Mini Docs We Love :: Discover the King of Street Art: Keith Haring
An American pop and graffiti artist known for turning the subway into his own personal canvas, Keith Haring brought the high end art world to the street.
Dreams in motion.
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An American pop and graffiti artist known for turning the subway into his own personal canvas, Keith Haring brought the high end art world to the street. Haring's powerful artwork promoting LGBTQ and AIDS awareness still stand as symbols of equality today.
via: M2M
Animations We Love :: Pussy / Cipka - Dir. Renata Gąsiorowska
A young girl spends the evening alone at home. She decides to have some sweet solo pleasure session, but not everything goes according to plan.
A young girl spends the evening alone at home. She decides to have some sweet solo pleasure session, but not everything goes according to plan. Shout out to @SamanthaShada for sharing this eye opening video on her feed.
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Interview via: Director’s Notes
Where did the idea for Pussy come from?
I wanted to make erotic film and when I started doodling and thinking I really quickly got an idea to make a film about masturbation. The pussy character naturally appeared in my drawings and sketches and I thought this can be a funny, relatable erotic comedy but also more general story about liberation. I was inspired by some internet ‘guides’ I found on sex-positive blogs and websites about female masturbation. Some of them advised to take a bath, light candles and create a suitable mood and treat your solo session as ‘a date with yourself’. I didn’t want to ridicule this whole idea, since it can indeed be a useful help and encouragement for people who are too ashamed to masturbate for various reasons, but I found it interesting as a starting point for the comedy. So, my girl tries to have this beautiful sexy alone time but she is too clumsy and distracted and everything goes in an unexpected direction.
A teenage school group accidentally came to a screening in a small Polish town and the teachers were super offended and it almost ended up being a tiny scandal!
With that in mind, how are audiences reacting to it?
So far, I’ve mostly heard from people at film festivals and I was surprised with many positive responses. Some people even said the film was educational. Some people wanted to show it to older kids. One time, a teenage school group accidentally came to a screening in a small Polish town and the teachers were super offended (I wasn’t there but I really hope those teens could watch it until the end) and it almost ended up being a tiny scandal! So far, so great!
Could you talk about your stylistic choice, why did you opt for this particular type of animation?
2D hand drawn animation is my favourite technique. I wanted wobbly lines, smooth animation and cartoonish ‘gummy’ bodies that can be deformed for comedic effect. I try to make characters and art as simple as possible, but still charming. The backgrounds are very minimalistic because I didn’t want them to distract viewers from the characters. The orgasm scene is abstract and very much inspired by Norman McLaren.
Pussy is included on the latest Girls on Film, a selection of shorts specifically highlighting queer women. What are your thoughts on the state of queer cinema at the moment? And, more broadly, what mainstream cinema can be doing to better represent LGBTQ people?
I admit, I never thought about Pussy as queer film or having specifically queer themes, more like general feminist and human themes I guess? But I see how feminism, sexual liberation, rejecting the typical male gaze, owning your body and sexuality and exploring it on your own terms align with LGBTQ+ themes. I think there is already no more excuse in the modern world for not including all kinds of interesting LGBTQ+ characters in mainstream movies, series or games, similarly to not including capable, complex women. Straight and cisgendered creators can really avoid lazy screenwriting and put more research into their work, writers working in teams include LGBTQ+ people and so on, and LGBTQ+ artists being empowered to make films and other art about whatever they like and show the world from their point of view.
Pussy is available to watch as part of Peccadillo Pictures’ Girls on Film 3: Goddesses collection available here.
Artists We Love :: Alvaro Naddeo
At some point last year, the incredible work of Alvaro Naddeo popped into our life by way of an art opening of his work at the Think Space Gallery. Once we started scrolling through some of his work, we quickly needed to know and see more.
At some point last year, the incredible work of Alvaro Naddeo popped into our life by way of an art opening of his work at the Think Space Gallery. Once we started scrolling through some of his work, we quickly needed to know and see more. During some of our exploring we came across the video below which breaks down some of the how & why’s behind his beautiful intricate creations. Enjoy!
You can check out more of his work: HERE
Artist’s Statement:
The subject matter of my work is waste, overconsumption and social inequality. Trash and objects found in the street are valuable, and not only for aesthetic reasons. The brands, logos and packaging depicted in my work are objects with an inherent duality, both desirable and despicable, a clear byproduct of having worked in advertising for more than 20 years.
About:
I am originally from São Paulo, Brazil and have also lived in Lima, New York City and currently in Los Angeles. These urban environments have shaped my memory and permeate most of my work. I am partly self-taught and partly homeschooled. My father is an illustrator, and as a kid I spent many hours drawing and watching him work. He was a constant source of inspiration and encouragement, but having an artist father also proved frustrating at times. At 17, I remember comparing my work to his and thinking my drawings and paintings were not good enough. I quit. I pursued a career in advertising as an Art Director, something that still allowed me to exercise my interest in art but without requiring mastery with the pencil or brush. 20 years later, while living in New York City and being exposed to its many contrasts, my desire to pick up the brushes intensified. Now I am back to painting and this time I’m not quitting.