The Digital Street
Karifurava Caihua
Karifurava is a Polish graphic designer, illustrator and fine artist currently based in Warsaw. Influenced by contemporary Eastern graphic designers and illustrators such as Keiichi Tanaami, his bold and colourful works explore mysticism, neo-religion and the magical. Karifurava has exhibited extensively across the globe at galleries including Backwoods Gallery, Australia, and venues including VIKTAC, Poland.
Karifurava, Eleven, 2020. Acrylic on canvas, digital reproduction. 55 x 80 cm.
Inspired by numerology and zodiac symbology, Eleven is an abstract representation of Virgo, a maiden sign often portrayed alongside wheat who symbolizes fertility and good harvest. Espousing traditional Japanese caricature with an almost Aztec-like bold and vibrant coloration, Eleven gestures towards the mythical and fantastic world of mutable astrology. Likened to numerology, the multiple elements of the painting, which form a harmonious picture of birth and continuous life speaks to the coincidental nature of routine events. In what ways are we one, how does the universe interact, and what role do we have as custodians of the planet?
Karifurava, Magic Moments, 2020. Acrylic on canvas, digital reproduction. 55 x 80 cm.
Magic Moments is inspired by the absurdity of the mystical. Magic, voodoo and mysticism have cemented their place in popular culture, allowing for canonical interpretations of the inexplainable to take place. Bordered in a vibrant red background and seemingly levitating in infinite space, Magic Moments portrays the scene of a magic performance. Where one performer dazzles and levitates, we see two subservient assistants straining and balancing to allow for the impossible act of flight to take place. Where there is illusion, must there also be the absurd?
Karifurava, Esoteric Circle, 2019. Freehand sketch, digital reproduction. 55 x 80 cm.
Esoteric Circle takes the form of a mandala. Suspended in air and composed of innumerable snake-like figures floating and intertwining within a seemingly motive maelstrom, it holds an imposing and all-powerful look. Centred by a watchful eye, this holy spiral is an examination and exploration of synergous movement and inexplicable wrath. Esoteric Circle draws inspiration from the contemporary iterations of tarot card design. In contrast to typical tarot depictions however, it focuses on the traditions of illustrating the mystical, as opposed to the formulaic renditioning of one force.
Morris Vogel
Morris Vogel is a self-taught fine artist and illustrator currently based in Basel, Switzerland. Vogel examines surreal manifestations of politics, existentialism, awareness and human nature through a highly stylised black and white drawing style. His works have been exhibited at Kunsthallekleinbasel, Switzerland, Cvijeta Zuzorić Art Pavillion, Serbia and YOPE project space, Mexico.
Morris Vogel, Come and See, 2019. Ink on washi paper. Digital reproduction. 51 x 80 cm.
Drawn by hand using only fineliner pens on washi paper, Come and See takes inspiration from Elem Klimov’s 1985 film Come and See. The Soviet war film, which was based on Ales Adamovich’s 1978 noveI Am From the Fiery Village, focuses on those who joined the Belarusian resistance movement during the Nazi German Occupation. Depicting, in a surreal fashion, political existentialism, Vogel’s work surrounds the idea of a tormented soul – aptly displayed through the hallucinogenic background of confusion which washes over the torn subject.
Morris Vogel, Sustaining the Unsustainable,2018. Ink and dry-transfer lettering on washi paper. Digital reproduction. 51 x 80 cm.
2020 has been a year of reflection for many. Brought on by uncertainty, hardship and unavoidable change, the population has been exposed to the undeniable fact that life is unsustainable. Drawn with fineline markers and Lettaset, Sustaining the Unsustainable explores this stark truth. Our demons exemplified in Vogel’s unique visual aesthetic, we are forced to reflect on our lives and how we contribute, for better or worse, to the human community.
Morris Vogel, Doomed, 2018. Ink on washi paper. Digital reproduction. 51 x 80 cm.
Much of Morris Vogel’s practice is uncertain. Through developing a simplistic and often figurative approach to portraying chaos, Doomed employes an automatist approach to art making. Pioneered by several Surrealist artists including Joan Miró and André Masson, this automatic approach to drawing relinquishes thought and consideration from the painting technique, allowing a unconscious painterly approach to form. Here, Doomed, centred around a rendition of the planet Earth, ludic figures and mesmerising geometric patterns, allows a view into the mind of the artist.
