COVER ART BY M YLES DUNIGAN
VISIO vol. 1 / issu e. 4
SEPT 2020
the
CONSPIRACY issue
HALAH KHAN in st agr am : @halah.khan sit e: behance.net/halahkhan
Statement A drawing of three eyes at the top of the image, from which emerges a red line leading down to the end of the image, with two hand-like figures ?growing? on either side of the line
Bio Halah Khan is a Fine Art graduate from the department of visual studies, University of Karachi, Pakistan. Her practice focuses on exploring the unseen expanses of the human mind and experience with a multidisciplinary approach; seeking an honest mirror for our cloaked faces. It is a pilgrimage into the unknown depths of self, inspired by surrealist practices of awakening the subconscious mind.
(R) Untitled Mix media (Charcoal and transfer print) 22 in x 14 in 2019
"They have been watching me for ages and I have finally decided to stare back."
LORRYN DENVILLE MOORE
Statement
I source images from magazines and re-contextualize my subjects through su r r ealist cu t an d past e collage t ech n iqu es. Frequently working with the figure, I create the essence of a person. Questioning how we as a society interpret others based on how much information we are visually presented with.
Bio
in st agr am : @redlotuscollage sit e: redlotuscollage.storenvy.com
Lor r yn Den ille M oor e is a multidisciplinary artist, living and working in Queens, New York. Merging her fascinations with assemblage, the supernatural, crafts, the art of storytelling and portrait photography, her work flirts between the fantasy of imagination and reality.
Manvoid 5x7in Paper 2020
FIELDS OF THE MOON
Exploring the mystical, queer, peculiar, kooky, and elaborate, creating a world full of wonder, dream, mystery, and curiosity. Seeing the world through a dream-like vision and reaching for the stars, the moonchild of the moon and finding peace and harmony in nature. Seeing something that others can?t see is unique, but to be able to capture the moment and share it for others to enjoy the secrecy of happiness is something greater than we can imagine. Collabor at ion w it h Megan Sanderson
Ph ot ogr aph y: Megan Sanderson
Headdr ess, cloak an d edit in g: Jordain Molloy Gillen
THE M OON & STARS IN THE PALM OF M Y HAND This painting was inspired by the magic we all hold within our own hands. If we make the effort, put in the work and embrace our true magic, anyone can have the moon and the stars in the palm of their hands
'Moon Love' 8.3 by 11.7 inches Screenprint 2020
SARAH REESE in st agr am : @photosreese
STATEM ENT (R) This piece was hand drawn, vectorized, and then digitally coloured. It combines a lot of mysterious topics, like Atlantis, UFOs and space, and mermaids. The cartoon style reflects my childhood fascination with these ideas, and the piece plays with what might really be going on under the sea.
BIO Sarah Reese is a photographer based in Kingston and Toronto (Ontario, Canada). She dabbles in both film and digital formats, and focuses mostly on street and landscape photography with some occasional portraiture.
"Gone Fishing" (R) Hand-drawn then digitized and digitally coloured. 2020
MYLES DUNIGAN in st agr am : @mylesdunigan sit e: www.mylesdunigan.com In an er a w h er e w e f eel in cr easin gly displaced f r om t h e n at u r al w or ld du e t o polar izin g ecological r h et or ic, or t h e ever -en cr oach in g r ole t ech n ology plays in ou r daily exper ien ces, I believe t h er e exist s a n eed f or t h e u n r eal an d t h e u n seen . Th is is n ot a call f or f an t asy, bu t r at h er a r adical r est r u ct u r in g an d r e-evalu at ion of t h e w or ld ar ou n d u s. We can n o lon ger t r eat im ages as m er e f acsim iles, or t h e ph ysical w or ld as in f allible ver it y. One needs to simply turn on the news and switch between channels to experience alternate realities. M y pr ef er r ed ar en a is on e of con t r adict ion s, w h er e t im e, space, an d h ist or y ebb an d f low t o r eveal som et h in g m yst ical at t h e edge of pr econ cept ion . By con volu t in g t h e t r u t h of t h e lan dscape im age t h r ou gh m y pr ocess, I st r ive t o r eveal it s ar t if ice, docu m en t in g a n ew w or ld design ed t o in t er r ogat e ou r expect at ion s of ?n at u r al?, an d w h at m ay occu r w h en bot h t ech n ology an d n at u r e leave u s beh in d. M y w or k explor es h ow im agin g t ech n ologies, clim at ological an xiet ies, an d ou r ph ysical exper ien ce of n at u r e collide. In an er a of scien t if ic sk ept icism an d ?f ak e n ew s?, r ealit y h as becom e per vaded by u n cer t ain t y. I em ploy m yr iad pr in t m ak in g, ph ot ogr aph y an d digit al m et h ods t o bu ild den sely layer ed, lim in al pr in t s t h at su bt ly in vest igat e t h e ver it y of lan dscape im ager y. By con st r u ct in g an d docu m en t in g m odels t h at em body a dialect ic bet w een obser ved an d f abr icat ed n at u r e, m y pr act ice oper at es as an ext en ded m et aph or f or br oad-r each in g u n cer t ain t ies r egar din g h u m an im pact on t h e ecosyst em an d t h e su st ain abilit y of ou r w or ld. St yr of oam r ock s popu lat e pr air ies. Digit ally gen er at ed f og obf u scat es r ock y coast lin es. Vist as becom e layer ed t o t h e poin t of bein g n ear ly in discer n ible. Som et im es apocalypt ic, som et im es m edit at ive, I m et icu lou sly dist ill t h e t r opes of pict or ial lan dscape im ager y t o u lt im at ely ar r ive at n o-place, n ow h er e: t h e cu lm in at ion of ou r collect ive an xiet y.
