May 2009

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This Humble Contagion – WIP the second

May 29, 2009 in News, W.I.P.s | 3 comments

This Humble Contagion - WIP of cut paper art by Patrick Gannon
size: 18 x 25.5 cm (about 7″ x 10″ or so)
medium: pencil scribbles on tracing paper

The final drawing for “This Humble Contagion”. By this point, I’ve worked out the layering of the piece. For the most part. Alot of the time I realize while cutting that some things may need a new layer, or might work better on a lower layer/color. It’s all part of the way the thing evolves.

You can see that a lot more detail has crept into the tree. All those miniscule details are my way of keeping myself from going sane. I’ve added the flower-thing too. Right now, it’s part of the bottom/dark layer of the tree and framework. That might change if I think it needs more color later on. Some of my earlier sketched had a face in the flower, but I tossed that idea pretty quickly.

One idea that I may yet keep are the clouds. They’re still scribbles here. I’ve drawn them out on separate scraps of tracing paper. I thing they might work if they’re subtle enough. I just need to remember not to glue down the tree until I’ve made that decision.

The next step is figuring out the basic colors, then on to transferring, cutting and gluing. Below, you can see about halfway through the drawing process.
This Humble Contagion - WIP of cut paper art by Patrick Gannon

Hop in the Front Seat

May 27, 2009 in News | Add your comment

Design Taxi Interview with Patrick Gannon

Design Taxi is a very cool portfolio/art & design news site based out of Singapore.

Not too long ago, the very nice folks there asked me a couple questions about me and my work. Jump on over if you would like to hear me yammer on semi-coherently about my thoughts on the meaning of “art”, how I got into cut-paper, and being attacked by a bear.

Here’s the Interview!

Show and Tell

May 24, 2009 in Exhibitions & Events, Japan, News | Add your comment

@ Lovers Rock Cafe
Lovers Rock Cafe in Kichijoji will still be showing some of my work for another week or so. If you get the chance, I highly recommend stopping by. The taco rice is delicious.

For those of you who are, for example, on the other side of the planet, here’s a link to a couple pictures from the show on Flickr.

While I’m at it, John Wong was kind enough to post some photos from myplasticheart’s “New Moon” group show in New York, which ended earlier this month. I think there are some great pieces still available. You can see them here.

This Humble Contagion – WIP the first

May 21, 2009 in News, W.I.P.s | 2 comments

This Humble Contagion - WIP of cut paper art by Patrick Gannon
size: 18 x 25.5 cm (about 7″ x 10″ or so)
medium: scribbles

This may turn out to be the most embarrassing post I ever write.

The talented Mr. Dick Krepel once showed our class how he does all of his sketching on loose sheets of scrap paper. That way, if anyone ever decides to publish his sketchbook (and they really really should), he can weed out all the less-than-wonderful drawings with no one the wiser; no ripped out pages to tell the tale. Very clever, Mr. Krepel. Verrrrrrrrry clever.

I, on the other hand, am putting them up on the internet for all the world to see. The image above is the “good” layout, pieced together from the best scribbles in my sketchbook. Chances are, it will change quite a bit between now and the final product. For one thing, I didn’t even draw in the main concept… a flower (or something) which starts the chain reaction when it sprays it’s pollen (or…something) into the ear of the front character. Who then passes it along. Color will play a huge part in this piece. Fingers are crossed it’ll all work out. Read the rest of this entry »

Creative Creature Camouflage

May 14, 2009 in Art - Recent Work, ` | 6 comments

Creative Creature Camouflage cut paper art by Patrick Gannon
size: 10 x 15 cm (about 6″ x 4″)
medium: cut paper on wood

This world is a nasty, brutish parade of danger and peril. All manner of people and things want to crush, smother, stomp on, rend, tear, shoot, dismember, discombobulate, confuse, bite, claw, batter, smoosh, mutilate, strangle and eat us. Or worse, sell us something.

How lucky we are that evolution has provided us with the means to protect ourselves. Take, for example, this lil’ fella here. Defensive mimicry proves that nature knows how to play a little joke on itself.

Then again, maybe defense is the last thing on this beastie’s mind. It all depends on which end is leading the parade.

Rockin’ the Love

May 4, 2009 in Exhibitions & Events, Japan, News | 2 comments

Just a quick note today. Over here in Tokyo, we’re smack-dab in the middle of Golden Week the biggest holiday in Japan, in terms of length, if not importance. In my house we’ve been celebrating by…cleaning. Not just any cleaning, mind you. The Big Clean. O-Souji. Every wall, every floor, every piece of furniture moved and cleaned and cleaned under. Every book removed and individually dusted. It’s been fun. I have sneezed 7,347 times. But that’s not the news.

Tomorrow afternoon I will be visiting Lovers Rock Cafe in Kichijoji, where a selection of my work is hanging throughout the month of May. The cafe is super pleasant, with a sort of 60′s pop meets rustic appeal; and they brew a mean cup of coffee. I’ve filled the two rooms with a a nice mix of framed prints, postcards and originals, many of which have never been shown in Japan before, and all of which are for sale. Stop on by if you get the chance! I hope to see you there.

The details:

Name: Lovers Rock Cafe, Kichijoji

dates: May 1 – May 31, 2009

My first visit: May 5, 2009 from around 3:30 – ? (email or call to get exact times).

place: Lovers Rock Cafe
東京都武蔵野市吉祥寺本町1-10-14
ロータス第2ビル　1Ｆ

website: right here.
map: find your way.

I plan on stopping into the cafe a few more times this month; once a week if possible. I’ll post again when I know the exact dates. If you have a particular day or time in mind when you’ll be in Kichijoji, I would love to run over and meet you. Just let me know a couple days ahead, and we’ll work out a schedule. Oh, the cafe occasionally gets reserved, so it’s always a good idea to call and make sure they will be open that day.