Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/329964
25 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 15 JUNE 2014 SAVOURING SCOGLIETTI PG 33 NUBILE NYMPHO PG 28 PIZZA PLEASURES PGS 30, 31 found objects both in its overall structure and also the individual symbols I need to include to make the narrative hermeneutically sound. So I make a list of objects that would deem fit for symbolic representation. The bone works are of a different nature. They all have a common narrative but they manifest in different forms. You could say that when it comes to the bone works, there is re- ally one theme going on, with just the form of the sculpture changing. My bone works are di- rectly opposite to my mixed media sculptures, since the latter portray different subjects with layers of meaning, thus creating critical state- ments. The bone works are silent. They give you an opportunity to relate to its still nature. Rather than continuously exercising the intel- lect, one could obtain an opportunity to ex- ercise his or her silence by meditating on the artwork. Do you consider yourself to be substantially different from more 'mainstream' artists, or would you say that you simply use different tools and methods to achieve similar goals to other sculptors? I think that my practical method and stand- point is slightly different from the mainstream artist. There have been a number of artists who have created assemblage structures but sometimes they still lack refinement and rigour. I think that a lot of local artists (since I can only judge from where I live) have a hobby-like tendency towards their work, and their judgement is based on simply having fun. The creation of art is hard labour which can dictate your moods un- less you know how to let go of the feelings that are generated by the produc- tion. It also depends on how a person values art and how important it is for one's life. For many artists, art gives their existence a meaningful life. An artist should cherish and respect the nature of creativity: you can't have a larger tool at hand. Then there are those who allow their ego to completely take over which can influence the delicate process of creativity. I'm not saying to put aside the ego, but to at least be more humble towards oneself. And I think that the last malaise is that since we live on a small island there is always a bunch of people who will accept your art and say its "great". We don't help each other critically because we're too wor- ried about hurting each other's feelings. Having said that though, I don't mean to imply that we such just butcher each other's work either. What theme or mood you want to communicate with Bri·co·lage in particular? The basic underlying theme of these bricolage works communicate ex- istentialist moods; be they the mixed media works and also the bone sculptures. In this exhibition I will be exhib- iting a collection of works from my Sa skāra series – Decay – and also bone-work, so it will be a variety of works which are all bricolage constructs, interwoven narratives from the East and West. Bri·co·lage will be on display from June 27 to July 27. Open Monday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:30 "I found this format quite inspiring: the artistic element still comes in, but you're not forced to draw a new panel each time" lot of that, both in style and set- ting. Could you tell me more about the video game aspect of the project? Why did you set about fusing the two together? When coming up with the new format for Elis Blitz, I tried to come up with an alternative to webcomics where the amount of artwork can be reduced and more story added – that way you'd speed up the process both in terms a releasing the story faster and the readers having more content to read in one go. My solution appeared when I came across the video game genre of 'Visual Novels'; a type of game that is popular in Japan and Japa- nese culture. In visual novels, you play as a character and interact with other characters in-game, by picking dialogue options and de- ciding what you wanted to do next. The format of a visual novel is made up from character portraits that just cycle through some ex- pressions according to their dia- logue, a dialogue box where you can read the text of the dialogue/ narration and a background which changes according to the setting. I found this format quite inspir- ing: the artistic element still comes in, but you're not forced to draw a new panel each time – you could just recycle the assets. I adapted the idea but removed the element of choice that you find in visual novels, so we could tell the story we wanted to tell. Do you think more and more up-and-coming local artists will start embracing multi-media platforms, as you have with this project? I don't know how many will, but I encourage them to do so! One thing that was really evident in the research I did for my dissertation, is that the way forward is to think ahead and don't just repeat what others have done before you. Technology is advancing very fast and you need to keep up and find new ways to utilise technology to make interesting projects. For more information, log on to http://blitzdome.tumblr.com/