http://drawger.com/taxman/ Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:24:02 EST FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://drawger.com/_images/drawger_leo_logo.gif http://drawger.com/taxman http://drawger.com/taxman/index.php?section=articles&article_id=13047

I have been very fortunate in my art career so far to have worked on many exciting and meaningful projects.  Last summer 2011, I began a project which is not only of such nature, it is without a doubt the most important art project of my career so far.  I was contacted by a very kind and enthusiastic ad agency Art Director named Dave Tupper at Young and Rubicam in Toronto, who sent me an email stating he was a big fan of my work.  Dave then asked me in a very straight-ahead, no-nonsense kind of way if I would be interested in doing....get this, a coin for The Royal Canadian Mint. (!!!!)  I forwarded the inquiry to my lovely and amazing agent and sister, Vandana Taxali, and we replied back stating that I was very interested.  Vandana then met with Dave and the two of them engaged in numerous meetings, phone calls and emails which finally resulted in The Mint selecting me to design a total of SIX limited edition 25¢ coins.  Fees, terms, usage and contract finally sorted out (thanks, sis!), the project was a green light.   I have to stop here for a second and state something for the record.  Taxali is not my original last name.  It was changed 300 years ago to Taxali by a Maharaja in India.  My ancestor invented a coin that was difficult to counterfeit and was subsequently knighted Taxali by the Maharaja.  It means, "Maker or Steward of The Mint".  How serendipitous!!  Here I am, 300 years later, honouring my ancestor's achievements and mine and my sister's family name.   Back to the story.  OK, admittedly, I had my reservations at first because while the project was to be of very high stature and profile, I was concerned about compromising my artistic integrity.  Vandana assured me that this was not to be the case and that they wanted me, for me.  This was affirmed by my first meeting with Dave who assured me that that I was free to interpret the SIX 2012"Celebration" themes in any way I envisioned.  "They want you to do do the thing you do!  These will be Gary Taxali coins and that's what The Mint wants!".  Dave's enthusiasm is contagious.  My relief quickly turned to excitement and I began working on ideas like crazy.   I was given the themes of "Wedding", "New Baby", "Tooth Fairy", "Birthday", "O' Canada" and "Holiday".  I jumped in head first and started sketching.  Dave told me that I had to consider the "engraving" and so creating designs that would translate graphically to that process was important.  Dave loved my sketches.  This guy was in my camp!!  He and I would have discussions and I was amazed at easy the ideas flowed all thanks to Dave's "hands off" approach.   The "Birthday" coin was also almost too easy.  It was a blast!  Minor tweaks here and there but no problem, Dave and the Mint loved the idea of a cupcake sailing into the sky holding balloons.  No cake, no candles, just a fun and happy picture!  "O' Canada" was also a breeze.  Vandana was head-over-heels with my idea of depicting various maple leaves of different shapes and facial expressions.  Dave also dug this idea and voila!, so did the Mint.  Yes, even a leaf with his tongue sticking out!  I wanted to represent things in non-obvious ways yet still aim to represent the spirit of Canada and its people.  "New Baby" seemed best to approach it from the perspective of not showing an actual baby, but a mobile that may be found in a child's room.  Besides, I didn't want to show any gender of ethnicity and just focus on the idea of new baby than a actual baby.  In creating the mobile, I gained inspiration from a very important 2 year old named Reggie, who is the son of my dear friends and is also my nephew.  The little guy LOVES cars like no child I have ever seen.  Spending time playing cars with him gave me the eventual idea to stick a car in the design.  Done, Reggie!  "Tooth fairy" was a bit of a struggle.  I was stuck on the idea of  just showing a tooth but it didn't feel magical, it felt dental!  Eventually, the fairy was introduced and this magical nymph seemed to make the whole thing come alive.  She's my muse!  "Holiday" was fun!  I'm going to keep that coin description a secret for now because it will be released this fall in time of the holidays.   The real struggle came with "Wedding".  Dave was not liking my ideas and I have to admit, neither did I.  