EscapeArtMagazine Issue 3 - "What does it mean to be free?"

What does it mean to be free?

Issue 3, June 2020

Contents

4

Editor’s letter

6

Designer’s Note

8

article Annie Ryan

14artist

Johnny Heath

2

What does it mean to be free?

54

Robert Oxley

46 48

Freeing the Self from perfection LocalHotelParking

36

Steven Heaton

24

Emma Lloyd

20

Cotton on MCR

3

Issue 3, June 2020

Editor’s letter

The definition of freedom

has changed

4

What does it mean to be free?

In the past, we mainly focused on promoting ideas and initiatives rather
than a geographical area per se. However, each city in the world seems to be hiding
an ecosystem of art energy which requires exploring and supporting. Issue 3 of the
magazine concentrates on the city I’ve personally been living for the past 2 years;

Manchester, UK.
Every issue of the magazine is thematic. The first issue followed the question:
“What makes art good?” whilst the second one attempted to answer the question of
“Where does creativity come from?”. Never has it crossed my mind when we came up
with the topic of issue 3 that the Coronavirus is going to make the theme of this issue,
“What does it mean to be free?”, such a tricky question to address. My own personal
understanding of freedom was put to the test in my journey of adapting to this virus

outbreak.
I am a digital marketer by trade and most of my learning and research comes
from entrepreneurs who have successfully built their business and are now sharing
the formulas they have learnt by trying out strategies and marketing plans. I’ve been
to conferences, online trainings, I’ve done courses and listened to hours and hours
of tutorials on the various video platforms available on the internet. The common
concept that has been imprinted in my mind is that at the end of the hustle; be it as an

artist, digital marketer or any business model, lays financial freedom.
“Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it can buy ice-cream and that’s pretty

close.”
It’s true that money will never be able to fix all the problems in the world, but
it can enable you to travel the world, help people in need, develop your skills and fill
the soul with various activities and experiences that will create ever-lasting memories.
But what happens to the concept of freedom when you have to self-isolate for
2 weeks in an apartment with the police checking on you twice a day? What happens
to the perceived value of money when people talk about an impeding economic crisis?
What happens with freedom when we are told to stay away from people, when airports
cancel flights, when artists draw a dystopian world filled with figures wearing masks?
Freedom disappears when compromise becomes a priority. The importance
of freedom fades away when we shift gears from a journey of achieving financial
success to a journey of surviving as a species. Many businesses had to pivot to stay
open: teachers are giving online lessons, bands are streaming live shows, artists are

submitting their work to virtual spaces and galleries and so on.
We are in a period of time where definitions are shifting. The concept of
freedom is one that is probably affected the most and its meaning becomes subjective.

5

Issue 3, June 2020

Designer’s note

Ivona CATANA

Website: www.plourae.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @plourae

Designing the new issue of EscapeArt Magazine has allowed me to discover a number of
talented artists who put a lot of passion and dedication into their work for which I am very
grateful.
The concept behind the design and the spontaneous drawings I have incorporated are inspired
by my admiration for the organic entanglement of nature: plants, animals, mushrooms, lichens,
coming together to form efficient systems with no apparent grid. They seem unorganized, yet
there is an intrinsic order that makes them function ‘naturally’; in harmony with each other. I
find this subject fascinating as it reflects my idea of what freedom represents.

6

What does it mean to be free?

To me, freedom is following your intuition. While our minds can easily be tricked by flattery and
well chosen words, discernment helps us tell truth from lies, real facts from made-up narratives,
right from wrong.
“For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food”
Freedom is a choice. When our gut feeling is telling us one thing, but we decide to do the
opposite (because we let ourselves be controled by fear, comfort, physical and psychological
addictions or other forms of mental bondage), we are not free.
Freedom is having the courage to question everything you’ve been taught and any kind of
authority - not so much in order to rebel as to put everything to the test and keep only what is
good. In my opinion, freedom is choosing this as a way of life, even if it implies changing your
habits, losing certain connections or even being alienated by society.
The funny thing is we are all born completely free, but from that day on, we are subject to an
intensive process of appropriation: we are registered under a certain name, we are told a story,
we are given a set of rules, we buy into the idea of success; our natural need to belong makes us
easy targets for exploitation.
Freedom is not about culture, religion or sex. It is about mutual support, respect, sincerity and
modesty. It is an invaluable treasure.

