About 1st NeoPopRealism Starz Int'l Art Competitiion Winners

1st NeoPopRealism Starz Art Competition WINNERS:
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1st Place WINER: Simon Kavanagh (Denmark), Designed Babies, Digital Print.

Simon Kavanagh was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1974. He lived in Paris, then he moved to Shanghai, later he has returned to Europe, Denmark... In College, he studied Art and Design Education. He brought his skills into commercial multimedia, and within 1 year had become Creative director. Over the next six years he learned everything about production in all areas of MM for all platforms, inc. development of high end video and animation.
"I have always been an artist," Simon said. "Having the time to create is the challenge. When I lived in Shanghai, I found the stimulus there so intense that it allowed me the extra energy and inspiration to bring my art to the public. There, I had 2 major shows... a collection of 5 years work, and a graffiti show where I tested out my approach to interactive and media art on a large scale."
"What if the work of art becomes the interface, a dialogue of thoughts and perhaps also of common creation-cooperation and shared experience," Simon Kavanagh shares his thoughts with NeoPopRealism Journal. "The audience shares in the production of the exhibit,
contributes its imagination, and becomes a participant. An interactive art piece must facilitate the most natural and simple forms of human interaction, requiring of the user no special knowledge or skills - just a need to interact, a curiosity..."
"We need to take back the art world from the sellers and dealers, who place a false value and commodity status on art.
The greatest inhibitor is the artist themselves and the concept of artist as solo genius. As the biggest sacrifice to be made here, is the ego! the power to determine the art piece in its entirety, and to say when its finished. This is not the artists fault per-say, but more the fault of the way the colleges and art world see artists and train and shape them."
"I like NeoPopRealism," Simon continued. "Also, its funny how some of my ideas have revolved around revisiting Pop Art concepts and pieces again. Pop Art was a very important art movement, however, as it turned out it did as much damage as good for art. It brought art into the commercial age of mass production as well as challenging the concept of suitable subject matter. It lead to the commercialization of the art world, as I see it leading to massive inflation of art work during the 80s. It also inspired a new generation of artists to experiment and be provocative. Perhaps Pop Art is more relevant now, in the 21st century, using its topical, simple imagery to reach bigger audiences faster, like a commercial billboard which needs to be understood immediately, as everything is for sale, a commodity, but combined with new media and technology allowing for a new level of realism, accuracy and concision."
Starting in September 2009, Simon will focus on his art by reducing his employment. This will allow him the time he needs to develop some new pieces, software, concepts, ideas. He will also use this time to think about how to start working towards his goal of designing or helping to develop a masters curriculum in digital fine art, with a radical and interactive result. He is currently working in the KaosPilot in Denmark, a 3rd level education for social/radical entrepreneurs. Currently, he would like to do a PhD around the subject in order to strengthen and deepen the pedagogy.
For more information visit his web site at www.mediartists.net.

2nd Place WINNER: Gregory Gurevits (Jersey City, USA), Esse Homo, Pencil Drawing.

Gregory Gurevits (USA) was born in Russia and received his Masters degree in Art from Academy of Fine and Industrial Arts in St. Petersburg. Now he resides in the United States.
Gregory is a former professor of St. Johns University in New York and faculty member of Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts in New Jersey. Sculptor, painter, graphic artist and print-maker, he had over 400 exhibitions in the United States and Europe. He conducted hundreds of sculpture workshops in Italy, Denmark and USA. Gregory's bronze tableau of seven life-size figures "The Commuters," sculpted in 1985 is installed at the Newark Penn Station in New Jersey.
His book "Reflections" features 17 linocuts, etchings and mixed media prints. This book can be found in the print collection of New York Public Library, the Rare Book collection of Newark Public Library, the Library of Saint Bonaventure University collection, and Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in Russia. He created and patented a manifolding book, which also can be found in the libraries of Brooklyn Museum and Columbia University of Chicago.
He is the founder of "Arts on the Hudson" after school art program for gifted and talented students of Jersey City...
Gregory's motto: "There is nothing more permanent as CHANGE." His website is www.gregorygurevich.com

3rd Place WINNER: Frederique Krzis-Lorent (France), Sauge, Oil/Canvas.

Frederique Krzis-Lorent was born in 1956, in Rouen, France. In 1982, she has received her Advanced degree in Architecture D.P.L.G. She was working as an architect and textile designer... Professor of Applied Arts for 5 years, in 2001 she has received her Diploma in art therapy. Today, she is dedicating her life exclusively to the ART.
"Faithful to the straight line, FrederiqueK often constructs her canvas starting from squares, a figure of rich symbolism that particularly suits her. To be rigorous is not to be rigid... FrederiqueK invites us to escape from the impotence, to react differently across our anguish. She is fascinated by fashion, and its refinement, its fabrics, her ideal of thinness, its light, its brilliance and its elegant women, its evanescence and its mystery. Behind the appearance, FrederiqueK paints woman in her modernity...." said art critic Alain Coudert.
Frederique Krzis-Lorent paints in her place in Lille, France. In her work, she focuses on the light, calm interior, the woman, nature. Stylish and sophisticated, her art works carry sign of the contemporary world with its glamour and amazing uniqueness. She said to the NeoPopRealism Journal that she is influenced by the Greek art and its manner to look at the human body through its sculptures (school of Praxitèle); by the Italian renaissance for the construction, the looks, the drapes, the colors, the dough thinness, the woman… Angelico, Filippo Lippi; by Vermeer for the light - the post-impressionists to touch it canvas; and the Russian constructivism (20s) because the color has a preponderant place in the reflection of the latter, and also because she is an architect.
She uses old techniques. "The Néopopréalism imposed to me as an evidence, by my state of mind and my taste for the feminine portrait..." Frederique added: "My goal for the future is to show my canvases in the United States." For more information visit www.frederique-k.com

Honorable Mention: Paolo Scalera (London, U.K.), Protest 2000, Photography.

Paolo Scalera (United Kingdom) was born in Italy. Now he lives in London. Paolo's connection with Italy inspires his work through using the chiaroscuro technique. His work possesses a sense of simplicity, feelings of nostalgia and romanticism; his camera captures his emotions and joy of life.
Paolo Scalera has worked as a freelance photographer for many publications, including Elle Japan, The Irish Independent and Food and Wine Magazine. He exhibits his work since 1999, and developed a form of printing images using traditional printing techniques. Paolo created series of black-and-white images using the photographic darkroom, without digital imagery and manipulation...
For more info visit: www.icdublino.esteri.it
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(From NeoPopRealism Journal, February 2009)