utorak, 16. travnja 2013.

Handiedan - Pin-up icons

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Pin-up cure iz opijumskih vremena nisu nikad bile bliže raju nego na ovim kolažnim ikonama Nizozemke Hanneke Treffers..

 
www.handiedan.com/
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Image below: Click to zoom. Move your cursor to have a detailed view
zoom. MoveHandiedan is the artistic moniker of Hanneke Treffers. Born, bred and currently based in The Netherlands, she works with mixed media, creating startlingly intricate collages from materials as diverse as old coins, classic-era pin ups, playing cards, sheet music and vintage stamps. Her art has been exhibited all over the world, including the Musée La Halle Saint Pierre in Paris and Thinkspace Gallery in Los Angeles, and of course is exhibited throughout this issue of Now Then. A pleasure indeed.
What got you started as an artist?
My grandfather worked as a shoe designer in The Netherlands and Paris. At the age of five till eight I spent a lot of time in his workshop – he behind his desk making handmade wooden model ships and me sitting on the ground painting, drawing and wondering about the finest details and the patience my grandpa works with. I liked this so much and felt I wanted to do it too. In the meantime my older cousin went to art school, so he was also a big inspiration for me.
At the age of 17 I went to the St Joost Academy of Art and Design in Breda and developed my skills and passion for drawing, photography and creating with the computer. After art school I started working as a designer for different companies, but after a couple of years I wanted to start something for myself. I started creating freehand work in the afterhours and after a couple of years it developed into the collage pin-art I became known for.
What is your working process when creating a new collage?
Before I start designing I usually only know the atmosphere the artwork must have. It’s a process that builds up to the point where I can sketch the positions of my characters. I also sometimes pick a fictive subject as a starting point, but I don’t know exactly how it will look.
I create the pin-ups by mixing and matching the different anatomical features from other vintage pin-ups to create a unique character. The characters vary from real life to fantasy when it comes to their anatomical features or bodily positions. I then use the computer, which gives me the opportunity to experiment with all the different features and ornaments I have collected. Once all the collected stuff is placed together for the basic design, I then start cutting and layering the collage.
Where do you get your source materials from?
I always keep my eyes and ears open for new materials for my collage work. I also gather the vintage stuff on the street, in old buildings and old boxes in the attic, at flea markets, browsing the internet and while travelling. People even send me old money to use in my pieces, which is great. In my art you also find Chinese post papers or papers from cook books, all kind of stamps, old fabrics from old chests, rusty nails, cigar bands, my grandma’s old bridge book, playing cards, dried flowers, Spanish fans and of course the vintage pin-up ladies and old movie posters. The most unusual elements I have used are my visa from my old passport and a cigarillo bands collection.
What tool do you use regularly and which could you not live without?
My film negative Fiskars scissors from Finland. They’ve been travelling with me since art school. I do everything concerning collage with my beloved red scissors. I once lost them and almost had several bodily failures.
How much of your work is enhanced digitally? Do you use a computer just to ‘touch up’ images, or do you add or combine elements digitally as well?
The computer gives me the opportunity to play around and experiment with all the different ornaments before I put them in place. I first set out the texture I am going to work on. By playing around with different body parts I create the main character or centre piece. Generally, once I get done with the main piece I start putting things around it to see what elements work well with each other. When they find their place I leave them there and start adding new ornaments and finish it with digital doodling. When the digital design is done I have the basis for my originals. I rip the design apart, delete a lot of elements but keep the main parts to use them as the basis for printing on wood, zinc and collages on paper. I then add small differences and extras with the gathered old materials, and start on the original collage.
Much of your work is quite sexual in a classic, burlesque way. Are you trying to make a statement or are these purely aesthetic choices? Some of it could be described as ‘erotic’ but I wouldn’t call it ‘erotica’.
When people interview me, one of the most frequent questions is, ‘What does your work mean?’ I find that a hard question to answer for multiple reasons. I try to create pieces which allow the viewer to interact with their own thoughts, interpretations and imagination. I would love for the viewer to search within themselves for their own message of what my work means to them. Some people get highly emotional about my work because of what they see in it. Who am I to deny them that very feeling or experience by telling them what I think it should mean? Some people say it is feminist or gay art, some call it retro erotica, but in the end everyone makes up their own mind and that is the way I intend it. For me, my work is purely aesthetic.
How has your art developed over the years?
I can truly say that since 2007 my work has become more complex. It has evolved in image, depth and layering. I’m constantly seeking more definition, literally and figuratively. I use more historical, current and future elements, all entwined in my work. You could almost call it time travelling through my own developments and interests.
What do you dislike in art?
Art sparks a lot of interaction and interpretations. To truly understand and feel the art I believe that one must open up to the possibilities of what art can bring – whether you understand it or not, positive or negative. When I look at art I don’t have to like it. It doesn’t have to be what I find beautiful or inspiring. Why should I then have an opinion about it? I wish everyone could enjoy art with all it has to bring without wanting to have an opinion.
What are you working on at the moment? Any upcoming exhibitions?
A large museum group show called Hey Modern Art & Pop Culture at Musée La Halle Saint Pierre in Paris. It opened January 24th and will be running till August 23rd. I am very pleased and excited to be showing here with four new pieces. This is the first time showing my collages in Paris.
Right at this very moment I’m letting the creative juices flow while making some collage art pieces for my solo show Elegant Universe at Thinkspace Gallery in Los Angeles, which opens on 6th April 2013. I’m hopeful there might also be a new mural project during my stay in LA. More details to follow on my website.
Good advice you wish you’d been told earlier?
Stay true to yourself. Stay original and keep listening. Listen to advice asked and given, but don’t lose track of your own goals and aspirations.
HANDIEDAN_ALECTRONA_NO2_WEB_NG
INTERVIEW BY SAM WALBY

