The unifying force to each and every Baby Tattooville “Secret Society” gathering is the collaborative art jam painting. All artists who participate at the event put their brushes to the panel, but unlike the solitude they work with at their respective studios, they are able to feed off each other’s creativity, build upon their peers’ foundations, and revel in the camaraderie. Unique styles are complemented, morphed, or transformed upon by others.
Fortunately for all those who were unable to witness the group painting in person (and even for those who attended BT that couldn’t stay around to watch it all), Sketch Theatre was on hand for virtually every second of it, capturing everything on camera. You’ve seen the finished piece, now see how it evolved, starting from a blank slate. Watch what is under those layers of colors and eclectic characters that are now hidden forever. Learn what artists were there from the start and which ones preferred to jump in after getting a feel of it. Then, watch the thrilling last few minutes as everyone frantically jockeys for space to finish their part of the completed masterpiece.
Click here to see the video.
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Dude... you need to take off the lens cap. Like this...
Ever wonder how GQ, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Playboy get those awesome covers and how those photographers create those brilliant pictures? Short answer: Lots of HARD WORK! That’s what AM learned at Baby Tattooville as Philip Warner gave us a demonstration of what it’s like to be a professional photographer. With clients such as MTV, Playboy, SonyBMG and CSI: New York, it’s not hard to see that his expertise is highly sought after.
Phil set up shop in his hotel suite and transformed it into a mobile “shoot studio.” With professional “lighting-umbrellas”, “remote timer-flash gizmos” and “CGI-esque bluescreen” backdrops, attendees that were brave enough to enter the “wunderland” set was treated to an insider’s view of Phil working with professional models and creating visual masterpieces. Shooting under the theme: “We Like to Party,” the mini studio also served as a ad-hoc “green room” where everyone was treated like a star. Phil even took the time to give Audrey Kawasaki (interviewed) and the AM crew a hands-on working session with his equipment and a few pointers on how to get what we “needed” out of the shoot.
While Greg “Craola” Simkins worked on his painting just a few feet away, AM favorite Audrey Kawasaki (interviewed) was busy working on yet another piece for her upcoming show “Hajimari - a prelude” for Jonathan LeVine (teased) later this year. Watching Audrey layer colors and skin tones delicately over an initial sketch on wood was a real treat as well as a great insight to her process.
Coming to Baby Tattooville equipped with a blank canvas and some paint, Greg “Craola” Simkins treated BT attendees with the ultimate in “tabula rasa” art experience. Creating coats upon coats of background texture, Greg spent hours building the foundation of what will undoubtedly become another masterpiece. Expect to see the completed painting at his upcoming show “The Pearl Thief” opening November 3rd at Gallery 1988 (LA). Pictures after the jump.
Baby Tattooville’s Secret Society was taken into Travis Louie’s gorgeously illustrated Victorian and Edwardian world of human oddities and mythical beings with “strange grooming habits” for one weekend. What was even better was that lucky attendees this year were able to take home the experience with a original portrait by the man himself. Yes, not just a print, not just an ordinary multiple, but a unique, hand-drawn piece of art that you may have witnessed with your own eyes created in person.
Although he may not be a familiar name among the roster of Pop Surrealist and Low Brow artists that are typically identified with Baby Tattooville, James Gurney is a highly accomplished artist and author known for his illustrated book series Dinotopia, as well as his plen-air landscape paintings. He has been an illustrator for National Geographic Magazine, has illustrated over seventy science fiction magazine and book covers, and was a scenic background painter (he produced over 500 paintings) for the animated film “Fire and Ice,” produced by Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta. He lives in New York just one street light away from fellow Baby Tattooville ‘09 artist extraordinaire Travis Louie.
As if the free giveaways, raffles and live paintings weren’t enough, Baby Tattooville actively encourages their artists to sketch away in the dozens of sketchbooks brought by the paying attendees. This year, AM got a chance to sit down with virtually every participating artist, as well as a few special guests. Check out the artists at work and some of the sketches we and other attendees received after the jump.
On Saturday, Oct. 3rd, just an hour or so before the big KMNDZ reveal, Elizabeth a.k.a. Bloodbath Mcgrath held a reverse studio visit alongside Miss Mindy (more on that later) giving patrons an insight to her sculptural techniques. As an added bonus, Liz provided the Baby Tattooville guests with their own clay, allowing them to create their own personal mini works of art. Also on display were the hand cast cleavers that Liz so generously provided in every guest’s grab bag. More pictures after the jump.