Tom Gerrard
Tom Gerrard is a graphic designer cum fine artist currently based in Melbourne, Australia. His unique practice involves the painting of simple characters, architecture and nature through a minimal colour palette, where his works are often inspired by people he has met and places he has visited. Gerrard has exhibited work extensively across the globe at galleries including Stolen Space, London, RVCA, Tokyo and 1xRUN, Detroit.
Tom Gerrard, Sunday. 11am, 2020. Airbrush polymer, spray paint and emulsion. Digital reproduction. 55 x 67.2 cm.
Sunday. 11am is an opportunity for Gerrard to explore focus, scale, interior design, portraiture and abstraction in one single image. Inspired by the paintings by artists including Matisse and Litchenstein who famously created ‘in-situ’ or ‘in-studio’ renditions of themselves backdropped by their own works, it allows viewers the pleasure of viewing multiple works in one setting. Sunday. 11am is an amalgam of two of Gerrard’s key painterly styles – firstly, graphical abstraction which features art and settings, secondly, a consequential approach in which the artist sprays, layers and then removes paint such that blocks of colour and detail come together over time and layer.
Tom Gerrard, Hard Rubbish, 2020. Acrylic paint on board. Digital reproduction. 30 x 70 cm.
Hard Rubbish is an attempt to highlight the issues with the disposal age which we live in today. Portraying a derelict, cluttered and wasteful crowd of trash, it is a painting of filled berms during spring cleaning or hard rubbish, a period in Australia where local councils take unwanted home items that would usually not fit in smaller bins to landfill. As consumerism expands throughout each facet of our life, the amount of waste each human produces will inevitably increase too. Hard Rubbish also has a dual meaning, however. In tacit vein to a traditional still life painting, it enables the juxtaposition between the private and the community. Once cherished items, located within locked doors of the family home, we now see the death and decay of products which symbolise a previously unseen existence.
Tom Gerrard, Watercolour Heads, 2020. Watercolour, spray-paint and airbrush polymer. Digital reproduction. ** Taby Exclusive ** 55 x 80 cm.
Much of Tom Gerrard’s practice has involved the painting of men. Often those who are authentic, not constrained to fashion or trend, and not influenced by news and media, Gerrard encapsulates those who are fixated with themselves rather than the time they live. Men have appeared in Gerrard’s art since 2012, and marked a constant progression of his oeuvre as he moved between countries during 2012 and 2016. These men facilitate Gerrard’s involvement with each city he moved to, drawing the ubiquitous yet charming characters of authenticity from each city he visited.
Judy Rhum
Judy Rhum is a graffiti artist, illustrator and lecturer currently based in Milan. Her works are lucid and ludic, combining a playful and illustrative feel into the monumental platform that is graffiti. They are slick: graffiti with layered breakdowns, expanded geometric shapes and purposeful abstraction. Rhum is also the co-founder of Drinchendrò, a Milan-based arts program.
Judy Rhum, Fjords on quarantine, 2020. Acrylic painting on photograph. ** Taby Exclusive. ** 55 x 80 cm.
COVID-19 has imposed a new way of life on many, restricting movement, travel and access to new experiences. Judy Rhum’s quarantine series is a reaction to forced stagnation – superimposing painted graffiti over postcards which were collected during the artist’s pre-pandemic travels. This simple subversion of the postcard – a dual metaphor for memory and freedom – enables the artist to revisit, reimagine and express desire for a post-pandemic world. Fjords on quarantine is painted in abstract lettering, the artist’s signature style, with acrylic on a postcard purchased in the Fjord in western Norway.
Judy Rhum, Caribbean on quarantine, 2020. Acrylic painting on photography. ** Taby Exclusive ** 55 x 80 cm.
COVID-19 has imposed a new way of life on many, restricting movement, travel and access to new experiences. Judy Rhum’s quarantine series is a reaction to forced stagnation – superimposing painted graffiti over postcards which were collected during the artist’s pre-pandemic travels. This simple subversion of the postcard – a dual metaphor for memory and freedom – enables the artist to revisit, reimagine and express desire for a post-pandemic world. Caribbean on quarantine is painted in abstract lettering, the artist’s signature style, with acrylic on a postcard purchased in the Caribbean region.
Judy Rhum, Mediterranean of quarantine, 2020. Acrylic painting on photography. ** Taby Exclusive ** 55 x 80 cm.
