Everyone knows that you’re supposed to diversify your investments to safeguard your portfolio. A prime example of diversification is NFTs. The art world has witnessed this medium take centre stage in the last few years. NFTs made a meteoric rise gaining mainstream attention with a record sale of 69 million dollars for an art piece created by Beeple. 

The NFT movement shows no signs of slowing down. This defining moment put NFTs on the map; as word about Beeple’s groundbreaking sales thundered through the art world, investors became fascinated by NFTs potential promise of high returns.   

Helping investors navigate the complicated landscape of alternative investing is Hedge fund Hedonova, based in Delaware, United States. Hedonova provides a platform for investors to gain exposure to alternative investments. The fund is fully managed and invests in everything from Art, NFTs, Cryptocurrencies to wine, so you’re automatically diversified.

Alternative asset classes have traditionally been accessible only to High Net Worth Individuals. Hedonova aims to bridge this gap for the retail investor with a minimum capital requirement of just $1000.

Why Hedonova?

Hedonova’s investment team consists of experienced alternative asset investors who take on all the heavy lifting with knowledge of markets and assets to deliver an accessible solution. Investing with Hedonova is seamless and borderless; anyone can do it regardless of location!

It’s not just about restrictions imposed by banks either, as many retail investors may also limit their investments to small sums that don’t add up to what most hedge fund managers expect their investors’ capital contributions to be.

What investments are offered by Hedonova?

Hedonova has a diverse portfolio focused on growth to deliver above market returns to it’s clients the wide variety of asset classes include:

• Fine art
• Data center real estate
• Vacation rental real estate
• Startups
• Cryptos, NFTs and Web3.0
• Agricultural economy
• Students from top universities
• Equipment financing
• Listed equities
• EM P2P Lending
• VC/PE funds
• Media Royalties
• Litigation Finance
• Wine

So How much does it cost to invest?

Hedonova’s charges are relatively low compared to the per the standard hedge fund model. 

1% annual management fee is charged on the investment amount.

10% performance fee is charged on the gains investors make on their investments. The performance fee is charged on a high-water mark basis.

Who’s the team behind Hedonova?

The Hedonova team comprises experienced operators that know how to navigate the world of alternative investments.

Alexander Cavendish is the CEO. With degrees in applied mathematics and computer science from Zurich ETH, Alex’s career panned across UBS, and Morgan Stanley, a derivative modelling path for the former and investment banking focused on financial services firms for the latter.

Suman Bannerjee is the CIO. Suman has extensive experience investing in emerging market experience and alternative investments, first for Millennium Partners, Suman makes investment decisions at Hedonova.

How to start investing with Hedonova?

Investors need to express interest in investing by filling up the form on the Hedonova website or by emailing/WhatsApping us. An expert will get in touch with the investor to explain the process and initiate KYC formalities.

Once all the KYC-related formalities are done, investors can add capital to their Hedonova account and start investing.

“There is an inherent risk to the capital with investing. The value of your investment may fluctuate. The information above should not be considered as financial advice.”

©2022 Hedonova

Eva Zhang

Freelance social media consultant, Art lover and a NFT enthusiast

The billboards in places including Shoreditch, Fulham, Peckham and Dalston will display Eve’s art – an image of a deserted street after dark, with the poignant, glowing words, ‘Text Me When You Get Home,’ a familiar phrase which often replaces ‘goodbye’ for women, representing how safeguarding and safety fears have become a routine way of life for females after dark. As well as illuminating the dark streets, the urban exhibition marks the start of the Reclaim These Streets movement’s new campaign, which aims to use legislation, education and community action to ensure no woman has to be asked to ‘Text Me When You Get Home’ again.

Four original prints, including the piece displayed on billboards, will be on sale through Zebra One Gallery with ALL profits raised going to Rosa, a grant-making charity that funds grassroots women’s organisations to help make the UK a fairer, safer place for women.

Eve says: “Many of my pieces celebrate the unique strength of women. The tragic circumstances of Sarah Everard’s murder and similar stories of attacks and harassment towards women around the world, shows that we still have such a long way to go before we can feel safe. “I wanted to share these pieces in a public setting to show support for women and to remind people that a message like, ‘Text me when you get home,’ has become a part of our everyday lives, and that shouldn’t be the case.”

