Hasta La Ideas

Online reinvention, imagination and the art journey in our interview with Los Angeles’ newest creative transplant

Owing as much to ’80s pop icons like Grace Jones and Madonna as she does to more contemporary influences (she counts M.I.A. and Jeremy Scott as friends), the eccentric style of 24-year-old British artist Kesh has the same “downtown” roots that has defined generations of young creative types. Having graced the pages of Vogue, WAD and i-D, dressed stars from Mariah Carey to Lupe Fiasco when she was a fashion designer, worked with Kanye and Interscope Records and held a stint as fashion editor at Super Super Magazine, the enterprising former DJ recently launched a new website Kesh Continues from her new home in Los Angeles.

These new moves come on the heels of her growing reputation for merging photography, digital manipulations and hand illustration to create artworks that layer geometric shapes, bold colors and portraiture—the first two of her printed offerings, Fetrinite and Velene, were bought by fans in 26 countries. To find out more about her projects, we caught up with Kesh in her L.A. “cave” for a quick chat about art, age and inspiration.

What brought about the desire to launch a website now?

Before I used a blog, because I felt it was the right tool to document my journey as an artist and share the developments of my skills. The displayed pieces were created over a number of years and in several different countries, so the blog gave me the ability to share my experiences and adventures. I decided to create the website because I felt that the time was right. I was satisfied with my body of work and ready to display it all in one place.

What’s been the biggest obstacle in getting your art out there?

At times, I feel that age is an obstacle. Being a young artist in 2011 has practically become cliche. The association of age and competence is always there, but not always valid.

Do you see each artwork as its own separate piece or is it all linked?

Some are directly relative by being part of a collection or coming in sets, but all are relative to the journey. I date each piece to mark the history of my work and think that the timeline is what links them all together. Over the years it will become clearer for I will discover new tools to use and discover different influences.

You have done so many things—fashion, music, art—how do you define yourself?

Artist is the best way to describe what I am, what I do. The mediums may vary, but at the end of the day it’s all art.

Finally, who or what inspires your art?

There are many things that inspire me from day to day but for me, imagination is my biggest influence. The world inside your head can be an amazing place if you want it to be.

An extended collection of brilliantly designed tote bags compiled by artist Jitesh Patel

UK based designer Jitesh Patel started a blog based on his interest in tote bag artwork that has become a forum for the showcased artists. From there he turned the site into paperback form—his book “The Tote Bag” highlights striking and inventive designs including his own illustrations on the cover and the free canvas tote that accompanies the book.

In recent years the tote bag has become more widely used by the environmentally conscious as a simple way to cut down on the use of disposable bags. The question always asked is, “paper or plastic” but since the birth of the canvas tote bag, people can say neither and opt for their own bag. Besides cutting down your carbon footprint it’s a fun way to express your style.

Patel opened his Shoreditch, London studio in 2007 to be a base for his artistic talents. He is a brilliant illustrator and lends his talents in advertising, brand design and art direction. Patel’s interest in tote bags drew the attention of designers from all over who contributed their work to his book.

The Tote Bag book is available from various retailers for £19.

A Portland DIY guru’s bags, aprons and more

Like a younger Martha Stewart based in Portland, OR, Matt Pierce’s wide range of skills—from sewing to woodworking and furniture-making—keeps him busy tinkering in the house (that he renovated) and his garden workshop. “I used to worry that because I was so interested in so many different things, that I could never become an expert in any one thing,” he said. “Then I learned to embrace it. It’s just my style to do a lot of different things.”

But Pierce hasn’t always been a chronic tinkerer; he also works as a graphic, interior and web designer (with clients like Adult Swim on his roster). It’s perhaps this background that gives his all his work—from bags to doors and aprons—a distinctly utilitarian feel that doesn’t detract from its handsomeness. “I like looking at Army-Navy stores, and using materials in ways that they weren’t intended to be used,” he said, sitting at the table that he made from metal, red Kevlar and wood given to him by his grandfather in Kansas (Pierce’s native state).

Pierce’s beautifully photographed site Wood & Faulk does perfect justice to his sturdily made and affordable products, which he produces in small batches and rotate frequently. “I think my next project might be a DIY lamp kit,” he said. “I’d provide the die-cut pieces and tubing.” Some of his other items for sale include a handsome heavy cotton carpenter’s bag and pocket notebooks for when you have some inspirations of your own.

Wood & Faulk products sell online. To learn about ongoing projects, check out the blog.