Thanks to everyone who came down. Was smashing.
More photos, video from the opening soon.
Sydney shots
May 14th, 2010LTRHDS SYDNEY THIS FRIDAY.
April 28th, 2010This Friday the LTRHDS show comes to Sydney. At Red Bull Gallery, 41 Bourke Rd Alexandria.
Here is a preview of the show at Red Bull Gallery, to see the other 22 letters come down Friday night.
LTRHDS Melbourne opening night.
March 11th, 2010Photos from the LTRHDS Melbourne launch are up on the Nice Produce FLICKRstream. Check them here.
Thanks to everyone for coming down.
LTRHDS Book
February 26th, 2010Just in. Available at exhibition and online at www.niceproduce.com right here.
26 Artist interviews and featured artwork
Limited edition of 400 prints.
Hard board embossed slip case
Printed on high grade paper by K.W Dogget.
Only $49
And LTRHDS X Stussy T-shirt, free with every book while stocks last, be early.
LTRHDS interview – Puzle – Z
February 26th, 2010
Puzle is an Melbourne based art director and long standing veteran of the local graffiti writing subculture.
He built his reputation as one of the city’s most dedicated writers in the late 80s to early 90s and has continued to be inspired by both typography in graffiti and graphic forms, opting for a diverse range of styles and process driven concepts and creative solutions.
As a writer and designer you are known for your considered and progressive approach to typography. Where do you see the technical evolution of type today? Is the envelope still being pushed, or is innovation being stifled in favor of trendy faux-naivety?
I think both technical and naive approaches have their place and are expressive in their own right and genre. They shouldn’t be compared as they already oppose each other. As for innovation, that really comes down to the individual. I’ve never really bought into the ‘it’s all been done before’ discussion.
How would you describe your personal writing style, and what does it express about you as an individual?
I like to work in groups of style and go through stages. I get bored of the same style over and over. Diversity of letter forms has always been with me from day one and it’s probably the only reason I’m still challenged by it.
Tell us about the stage you’re into right at this moment… What influences are you playing around with?
I just like doing what makes me feel good as I do it. My influences I’d put down to abstraction and constructivism combined with some kind of underlying graffiti and graphic style principles, if that makes any sense.
Where do you draw the line between discipline and experimentation when it comes to creative typography? How far can you take a style before it collapses into self-indulgence?
I probably don’t analyze it that much. I just do what I think does the letters justice and what looks cool aesthetically. Doing a piece is all about self indulgence.
Do you see instances of commercial design that possess the same magic that inspired you to be a writer, or does the world of graffiti contain a spirit that can never be replicated?
They share some creative disciplines but that’s about it. Freedom of expression and the act of lawless graffiti can never be replaced by a commercially driven agenda.
LTRHDS interview – Yukse Imai – Y.
February 25th, 2010
Born 1982, Yusk is an Sao Paulo artist with roots in graffiti, who along side contemporaries such as Dante Horoiwa are leading the way of a new Brazilian art movement.
Typified by a style which transcends walls, canvases, streets and galleries while abandoning the preconceived notions that plague popular street art else where in the world, with a focus is on expressive scenes, spiritual message, rich and deep colors and a compositional style which is inspired by Art Nouveau.
We’re proud to have Yusk in LTRHDS with his interpretation of the letter “Y”.
.
You’ve written about living a life surrounded by “traps”. What do you mean by this? Do you find that modern life inhibits creativity?
No I don’t. When I say ‘traps’ I refer to everything that was produced to inhibit me from my true me.
I believe the modern world does not inhibit creativity, actually the range for creativeness is wider now, but what is being lost is the ‘why’ to create.
We have been manipulated where to point to, what to choose and what to create. And I just feel I’m caught in that shit, and I don’t know how to escape this yet. I hope someday I’ll find a way out though.
I feel this massive creative energy in the world today, like never before, but it’s completely powerless since it’s being motivated by the wrong reasons.
Actually it’s not powerless, but all these creations are feeding the wrong battery. That’s what I think.
.
Do you feel that it is possible to be truly free?
If you mean truly free from the traps I’m surrounded by, no I don’t believe it’s possible.
What I’m trying to do is be able to survive them, to bring up who I really am despite all I have around me… all that makes me wish for things I don’t need to have, or that I don’t need to be.
.
There is an almost medieval Christian quality to some of your paintings. What is your attitude to religion and how does it inform your life and work?