One of the big surprises of Baby Tattooville this year was the big reveal of who would walk home with the huge KMNDZ painting we previously told you about. After a dramatic explanation of the raffle by Bob Self, everyone came and picked a small envelope after which everyone opened at the same time. Imagine the chaos that ensued when each individual attendee was lead to believe they were the winner. As you can see from the video above, it turns out everyone was a winner as the painting was made up of many small pieces - so, everyone walked home with a small KMNDZ original.
Amidst all the releases, events and activities that took place during Baby Tattooville ‘09, the one event that really provided true insight into the technical and creative processes of the participating artists was the organized Reverse Studio Visits. For their visits, the artists (in this case Yoskay Yamamoto, Audrey Kawasaki, Greg “Craola” Simkins, Miss Mindy and Elizabeth McGrath) brought in-process works with them to BT ‘09, spending an hour each painting and providing a behind the scenes peek at how they work in their studios. For our first Reverse Studio Visit, we were able to view Yoskay Yamamoto preparing his piece for the upcoming NYC LeBasse Projects group show, “Going East”. More pictures after the jump.
If the artists at Baby Tattooville are the heart of the event, then the “Art Jam” is definitely the bloodline that is pumping throughout the event. Starting at 5pm on the opening day and lasting a little past 8pm the next night, “Art Jam” is a culmination of the all the participating artist’s hard work. Like in previous years, the blank canvas was tinkered with by a few brave artists during the initial dinner, but by the time midnight rolled around, one could clearly see the evolution taking place. It truly gives onlookers/fans a better appreciation of the creative process that comes from each of these artists.
By morning, the canvas again looked completely different. Even the “morning shift” artists were stunned by the difference that a few hours made. Throughout the day, every artist made time to attend to the painting, but the real fun began after sunset. Around 7PM, a sense of urgency hit all the artists as the print deadline neared, and everyone huddled around the canvas in an effort bring the piece to completion. Once completed, Harvest Productions took the fresh painting and worked overnight to create a 1:1 replica giclee of the 24″ x 48″ masterpiece for each attendee.
Throughout the Art Jam, Greg Simkins, KMNDZ, Yoskay Yamamoto, Michael Hussar, Molly Crabapple, Miss Mindy, Buff Monster, James Gurney, Liz McGrath, KRK Ryden, Travis Louie, Gary Baseman, and Audrey Kawasaki branded the canvas with their signature touch to form a unique collaborative painting that showcased the collective essence of Baby Tattooville. Each artist took the time to sign each print (edition of 75).
AMstayed up throughout the process and kept progress shots of the process from cradle to grave. Check out the behind the scenes pics of this amazing project after the jump.
One of the more common questions Baby Tattooville attendees are asked is “what do you get out of it?” Well, aside from an intimate setting to socialize with artists and collectors, and an opportunity to gain insight into artists and their work through various discussions and reverse studio visits (more on this later), there are of course more material benefits.
The “goodie bags” are distributed to BT attendees at the end of the event and includes originals, prints, and various art products from all the featured artists. This does not include all the sketches (more on this later) that are usually done generously and in detail by artists during the event. Take a look at all the items in the bag after the jump. Keep in mind, this does not include James Gurney original (mailed to us later), the “X in one” print, various toys (covered later), and the Art Jam print (covered later).
One thing that Baby Tattooville attendees definitely noticed this year was the fact that they received much more original art to take home with them. Last year, there seemed to be more “art products” given out, ie prints, art toys, etc… That is not to say that they aren’t appreciated, especially the hand customized figures by Buff Monster for this years BT. Throughout the weekend, Buff Monster could be seen working on the toys as well as sketching for fans. You will also soon see his part in the “Art Jam” - a collaborative painting between all of this year’s featured artists.
During each annual Baby Tattooville, artists produce exclusive artwork for an all-one-print that includes each and every piece. The original artwork that is used for that print is available first to attendees of the event, then if any pieces are still available, the public will have a chance to buy. The order in which those lucky BT-goers receive the opportunity to purchase is based on their ticket number (those who were the first to register get lower numbers). It is a wonderful opportunity to skip long waiting lists that galleries oftentimes have and be able to purchase fantastic pieces by high-demand artists such as Greg Simkins, Audrey Kawasaki, and Michael Hussar.