7

Issue 3, June 2020

EMMA LLOYD

Website: www.emmalloyd.com
Instagram: @emmalloydart

Tumblr: www.emmalloydart.tumblr.com
Twitter: @emmalloydart

Emma Lloyd is a visual artist based in Manchester, UK. Her portfolio of work spans a
variety of media and includes drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture and installation.
As a whole, Lloyd’s pieces are concerned with fundamental issues of human existence.
In particular, she is interested in exploring the parameters within which we think and act;
assessing the role language, experiences and environment play in the development of our
unique world perspectives. Born in Kent, Lloyd began her journey through art education at
Highworth Grammar School for Girls. Since graduating from UWA with a degree in Fine Art,
Lloyd has participated in exhibitions across the globe including the UK, United States, Belgium,
and South Korea. She has been involved in collaborative projects with artists based in the UK,
US (Los Angeles) and South Africa. Her work has also been included in publications such as
“Typographic Universe” by Steven Heller and Gail Anderson (Thames and Hudson, 2014), “Paper
Secret” (Hightone, 2014) in China “Wordpower: Language as Medium” Library X in London
(2019) and “To Call No.6” (Mimeo print edition of 100, 2019) in Germany. Lloyd has also been
one of the artists in residence for Liverpool based collective Operation Lightfoot since 2018.
Lloyd’s approach to producing artwork begins with observation and
research. The things she explores are more often than not concerns or issues routed in
contemporary society. This can be political, social or economic. She feels compelled
to respond, question and create dialogue through art. Art is after all something most
people have engaged with at some point in their lives (even if they ‘don’t understand
contemporary art’ or have given up creating because they ‘can’t draw for toffee’). I

8
Dan’s father loved his son dearly,

TRANSITION I 9

Issue 3, June 2020 SELECTRIC SALFORD

Primary source material
on which her concepts are based can
be anything from conversations to newspapers,
magazines and social media. Ideas generated at this
stage are then researched
thoroughly and materials
selected carefully.
She is interested in understanding
the connotations of materials and
how they can shape an artwork’s
narrative. For Lloyd, materials are as
integral to the process of making and
viewing as the concept. She is not
drawn to their physical properties
alone as she believes they should
enhance comprehension and reflect
her ideas. Materials hold the capacity
to connect with a viewer’s memory
and prior experiences. In many
respects it could be posited
that through Lloyd’s work she
explores our cognition of

matter.

She is
particularly drawn
to materials which promote
curiosity. Tactile mediums entice the
viewer into experiencing through touch yet
the fragility of the forms she creates (often with
paper or books) mean that this particular sense is
unable to be applied. You are invited in; yet held at a
distance. This is somewhat jarring yet feels appropriate
when we examine much of our communication in the
digital age. Physical interaction is a huge part of our
experience of the world which is sadly missed through
digital formatting, and from recently published figures
regarding the sales of books and vinyl, it is possible
to draw the conclusion that it is something we
yearn for as beings.

10
But once again he was forced to bite his tongue

What does it mean to be free?

Psychological factor

Text and language have been somewhat of an obsession for Lloyd since she began working with books in her
practice. From about 2012 onwards it became one of the main focal points of her work. With the methods we
use to communicate shifting and altering so dramatically through technological advancement, she believes it
is more important than ever to discuss dialogue and the content used to inform and shape our perspectives. By
investigating the fundamentals of communication she feels we can equip ourselves with a deeper understanding

of the world around us, ourselves and others.
Text is the visualisation of language – an attempt to specify what is meant in a clear, minimal fashion. It is
uncluttered to the eye, yet once we begin to process what we are presented with, we begin to complicate it. What

is the context? How is it meant to be understood / read? Are we pronouncing what is written correctly?
Language - when considered accordingly - is as convoluted as imagery. Most of the population is able to read both
art and text to varying degrees, but how we see is subject to our own experiences and associations. We believe we
have the capacity for objectivity in our observations as viewers, yet we inevitably project a personal conception
of past experiences onto what is presented. The parameters within which we think and act are unique to the

individual, yet they are mapped in part by the languages and environments surrounding us.
Lloyd creates artworks which ruminate how we are informed, shaped and created by the methods we adopt
to communicate with one another. Her pieces ask questions about how we form our identity, perspectives and
assumptions and query whether or not the language we learn has a bearing on what we become. Does belonging

to one culture or another influence our ways of seeing and being?

The sculptures
forming part of “Selectric
Salford” explore the sense
of touch and are designed to
be physically engaged with during
the printing process. As a familiar
implement, most of us have experienced
interaction with them from a young
age. These objects trigger memories
attached to these materials (which
in turn trigger an automatic

response).

and suppress his curiosity. 11

Issue 3, June 2020
12

What does it mean to be free?

In many respects it is the disconnection a lot of people have with art or
the splintering of their interest because of feeling inadequate or what they
perceive as elitism in the art world which encourages Lloyd in her practice
to find ways to explore content in an accessible way. Having experienced the
dismissive attitudes of some contemporary art professionals to parts of her
practice in the past (based on the use of books as a material and that she
was female), she has been motivated further to push and experiment. Her use
of books and interest in the dissection of text forms within the pages lead to
the larger scale dissections in her large sculptural pieces and installations.