I do believe in something bigger but I’m too stupid to understand what it is. Some things have happened in my life that could not possibly be a complete coincidence.
I really believe there is some energy that links us to the world and to the rest of the animals, something that communicates. I can surely say I don’t believe in the Catholic teachings. I do search to paint this energy in my paintings, and that’s probably why you see this medieval Christian thing, for me it’s a compliment… Thanks!
.
.
A lot of contemporary artists seek to commercialize their talents by branching out into the graphic design world. You have abandoned design completely to focus purely on painting. What made you come to this decision?
I got tired of it. I don’t want to create stuff expecting people to like it. I don’t want money to have an influence on the reason why I create. I don’t want my work to be judged by stupid bosses/people who are completely dominated by the crazy ideas publicity have about creativity.
I want my instinct back, and I’m trying to find it. I think I lost it to fashion or sold it for some cash in the past, hehe.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not smart or strong enough to live without money, unfortunately I still need it. Yesterday I did a small job on an ad to get some cash (something about $200 US for that day) and I remember being seated in this waiting room in this mansion where they were shooting some film.
The ‘happy families’ acting in the ad were having a conversation that sounded more like an ego-battle to see whose children are better and who had the most Disney trips and the latest PSP version, and who is on the best ads and at the same time saying bad things about each other’s tastes in clothing and… blah.
Did what I had to do, got my cash and ran the fuck away from that place, back to painting.
LTRHDS INTERVIEW – French – X.
February 24th, 2010
French is from Aldershot, but lives in Brixton. He draws pictures all day, whilst sitting in his under pants, listening to death metal, drinking tea. The first band he ever saw was NUCLEAR ASSAULT in 1989 and still wears the tour t-shirt. The last band he saw was FLESHROT in Croydon! He can draw anything he likes or doesn’t like. He loves eating cheap noodles and apples and prefers cold weather.
French joins LTRHDS with the letter X.
Would you describe yourself as a war buff, the kind of guy who’s always flicking over to the History Channel? What fascinates you so much about conflict?
I wouldn’t say I was a war buff. I guess that I’m just super interested in it, from growing up with so many military things surrounding me.
Being from a garrison town, all the streets, pubs, buildings and places are named after battles, leaders, etc in Great British history. At school there was a lot of stuff we were taught about the local area and what happened.
I also suppose that ‘cos I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, who saw the Second World War, it became a massive interest to me. For years when I was a kid I wanted to join the army and I was sure that all Germans were the enemy.
Is it too easy to create artwork and call yourself an ‘artist’ nowadays? It seems like the fine detail you pour into your drawing was once commonplace in commercial art a century ago. Do you think there’s been an erosion of these skills over time?
The really simple answer to that is ‘yes’. I think there’s not enough emphasis on skills these days.
Obviously concept and subject matter are very important, and really make the work. But actual skill for me is so important. There do seem to be a lot of people who fit into the ‘I’m now an artist’ phase… That’s for them to deal with.
If you’re fake and full of shit and just trying to jump on the bandwagon then it shows in the work.
Soon enough they’ll go on to the next thing. Me and some friends were talking about it and those conversations go:
“I used to skate, I’m now a DJ, now I’m a graf artist, now I’m an illustrator, now I’m a graphic designer, now I’m a t-shirt designer, I’m starting this clothing line, now I’m a photographer….. Have you seen my sneaker collection? I just got a fix gear”.
Well that’s great, but those people don’t seem to have anything that’s held your attention longer than six months? It’ll be fine in the end… Let them do what they want. It’s just funny to hear people chat about it all.
You’ve gained a reputation for the grim and grisly. What’s the most out-there thing you’ve ever drawn?
Dunno…. I didn’t really think I had that reputation. I’ve drawn a few things with gutted Nuns. Or there was one of a gutted women with a missile up her cunt?
Do you think the world is becoming more or less permissive of raw honest expression? It seems like everything is becoming more polished and morally palatable. Are we all becoming a bit too bland and nice?
I think commercial culture is, but I think if you look past that there’s a lot of people making some really fucking sick shit. Death metal’s just getting gnarlier and gnarlier.
LTRHDS INTERVIEW – Phibs – W.
February 23rd, 2010Phibs and Reka collaboration.
Very few artists have had the kind of influence on the artistic community and demand the kind of respect that today’s LTRHDS interview artist does.
Phib’s is the centre of Australia’s graffiti and street art scene, a living legend whose technique is so perfected that it’s more often than not mistaken for masking or stencils and whose tutelage has led to the development of an entire generation of Australian artists including the Meggs and Reka..
