D Young V x Eddie Colla Momento Mori

It's no secret how much I love Eddie Colla's stuff. Ever since I laid eyes on his 'If you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission' print, I was a goner. THis video is from an exhibition he put on with D Young V, another favourite of mine I discovered through Eddie (I like to refer to him in the first name basis and pretend that we're friends, creepy but true).

THe blurb goes:

Memento Mori, a Latin term for ‘remember death’, is an artistic symbol for remembering the inevitability of death, and is a continuing theme throughout Eddie Colla’s and D Young V’s work. The artists’ installations depict the end of the world juxtaposed to the rising up of a new world from ashes, and a future reduced to the tasks of survival and memory. (source)

d young v x eddie colla - memento mori from Eddie Colla on Vimeo.

IT's warlike, apocalyptic, industrial... all the things I like. It makes me want to make my art more, to do more and be more. That's what an awesome artist should do. When I finally take over the world, he's totally going to be my official War Artist.

The video below explains a lot of what you are seeing in the exhibition and the linkages between the objects. IT's a pretty cool little film too...

Epilogue from Eddie Colla on Vimeo.

Fucken wicked.

Return of the Brooch

Yes, it's true. Just as surely as the Jedi return in Star Wars so too do the HiiRagi brooches. And this time they are armed for both survival and attack.

First up, the Occupational Force: Pilot and Jungle, flanking the Berserker: Jungle (what else do you do with a giant purple monster thingy in the jungle than cover his head with camo?).

And Recon Unit. Jungle, utility belt and explosives. What more could you ask for?

All the brooches are 5cm in height and will be in the online store soon but for now you can get them from Salamanca or Spacebar Gallery.

Sketches

Someone growled at me yesterday for not showing my sketches. Normally I would ignore such an incident but when she asks me to do something I tend to do it. SO here are some sketches from my nice new sketch book. I have a love/hate relationship with new sketch books. I feel like there is going to be so much greatness in the potential they hold but tend to crack under the pressure of having to make it all look awesome. The first page is the worst. So in the style of the original Battler Britton epics I made a beautiful cover page...

I have been formulating new ideas for the army and how they look, including a more military edge. Head wear is important for this so I sketched out a few ideas for Recon Unit. I think the simple version is best, it looks more hard arse and we all know how hard arsed Recon Unit is...

And everyone loves a bunny....

The Deep by PES

B B B Berserker!!!!!

Ask me what I have been doing and lately the answer is consistently "Making Toys". And this week means Berserkers, the last line of attack in the HiiRagi Army hierarchy...

And the name says it all. An experiment that went a little bit wrong but in a good way. Berserkers do not reason, they do not care, they do not stop, you will be eaten or drown in their drool. If you see one, then it’s all over red rover, either that or unfortunately one has escaped...hey, it happens to the best of us. Even in cages they seem to manage to frighten the Recon Units to distraction.

I love them. A friend once told me that he always knew when I was drawing Berserkers because I would snigger to myself regularly and wear a weird smirk (what does that even mean?). I probably drooled as well, which would be the dead give away.

Comic Book Inspiration

Anyone who has been talking to me for say...the past...year? Two years? Would know that I am planning to write a comic book. Well, I have avoided it, ignored it and finally now, I am starting on it. But like every good idea, it needs a bit of inspiration to enter the "the vortex". I grew up reading Archie, Asterix, and Tintin which was followed up with Tank Girl and Deadline magazine (RIP).

These days I have expanded my tastes and comic books/graphic novels have changed a fair bit but two have recently stood out. The first was read by an ex-partner of mine and despite their insistence that I read it, at heart I am a brat and refused to do as I was told. Now, many years on I have finally read it and I should have listened. What am I talking about? Bone of course!

The tale of the three Bones is awesome. It's funny, exciting and adventurous, with all the best aspects of a stranger comes to town and a quest (the best story ideas). You can buy it now in big volumes so you can just read it all at once. The story is epic. I really should have listened, sorry r%$#*t (name has been deleted to protect their poor innocent soul, they didn't know what they were getting into).

Second up is Nathan Jurevicius' Scary Girl. This is super cute. It also has no real dialogue so the image has to tell the whole story. It's bright, colourful and just a tad weird. The story is set under the water and I love the creatures that live in this world.

Neither is like the story I am writing at the moment, nor are they of my style but I prefer to find inspiration in things that do not reflect my style, the temptation to copy (even sub consciously) is lessened. Plus it expands your idea of what is possible.

SO what is happening in my comic book?! Well, there will be two. One, is my epic story of the Army going into North Korea, and secondly, I will be writing a continuous story for the newsletter which a HEAP of you have subscribed for! Thanks! All I can say is stay tuned....

So...where have you been? A confession

I have a confession to make. Well, it's not really a confession, it's more a statement. I have a real dislike for social media, especially Facebook. I don't want to know your details, or how you just got up, or that you really want a cup of tea, OR see only the greatest bit's of your life. I like my friends to be real, to be crap on days they feel crap or happy on the days they feel happy. For a great blog post on social media read this. The Middle Finger project is awesome. I also like Eddie Colla's post.

Now, what is the point of all of this? Ah, back to the 'confession'... I joined Instagram. That's it, that's all. Nothing for some, huge for me but there you go. It's kinda fun to be honest, especially when you follow artists. I also like the fact that it's images, none of the crap of the others medias. You can see us here at HiiRagiHQ, or not. But that's where I've been. I've always had trouble balancing things....