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First Issue of EscapeArt Magazine exploring the concept of good art.

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Published by EscapeArt Magazine, 2019-11-30 10:29:00

EscapeArt Magazine Issue 1 - "What makes art good?"

First Issue of EscapeArt Magazine exploring the concept of good art.

Keywords: art magazine,escapewithart,escapeartmagazine,escapeart magazine,escape art magazine,artists,featured art,art news,emerging artists,art form,art history,meaningful art,meaningfulart,satirical art,photography,digital art,fine art

Esc Art ISSUE 1, April 2019

Featured Artists Discussions Networking

The Trail Interview with Matías
Artist Almargen

Walking across the US The artist with no obligations
to please

The Artist The Painting
Forum that Never Ends

A space to breath Inside the mind of Xavier Ott
knowledge and exhale art

What Makes Art Good?

Issue 01, April 2019

Contents

Editors Letter p.3
Magazine Essay p.4, 5, 27, 43, 51, 61
Featured Artists
Xavier Ott p.6-11

Bernd Schirmer p.12-17
Matias Almargen interview p.20-26
The Trail Artist p.28-29
Jesus Ingles p.32-37
Natacha Perez p.38-41
Ida Stoycheva p.44-47
Marco Sperini p.48-51
Jos Leonard p.54-57
Or Menaged p.58-59
Guilherme Pantoja p.60

Artenet p.18-19
Surrealism Gallery p.52-53
Emerging Artists p.62-63

2

Once upon a time, there was a boy called Dan.

What Makes Art Good?

Editor’s Letter

When we first started to exist, our purpose has always been to discover and create.
We are in most cases, promptly forbidden the freedom to do so by authority
and rules beyond our sights. In our attempt to follow the rules we start to doubt
ourselves - listening to the people who say that the laws which govern us must be
followed as that is how it is and always will be.
EscapeArt Magazine is a movement which encourages turning your back on these
boundaries through art without limitations. When going through the submissions
for this issue we realised that there are zero guidelines for categorizing whether art
is good or bad. This brought us to the title dicussion ... What makes art good? Here,
you will find that the artists must decide their own rules in order to accomodate
their inherit talent.

However....

Some art is incredible from a technical point of view, while other artwork is able to
touch the spectator on an emotional level. Some art that might be good to us might
be horrible to others. Which is the art that is worthy to appear in art galleries or be
sold in the most prestigious auction houses? What are the values a piece of art needs
to meet in order for it to be called a masterpiece and more importantly, who makes
these decisions? In our pursuit for answers weve reached out to art academics and
researchers. We’ve even received emails from some stating that they cannot help us
find a conclusion to this search, for there is none.
Welcome to the first Issue of EscapeArt Magazine. In each issue we aim to give
artists and art lovers alike a space to show their work and say their piece. Every issue
will cover a controversial topic where we will invite everyone to share their views
on our online forum and have a chance to be featured here. We live in a busy and
demanding world. We invite you to take a moment, to sit, to think and explore the
wondrous possibilities of the human mind. Escape with art.

3

Dan’s parents loved him very much, and they made sure to give him everything he ever needed.

Issue 01, April 2019

So... What makes art good?

If we turn our attention back through time, we
will discover a period which has been coined
The Stone Age by historians. During this time
paleolithic art was born. Specifically refering to rock
carvings and drawings, stone arrangements and rare
sculptures made of primitive materials dating from
the Paleolithic era (40 000BC – 5 000BC)*. One of
the most famous and well conserved pieces of art
from this period is a limestone sculpture depicting
what seems to be an obese woman, ironically called
the Venus of Willendorf by researchers.
There is little known about the way this piece of
work was created and even less information about
the intention of the “artist”. On a closer look one
will notice that her genitalia and breasts are highly
pronounced, she has no face and her hands are
tiny compared to the rest of her body. It’s assumed
that she’s a symbol of fertility. Interestingly, this
is not the only figurine of the sort found from
the Paleolithic era which could indicate that the
sculpture might’ve been used as a trinket in rituals or
as a religious relic meant to be offered as veneration
to the deities of that time.* The possibilities are
endless and we shall come back to this figurine as
we understand more about the evolution of art.
Civilization progressed with the discovery of
copper, bronze and iron. These discoveries aided
the advancement of the human race and more
importantly for us, art.
One of of the most prolific civilisations to emerge
out of this time was Ancient Egypt. Their culture
resembled a structured society with people
filling in the roles of workers, leaders, warriors
and interestingly enough, the first professional

4 Venus of Willendorf 25000BCE

From the age of 7 Dan was able to impress anyone he met.

What Makes Art Good?

artists. They were in charge of creating the
famous hieroglyphs. Their “art” has a very
specific framework. The people depicted in the
hieroglyphs often have their torso and eyes facing
the viewer but the rest of their body: feet, faces
and hands pointed in a 3/4 angle. Further research
showed that the drawings kept a uniform size and
ratio across multiple locations. Is this the first time
our question has been addressed? Would people
criticize the drawings that did not respect the
technical specifications imposed?

When looking at Egyptian sculpture, we can
conclude that similarly to hieroglyphs there are
rules that had to be respected. Sculptures often
show pharaohs and deities often carved in similar
poses. The sculptures are made in the technique
of sunken relief which depends heavily on the
sun. The shadows it creates emphasize detail and
outlines of such monuments.