BETWEEN AND BEYOND 13

Issue 3, June 2020

There is something about the nature of books, the experience of leafing through the printed page
and the smell of the bound paper which cannot be replicated by the digital world. Books are a
wider sensory experience than one may initially assume. In a world of supposedly personalised
digital content, printed word and images hold even greater value. It feels intimate and personal; we
connect and engage with it in a different way to any device with a screen. In their digital form things
are often stripped to their most simplistic state… music becomes just sound, a book only words.
Initially she was drawn to the application of other languages in sculpted books following the use of Welsh
texts in an ongoing project “Tameidiau Ohona’i” which is yet to be completed. “Cemetary Book” (used for
“Between and Beyond” was originally written in Slovak and translated to Japanese. The text is about a
character’s comprehension and self-perceptions as well as the stories he attaches to individual people.
Essentially you are placed inside a
character’s head as a reader, which felt
highly appropriate given the way she
wished to explore language, processing
and communication. As with all
Lloyd’s book pieces, the titles used to
create the sculpture are an important
part of the piece. The design for the
work was selected from a section of
a Wingdings ball print/drawing.

14
Being a parent is difficult;

What does it mean to be free?

THEY SLEEP

In the wake of debates regarding
elections around the world and
from viewing heated arguments on
discussion boards, Lloyd became
interested in the use of certain imagery
adopted in memes to indicate despair
over certain issues and the public’s
response to them. Several images
which kept resurfacing were from a cult
classic “They Live” - John Carpenter’s
adaptation of “Eight O’clock in the
Morning” by Ray Nelson. The film is
of particular interest because of the
interpretations people have made from
it. Although Carpenter is clear about
his motivations behind the film, it has
been adopted by different groups to
mean different things. For this reason
it is great material for the investigation
of subjectivity (who “They” or “We” are
depending entirely on who is looking).
The maquettes “They Sleep” and “We
Sleep” are small models built to test
ideas for large scale sculptures. From
preparatory studies constructed from
card, Lloyd increased the scale in order
to make the laser cut sculptures. “They
Sleep” and “We Sleep” both use fonts
adopted by newspapers. The rules of
text dissection follow similar patterns to
those displayed in other works but Lloyd
chose to keep some of the letters used
in sentences whole this time (which
you can observe clearly in the finished
piece). This separates and identifies the
letterformsmoreeasilyandintheorymakesiteasiertodecipherwhatiswritten.Thetitleoftheworkitselfisanodto
thetextusedtocreatethesculpture.Weareencouragedtoconsiderwho(orwhat)sleepsandwho(orwhat)lives.
The text acts as a barrier as you wander through the forest of words. Your view of the outer or inner is
obscured. Although Lloyd would have liked to bring the Waterclear resin casting into the large sculpture as
it lends itself nicely to the idea of letters and words shaping an outcome (or forcing a narrative), she had
to work without it because of prohibitive fabrication costs. The resin used in the smaller maquette added
distortion to the text body through the nature of the squished forms and partial frosting of them from sanding.

there must be a balance between strictness and 15

Issue 3, June 2020

‘The Transition pieces took the process she had used in her ball prints of Rendering, Gridlock and Slider
a stage further. Beginning with one of her sculpted ‘ball plates’ (a rubber ball which had dissected
Webdings symbols cut into the surface with a scalpel), Emma drew inspiration from its lineage as a font.
The prints were simplified through drawing, split into sections with photography, ordered and given
additional structure by the sections of a compositor’s case. It was translated into the 3D form by hand
using a scalpel to cut details through every page in the book. Through the text printed on and within the
blocks, the simplified form was disrupted once more; the structure being not in the selection of words
appearing on the surface but through subjective analysis of the tones provided during the drawing stage.
In this respect, there is something appropriate about the act of returning to the printed page as the
culmination of process, particularly when we identify the materials used and the concept being referenced.
Transition I is composed from a number of historical books, the most dominant being texts by
Arthur Mee - a great example of subjective historical writing with a distinctly patriotic tone which
was very typical of the time. The nature of these books and the fact that many of his works were
written for children made them appropriate in the construction of the piece given the ideas
being explored such as the nature of knowledge and how it is acquired in part through written
communication. The fact that these materials have had a former purpose adds to their meaning
and is again something Emma is sympathetic towards in the adoption of such media in her pieces.

TRANSITION II

16
the freedom to let their son Dan grow and do as he pleases

What does it mean to be free?

TRANSITION I (detail)

Each section forming part of Transition II is the negative
of the pieces making up Transition I, although these
parts are no longer held within the structure of the
case. During the course of the shows it is installed in,
any sold sections of the sculpture will be removed from
the display breaking down the remaining information
even further. Through Transition II smaller bits of
information are dispersed until nothing remains.
The act of purchasing work becomes an unusual
and very visual part of the process completing
the process of fragmentation and highlights
conceptual concerns further. With all information
and knowledge it is not possible to possess it all.

and yet Dan’s father was so curious he tried to get closer to his son’s secret 17

Issue 3, June 2020

In this regard I believe that freedom is a space within the mind. LOWSON’S TEXTBOOK

SLIDER

18

What does it mean to be free?

