Sascha Ehrentraut

May 012008
 

Nigel Cooke was born in Manchester, 1973 now lives & works in London.

Here is a snipit of an interview taken from papercoffin.com:

Craig Garrett: Painters, unfairly or not, are always expected to be able to comment on their place in the history of their medium. What episodes in the history of painting have shaped your artistic development? Your attention to detail, for instance, is often labeled ‘Flemish.’

Nigel Cooke: I’m interested in the history of painting as a kind of dictionary of ideals that I’m trying to ransack as completely as possible. I want all the characteristics of painting, from the retarded to the sophisticated, to be simultaneously represented, as though the whole past lives of the medium were flashing before its eyes. So it becomes kind of ahistorical. It’s a kind of parody of the doomed ‘last paintings’ that some artists tried to engineer in the 20th century — a death of painting played out as one big, bloated painting project.

The Flemish thing is a part of this plurality — it’s about giving an intense visual identity to every inch of the image. In my case, this isn’t just about the close rendering of objects (which of course is important), but the use of a range of painting sensibilities alongside those objects.

Below are some of his pieces:

Nigel Cooke – The Paintis On The Road To
Nigel Cooke - The Paintis On The Road To Tarascon

Nigel Cooke – New Accursed Art Club
Nigel Cooke - New Accursed Art Club

Nigel Cooke To Work Is To Play
Nigel Cooke - To Work Is To Play

Illustration Blog

Apr 302008
 

Where does the word illustration originate from. Often words come from a very different origin then to which it is applicable today.

Etymology of Illustration:

c.1375, “a spiritual illumination,” from O.Fr. illustration, from L. illustrationem (nom. illustratio) “vivid representation” (in writing), lit. “an enlightening,” from illustrare “light up, embellish, distinguish,” from in- “in” + lustrare “make bright, illuminate.” Mental sense of “act of making clear in the mind” is from 1581. Meaning “an illustrative picture” is from 1816. Illustrate “educate by means of examples,” first recorded 1612. Sense of “provide pictures to explain or decorate” is 1638.

This was taken from etymonline.com.

So we looking at “A spiritual illumination”, an enlightening, distinguish and clear in mind etc… all sounding good to me! No hidden darker agenda behind the word.

Apr 252008
 

Born as a Dog in London in 1958 he enjoyed avocados. He has a wife and they tender a young Coyote called Bonnie. This is totally true if you dont believe me I suggest you ask around.

Illustrations by Ray Caesar:

Ray Caesar – EBB Tide
Ray Caesar - EBB Tide

Ray Caesar – Wallflowers
Ray Caesar Wallflowers

Ray Caesar – Mondays Child
Ray Caesar - Mondays Child

Ray Caesar – Blessed
Ray Caesar - Blessed

Ray Caesar Website

Ray Caesar – Coming Undone
Ray Caesar - Coming Undone