Thursday 26 December 2013

CREMONAPALLOZA ROCK FEST 2013 - THE STRAIN + MY DINOSAUR LIFE /// (Plus the pink, the gender identity and how I'll die from an heart attack of satisfaction)

•••intro muy dedicata a Kremona•••
L'anno scorso la festona del 25/XII al Dordoni mi ha quasi ammazzata (anche se ne valse la pena >>> art_art_art). Ieri a inizio serata ero quasi spaventata che si ripetesse il rischio di perdere la vita. Ora che sono sopravvissuta di nuovo e con molta gioia (quest'anno senza sangue, a parte quello che ho visto nei miei sogni, poi), posso serenamente annunciare la mia presenza, sabato sera, all'evento dell'ultima locandina con cui mi sono divertita. Chi lo deve sapere lo sa già e magari non passa di qua sul mio blog (brutti orrendi figuri, ve ne state quasi tutti rinchiusi sul sito bianco e blu, eh), però lo ribadisco: sabato sera è un'opportunità per insultarmi dal vivo di nuovo prima che riparta per i Paesi Bassi fino à la prochaine foix (ma, devo dire, oramai la sensazione di rimbalzare indifferentemente tra più luoghi si fa familiare). Ah, e, a tal proposito, sabato pomeriggio invece mi faccio iioografare anche io, e ne approfitto per fare pubblicità al progetto: BAM!: iioo project! Dateci un occhio, se già non sapete, e se vi piglia bene contattate il caro Enda (e preparatevi a prendervi malissimo se avete problemi con l'asimmetria).


Dicevo.

SABATO 28 DICEMBRE - ore 22:00
LUOGOCOMUNE
Centro Sociale Culturale Arci
Via Speciano, 4 - Cremona
ingresso con tessera Arci 2013

dalle 16:00
F.I.C.A. 2013
Fubalino International Cremonapalloza Award


+ 100% rock'n'roll dj set


Once again the flyer for the annual rock festival organised by Cremonapalloza
is a collaboration which makes me addicted: my cousin McA and I.

Ogni anno siamo più incasinati tutti e due,
ma non sono/siamo molto capaci di rinunciare alla tradizione.

After all, I think the posters we made for the Cremonapalloza Rock Fest
have always been among my most enjoyed drawing, probably because with McA and this festival I always tune myself on "fun", I don't think too much about something else and I mostly just follow instructions that I like (which this time were "folk-pin-up-not-vulgar-like-the-past-year, blouse-with-checks-braces-boots-PaulMcCartney's-bass-guitar-thanks").
The 2010 edition with Il Teatro Degli Orrori is probably still one of my best poster ever, for exemplae, indeed, one of those drawing which made me fear I couldn't anymore go beyond myself…
(After three years, by the way, my answer to this useless but still interesting doubt is:
perhaps that illustration was the top of that wave, of that style I had so much back in the time,
now I'm just elsewhere with my colours and I play in another championship. And that's just how life is: it changes in a way you simply couldn't predict, so you better only predict there is always a change.
And I'm going to try to tell here below one of my change…)


The little creative process behind this illustration has definitely been a lot of fun.

An evening I played a bit with the elements McA told me.





And the day later I started to draw in the afternoon. Ok, I know it's very weird to read, but to me drawing in the afternoon has been really a moving experience. I was used to draw, to work, to live in the night, in the darkness, for years, and in the last months I was totally in the other way around, waking up around 5 pm and going to sleep around 9 am. Not kidding. For some reasons, that was my way. Perhaps I'll have again this type of rhythm, easily because, if I can, I just want to welcome the inspiration in its random beginning, whenever it is, and sometimes it arrives in very absurd moments, but it's now about one month I'm finally became a "normal day person". I love the sunshine (and still the moon as well, though, of course). And the sunshine is fuckin' important to actually understand the colours you're painting with, that's something any visual artist know very well.
The illustration I made that afternoon has been the first one with the daylight after ages.
I honestly think a video of me during that afternoon would be hilarious, for each colour I was picking up and dropping on the sheet I was having extreme emotional different reactions. Simply because of the colours themselves, much before to consider any quality or critique to my work, I mean.


You can't see that in the flyer, but above the knees, where there is that light blue green, I was actually scratching the sheet, basically "sculpting".
When I decided to don't fill the external side of the skirt but to only turn in yellow* the "emptiness" under it, well, I was almost crying.

I wish I could share at least a minimum part of all these extreme feelings I have, fuck.
Often I have experience like this (well, everyday) and then maybe I meet someone who says is bored.
I can understand the struggle from some very big troubles, of course, but how people can be bored?