What does it mean to be free?

It is rather apt to ponder the concept of freedom whilst in the midst of a lockdown. It is indeed very
strange and as the government keeps saying on loop, ‘unprecedented’. Certainly a position I never
thought I would find myself in. I suppose that lockdown weighs heavily on my thoughts as I contemplate

what constitutes freedom as a whole and this in turn directs how I answer this question.

In many respects the current situation highlights and renews appreciation of just how fortunate we are
as beings to be in a part of the world where you are able to move around without restriction. One is able

to see quite how fragile the balance of day to day existence is; something war torn areas of the world
will only be all too familiar with. I, and many others, are fortunate to have never experienced the kind of
hardship this brings about - isolation is a walk in the park (or not as the case may be) compared to this.
It has also been a great revealer, showing very much that freedom is something accessible to some parts

of society more than others. It’s not as universal as one might assume.
In society there are always limitations and ways in which we are confined. We have laws both written and
unwritten which determine the way we orientate ourselves and monitor our conduct - it is not these I refer
to in my comments since these types of restrictions are agreed societal norms. What I refer to is the reality
that a lot of workers faced when they were instructed to distance and isolate. Despite being instructed to
stay at home (as they were not key workers) some were forced to go into work long after the government
text arrived. Such operations were of course careful with the terminology used offering unpaid leave or the

potential to use their holiday allowance if they wanted to follow government advice. If you live hand to
mouth you do not have the luxury of this choice, in which case are you truly free? All considered, perhaps

we are not as free as we’d like to believe we are in our daily lives.
Another aspect I have considered whilst I am sat in isolation is the mental aspects of freedom as well as

the physical.
I am fortunate to have a tendency towards being creative, lots of materials at home (away from my studio
space in Manchester city centre) and an imagination. This means that despite being enclosed and having
few interactions with others with the odd call now and again I do not feel trapped, stir crazy or imprisoned

(some of the comments I have heard others use to describe the experience). Instead I find myself
retreating into my imagination and thoughts which move me beyond my walls. In this regard I believe that

freedom is a space within the mind. If you can think free, you feel free.
I believe that freedom is therefore an amalgamation of both physical and mental traits. Being able to
access both is the omega point.

every time Dan received a good grade in school 19

Issue 3, June 2020

JOHNNY HEATH

Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @jonnywriteswords

The first time I met Jonny was in St Peter’s
Square, Manchester, UK. He was sitting on
a white foldable chair near a small wooden
table where he had placed a typewriter.
On a piece of cardboard leaning against
the table was written:
“Stories & Poems Live: Made to Order,
Pick a Topic, Pay as you feel.”
I didn’t quite understand what that meant
as it was my first time meeting such an
artist. Before I had time to process all
the new information, my friend Shirko
suddenly exclaimed: “Oh cool! I saw this
guy on the internet! He writes on the
spot if you give him a topic! Let’s go!”

20 his father would gift him 2 elastic bands

What does it mean to be free?

So, Johny,
what’s your story?

Well, I’m Jonny; born and raised in
Brighton in the south of the UK. At the
age of 18 or 19 I moved to Manchester
where I did a philosophy degree
at Manchester university. I feel like
studying this subject both helped and
hindered me in my life. It took a long
time to “un-philosophize” my brain
and stop thinking so much about the
metaphysical stuff about the brain.
It’s incredible how philosophy can
actually move you away from art.
After University I did some work in
care-homes and helped rehabilitate
people in supported accommodations
for adults with mental illnesses
all while playing in a band.

he would then follow Dan in his room 21

Issue 3, June 2020

How come you got into writing? The creative process
I think it mainly happened because I loved reading as a kid. I of writing became self-
found it difficult to fit in, I would consider myself a little bit of a misfit so I
practiced escapism into books; especially fantasy and science fiction. I still strangulating
think of books as my friends and companions. because I was taking
I remember when I was around 12, I wrote a poem for an writing too seriously.
assignment that managed to make my teacher cry. As bad as it might It’s a sort of trance
sound, I felt good that I could have an emotional impact on people and I where I count on my
decided I will do something that has to do with writing. intuition to guide my
While I was trying the classic way of becoming a writer, which implies
going through a publisher and spending ridiculous amounts of time alone creativity.
in order to write, I found it to be a difficult and lonely experience. The
creative process of writing became self-strangulating because I was taking
writing too seriously.
It was during this period that I went to a music festival and I
remember seeing this guy that was just laughing his ass off. Feeling drawn
to his seemingly careless persona I approached him and this was the first
time I got introduced to this… I wanna call it lineage of typewriter poets.
The guy I talked to was Luke Winter and he told me about this craft that
first appeared in New Orleans; writers that simply travel and write for
strangers using typewriters.
This experience made me realize that the reason why I was
putting so much pressure on my writing was the fact that the subject
matter I was trying to write about was too close to me. By taking a
typewriter and asking random strangers to suggest a topic I was releasing
myself from the vicious circle of over-thinking I found myself in. It was
the perfect compromise because even though I had no control over the
subject matter the themes I cared about would still surface in my writing.