At a similar time, in Ancient Greece there were
artists attempting to sculpt small scale figurines
which proceeded to get closer to realistic
representations of man. Around 1000 - 500 BC
sculptors embarked on a journey of sculpting
realism by analyzing the curvature of the figure,
the systems of muscle and different resting poses.
They eventually seem to have achieved their goal
around 480BC with a sculpture that survives to this
day: the Kritian boy. When looked at more closely
we can see the first signs of sculpture moving away
from the stiff posture to a more relaxed pose.

Continue reading on page. 27

Kritian Boy, 480BCE 5

He passed kindergarten already knowing how to write and read basic words

Shamanic dream, 65 x 92cm; 2018Issue 01, April 2019

6 “The paintings tell me what to paint”

and his aptitude for learning posed for a very promising future.

What Makes Art Good?

Xavier Ott

Follow Xavier on @ottxavier
www.xavier-ott.fr

We came across Xavier on one of
many excursions into the depths of
instagram. Even though the world is
breathing with art: the online platforms available
where artists share their artwork are filled with
fakes, automated software and money laundering
systems. What struck us about Xavier was that he
was a real person; and we do not mean merely just
made out of flesh and bones, but real in the sense
that he had an authentic story that woke him up.
When you first look at Xavier Ott’s artwork you
might get lost in the lack of form and boundless
shapes merging into each other in a hypnotic
experience. The longer you study his work, the
more your imagination is going to be able to make
out different figurative elements; eyes, a face, a
smile, a hand going across the canvas as it tries to

“All Ego/Vanity?” 116 x 81cm; 2017 7

His father, in order to show how happy he was to have such a unique child,

Issue 01, April 2019

8

decided to award his son with anything in the world.

What Makes Art Good?

escape its constriction. Early in his life during a fit of X.OTT since childhood. To paint thus took him
rage whilst painting, Xavier charged at his canvas years.
and ended up with several severed arteries and For him, “the painting paints the painting”. He did
tendons. Suffering trauma as well as an extended really see it until after. His work is an invitation
surgery and recovery period Xavier feels like he to travel, his paintings dazzle the multitude of
lost some of his childhood years. He attempts to things that happen all the time. Things of which
recover some of his youth through his artwork. we are aware, but which we can not perceive
simultaneously. It gives to see paintings impossible
A child has the intrinsic instinct of curiosity. to embrace at a glance. To see them all, it takes
They live in the moment not being aware or time to circulate everywhere, and this requires
understanding the concept of self, past and future. changing several times from one point of view.
They do not worry about the problems adults are This time is a present, a gift, an experience
concerned with and they certainly do not feel the where philosophy and spirituality interact
economical responsibility so many of us feel day to with the actuality and simultaneously with the
day. This is one of the reasons Xavier’s work feels
playful. His paintings seem to be consciousness of each one.”
created in a spontaneous manner So how do you draw a painting that resembles
which manages to capture the meditation? His current project comes close to
frankness and innocence of a child. it. He is using the platform of Instagram in order
to paint something he calls the “infinite fresco”.
Having spent most of his time in Xavier uses the squares of his profile grid (see
solidarity; sometimes even sleeping pg. 10) as a stepping stone to a bigger picture.
in his art studio for days on end, Moreover, what makes his work unique is that
Xavier hasn’t been fully exposed every-time a new tile is added, the painting shifts
to the social cues of society. Along around in a such a way that it continues to flow,
the many elements of the art he whilst still somehow traveling from one element
creates, faces can almost always be to another.
distinguished. Drawing faces helps
him understand the emotions of
people in his waking life, even if
he often finds himself getting lost
in his own creation.

“Many creations are thought
concepts.Eastern culture speaks of the presence
and inner silence as the absence of mental activity.
According to them, in the silence of this presence
lies all that is to be known. All the rest being
concept. Spontaneous painting is a meditation. It’s
a breath. The plot is the expression (of expiration).
It induces the inspiration from which the following
expiration follows. The painting is discovered step
by step, it is built under the eye of the painter who
perceives the evolution of this meditation in action.
The painting is revealed progressively to which
the time of presence is given. These paintings are
meditation supports. Draw while watching the
drawing evolve. It has subjugated and occupied

9

“Since you’ve been such a good child and you bring me so much happiness,

Issue 01, April 2019 instagram: @ottxavier

10

I’d like you to pick anything you could have.” he said.

What Makes Art Good?

What makes art good?

In order to assess if a piece of work is good or bad, evolving constantly upon its transmutated culture
we must ask ourselves the following questions: and inspirations. A good piece of art must be able
to transport us back to our origin. It must wake
Do we feel that the artwork was free to express itself us up and guide us to the truth. It must arouse
fully during the creation? Does the artwork manage curiosity and make us question the values of the
to gain the sense of self and start a conversation? world and even our own values. Furthermore, on a
technical level it must reach a culmination of many
For me an artwork must become its own entity. years of research, which might then become part
Moreover, it must transcend “it” and become a he, of the research for a piece years later.
or a she… a person. It must be alive and reveal new
things. The artwork must be bold in its own right,

Nuclear/Nature Nightmare, 73 x 92cm; 2018 11

“Two elastic bands.” was the answer.

