A demonstration of some of the processes and ideas behind the 2019 Nostalgia Studies series.
Nostalgia Studies in the studio
in Video
‘Ultima V, Dungeon disks’
in Drawing
Revisiting the 5 1/4” floppy disk theme with the Ultima V ‘Dungeon’ disk. In this iteration, the cool Origin Systems logo is present on the diskette cover.
“Ultima V, Dungeon disks”, 100 cm x 70 cm, mixed media on paper.
‘The Peloponnesian War, Book 1.84’
in Digital Art
“Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and respect of self, in turn, is the chief element in courage."
The Peloponnesian War, Book 1.84, The Debate at Sparta, iPhone X, digital image.
‘Ultima IV disks’
in Drawing
The Ultima IV computer game from the mid-1980s is an early masterpiece of digital art. Like many retro-games, I think deep-down people are more attracted to the visuals of the game than the actual gameplay. The packaging of these games and even the consoles themselves—whether an Apple II computer or an early Nintendo system—are also surprisingly beautiful, and increasingly so as time passes. This work in the 2019 Nostalgia Studies series pays homage to 5 1/4” Ultima IV disks, magical-looking objects that continue to hold my attention decades later.
“Ultima IV disks”, 100 cm x 70 cm, mixed media on paper.
‘TR-909 instruction manual’
in Drawing
Another amazing consumer product from the 1980s, Roland’s TR-909 drum machine not only sounds beautiful, but looks beautiful, too, especially the diagrams in the instruction manual.
“TR-909 instructions”, 100 cm x 70 cm, mixed media on paper.
'The Big Reveal': Nostalgia Studies in the Studio
in Video
A look at the image transfer process used in the 2019 Nostalgia Studies series.
Modern marketing discussion at the Image Transfer Workshop in Berlin
in Video
In this video, we discuss some of the 'cool' marketing channels while doing image transfers, recorded live from Keegan Luttrell’s Image Transfer Workshop at the Berlin Drawing Room (visit her website).
New 2019 Nostalgia Studies series
in Drawing
I’ve began working on a new 2019 version of the Nostalgia Studies series—a theme which provides me with endless inspiration. I’m excited about this iteration because I’ve found a use for the 5 1/4” floppy disks, images that I’ve been looking to use for several years. Here are some of the pieces I’m working on. They’re fairly large at 100 cm x 70 cm.
‘Ancient Greece’s Legacy for Liberty: Herodotus and...’
in Painting
“Ancient Greece’s Legacy for Liberty: Herodotus and...”, 80 cm x 100 cm, acrylic on canvas.
'15 Celebs that Are Total Jerks in Real Life'
in Drawing
“15 Celebs that Are Total Jerks in Real Life”, 33.5 cm x 48.5 cm, mixed media on paper.
‘q=caravaggio+medusa’
in Multimedia
A new work from the Related Images series.
“q=caravaggio+medusa”, 59.5 cm x 63 cm, mixed media and inkjet on paper.
‘q=raphael+madonna’
in Multimedia
“q=raphael+madonna”, 59 cm x 80 cm, mixed media and inkjet on paper.
‘q=raphael+fornarina’
in Multimedia
‘The Peloponnesian War, Book 1.68’
in Art Book, Digital Art
“You Spartans are the only people in Hellas who wait calmly on events, relying for defence not on action but on making people think that you will act.”
'The Debate at Sparta and the Declaration of War,' iPhone X, digital image.
'Pause'
in Painting
Happy holidays!
“Pause”, 100 cm x 130 cm, acrylic and mixed media on canvas.
'Aeneas carrying his father'
in Digital Art
“Aeneas carrying his father“, iPhone X, digital image.
'What do artists do?': Cool feature in Berlin-Shenzhen culture blog
Q. Lei new website, The Inbetween Album, which covers tech, art and the Berlin and Shenzhen cultural scenes.
“What Do Artists Do Behind the Scenes?” considers different aspects of the creative life, as well as the notion of the overly-mystified artist. Q. Lei presents the issue from a variety of perspectives and responds to some of the ideas discussed in an episode of my Artist Journal podcast.
‘The Peloponnesian War, Book 1.22’
in Digital Art
“I have written my work, not as an essay which is to win the applause of the moment, but as a possession of all time.”
“The Peloponnesian War 1.22”, iPhone X, digital image.
'Study for The Peloponnesian War'
in Digital Art
“Study for The Peloponnesian War”, iPhone X, digital image.
'The Entombment'
in Digital Art
“The Entombment”, iPhone X, digital image.