Category Archives: Photography

Eric Le Flexible: The paradox of crude and explicit art

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The definition of art is an elaborate task. Yet, arguably, when a product of the human imagination triggers an emotional response, it can be defined as art. While most art is defined, subjectively so, only because the reaction it elicits is deemed pleasurable and guided by a superior sense of aesthetic, what to do when a vivid imagination has put together a universe of gruesome, graphic drawings with a warped yet fascinating sense of humor? You get Eric Le Flexible, an idiosyncratic maverick who ventures mostly into the grotesque and macabre, drawing with ghoulish irony and detached ease. He has that matchless skill to play with our minds (and his own) like a child does: unabashedly, lucidly, flusteringly, enabling him to pull out multifarious tricks from his hat, whether it be disproportioned genitalia, gory cartoons, or more innocent sketches. Eric Le Flexible is a brazen artist, with a flair for constantly exploring his creative power and pushing its boundaries, smacking us with his unembarrassed, bold choices. It stings, but it surely does not hurt.

Graziella Buontempo: Who is Eric le Flexible?

Eric Le Flexible: Another person inhabiting a major city in a western country. I also draw stuff.

GB: Do you consider yourself unconventional artistically?

ELF: I guess you could say that. I have always had a hard time placing my work into a category yet I know that, in and out of itself, it is not for everyone. Now, calling it unconventional may be a bit simple since I feel as though, over time, we are being used to greater exposure to sex and violence. They are part of our lives whether we choose to get involved or not. I just like to portrait the interaction differently than most cartoonists.

GB: Where does most of your inspiration come from?

ELF: The most mundane yet harsh reality that hits me everyday in socially acceptable interactions with fellow humans. My interpretation of those moments in life may have been fostered by the brilliant vision of cartoon prodigies such as Marcel Gotlieb, Franquin, Gary Larson and Nicholas Gurwitch.

GB: Given the nature of your illustrations, most people would describe you as a perverted and mentally deranged individual at the borderline of transgression and deviance. How would you defend yourself against such comments?

ELF: I wouldn’t. I can’t draw these things and expect not to be called a mentally disturbed pervert from time to time. I feel as though we are shaped by societal ideas based on categorization and hierarchy. If people want to analyze my work in such a simple manner and put me into a conveniently labeled basket, so be it. I just like to think we all have different interpretations of reality but some people comfort themselves into thinking there is only one. That being said, I am well aware of the content of my work; it’s up to the viewers to call me “wrong” or not.

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GB: Is there a line you trace in your drawings between acceptable and not? Do you think your work is/ can be/should be perceived as art?

ELF: I would like to think it is art but I understand most people see it as childish and hurtful classroom doodling, which it kind of is. When it comes to my drawings, I don’t think anything is unacceptable. I draw the line where my imagination and ability to express it stop.


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Frieze London: A Window of Artistic Hope

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Click here to read the review on Suitcase Magazine.

There is always something electrifying about being in London in October. The atmosphere is magical as leaves fade to yellow and orange in the luscious parks, and while they gently fall to the ground, the autumn sun still warms the increasingly crisp air. Yet, the main reason of excitement comes not from these last rays of unexpected sunshine, but from the feverish frenzy of the infamous Frieze Art Fair week, which this year celebrated its 10th edition.

 And what better way to celebrate success than by opening up a new tent at Regent’s Park? This year’s novelty, Frieze Masters (the new space opened to celebrate art before the year 2000), more discreet and less flashy than Frieze London, did seem to steal the show, with its breathtaking showcase of masterpieces ranging from Canaletto to Miro and Sol LeWitt. Here and there Persian rugs and Christian icons were interspersed with Poussins, never before seen Warhol drawings and three majestic Calder sculptures, rotating their featherweight, metallic components lulled by a gentle, silvery tune. Undoubtedly, Frieze Masters was an awe-inspiring success!

Exiting the taciturn, elegant atmosphere of the Frieze Masters to enter the Frieze London tent creates an almost shocking sensation, with a crowd who seemed in some cases to ooze more fashion and head-to-toe designer clothes than an actual interest in the diverse art exposed. With 175 galleries representing 35 countries, Frieze London was a fun, colorful and varied event, presenting old and young, famous and emerging artists (as well as swarms of street-style photographers). While many observers, driven by the anxiety for the economic crisis and social turmoil of the moment, were expecting a less shiny spectacle than previous editions, the financial depression seemed to be a simple ghost of the past as visitors happily left their concerns outside to fully appreciate and enjoy the event. With curious eyes, flocks of people wandered around the multitude of booths, stopping to take pictures at Carsten Holler’s pink walrus at Gagosian or observing the weaving mastery of Turner-prize winner Grayson Perry with his “The Adoration of the Cage Fighters”. With paintings and photography, color and monochromatic, colossal and miniature pieces, Frieze London was a jumble of artistic skills eliciting laughter, enjoyment, inquisitiveness and a certain dose of perplexity.

