Artist Dominic Brown!

So here I am again introducing another fantastic artist, Illustrator Dominic Brown, a cool young artist whose also a fantastic photographer. Creating mixed media projects in which he uses mechanical pencils, colored markers, pictures, a scanner, printer, computer software & sometimes paint, the artist says his work can best be described as being digital pop art... much more of his work can be seen at mayluna.com

Dominic apologized for what he called his "Sometimes chaotic English..." But I told him not to worry, it's perfectly fine and charming:) I'm sure you'll agree ....

1. Where did you grow up and, how, if at all, has your environment influenced your work?

I grew up in a city called Rijswijk, which is a small city in between The Hague and Delft - The Netherlands. It's a sweet town with a lot of nature space to play outside & so I did...

I liked to play with all kinds of different kids, from Moroccan to Iraqi, French to Asian.

This and the fact that my parents showed me a lot of places around the world made me discover the color of skin doesn't matter in any case, it's always about the person - this influences me still daily and keeps me interested in different cultures.

2. What did you really, really want to be as a child?

I always wanted to become an archeologist or paleontologist, that was until I saw Jurassic Park...

3. Who are your mentors? Your influences?

Haha this will be funny .. since i got influenced a lot by cartoons like Transformers, Mask, Thundercats, Jace and The Wheeled Warriors ... and computer games like mario... I often feel very blessed to have grown up together with computer games, starting with a Nintendo 8 bit and am sure this influenced me a lot. Besides that I got very much influenced by my first visit to Egypt with my parents at the age of twelve, especially the museum of Cairo, holding the artifacts of Tutankhamen... this I already knew then, would be the greatest, most beautiful art I'd ever see...

My grandfather has always been painting natural environments quite professionally I must admit.. it always stayed his hobby but you can see his enthusiasm in his eyes when he shows off some of his work - he is very interested in what I make and this brings me joy very much :) My grandfather too is very much interested in ancient Egypt, so this we share also.

4. How, if at all, does your work engage social history or commentary? Do you worry about making a "statement"?

I am always thinking about making one, even if there's a tiny symbol in an image you wont even be able to see... there's almost always one in my work...

A good example of a big statement in my work: Learn To Love Our World

5. Do you have a "day" job?

Yes, I work at a telecompany, selling contracts.

It's the perfect job for me, since I have my hands free and am able to draw all day.

6. Do you experience boredom or "blocks"? How do you deal with them?

I don't experience this too much luckily... that would be because I have a fulltime job I guess...and besides that I have a fulltime girlfriend & a fulltime hobby :)

7. Do you have a favorite scripture, quote or motto, piece of advice you received and live by?

I am super interested in space and enjoy thinking about measuring eternity.
This too very much inspires me every day.

My own motto would be:"You are what you think."

8. When you're not working or creating you are....?

I have a very sweet social life where I like putting time and energy in.
Also I like to travel and go out...I don't watch a lot of TV.

9. Five words to describe you would be?

Pooh.. hard to say about myself without being arrogant!

but if you'd ask people who know me, they'd answer

• Creative

• Careful

• A bit chaotic / crazy ( I like sarcasm )
• Friendly
• One of a kind

10. One thing you have yet to accomplish or try and really,really want to? (ie, sky diving or getting a tattoo....)

An ultimate dream would be to DJ at a tech-houseparty on the 21st of June @ Stonehenge, England. A realizable thing to accomplish is to expose my art in Tokyo.

Portfolio of DOminic BrOwn

Music of Organic Moonshine

I think this unique, wonderful sound and this wonderful truth compliment each other...

"There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.
And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost."
~ Martha Graham

Like Valerie June's expression? Visit her site here.

Interview with Painter Noah A. Kinigstein

I was introduced to the work of Noah A. Kinigstein through author, banker, businessman extraordinaire and mutual friend Patrick A. Howell. I met with Noah in his downtown law office in New York. The office and the man were not what I expected. The office is a large loft space divided by partial walls covered in socially conscious and stimulating art and lit with track lighting. The art is that of Noah's, his father, Jonah Kinigstein and other favorites. Noah himself was wearing jeans and a baseball cap, very earthy, energetic and youthful. What did I expect? Safe paintings of flowers on the walls and a suit, I suppose. Much like the law offices I've worked in. This was an exciting change and I certainly enjoyed our conversation. Mr. Kinigstein is as passionate about his art as his law practice as you'll see. (My apologies in advance for the glare on the photos)




How long have you been painting?

I’ve basically been painting my whole life. My father is a painter and my mother was a painter. I grew up in an artistic household.

Work by the Senior Kinigstien

So it came natural to you?

I wouldn’t say natural, because there’s a lot of work involved. What is natural is my love of creating and painting, that I’ve always loved to do. That comes from watching my parents enjoy it. I don’t consider myself naturally gifted in a sense, but I’ve had the natural inclination to want to draw.



Other than your parents, who are your artistic influences?

I’ve had different influences over the years, but I’m very influenced by the master painters who challenged themselves to a rendering of life from an aesthetic point of view. I’m a figurative painter not an abstract painter. I really look at the renaissance painters who knew how to use paint, how to apply paint. A lot of the American painters I love too, William Merritt Chase, Robert Henri, I love the Ashcan school, really they’re powerful; I love The Hudson River school and I’ve painted a lot of pieces over the years to honor those people.




How long have you been practicing law?

I’ve been practicing law about 27 years, even while I was in law school I was always trying to take a class or paint a little bit.