Issue 01, April 2019

Bernd Schirmer

Follow Bernd on Instagram
@byesphotography

Ifirst came into contact with art at the age of 15 from Sascha. This was the beginning of something
when I took an advanced class at school and completely new, like discovering a part of myself
I was influenced by the street art of the 90’s. which had always been present but hidden. I have

My early style can be described as punchy and my also joined professional education courses and

medium journeyed from wall, to paper and then tutorials hosted by photography and digital editing

to canvas which I began to sell commercially until masters from RGG Edu (RGG Education).

about the early 2000’s. This however was followed I find that my inspiration comes from everything. I
by a somewhat quiet period, but my interest in move through the world with my eyes open, I see
art endured as I continued collecting books, and perceive, I smell and I feel. I frequently imagine
catalogues and manuals on art and illustration. It images I would like to preserve. I take many things
wasn’t until my wife encouraged me to become a from the countries I travel to and they often aid
professional photographer that my world exploded. me in my creations. I have flown many times to
I love her very much for this because had she not, the capitals of Europe, just to spend whole days at
photography for me would have continued to be the museums there. I always keep a small notebook
humdrum holiday shots of cultural monuments with me and fill it with sketches and ideas. When I
and landscapes. have collected enough, the conception and process

So, in June 2018, I decided to deal professionally of transferring them into images begin to manifest.

with the topic and that was when I met my My mind burgeons with a wealth of creativity

mentor, Sascha Safdar-Götz (Mystic Moments). I which is endlessly trying to breakforth. This is

learnt how to edit images digitally and also bought both a gift and a burden. I have learnt to organize

12 my first mirorless full-frame camera, A Nikon Z7, with the help of photography and image editing,

“I mean anything in the world, son! Anything you could imagine!”

What Makes Art Good?

13

“Claws”, photography by Bernd Schirmer

Issue 01, April 2019

where you cannot succeed without structure.

My style is combining the works of the old masters
with photography, sometimes in a surreal or
fantastical way. I make my worlds resurrect and
aim to achieve a certain atmosphere with the help
of varying positioned lights and arrangement of
different settings. Each of my works tell a story,
has a message, sometimes hidden and at other times
quite obvious.

My goal is not to be liked but to captivate and
play with my observer´s view and emotions. Not
knowing what is real and what is pure fantasy. I
want you to take from the complete image some
of what was experienced in its creation. When on
set, I am in kind of a trance, I am in my element
and perfectly focussed on the result depicted in
my mind – my work of art. Hours fly by like in a
frenzy, and for me reality disappears.

14 “Circe”, photography by Bernd Schirmer

“I will be very happy if you bring me two elastic bands father.” Dan started

What Makes Art Good?

“Dark Alice in Wonderland”, photography by Bernd Schirmer 15

“I move through the world with my eyes open”

“You see, I have a project I’m working on,

Issue 01, April 2019

16

“Madonna Rossa con Angeli”, photography by Bernd Schirmer

What Makes Art Good?

“The Wise”, photography by Bernd Schirmer

What makes art good?

Art is a trigger, an emotion looking to escape. shed tears from the water of their soul, look upon 17
Art is the personal and individual expression of it wide-eyed with astonishment, or if it enrages
the artist. It is supposed to stimulate, to inspire, enough to drag up wrath from the fire of force.
to liberate and invite others to stay. It is quality Art is not supposed to represent anything, it stands
if it succeeds in capturing the observer, even if for its own and does not know any definitions. It
it is just for a moment. It is controversial, subtle, is liked or not liked. If it is dealt with, it has won, if
perverse, aggressive, easy, musical, inspiring and it is looked at, it is thankful. It is an element of life,
omnipresent. Nature, form, colour and everything it decorates inanimate walls, it brings back joy to
else that’s around us put together according to broken hearts. It may be possessive yet exercise so
laws, randomly and coincidentally, at the same much power over anybody, it is stored, it is desired
time beautiful. Everybody perceives, interprets and and it comes at a price. You may buy it, yet still it
reacts to art in their own way. is invaluable, it is for free or cannot be owned at all.
Art is what the self senses and it keeps us awake. It
Art is good if; carried by notes it flatters the ear, means finding oneself.
it evokes such emotion that the observer should

and in order to be able to continue I need elastic bands.”

Issue 01, April 2019

www.artenet.es Antonio Sanchez Cabello
Lluis Garriga
A platform that doesn’t sell artists’
original art; it promotes it and
gives the power to the artists. The
buyers contact the artists directly.
There is no commission involved.
The ability to sell prints of your
original work is also possible.

18

Santi Goni Guemes What Makes Art Good?

Miquel Cazana Llagostera

Marita A Guardia

What makes art good?

Good art is artwork which leaves the viewer with something to think
about and wanting more. Good art is art that teaches and shows the
viewer something new. We see a lot of art pieces every day and good
artwork is something that you still remember the next day.

19

Issue 01, April 2019

20 “ Musicians are magicians ”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier! Of course!” Exclaimed his father,

What Makes Art Good?

Interview

WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW MATIAS A FEW WEEKS AGO. A
TRULY HUMBLE, TALENTED CHARACTER WITH A STIRRING VIEW ON WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE AN ARTIST.

