52|250’s youngest artists shine

During 52|250’s second quarter, we featured artwork from several young artists — art that fit beautifully with our themes in both mood and style. So we asked these artists to share a little more with us in this quarterly. Here you’ll find Terrin Munawet, Aljoscha Lahner, Lola Elvy and Manja Gattner, each in their own unique style. We began by asking them about their basic whereabouts, then we asked them one question which arose from the art they supplied 52|250, and finally we finished up by requesting a new piece to showcase here. Here’s to these diverse and colorful contributors, who brightened 52|250‘s pages considerably.

TERRIN MUNAWET   Age: 13 from Syracuse, New York, currently living in Mahasarakham University, Thailand presently trying to keep up with schoolwork while abroad featured in Week #20 – Rivals   For your artwork ‘Terrin’s Planet’ (featured in Week #20 Rivals), you used paper plates and spray paint. What other non-traditional methods do you employ in your art, and why? I don’t study art anywhere except from my computer chair. Terrin’s Planet is a spray paint piece of mine, much like most of my work. I use simple cheap spray cans for paint I work on large pieces of paper. I often flatten ripped pieces of newspaper on the wet paint to get the wrinkled effect, or the tearing effect seen under the center circle. Tell us a little about this new piece we see here, ‘Broken Mirror’. ‘Broken Mirror’ to me is both sides of living. A rigid, sometimes sharp side and a diverse chaotic side. I, like most, live right on that globe as another speck. Sometimes my methods include scratching the wet paint with twigs, leaves or branches to show more organic life even in dreary washed out colors. I also use a quick burst of flames to mix and crisp colors in a way that is hard to explain. This is achieved with a spray bottle of a flammable substance (spray deodorant, hair spray, etc.) and a match/lighter.

ALJOSCHA LAHNER   Age: 21 from Lübeck, Germany Recently finished his high school exams; presently engaged in a post-grad internship and working on his photography and taking art courses, all while trying to figure out how to earn enough money to visit his family in Hawaii and how to get to college in Spain, France, or the west coast of the US so he can further nourish his passions, art and surfing. ” I will also apply to study art in Berlin,” he adds, “which is not preferred as I am antipathetic to low temperature.” featured in Week # 23 – Long lines   ‘FeelingBlast’ is a portrait featured in Week # 23 Long lines. What other kinds of painting do you enjoy, and why? I wouldn’t limit myself to being a portrait artist. I am interested in the psychology of people and so it comes that I draw people, faces and bodies. Recently I have been taking interest in drawing more abstract pieces. I find freedom when drawing abstact, as you are not tied to a particular shape or perfection of the object. Even in photography some results are abstract. And what about the making of the work seen here, called ‘PartsInside’? The material I painted on is special. There was a spring mattress lying around from someone in my flat. The guy didn’t live with us anymore so I stripped it and obtained the springy part and the thin mattress part on which I finally painted. It took a lot of paint to cover it, because all the paint was soaked from the mattress. I used acrylic paint and spray cans. When I started painting I was in a state. I was a mess inside. I felt disturbed and anxious because of a unresolved situation in my life. Girls! I put on music and got into the process of painting and changing and creating while I calmed down an put my “insides” on the mattress. I let my ideas flow and a puzzle of body parts appeared in front of me.

LOLA ELVY   Age: 9 Baltimore girl, ocean girl, currently living in Opua, New Zealand just finished first term of school, now enjoying summer holidays and looking forward to meeting her new teacher in February featured in Week # 22 – Brutality of friends   Do you always paint fish, like you do here in ‘Food Chain’ (featured in Week #22 – Brutality of friends), and if so, what draws you to them? No, I do not always paint fish, but I paint them a lot because they are easy to draw, and I like fish because I think it’s cool that they breathe through water. I think a lot about water because most of my life is spent in or on the water. Yes, and here is ‘Faraway Island’. How did this come to be? I copied this from a picture taken from a hole in a bush, peeking through to an island. I like it that, through a bush, you can see something completely different from a bush. It’s also cool that an island completely covered with trees can appear blue from a distance; when you look through this bush/border, you see a beach close-up, a little beach island with a tree, and this big blue faraway island.

Manja Gattner was unable to participate in our artist feature, but she graciously agreed to letting us include her original art, ‘Without Words’,  from Week # 25 – Least favorite. We loved it at 52|250, and we reckon it deserves a second or third viewing here as well.