A comic phenomenon dating back to the late 1920s, The Adventures of Tintin have entertained generations of children and adults. The brainchild of Belgium artist Hergé, Tintin and his friends have made their way around the world—through the wild west, the far east and even to the moon.

His popularity has spread just as far. Tintin’s adventures have spanned more than 20 comic books, two animated series, four animated films, two live action films, five plays and even two staged musicals. Now Tintin and his gang are gearing up for their latest incarnation, a trilogy of motion-capture films directed by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson.  

Filming of the first film will begin shortly with Spielberg in the director’s chair; Peter Jackson is set to direct the second; and, as of yet, no one has been named for the third. All three screenplays will be written by U.K. writer Steven Moffat (Doctor Who, The Office).

Although the comics and animated series have been translated and popularized on every continent, it has also received a fair amount of criticism for its often colonial and sometimes racist portrayal of non-Europeans. What of the comics will be transferred into the new films is yet to be seen, but what is sure is that it will be met with a great deal of expectation.

Perhaps this will lead to similar projects. We’re hoping for a film based on The Adventures of Asterix. 

Intro and Interview by Judd Katz

Caleb Neelon, also known as SONIK, is a Cambridge, Massachusetts, based writer and artist. Over the past dozen years he’s traveled the world painting graffiti and murals, while collaborating with a handful of the culture’s most important artists. In between his foreign adventures, he’s managed to earn a master’s degree in education at Harvard, while lending his formal writing skills to a plethora of magazines and books on topics related to street art and graffiti.

His artwork, which incorporates themes such as boats, animals and, most recently, leaves, are inspired by his experiences traveling around the world, coupled with his background as an educator. The bright and playful paintings that have become his trademark convey a refreshing sense of youthful optimism.

This looks to be a big year for Caleb, with a solo show opening this week at the Carmichael Gallery in Los Angeles, and his first monograph, Caleb Neelon’s Book of Awesome, being released by Gingko Press later in 2008.

You’ve traveled extensively and created art in countries around the world. How have these experiences affected your work?

I have had the travel bug something awful ever since I was little. When I was in my late teens, I realized that I could go around to different places in the world and paint something in the street wherever I went. Wherever I went to paint—Nepal, Brazil, Iceland, Honduras, Australia—it was a different experience that required me to tailor what I was doing to the new city, as well as pay very close attention to the universals of what people were really responding to in what I did. So that was one thing that affected me a lot. The other was of course all the people I got to meet along the way and all the artists I got to work with.  

Speaking of those artists, you’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with a number of great artists over the years from Andrew Schoultz to Os Gemeos. Are there any collaborations that stand out as favorites?

Those are certainly some that I enjoyed a lot. My favorite one, really, is always the one that hasn’t happened yet, the next one, the one I don’t even know about yet.  
 
You went to graduate school for education, which is unique for an artist. Does your work aim to educate? Is it ever in the back of your mind when you’re creating an installation or a painting?

What I studied in ed school was mostly the developmental and cognitive psychology of art: what does a kid learn from drawing, painting, music, dance, doing the school play, stuff like that. How these things help a kid mature, see, relate to others, communicate and tackle other subjects. But none of this was hands-on training: I wasn’t learning how to teach Billy to paint a mural, I was learning what Billy learns from painting a mural. So really, apart from the work I do with kids, it’s formed this background understanding of how in every way—neurologically, psychologically, etc.—art is an essential part of being human. 

A lot of your recent work features leaves blowing around in the wind and in different formations. What’s your thought process behind these new pieces?

I have this fascination with beech trees.  If you wander around in the woods in New England, where I’m from, you’ll find these stands of beech trees. They always grow in groups, and the ground around them is covered with beech leaves. There’s no other undergrowth. The reason for this is that beech leaves are acidic and kill off the competition. So in these New England seasons of blooming and wilting, budding and falling, you have these cycles of survival.
 
You have a solo show opening this week at Carmichael Gallery in LA. What can fans of Caleb Neelon expect to see at the show?

Lots of leaves! I haven’t done a show before where I’ve honed in so closely, and it’s a very personal show.  I did a mural on La Brea this weekend as well… that was fun.

Your first monograph is being published by Gingko Press—Caleb Neelon’s Book of Awesome. What can we expect to see in your book and when does it drop?

The book will be out later in 2008 and shows a lot of my favorite work from the last 12 years. It shows both street painting and gallery work. It’s funny, because after having written several books about other people’s art—Street World, Graffiti Brasil, as well as a zillion magazine articles—doing that kind of thing is a snap for me. But assembling this book, which is all my own artwork, has been absolutely gut-wrenching…. until I sit back and laugh at myself for agonizing.

Caleb Neelon Is Working On It
Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art
1257 N. LaBrea (LaBrea & Fountain)
West Hollywood, CA 90038
www.carmichaelgallery.com

Opening Reception: Saturday, May 10, 2008, 8 PM – Midnight
Exhibition Dates: May 10 – June 1, 2008

For more information on Caleb Neelon, visit www.theartwheredreamscometrue.com

Scion’s Installation 4, “It’s a Beautiful World,” will open in Los Angeles, the last of nine cities on the national tour, on May 10. The innovative Scion Installation Art Tour launched its fourth installment last July and features a diverse array of artists from around the world. The theme, “It’s a Beautiful World,” was interpreted by each artist, in one of four mediums—painting, photography, sculpture, and collage. The culmination of the tour is accompanied by a live auction where all of the artwork will be auctioned off to the public, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward art related charities.

This year’s artists include: Andrew Pommier, Andy Mueller, Angela Boatwright, Blaine Fontana, Blek LeRat, Books llll, Caia Koopman, Chris Yormick, Cody Hudson, Dalek, David Choe, Eye One, Francesco LoCastro, Freddi C, J. Shea, James Jean, Jeff Soto, Joshua Krause, Kelsey Brookes, Kenton Parker, Kofie, Mel Kadel, Michael Sieben, Mike Giant, Rammellzee, RETNA, R. Grimes, Ron English, Sam Flores, Sage Vaughn, Skwerm, Tim McCormick, Travis Millard and The London Police.

The final tour stop and auction will be held in Los Angeles, at the Scion Installation L.A. space in the Culver City Arts District May 10 - June 1, 2008. Most all of the Installation 4 artists will attend the opening night of the show on May 10. The opening reception will take place from 8 pm–10 pm at 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, Calif., 90232.

The live auction will take place on June 1, at the Scion Installation L.A. Space, from 4 pm – 7 pm (auction begins promptly at 5 pm), as well as online and on phone lines. All the money raised from the auction will go directly to Art From Scrap, an organization encouraging creative expression in the arts and promoting a greater understanding of environmental issues.

Check www.scion.com/space and www.scion.com/installation for more details.