PLASTIK 31

INSTA-VAGANZA

The rise of fast-art in a digital era

Shortcuts: we use them on our keyboards, we use them in our chats (insert emoticon), we use them in our relationships and in life. Some old souls may claim it’s laziness or entitlement. The epitome of all things millennial. “Good things come to those who wait” they say. Truth is, nowadays life is on the fast track. Our days are a constant onslaught of data. It’s an A.D.D. world, whether we like it or not, and we just have to deal with it.

We were taught that Art with a capital A, when properly consumed, comes with contemplation. You have to seep it in, digest it, wrestle with it, and redeem its value from the process itself, rather than from the actual piece. This still stands true for some Art, but most of us simply don’t have the time nor the energy to consume that kind of art on a daily basis. So what’s it gonna be? We wait until we’re ready to jump off the fast track to consume art, or do we adapt the arts to our current lifestyle?

Cue Fast Art: art that you can seep in, digest and wrestle with in an instant. You glimpse at it, and you get it. Simple as that. Its relevance is momentary at best and its lifespan is dismal and yet the satisfaction that comes with it is monumental. It’s art that you can share, art you can comment on with an emoticon rather than a dissertation… art you can appreciate with a double-tap and scroll on.

Some Art enthusiasts may deny its legitimacy, but its presence you can’t deny.

 Fast art is here to stay, one glimpse at a time.  

— Eli Rezkallah

ANDREA KOPOROVA

Interview

Self-taught Slovakian photographer Andrea Koporova only started making images in 2011, Yet she quickly caught the eye of curators and editors. At first dreamy and rather romantic, her work has gradually become increasingly urban and surreal, mainly through the use of bright colors and modern settings. Her main themes have remained the same: isolation, alienation.

Hugh Kretschmer

Interview

Born in a house of artists, Hugh Kretschmer did not waste any time in mastering his craft as a visual artist. From a very young age he harnessed his handiwork skills to create art, and consequently developed a very peculiar aesthetic. Never shying away from building his own sets and crafting his props, Kretschmer is one of those rare artists who has the freedom to recreate his vision with his very own bare hands, and the results are stunning. His imagery is surreal and yet grounded in thought-provoking social commentary, and his aesthetic is stunningly modern, despite its minimal digital enhancements. 

Evelyn Bencicova

Interview

A winner of the 2016 Hasselblad Masters Awards, 24-year-old Slovakian Evelyn Bencicova is taking the world by storm. Dividing her time mainly between Vienna and Berlin, she has found a delicate balance between aesthetic sensitivity and conceptual sensibility. One of her secrets? It is all about “fiction based on truth”. 

Prue Stent and Honey Long

Interview

Who would not want to spend a day with Australian artists Prue Stent and Honey Long? They are like the main protagonists in a fairytale of their own making. Their artistic journey seems like a wild never ending dress-up party. In this duo-interview, Prue and Honey talk about how they once upon a time first met, about playfulness and success, and about past, present and what’s next … 

Reine Paradis

Interview

Reine Paradis burst onto the art scene with her “Jungle” photo series: a fascinating showcase of a chromatic world that blurs the line between reality and construct. From its conceptual stage, to its multi-disciplinary execution, the project’s roll-out is captivating from start to finish, and promises a very bright future for this visionary artist. 

Pip & Pop

Interview

Using up to 3,000 kiloS of sand and 800 kiloS of sugar, Australian artist Tanya Schultz, better known as Pip & Pop, creates the most fantastic hallucinatory dreamscapes. Inspired by old myths and folk tales, her utopias are deceptively sweet.

Stefano Bolcato

Interview

As a child, classically trained painter Stefano Bolcato loved to play with LEGO. Imagining the strangest buildings and machines, the little colored bricks greatly helped the Italian artist to develop his creativity. In his most recent series of works Bolcato has combined his two passions, as LEGO figurines have taken central stage in some of the world’s all time artistic masterpieces.  

Cristina Burns

Interview

Mixed-media artist and photographer Cristina Burns juxtaposes dolls, toys, candies, skulls and insects in meticulously arranged patterns. Like modern day cabinets of curiosity, her brightly colored works are a playful reminder of the vanities of life. Seeing her surreal streak, it is no surprise Hieronymus Bosch ranks among her favorite artists. Cristina talks about Bosch, Alice IN WONDERLAND, her beloved Naples and much more.

Blazé

A series of images, by visual artist Eli Rezkallah about contemporary fast-art.

alice in wondertan

A series of images, by visual artist Eli Rezkallah for Wondertan’s campaign.

Star struck

A Plastik collaboration with photographer Vijat Mohindra, featuring Jeffrey Star.