Reclaim These Streets was formed in the aftermath of Sarah Everard’s tragic murder, with the simple idea of holding a vigil. But after the event was cancelled, more than £500,000 was donated to the cause by supporters, leading to a partnership with charity Rosa.

Having already testified to the Home Affairs Committee, Reclaim These Streets are now working with cross-party MPs on amendments to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to outlaw street harassment and kerb crawling. Jamie Klingler, one of the founders of Reclaim These Streets, says: “We are thrilled to be working with Eve. We need to shine a light on all of the places where women are unsafe in public spaces and Eve’s way of illustrating the plight of all women will spark conversation and interest, which ultimately translates into change.” The billboards for the campaign were generously subsidised by Brotherhood Media and are expected to remain in place for two weeks.

www.halfaroastchicken.com

www.zebraonegallery.com

#ReclaimTheseStreets

©2021 Eve De Haans, Reclaim These Streets

Art Plugged

Art Plugged is a contemporary platform inspired by a relationship with the broader arts communities. We provide our audience with curated insight into the world of art, from exhibitions to artist interviews and more.

I outline an idea I have in pencil, then I fill it in with a lot of Ink and a lot of lines, then later I elaborate the forms.

Tim Maxwell

Searing the paper in black ink, Maxwell articulates his mysterious yet cryptic narrative. That emits an optical mirage, propelling viewers into a void of intense visual analysis. Tim’s work is an atmospheric escapade into his extraordinary manipulation of lines. We managed to catch up with the New York artist ahead of his NFT release on Foundation, which drops on APRIL 1 ~ 5 PM EST. In this interview, we learned more about Tim’s practice, inspiration, and more.

Q: What is your inspiration, and why do you do what you do?

TM: Probably to escape fear and anxiety through pleasure without any corresponding pain. I do what I do because there is no other alternative. I can’t do anything else, and nothing else brings me as much pleasure.

Q: Can you tell us about your creative process?

TM: I outline an idea I have in pencil, then I fill it in with a lot of Ink and a lot of lines, then later I elaborate the forms.

Q: What is the reason behind your fusion of illuminated Celtic manuscripts with medieval aesthetics in your work?

TM: My love of tattoos merged with my love for Gothic Architecture.

Q: What was the first piece of art you made that cemented your path as an artist?

TM: I was 18 years old, and I drew a piece that a week later I would have tattooed on my left arm.

Q: What was your most memorable exhibition, and why?

TM: In retrospect, it was probably a Richard Serra exhibition. It made me use different senses to experience art.

Q: What is your favourite piece, and why?

TM: “The Blind Leading The Blind” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. I think it is an apt summation of the human condition. From history learning from history and the young learning from the old.

Q: What do you think about the current state of the art world for artists?

TM: It’s fair game for all with the democratization of art through social media.  It will never be fair, but has it ever? And, more artists are allowed to play, so that’s good.

Q: What role does the artist have in society?

TM: To stimulate the senses and ideally inspire the viewer to think or act.

Q: What artists have caught your attention in the last five years?

TM: Honestly,  Donald Judd and Mark Rothko. 

Q: What are your thoughts on NFT art and the current NFT market boom?

TM: I see the potential of this being a significant paradigm shift, separating the old and the new. Artists have been craving change, and it is here. There will be growing pains, the herd will thin, formats will change, but something inspiring is in the air. As Thomas Kuhn said, “A new paradigm cannot be exist unless the old has something to change to”. The time is now. And, the old art world is shaking. The pot is calling the kettle black. Exciting times indeed.

Q: What’s next for you as an artist?

TM: To continue making art, and not overthink.

https://www.instagram.com/maxwellinked/

©2021 Tim Maxwell

Len Gordon

Len is a curator and a contributing writer at Art Plugged, a platform for contemporary art; he also engages in web development, design, and marketing.

