Askew
Aukland, New Zealand
Artist’s Statement
Born 1979, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Lives and works in Auckland, New Zealand
Current manifesto
Consider examining the remains of this modern world through the eyes of a complete outsider, perhaps even an alien visitor. Imagine if civilization as we know it was wiped out tomorrow by some catastrophic event and beneath the rubble and debris were the remnants of everything we take for granted around us today. What assessment would an outsider make of how we lived based on the relics left behind - the old signs, advertising or the graffiti left on the decrepit remains of the metropolis. Every man made object whether hand crafted or mass produced is a reflection of human creativity and indicative of how our societies function. Once the context is removed and an assumption is made by an uninformed view point, the mundane or overlooked can become items of beauty and value.
‘Relics of a Modern World’ is an ongoing focus in my work, one informed by a combination of things:
- Travel both locally and abroad
- Detailed photographic studies of both thriving and decaying urban environments - particularly old hand-painted signs, packaging, branding, graffiti phenomena (the graffiti and the the removed graffiti) and crudely painted amateur murals.
- collecting items of antiquity (old signs, toys, cameras, vintage packaging) from markets, second hand shops and other sources.
About the artist
Askew One is a multi-disciplinary artist mostly renown for his graffiti art paintings. Widely regarded as one of the New Zealand graffiti scene’s driving forces he has managed to remain at the forefront of the movement whilst working tirelessly behind the scenes in a diverse array of projects.
A restless personality, a touch of ADD mixed with a childhood amidst the 80’s sugary-diets, TV parenting and general explosion of mass pop-culture shaped Askew during his formative years. His work draws greatly from New Zealand’s geographical isolation and it’s subsequent desire to feel inclusion through pop-cultural appropriation. He is particularly intrigued in how trends mutate and break beyond being a caricature of their source.
Although working primarily in aerosol paint, Askew is versed in graphic design, illustration, photography, publishing, music and moving image. He also collated and co-authored a book about New Zealand graffiti, ‘In-Form’ which was a Montana Book Awards finalist in 2008.
Artist’s Links
artist’s website: www.askew1.com
gallery links: