PLASTIK 20

Beirut, may 28th, 2013 –every editor has His fix. After closing each issue, I would Divorce myself as a reader from myself as An editor. Then I would anxiously wait. For that pink elf – that’s how I’ve always Imagined him – travelling from a magical place far, far Away, to place it on my doorstep, or hotel room, fresh Out of print, and enclosed with a note: “to candy*, who’s Been keeping me on a sugar rush since we first met.” The fresh smell of ink, the weightlessness of the paper, The whisper of a page flip, and the power of the visuals– Everything about it was intoxicating. This was my candy. But I wanted more. The taste was still bitter. I wanted You to try it and tell me how it is. Then I watched as we Grew wider on your shelves and higher on your coffee Tables. I saw how we lived in the back of your minds And on the walls of your bedrooms…and I wondered if You had a pink elf too. I love what I do. After 19 issues and 19 notes, I have Learned to rise above the quest to finding the complete Taste. I know now that candy can be rock-hard, but once you’ve crushed it, boy it can be very sweet! To the pink elf…

MARK RYDEN

Interview

Fans of Mark Ryden’s fantasy world featuring fuzzy animals, big-eyed girls, meat and big daddy Abraham Lincoln will be delighted to learn that taschen has now published a popular, and more affordable, edition of his “carnival of curiosities.” first issued in 2011, the big-format and limited edition of pinxit was gorgeous, yet came with a hefty price tag of close to $1,000. With an eye on the new book, Plastik* asked the celebrated American artist about Abraham, Alice, raw meat and other major sources of inspiration.

JEAN-MARC GADY

interview

To stand out amidst the over saturation of sameness, one must confront the system–of monotony, that is. We all know that, but what we do not know is the process behind it. In an interview with Plastik, the up-and-coming parisian designer Jean-Marc Gady tells us how he transfers all the inspiration running in his stream-of-thought to reality.

MARWAN CHAMAA

Feature

Marwan Chamaa’s la dolce vitaco nsists of 12 paintings, of which each can be admired as an individual work of art, yet really should be seen as one. As such, measuring some 22 meters in length, it must be one of the world’s largest art works. La dolce vita is like a visual novel on billboards. “it’s a synopsis of this generation’s fascination with a glamorous and materialistic lifestyle at all costs,” said  Chamaa.