Art themes people searched for in lockdown

Whether it’s a painting of a romantic coastline, a lush green forest or even an NHS-inspired rainbow, here are the top searches on Artfinder and Google UK over the past year:

• Searches for artwork containing beaches and trees increased 94% and 74% respectively on Artfinder during the first lockdown (March-June 2020) as many looked to replicate a part of the outside world in the face of uncertainty

• Spiking during the first lockdown, Google searches for forest-themed art grew again as restrictions tightened in the autumn, increasing by 91% during September and October compared to the same period in 2019 
• While we might normally associate paintings of beach scenes with summer decor and holiday homes, the term ‘beach artwork’ saw a 24% jump in Google searches during the second lockdown in November 2020 compared to the previous month, 53% more than the same period in 2019

Unsurprisingly, artwork containing rainbows also enjoyed a sharp rise in interest thanks to new connotations with the NHS fight against Covid-19, seeing a 370% rise in searches on Artfinder during the first lockdown period.

Following the announcement of the most recent lockdown in January, Artfinder also saw a rise in interest for abstract artworks, suggesting we are now looking for an alternative escape from reality. From intense volcanic landscapes to boldly coloured sunsets over rolling hills, the peak and troughs for particular searches reveal just how significant global events continue to be in the shaping of art trends.

Michal Szczesny, CEO of Artfinder says “Pablo Picasso once said that ‘art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life’ and all over the UK, and indeed all over the world, we can see that people have been washing away the dust of stay-home orders by seeking out art that depicts soul-soothing settings such as beaches, forests and oceans.”

“By the beginning of 2021, we can see that buyers are turning from familiar, often comforting scenes, to artworks that may in some instances feel more intense, more profound, and which are not rooted in those sights that people are missing as a result of still being stuck indoors.”

The largest online marketplace for art, Artfinder is a VC funded startup, backed by the investors behind Spotify and Zoopla and growing fast, with 110% growth in 2020. Investors include Wellington Partners, Oxford Capital, Cambridge Angels, plus private investors in the UK, the US and Switzerland. In August 2019, Artfinder became the art world’s first B Corp, solidifying its commitment to its values to support artists and make art affordable and accessible.

©2021 Artfinder, Amita Dand, Graham Evans

Art Plugged

Art Plugged is a contemporary platform inspired by a relationship with the broader arts communities. We provide our audience with curated insight into the world of art, from exhibitions to artist interviews and more.

My family and the structure of our home has always been a source for my work. They are a vehicle I use to save me from floating off into space. Themes and concepts arise to me in the act of painting, not before it.

Brian Harte

His canvases seem to consist of just one or two background colours, but the textures rise out of the painting on closer inspection. In one: greys morph into greens and blues; an owl hides in the background; paint splatters drip, and letters jolt against a discordance of colours.

One remarkable skill is how he can conjure up a setting, making us realise we are situated in a specific location from the most basic of details. In 2020, Harte released a catalogue of his work with the GNYP Gallery in Berlin, highlighting pieces spanning over the last five years

Q: Please introduce yourself to our readers

Brian Harte: My name is Brian Harte. I live and work as an artist in a rural part of Ireland with my wife and two children. I mostly make large scale paintings and work from a studio at the back of our house. I exhibit my work internationally.

Q: How do you begin a painting? Do you consider themes and concepts from the outset, or do they come to you while you’re working?

Brian Harte: I conveniently forget how any painting starts. If I start a white canvas with a strong concept or idea, it inevitably fails. Painting for me isn’t illustration. Heavily conceptual beginnings usually don’t stand up to the pressures of actually making something with a substance that is messy at heart. In saying that my family and the structure of our home has always been a source for my work. They are a vehicle I use to save me from floating off into space. Themes and concepts arise to me in the act of painting, not before it.

Q: Looking closely at your works, they consist of many scattered elements: words, objects, silhouettes, lines, pictures on the walls. How do you decide what to include? Does it all create a cohesive meaning, or is it meant to remain purposefully abstract?

Brian Harte: What I include or edit out of the work is down to my mood while making I suppose. I work from memory mostly so characters or motifs I include could be re-called images from years ago or more recent references in my life.

I try to create a network of things to engage in. It draws people into the picture plane and then it can go anywhere, which is what I enjoy most about looking at paintings. There are no cul de sacs in the work, there is always a way forward, a place for the eye to move. Cohesive meaning is not what I’m after, more a cohesive mood or a sound from the image.

Q: When do you decide that a painting is complete?