It was a big struggle for me to depict a man and woman in the institution of marriage because I kept getting sucked into clichés and nothing felt strong compared to the other coin designs.  One day, I was listening to Dan Savage's podcast, a sex and relationship advice expert who also has a widely syndicated column.  Dan reminded me of something in listing to his podcast:  gay and lesbian people in America are fighting a big and important fight to have same-sex marriage legalized.  It dawned on me that same-sex marriage is legal in Canada and as such, the coin needed to reflect that!  I came up with an idea of showing 2 wedding ring characters intertwined.  They are non-gender specific so they can represent any 2 humans.  Two men, two women, a man and a woman, it doesn't matter.  What they are is 2 people in love and that is what matters.  I was elated that Dave and The Mint loved the idea and it makes me proud to think, and I could be wrong, but Canada is the first nation to depict federal currency that celebrates the institution of marriage in a non-gender specific way.  Thank you, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty!  Thank you for signing off on a coin that shows what a "wedding" coin should be and I hope other nations follow suit.  Dan thought this was "lovely" and so please check out his blog in the coming days as he will post about my coin. Once the designs were approved, I began the final inking.  Dave and The Mint were elated for me to do the coin  typography!  Anyone that knows me and my work well, knows that I am a huge lover of type and any chance I get to integrate my own type into my work makes me a very happy artist.  I decided to include my own font, Chumply, into the designs and Dave was ecstatic.  The Mint loved the idea and what began with me thinking I would be just doing the art, turned into my having the ENTIRE real estate of that side of the coin to do my thing.  If the those weren't enough, the third piece of excitement came.  The Royal Mint liked the idea of each coin bearing my initials on the designs.  These became true Gary Taxali coins and considering this is not something the Mint often does, I was proud to say the least.   Phase 2 of the project was just as magnificent.  I worked with a wonderful man named Dave Toeg who is the Production Manager at the Royal Canadian Mint.  Dave is such a darling, I can't even begin to describe how kind and dear this man is!  He walked me through the engraving process and we discussed in depth how the coins would come to life in such a a process.  The Royal Canadian Mint is one of the BEST minters in the world.  Their engraving process is second to none (they even do coins for other countries such as Australia) and I was amazed at the wonderful things they told me they could do with my designs.  We spoke at length about this process and which parts of the designs would be recessed and which would be raised.  They wanted to capture the "volume" of my characters so I sent Dave the designs indicating how they should look.  Dave informed that the metal pours outward so that there needed to be a uniform level of relief to allow the designs to come through in the way I envisioned them.  The results were spectacular as you can see below! The flip side of the coin is ALWAYS The Queen.  That side cannot be messed with! Each package the coins come with features a sticker I designed. I thought it would be a nice idea to showcase and offer a limited edition print in support of the coins.  Below is a limited edition digital print called "Coins" I created recently.  These retail for $250 and can be ordered through my online store by going here.  You can see a sneak peak of the"Holiday" coin below but I assure you, he has more friends in the coin's final design! The press for these coins has been so great!  Maclean's magazine did a 3 page feature that you can read here and I have been getting a lot of nice TV interviews including CBC's The National and Canada AM.   On Monday, January 23rd, my limited edition coins (circulation of about 20,000) will be officially for sale via The Royal Canadian Mint's site that you can purchase by clicking here.  In addition, they can be purchased through Canada Post retail outlets.   So that's my coin story!  If you are in Toronto, you are welcome to come to a special cocktail reception at the Spoke Club this coming Wednesday, January 25th.  Please make sure to email me at gary @ garytaxali.com for the information and I will send you a special invitation.   Thank you!!   Gary