ASH CYCLE 2
graphite-flocked screen print and acrylic. approx 30"x50" (18"x13"panels). 2020
THE PROBLEM W ITH CONSPIRACY THEORIES Personal Essay By James Flux James Flux s a multidisciplinary artist and mystic with a focus on painting, illustration, installation and event coordination. His artwork explores vibration, nature, the human experience and transcendental realities, with a sharp focus on our inner spaces and how they manifest and shape our everyday reality. You can find him on instagram at @jamesfluxartist When I was in Elementary school I had a friend, (for the sake of this article let?s call my friend "Tom"), whose father was obsessed with conspiracy theories and as a result passed this on to his son. Tom lived with his mother, who had left his father for reasons that were never explained to me. What I could figure out was that Tom's father was extremely sexist and paranoid. Tom blamed his mother for the separation, and as a result had extreme unprocessed anger towards her, despite living under her roof. By the time we had reached high school Tom began to attempt to push his inherited theories and beliefs on to me and our friend group. He would often tell me that I didn't understand society, and that the world was not what it seemed. Consistently I was told that our government was being controlled by a secret society. When I would question his racial
and sexist ideas that seemed to go hand in hand with the conspiracies, I was simply told I "didn't understand". As a result, I began to pull away from my childhood friend, and when he brought conspiracy topics up, I maintained that I was happier living in ignorance. I decided that if knowing the truth made you become racist, misogynistic and angry, then I wanted no part in the truth. In my later years of high school Tom and I had almost become strangers, though from time to time we would catch up. I felt a lot of guilt about completely cutting him out. He was a childhood friend, and I knew he didn't have a lot of people in his life. At this time I was also becoming somewhat of a philosopher. I became a very curious person, and I wanted to learn and experience everything that I could in life. When high school ended, I was finally curious to know more about conspiracy theories. l was finally ready to listen to Tom. "What was the government hiding?" I wondered.
During this time, like a dog wagging his tail he would excitedly tell me things. He would tell me about how Fluoride in the water is being used to poison society, about 9/11 being orchestrated by the U.S government, politicians being controlled by corporations, and about secret societies. He believed the whole world was being brainwashed.
us. 2020 is a year of big changes and big shifts. We?re purging the energies associated with the 3D ? anger, fear, shame, guilt ? so all these events are happening on a global level for us to clear it out. Everything is a reflection, this has also been impacting us on a personal level of feeling the need to let go, clear out old ways and learn new ways. For some who are more resistant to change this will be more forceful ? with the chaotic events forcing you to restructure and reassess. 2020 has been a heavy year, so I did a horoscope and tarot card pull for each zodiac sign on how you can cultivate the current energies.
HOROSCOPES By Lean n e Van der h am
IG: @Glow Wit h Lean n e Ar ies Card: 4 of Wands Celebrate yourself, I?m feeling you haven?t been appreciating yourself as much as you should. Remember to celebrate all the little wins too. You?ve been putting in the work and now you?re being called to slow down and bask in all you have already accomplished. It?s a really great time for you to connect with like-minded individuals and possibly share any wisdom or inspiring stories. Things lately may have come crashing down but this is because it?s helping you to rebuild stronger foundations and healthier environments.
Tau r u s Card: The Hermit Turn everything off and turn hermit mode on Taurus. Its time to rest, to reflect, to reassess. It?s time to hibernate. Maybe you?re ending a cycle and its time to slow down and process everything you?ve just observed and journeyed through. It?s been a chaotic last couple of months for you and you haven?t really had that ?me time? or really any time to process your thoughts and emotions. You need a little retreat, to distance yourself from reality and all the chaos. Take the time to heal, to recharge and recoup.