Brian Harte: Tricky one. Sometimes a great finished painting is the work you didn’t intend to be resolved. The way I work, it’s a case of when you know, you know. (laughing)

Q: How do you think your art has changed over the years?

Brian Harte: Funny, but I feel I’ve been making the same thing all my life. I have found that in recent years’ work, I’ve had more opportunities to stay in the studio longer. So the work has expanded in all directions; in quality and language. Its exciting and daunting all at once.

Q: Does your location inspire your work?

Brian Harte: There is no avoiding it, is there. Who we are, the landscape we stand in and the weather we experience are all linked to the work. I’m thinking about Roni Horn here for some reason?

Yes, a lot of colours my work are derived from Ireland and the geographical setting. I live in the midlands of Ireland, it’s like a Dutch landscape essentially. Field and sky meeting as far as the eye can see.

Q: You recently released a catalogue of works, “Bread (and other paintings)”. Can you describe the process of creating and publishing the book? Did it change anything about how you view your art?

Brian Harte: I was approached by GNYP Gallery director Giovanni Springmeier a couple of years ago to see could we put together a catalogue of my work. Naturally I jumped at the chance. It quickly became clear that putting a project like this together takes time, patience and good people to collaborate with to achieve a result.

I have to mention the designer Julian Bender (aka Granada Hills (The Studio) based in Frankfurt who worked on the book. Incredible guy and talented designer. I also had great contributors including an essay with depth by writer Ari Akkermans and contributions by artists David Harrison and Diana Copperwhite. It took over a year of working on and off but it has been received very well. I’m very proud of it.

Creating a catalogue of work that spans a five year working period puts your work into perspective. I noticed how the work has changed over that time and it gives me a road to take going forward.

Q: Do you have a favourite painting out of your works?

Brian Harte: I don’t have a particular painting in mind. Just some that have nearly hit the target. (laughing). You always just miss for some reason.

Q: How do you feel about the online art world, and the ways in which it has changed over the last year?

Brian Harte: Hmm, I don’t know really, I mean I don’t study it’s development from year to year. The experiment is ongoing isn’t it. We have seen an obvious rise in the online experience of art which is both interesting and limiting.

The only problem with it is the sensory blanket over the experience, you miss the feeling of walking through a room, the smell even. I wonder will galleries invent a smell-o-vision app soon? (laughing). We are all doing our best I suppose.

Q: Finally, what do you feel most passionate about right now?

Brian Harte: I’m very busy in the studio so you could describe this as a passionate thing in my life. I never trusted the word itself to describe making art though. The process in a studio isn’t a continuous ‘passionate’ moment. There are lows, highs and mostly unglamorous determined movements.

https://www.instagram.com/brian__harte/

©2021 Brian Harte

Bella Richards

Bella Richards is a student at University College London, interested in global contemporary arts, music, and culture.

I create images for people who don’t know how to put their feelings into words because it’s something I did to help me understand my own.

The Female Warhol

Her work addresses social anxiety, mental health, and relationships expressed in manipulated images, empowered by her philosophy; she uses signs and words’ cognitive power to engage with the viewers’ consciousness.

The Female Warhol is a contemporary artist, embraced by modern society for her principles of emotions. In this interview, we learn more about her creative process, inspiration, and what’s next for her as an artist.

Q: For those who don’t know you, can you please introduce yourself

A: The Female Warhol

Q: What is your inspiration, and why do you do what you do? 

A: I create images for people who don’t know how to put their feelings into words because it’s something I did to help me understand my own.

Q: Can you tell us about your creative process?

A: I try not to think too much about it and just let how I feel or think about the world that day lead me to a message that I may or may not end up sharing.

Q: What is the reason behind your fusion of social media culture, vulnerability and mental health in your works?

A: Making people feel valid.

Q: What was the first piece of art you made that cemented your path as an artist?

A:  I wrote one of my first quotes on an ugly garbage truck. It sybmolized that people still want the truth even if it’s ugly. 

Q: What is your favourite piece?

A: I don’t have one

Q: What do you think about the current state of the art world?

A: I don’t think about the art world as much as I think about things like existence, what being human feels like and potato chips.

Q: What role does the artist have in society?

