Raymond Biesinger
NøMa: What was the inspiration behind this design?
RB: Ah, absolutely. I wanted to make something about the absolute bankruptcy of violence and martial power, something that also pointed out how violence and martial power are the attractive currency of much of North American pop culture. The shootings in Arizona earlier this year informed it--I imagined long stocking legs of Marlene Dietrich as the seduction, a smoking and broken North Korean T-85 tank as the bankruptcy. And NoMa was nice enough to let me make that, exactly.
I researched Marlene Dietrich's legs, then found much reference material for the T-34/85 tank, both Soviet and North Korean models. As per usual, my sketches are embarrassing--a left-handed baby could draw them with his right hand--and the final was assembled as a collage of artless shaped objects, lines, and the odd photo of a shadow mixed in to provide delicious shading. The Korean script was simply stolen from a few photos I'd found of banners being flown by recent North Korean military grads. Everything starts in the real world, then a computer acts like an even better Xerox machine, scissors, and glue.
There’s a very distinct color palette that you seem to use throughout your work. I know that you seem to restrict yourself to a certain set of principles—is this part of that?
Minimalism has always appealed to me, be it in music or visual art. I grew up in the most wealthy province in one of the most desirable countries in the world, a place where almost anything, technically, was possible. I decided to impose limitations upon what I did, and then push the supposed "limited" possibilities as far as possible. I'm most happy when working just in black and white with a strong concept, and I still shun decoration, rainbows, and background-foreground drawings. Going four-colour on this shirt is actually a bit atypical for me.
Although it’s pretty obvious that the majority of the elements within a piece were originally created by you and not found imagery, they still seem to have been created on their own without respect to the overall form, and then edited to fit with the grand idea. Is that accurate?
As mentioned, what I do is a collage, in a way, assembled from found (but completely artless) objects and objects I've created myself. I'll cut shapes out of paper, I'll work with found concentric circles to make wheels or curves. I'll use lines that I've found old contracts and paperwork, or find a use for the window on an old envelope. These shapes don't dictate what the final will look like, but they definitely inform what angles, shapes, curves and textures will be found in the final. The shapes and I find a compromise.
When you find yourself in a very confident place with your personal illustration work, is it ever difficult to turn around and collaborate with others or in your band (The Famines) who may interfere with a process/philosophy that you’re accustomed to and comfortable with?
Ha! That's why I've always been in two-piece bands--it's much much easier to have mutual understanding when the numbers are low. Garrett is a fantastic editor, thoguh. And the turn around is simple and easy; my ideal visuals and the Famines' audio are closely related. The Famines work with six strings, a voice, a drum kit, and play music informed by raw shapes, concepts and pushing as little as possible as far as possible.
Where are you located and why are you there?
Montreal, after a long long time on the prairies. For adventure's sake.
Are there any designers/artists/brands that you’re really into right now?
In aesthetics, I keep my head down and eyes on my own work.
How would you describe your style in five words or less?
Minimalist conceptual autonomous graphic collage.
What are you working on at the moment?
Absolutely. The Famines are currently putting together a 2008-2011 singles 12", I'm working on a 20-image microbook chronology of the First World War, and also a set of drawings for a new edition of the quantum physics book In Search of Schrodinger's Cat. Also: a one-off custom lomograph camera that involves wood, a new book showing a decade of my B&W illustrations, and another 12" that's actually an instructional, spoken-word, record.
http://fifteen.ca
http://thefamines.ca
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