Anyway, my bigger surprise arrived when I realised I used so much actual  p i n k .
I still remember when, years ago, I was telling a friend about how I would need to sincerely physically puke each time I see the colour pink, especially if it's on a ribbon or anything girly.

I mean, what's going on? Am I becoming really SO "girly"?
It's already a couple of years or so I feel I'm not anymore a hoyden as I always felt very much, but such a use of the colour pink is about to be disrespectful of anything I was, or so, holy hell!
(Furthermore, this drawing was with/for my cousin, like I said, and when we were little he was changing the TV channel every time there was a too-girly-advertisement, poor man, what a terrible girly drawing was I sending him?!)

The only use I could tolerate of the pink was the one clearly far from any gender implication, as in my growth has often be recalled by Pink Floyd. Wait, I know that "Pink" stays for Pink Anderson, of course. But I also think they probably noticed "Pink" still sounds vaguely "pink", don't you think? Anyway, I'm referring more about the actual visual use of the colour, a part of their name. If you browse their pictures from the 60s, so still the ones from the very psychedelic time with Syd Barrett, you'll bump into an endless flow of pink silk and velvet. And that's not anymore "girly", that's far way from our stupid modern/old gender question, that's the kingdom of psychedelia, where anything can turn in anything else and it's only up to you phantasy, which I wish you is not too caged by those issues.
Also, later on, all the animated parts of The Wall by Gerald Scarfe have a bunch of pink, but it never sounds as something "girly". Rather, to me is a creepy reminder of the mere flesh so suffering in that movie.
I'm sorry for such a focus only on Pink Floyd, but they really got a role into my growth, I can now consider myself disconnected by them, somehow, but not if I have to tell my past.

Anyway, this time is not really the first one I use the pink, of course.
I confess I notice only now again that right my banner has a lot of pink. Also, my memory immediately goes to this .gif I made. Probably I'm forgetting something else, but anyway I think, in its totality, never looked so girly.

So, what's the point?

Maybe it's the desire to still study and contemplate symbols and histories behind the colours, on one hand, and on the other to remember that they are free from any human iconology. A sort of double awareness which never ends.

I think I'll stop my rambling with a couple of articles better explained which, of course, I found right after this illustration. Qui c'è in italiano, here in English: pink wasn't always girly.

(Ah, yes, now I remember: this was the point: why pink is girly, so, after all?
And men could were skirts more often, by the way.)











Ma ok, questo disegno è comunque troppo da femminuccia, scusa, cugggino!



* If you want more delirious about colours, another was just about the yellow, a few weeks ago, here.

Saturday 14 December 2013

Ho fatto un disegno così piccolo, che ora mi sembra di doverlo proteggere come un cerbiatto.

Quand'è che, esattamente, ho iniziato a fare questo disegno?

È un cerbiatto esigente, che ha deciso che doveva uscire anche se stavo facendo dell'altro.

Io non faccio niente.

A volte penso che io non faccio.

Io lascio fare.

Sono i colori che sono già belli, io mi limito a sorprendermi.


Povera dolce Santa Lucia…

Wednesday 11 December 2013

"We are aware that it is possible for the whole world to be happy and healthy - it just takes a lot of work and time to get there."


The 11th of December 2013:
1 year and 1 day since Relogicon shown up online.


Considering the fact that I believe this idea is the idea that can change the world (for the better!) it seems totally senseless that I'm not talking about it all the time.

But there was a "reason" (and now there won't be one anymore)…

You know when as a child you set up your toys perfectly, ready to act, and then you just don't know what to do with them anymore?

Well, this was the same feeling which paralysed me a bit.

Relogicon got its online Manifesto, the forum and the website were ready, but it was kind of strange to say out loud "Hey hey, stop everybody, I know an idea that can solve it all!"

Also, such a declaration (although it does coincide with the simple, true way I feel it – yes) sounds way too arrogant and, thinking about all the amazing people who intensely fight for the human rights daily and a better Planet since ages, I feel infinitely minuscule coming out with this conviction (you couldn't notice it, but I innerly am crazily shy – and if I behave differently, it's only because I'm aware of it and I encourage myself to play). To me, irrationally, going around too sure telling this idea… sounded sort of disrespectful. Still, it does not make sense at all to shut up, if I actually believe I luckily bumped into The Key: this would be sincerely disrespectful instead!
So, ok, I did share this idea already*, but not as I could.
A part of the psychological too-humble crap I mentioned, the point is also that those times we did explain Relogicon, most of the reactions were like "Ok, cool, good luck then".
Yes, but good luck to you too, then, if you do see the sense of this idea! Right?
For some reason, even after people get it and like it, they still don't feel involved.
They say "cool". They maybe totally agree. They see the big picture and they realise it would work out.
But then still they don't take action.

No way.

