Dateline Vienna: 'Tradigital' boki.b's Vernissage & Art

"I draw because I am happy! I draw because I am free!" This motto of Croatian-born, Austrian-based, visual artist boki.b, has a counterpart in the raison d'etre of musicians from Nina Simone to Allison Crowe.

It's natural, then, to see boki.b's recent vernissage (art exhibition) in Vienna, Austria include images of the Canadian singer-songwriter alongside other musicians and entertainers who inspire the artist: Erykah Badu, Anjelica Huston, Lauryn Hill, Tori Amos, Sarah Brightman, Kokia, Madonna, Beyoncé Knowles, Giorgia Fumanti, Zoe Mace, Laetita Casta, Lucy Lawless, Norma Jeane Mortensen, Nicole Kidman and Gary Oldman.

What is unusual is the innovative technique used by boki.b (born Boris Budisa) to create his works. "I would describe my art as tradigital. It's TRAditional and DIGITAL. It's like painting with a brush on a canvas - but only on PC (personal computer). It's air- and paintbrush on PC," he explains. "It's not easier than painting on a canvas but it's (a different process) without blots. It's like a litho on a canvas."

He starts by drawing a sketch. This hand-drawing is next scanned into a PC and then 'painted' using with Fireworks, Photoshop or Paint. When boki.b's finished the illustration/painting stages, the artwork is saved on a USB-stick. It's run to the printshop, layered on canvas, then stapled to a frame and hung as with traditional method paintings.

This combination of old-world aesthetics with the most modern of technologies is making a success of Budisa's talents in Japanese anime, artist portraits - even a line of shoulder-bags "Ma Luna". Fans of Allison Crowe, particularly in Europe, may know boki.b's art through his design of tour posters and banners for Crowe's 2008 European concerts in Paris, Vienna, Prague and other cities.

On display last month - two artworks featuring Allison Crowe (click on the images below to view larger size):



'soul' ~ by boki.b (painting 30 X 100 cm.)



'emotion' ~ by boki.b (painting 60 X 30 cm)

Danish photographer, Stine Rasmussen, now based in Wien (Vienna), has posted a slide-show of the popular exhibit. Just click on "diashow zeigen" on this page to see images of the vernissage which opened the same night that Allison Crowe performed underground at Tunnel-Live-Vienna.

Bezirk Zeitung has published a feature on boki.b - his art and the recent vernissage. Just click on the image below for the full story (in German).



feature on boki.b in Bezirk Zeitung

Allison Crowe returns to Vienna for an encore performance at 'Tunnel' on October 3, 2008.



Piano at Tunnel-Live-Vienna ~ photo by Stine Rasmussen