COVID-19 has imposed a new way of life on many, restricting movement, travel and access to new experiences. Judy Rhum’s quarantine series is a reaction to forced stagnation – superimposing painted graffiti over postcards which were collected during the artist’s pre-pandemic travels. This simple subversion of the postcard – a dual metaphor for memory and freedom – enables the artist to revisit, reimagine and express desire for a post-pandemic world. Mediterranean on quarantine is painted in abstract lettering, the artist’s signature style, with acrylic on a postcard purchased in the Mediterranean region.
Indie184
Indie184 is New York-based artist who has been active in graffiti culture for over 2 decades. Influenced by abstract expressionism and pop art, her paintings are raptures of color and textures. Fused with of her original graffiti and street art, imagery, and designs juxtaposed with personal messages. Indie’s art has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, including El Museo del Barrio, New York and Völklingen Ironworks Museum, Saarbrücken, Germany.
Indie184, Secret Garden, 2017. Acrylic, enamel paint, ink, watercolor and paper on cotton canvas. Digital reproduction. 55 x 80 cm.
Initially created within the artist’s Eleuthera collection, Secret Garden is a moment of exploration of and emancipation from daily life. Utilising Frida Kahlo as a metaphor for freedom, Indie184 creates a scene designed to escape the mundane – in essence, a secret garden of happiness in which the artist’s fantasy can come to fruition. Secret Garden using a collage of imagery and text taken from various vintage women’s magazines, placed over a primed canvas. It is a vibrant and ludic work which incorporates the artists unique aesthetic approach to highly-stylised colorations and emotive painting within a ‘street art’ style.
Indie184, Power in Peace, 2020. Acrylic, ink, enamel, watercolour and paper on canvas. Digital reproduction. 55 x 80 cm.
In 1967, at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, Martin Luther King spoke with NBC News' Sander Vanocur about the "new phase" of the struggle for "genuine equality.” Power in Peace is Indie184’s response to this interview. Utilising a combination of collage, spray painting and digital editing techniques, Power in Peace seeks to demonstrate the empowering philosophies of Martin Luther King - a path for world peace through unity.
Indie184, Wild Cat, 2018. Water colour, acrylic, ink and paper on canvas. 55 x 80 cm.
Inspired by the ferociousness and eclectic energy of the native African cheetah, Wild Cat is a painting which attempts to capture the essence of raw power. Raw, fast and unrelenting, the cheetah, among several wild breeds of felinae, embody the unforgiving approach to upholding power. Wild Cat asks us to embrace power. It asks us to find bravery and courage where it has been subdued. It questions the narrative of subversion and posits a place for fearlessness and a survivor instinct in everyday life.
Nini Sum
Nini Sum is a mixed-media artist based in Shanghai, China. Her work depicts urban scenery and characters from everyday life in a captivating and surreal setting, which is strongly influenced by modern city life and eastern philosophy. The form of Nini's work varies from silkscreen prints and mural paintings, to collage on canvas and album art. She is also the founder of IdleBeats, China’s first independent screen-printing studio.
Nini Sum, Paradise, 2020. Digital collage. 55 x 75.5 cm.
Created during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Paradise is a celebration of the everyday mundanity experienced in lockdown. Juxtaposing two images, the Chinese character for paradise, and the artist’s cat who provided company in a time of isolation, it seeks to provide hope for a better tomorrow and a sense of bliss today.
Nini Sum, Painting Inside A Painting, 2019. Acrylic on acid free paper and prepared board. 55 x 69.5 cm.
Painting Inside A Painting is an exploration of the surreal. By superimposing layers of paintings, Nini Sum challenges the notions of the single state. As one fluctuates between separate scenes on one picture frame, the possibility of co-existence comes to life. Dream and reality; past and present; virtual and natural. Selecting this image for digital reproducing adds further layer to the meaning of this concept-driven artwork, in which the lines of real and reproduced are blurred.
Nini Sum, Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, 2020. Acrylic on acid free paper and prepared board. 55 x 80 cm.
Mountain of Flowers and Fruits is a physical collage which surveys multiple periods of Nini Sum’s oeuvre. The central figure, a face of a monkey, is present in many of Sum’s early silkscreen paintings, however here it is misconfigured and placed within an unreal landscape. Surrounded by luminescent mountains and surreal tree formations, it asks viewers to reflect on shadow, depth, feeling and memory.
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