IPaintMyMind Exclusive Interview: Handiedan


Words by Evan La Ruffa
Whether stamps, currency, sheet music, or playing cards, Handiedan layers texture upon texture, creating a uniquely symbiotic mix of dilapidation. There’s a sense of history, or a weathered feel to her collages, informed by her knowledge of photographic design and an attraction to the tattered edges of remnants. She’s made her name in Europe, and has shown stateside at Phone Booth Gallery in Long Beach, Black Book Gallery in Denver, and most recently at Roq la Rue Gallery in Seattle. Her aesthetic melds iconic symbols and serves as a remix of simpler quantities whose combination render much more than it’s single parts ever could. With scissors and occasional “digital wizardry” Handiedan aka Hanneke Treffers, guides the viewer into a Baroque atmosphere, accented with classicism and cleavage, dollar signs and stirrups. The sexualized side of it is portraiture reconfigured, as glamorized style and feminism intersect differently for every viewer. Rugged and refined, classic and modern, Handiedan’s collages constitute a brand new category of cohesive. They are style, epitomized.
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IPMM: Thanks for doing the interview! First off, we’re interested in the modern art scene in Amsterdam. What are the pros and cons of the art climate there?
Handiedan: My main orientation is abroad. I dont want to make a solid statement about the art scene here in The Netherlands… The evolotion of art and the constant shifting of what’s hot and what’s not fluctuates. 
I would say, come over and experience it for yourself.
IPMM: Are you originally from Amsterdam?
Han: I’m originally from a small town in the southern part of The Netherlands. About an hour drive by car from Amsterdam.
IPMM: We’re more and more amazed when we find people like yourself who simply live creatively in tons of ways. Your site features your illustrations, photography, and collages, which we were more familiar with… does one take precedence for you?
Han: The pin-up collages are most important to me personally. They contain all my visual fascination and techniques. Drawing and doodling clears my mind and photography is my passion when I travel. These days for me, photography is a visual diary of the things I experience and the places I explore. I absolutely enjoy capturing the little found treasures that present themselves.
IPMM: Awesome! Yea, as we mentioned, we first saw your collages which incorporate a wild range of materials. How’d you come to use everything from paint to rusty metal?
Han: I have a great fascination for graphic elements and ornaments that tell a story. The history behind the ornamentation and materials, from old currency, documents, sheet music and old books have an originality combined with history. The elements and ornaments I use are woven in cultures, have a tale of their own, and are a part of history that can go back centuries. They both have a history and a tale that can be revealed or analysed in their own way. The two live together, both then and now. The diversity of materials provides a creative oasis for my to dwell in.
IPMM: I like that. There’s a strange sexuality to the work too, although, I have to say, the textures imparted (even on the prints) are what visually attracted our eye initially. But after looking closely, the pinups seem even more classic when clouded by things like sheet music and wood. How do the pin – up girls or gender, play a role in the work for you?
A: I believe that Vintage pin – ups these days have a more aesthetic appeal. My collage art radiates classic sexiness. The use of vintage materials, the suggestiveness, and the way I portray the female form, strengthens the historic story of femininity. The tenderness they portray and the strength they radiate combined with collage materials makes the image complete, and is very fulfilling to me. A constant search of what I want to say with a image, with just the right balance is essential.
IPMM: There’s a historical, aged vibe to your work that is also uniquely modern. It feels as though you’re a fan of wide range of cultural hallmarks. The synergy that exists in Europe between historical art, architecture, food, and modern innovation, is something you don’t feel here in The States. Have you ever thought about that dynamic in relationship to your work?
A: Europe has a very old history and a very wide range of different cultural aspects, aged and imbedded in our daily life through time. Very interesting where we’re coming from. What is our past and how do you find that in daily materials? I do this by traveling through time in my work. I have a fascination for that which existed, that which is now and things that will be. To combine all my fascinations with a wink to the past, present and future, is just absolutely fulfilling. I get to re- inact history and portray all this in the present through my collages. For me it tells something about the small cultural facets of human kind.
IPMM: What medium did you start with? Illustration, collage, or
photography?
A: I started drawing basically before I could even walk. It’s been a part of me since I was little, a fascination that grew. It became such a part of my life that I got accepted to art school. After graduation I started working as a photographer, but I was mainly working as an illustrator and graphic designer with a lot of imaging and editing elements.

