As part of the allspraypainted Meets artist program, in this article, we learn about German visual artist and illustrator, Nadine Kolodziey. Active in Berlin and Frankfurt, we explore how Nadine takes her love of classic ’80s and 90’s Japanese manga culture to new interactive heights. The classically trained German illustrator Nadine Kolodziey, is more than just your average drawing addict. Since the ’80s and ’90s, Nadine has merged her love of manga and Japanese culture, that thanks to her activeness in illustration, has taken her well beyond what is normally defined within the genre.
Learning to unlearn – allspraypainted meets Nadine Kolodziey
As a visual artist, Nadine alternates her workspace between the German cities of Frankfurt and Berlin. The diversity and change of scenery adding some extra edge to her work, which only seems to benefit from the creativity that both cities offer.
At the core of her artistic practice, Kolodziey always reflects on the motto that she creates by; “Learn to unlearn”. With these three words, she is always ready to return to the basics, to re-discover what lies at the source of each idea. Each time, enabling the mix and match materials and ideas till the right path is found. Although graphic markers and paint markers such as the Montana ACRYLIC line are often at the foundation of most good ideas, the “learn to unlearn” principle has guided her well through the exciting new world of spray cans. With a mystical effect that is not quite obtainable in the same way with many other graphic or art-making tools, the Montana GOLD can range has become Kolodziey’s best friend in the creation of some of her recent canvas works. Within these works, opacity, and transparency meet in a manner that is both colorful and loud. Although the love of manga is present, European art and Kolodziey own personality have meant that the work now travels in its own unique direction.
Kolodziey’s yearning to invite the audience to interact with her artwork beyond its design or motif has led her onto the path of augmented reality. As the stylized works vibrate with life even without the digital enhancement, once the augmentation element is initiated, the works take on a life of their own creating experiences and thus memories.
In a recent development down the augmentation path, Nadine Kolodziey has discovered the augmented reality spray can filter. Just as in real life in her studios, this feature enables her use of the Montana GOLD cans to breach new horizons in a combination of static artwork, and real-time dynamic digital artwork. Without requiring a wall or a static substrate as a painting surface, the spray can filter enables users to create spray markings in thin air, within an installation context created by Kolodziey. This magical merge fulfills both her love of hands-on artmaking and her fascination for creating a world that is otherwise not there. With a background of white walls and life-sized white polystyrene objects, the welcomed digital splash of color is nothing less than captivating. We look forward to the new horizons we are sure to see in the development of Nadine Kolodziey’s work, but until then, let’s enjoy what she has already achieved today.
