Creative enterprise is alive and well in Cleveland. From Shannon Okey's Knitgrrl Studios to the Afternoon Naps's Parade, from Candra Squire's Salty not Sweet boutique to Public Square by This Moment in Black History to Danielle Deboe's Room Service and Made in the 216. It was the latter who first introduced Clevelanders to the stylish prints of Brian Andrew Jasinski. As Grey Cardigan, Jasinski creates undeniably cool designs that draw from his unique appreciation of form and function, time and place.
Grey Cardigan will be among the featured artists at Banyan Tree in Tremont as part of March's Tremont ArtWalk. OhioAuthority caught up with Jasinski before his ArtWalk debut. For a preview gallery featuring Jasinski's prints, click here.
I view my work as unexpected elements reacting and interacting with each other
OA: Is there any place/activity you find particularly inspiring? Places you visit, movies you watch, music you listen to that gives you ideas or sets you off in a specific direction?
BJ: I know this will sound cliché - but honestly I get inspired anywhere, and ideas for images present themselves to me in the most random of ways. For example, last year on the fourth of July, there was this group of three older woman in their 70s-80s - dressed to the nines, complete with summer hats and jewelry and these great plastic colored glasses, watching the parade on Lake Avenue. They carried these vintage lawn chairs that were clearly originals from the 1950s, but in pristine condition. Their whole look was pure retro without irony. I simply loved it, and immediately logged that as something that has to be a print.
Cinema is also incredibly influential for me. A scene of a film that may have this lovely composition of light or color - a passing glance, a footstep - it's those those little slices that make me want to create something that possesses those moments. In a sense, I like to think of the imagery in my prints as a still frame from a larger story. When I am brainstorming or even in the midst creating an image, I do feel somewhat like a director, guiding these elements in the pieces where to stand, where to look. An important aspect of my work is the relationships created within the image. How one figure is reacting to another, where their gaze fixates, etc.
OA: Do objects and/or people from the past influence your prints?
BJ: The past, most certainly. The imagery of the eras of the 1930s through the 60s is an incredible influence. The most obvious being the iconic black suit and horn-rimmed glasses that are a constant in my work. I like the idea of clothing as costume - properly pairing an outfit to fit a particular occasion. The colors and patterns and overall fashion of those eras are something I have a great reverence for, and are definitely reflected in my work. I am always impressed how formal things were in the past; there was attention and appreciation to one's presentation. Attending a dinner, going shopping, getting on a plane - all meant getting dressed proper. I like to think whatever situation my figures find themselves in, they are properly dressed for it. Posters, wallpaper, advertising, architecture and furniture of the mid-20th century are my muses.
OA: When you create an image is there a back story behind what's on the print?
BJ: Most often, yes. I always have a concept of what I want a particular piece to do or the tone I want it to possess, and the best part is allowing it to evolve as it is created. You learn more about what you want to say with it as you work with it. There are times where it starts in a much simpler way - I will think 'oh it would be great to have an image of this surrounded by this' - and as it is created, elements emerge that present a story I had not even intended on.
OA: How do the color palettes you use come together?
BJ: Color palettes are certainly influenced again by those eras of time that I mentioned. I view my work as unexpected elements reacting and interacting with each other. I love to see the contrasts of bold, flat graphic shapes against the texture of the hand-painted brushstrokes, and the intense freshness of the Tiffany blues and chartreuse greens, working with and defying the sensible earth tones and grays.
OA: What have you enjoyed about participating in Cleveland's creative world?
BJ: The energy and the support all the artists and designers have for each other. Being a part of the Made in the 216 for the first time last summer where Grey Cardigan debuted - I was struck by the immediate community you shared with all the other artists. Everyone was wanting to meet each other and learn about each other's work and their process. There was no competition - it was more about supporting all the incredible local talent that Cleveland has.
OA: What's your background, and how did you get started in design?
BJ: I have always been interested in art, drawing as long as I can remember. Apparently, my kindergarden teacher contacted my parents to tell them that she was struck by my coloring. She claimed I was very particular about staying in the lines, and that on a phonics page with an image of a pan, I opted to leave it white and simply apply a small blue Corningware logo. Hence my future in logo development, I suppose. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the Cleveland Institute of Art. While I was finishing my last year of art school, I interned for American Greetings. For the past 10 years I have been very honored to be a designer with Epstein Design Partners, Inc. in Shaker Heights.
OA: How would you characterize your style?
BJ: I recently had to write a "mission statement" for a show, and I think it says it well: Grey Cardigan takes you to a place where skinny suits and specs are uniform, birds rest wherever their whims desire and pattern rules the school. Sensical at times, nonsensical the next, symmetry is served with a twist and irony is without borders.