Matias Almargen 21

Follow Matias on Facebook
@almargenpagina

Are you inspired by anything in specific? I read that
you create based on instinct which can sometimes
come from anger and impulse towards our society.
I’m inspired by life. Usually I try to show problems
that happen to me or I see around me. If there is
something that inspires me, it is music. I always
draw listening to music.
When looking at your art, one might think
that you are a pessimist. Could this be true
in your daily life? It may be that my work is
pessimistic, I do not know. I try not to tag it. I
try to portray issues and each person draws their
own conclusions. Personally, I like the works that
draw attention to a problem. Imagine a novel or a
movie where there is no obstacle, it would be very
boring. In every story there is a problem, even if
the story is a comedy. As the story develops the
problem will aways be resolved or unresolved.
Stories always start from a problem.

both bemused and confused.

Issue 01, April 2019

22

What Makes Art Good?

23

Issue 01, April 2019

You don’t sell your artwork, so how do you pay the bills?
I’m always surprised when people don’t understand why I
don’t want to sell my drawings. Surely many must think I’m
an idiot or something, does everything that one does in life
have to be for money? Do you fall in love or have friends
just for the money? I think that in most cases it’s not like
that. On the contrary, money often destroys families and
friendships. I don’t have much money, just the opposite. I
get up very early every day to go to work like most people
do and I use my free time to draw.
I’m quite taken by aparticular drawing (p.18), it is quite
beguiling. Could you comment on it briefly? I really enjoy
listening to music. Musicians are a like magicians for me.
No other art form moves me as much as music. In that
drawing I tried to show that in the enjoyment of music

24 there is no reason or logic.

What Makes Art Good?

25

Issue 01, April 2019

What makes art good?

Our magazine issue tries to tackle the question: “What makes art good?”
Do you have any thoughts on this? To answer that question, we must
first know what art is. I think nobody would or has agreed on this point. I
studied at an art school and started to draw comics. Many people told me
that comics were not art. Literature is art, drawing is art, but it to them
the combination of both is not. Another thing that bothers me is when
someone calls themselves an artist and thinks they’re on a pedestal and feels
superior to others. It is as if they self-appoint themselves as geniuses. When
anybody calls me an artist, I only answer “thank you”. I do not have to
explain all this, but I consider myself only a draftsman. I can talk about
drawings. What makes a drawing good? The subjectivity of the person
who looks at it. It’s like music: there’s no reason or logic.

26

What Makes Art Good?

Doryphoros, 430BCE, by Ploykleto more human than human. Exaggerating muscles
was not enough anymore so in order to achieve
(Continued from p.5) a sculpture that looked godlike he created a set
of adjustments to the pose of the Kritian boy. He
The sculpture’s right leg is slightly raised, the achieved an effect in which the sculpture looks
pelvis is pushed diagonally which causes the spine relaxed but ready to move at any time.
to curve in an S and the shoulders line to dip to the
left. It seems that after the imitation of self has been Let’s pause for a moment and look at how this
achieved humanity returned to its primal instinct answers the question of “What makes art good?”
of exaggeration that can be seen in the Venus of Good sculptures in Ancient Greece from 1 000BC
Willendorf. Greek sculptor Polycleitus took this to 400BC were the sculptures that came closest to
concept to the extreme and started what is now real life depiction. When that was achieved good art
known as contrapposto. became the one that managed to move away from
realism and innovate proportions and postures that
Polycleitus tried to create someone that looked exaggerated kinetic power. Did they move away
from realism in such a short period of time because
of the human nature to exaggerate and progress?

It’s important to also mention the Roman Empire,
where art was very similar to the one that can be
traced back to Ancient Greece. Unfortunately,
few pieces of art remain after the fall of the Roman
Empire, but it is speculated that most of the
techniques which can be seen thousands of years
later have been at some point attempted and studied
in Ancient Greece or the Roman Empire.

After the fall of the empire, fast forward to the
Middle Ages, where art known as the Byzantine
art emerged. This type of work revolved heavily
around iconography and religious paintings.

If classical art is representative of the attempt to
reach realism and exaggerate certain features,
Byzantine art represents things that people couldn’t
normally see, such as God and Heaven. There has
been a lot of debate in trying to find a description
representative of this movement’s aesthetic. Highly
symbolic and sometimes dark and unnatural we can
go as far as saying that it is abstract while others
might see oriental influences. Nonetheless, even
if it went completely against what was considered

Continue reading on page. 43

Issue 01, April 2019 oun/VTihRreTEarDlaiDlAIrTtist

The Trail
Artist

Lucas Woolfolk

Keep up to date with Lucas’s
travels by visiting www.thetrailartist.com
Follow on Instagram @thetrailartist

Ihave long created art, but seldom considered
myself an artist. I felt the word “artist” was too
subjective and self-imposed. Who decides what
constitutes what an artist is, or art for that matter?
Were we all born artists, and creating art the first
moment we set crayon to paper? Or do you have to
be recognized by a gallery or receive an education
in art to be a “real” artist? The art world has always
been full of impossible questions.

I find that trying to decide the difference
between good art and bad art, or defining
“real art” is a slippery slope. It is what
stops artists in their tracks and keeps
canvases blank. We all create art of
some kind as children, but as we grow
up, more and more people stop. It is in
human nature to create things, but we

silence that part of ourselves because we decide we
aren’t good enough, or someone is better. We can
silence that part of ourselves when push comes to
shove. As someone who pursued an education in
art, I have been the punchline of many jokes, and

I know too well the path of an artist is full
of roadblocks. Don’t you want
to study something that

28 will actually make

money? Don’t
you know your

What Makes Art Good?

art will only matter when you’re dead? Don’t you
think you should pursue a real career? These kinds
of questions stunt the growth of artists, but are a
paralyzing reality for many.