How do you find the inspiration to be able to deliver poems and
stories on the spot?
I consider there are two parts of the brain. Writing for me is about
getting in tune with the part of the brain that has access to the stream of
consciousness Carl Jung was talking about. It’s a sort of trance where I
count on my intuition to guide my creativity.

Do you manage to make a living doing only this?
I’ve actually went on a pilgrimage across the USA at the end of
2018 where I wanted to travel and write. I even ended up arriving at the
origin of the craft I practice in New Orleans and went through Barcelona
on the way. I managed to scrape a living while doing that with some help
from the various programs for new businesses.
My income is based on writing for people on the street, taking
some commissions online and I recently self-published a collection of
work which I then hand-bound myself.

Do you have any future plans?
I’m in the process of opening up a patreon page where I’d like to
experiment with the audio side of story-telling. I really like reading my work
out-loud after writing it to a stranger on the street. I’d also like to incorporate
the things I learnt from being in a band into the narration of the pieces I write.

22

in order to attempt to catch a glimpse of his project.

What does it mean to be free?

Unfortunately, all that Dan would do is put the two elastic bands 23

Issue 3, June 2020

What does it mean to be free?

Freedom has a funny relationship with restriction. In order to
be create you need to set parameters otherwise everything

would become chaos. Even our own existence has
parameters such as space, time, laws of physics and so on.
When we talk about art, we can definitely see this pattern
emerging. A guitar has frets the same way a story has subject
matter. I think as artists we all have these challenges and
parameters that in turn let us manipulate them in order to

turn these challenges into something beautiful.
The question then becomes how can we be free when we
are tied down to these restrictions? I think restriction leads
to creativity. The challenge I personally am facing at the
moment is how to monetize my art without losing creativity.
There is a huge challenge when you let your passion make
money because there are so many lifeless things required to

keep business alive.
I haven’t got it all figured out just yet, but I two things are
definitely clear: Don’t take things too personally and always

try to put a little bit

24 in his desk’s drawer.

What does it mean to be free?
25

Issue 3, June 2020

Cotton On MCR

We’ve had the pleasure to meet Domino from Cotton On MCR, a small
business that deals with reviewing Manchester’s art scene and helping

generally small-scale artists with navigating the local art world.

Cotton On MCR has been operating since 2017. It was established due
to an increasing demand for coverage of events, galleries and artists in and

around Manchester. When we talked, I found that we share the same turbulent
perspective on how the art world operates; there’s very little support for artists
that are just starting out and do not have the ability to pull strings and make it into
prestigious galleries and receive unique representation. Redacted below is part of

a conversation I had with Domino before the Covid19 outbreak:
How did the name Cotton On MCR come about?

“Cotton on” is an expression that describes “catching on” about something, often
used to refer to finding out about a topic without other people filling you in on
the details but rather learning about that something yourself… without help.
Additionally, it is believed that Manchester’s initial wealth was built from cotton.

It was this material that turned the city into an industrial station and made it into
the lively city that it is today. The ethos of Cotton On MCR is to promote everything
about the visual arts in Manchester. “I was sick of going on each gallery’s website
to find out what was on and when. There was no base website that was dedicated
to Manchester’s art scene. So that’s how Cotton On MCR was created. We launched
in November 2017, and are constantly striving to be the best Manchester art-based

website.”

26

What does it mean to be free?

What’s your background in the art scene?
I have actually studied Fine Art at University of Lincoln. Lincoln is a beautiful city and a
great place to move to for your first time leaving home. However, I remember one of our
teachers told us in class that we should never strive to be a master since we will never be
able to be as good. I’m not saying that studying art at university is not a good experience;
it’s definitely the time for any artist to experiment as much as they can. On the other
hand, what I found through my experience at the university of Lincoln is that having a
degree in art is not everything.

Domino Panton-Oakley

Website: www.cottononmcr.com
Email: [email protected]

27

Issue 3, June 2020

You probably see dozens of artworks a day. Do you have any sort of criteria for accepting
work for your events and platforms?