.
.
.
Your work contains traces of ancient Aztec and Mayan art. What is it about these ancient civilizations that captured your imagination?
Aztec and Mayan work have been a particular interest to me, but I would say that all multicultural art in general is a constant inspiration.
I relate to the link with the natural world and mythology. I use a lot of symbols in my own work in much the same way as Mayan hieroglyphs. I like the idea that each viewer has a completely different take on what an image or symbol could represent. Curls are commonly used in my designs and could be interpreted as a lifeline or the perfection of nature, like in a shell.
I like to work, and want my own work to stimulate the imagination and make people think.
.
Over the years you have developed a remarkably precise aerosol technique. Do you ever cut loose and experiment with a more raw and unrefined style?
I have tried very hard to develop a unique style that I could call my own and would stand out from the rest of the generic piece styles that you see around.
I think it is a lot easier for painters these days to achieve clean work with the huge range of quality paints and nozzles accessible.
In the last couple of years I have been getting bored with my usual way of painting, using flat colour and cut-back clean line work, and have wanted to work more freely with paint… fading the colours to give a more three-dimensional look.
It has been quite hard to break away and feel confident when trying something new. You almost need to switch off everything you have learnt and reprogram yourself.
.
You have produced both giant walls and smaller more intimately sized works. At what scale do you think your work translates best? What would be your perfect canvas?
I don’t think I have a perfect size. I would like to do a lot more large scale canvasses, but they end up being harder to sell and hard to store, so I tend to paint things around one meter x one meter and smaller.
Community seems like a fundamentally important part of your whole ethic. Do you ever feel that there’s too great an emphasis on competition in the art world, particularly where graffiti is concerned? Do you believe camaraderie enriches your work, or is introspected isolation part and parcel of being a ‘true’ artist?
Community is a very important part of the way I work ever since being in Melbourne and a part of the Everfresh studio.
I think we all bounce ideas of each other, feed off each other’s productivity and motivate each other to keep active on the street as well as in the studio. I have in the past and still do at times work by myself in my own space, but I do enjoy the energy that comes from being in a team, especially on big projects whether painting a wall or setting up a show.
I try not to get too tied up in the competitive side of the art world and I want to keep what I do fun and enjoyable. I know I could have pushed my work a lot more if I wanted too, but overall I am happy with what I have managed to achieve up until now and I have been able to support a child, dog and myself financially.
The graff world is all about competition and always will be. If you want the fame you have to be on top of your game, and be constantly getting your work out there.
I think a bit of pressure is a good thing no matter what your profession is, and it usually forces you to do something out of the ordinary.
Phibs and Reka collaboration, ACDC lane Melbourne 2009.
LTRHDS Interview – SHOHEI TAKASAKI – V.
February 22nd, 2010
SHOHEI TAKASAKI is a Tokyo based Fine Arts artist and art director who along with an impressive collection of expressive and uniquely intense artwork, has produced a number of album covers for underground Japanese bands and producers, including the incredible Jungle/Dubstep outfit Rebel Familia.
Shohei joins LTRHDS with his re-interpretation of the letter V, after his recent solo show at PLSMIS gallery, Aoyama Tokyo titled Splithead.
Tell us about your career as an art director working in the music scene. How did you fall into that world?
I started off as a painter. The first time that I provided a work for a CD cover, I was unsatisfied with the outcome. From then on, I wanted to be in charge or in control of the text layout, to be able to provide the design work… so that’s how I came to work as an art director/designer.
.
.
.
.
Do you create music yourself? How would you compare your visual art to a musical composition
No, I don’t create music. But I do love music.
It’s the same excitement you get when you take a look at paintings. It seems like a similar yet very different composition process.
When making music you can pick and choose… you can go back to the past to edit and create a better work (of course not the live performances). But for the art work, once you have touched the work you can’t go back to the past. You can only go over them. The experience of the dynamism is quite exciting.
.
It must be liberating to be working on full sized canvases rather than small record sleeves? Do you feel that the spatial constraints of cd packaging has perhaps helped make your style more intense?
When i do an art direction and design, i use the other half of my head, but i believe there are some effect and cross over.
Creating some thing is always exciting both design and painting.
At the same time, even when i paint i have a angle of an art director.
Art work should be free and fun.
I noticed that your recent Splithead exhibition featured several tall coffin-shaped works. Do you think much about the temporary nature of existence?… your works have a certain impulsive spontaneity that seems to reflect this.
