Brian Porray, Jules Tardy, and Pia Mannikko are three of the several artists I’ve been looking at and who are inspiring me to further the work that I’m currently doing and the work that I’d like to start.
Pia Mannikko works in Helsinki Finland and a lot of her work to me is all about the tactile. Verges, is one of her works that exemplifies this desire to touch, feel, and experience the piece. This ability to envelope the beholder of this piece is what attracts me in particular and to Mannikko specifically.
Creating a tactile enveloping experience with my work is what I’m currently trying to manifest. The work I’m doing with silicone caulk and large verticle spit paintings directs the viewer to want to touch and feel the soft stickiness of the caulk and wrinkles of the paper. Using Mannikko as inspiration I hope to soon create a more encompassing experience by either creating more of these 8 foot vertical pieces or through some multimedia pieces to engage the other senses.
Jules Tardy is a graphic designer and artist transplanted and based in New York City. What draws me to his work are the bombastic explosions of color, pattern, shape, and speed that he uses in his sketches, gif’s, and videos. Tardy’s work made me realize that I am drawn to technology and hunger to know more. With his influence I plan on creating and learning new software and techniques. I really want to use gif’s and After Effects alongside my tactile ephemera paper cuttings and spit paintings. Some of my past works have incorporated QR codes and then most recently my circuit-bent knitting needles.
Brian Porray is a artist based in L.A. who recently had a show at the Western Project gallery in L.A. Like Tardy’s work Porray draws me in with his explosion of test-patterns and angular color. Something about his work makes me think of Navajo patterns and weaving, which is something I’d like to investigate more. Porray skillfully weaves his own catalog of patterns and colors without over saturating and polluting the overall composition. His series of triangular canvases and his -(\DARKHORSE/)- exhibit showcase his ability to distract the eye while drawing the eye into the techniques he used to create his patterns and colors like spray paint, stenciling, and etc. This ability to fool and disclose information is what inspires me and I want to figure out how to incorporate that aspect into my own work more. I’m interested in create a slide-of-hand space that on one hand looks like a digitally created work but on the other hand still holds true to a shakey human made quality of labour.
Sam Dorgan 