Tag: Face Value

Face Value at Fiksate Studio & Gallery

After the success and popularity of Jacob Yikes’ exhibition Bad Company, Fiksate are set to launch their next show, with the return of Face Value. Initially held at Fiksate’s previous location in New Brighton in late 2017, Face Value was an exploration of portraiture through urban art, design and illustration.

The 2019 incarnation of Face Value continues this theme, but with a more specific focus on the presence of faces, figures and characters in the work of graffiti, street and urban contemporary artists. This takes the identity-centric and infographic qualities of urban art (think of the centrality of the name in graffiti, and the instant recognition sought by post-graffiti artists) as a starting point, to consider the varying ways artists utilise portraiture, self-portraiture, characters, figures and faces, at times within their work. This spans somewhat traditional approaches to portraiture, to repeated, iconic emblems that are as much about their material or performative creation as their visual appearance, akin to a tag as much as a representational image.

The stacked line-up provides an array of artists whose work engages with this realm and highlights a variety of stylistic, material and conceptual approaches, from internationally renowned Anthony Lister’s frenetically composed images that shift between high and low cultural references, to Elliot O’Donnell (you may know him as AskewOne, either way he is undeniably one of New Zealand’s most successful and thoughtful urban artists) and his portraits that consider cultural identity. There are also works by Australian artists Handbrake (Perth), Tom Gerrard (Melbourne), and Mulga (Sydney), who all bring a playful, graphic quality to their character-based work, and UK and US artists KoeOne and Voxx Romana respectively, the former elegantly combining greyscale figuration with bold typography, and the latter, subversive cultural references with a stencil precision. Auckland artists Erika Pearce and Component bring further diversity though their distinct approaches to cultural identity, while local artists, both emerging and established, ensure a vital representation of what is happening right here. Local artists include Jacob Yikes, Ikarus, Joel Hart, Porta, Dove, Tom Kerr and Meep, each representing distinct personal perspectives; from bold self-portraits, to recurring motifs and characters developed over years of extended practice.

Face Value opens on Friday, January 18th, 5:00pm – 9:30pm at Fiksate Studio & Gallery, 165 Gloucester Street.

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Face Value at Fiksate Gallery

Fiksate Gallery is busy gearing up for Face Value, the New Brighton studio and gallery’s latest exhibition. Face Value features an array of artists from diverse backgrounds and locations, each tied together by an interest in portraiture, or perhaps more specifically, the depiction of faces. The selection of work illustrates the attraction of portraiture for so many artists, including those with street backgrounds, and how such explorations are incredibly varied both in conception and their reception.

We caught up with Fiksate artist and Face Value curator Jenna Lynn Brown (a.k.a. Jen) to find out what inspired this exploration of portraiture and how she pulled it all together….

Hey Jen! How are you?

Hey! I’m great thanks! My partner Nathan and I have been very busy getting Face Value ready and of course juggling this with our new four month old baby Frank!

Yes congratulations on Frank’s arrival! To be fair you two are not known for being idle, you have always had an impressive work ethic, but I’m guessing at the moment down time is really at a premium!

So, how did the concept for Face Value come about…

The concept of Face Value came about through my own exploration into portraiture. There are so many ways to interpret the most familiar and important aspect of our humanity and individuality, our face, and this fascinates me. I work with a really abstract version of a face which communicates a self-portrait styled look into my own psyche, and by following several other artists who use portraiture in totally different ways, I really wanted to put together an exhibition that shows this amazing variety of representations. After throwing a few lines out about this concept a couple of months ago, I’ve had a great response and can happily say Face Value has a great line up with a huge variety of styles.

Your ‘Jen Heads’ have become an iconic element of your work, taking on both your own inner psyche as you say, but also a life of their own, showing the rich potential found in faces as subjects. You have a range of artists involved, how did you select specific contributors and was this variety always an intended element of Face Value?

There are a few ways I selected artists for this show. There are artists that Fiksate knows and have shown before and whose works already show portraiture themes like Jacob Yikes, who is, in my opinion the most prolific and exciting artist in Christchurch. Joel Hart is also an exciting artist whose multi layered, pop-art inspired works are gracing large walls, magazines, news articles and TV shows. I also used Instagram to find artists, I feel like Instagram has revolutionized the way we see art in this generation. Through Instagram I’ve been able to research, contact and communicate with artists of different backgrounds and mediums all over the world. And then there’s good ol’ word of mouth and people getting in touch about taking part in the show. However it wasn’t an open call for artists this time around. I guess the key is that each artist I selected shares an affinity to portraiture in their own unique and individual style and each will bring a different flavour to the show.

Jacob Yikes, 2017

You definitely have a diverse line up, and the local and international flavour shows both the growing scene here, but also the way social media, and technology generally, has made it easier for communities to engage and connect. Do any of the works or artists stand out to you for any reason, maybe exposing some key themes or unexpected revelations within Face Value?

There are certain artists who I feel embody to theme of Face Value one hundred per cent. Voxx Romana is an international street artist who has just had a solo show in Paris and his work can be seen around the streets of Europe and the USA. His work is always focused around a strong and powerful image of a person, and very frequently a well-known figure or celebrity. Voxx creates portraiture that speaks of strength, power, mystery and his works make you think, which I believe is a key theme in Face Value.

Voxx Romana, 2017

Importantly, alongside those with a background in street art, there are some stand out illustrators in this show, one from Australia who goes by Lusidart, and four NZ based artists; A.K. Illustration, Hibagon, Jessie Rawcliffe and L.A Buckett. Their works are powerful, intricate and have a slightly mysterious quality about them which draws you in, like there is something deeper behind the subject’s eyes.

Luisdart, 2017

We also have a surprise for our followers and any street art connoisseurs! A very special artist is up our sleeve from the USA, who, if his work arrives on time, will be shown for the opening, otherwise, keep an eye on our Fiksate social media for news on the impending arrival of some seriously great work!

Face Value opens at Fiksate Gallery, 115 New Brighton Mall, on Friday 17th November at 5:30pm. Face Value will run until December 17th 2017, but opening hours and viewing times will vary, so check the Fiksate website for more details.

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