manipulating the image through removing the flesh of his subjects
February 3, 2015 1:09 PM Subscribe
Vermibus is a Berlin-based artist who
"regularly collects advertising posters from the streets, using them in his studio as the base material for his work. There, a process of transformation begins. Using solvent, he brushes away the faces and flesh of the models appearing in the posters as well as brand logos. Once the transformation is complete, he then reintroduces the adverts back into their original context, hijacking the publicity, and its purpose."His process can be seen here.
Neat. Hard not to think "zombie" though.
In Seoul, do they still hire elderly women to remove advertising? Watching three tiny, elderly ladies with big chef's knives stabbing and scraping at a horror movie poster of a screaming man is pretty mesmerizing.
posted by bonobothegreat at 1:51 PM on February 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
In Seoul, do they still hire elderly women to remove advertising? Watching three tiny, elderly ladies with big chef's knives stabbing and scraping at a horror movie poster of a screaming man is pretty mesmerizing.
posted by bonobothegreat at 1:51 PM on February 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
Love the idea of subverting public space and using the ephemeral nature of print collateral as a medium. Always interested in individuals who participate in the everyday visual culture we are all immersed in rather than being unwillingly subjugated to advertising. It is refreshing to remember that we do have a choice (even if the options are limited).
Galleries are often elitistist and exclusionary, so any artist that works within the public realm without making life worse for the public (see Richard Serra's Tilted Arc) always strikes me as kind of valiant and admirable—regardless of artistic intent and vision.
posted by jsplit at 3:08 PM on February 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
Galleries are often elitistist and exclusionary, so any artist that works within the public realm without making life worse for the public (see Richard Serra's Tilted Arc) always strikes me as kind of valiant and admirable—regardless of artistic intent and vision.
posted by jsplit at 3:08 PM on February 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
It's weird though, that he can remove some brands completely, while he leaves other brands (notably Chanel and Paco Rabanne) visible.
posted by svenni at 6:08 PM on February 3, 2015
posted by svenni at 6:08 PM on February 3, 2015
Urban decay, hmm? Interesting.
The videos that explained his process were very much part of the process as well.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 7:30 PM on February 3, 2015
The videos that explained his process were very much part of the process as well.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 7:30 PM on February 3, 2015
Interesting that he has a howto video on making a security allen wrench. In the states at least, you can pretty go to any hardware store and pick up a set of these, can the general public not buy tamper resistant or security wrenches around Europe?
posted by mcrandello at 11:47 PM on February 3, 2015
posted by mcrandello at 11:47 PM on February 3, 2015
I'd like to know more about the wrenches too.
I really enjoyed this, thanks for posting it. I often feel bombarded by advertising, especially the 'glamorous' type. I'd be so thrilled to see one of these among the fancy shops in my city. The ones with eyes like round marbles nestled in the distortion are my favourites :)
posted by harriet vane at 4:26 AM on February 4, 2015
I really enjoyed this, thanks for posting it. I often feel bombarded by advertising, especially the 'glamorous' type. I'd be so thrilled to see one of these among the fancy shops in my city. The ones with eyes like round marbles nestled in the distortion are my favourites :)
posted by harriet vane at 4:26 AM on February 4, 2015
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I'm sure the poster/billboard companies have an interpretation....
posted by CrowGoat at 1:31 PM on February 3, 2015