The Hollow City, by
Gustavo Aimar.
15% of the sale of this print goes to
Farm Sanctuary.
Gustavo Aimar is an Argentinean graphic designer, illustrator, and fine artist who incorporates the many tools and resources from all of these disciplines into the making of his personal work. He experiments with all kind of materials, textures and media, both in his graphic creations, as well as in his objects and sculptures. The subject of his work transports us to the past, through melancholy and nostalgic language that is sometimes humorous, too.
Lately, his work is focused on children's illustrations. He has worked on more than a dozen books, and occasionally collaborates in diverse publications and projects.
About the print:
The Hollow City belongs to my personal work. Lately, I've been making artwork in which the human figure, and even animals, are completely absent. I like representing inanimate objects. Instead of recreating a landscape, I represent objects and places that are related to human activity. A hollow city represents to me the silence - an uncertain pause - a place where nothing moves and nothing has weight, which is very disturbing. The little magazine trimmings and pictures that appear as backgrounds speak about the same thing; they are there but they are not. They are like authentic ghosts or testimonials of something that happened there before.
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.
Do you have any process images for this piece?
All of the images above are of the making of the original artwork.
What has inspired you recently?
I enjoy working with a variety of materials. I collect all kinds of vintage and used papers, and eventually use them in my work. When I work for myself, I don't chase a particular idea. I let the piece itself or the materials tell me what to do. There is nothing in particular that inspires my work. Ideas are like air. They are all around; you never know when or where one might come from.
Why did you choose to pair Farm Sanctuary with your print?
I simply like participating in this kind of collective project, in which many people and artists collaborate, and it's even better if it is for a good goal. It stimulates me, and at the same time I feel the work one does gains new meaning.
How have you seen art transform the world around you?
I think that art in general, in any discipline, can contribute to making the world a better place to live in. Unfortunately, many people today are unable to see clearly where they are going or what they want to do. Art can be a tool to help with that, to create openness. It is an uphill battle, but not impossible. I do not know if that answers the question.
If you could pick one artist to mentor you, who would it be?
Pablo Picasso, for daring to do everything without fear, without prejudice about what should or should not be a piece of art.
Who are some artists you think people should know about?
There are so many:
Morteza Zahedi,
Isabelle Arsenault,
Toshiyuki Fukuda,
Oscar Sabini,
Samuel Ribeyron, and
Svjetlan Junaković.
