I think that if you saw the process, you wouldn't say his paintings are assembled. Dude is a first class illustrator and should be mentioned in the same breath as artists like Iona Rozeal Brown.
After seeing JWF's work at the ArtXchange in 2010, I was moved to buy a piece, and wished I could have picked up a few more. I have been thrilled to see his work develop over the years into different media and textures. this article picks up on the dualism that really inspires me from his pieces. the designs are often intricate, but the methods (wood print, stencil, etc) keeps an underlying simplicity that is also attractive. this creates a great platform for the history and conflict JWF brings to his work. he pushes us to think about oldworld-newworld issues, cross cultural clashes, and where it leaves us in a USA that is morphing an shifting underneath our very feet.
His work is truly stunning. As he develops new textures and media, it is clear that he is comfortable exploring and changing, much like the subjects of his art.
I was lucky enough to walk by this show last week. The picture doesn't do it justice (though the article does). There's a depth to his work that is nothing short of evocative. While many may see the street art scene as "trendy," this artist has really captured a theme that is unmistakeably his own. The juxtaposition of hardened German edge coupled with the vulnerability and softness of his female characters is a captivating duality for any medium. I hope to see Wakuda Fischer more in the future.
JWF is among my favorite graffiti artists in Seattle. I love how he is in an upscale gallery like ArtXchange, and I also catch glimpses of his crest or Koi stickers and wheat pastes across town. And, I've seem some stencils out and about that look an awful lot like his other work, though one can never be sure if it really is him, as he has the good sense to not sign or tag like a common hooligan.
It's amazing how well the structural elements blend with the organic elements. It's easy to get stuck in sections of his work, but when you step back and take in the painting as a whole, it's even better than the sum of it's parts. Rich and stunning like always!
I've been to a lot of Jon's shows and this one is by far the most diverse in style and emotion. His use of the airbrush and wheat-pasting adds a level of texture, complexity, and detail that he couldn't previously accomplish with spray paint alone.
I really appreciate Jonathan's blending of personal ancestral elements through the New Pop of street art. Myths get retold every generation, or they die. Without a tie to the aesthetic of the new generation, the retold myths lose their relevance. Jonathan not only finds that relevance, but also pays homage to the distortions created by the modern over-dependence on technology and its effect on the psychic experience. The last movement to pull that off were the Russian Constructivists and Suprematists nearly 100 years ago, but such work is still often seen as so far-fetched and academic as to loose connection with the common audience. Street Art, either on the street or in the gallery, has that connecting power which has been used to great effect by Jonathan in walking the balance between old and new.
so excited to see more from this artist!
this mans work is that of a future legend....WAKUDA LIFE!
this mans work is that of a future legend....WAKUDA LIFE!
Don't forget to check out the 6-legged deer :)