Fujiya & Miyagi "Sore Thmbs", Dir: Wade Shotter, 2008

Simple, graphic, music video from Wade Shotter

Jemapur "Maledict Car", Dir: Kosai Sekine, 2008

If the idea to create a kaleidoscope from urban lanscapes and details is not new, Kosai Sekine's execution is probably one of the sleekest done so far, not the least because he plays with moving sequences instead of still images. This is really stylish and mesmerising.

Kosai Sekine's Website

Jeff Keen, Artist and Experimental Animator

Londoners put in your cultural agenda that next month you are going to see some films from Jeff Keen at the BFI.
Jeff Keen is a British visual artist who started experimenting with animation in the 60's (mixing collages, hand-drawn, stop frame, live action). His work is relevant and inspiring, with its very distinctive graphic quality, drawing inspiration from "cowboy films and b-movies, pulp novels, comics, and 50’s men’s magazines". Now in his eighties, Keen is still around and working (or re-working old pieces).
Here is a little clip to make you want to discover more.



Jeff Keen's Website
Link to the BFI's page

Marc Boutavant, Children Book Illustrator

Marc Boutavant is my favorite children illustrator. His new book called "Around the World with Mouk" (ISBN 978-1854378545, for the English version which is not out yet) is absolutely beautiful, printed on fine shiny paper on which you can play with a selection of non-stick stickers located at the end of the book for added fun (having offered a few copies to lucky French children for Christmas I can guarantee it never fails to entertain). What is amazing in this new book is the wealth of details and the sub-stories in each scene. You can see a lot of work and attention has gone into it.
Marc Boutavant's simple characters and colourful designs are just a real joy.


Marc Boutavant's US Agent Website
Mouk book on Amazon UK

Vanessa Prager, Painter

Vanessa Prager is a young American portrait painter. She works from pictures and depicts little idiosyncratic moments in the lives of young people stuck in suburbia.

Vanessa Prager's Website

Chris Berens, Painter

Roq La Rue gallery in Seattle is exhibiting the work of Dutch artist Chris Berens until the end of January.
Chris Berens' art is inspired by 18th century painters, but translated into his owm fantasy world, a quite dreamy one, full of mystic creatures and iconic figures. He has also developed his own painting technique of ink on plastic, the plastic is worked in sections and layered before being laid on wood panels to create the final piece, giving it a really unique finish (learn more about it by watching an interview of the artist on the Roq La Rue website).
Obviously no link can do justice to a painting but hopefully his work will reach a gallery near you soon.

Chris Berens Website
Roq La Rue link to the exhibition

James Jean, Painter

The Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York is hosting a James Jean exhibition until 7th February. A good excuse to mention the work of this American artist, whose work is really incredible. James Jean is part of this contemporary wave of American painters whose work is rooted in illustration and street art. I like the poetry, sensuality and sometimes dark nature of his work, caught in between dreams and nightmares.

James Jean Website
Jonathan LeVine Gallery