IPMM: That makes sense, there’s definitely a great sense of composition in the work. What exhibitions do you have planned for 2013?
A: I am very excited about a upcoming large museum group show called “HEY! Modern art and Pop Culture II” at Musée Les Halle Saint Pierre in Paris, January 25th – 23rd of August 2013. It will be the first time showing my collage art in Paris.
I’m also preparing my solo show at Thinkspace Gallery which opens 6th of April 2013. Also working on some interesting projects which will prevale later this year. A small hint about new influences in some of my collage art in 2013….Think
Astronomy and Spirituality!
Q: Haha, awesome. What are you usually up to when you’re not making art?
A: I must say its sometimes a full-time job creating and working on my collage art pieces. When I do get some spare time, I get consumed by everything else that life revolves around. I have a cat, she requires a lot of attention. I like hanging out with family and friends. I do fun stuff out and about. Traveling and biking ( just bought a fixed gear bike). I love it to go to cultural and dance festivals. Amsterdam is a nice place to live.
Q: If you could visit one place on earth, where would you go, and
why?
A: Ow, so many things on my list I’d love to see once. If I have to pick one, I’d say Japan. I always have had a strange kind of fascination for that culture and country.
Q: Do you ever think about what you’d be doing if you weren’t making art for a living?
A: I’d like to be an astronomer. The galaxy and atoms, science is my second passion.
Q: Name one artist, historical or modern, that IPMM readers should check out.
A: M.C. Escher.w: Click to zoom. Move your cursor to have a detailed view


Handiedan x Hey! Magazine

August 8, 2011 § Leave a Comment
June 6, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Very pleased to be interviewed
by the Dutch design magazine “Monday Inspiration Magazine”.
Read below a part of the interview online.

Handiedan revives the sexiness of boudoir imagery and combines it with contemporary personal elements.