A: To create something that makes people feel; to create something that makes them feel. 

Q: What impact do you think Instagram has had on art?

A: I think art has had an impact on instagram. A tool is only a tool if you use it correctly.

Q: Which artists have caught your attention in the last five years?

A: @sefyloret @anewspecimen — I love cool weird graphic art about awakening.

Q: What’s next for you as an artist?

A: More art in new materials

Q: Lastly, what does Art mean to you?

A: Vice, escape, journey, higher self, expression, connection, freedom, voice, purpose.

©2021 The Female Warhol

Len Gordon

Len is a curator and a contributing writer at Art Plugged, a platform for contemporary art; he also engages in web development, design, and marketing.

Held by the Design & Crafts Council Ireland, Future Makers is one of the largest prize-funded award programmes in Europe and offers support to students and emerging makers. Established in 2009, the programme assists the next generation of Irish designers and makers at a pivotal stage in their professional development.

Future Makers helps recipients to develop a career in the design and craft industry with exhibition, studio, materials, travel and training supports along with Future Makers of the Year Awards, design awards and craft skills awards.

Laura said of the importance of the award: “Like many other students and recent graduate makers from Ireland, Future Makers is on our radar as one of the main awards for early career support. I’ve been shortlisted twice before, but it’s a huge honour to have my work acknowledged by such a prestigious awarding body.”

“I submitted a body of work which was made during my Masters at Plymouth College of Art. The research practice I developed during my time in Plymouth was very material and process led. My aims are to challenge the audience and user’s perception of glass as a material by making pieces that are durable, flexible and highly repairable. I like to place glass closely within the audience experience by making functional items such as interactive lighting and wearable glass pieces.”

“Each applicant is asked to submit a proposal and budget for funds to help develop their career. I was fortunate enough to be selected for the British Crafts Council International Art Fair Collect 2022, where I’ll be showing an ambitious, kinetic, glass light installation. As a result, I submitted a proposal to Future Makers to help fund the photography and printed materials needed in order to promote the work. At this early stage in my emerging career, it’s so beneficial to receive not only financial support, but also have the acknowledgement that the work I’m creating has a place in contemporary craft and design, and an audience who believes in what I’m trying to achieve. It’s a big confidence boost!”

28 students and emerging professionals received awards and supports this year, with the prizes totalling €25,000. Laura received exhibition support of €1,000, with judges commenting that “she is to be commended on her juried selection for the prestigious ‘Collect’ exhibition and submitted an exciting and ambitious proposal that will make the audience see glass in a new way. It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to support that.”

Laura, who graduated with a Distinction in MA 3D Design Crafts in 2019 said: “Normally, the awards deadline is in the spring, with the winners announced in early summer. This year, due to Covid-19, the deadline was extended to allow applicants more time to develop their work and proposal under the ever changing circumstances including loss of workshop access. The new deadline was in the autumn, shortlisted makers were informed in November, with the winner announced at an online award ceremony in December – a wonderful Christmas present! I was really overjoyed to have won a support alongside so many talented makers!”

Future Makers is one of DCCI’s programmes which support and invest in a new generation of talent in the craft and design sector. Divided into student and emerging maker categories and covering a wide range of disciplines, Future Makers recognises and rewards vision, innovation and excellence in both making and the creative process.

Following a call-out for entries in March, Future Makers 2020 received the highest number of entries to date with 232 online applications submitted and assessed through a formal judging process. The successful applicants demonstrated design thinking, innovation and creativity, traditional and contemporary techniques, as well as skilful execution. Those selected come from a broad range of disciplines; from fashion design to woodturning, embroidery to jewellery design, across the island of Ireland.

Laura said, “The pandemic forced a full stop on so many with no idea of when things would continue. Perhaps, however, the full stop is what is needed. For those who are overworked, working in the perpetual production of glass, always fulfilling the next order, or for those who have been forced to rethink their whole making methods. We have all been forced to a stop. 2020 has allowed more time for conversations online with designers and makers across the world. Perhaps some of these conversations never would have happened in normal times.”