In early 2017 I found myself at one of my lowest
points creatively. I was trapped in the daily routine
of a passionless job, sapped of any energy to create
artwork, and struggling with depression. I had just
finished my education in art, and lo and behold,
I could not find a job in the field. I found myself
working overtime in a window factory at night.
In the hours I used to find the greatest bursts of
inspiration, I found myself repeating the same stale
day. I found myself slowly becoming a ghost of
who I was before. I did nothing but work and sleep
for over a year, desperately trying to conquer my
student loans, and my art life took the back burner,
sizzling into nothing.

I found myself in the middle of what many had
warned of: the dreaded “real world.” But I was not
satisfied with the sum of all my passions to remain

Issue 01, April 2019

30

Knobley Road, WV, 13x18cm, acrylic on wood, 2019

What Makes Art Good?

dead at the starting gate of life. I was not okay with follow a straight line and struggle to be happy. I
following only the path of least resistance. I did not learned from the strangers that I stumbled upon
want to become another statistic of paintbrushes across the states that there is still plenty of kindness
collecting dust and spreading the company line in the world. People invited me into their homes
of “welcome to the real world.” I learned that art and gave me food and water for no other reason
was not just something I did for fun, or a hobby, it than to help a traveler. I learned from the landscape
was a vital piece of my identity. As days went on, and wildlife that there is still plenty of beauty left
the weight of this divide of who I was and who I in the world. I discovered new places I didn’t
wanted to be became greater and greater until I know existed like the rolling mountains of Dolly
decided to make a drastic change. Sods wilderness in West Virginia. I rediscovered
new beauty in old places, like my hometown of
I set out to walk across the USA on April 1st, Grinnell, Iowa. And I learned from saying yes to
2018 to rekindle my passion for creating things, my passions that they are still worth pursuing. And
to challenge myself, and to come out a stronger so are yours.
person as well as an artist. I learned that questioning
your own art, or comparing to that of others, is the Anderson Falls, IN, 13x18cm, acrylic on wood, 2019
soul killer of an artist. As much as you study your
passion -- whether that is painting, writing, music,
dance, or any category you may list under art --
the how is never as important as the why.

It was not until I made the leap to fully trust in
myself and my abilities did the why become
apparent in my own life. I began walking to shed
myself of every excuse, and every roadblock I have
either encountered or created myself. I believe
becoming a better artist begins with becoming a
better person, and for me that meant keeping my
promises to myself. So far I have faced challenges of
the body and soul, and redefined my limits. I came
close to quitting after food poisoning in Maryland,
and I had more than my share of blisters. Despite
this, whether you are walking across a country or
pursuing a passion, there will always be ups and
downs. I have come to learn that art is all around us,
and it is not simply a thing that we do, but a way of
life. Art is an ever flowing river, a primal thing, and
ignoring that is ignoring a part of yourself.

I am only about halfway done with my walk,
waiting until the snow melts to finish my walk to
California. So far, I have no regrets. I would rather
live outside my comfort zone but be happy than

31

The next day, his father brought his son not 2,

Issue 01, April 2019

Jesus Ingles connect, to be founded, to make him feel part and
accomplice of the fact that the most important
path of the human being today is to protect our
home.

Follow Jesus on We will go towards our own extinction if we
Instagram and Facebook continue destroying the planet that supports us,
@J.inglesartista that nourishes us and that gives us life, on those
www.jesusingles.com foundations that nature has created during billions

Jesús Inglés Canalejo, born in 1988 in Cartagena, of years.
Spain, is a self-taught plastic artist.
“Man is the synthesis of the Universe,
He has been teaching drawing and the planet is synthesis of the Universe,
painting since he was 24 years old. Immediately, between man and Earth
one will notice his motif of nature. His main goal as there’s the deep embrace,
an artist is to reconnect our human nature back to

our original roots. His hope is that we will maintain the unbreakable umbilical cord,

the balance of our biosphere by understanding that between the child and the mother,

we came from its dust. He urges us to prepare our when the child is in the maternal cloister.
home for future generations. If the cord breaks,

“Before becoming what I am, I must recognize the child dies,
that there was a time when I could not find the and the mother herself is also in danger.”
meaning of life, why we are here or why, when - Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente -
my inspiration when painting was practically null,

ideas did not arise, I found myself empty and really Have you ever wondered, what is the role of the
lost, thinking that I lacked that gift to create ... Human Being in nature, as one more animal
until one day I remembered a man who raised the that populates this planet? Each and every one of
spirit and consciousness of people, Felix Rodriguez the living beings that inhabit the Earth, have a
de la Fuente. From that day on I began to listen to fundamental role to maintain the balance in our
his radio programs while I was painting and I felt ecosystems.
that seed of protection of nature sprouting in me,
when all of a sudden ideas began to emerge and For example: The grass is nourished by the sun, the
more ideas were piling up inside me. water and the minerals of the earth. Grass is then
eaten by the roe deer while the roe deer is eaten
Felix taught me that the human being as a dominant by the wolf. When the wolf dies, scavengers like
species has the duty and obligation to fulfill a role the bearded vulture act as sanitary ingesting the
in nature: the sacred responsibility to protect our remains of the dog and when it dies, microscopic
Earth as a mother. She gives us everything in organisms and invertebrates, i.e. carrion destroyers
exchange for nothing. eat the remains of organic matter and with their