To keep it simple we go on a basis of “if we haven’t seen it before, it passes”. We are turned
off by anything that we could buy from Ikea or find in a generic hotel room. We are also a bit
skeptical when it comes to the famous Manchester bee… it’s just so common. On the other, if you

can put a unique twist to the symbol that’s a completely different story.
How do you feel about the digital world? There is an increase of digital art prints sales, online
platforms and of course, the infamous social media. Do you think all these new channels

undermine the power of events, curators, galleries and generally old-school activity?
I agree that there is an increase in the digital side of the art world but I believe it allows
emerging artists to get more exposure and more sales. There is a certain particularity about
original artwork that will never be replaced by digital prints - especially in the fine art sector.
Art that is famous is a luxury item that many people buy more for its perceived “show-off” value
rather than the actual talent that goes behind the work. The many online channels allow artists
to take a different route rather than being represented by galleries and playing this seemingly

difficult game.
On the other hand, nobody will fully experience art on their phones. First impressions
matter and art that is experienced in its full glory and size will always trump seeing work on a
small screen while scrolling through memes and news on your mobile apps. Additionally, I feel
like prints, digital art and generally any sort of work that can be easily reproduced will never take
over the uniqueness of original and limited-edition work. That is why artists that create sculptures
or unique work on a canvas will always be able to price their art on the higher end of the spectrum;

there is something special about owning the only existing piece of work on the planet.
However, the art world is always progressing and nothing is set in stone.
28

What does it mean to be free?

What are the future plans for Cotton On MCR?
We are looking at expanding our events catalogue. We are currently hosting ‘Looking Sketchy’ which
is a fortnightly, online, sketch club and meet up. We give people some quick-drawing exercises that
they can do at home. Once it is safe to socialise again and venues start opening, we will be hosting
more workshops in real life, from drawing and painting, to crafting and more. We will also be hosting
the Art All-Dayer once a new date is set. This event is a huge art fair, exhibition and workshops all
rolled into one, amazing, art all-day event! We will be doing something similar at Christmas too. We
have a lot planned and really excited to hit the ground running, once we are allowed to do so.

What does it mean to be free?

If you ask this question in general terms, I guess it differs from person to person. Freedom
for me is definitely represented by the ability to travel around the world. I’ve found that when your
life follows a strict routine time seems to go really fast. When you travel and you don’t depend on
a certain routine, time dilates due to the fact that every day is unique and it’s full of experience.
If you mean the question for artists… it’s very similar. When artists are following a strict
regime, their creativity is limited. True freedom for artists involves being able to live of your own
art. Art is unique in its definition and when you are able to create unique work on a daily basis…
that’s when you are able to embrace the true meaning of freedom.

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Issue 3, June 2020

ANNIE RYAN

Website: www.annieryanstudio.com
Instagram: @annieryanstudio
Email: [email protected]

` I’m Annie Ryan, an Illustrator/ Digital Collage Artist.
I studied BA(hons) Illustration at Sheffield Hallam University. After graduating I worked as an
Illustrator part time in conjunction with a local restaurant job before taking the plunge and
moving to Manchester to pursue Illustration full time.
.
Elongated and disproportionate figures have been the signature of much of my work. It
fascinates me how the particular anatomy of the human form lends itself so well to exaggeration
and modification.

I tend to lean towards musicians as a subject matter. Iconic musicians have worked
to create a certain look as part of their public persona. It is these slightly quirky looks that I am
always drawn to as an Illustrator.
I am a fan of all things bold and bizarre and always try to make this evident through my artwork.

30 One day when Dan was at school

What does it mean to be free?

GRACE JONES What does i t m e a n t o b e
FREE?

Freedom,
especially within the art
world, defies definition. The term ‘creative
freedom’ seems to get thrown around a lot. Surely it
refers to the ‘creator’ having little or no constraints? In other
words they are able to produce whatever they feel like.
However this can cause a problem, a piece of art that is completely
free in its design may be extremely visually appealing but not quite

have a place in a
buyer’s home or on the
front of a magazine that
has been on your radar for
months.
For me freedom is about
balance. I try to remember
to put time into my business
while also creating pieces that
I enjoy. It’s easy to get bogged
down by the pressure of
making money. But I’ve found
that if enthusiasm is at the
core of your work then the
end result is an audience
that truly enjoys what you
do.

ERIKAH BADU

For me. freedom is about
balance.

his father decided to search Dan’s drawer 31

Issue 3, June 2020

Psychological factor

I would be lying if I said I knew what truly drove me down the creative path.
I always seem to have been ‘left-brained’ and into artsy things. It wasn’t until about a year after graduating that I
developed my style.
After illustrating Grace Jones for a competition, I found that there’s something really enjoyable about
warping images of people and seeing how far you can manipulate them, still retaining an element of reality. I’m

driven to experiment with this theme as much as possible. It has now become the staple of my work.

32 but inside there were no elastic bands,

What does it mean to be free?

MOHAWK

I certainly see a slight similarity between editorial
newspaper pieces and my work, however my reason for

exaggerating the features is completely different.
Caricatures are created with amplified features in order to add an
element of mockery and humour. Whereas I tend to warp particular
features with the intention of making the overall image look more striking

and revealing.
My process is also very different from a cartoonists, I use a digital collage technique,

combining multiple images and marks in Photoshop.

nothing in the closet 33

Issue 3, June 2020

KILLING EVE

34 and nothing in the boxes with toys under the shelves.