“I’ve been able to develop my own online series called Home Glass Hacks, where anyone can learn to work with glass at home, with accessible tools and equipment. This whole situation has forced me to consider how a low-tech approach inevitably becomes more sustainable because of the reduction in fossil fuel burning. This experimentation led to my collaborative lockdown project Words of Isolation | Words of Connection, calling on members of the public to get involved in communicating their experience of the Covid-19 isolation through making glass words by bending glass stringers using a tealight candle flame.”

“I’ve had submissions from scientists, engineers, butchers, artists, entrepreneurs, photographers, teachers and students, crossing boundaries of language, race, sex, gender, age, religion, background and culture. Submissions have come in from all over the world, from New Zealand and America to Sweden, France and Ireland, and the project resonates with greater global objectives such as the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the UN. Words of Isolation | Words of Connection has also been nominated for the European Glass Context awards in Norway in 2021, for its sustainability and inclusivity in the arts, which will be a poignant home coming for the project.”

©2021 Plymouth College of Art, Laura Quinn

Art Plugged

Art Plugged is a contemporary platform inspired by a relationship with the broader arts communities. We provide our audience with curated insight into the world of art, from exhibitions to artist interviews and more.

GR Gallery is thrilled to announce “Safe Space”, the first solo exhibition of Dennis Osadebe with the gallery, after two years of collaboration. The show will reveal the latest series of artworks conceived by the artist appositely for this occasion focused on the concept of a safe space as their point of departure, defined by Osadebe as a place to experiment, be yourself, reflect, enjoy, and dream.

The works consider the spaces potential dimensions, the narratives that contain it and the theatre or spectacle that unfolds around it. A new print, also inspired by this new concept, will be released before the end of the show.

“Safe Space” explores the duality between the physical and psychological roles that forge the foundations for locations of refuge and comfort, rather than solely focusing on a specific place. With the idea in mind that the creation of a safe space could be as simple as a group of people with shared ideas coming together.

This is amplified by references to paintings by both Old and Contemporary Masters, key influences in Osadebe’s practice, shown through the artists characters performing both mundane and sometimes charged actions.

DENNIS OSADEBE: Safe Space opens on February 18, 2021 until March 14, 2021 at GR gallery

©2021 GR Gallery

Art Plugged

Art Plugged is a contemporary platform inspired by a relationship with the broader arts communities. We provide our audience with curated insight into the world of art, from exhibitions to artist interviews and more.

Lorna’s work is formed from careful research, innovation and focused on the slip-casting method. Influenced by her acute observation from her years as a photographer, Yabsley is fascinated with figuration.

In her latest project Glitch pots, motivated by Wedgwood’s Jasperware, sees Yabsley
investigating the ceramic process’s technical constraints by merging digital and traditional craft techniques. Reimagining Wedgwood’s classic with an exquisite glitch appearance.

Her work has gained much notoriety, consequently winning her Second Grand Prize in the British Arts Medal Society Student Medal Project in 2019 for Her piece ‘be breast aware’, which embraced traditional materials and technical methodologies.

Graduating from Plymouth College of Art and noted as one to watch as part of Plymouth College of Art’s Class of 2020. Yabsley continues to explore her craft as she aims to evolve profoundly refined works for the high-end art market.

Q: First things first, why do you do what you do?

Lorna Yabsley: I have always been a creative and come from an arts background. I am 56 years old have been a photographer for all my working life, ceramics is a relatively new avenue for me. I love clay, and all the stages of working it, but I have always been a maker.

Q: What is your inspiration?

Lorna Yabsley: It comes and goes in fits and starts, it’s horrible when it dries up and you get blocked, and incredible when the ideas just flow, you do need to be a bit unhinged to follow a creative path. But nature, culture and politics feed my imagination, and imagery of any genre will often spark an idea.

Q: What is your creative process when you’re creating?

Lorna Yabsley: I write notes and often lie awake thinking about an idea, I need to learn to develop my sketch book in a more constructive way, as often, I will just launch into the making and work it out as I go along, and that is not always the best approach and can lead to disappointment if things don’t work out.

Q: Which is your preferred surface for working on?

Lorna Yabsley: Not sure what you mean by this, as clay is clay, but with ceramics and hand building, the quality of the tools and the handling of them is key. Much of my work to date has been digital, designed in Cad and 3D printed or positive models cut on a CNC machine, from where the traditional ceramic process takes over. This is a very time consuming way of making, but gives you an outcome that would not be possible by any other means.