Handiedan is getting pretty big as an artist. Her artwork is turning heads all around the world and for good reason. The collages of collectibles, sheet music, pin-ups and sketches are a creative clash between old and new. The structures and atmosphere of a time long gone is cut up into tiny pieces and rearranged into a contemporary new fresh form that looks both modern and vintage. Visually, her art is best described as looking like someone took the vintage art of Gil Elvgren and glued it on a wall covered with old posters, paint, dirt and scribbles. And then somebody came along and sliced it up just to glue it back together again. We meet up with Handiedan in her studio in Amsterdam to talk about essence, aesthetics, the present and plans for the future.

A lot of artists say that art doesn’t always need to have a deeper meaning. Sometimes it is just about aesthetics. How do you view your work?

When people interview me, one of the more regular questions is: what does your work mean? I find that a hard question to answer for multiple reasons. I don’t want to decide for other people what my work is all about. Everyone who looks at a piece of art should use their imagination and give it their own interpretation. Some people get highly emotional about my work because of what they see in it. Who am I to deny them that very feeling by telling them what I think it should mean? I realise that in some cultures my art is viewed as controversial. My art uses images of strong women, tattoos and other elements from alternative lifestyles. Some people say it is feminist or gay art, some call it retro-erotica. But in the end everyone makes up their own mind and that is the way I intend it. For me, my work is purely aesthetic.

Why do you use materials like playing cards, and stamps and such? Are they a form of symbolism or just ramdom objects?

When I was still an art student, I would collect and store all kinds of quirky stuff. Coupons, old photos, stamps and such. I love the textures of old materials and the decay of some of them. It will evolve continuously and that means my work does as well. It has meaning because of the content, but also because of what they can do to transform an image. I greatly enlarge my images because that way I can use the imperfections like .jpg dithering as an extra texture. I use whatever I run into, which makes my work personal. It will show you what I have been up to and places I have been.
I digitally scan all these objects and make my art with those elements. Firstly I look for perfection in my art, which I know contradicts with the imperfect elements I use. But once I have created the image I have in mind, I cut it down and deconstruct it to experiment with the image and what can be done to transform it. When it is all decomposed and recomposed I start sketching and doodling on my work. It is a sort of commentary on my own work. And in a lot of cases it provides a sense of humour and airiness to my work. I love duality: strong images and airiness, perfect images and random elements. Everything to find the image that works for me. And stuff that at first seems to be a failure, always turns out to be my favourite pieces of work. There are a thousand ways for me to solve the puzzle of the perfect image. And they all result in exciting works of art for me.

Evolution, decay? Is your work ever done?

In a way it isn’t. I love to use materials that have already had a life. For me it is an endless source of input. To use something that has already started to deteriorate is exciting. Because using it will allow your work to slowly turn into something else. Cards will fade, Money will wither, and ink will change colour. My work will start leading its own life once I’ve finished it. And I love that.
May 25, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Now on view at Denver’s Black Book Gallery is a compelling show pairing together Dutch street artists The London Police alongside female collage artistHandiedan. Entitled “Amsterdynasty”, the show has found a way to go beyond regional associations to present a well realized, multifaceted and occasionally collaborative exhibit done strictly in black and white. While one wouldn’t normally expect art nouveau-inspired collages and crisp line driven graffiti to go hand in hand, they surprisingly do, and do it well. Get a look at the show and opening night, here on Hi-Fructose.

Handiedan

The London Police



HiFructose Blog – Written by Ken
May 3, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Intricate and meticulously crafted,
Handiedan’s collages represent the gradual accumulation of layers—not only of materials like wood, metal and paper, but cultural references as well. Over a backdrop of baroque designs culled from international currencies and antique sheet music, the artist fuses classic pin-up girl body parts to create her own version of beauty. Sometimes these beauties might wield an extra arm or two, and everything that lies exposed beyond their garters and brassieres is heavily inked with hand-drawn tattoos.