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A short while ago, I was contacted by Polaroid to see if I would be interesting in creating art for a very special group exhibition in NYC entitled "Made in Polaroid".  The first thing that made this special was that the show would consist of 50 artists’ works made from Polaroid prints using their new GL10 printer (very cool!).  The second special thing was that this show was conceived under the auspices of the new official/unofficial Creative Director of Polaroid, Lady Gaga.

Each of the selected artists were sent the new GL10 Haus of Gaga Polaroid printer.  This thing is amazing.  You basically hook it up to your printer and bam!  You're ready to make anything you want into a Polaroid print.  The output, using Polaroid's special paper, are beautifully authentic Polaroids.  Complete with irregular blue tinges and "exposed" results, they immediately strike a nostalgic chord with every Polaroid fan.  Sheer genius!  And man, is it fun to play with.  It's downright addicting.



After obsessively experimenting (which still has NOT ended!) and somewhat disastrous results involving me taking photos (oops) I opted to return to my first instinct, and that was to make tiled mosaics of my art.  I first made a 25 panel piece highlighting past and brand new mixed media (mostly screen printed) works.  The work needed a friend so I did the exact same thing only with tiling my paintings.  My sister/agent, Vandana Taxali, told me that it would be a fun idea to do another.  She suggested that it would be nice to do a trio and create another 25 paneled piece using my black and white ink drawings.  At first I resisted because she's my sister and it's my job to contradict her, but then I relented and was glad I did.  Please don't tell her she ended up being right because I'll just deny it.



Next week, the show opens on Sept 14th at the Phillips de Pury and Company in NYC during Fashion Week.  Due to a large media and press opening reception, it is an invitation-only event but will be open to the general public the next day onwards.  A portion of the sales from the art will go to Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation.  I will be at the event signing my new book, "I Love You, OK?".  In addition, Polaroid has asked me to be one of their tweeters so you can follow Polaroid on Twitter to read my updates!  That will take place on Sept 12th so please tune it!

]]> Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:29:09 EST http://drawger.com/taxman/index.php?section=articles&article_id=12568

