Visual Arts

Gallery: Works by Cyclops

Questions for the artist:

What do you love?
Vegetables, fruit, watching wild animals, the body, Renaissance drawings, blue sky and sun.

What artists/works have had a strong effect on you and your own work?
Bring on the eighteenth century! And all those great Chinese painters! And Clodion, Germain Richier and Gaston Lachaise! As well as Munokata, Emilio Greco, Dix, Beckmann, Kollwitz, Bonnard, Cheri Samba, Moke, Zurbaran, Callot, Bonnard, Pissaro, Raphael, Dufy, and Donatello.
I really admire the sculptures done by in the Kamakura period in Japan, the Gandhara period in Afghanistan, and the Gupta period at Sarnath in India.

What are you working on now?
Maquettes for meditation figures, wall reliefs, female buddhas.

What themes (personal, political, cultural) do you find emerging in your artwork, either consciously or unconsciously? Food, impermanence, the inner life.

What do you think of “shock” artists like Damien Hirst? I don't, I'm interested in craftsmanship and technique. Ars longa, vita brevis, shock is short-lived and if you really want that you can always stick your fingers in a wall socket.
There's an old saying about not confusing the finger pointing at the moon with the moon itself, nowadays there is discussion of the hand, elbow, shoulder, clothes, new clothes, emperor and so on, meanwhile the moon has set.
The term artist is now so broad that it refers to anyone choosing to designate themselves as such, or anyone referred to as such by the media... this means the number of artworks is potentially infinite, and the question arises: which forces determine which works receive attention?
Speculators colluding with media and institutions can label any object a work of art and then realise enormous return on their investment. Something to laugh about, maybe the internet will let people see more different stuff.

Are there any trends in art right now that excite you? I'm really pleased at the way museum collections are going online, I can now pay regular visits to my favourite museum, the Musee Guimet, at http://www.museeguimet.fr/

How can people see more of your work or purchase items they like?
Go to the painting and sculpture gallery at veganica.com, or taste the fruit and veg at veganalia.com, or try veganartist.com.

All photographs and artwork are copyright Cyclops
The images displayed are: Headspace, Bull, Who am I, Wings, and Yoga.

Body Artist: Ann George

Ann George is a Mehndi artist who operates Spirit Vision Henna Tattoo in Florida.

How did you become interested in henna tattoos?
I became interested in henna tattoo by accident. I was helping a young women who was looking for an interesting way to make some summer money. She was not sure what she wanted to do, but knew that she liked to doodle.
Browsing at a local metaphysical shop, I found a henna kit that included a book, some designs & henna ingredients. I bought it for her and we set about experimenting with henna tattoo. The paste was wonderfully fragrant, the designs were fun... the process was captivating and the result was just wonderful.
As an "alchemist" of sorts, I became interested in the discovery of a recipe for the perfect paste. To test the paste, I had to do henna tattoos and the more I tattooed, the more I had to learn, the more fun I had, the more satisfied my clients were and there you have it.

Do people always use traditional designs for Mehndi or can they create their own?
I can only speak from my experience as an American henna artist. I offer my clients a choice of traditional henna designs, original designs and of course invite them to create their own. It is my experience that Americans prefer simple tattoo designs. As well, very few choose a full palm design. Most choose a tattoo design for their wrist, ankle or belly. Many choose back of the hand patterns, and some choose a henna tattoo for the foot.

What’s in your henna paste recipe?
Paste recipe's vary..... as a rule my paste includes fresh ground & sifted henna from Yemen, lemon juice, essential oils and a spiced "henna tea". A complete list of all ingredients may be found on line at http://www.anngeorge.com/Spirit/Hennakit.html.

What’s the most elaborate tattoo you’ve ever applied and how long did it take to create?
The most elaborate tattoos I have done are full palm and full back of the hand tattoos. While I would love the opportunity to do full bridal mehndi, I have not yet had anyone order is. Full hand tattoos take about an hour to an hour an a half. Time is dependant on the willingness of the client to sit still. A good example is on line at: http://www.anngeorge.com/Spirit/Mehndi.html

Is the Mehndi culture different from the permanent-ink tattoo culture?
Apparently. I do not have much experience with being a part of either culture... however it is my experience that people who have permanent tattoos often are not interested in henna tattoo as they have a "real one."
People who choose henna are delighted by the flexibility mehndi provides as well as the unique color of the finished design.
Further, the henna paste by it's nature will not produce the same effect as permanent tattoo, so the style of art is different.

All photographs copyright Ann George Studios Inc.
http://www.anngeorge.com/Spirit/Mehndi.html