Q: What would you say is an integral part of the work of an Artist?

Lorna Yabsley: Innate aesthetic judgement, the ability to work extremely hard for little or no reward or recognition and never giving up, and strive to find your find your groove and develop your own voice, I have certainly achieved that in my professional photography business, but am still developing this as an artist and maker.

Q: What artist inspires you the most?

Lorna Yabsley: That’s an impossible question, as there are so many art forms that I am drawn to, but I think dance and music is the purest artistic expression; I would love to paint and am in awe of the great names in painting; Photography also holds many master artist, Henri Cartier Bresson is one of my favourites. I am often drawn to the figurative and I like work that has a narrative, but then I am equally, blown away by a Jackson Pollock or a Corbusier building.

Q: What is the reason behind the re-interpretation of established iconic themes in your work?

Lorna Yabsley: In the west, we are so bombarded with content and I think as a society we are overwhelmed, art can cut through the noise, and I think there is power in offering up something familiar in a new light, it trips you into re-evaluating and considering things from a different perspective, and that is exciting, and if the work can challenge and provoke questions, and have an effect above and beyond the aesthetic, then it’s more than just a pretty pot, and I am not sure if the world needs any more pretty pots.

Q: How do you know when a piece is finished?

Lorna Yabsley: When I am happy with it, and to date that hasn’t happened with my ceramic work, and I spend an inordinate amount of time re-working everything, but I am getting better at it. It’s the same with photography, you only take a handful of really, meaningful and perfectly executed images in any given year, these are the ones that remain in your portfolio and stand the test of time.

Q: What is your favourite piece from your collection?

Lorna Yabsley: I have made three significant bodies of work during my degree, 1. An arts medal, for the British Arts Medal Society, about breast cancer awareness, this is where I started to play with 3D scanning and 2. The Down and Out Daybed, which was a replica of an antique daybed, made from cardboard, a comment on the appalling homeless situation. 3 The Jasperware project. I am proud of them all, but they are very much exploratory works, so I guess my favourite is yet to be made.

Q: How did you feel when you did your first solo exhibition?

Lorna Yabsley: I haven’t had a solo exhibition, but have been invited to take part in the ‘Future Edit’ graduate group show with The Crafts Council, which is a real honour.

Q: What is the most rewarding thing for you about being a part of the Art Industry?

Lorna Yabsley: Being able to indulge my creative drive, it’s not a choice but a necessity, if I am not being creative then my health suffers. It’s a tough industry and not an easy route to take. Its infuriating that the arts is under threat and under-funded, as a nation we lead in the creative industry and it needs a total re-evaluation from the top, it’s so short sighted to not recognize it and promote it as a growth industry and a positive force for well-being and health.

Q: Is there anything that worries you about how social media is affecting the promotion of artists?

Lorna Yabsley: Social media has democratised the market place and that’s a good thing for all creatives, hobbyist etc, if it promotes creativity, which can be so rewarding and beneficial for humanity, then it’s a good thing. The sheer volume of content though is a hindrance, and it’s hard to be heard above the noise.

Q: In your opinion, do you have any advice for artists on how to manage their social media image? Or does it even need managing?

Lorna Yabsley: It needs managing, marketing yourself should occupy 50% of your time, if you want to be commercially successful. To do it well, is a job, in itself. Trends change all the time, and it’s hard to keep up with it. Above all though, good quality photography is vital, and the smart phone has democratised that even further.

I love the idea of not having to promote myself at all, it worked well for Banksy! I do believe that if the work is outstanding then it finds an audience. I often think I would like an alter ego, as it is easy to get type cast as one thing or type of artist, it’s hard to promote yourself effectively when you do a lot of different things and your profile is varied.

Q: Are there any places where you feel Art and Technology really shouldn’t overlap?

Lorna Yabsley: No way, technology and those that are great with it are artists just the same, I had a lot of help from digital technicians at college, and the level of craft and skills employed in what they do, should never be underestimated or devalued as anything other than the art form it is.

https://www.instagram.com/lornayabsley/

©2021 Lorna Yabsley

Len Gordon

Len is a curator and a contributing writer at Art Plugged, a platform for contemporary art; he also engages in web development, design, and marketing.

