Erik Mark Sandberg "Girl with Sweater", 20'' x 16'', oil, glitter, resin, silk-screen on panel, 2008

Andrea Offermann for creative face Magazine

On the occasion of ILLUSTRATIVE 09 in Berlin the artist, designer and publicist Andrea Offermann interviewed Erik Mark Sandberg for creative face Magazine:

creative face: You grew up in Minnesota then moved to California and in your recent show at Johanssen Gallery in Berlin you are challenging the narrow window of accepted beauty standards in society. How did living so close to the Hollywood dream factory shape you and your understanding of culture?

Erik Mark Sandberg: I spent most of my early years growing up in a conservative mid western suburb, where it was flannel shirts and traditional values. It was later in my life that I moved to Los Angeles - the land of everything else.

Tomer Hanuka: "Mother", 19 x 28 cm, 2009 / Courtesy ILLUSTRATIVE 09

Andrea Offermann for creative face Magazine

ILLUSTRATIVE 09 features an exclusive exhibition and shows works from 60 internationally recognised illustrators. One of them is the New York City based illustrator and cartoonist Tomer Hanuka. He works on a range of projects for magazines, book publishers, ad agencies and film studios. In 2008 he won the British Design Museum award as part of the Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions. Currently he teaches at the School of Visual Arts and is working on a graphic novel with his twin brother Asaf.

The artist, designer and publicist Andrea Offermann interviewed Tomer Hanuka for creative face Magazine:

Julius Wiedemann

Andrea Offermann for creative face Magazine

Part II of the interview with Julius Wiedemann by the artist, designer and publicist Andrea Offermann for creative face Magazine:

creative face Magazine: In your book series you assemble illustrators from all different cultures. In your opinion, how does illustration shape culture in different parts of the world?

»Wir sind Helden«, Album Artwork »Von hier an blind«

Friedrich Weltzien für JITTER

So hat es schon Friedrich Schiller gesehen: in der echten Kunst müsse die Musik gestalt werden und das Bild zur Musik. Zumindest in ihrer Wirkung aufs Gemüt, so schrieb er 1795 über die ästhetische Erziehung des Menschen, sollen sich die Künste ähneln. Dieser Anspruch hat in den letzten 200 Jahren nichts verloren - jedenfalls soweit es die Gestaltung von Plattencover betrifft.

Vanessa Karré hätte das als Motto dienen können, als sie 2005 für die Band Wir sind Helden das Artwork rund um das Album »Von hier an blind« erstellte. „Es ging mir nicht nur darum, die Stimmung der Musik, sondern auch den Charakter der Musiker zu zeigen", sagt sie über ihre Arbeit. Die Band bezeichnet sich selbst ironisch als Helden. Sicher, der Name verdankt sich David Bowies krassen Zeiten in Berlin, aber trotzdem verkörpert die Band eine Sorte Helden, die eher nette Leute sind als working class heroes, eher schlau als brutal, eher lustig als verbissen. Was also läge näher, als sie in Comic-Helden zu verwandeln?

Andrea Offermann 'Twentyfour Hours' Page 3, 2007, Pen, Ink and digital / Courtesy Andrea Offermann

The artist, designer and publicist Andrea Offermann loves to explore new ways to show her concepts, whether it be painting, printmaking, sculpture, graphic novel, or film. Depending on the underlying idea of the work, she uses what will show her concept best, and disregards the clichés connected to that medium. This gives her the freedom to express herself in new ways continuously.

In her new work for the group show "Systema Naturae II - submerged" at Gallery Nucleus, Alhambra (10 minutes east ofdowntown Los Angeles), California, Andrea Offermann took her concept for this show, mainly focusing on pseudo-scientific evolution theories, a step further in experimenting with ways to put motion into the lifecycles she described.