MAX KAUFFMAN (only on line exhibition)
SITE/BLOG
http://www.robotcoskateagency.etsy.com/
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CONTACTS
Max Kauffman
Denver, CO (812) 360.5057
mhkauffm@gmail.com
BIOGRAPHIC NOTES
Grew up drawing whatever was in my head. Originally from Chicago, I spent most of my life in a glorious city known as South Bend, IN. Lived in the country, but constantly combed the city via a skateboard. This unique back and forth helped further the creative process. Left to attend Arizona State in 2000, finishing up in 2004 with a degree in fine arts (specializing in ceramics), and a minor in anthropology. I now reside in Denver, which is rather great.
My work emphasizes several things. Color, line, and texture are the base idea behind every piece, and are the most important thing to me. Color always begins every piece; line and texture fall in order after. There is a duality present in the work- chaos and cleanliness merging, thought-out meticulous line work paired with random stream of consciousness flow, and a stark reality with tinges of a dreamtime within (or vice versa).
The themes also focus on duality; both sides of an idea, an argument, a struggle. Struggles are the most common; good vs. evil, man vs. machine, machine vs. your mother … what does that mean?(Needless Del reference), nature vs. mankind. I imagine the future in two ways, as a bleak shell devoid of life, or as a simpler Utopian affair where man and nature coexist. Multiples add to the unity, the way a group of birds can become a flock – a collective – many things becoming a whole.
Inspiration comes from a wide variety of media and cultures. Music is a huge influence, especially the nature of a good live show and its spontaneity. Changes occurring throughout a song – the flow, segue, the breakdown are all very important in the creation of my art. Video games from the late 80’s and early 90’s, comic books and cartoon shows also carry weight and imagery.
From art itself, the stylized renderings and hieroglyphs of ancient cultures such as the Mayans and the Egyptians, the patterning and skewed perception of Escher, and the fusion of nature and machine by artists like Geiger affect my techniques. There is a narration to each piece that is a nod to my love for history, and to what could be. Evolution is also important, from studies in Anthropology and the possibilities to a species appearance, the dead ends, and the reappearance of traits lost hundreds of years ago.
“To capture reality is boring to me – I would rather share my own vision.”
Pictures and more information also available at flickr.com/photos/Kauffman artistry.
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