I don’t really have an agenda, other than to be in the moment and photograph what I see and work with my intuition

Tommy Kwak

As a photographer, Kwak travels the world, capturing scenes that are not as accessible to people, yet he never fails to connect his works emotionally with his viewers. When I first saw his photographs, looking at places and sceneries I had never seen before, I felt a sense of nostalgia and comfort. I hope you feel the same when viewing his collection here and get to know him better after reading the following interview. 

Q: Please introduce yourself to the readers?

Tommy Kwak: I’m a fine art photographer, working mostly in landscapes and nature, and am based in the NYC area.

Q: Why photography and why mainly landscape photography? 

Tommy Kwak: I really just enjoy being outside in nature whether near water, in the forest, or in the mountains. It’s calming and freeing at the same time. I started to explore the forests near my childhood home and started photography in high school, often shooting during my walks in the forest. It’s something that felt natural to me.

I later went to art school for graphic design and worked for several years as a designer and art director which I still freelance in. In 2006, I moved out to NYC and took up photography again by enrolling in a few continuing education classes at ICP, photographing mostly in the city. In 2008, I took my first trip to Iceland, and from there really started getting into landscape photography. 

Q: Please talk about your works. What is the process in making your art?

Tommy Kwak: My work mainly involves hiking, exploring different areas I want to see like Faroe Islands, Iceland, or even the beaches near me in the NYC area. I don’t really have an agenda, other than to be in the moment and photograph what I see and work with my intuition. Before that, there is a lot of planning though with research on the area and scouting potential locations.

Some places leave an impression on me that drive the shooting and editing process toward a certain aesthetic… Iceland with its cool, blue tones… Faroe Islands and its vibrant greens… and Turks and Caicos with its vibrant, neon colors. Some of my photographs are “straight” photos like landscapes or seascapes, and for others like my “Chroma” series, I photograph using analog methods to alter the image.

For these types of images, I carry with me various tools and materials to photograph with in-camera to create color gradients, reflections, flares, and distortions. In addition to these materials, I carry with me my camera, lenses, tripod, and also a drone, so I am ready to use any of these tools for what inspires me at that moment.

Q: What is the biggest joy that photography gives you?

Tommy Kwak: Being outside, with no real purpose other than to be there, enjoying the surroundings, and following my eye.

Q: What do you want to translate to your audience/view/collector when making your art?

Tommy Kwak: I’m not sure honestly. I don’t really think about this while photographing or editing. 

Q: What advice would you give collectors who are new to collecting photography?

Tommy Kwak: I would say to go with your gut and collect artworks that you feel a connection with, and also that you will enjoy living with and looking at for a long time.

Q: If you may, could you share your experience working with a luxury brand?

Tommy Kwak: I was completely surprised to hear from Louis Vuitton recently. They had found my work online and liked my pink NYC skyline series, and asked me to create one of the lower Manhattan skyline for their Brookfield Place location near World Trade Center.

I had the general guidelines, but they gave me a lot of freedom to create something that I was happy with. I created several options, which I presented to them, and from there we worked together to narrow it down to the final image. Then we worked on different mounting and framing methods to ensure the best presentation within the store and its lighting setup. Overall, it was a very seamless and supportive process.

Q: What are you doing next? And what, if anything, is planned beyond that?

Tommy Kwak: Currently, I’m working on another Louis Vuitton commission, but this time for their store in Cologne, Germany. This was a similar project in which I created a skyline print.

The image is finished, but right now, I’m working with vendors in Germany to finalize the printing and framing. I am also just going through thousands of my unedited photos as I’ve been mostly hunkered down at home during the pandemic. When/if travel gets safer hopefully, I plan to travel to Greenland, maybe in the fall, to photograph the icebergs.

https://www.instagram.com/tommykwak/

©2021 Tommy Kwak

Tracy Yuan

Tracy Yuan is an art advisor and SWAP UP ART founder a digital platform to help emerging artists gain more exposure and TRACE OUT ART a digital monthly art magazine. Tracy writes about the hottest art scenes and news in NYC and beyond.