I think about ‘death’. Thinking about ‘death’ is not negative at all. By doing so, I think it makes us live positively towards life itself..
.
Shohie Takasaki is part of 26 artists in the LTRHDS exhibition, on display in Melbourne during February / March
..
“show me your heart_1″ 61 x 46 cm silk screen print on paper (oil ink) 2009
“golden lady_yellow” 91 x 72.5 cm Acrylic and silk screen. ink on canvas 2009
LTRHDS interview – Kano one7two – U.
February 21st, 2010
Kano started sneaking out of his bedroom window at night to draw on bus stops more than twenty years ago. Moved by the grand subway cars and New York graffiti scene of the late 70s and early 80s, he continued to decorate the walls around local train lines and other surfaces that lent
themselves to his art form.
In the late 80s Kano moved from Adelaide to Melbourne to pursue his passion for painting and graphic design even further.
Kano is still exploring the art of letter transformation, which he discovered through in his formative years of graffiti writing, but now takes the process a step further; deconstructing letters and manipulating them beyond recognition, until the only forms left are purely decorative patterns.
Your art has been exploring the limits of typography for many years. Do you feel that there has been a certain complacency towards typographic design of late? It seems that all you see is auto-pilot minimalism and faux-naïve bubble fonts. Where do you look for more thoughtful and progressive trends in type?
My love for typography and letter-forms comes from two different disciplines. One is my background in graffiti writing and the other my graphic design career.
So my perspective and feeling toward typography sometimes comes from a hybrid of these two art forms. When approaching my personal artwork I think this cross pollination becomes most evident, as the two merge and I end up with something that really references and focuses on the history, decorative and ornamental nature of both.
In my art I am exploring the art of letter transformation, which I discovered in my days graffiti writing where letters were taken to the edge of their existence, manipulated and camouflaged through deconstruction. I now try and take this even further by throwing away more and keeping only certain elements of letters, until the only forms left are purely decorative and patterns start to emerge.
Within the typographic based art and design that I personally want to look at, I’m really noticing an appreciation and return by good designers and typographers to bespoke methods, with less hours spent on the computer and more focus on handmade type, drawing, printing and sign writing making a welcome resurgence.
There are those of us that have always appreciated this aesthetic, having respected and practiced it and always made it part of what we do. Unfortunately it’s something that is instilled rather than learned these days.
I rarely look to ‘the now’ for inspiration in type, but time and time again keep on going back to my favorite sources – a few examples would be designers like Eric Nitsche, the grand era of late seventies and early eighties subway art, hand crafted wood type, the incredible medium of album cover art, weathered storefronts and old hand painted signage.
What influence do 3-D architectural forms have on your work? I heard that you have a fascination with stairwells… What is it about them that intrigues you?
The fascination with stairwells has been with me as long as I can remember. I look at buildings and instantly imagine an x-ray image, with the stairwells linking everything and appearing like ant farm-like channels.
On closer inspection I find a dichotomy in their construction and aesthetics, where the incredibly beautiful can be the incredibly sad, and at times, threatening. There’s a decision that must be made either by you or for you when you enter a stairwell, to rise or descend, with the latter for me representing the unknown.
Tell us about the interplay between your art and your music. How does one inform the other?
I remember a similar question being asked of me very early on for an assignment when I was in high school. It was the most exciting question I had ever had been asked yet seemingly the hardest for me to explain properly.
I remember at the age of sixteen trying to explain in a round about way that from the time I woke to the time I slept there was music and a sketchbook with me at all times and they were both in bed with each other.
I’ve now found myself in this perfect position where what I do most of the time is create art and design for not just any music but music that I like.
Designing for music, like all design is about telling a story, about conveying a message and a feeling and I feel right at home illustrating what I hear.
I have been collecting music and DJing for many years and the ultimate for me is when music and art hold hands. I love to put a record on and open up a fine sleeve designed by someone like Robert Flynn & Joe LeBow for Impulse, Reid Miles for Blue Note, William Claxton for Pacific Jazz, and my personal favorite, Limelight’s Daniel Czubak who created cover art with intricate folds, pop ups, die cut booklets and transparencies.
His work changed the face of album cover art, although he is relatively unknown and in a lot of cases was never credited on the covers he designed.
Although digital media and distribution has its merits and is in some ways rewarding the artists much more than ever which is great, the tactile and hand-held aesthetic of the album cover art is unfortunately being lost.