So you’re passionate about law and your passionate about painting, how do you think they compliment each other?

Well, my wife says that it’s really the same thing. That the passion for the law, the type of law I practice which is justice, civil law, anti-discrimination, constitutional rights and things like that is one side of my creativeness because I practice a kind creative law, trying to push the law but frankly it’s a different thing really. I just want to paint pictures; it’s not exactly the same thing. In very broad strokes there’s a creative aspect to both obviously, but you use your mind in totally different ways when you practice law than when you paint. Law is following rules and procedures and trying to figure out how to fit in to that; while painting, hopefully, is another side of the brain which is a n expansive notion of how things look and feel.

But it definitely influences your subject matter, the things you see in your practice…


Oh definitely. It’s like a diary. Picasso and other painters as well have said they have to paint everyday because every day they’re feeling something and they’re paintings are a reflection of what they were experiencing.





Are you formally trained?

I took classes occasionally; I took a basic watercolor class at Pratt, a few basic oil painting classes at The Figurative Institute over on Franklin Street. I took a few sketch classes and things like that but I never enrolled in a formal training program. And I haven’t taken classes in a log time now, I feel I have the basics that I need to move foreword.

Noah and I talked a bit about how formal training can change an artist and not always for the better and this is what he went on to say...

I’ve had the experience of seeing people who I felt were very good artist who went and trained with people and I think its ruined them, ruined the beauty of their own expression. What can happen is a teacher who has an ax to grind or a particular vision of how things should be done can give you technique but can also supersede your spirit and I don’t like that. I’d rather see mistakes made by a painter than see them trying to reproduce someone else’s vision.





How often do you get to paint?

Everyday, even if it’s a little bit. Sometimes I’m very tired at the end of a day but I try to schedule either very early in the morning or at the end of the day. Now watercolor is a little bit easier for me to paint everyday, because its water, it’s easier to deal with. But oil paints are more complicated; you’re dealing with chemicals that dry so you can’t leave them out. If you squeeze paint or you’re mixing it’s a more involved process.

What mediums do you work in?

Watercolor, oil, pastel, pen and ink, mostly everything. I don’t do sculpture, not yet, I’d like to do sculpture.






Do you have a favorite medium?

No, but over the years I’ve explored a lot of expression in watercolor. It depends on what I‘m working on, the image that’s in my head. Right now I’m working on a very large black crayon drawing, it’s almost full size. It’s a study of the Civil War, I’ve done a lot of drawings of the Civil War; battle fields, people that were involved, just exploring that time and all that was entailed.

I paint for the joy of painting; I love the act of painting I can get lost in it. I sort of have to do it. I’m compelled to do it. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes you have to put things away for months.




Does your wife paint?

No, she’s a mid-wife. She has her own artistic interest but she doesn’t paint. My daughter paints, quite a lot actually, she’s in college now but she was involved with mural painting for a while.

Many people who paint are also musicians, play instruments or write literature, is that you?

No I don’t play any instruments, I used to. I write a lot as a lawyer, briefs and what have you. I have started, at various times, plays that I haven’t finished. I would like to finish those, I haven’t had the time.

I can imagine, you have a lot on your plate….

Yeah, I do have a lot on my plate. I got two kids….. trying to get them through college.

How do you deal with blocks or boredom?

Since I don’t do it all the time, all day, everyday; I’m not invested in it in the sense that I don’t do it as an ego identification. So I haven’t had that problem. It’s such a joy to be able to paint and to have the space and time to do it. I always have eight to ten paintings going at one time. If I have a problem with one I just move to the next, I keep moving.




Noah says: "Never be critical of your work, put it aside. Never destroy anything that you’ve done. That’s not useful. Because years from now you’ll look at it and see something and there is something there. Don’t be too critical, it’s very hard to paint and it’s a growth experience. Just have fun, have a good time."



Contact Mr. Kinigstein at
212.567.3813 or
tanelman@aol.com

How cool is he?

Richard Branson

CEO, Virgin Group
Type of Business: Travel, radio, TV, music, venture capital
Education: No college degree

He became an entrepreneur at age 16 with the creation of Student magazine....

look here

You feel me?

Chameleon Street

Chameleon Street is a 1989 independent film written, directed by and starring Wendell B. Harris, Jr. an American filmmaker trained in drama at the prestigious Interlochen and Juilliard schools. Chameleon Street, a Gethsemane 84, Inc./ Prismatic Images, Inc. film tells the story of a social chameleon who impersonates reporters, doctors and lawyers in order to make money.

It's based on the true confessions of Detroit con artist and high school drop-out William Douglas Street, Jr. who successfully impersonated professional reporters, lawyers, athletes, extortionists, and surgeons. (In this last "role" he performed more than 36 successful hysterectomies.) One of the first films to examine how mellifluously race, class, and role-playing morph into the social fabric of America, Chameleon Street won the Grand Jury Prize at 1990 Sundance Film Festival.

This film is the work of a genius mind. Wendell's performance is magic. There have been many great films dealing with impersonation and pretending to be what you aren't, it's an old story, Shakespeare's told it to everyone else but this is in no way redundant. It's a brilliant, entertaining, funny and well told story. Now, this is pre-Six Degrees of Separation, and watching the film it came to me that Will Smith has to love this movie and probably used it in preparation for Six Degrees. There are amazing similarities between the actors, not only in appearance but spirit and execution as well. There's also a scene with a Rubik's Cube that'll make you think of The Pursuit of Happyness and go hmmmm.

If you haven't seen this, do yourself a favor: rent it.