  The past 12 months have been very busy.  I have been working with 2 different publishers on my 2 artist monographs, I Love You, OK? and Mono Taxali.  Both books are comprehensive collections of my works, yet there are no crossover images in either book.  This is the first time that my works have been released in collections in book format.  I am very honoured and excited to have these 2 beautiful books out in the world.  Below is the story of how each one came together.   I Love You, OK? A few years ago, my sister and agent, Vandana Taxali, connected me with teNeues, a German publisher of fine art books and products, through their NYC offices.  They immediately loved my work and Vandana and I  agreed to licensing a few of my existing works for their Composition Book series (stationery notebooks that feature different artists' images on the front and back covers).  This eventually led to their asking me to do a book project of my works.  Vandana and I jumped on the chance as we were big fans of teNeues and their amazing and sophisticated publishing collection of artists Ryan McGinness, Ed Hardy and Banksy.   teNeues connected me with their editor, Anshana Arora, whom I instantly clicked with.  She arranged for their designer, Robb Ogle, whom was living and working in Toronto, to meet me in person.  We also instantly clicked.  Anshana and Robb was elated by my suggestion for the book (and I think, relieved).  I wanted a dense, large collection of works with details, croppings and no text, not even pagination.  Something where the viewer could get lost in my pictures, page after page, image after image.  Some of the spreads have many works, some are blown out details of works and others are quiet, sublime pages with the works resting on white pages in quiet contemplation.  Robb laid out the works beautifully and understood my pictures and how to put them together.  Seeing them in all in the early draft versions made me realize how every gallery exhibit I have had is a mere chapter in the larger book of my life's work.   Once the book came together, it needed introductions so Anshana asked me if there was anyone I wanted to write something.  Many people may be aware of my involvement with singer/songwriter Aimee Mann through my work on the cover and inside of her last album, Smilers.  Along with her brilliant Art Director/Designer, Gail Marowitz, we three were nominated for a 2009 Grammy for Best Art Package but alas, we lost to Radiohead.  Since that "Grammy Shmammy" blow off, , Aimee and I have grown closer and become really great friends.  I visit her in LA and our time of eating burritos by her pool, drawing pictures, doing small printmaking collaborations and comic jams, are reminders of how my job has something more than perks.   True, amazing and lasting friendships built on art that have served and shaped me to grow as a person.  Just listen to any of Aimee Mann's gorgeous songs and you'll know what I mean. Aimee immediately agreed to write a foreword.  I had no idea what to expect but the wonderful, kind, thoughtful and honest words she wrote describe me to a T.     The next person whom I asked to write something was internationally famous street artist, Shepard Fairey.  He is most known for his Obama "Hope" poster and of course, his "Obey" art found in in every major city's (and some, not so major) all over the earth.  Shepard and I show in some of the same galleries, and have been in many other group shows and books together over the years.  Shepard was the perfect person to ask because I knew he loved my work and we have even traded art.  He had sent me a few nice notes over the years and we even had a wonderful time over dinner in LA talking about our love of punk rock music a few years ago.  Shepard happily agreed and wrote a fantastic, intelligent, insightful and awesomely perceptive foreword.  It's such a great and penetrating analysis of my work conveying my exact ideas and themes.  Like Aimee, Shepard gets me.   I Love You, OK? is officially published.  This hardcover book has 144 pages featuring over 120 works.  The book is beautifully printed and measures 6 x 7.5 inches and has text in English, German and French.  I was sent an advance copy from Germany a few weeks ago and holding it, I truly feel that it s my living story, alive and in my hands.  Thanks to my lovely sister, of course.  This whole project falls solely on her lap.  And you don't have to ask, yes, my book is dedicated to her.  Because she knows I love her.  OK? Mono Taxali A little while after teNeues Publishing approached me, I was contacted by Franco Cervi, a graphic designer in Milan whom owns a publishing company called 27_9.  Franco expressed interest in also doing a monograph collection of my works.  He sent me a few of his books and I was immediately impressed at not only the content of these smart books, but the quality of the design and printing.  One of the books he sent was called Mono Shout, a beautiful book Franco published on the works of Alessandro Gottardo, an Italian based artist whom I have big admiration for as a friend and colleague.  Vandana and I agreed to do the book and since we had already begun the I Love You, OK? book project, we decided to include completely different works for Mono Taxali, especially since it would be officially released shortly after my other book.  Franco is a wonderful designer and I love the fact that Mono Taxali has a completely different vibe and feel from my other book.  It's quieter, more sublime, features more of the works in their entirety and therefore, is a wonderful compliment to I Love You, OK?.  Just like my teNeues book, the printing is spectacular. It has 304 pages, measures 6 x 7 x 2 inches (very thick book!).  It features four-color printing on laid paper and special varnishes, and comes in a hard cover with a dust jacket.   Mono Taxali has more forewords than I Love You, OK?.  I feel so humbled and honoured to have such fantastic contributions from the amazing list of people.  Printed on the book's dust jacket, is a wonderful quote from the awesome Monte Beauchamp, Art Director/Creator of BLABWORLD (an anthology of art, illustration and comic art published annually by Fantagraphics) who wrote:   "Did your parents ever tear up your anthologies of lowbrow art?  Did you ever receive warnings about how art mags such as Juxtapoz and BLAB!  would ruin your mind?   Were you lectured that artists who contributed to such trash could never freelance for Sony, MTV, or Newsweek - or receive awards and honors from the likes of American Illustration, Communication Arts, and the Society of Illustrators? Did your parents recommend you spend time with the more respectable art publications instead?   Then let Mono Taxali whisk away all such foolish notions!   Flip open this book and see for yourself how the brilliant Gary Taxali defied all the rules."       Genius illustrator/designer, Seymour Chwast (of Pushpin Studios fame) wrote the book's opening foreword.  (Just even writing that sentence gives me the goose bumps!)  The next foreword is written by the single most important authority on graphic communications,  Art Director/Writer/Lecturer and Critic, the wonderful Steve Heller.  The third foreword was written by the biggest friend and promoter of illustration, the brilliant Charles Hively, Art Director and Publisher of 3x3: The Magazine of Contemporary Illustration.  The books Afterword is written by a really well-known Italian writer and art critic named Ferruccio Giromini who has written many books.  I love his insights and takes on my work.     I dedicated Mono Taxali to the memory of my father, Rajinder Mohan Taxali.  My father was an artist, though not professionally.  He taught me how to draw and paint and I owe my entire life's work to his guidance, influence and inspiration.   I think he would have really liked this book.  Both of them.     Next month, I will be doing a signing event for both my books on Wednesday, September 21st at The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) in Toronto.  A few weeks later, I will be in LA signing my books on Saturday, October 8th at La Luz de Jesus Gallery.   If you would like to purchase one (or both books), please visit my e-store at TaxaliOnline.com   Thanks! - Gary

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A short while ago, I was contacted by San Francisco Magazine to create full page art about restaurant critics.  Talk about having a  job with power, the critics can make or break restaurants.  Not even Michelin rated chefs are exempt from the wrath of the food critics.  Their rating system is so tough that a jump up or down in the star rating will be either a cause for celebration or for mourning.  It truly makes a difference in how many people walk through the restaurants doors.  Who are these folks?  They walk among us and look just like us.  Often they will take take a friend or four with them so don’t look for that angry and serious lone diner making furious notes on a clipboard.  Beware the food critic!

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