Since then I have found meaning in my life, my excrements repopulate the earth with minerals to
role as an individual in this society is to transmit restart the cycle of life and death.

in the best way I know, through my work, that Félix Rodríguez of the fountain synthesized the

we only have one way, that of reconnecting the phenomenon of life in this apparently infantile

human Being with “Mother Earth” as it was in phrase of “to eat and not to be eaten”.

primitive times. Since the Neolithic age (12,000 years ago), human

Somehow I want the viewer and my work to beings began to feel that they owned everything

32

but a set of 50 elastic bands and asked:

What Makes Art Good?

Comer Y No Ser Comido, “Eat and not be Eatern”, IN, 114x114cm, oil on canvas, 2018

Issue 01, April 2019

34

“Jaque”, oil on canvas

What Makes Art Good?

35

Issue 01, April 2019

Hermano Lobo, “Brother Wolf”, IN, 114x144cm, oil on canvas, 2018

“ To be or not to be eaten ”

36

“What else would you like? What is it that you really want?”

What Makes Art Good?

that surrounded them, thus separating themselves Humanity is the key, capable of doing whatever
from the trophic chains that regulate ecosystems. it sets out to do, nature’s masterpiece to save itself
Since then, Humanity is destroying 4,500 million from its own extinction.
years that cost the planet to create a biosphere full
of the most incredible and beautiful forms of life. Time is running out, if we do not change our
consciousness and stop acting like a godless and
The planet has gone through numerous climatic selfish society destroying our home, in less than a
changes, which almost forced it to restart life, blink hope will be broken and with it the future of
giving rise to new species, until arriving at its our planet.
masterpiece, the Human species. I do not believe
that nature has created us to destroy itself. *Let us eat, but let us not be eaten.

The Sun has about 7.5 billion years left to go “(...) When the real Man will be in possession, and
extinct and with it it will disintegrate our planet. allow me the redundancy of the real truth, we don’t
Now we come to the answer to the question of the know... all tell us that they have it, all, the philosophers,
role of our species on Earth... the mystics, the politicians, but who has the truth... that’s
why, the Man, Dear friends and above all dear children
We are even capable of transforming sunlight, as and young people, in your tremendous and absolute
plants do, into energy, something that we would solitude, pilot unfortunately or fortunately of a gigantic
never have dreamed of achieving some time ago sidereal ship that departs from the space millennium
and we have only just begun. after millennium, you have no choice but to seek the
truth, your own truth... (…)”
Nature has created one species after another, so that
life is always possible, but ours seems to get out of -Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente- “
the logical mechanisms of nature.

What makes art good?

Art that is good is art that is necessary. Art is a means if it were not for the great motivation that I felt
of expression and as such, we artists have the duty when knowing that our planet and life itself is now
and obligation to transmit to the world a good to more than ever in a great decline, the pillars that
society. One can reflect in their works the beauty sustain the balance of nature are being destroyed
of a landscape, the sensitivity and feelings in a face, dramatically, for that reason I felt the great duty
express through the work their state of mind, their to express through my work this great historical
own personality, but above all, I believe that as fact that can take us to the sixth massive extinction
bearers of the culture that we are, artists must bring that our planet has lived, according to the science
a good to society, creating change, disseminating assures literature.
problems that concern our planet, whether social,
political, ecological, etc. I would give my humble Art in all its disciplines, as a cultural medium,
example as an artist that I am, that I could even can contribute greatly to changing the modules
say that I would not dedicate myself to painting of behaviour of the Human Being by creating
awareness for a common good.

37

Dan takes the set of elastic bands from his father and

Issue 01, April 2019

Hermestia, 100x100cm, mixed media on canvas, 2018

38

Rhinoceros G1, 100x100cm, mixed media on canvas, 2018

What Makes Art Good?

Natacha Perez aspects and approach painting using an expressive
style.
Follow Natacha on “I like to play with the order/chaos balance, with
Instagram @perenart a very colourful background, while adding a
figurative subject in the foreground. When the
French artist Natacha Perez hopes to be one alchemy between the two takes place, it is possible
step closer to meeting her true self whilst to appreciate the work on several levels - both in
attempting to understand the world. She is its entirety and also in its detail, as a whole and in
passionate about hidden senses, colour and living its singularity. Colours are very important to me,
beings. She has a constant hunger for information I love this game between cold and hot, always this
and her research for more knowledge led her to search for balance between the complementary
travel the domains of magic and poetry but also ones. I wish to cultivate the imagination of the
science and quantum physics. When asked to spectator and not to lock him in a figurative frame
describe her work she delineated it as figurative, which would harm the inner journey proposed by
realistic and symbolic. Despite her artwork the work. Thus the canvas is out of time and space,
strongly suggesting a quest for realism, this is not only the moment counts.
her personal journey. Instead she wants to give life It has been scientifically proven that colours have
to her paintings by being present in all the stages an impact on man, his emotions and his state of
of the process, from the materials she paints on to mind (knowledge widely taught and used in visual
its completion. communication). I paint with intense colours; I
create harmonies so that they are both energetic
“My main supports are canvas frames but also and soft. I hope that my colours will invite you to
wood, medium or MDF, I like to participate in joy, a feeling of peace and inner well-being.”
every stage of my creation, that’s why I like Her subject matter often features animals which
to stretch my canvases myself and sometimes
even build my frames when the weather have inspired her since she was young. Special
allows me. I am amazed by the transmutation attention is spent on their eyes in order to capture
of the material. I love working on increasingly the wild beauty of their gaze, but also characterize
larger formats or even frescoes, as I find that the subjects with intelligence and sensitivity.
the physical dimension of the work takes on “Painting allows me to capture this moment and
a different resonance and a different radiance.
I work mostly with acrylics, yet I frequently
alternate mediums such as spray paints, inks,
pencil and pen. Occasionally, I also like to
sculpt and engrave using all the materials
which require different techniques based on
newsprint or textures.”

