If you believe the media, we have no choice but to accept preaching rock idols and orphan bothering movie stars as the bastions of our social conscience. While true for most, those who know where to look (Fallyrag!), can rely on artists to offer an empathetic alternative.
Lucas Faria, a Brazillian artist currently living in London, is a man who does not subscribe to mainstream apathy: “I have a very political approach to life and agree with John Lennon when he said that 'all we need is love'.”
Non-conformist, with a free-flow approach to design, Lucas describes his output as a “digital collage.” Nothing is planned from the start, just a bundle of ideas and dozens of various components. In its final stages, each product is compiled together on a computer; scanned elements, online stock pictures, textures, hand drawn images and typography.
Embedded within this contemporary style are Lucas' many influences, a diverse medley of visuals from decades past and issues of decades present. The rusty colours and stylised fonts are derivative of an early 90's grunge movement, and it is clear he has a passion for the aged, messed up or damaged. Even the more bouyant images – which have clean lines, smiling models and beautiful, intricate patterns – find themselves polarised with an ever weathered backdrop.
Lucas reflects on the volume of his influences: “I draw from my personal life, be it romantic struggles, or the experiences of having lived in Brazil's chaotic metropolis and the bustling diversity of London. Although I am a happy person, sometimes it is not easy to be happy with the world around me.”
Although not outright controversial, Lucas makes no attempt to shy away from more challenging imagery. It is not uncommon to find crucifixes, televisions, or beautiful women casually holding automatic rifles: “Arts are a great output to generate changes
and (r)evolutions in society. An artistic scene can spread and contribute to social change.”
Subversive, but sentimental. Whimsical, but worldly wise. Lucas does not want to provoke his audience, so much as agitate them into introspection. In this regard, perhaps the most considered proclivity is the alteration of his subject’s faces; namely a crude, almost childlike vandalism of scribbles and scrawls.
The response is a matter of interpretation – removal of the eyes as window to the soul, killing of the character, de-personalising the image – Lucas suggests each is as true as the rest: “I have a deep sense of nostalgia, a constant memory of my childhood. Artistically, that destruction does so many things, but still reminds me of a child playing with a magazine.”
While continuing to collaborate with the Braziliality exhibition in Soho, Lucas’ plans for the future are extensive. Immediate projects will amalgamate his two true loves - music and art: “The goal is to make 'DIY' techno music from analog instruments, like tribal flutes and steel drums”. Lucas laughs, “My aim? I just want to hug the globe!”
Visit Lucas’s Profile Page for contact details, website links and a summary of featured articles on Fallyrag.