What does it mean to be free?

TYLER THE CREATOR

There was no sign of Dan’s elastic bands. 35

Issue 3, June 2020

Freeing the Self

from perfectio
nPerfection is a concept – it can never exist in

phenomenological terms, but only as an idea in
the individual’s mind. Inside the mind, it is forever
pure and unspoilt because it can never become an
action that the world can see, experience and criticise.
Simply, it is always bound to be godly, ideal. On the other
hand, the individual, who exists in phenomenological terms,

is always impure, simply because they are not perfection.
The creative individual idolises perfection and constantly tries to
mimic it; we try to shape our intellectual creativity into ways which
resemble the perfect as it exists in our head. In the end, the outcome,
always compared to pure perfection, merely looks like a mockery, a failed

task that is perhaps pointless in its existence.
Our relationship with perfection is, in itself, asymmetrical; it is a dialectic between
two bodies whose unequal statuses pre-determine a structure of hierarchy. Perfect
is predisposed to being superior, it drives and dominates our creativity, it becomes the
purpose of our actions, whereas we, are by nature, inferior. We are actors whose bad skills
or strong accent always will betray our true identity. The creative individual obsessed with
perfection is enslaved into this dialectic and is doomed to never be able to exist for themselves.
36

What does it mean to be free?

To break free from our fixation with perfection is a responsibility of the creative
individual; a painful task that we must endure, for it establishes our intellectual coming of

age. When Nietzsche declares the death of God, he declares the death of a set of pre-
existing values which are considered to be authentic and absolute. He declares the
death of a godly concept which one must always look up to and strive to resemble.
He declares the death of the dialectic that wants us bound to an external, dominant
force whose intangible, perfect nature we cannot relate. Existence is stripped down
to simply being in a chaotic world constantly in the process of transformation and
becoming.
Not wanting to strive for perfection anymore may depress the creative
individual; we may question the purpose of our doing; what should we
strive to become into? It is impossible to become perfect, therefore there
is no purpose to go on and complete tasks, which will be, by default,
faulty. We experience a state of orphanhood; we are abandoned
without guidance – no one to give us tasks and tell us what to do.
Freedom, in this case, is a curse; it disorients and paralyzes us.
It starves our creative outbursts until it slowly discourages us
completely from acting.
On the other hand, we may perceive our orphanhood as
liberation. Since the dialectic that wants us inferior ceases
to exist, we can act, in solidarity, outside of it, for we
realize our sovereignty over our actions. The thought
of the chaotic, constantly transposing world, reminds
us that nothing about us is fixed and that we should
abolish every notion that tells us otherwise. We can
finally stop living in fear of the chaos, reminiscing
our former quests to touch the untouchable. As
we look around us, we feel eager to explore the
chaos and inhabit it, for it is, and has always
been, our own.

A TEXT BY

Nandia DEDELETAKIS

Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @nandato

37

Issue 3, June 2020

LocalHotelParking
KATIE BUCHAN

Website: www.localhotelparking.com My work is very freeform,
Instagram: @localhotelparking and I’ll always let the paper do the talking.

I am a Manchester based hand cut surrealist collage artist.
All my work is created non digitally in my little attic studio
in Manchester, UK, I use my trusty Swann Morton scalpel
and a lot of patience. I source all my materials locally
from charity shops and second hand bookshops and
can often be found sat on the floor of dusty bookshops
rooting through long forgotten magazines and moth
eaten books. I work mainly with vintage print (40-70s) as
I believe they give my work a nostalgic charm. My work
is heavily influenced by my overactive dreamscapes
and I use my creative process as therapy to channel
my emotions, be they negative or positive. There is
no digital enhancement added to my work for prints,
(although I do add my logo for social media purposes),
what you see is what I’ve created by hand. I have been
creating collage art for over nine years as a hobby and
had a wee kick up the arse in August of 2018 to get my
work out there and honestly I’ve never looked back.

It’s often been remarked to me at various art fairs that I
must have some insane dreams, I guess in a way they’re
right. I spent a lot of my 20’s studying dream science and
v (the transitional state between wakefulness and sleep)
and that’s certainly had a big impact upon my creative
process. I love surrealism and creating fantastically
subversive universes, I want people to feel a sense of
escapism when they look at my work. I couldn’t, not for
one moment give you a step by step blow of my creative
process as there isn’t such a thing. My work is very
freeform, and I’ll always let the paper do the talking. When
I look at specific photographs I’ll see shapes and objects
jump out to me, as if they don’t want to be there anymore,
when I create new work they fit more comfortably.

38 The following day, Dan came to his father:

What does it mean to be free?
39

Issue 3, June 2020
40

What does it mean to be free?