Departing from her rich color palette of beige and burgundy, Handiedan just finished preparing a series of black and white collages for her upcoming group show, “Amsterdynasty” (where she’ll be showing alongside The London Police), which debuts at Denver’s Black Book Gallery on May 14. The sleek monochromatic collages turn her figures into femme fatales, exploring the darker side of their classic sensuality. Before heading off to Denver, Handiedan invited Hi-Fructose into her Amsterdam studio, a digital and artisanal workspace where the artist alternates between working on her computer, sheets of zinc and antique picture frames. Nastia Voynovskaya previews Handiedan’s latest creations below.
Read the original post at the Hi-Fructose blog here..





January 6, 2011 § Leave a Comment
The ‘Handiedan Time Limited Edition in August 2010′
post at Hi-Fructose made it into the Hi-Fructose Top 10 of most popular posts from the year 2010, yay!
Thanks again, Hi-Fructose!
Read more..
December 13, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Happy to meet the very kind artist Ryan Milner during my stay in Long Beach for the ‘Habba Habba’ show at Phone Booth Gallery!
We were able to do this little ‘questions’ and ‘answers’ interview. 
‘Thanks Ryan, for putting together these nice, but also funny questions!’
Check out the results here:
- So I have to ask, how did you come by the name Handiedan? Does it has anything to do with your Dutch heritage?
It’s based on a little rhyme with my first name in Dutch. When I write emails or text messages I often end my messages with these kind of rhyme words and combinations. ‘Cheers van han dan’, (Cheers from Han than), ‘xx van han die dan!’ and ‘Han says hi!’
Han = my name, the short version of my first name.
die = that
dan = than
In English I know it’s a little confusing. People often think I am a guy, because they read ‘Handy Dan’ or something, but in Dutch it is actually a funny little rhyme. A little help in pronouncing my name: During my visit in Long Beach I found out that you can pronounce my first name just like the Jewish Holiday ‘Hanukkah’. Or you can say ‘Heineken’ but than with an ‘Hah’ in the beginning. What cool things you can do with a typical Dutch name, right? ;)
- Your work is amazing! How and when did you first start collaging?
Thanks! – A couple of years ago I decided to move to Amsterdam. However, because it is hard to find a decent place to live, I decided to rent a friend’s apartment for a few months. Its was spending time in a new city that gave me a sense of quietness and some distance from my friends and family. Definitely a good time for a new concentrated period of reflection and study with my work. This ended up being the big fusion with my different experiences and techniques, my recent pin-up mixed media work.
- What kinds of tools & materials do you use to fashion your collages? 2 words: “YES” paste?
I experimented before with different glues, but now I stick with a nice pretty expensive acid free acrylic binder and a matte acrylic transparent varnish with UV-filter. I really love it how the structure of the thin skin varnish works over the papers!
- I love the way you compose your pieces, especially the way your figures blend in and out of their backgrounds, making the whole piece come alive. Was this aesthetic planned out, or discovered by happy accident?
I think it’s a combination of both. I play around with the different ornaments and it almost feels like things are happening by ‘happy accident’ through deep concentration and the right flow. I’d also say, because of such deep concentration and sense of aesthetic feelings for balance, a good image vibration and interaction between the elements surfaces from the unconscious to conscious mind. Still getting my point? :)
- You must tear up tons of books, magazines and other materials to find those great images, how much time do you spend looking for your material?
I have a little “old-material-radar-light” on my head that goes off when I’m coming close to something interesting. Even if I’m not specifically looking for it, I’m always keeping my eyes peeled, sort of an automatic reflex. I love making the discoveries—it gives me so much pleasure!
- Do you have a favorite place you look for your collage materials, imagery, etc?
My favorite places are the markets in Amsterdam. The Northern Market, the Albert Cuyp and the market on the Waterloo Square. But holidays in Belgium, France and small towns in other countries are the best and very inspirational, because you can find stuff you can’t find in your own country! And of course, being the computer squared eye’d person I am: Surfing the internet for antique treasure is the best!
- Is that whole mayonnaise on fries thing really true?
Yep, mayonnaise all over the place and we LOVE it! You get mayonnaise with your fries standard. You’ll have to order ketchup extra if you prefer it.
- What attracted you to combine iconic pin-up figures with ornate design elements from stamps and currency?