Many visitors seemed to get lost, trying desperately to find some sort of unity in the jungle of artists surrounding them. While difficult to find, there seemed to be a common thread in the multitude of warm-colored balloons, pop-colored windows and wooden doors that represented many artist choices. From Scott King’s “A Balloon for Britain” series to Scott Myle’s “See Through Window” and Richard Long’s controversial “ThisGlobalWarmingSeemsToBeDoingUsSomeGood” (all of which were amongst my personal favorites), there is a resoluteness to move forward and forget the sorrows of the world. Politics and anti capitalistic utopias are put aside in order to encourage what is, hopefully, the beginning of a new period to forge fresh artistic ideals. It is so that a simple picture of an Irish coastline, or a series of 10 enlarged balloons set against a black and white English-country background, seems to rise to a higher symbolism. One in which the artist tries to escape the burden of a moneyless, jobless and emotionless world by silently observing from the sky, or by deciding to color those glass windows that supply our vision of reality with enthusiastic and energetic nuances, clamoring against a society maybe too often infused by a wrenching lack of passion. And while most art, however interactive with the audience, remains hermetic and individual, the atmosphere at Frieze was more than ever, one of discovery, experimentation and hope.

Rosanna Bach: The genuine capture of life

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Rosanna (Rosie) is a wild spirit. Armed with her camera, she captures the untamable essence of life, whether it be her personal one or the savage beauty of nature. Her pictures are silvery and mellifluous, and you can discern her eye and taste for sceneries and moments that lack that flagrant cheesiness that too many  end up with. Rosie’s photography is original, in that it is authentic and real. She could choose any other blatant, obvious subject, but on the contrary she chooses her life and sense of adventure with all its wonderfully complex yet unpretentious moments. It is so that a creative reunion of artists in a Pennsylvania retreat, a California highway or a Berlin Open Air party, reach beyond a simple click: Rosie is able to move us into the picture and one can immediately feel the dusty gust of wind in Aluminé (Argentina), or the raving music of Berlin. Her free mind and curiosity exude like a storm from her lens, whether it be in the emotional depth of a face, the ephemerality of a moment, or the fierce wilderness of a rainbow stretching across a delicate fog.

Graziella Buontempo: Who is Rosanna Bach?

Rosanna Bach: A work in progress.

GB: Do you remember when you received your first camera?

RB: To be honest I don’t. But there’s a good chance that it was one of those Polaroid cameras from the 90’s because I recently rediscovered it in the back of a cupboard!

GB: Do you have a defining experience that made you want to launch yourself into photography?

RB: I wouldn’t say there was one particular moment where I though to myself “alright, now I’m going to launch myself into it.” It was more of a gradual process. In my first year in New York I’d take a bunch of photos with disposable cameras for memories sake, and my friends were like: “Hey your photos are pretty good!” So the encouragement from them I suppose is what landed me into all of this.

GB: Who are some of the people who have inspired you the most throughout these years?

RB: This might sound strange, but I guess the people who are inspired by me usually inspire me the most, because that’s where the best exchanges occur.

GB: Most of your pictures are black and white? Why do you prefer to choose B/W to color? Does this choice represent particular emotions?

RB: Color can be distracting at times, if it is not used well it will hurt the photo more than help it (like in a painting too). So I suppose I find it easier to get to the core with black and white.

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GB: You have a very international background. You are half Swiss/half British, you lived in New York City and now you are living in Buenos Aires. How does such diversity influence you?

RB: I don’t feel like I am from any one place. Obviously there are certain places I relate to more than others, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and I don’t feel very Swiss at all. I think it’s mostly just taught me not to judge, see that everyone has their own “truth”. I mean I always knew there was no black or white, but it’s made me appreciate the grey a whole lot more.

GB: You graduated from Parson’s School of Design in NYC. How has living in such a dynamic city inspired you? What are some of the places, people, sounds, colors of New York that have attracted you the most? Are there any particular sub-cultures that have moved you in a particular way?

RB: The randomness of the city is what is most beautiful about it.

GB: How is living in the warmth and liveliness of Buenos Aires different from your past experience in New York? Does this city inspire your work in a different way?

RB: It’s similar to NYC in the sense that it’s hard to break into, but then once you’ve got that, the big love affair begins. And I was actually scared shitless at the beginning with the language barrier, I didn’t know how strangers would react. Secondly the city is in a bit of a state right now. And a blonde tourist girl with a camera is probably the prime target (to rob that is, electronics are very expensive here).

But something good came out of it, I started a project about fear. It was a way to help me get over mine. So I approach strangers and take their portraits and have a conversation about theirs. It’s an interesting topic, every single one of us has them no matter what shape or form, family, country we’re from.

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Axlsouetre: The wilderness of imagination

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He strolls around Boston, NYC and Paris. He ventures to discover sunny California, far East China or near East Estonia, a camera in one hand, a skate in his other. Whether it is through portraits, landscapes or abandoned hospitals, his colorful nuances unveil powerful emotions, while his games of shade and light capture the essence of wild stories. With the enigmatically candid and fresh allure that only artists possess, Axlsouetre paints the world with a creative versatility that few others have. Bashful yet electrifying, Axlsouetre is a free spirit that traces his path across art, photography, video and graphic design.

Graziella Buontempo: Who is Axlsouetre?

Axlsouetre: Axlsouetre is a small fluffy animal similar to a squirrel. It feeds on people’s brain juice and travels from one tree to another between Europe and the US. In its spare time, it’s also a human being studying marketing and graphic design in Boston before heading back home to Paris.

GB: What is your favorite creation so far?

A: It’s hard to say. “Fuck the grey matter for hurting us” means a lot to me; it might have been the only work that I felt fully content about and that got me inspired to try a new approach.

GB: What is creativity for you? Do you consider yourself to be creative?

A: Creativity for me is being able to start from nothing and evolve toward something that creates a conversation within the viewer’s mind.

But creativity remains one of those concepts that I’ll probably spend the rest of my life trying to figure out. Who isn’t creative, really?

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