Since 2014
PICK PIECES The Ballpointer staff choose the artwork and let the artist explain it in their own words Vol 3 No 5 posted June 13, 2016
Andrey Poletaev・Lugansk, Ukraine
Art Mechanica 2016 ・ 76 x 61cm (30 x 25'') ・ ballpoint pen on paper
2015 PICKS page archive MENU
FEB2015~NOV2015 click the BALLPOINTER graphic (left) to access the full 2015 menu
James Mylne, 1999 London, England
''Art Mechanica is one of my latest drawings as well as the beginning of the new series featuring imaginative work that will be created in parallel to the Urban Cityscapes. Drawing with a ballpoint pen in the area of Cityscapes is incredibly time and energy consuming. When I finish one complex piece I like to unwind and temporarily switch to something new to set my imagination free. I wanted to create a piece featuring mechanics and at the same time I wanted it to be unique. The entire train didn't interest me, but certain components of the train such as the wheels did. The wheels by themselves would be boring and uninteresting. A body was created followed by other components to logically tie this train-humanoid into a mechanically capable machine. As a result Art Mechanica was born. Each artist's work carries a certain sense, but everyone sees it in their own way. Some may find a whimsical mechanism that could be started by giving it a kick in the rear, others may look for something more profound. I don’t attempt to embed deeper meaning and prefer that you, the viewer, find it for yourself'' ・
Be sure to visit www.poletaevart.com・Artwork © Andrey Poletaev
Lennie Mace Tokyo, Japan
PICKS PAGE ARCHIVES2016: Read about these artworks in the artists' own words in The Ballpointer PICKPIECE archives. Click on the artwork to see their PICKPIECES.
PICKS PAGE ARCHIVES 2015:
Pepe Lozano Cordoba, Spain
Guy Woodard New York, New York
Matt Rota Brooklyn, New York
Gareth Edwards Stourbridge, England
M.I. Shaikh Mumbai, India
BALLPOINTBRIEF by O. Lebron originally posted Apr 7, 2016
Inkarcerated・Tok.yo
You could say Guy Woodard had time on his side for the creation of some ''200-or-so'' drawings in ballpoint pen. Prison time, that is; almost ten years of it. The Otisville Correctional Facility in upstate New York was his home during those years, and Woodard now jokes that the facility unwittingly became his sponsor. Now a free man, a recent exhibition of his inmate art attracted a wave of publicity, including coverage by Time Out New York and Fox 5 News. Artwork created by inmates falls into the same category of "oddity" as ballpoint pen artwork is often lumped. For Woodard it's a one-two punch of both. Not a bad thing; both turn heads and attract mass media...
Lennie Mace, 1984 New York, New York
Shane McAdams・Brooklyn / Wisconsin
Pen Blows (slideshow)・All artwork 2016 12 x 12'' (30 x 30cm) ballpoint pen ink & resin on panel
''Four new Pen Blows hot off the press.
After a run of shows this winter, I've
decided to take some time to experiment,
play with materials, and basically make
some mistakes that will hopefully turn into
something worthwhile in the future. So the
studio is in mad scientist mode at the
moment. I have paper marbling basins
set up all over and about five new tree
pieces incubating in various stages of
gestation. I did manage to make a series
of Pen Blows that I'm really happy with.
In this series I was trying some new
techniques, different ballpoint pens and
methods, and caught a little bit of lightning
here and there I think. I had some really
good luck with a batch of archival black
ballpoint pens that a German office supply
distributor sent me, Unfortunately, they no
longer make these pens (and I don't have
their brand name) so I'll have to use the
800 or so cartridges sparingly. I also had
some really good luck with Bic Crystal
pens. I used more ink than usual, blown
out pen by pen — my cheeks hurt still —
and used UV protective urethane resin to
leech out the pigment. The results were
really diverse, but it was my hope to mix
it up a bit and get some new events.
Hopefully these and the other experiments
I am working on now will grow into mature
works, but it may take a few months'' ・
Be sure to viisit www.shanemcadams.com
McAdams' Super Natural exhibition in Sheboygan, Wisconsin continues through September 11, 2016. All artwork © Shane McAdams
A Year in The Pen The Ballpointer Nov 2014 - Nov 2015 PICKS of the Litter 2015
Eric Seaholm Tokyo, Japan
Peter Ross Hong Kong
You could say the system is still a sponsor, of sorts. Home is now a well-known facility helping ex-cons transition back into society. The venue of Woodard's Look To The Rainbow exhibition is also in that business.
You could say all the attention made Woodard a sort of poster boy for prisoners-doing-good. The Ballpointer simply finds his drawings (pictured) worthy of some attention in their own right. All the attention might not have been directed his way had he been convicted of some truly heinous crime such as rape or murder, but Woodard's could be considered somewhat of a victimless crime. You could even call it artistic; Woodard was convicted of counterfeiting and forgery.
With any luck, a little help from friends, and a respectable amount of effort, Woodard will be able to lose the reformed-convict backstory and make some headway with his art. If he can parlay that into a top spot in the art world, perhaps he can sell his backstory and add screenwriter to his credits; based on a true story, you could say ・
Read about one of Guy Woodard's drawings in his own words, now in the PICKS page archive ・