Two big fascinations fusing in one image. Need I say more?
- Not only do you include such strikingly beautiful figures in your collages, but you also pepper in some of your own drawings throughout the work. At times, it acts as almost a satirical element contrasting the subject matter (i.e mustache on pin-up), is this meant to poke fun at the glamorized imagery, or act as a supportive element within the work?
I like it to play little tricks within my work. Dare to scratch over a new piece and adding my own little characters with small comments. This shows the working process and gives the piece balance–Playing with perfection and imperfection, seriousness and humor. I’m always trying to look at elements with an eclectic point of view, a big eye blink and poking fun!
- Your past and current shows with Phone Booth reinvent the traditional pin-up in such interesting ways, could it be said that your creations act as a social commentary on the modern day perspective of sexuality and feminism?
Not specific. I like it that my work communicates with all different kind of people; young, old, different cultures and sexes and that all these people are able to see their own story in it. I don’t add any specific perspectives to my work on purpose. Of course there are little personal stories and comments added to each piece, but for me it is not important for people to know these stories when they view my work.
- What’s your process of envisioning a piece, especially how you choose to compose your characters?
Mostly, I have a blurry idea of the pose and how many characters will join the piece. Then it’s just a matter of playing around with the elements, replaying and recomposing until the moment my mind says ‘Stop! This is the composition and the vibration you are looking for.’
- Is there a preferred scale, material, or method of working that you choose?
There is no preferred scale and material. I like it to experiment and be surprised with all different sizes and materials, constantly reviewing and curiously investigating the possibilities of the image. One specific design can end up as a tiny piece of art on paper, as a middle sized piece on old metal, or as a significantly larger piece on wood, or collage on paper. I find it interesting how the same design works on different sizes and carriers, because the structure and atmosphere of the image changes every time.
- Have you ever done any wheat pasting?
Not yet, but there are some exciting plans that hopefully will come true for the upcoming year!
- Do you have any weird tendencies, or habits while you create your art?
Not sure if this is weird, but I always work on the ground — except while working on the computer of course — with loud music.
- I’ve noticed that you have begun to incorporate some male pin-ups in your current body of work, what other couplings, or subject matter can we expect to see in the future?
Creating black and white work was something I had in mind for quite a time. This resulted in the two works called ‘Thats a Damn Fine Coat Your Wearing’ and ‘Valkyries’ for my recent ‘Habba Habba’ show at Phone Booth Gallery.
This moment I’m very excited to add some more b&w works! A few that I’ll mention are a number ‘Three’ male piece, a playing card piece and an Asian themed piece. They’ve been running around in my mind for some time, so there’s a big chance they will show up somewhere in new year.
Interview by Ryan Milner for Phone Booth Gallery
November 12, 2010 § Leave a Comment
HiFructose posted
the first sneak peeks of the art represented at my ‘Habba Habba’ solo show at Phone Booth Gallery in Long Beach and some pics of the opening too!
Dutch collage artist Handiedan will be debuting her third solo show, ‘Habba Habba’ in the US next month with Long Beach, CA’s Phone Booth Gallery.  With 12 original collages, a limited edition screenprint, two giclees, and with the artist in attendance (first US appearance), this is one show that we’re greatly looking forward to..  Handiedan was kind enough to send over an exclusive teaser of the originals in the show as well as a first look at the show-exclusive screenprint, ‘Valkyries’. - HiFructose

For her recent solo show at Long Beach’s Phone Booth Gallery (which we previewed here), Dutch collage artist, Handiedan ventured across the Atlantic to make her in-person debut to the packed house and nearly sold out show.  Luckily for us, Alicia Friedman managed to get some great shots of the opening night, enjoy! - HiFructose
‘Thanks again Ken!‘
August 9, 2010 § Leave a Comment
HiFructose posted about my upcoming giclée edition release, yay!
Check it out here!
May 12, 2010 § Leave a Comment
More information:
http://tw.mydpi.com/mag/



February 15, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Check out the interview
at the Arrested Motion blog here…
More info about Arrested Motion: www.arrestedmotion.com

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