Luke Jinks: Fallen Warrior

Fallen Warrior, by Luke Jinks.
15% of the sale of this print goes to The Pablove Foundation.

Luke Jinks is a UK-based artist who recently graduated from the University of West England in Bristol, where he studied illustration.

Luke's work is strongly influenced by folklore and tales from the past. He takes inspiration from Native American culture and the stories that have been passed down through generations of Native American people. He also takes strong influence from 15th Century Indian art such as The royal painting of Jodhpur, often choosing to ignore perspective in order to create a 2D aesthetic in his work. Luke likes to use bold colors and pattern within his work, often painting the ground as repetitive patterns and the sky in unusual colors in order to give the same dreamlike feel that so many folktales have.



About the print:
The piece is called Fallen Warrior. It is part of a recent body of work based around the Native American tale of 'The White Horse', which tells the story of maiden who was sought after by many brave warriors. There were two suitors who led the rivalry for her hand, a Cree chief from Lake Winnipegosis and a Sioux chief from Devil's Lake. The girl herself favoured the Cree warrior, and when the warrior brought a beautiful white horse from Mexico as a gift for her father, he agreed to the marriage.

On the day that they were due to be wed, the Sioux chief gathered his army and went to retrieve what he believed to be rightfully his. Upon the sight of the Sioux chief and his army, the two lovers mounted their horses and fled onto the western plains where they hid amongst the prairie bluffs. It appeared that they had lost the Sioux chief and his war party, but once they were on the plains again, the beautiful white horse was visible for miles, and the war party soon found them. A rain of arrows fell upon the fleeing lovers, and the warrior and his bride fell dead from their horses. They say that the soul of the white horse continues to haunt the prairie to this very day.

This is a digital print on acid free, Neenah uncoated matte 100lb cover paper that is 80% recycled. It was digitally signed by the artist and was numbered by The Working Proof.

PURCHASE $30!

What has inspired you recently?
Recently I have taken a short break from illustration and have been concentrating on my other passion, which is traditional tattooing. I have been painting plenty of tattoo flash in the hopes that I can secure an apprenticeship in the new year. Although my tattoo portfolio differs from my illustration work, a lot of similarities can be found in colour schemes and the themes within the work. I still take huge inspiration from Native American folklore, but have been trying to broaden my spectrum by looking at international folklore, vintage tattoo flash, and Japanese prints for inspiration.

Why did you choose to pair The Pablove Foundation with your print?
I chose to pair my print with The Pablove Foundation, because their work with children with cancer is a subject that is very close to me. I have lost a number of close relatives to cancer, and I know how the disease can destroy families. Although cancer has not affected any children within my family, I sympathize greatly with the children and families that cancer has affected, and would like to offer my support in helping fight this destructive disease.



How have you seen art transform the world around you?
Art has transformed greatly even within my generation, with a greater dependence upon technology. I feel that art (particularly illustration) has lost a lot of the craftsmanship that it once had. I like the idea of learning a trade and having manual skills, which is part of the reason that I am drawn to tattooing. Although there are still many great artists and illustrators around, I just feel that sometimes the trade has lost a little bit of magic. It saddens me when I go to a gallery and see printouts of work that have been compiled in Photoshop. I love to see brush marks in paint and spots where the ink hasn't taken in a manual printing. I am not saying that we should never use Photoshop; I just feel that artists should pay homage to the traditional techniques once in a while. I love illustrators like Jonny Hannah and Bjorn Rune Lie who still do a bit of painting or manual printing when they get the chance.

If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
This is a tricky one. I would love to improve my painting skills, so I guess Henri Rousseau would be the top dog. I think he might be my all time favourite artist. I love everything about his work, from the colour schemes to the surreal themes. I would definitely buy one of his paintings if I had a few million to spare.

Who are some artists you think people should know about?
I am going to be cliquey and say Adam Hancher, Jack Hudson, and Owen Gatley, as they have given me a mention and it would be rude not to return the favour. I have worked with these guys for three years (Adam and Jack for four years), and they have given me guidance about every aspect of my work, and helped me to improve greatly. They are also all great artists themselves, so you should check them out. In regards to other artists that I find inspiring, I'd say, Margaret Kilgallen, Jonny Hannah, Henry Gunderson, Bailey Hunter Robinson, Marcel Dzama, Henry Darger, and my close friend, Jade Bridgwood. I could go on, but I think that is enough for now.