To me, to be an artist is to do something you love doing. Whether that be spreading a message, stirring emotions or just a hobby. Anyone can be an artist, and most people are, without even realising it.

Recently I watched a compelling documentary with stunning imagery and photography. The documentary is called Lives of the Artists and was created by Relentless (yes the energy drink). The documentary hit a nerve with me and made me realise what is important in life. And that is happiness. Do what you enjoy doing and you will be happy. Being stuck in a monotonous job working 9 till 5 is not my idea of happiness unless you are doing something you enjoy doing. The problem with today’s society is that people have to do something they do not enjoy in order to make money to support their family. Are people who do what they enjoy and not worry about money selfish? Only a few get the chance to actually enjoy their career AND support their family.

The people in this documentary are those few. Featuring  a couple of surfers named Tom Lowe and Fergal Smith, a snowboarder named Xavier De Le Rue, and the UK Hardcore punk band Gallows. The documentary really opens your eyes to the world and to beauty, and makes you feel bad for not experiencing some of the worlds wonder.

Xavier De Le Rue: He throws himself off mountains

The surfers and the snowboarder are very similar as artists, because they are both doing what they love and that is it. Whereas the band Gallows are too doing what they love, except they also have a message.

And most people who listen to Gallows do not understand what they are about. I believe that Gallows message is that it doesnt matter how good you are at singing or playing an instrument, as long as you have ambition and aspirations you will make it in the field that you love. And Gallows are there to prove it. I don’t particularly like their music, it doesnt sound nice. Nice music is music like REM and Coldplay, which I do like, but it hasn’t got the same energy as Gallows. Gallows is aggressive, energetic and full of passion, as well as stirring emotions with the public, that is all that matters. I like to equate Gallows to the early punk band The Sex Pistols, because they were very similar with their message.

Here are some cool shots from the documentary, and the link for the documentary at the bottom of this post.

On a last note, I do think Gallows are reaching their end. As the frontman Frank Carter says in the documentary, he has said and done everything he set out to do, and doesnt get anything out of his music anymore. And when Frank leaves Gallows which I feel is inevitable, Gallows will die.

And here is that link, which I urge you to watch.

Lives of the Artists

Recently I went to Liverpool for my University open day (I traveled from Kent). I was wandering around the Albert Docks and found myself in the Tate Art Gallery, and there it was, sitting right in front of me, The Kiss by Auguste Rodin (he has a great beard). To be honest I didn’t even know I was in the Tate, I was just following my family. So I walked up to this massive sculpture, thinking it was a replica, I thought that it was no way possible that a famous sculpture would be sitting right in front of me. So, naturally, I slapped it. Not hard, but just trying to be funny. I then realised it was the real thing and felt really bad that I had done this. But anyhow, how many people can say that they have slapped The Kiss! I can, maybe I can invent a new medium of art, slap-art, if I slap the artwork, it makes it more…arty…I don’t think this is going anywhere.

Well here it is, The Kiss:

I finished the Persistence of Memory quicker than I thought! it was fun to make, I think I can do better around the tree and the clock hanging from the tree.

Here is the original:

And here is mine:

Recently I had a brilliant idea to copy famous artworks in Photoshop, but instead of using paint, I would use stock photos that I find on the Internet. My first one Ive done so far…is pretty simple… its The Man in the Bowler Hat by Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. Surrealism is my favorite type of art, mainly because, at just a glance it is something weird and un-meaningful, but if you look carefully (most) surrealist art has deeper meanings. ANYWAY here is my version of it:

And here is the original:

I am going to do more, I have started on a more complicated one, The Persistance of Memory by Salvador Dali. It should be fun melting those clocks ! (if only there was a ‘Clock Melt’ tool in Photoshop).