Spectrum 2014 - Third time’s a (c)harm?

This year's event guide. Very helpful and was easy to read (it also helped that whoever did the floor planning, hit on an almost perfect format for organization)

The third year of Spectrum has come and gone.

A room full of immensely talented and very hard working artisans of all calibers, backgrounds, and geographical areas ranging from France, Canada, Germany, and Japan, to stateside coastal cities and the Midwest, were in attendance, showcasing, demonstrating, selling, and connecting or revisiting.

Ian McCaig is the newest Grand Master, so every bit of congratulations his way. Truly an honor well deserved.

As you’ll see, in some of the rather cool things I picked up from many of my colleagues in this nutty world of commercial illustration, there was no shortage of incredible work on display, and so much industry talk permeated each conversation that I was privy to or part of.

The death of the art school structures in the face of online school academic learning, the odd over developed sense of self worth and accomplishment that hangs like a noose around the necks of (in my experience) a huge amount of aspiring artists under the age of 25 or thereabouts. What shows were good, what shows were bad, what shows were not living up to the hype, and in a huge part, a lot of this was fueled by what I found to be a powerful ground effort independent film that debuted this past weekend called “Making It.”

“Making It” was the proverbial foot to the crotch I needed.

At first I thought it was because I was going through a very rough time with my art. I lost focus, lost meaning behind it, and lost a lot of drive to want to believe that things I make,… well, actually MATTER.

That’s a stupid thing to say really, they matter even if I was not lucky enough… no blessed enough, to have people that ask me about my work, ask me if I am still working on stuff even when I drop so far off the radar, that it’s not healthy.

I didn’t have a booth or table this year at the show. That was a conscious choice of healing (<— actual real talk reason: I was unemployed at the time when payment was due, so I could not afford it, and freelance had dried up, AND I was feeling just maniacally out of whack and uncreative as hell).

But many people I know and am close to, DID have booths and tables at the show this year, and hey, elephant in the room, the show, as fundamentally robust in reason to go as it is, drew about as many people in attendance as an evening of Bingo at the Elk’s lodge. Some artists didn’t do well, a few thankfully saved it in the home stretch (crap you know I am not in my right head when I make baseball comparisons…), and some did very well.

Sure it could be stated that the threat of tornado like weird weather storms kept people at bay and at home. But Power and Light was busy (being Mother’s Day and a weekend). I mean our waiter, had never heard of Spectrum, much less that it was going on 2 blocks up the street from his venue. It could be argued that the ticket prices for attending the show are too high for daily rates, and for people to want to go when you have to pay for parking, food provided by the convention hall that is WAY overpriced (That’s not Spectrum’s fault, I hear that Bartle Hall imports all ingredients in daily, and serves food on plates lined with gold. I’m going on second hand info here as I didn’t want to take out a loan to get 1/4 of a quesadilla for $7, and I was blinded by a release of doves when I got my $4 20 oz. pepsi. What? No one ELSE got the doves?!), and you by this point may not have bought anything cool for yourself just yet? Where is the fun and affordability in any of this?

All that said, for attendees that are really into art, it’s a great place to go. The panels were informative, the exposure of art, and the fact that the creators are there with their work cannot, CANNOT be stressed enough for the amazing thing that it is. So before we get to my final thoughts on all of this, here are a multitude of pictures I took and put together for those of you that were not able to make it, or have no idea what the show is about.

(left) The banner leading into the sculpture area at SFAL. (right) One of Virginie Ropars' most stunning works to date.

(left) Another of Virginie's dolls. (right) I'm still going back through my notes to identify whose work this was. I lost quite a few business cards by accident this year, unfortunately, as well as the floor layout from the first image.

Anthony Kossar's work is always just on the edge of this bizarre uncanny valley sort of feel for me. Perhaps it's my overactive imagination that brings these guys to life in my mind, or perhaps it's because Kossar is just formidably bad ass in his work output.

If I was independently wealthy, I would pay much money to have Kossar do ALL of the universal monsters like this.

I had to include this booth, not because I was a fan of the work (it's good and well executed just not my thing), but because the overall aesthetic was so damn creepy.

If I had two that I really liked, the looks of these two sculptures were the ones that drew me in.

The live sculpting that was going on during the show was utterly cool to watch come together. I have rarely messed with armatures or sculpted as much as I would like to, but seeing this sort of thing on the show room floor, got me pumped up to try it again.

Out of the three, this was my favorite. Sort of reminded me of the Devil, as drawn by Johan Vasquez in his Johnny the Homicidal Maniac stories.

Back view.

Now, of course what show is ever complete without being able to meet your inspirations and fellow artists and strike up new friendships and rekindle old ones? If anything, including this year, and the two prior, that has been the one thing I’ve looked forward to more than anything. The following is by no means representative of all of the cool people I know there and got to talk to, but it is the stuff that rocks my socks enough to want to pick up this year.