Distance.
Sad distance, honestly.
And since I consider myself 24/7 as a 360° communicator, I look at this point also as my own (very temporary) "failure".
It means I didn't share the idea correctly.

Why don't people feel involved as soon as they think Relogicon can really be the solution?

I think it's probably because one doesn't know where to start (and, oh man, I do know the feeling).


So, I was telling this reason to not talk about Relogicon was not going to exist anymore, right?
Indeed, the website got a couple of new pages which I believe can ease this obstacle, because they help making some stuff cleaner, finally…


(That is in English, but from the homepage you can
browse also the other languages.)

Before you had to read the entire Manifesto: I wish later you'll want to, but meanwhile here you can quickly check out what Relogicon is.

I "very personally" feel like highlighting a line which moves me every single time:

"These countries will have no armies
this will end wars."

I do believe it's possible.
I have faith in this dream.
And the only way it can become real is if you'll keep hoping.
And (peacefully!) fight for it.
Please, please, please: do it.
(That's meant to be a totally general prayer, by the way, within Relogicon, or not.)


(Same, you'll find also the text in other languages…
above all if you do that: if you help! :)
Relogicon needs to be translated to as many languages as possible!)

That's what I was telling before, about the cold "good-luck" I heard some times.
Well, I know many people are already very busy, especially those who may feel emotionally involved, but I know the missed-help is for another reason, since also a very short caring moment can make the difference, as spreading the word once in a while. And the reason, again, is that often one feels just sort of "useless" (while perhaps already too involved with something else which is showing real time results).
So it's precious to let understand that any little help in spreading the word does good. This really asks just a little time. It's already something if you just keep Relogicon in mind and mention it in related discussions…
But of course that's not at all the only possible help.
As you can read in the website, basically any knowledge will be useful – and, in general, any good idea (or critique!) for a better world has there a good place to grow and to be improved.




••• join the forum •••



"We are aware that it is possible for the whole world to be happy and healthy - it just takes a lot of work and time to get there. If we want this to happen, we need to start working towards it. Otherwise, it's possible it will never happen."


••• read the Manifesto •••











Last thing which explains my sort of shyness talking about Relogicon.
Relogicon is not "mine" and not of someone else.
Some wonder who got the idea.
None.
The idea got someone, instead.
And does not matter who.
Also, it's not the only one who the idea got.
Ideas are in the air, you know it, right?
It's not a coincidence.
It's since the immemorial time that the humans try to figure out an utopic way of living.
It's just that now we have powerful technologies which can let us realise and connect in a easier way. Now our call is to carry the path for a better world.

Times are ready.







* And once at least has been worthy and one of the most meaningful moment I never experienced, because now I know it even better: I'm not the only one. Thank you, Rainbow Warriors.

Sunday 8 December 2013

Καλὸς κἀγαθός


(screenshot)





Among the infinite reasons which make me love so much to be alive, here a very special one:
contemplating my beautiful younger cousin's growth.

Smiling to the memory of her as little child and feeling an endless warmth blooming into my heart while I stare at each and every of her doubts and each and every of her successes, each and every of her troubles and each and every of her conquests.

And deeply knowing so much we are definitely also the same consciousness, split in two different bodies: it will be awesome to see how my life it will live in hers, it will be awesome to see how her life it will live in mine.






…But what is it that makes you and your cousin Mary look alike?
'Cause you do look alike, fuck, when I bump into her on fb I always get a flash of you, but how do you, exactly?

For sure the body, I just saw her in bikini and that is very similar.

But the face as well, holy crap.

Is the eyes shape?

Can you explain it to me?

Because you got a bunch of different things, if you look closer, the lips are not the same, the nose neither, the colours are very different… But if I look at one I feel like I'm looking at the other.

What a thing!

(the Juckalope on me and my cousin)

Sunday 1 December 2013

спокойной ночи

Tonight, or yesterday night, whatever (I never understood how to mention the night just gone…), meh… The last night, I was working on a movie, but the software was taking too long breaks getting stuck, so meanwhile every now and then I was sketching something useful for my other current projects. At a certain point, a big pink bird came out.



And again.


So I started to guess there was again way too much inspiration going on and I let the mirror distract myself.



And then somehow some sweet sweet words told me by my dear friend Johnny John landed on another paper with which I was filling the lacks of work from the software…

(colors, coulours, culurs, coloooours, aaarrgh!)

And then a supposed-to-be-character-design became another vision which I called Katalùna because of the wonderful Jackalope's dream I just read after making it.


And then, during the last break of the software, The Siberian Sphinxes found their way to my pastels.



Perhaps I have to do something with those creatures interrupted me in the beginning.
Perhaps, some strips again.
Who knows.



спокойной ночи