my work in a new venue and to a new audience. We had an excellent turnout, especially for such a new venture, so I think the press and word of mouth did a great job of advertising the event. I've also posted some photos in a Facebook album [link] from the opening.

As far as I'm concerned, the Artbox is probably the best alternative exhibition space in town at this point. After the closing of Three Hounds Gallery in December, there isn't even a for-profit gallery space that is as large or versatile as the Artbox. It's presence in Wilmington is a boon to the local art community, especially during these troubled times. Even if most of us still can't sell work around here, at least there is now a good way to show it.