Tiffany Turrill is insanely talented, very friendly, and funny as hell in person. She also did this very cool Bayonetta (and you all know how cuckoo for Coco Puffs I go over anything Sega related). Her Sketchbook is a fantastic menagerie of creature concepts and sketches, which also set the motive for me this year to grab every sketchbook I could. I can see this is going to be a new thing for me.

Matt Tisdale is one of those illustrators that gets exponentially better everytime I see new work come out from him. I was uber excited to see these shirts he had done up. He's still got some, so if you come across him at Illuxcon, GRAB one, and give this very talented man your money.

The more I evolve in my work the more I am drawn to art work like David Thierree's. It is at the same time beautiful and strangely familiar to me, even though this was the first time I'd ever seen it. I was also privileged to get some fantastic pointers from him in my pursuit to learn more languages (currently I am focusing on French and Icelandic). Thank you so much for the wonderful conversation and the quick history lesson on language.

(left) Terry Dodson's book is filled with beautiful women, great pin up sort of inspired layouts, and knowledge of how to use line ink work that makes you weak in the knees. The ONLY sketchbook this year that I did not manage to get signed. Dammit. (center) Paul Bonner is one of my two favorite artists that has worked in the Warhammer world's wide range of art. His "scribbles and sketches" as he calls them, are a sight to behold. Paul if anything is humble and polite, and way too reserved in his description of his own talented work in graphite that is showcased within this book. (right) Brian Ewing. This fellow is probably one of the people at the show that I wonder how in the hell I missed out on his kick ass art for so long. The themes and mindset he has about art are refreshing, powerful, and fairly uncompromising. I had many conversations with artists, but I immediately felt at ease with Brian and his easy going and unassuming manner.

Dave Dorman. I was so glad I finally got the nerve to go up and talk to Dave this year. I was able to watch him do a sketchcard for a young man... I was just... man there are no words for how poetry of line came out of that mechanical pencil and Dave just OWNED that card within like 4 minutes. I did pick up Dave's great second compilation of artwork he had done for the G.I.Joe toy line, and finally got his signature to accompany Ray Park's (the actor that portrayed Darth Maul) autograph on my comic. This is probably my most cherished bit of Darth Maul memorabilia shy of the photo with Ray Park I took at Planet Comicon 2013.

I have to share this, because Brian's sketch in my book still has me laughing.

(left) Felipe Echevarria is a good friend of mine, and hellaciously talented. I think I spent more time talking to him than any of the others at the show this year. I always learn something new and constantly marvel at his work. I'm glad I managed to pick this Wonder Woman up when I did, I think it was the last one he had. (right) Travis Lewis had this reproduction last year, and I kicked myself for not picking it up then. His work is dark, and beguiling all at the same time.

The first bit of sculpture I picked up at an SFAL show "the oppressor" (I think, THINK that was the name...) was created by Andrew Martin. I love this design so damn much. I actually wish I had bought two so I could paint one up.

Final Thoughts

Why was it that there were not more people there? What is the factor that is missing here? This is my third year being at the show, the first two as an artist with display and this year as an attendee/helper. I remember when this was just an idea WAYYYYYY back, when it was mentioned on ConceptArt.org. This show has been on my mind for 5 years now, and hopefully it will still be next year, and for many more years to come.

Spectrum has the potential to be a mega show… a mammoth destination sort of event. And that first year… it was. Sure, there was a mis-step here or there. But something seemed… off this year. More than just low attendance. More than overpriced convention food.

I am sure over the next few months, much will be said, much will be talked about, and changes and options will be discussed. Or maybe not. I don’t know. And the part that really get’s me is not the “I don’t know.” It’s that,… maybe I don’t care.

God, that is the hardest thing to type. I am a Missouri boy through and through, I love this city and much of the support that it gives the arts. And I rarely venture into the realm of uncaring indifference.

But let me clarify something (because I feel what I say might anger some).

The “I don’t care”?

That’s not levied at the artists. Never. They are my gravity, my friends and family, my frailty, and I am proud to have been in some small way associated with many of them, if only even by participation in Spectrum.

I dropped more money than I planned on (JOYFULLY so though, might I add), because I was able to support many of the artists whose works I love. That’s what really matters to me.

I don’t know what it is, but maybe it was lack of energy in the crowd that was there, maybe it was something else. I don’t have the answers, but I wish I did. So many more people should see the wonder and beauty that showcases here at Bartle Hall at Spectrum Fantastic Art Live…

Until next time, support your local artists, be kind to your fellow beings, and always take the path less traveled!

- Mario, the Artisan Rogue
Illustrator, Podcaster, Writer, Toy Collector, and Animal Rights Activist

www.theartisanrogue.com