I try not to inhibit any boundaries with my work, I
certainly don’t want to be cornered into a specific
style of collage. Surrealism is such a glorious
umbrella with a multitude of interconnecting artistic
styles woven into its spokes. I’ve started dabbling
in some more abstract work, this is a lot of fun, and
there is plenty of ideas swirling around inside my
head I can’t wait to get stuck into. To me, this is pure
artistic freedom, express yourself how you feel, don’t
feel like you need to pigeon hole your style.

“Dad, I thank you very much for your support and love 41

Issue 3, June 2020

42 and this feels like you do not trust me.”

What does it mean to be free?

“Dan my dear son, I cannot sleep 43

Issue 3, June 2020

ROBERT OXLEY

Website: www.oxleyart.co.uk
Instagram: @oxleybob
Twitter: @oxleybob

As a little boy, Robert dreamed of becoming a zoo keeper. Today,
the lions, tigers and elephants who roamed his imagination are

given life in his dazzling paintings.
Following a childhood spent roaming the forests of a North East coalmining village, his
affinity with nature is evident in every instinctive paint drip and brushstroke. Immersing

himself in Pop Surrealism, Robert presents viewers with what he calls “psychedelic
natural history”.

The passionate conservationist takes reference from wildlife magazines, books and
photographs. Starting with a large brush and thin yellow paint, he blocks in the shape
of the animal and marks out the eyes and mouth while the paint is still wet. He then

applies contrasting colours and lets them drip.
Robert says: “I love the freedom and brutality of nature, but I don’t like what we as

humans are doing to it. My art is a way of exploring and exposing this.”

44 I cannot eat and I cannot think

VIRUNGA

45

Issue 3, June 2020

Robert usually starts with a two-inch brush and blocks in some shapes to decide where the eyes and
mouth will be placed – usually in a very thin yellow wash. As this is drying, he cuts in the form of the
animals. Once this is dry, he quickly covers the area with yellow paint and lets it run down the canvas

before building up colour with successively thicker paint.

HEAR ME ROAR “The more I can throw down

and the more abstract the shapes
are, the more enjoyable the battle is. I’ve heard that the
abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock said that if
he planned a painting, he’d never make a mark. My work
depends on spontaneity and a free association: I don’t
really need an inspiration, I just do it.”

46 I need to know why you need the elastic bands.”

What does it mean to be free?

MUFASA

Robert has a studio in a cotton mill in Stockport, Greater Manchester, which is open to the public.
He also has a studio at home, which is where his work is created. The artist wakes up early and
takes his dog out before painting from around 8.30am to 5pm. After enjoying some family time,

he paints again until 1am. He listens to music while distorting his pieces, but tunes into podcasts,
documentaries and audiobooks when adding the finer details.

As an animal lover, he has recently worked on projects with The Big Cat Sanctuary and the National
K9 Memorial to raise money for animals in need.

“I’m sorry father, but this I cannot tell you.” Dan sighed. 47

Issue 3, June 2020

MALA

Psychological factor
I ve wanted to be a creative all my life,I didnt take myself seriously until i was about 20.Early
Lsd and mushroom trips left me with need to bring some kind of infomation from the
otherside.Iwas obsessed with the supernatural and animals as a kid .this definetly informed
my psychedelic experiences.It solidified my passion to create and gave me an endless world
to explore.I’ve always had an overactive imagination,which has never tipped over into
anxiety or panic,so im blessed,i also believe that anything goes and i let this ideal guide me.

It’s about rising up and not letting the darkness
swallow you.

48 “If it pains you so, you don’t have to buy me any other elastic bands,

What does it mean to be free?

What does it mean to be free?

I definetly didnt want a 9 to 5, although I did
many versions of that over the years.Its been a
long fight to realize my dreams. I didn’t enjoy
being told what to do and I knew I could be a

good artist.
I think freedom means having a focus
and following it through. Getting after it is
liberating in itself. It’s about rising up and not

letting the darkness swallow you.
I’ve been kind of ignorant to defeat. Even if it
took my decades, I was stilling going to make
it. The feeling of ‘I’m not like them’ is strong

and got me through.
Making art in any circumstances is a liberating

endeavour. I forgot quickly about the awful
day job I had as soon as brush hit the canvas.

The journey is where you learn if you really
want something and the real work starts
when you achieve it. I’ve always been super
focussed on my dream. It’s a romantic notion

to be an artist and I’m in love with it.
An artist friend once said “I never wanted a 9

to 5, I didn’t realize i’d get a 24/7.”

but if you ever manage to accept that I cannot reveal to you my project 49

Issue 3, June 2020

STEVEN HEATON

Steven Heaton: www.stevenheaton.com
Sara Riccardi: www.artacross.co.uk - [email protected]

50 I will always need your help.” finished Dan.