Natacha glues newspaper to the canvas in
order to bring her subject matter to life
through the “bas-relief” it creates. The idea is to
make a lively phenomenon of surface beauty when
light hits the varying exterior. After working for a
long time on precision and meticulousness she is
now learning to detach herself from the technical

39

puts them in his toy drawer;

Issue 01, April 2019 Chouette Brune, 50x40cm, mixed media on canvas, 2018
Chouettes Taito G1, 50x50cm, mixed media on canvas, 2018
share it. As mentioned above, I am interested in
symbolism. So I looked at the meanings and
interpretations of certain animals across the world’s
cultures, from Egypt to China to Amerindian
shamanic traditions. Through my paintings I wish
to represent both nobility and animal wisdom from
a new angle. I am very interested in symbols and
their impact on humans. I was trying to understand
the code of the universe, why certain forms come
back into nature, in our constructions, why this
choice, is it a choice or simply something intrinsic
transmitted unconsciously or consciously of which
we have lost the meaning. So I became interested
in many areas where form was used for its impact,
such as constructions based on geobiology, feng
shui, energy, vibrations, etc. This naturally brought
me back to the morpho-magnetic field of which
Rupert Scheldrake speaks, the memory of form
and therefore of the object, sacred geometry, the
golden number, fractals... The geometry that I am
currently posing in a naive way is only the symbol
of a much deeper search for understanding.

From this point of view, one could say that my
creations retrace my journey from the background
to the foreground, from the past to the future.
The coloured background reflects this creative
energy of moving love, the points that remind us
of the stars symbolize the basis of our history. The
simplest and most abstract graphic symbol point
(or undue in Sanskrit). It represents the first stage of
the manifestation of creative energy when it applies
to the world of form. Painting therefore allows me
to carry out these two steps: three-dimensional at
the time of its creation and two-dimensional at
the time of drying. It is the first manifestation that
emerges from the void (the coloured background).

The shapes drawn represent a slightly more
advanced demonstration of the point and then the
animal symbolizes the result of geometric coding in
the third dimension (ours). The triangle represents
spiritual alignment, the trinity is the third law of
manifestation of the unitary principle, the second
its vision, the third term of a trinity stabilizes
duality as the earth in an electric bipolarity. The
circle is a symbol of the cycle but also of life, of
perfection and harmony.

40

which was mostly filled with the toys that his parents bought

What Makes Art Good?

What makes art good?

The notion of good in art is relative because it of creation: the different phases as well as our way
depends on our individual capacity to question of understanding its phases. It is our reactions that
ourselves and to persevere. If I can’t draw what I will allow us to grow out of this experience. In
want, I will go through a stage of frustration, so any case, esthetics is of little importance because
art puts me in front of my inability to achieve in reality, what we see does not come from our
something. If I stop there, art could be seen with a perception but from our projection. The only
negative connotation since it has become the tool of barrier to art is our imagination, by transgressing
my frustration. But if I accept that I don’t know and our artistic limits, we overcome our own barriers as
I agree not to succeed, I go into experimentation. a person. Art is good in the sense that it allows us to
Art then allows me to reach my goal but also to move forward, to grow and to rise. I think that Art
surpass myself, learning more about myself in the is therefore neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad’. Art reminds us
process. Art comes into our lives like a mirror of our fundamental essence as human beings, that
because if we look back at the first example, it is not is, it reflects our duality. In my opinion, art can, but
art that frustrates me but my inability to accept that does not necessarily have to be used for something,
I’m not perfect. So I would say that whatever the it just has to ‘be’. We often forget to just ‘be’.
final result of the work, what counts is the journey

8 41

attempting to guess at what interested their child .

Issue 01, April 2019

FoOlnloIwG

Deathwish
Society Art
Collectives
Publishing house

Instagram @deathwishsocietyart

Based in New York, the DeathWish resolve is driven by a passion to provide a
Society Art Collective & Publishing Co. means of exposure and free expression to
was founded with the intent of discovering, individuals who would like to be involved,
nurturing and showcasing a variety of art as well as create a community that will be
styles. It promotes (but is not exclusive to dedicated to elevating one another to a
42 exploring), artists within the Lower East higher level of artistic expression. Welcome
Side of New York City. The Collective’s to the future...

(Continued from p.27) What Makes Art Good?

good art in Ancient Greece and the Roman David, Michelangelo, 1501 - 1504
Empire, orthodox churches, the most powerful
and prestigious structures at the time were only 43
decorated with such art.

