shardcore » print

shardcore in Dutch University Philosophy Textbook

shardcore — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:35:59 +0000

One of the more bizarre places to find myself published, but pleasing none-the-less. The Dutch Open University have kindly chosen to feature my painting of Schopenhauer and Hegel in their latest textbook.

I don’t speak Dutch, so I can’t tell you what’s been written beneath it…

Aphorisms al fresco

shardcore — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:16:28 +0000

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the late great Ivor Cutler on a couple of occassions. At one of these meetings he gave me some of his stickers, and always vowed to create some of my own. (I kept the stickers in my wallet for years, until I lost them when being held up at gun-point in LA.)

So, inspired by Cutler, I created some images of pertinent philosophical aphorisms and sent them off to moo to be printed.

At the moment they’re mostly going up in places of contemplation, such as urinals and condom machines.

“There are no facts, only interpretations” – Friedrich Nietzsche

“Pardon me, my friends, I have ventured to paint my happiness on the wall” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Ashes to Ashes (2007)

shardcore — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:03:15 +0000

digital print and invisible ink on paper 297mm x 420mm x 3

I’ve long had an interest in alchemy – the bastard brother of chemistry. Something about the dogged pursuit of an unattainable goal via arcane ritual and experimentation reminds me of the process of making art. My alchemy here, is quite simple -I’ve been playing with invisible ink. This particular type of ink has been in use for hundreds of years as a method of passing secret information.

The ink is clear as water and invisible when dry. The markings only revealed when the paper is held to a flame.

Obviously working with invisible ink poses a problem, one is never quite able to see quite what one has painted, none-the-less I’m quite pleased with the way this first aesthetic alchemical experiment has turned out. I particularly like the juxtaposition of the crisp digital print with the splattery charred ink.

As you can see, the first skeleton caught alight and has a hole in the side. I’m sure I’ve been warned before about playing with fire…

shardcore art in the Oxford American

shardcore — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:35:16 +0000

The US magazine Oxford American have chosen to use my self portrait Memento Vita to accompany an article on brain surgery.

You can read the story online here and I presume pick up a hard copy of the magazine, if you live in the right part of the states…

My Legacy (2007)

shardcore — Thu, 10 May 2007 13:38:42 +0000

It seems fitting on this day, as Blair announces the date of his departure, to display a recent digital work.

This is a Hybrid Image of Blair and Thatcher – a digital print of this image currently on display at the Open House alongside Cameron/Thatcher and Bush/Nixon. It should be noted that I’m not the first to create a Tony/Maggie hybrid, Aude Oliva & Philippe G. Schyns have produced one before.

The image of Blair is visible ‘close up’, but if you step away from the screen a few feet, you’ll see the ghoulish face of Thatcher.

Seasonal Greetings from shardcore

shardcore — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 11:57:26 +0000

This is the image from this years shardcore xmas card. Merry Xmas to all my visitors, keep watching, there are many more shardcore flavoured treats planned for next year…

dfc (1990) flyer

shardcore — Thu, 01 Mar 1990 13:36:36 +0000

dfc
1990 – flyer

Print

shardcore — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 13:30:51 +0000

I’ve always loved photocopied fanzines and direct media physical objects. Before the days when the internet allowed every freak a potential publishing opportunity, people had to use typewriters, and scissors and glue. Photoshop has rendered the world sterile. It is a useful tool, but just as the structure of modern dance music consists of eight bar loops thanks to the default settings in Cubase, Photoshop makes you think in certain ways. It removes the opportunity for interesting fuck-ups that come from old school cut and paste.

Sirens cover.

Vapour.

I still have the first booklet I was given at a gig – a band called ‘The Sirens’ at the Exeter Arts Centre. I don’t remember being particularly moved by their jangly pop indieness, but the idea that you could provide more than just music and performance to a gig intrigued me. The desire to ‘take something away with you’ at the end of a gig is the reason most touring bands make more from selling t-shirts than they do from ticket sales. But this was something different, putting aside the twee content, it struck me that this supporting artifact would far outlast the memory of the music. And indeed it has.

A gig crowd represents an interesting opportunity for the aspiring art terrorist. You have a captive audience of more or less like-minded individuals. Giving them something interesting to look at in between bands can be fun. Even better if the stuff is given to you by the band, as much of the stuff you see here was.

Long before I discovered the joys of Photoshop, I was making cut and splice creations, and appropriating any photocopier I could find for the purposes of cheap mass production.

Most of the pieces in this section were handed out for free at gigs, or sent across the globe as postcards to the marginal fringe dwellers that made up the core demographic.

Everything tagged ‘print’ is available here.

A short practical treatise on the subject of Chaos (2003)

shardcore — Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:00:26 +0000

A short practical treatise on the subject of Chaos 2003 – text

This appeared in issue 2 of fash ‘n’ riot – an limited edition art book published in 2003. I’m not playing as many gigs these days, so I am investigating other opportunities for propagation…

24 hours from Dalston (2002) postcard

shardcore — Mon, 29 Jul 2002 13:57:17 +0000

dalston 2002 – postcard