jrogers2uk@yahoo.com
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Leisurelife – Art – By Ed Milsom
Hand-painted doodles on glow in the dark bowling pins, politically aware digital portraits and freakish half-human half-animal characters. These are all the diverse creations of 23 year old up-and-coming artist Joe ‘Rudiger’ Rogers.
For many artists, not having a defining style would be a weakness but when looking at Joe’s colourful, chaotic and intricate imagery, it is this variety of styles and media that seems to be his strength. Such a versatile creative mind is a commercially attractive prospect.
All of this from someone who considered giving up art in his teens due to being diagnosed colour blind. But this ‘disability’ has a positive edge: seeing the world differently to others (being told off at school for colouring the sea purple for example) means Joe’s work is inevitably individualistic and other artists are impressed by his bold and unusual use of colour. This, combined with a hunger to experiment has leant a unique and slightly surreal quality to his work, at its most successful when combining hand drawn and digital elements.
Like many art-school graduates, Joe endured a post-university spell of unemployment but used this time to establish the ‘We’re Still Alive’ arts collective with fellow graduates. The group has so far been successful in its intentions to maintain the momentum and support network of university life and promote “the young, experimental and inspirational” through exhibitions and events.
Inspired by this success, Joe used the Job Centre’s business start-up scheme to set himself up as a self-employed freelance illustrator, fulfilling a long-held ambition not to succumb to the 9 to 5 office job but instead pursue a creative career. He now seems to have a bright future with his work being sold online by Twisted Itch and Art Rebels, commissions from bands and magazines coming in and a second successful WSA group show under his belt.
Hand-painted doodles on glow in the dark bowling pins, politically aware digital portraits and freakish half-human half-animal characters. These are all the diverse creations of 23 year old up-and-coming artist Joe ‘Rudiger’ Rogers.
For many artists, not having a defining style would be a weakness but when looking at Joe’s colourful, chaotic and intricate imagery, it is this variety of styles and media that seems to be his strength. Such a versatile creative mind is a commercially attractive prospect.
All of this from someone who considered giving up art in his teens due to being diagnosed colour blind. But this ‘disability’ has a positive edge: seeing the world differently to others (being told off at school for colouring the sea purple for example) means Joe’s work is inevitably individualistic and other artists are impressed by his bold and unusual use of colour. This, combined with a hunger to experiment has leant a unique and slightly surreal quality to his work, at its most successful when combining hand drawn and digital elements.
Like many art-school graduates, Joe endured a post-university spell of unemployment but used this time to establish the ‘We’re Still Alive’ arts collective with fellow graduates. The group has so far been successful in its intentions to maintain the momentum and support network of university life and promote “the young, experimental and inspirational” through exhibitions and events.
Inspired by this success, Joe used the Job Centre’s business start-up scheme to set himself up as a self-employed freelance illustrator, fulfilling a long-held ambition not to succumb to the 9 to 5 office job but instead pursue a creative career. He now seems to have a bright future with his work being sold online by Twisted Itch and Art Rebels, commissions from bands and magazines coming in and a second successful WSA group show under his belt.