The Renaissance is probably the most studied art
movement. It came after Byzantine art and its
literal meaning is “rebirth”. Its name hints at the
inability of literature and art to flourish during the
Middle Ages due to the constriction of the religious
depictions of art. During the Renaissance, there is
an effort to show highly realistic linear perspective
in order to create spatial depth. Artists move away
from representing single portraits or small groups
of people onto representations of scenes with huge
three-dimensional space. Additionally, individual
artists start studying perserpective, shadows and
light, or even anatomy in the case of Leonardo Da
Vinci. In his lifetime, it is approximated that he
dissected close to 50 corpses to understand the way
muscles and bones are linked inside the body as well
as a focused curiosity in the reproductive system
of women. Michelangelo’s “David” is regarded as
one of the greatest sculptures in the history of art.
We can immediately see the contrapposto used
by sculptors in the classical age but it also depicts
the biblical hero David which was represented in
hundreds of instances during the Middle Ages.
Michelangelo had an unfathomable understanding
of the human anatomy as well as art history and
technique. David is technically correct, ratios are
proportionate, anatomy is accurate with careful
mastery of the contrapposto. It creates emotion due
to the sheer size of the artwork as well as the unique
concentration that emerges from David’s eyes and
is then imposed on the viewer. Is this what makes
art good – perfection across all aspects of a work?

Numerous art movements followed; Mannerism,
the Baroque, Realism, Romanticism, Impressionism,
Expressionism, Cubism etc. However, there should
already be sufficient information to draw common
denominators which might help us answer our
question.

Firstly, we can safely say that it is possible to
objectively appreciate the technical aspects of an
artwork. Good art is built on the foundation and

Continue reading on page. 51

Issue 01, April 2019

Ida Stoycheva

Follow Ida on
Instagram @idastoycheva

Originally from Bulgaria, Ida is currently
studying 3D modelling in Glasgow,
Scotland. Art has been part of her life as
long as she remembers. Memory brings her back
to moments in her past where she would spend
time with her family creating works collectively
using watercolours and sketchbooks during the
holidays. Suffering from imposter’s syndrome,
Ida stopped painting until she started studying
graphic design in high-school. The numerous fine
art lessons she attended diminished her fear of not
being good enough.
When asked to describe her style, she explained
that working in different art mediums made
her inconsistent in her style, but there is a clear
blend between the fleeting emotion captured in
expressionism and the roots of figurative art. Her
training as a graphic designer can also be seen
in her work, emphasizing what she said about
working across mediums.

44

To be completely honest, besides the fact that Dan was one of the

What Makes Art Good?

“I’m looking for some subtle feeling in most of
my works, even if they’re studies for practice.
Something I particularly seek is the contrast
between some very detailed areas of a painting
and some that are nearly abstract. Another thing
I don’t see very often is adding hatching, which is
primarily a graphic technique, in a painterly work.”

What makes art good?

“In my belief, art is humans’ attempt to somehow
mimic or interpret the beauty we see and appreciate.
It’s the one thing that makes us unique species in a
way that’s impossible to explain.”

45

smartest kids of his age group... he was kind of a strange child.

Issue 01, April 2019

Ida Stoycheva

46

For the majority of his time, he would spend it drawing geometric shapes

What Makes Art Good?

Ida Stoycheva 47

Issue 01, April 2019

Son of the sea, acrylic on canvas, 2018

“ I prefer to describe myself as a creative, a dream shaper. ”

48

and asking his parents questions.

What Makes Art Good?

Marco Sperini

FollowMarco on
Instagram @__satsuma_

Marco Sperini hopes that one day he Sperini’s work he hopes to be able to capture the
will have contributed towards the concept of self-knowledge and understanding. He
immortality of art. He mainly paints doesn’t mean the knowledge we get by inspecting
surrealism using oil and acrylics on canvas. our human bodies in the mirror but by inspecting
Surrealism to him is the most efficient escape from our human soul using the eyes in our mind. Only
reality, a medium which allows free and conceptual then one can find out where their inner moral
ideas while logic does not prove to be restrictive. conscience aligns.

“Surreal is the matter of dreams, illogical but at the “I never defined myself as an artist. I prefer to
same time rooted in the human unconsciousness. describe myself as a creative, a dream shaper. In my
The illogicality, the instinct and the absence of paintings I tell the discomforts of reality with my
imposed rules, projects into a timeless cathartic state, dreamlike representation, by embarrassing reality
a world made of immortality and elusiveness…” itself. My art is simply unique because it is MY art,
it expresses MY concept of seeing things and the
One of the recurring subjects of his paintings is brushstrokes derive from the rage of MY hand.”
the character without skin representing our inner
nudity. Through this theme that seems to be

Icaro, acrylic on canvas, 2018 49

Issue 01, April 2019

Immortality, acrylic on canvas, 2018

What makes art good?

“Good art must be charged with involvement. It
is a difficult concept because the beauty of art is
precisely that each of us can have a different vision
of the artistic work based on our life experiences.
But in any case the art must make people
understand, must create an internal disturbance,
must move our being to bother him from the usual
and monotonous comfort zone.
This is my idea of g​​ ood art.”

50

He wouldn’t play with toys or watch cartoons.


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