My copy of Otaku: Play came in the mail today, fresh from Romania. That in itself is a bit of a story. So yeah, ordering things from Romania makes your banking security go crazy. Be prepared for a disabled card, alert emails, and having to spend a good hour on the phone explaining to them that it's really you and you did mean to order that magazine from Romania!

But I digress. The magazine is fantastic. It is an amalgamation of all things otaku. But more importantly, its primary focus is on art based out of otaku sub-culture. The first section of the small form-factor magazine showcases several artists from around the globe. Additional pages bring in product, music, indie games, anime, and film reviews and previews.



The second half of the magazine is filled with indie manga by various creators. I haven't yet read through all of it, but the artwork is excellent. I'm very much looking forward to reading Jump! by Between and Inkamon in particular.



As a bonus, the magazine comes with a poster, in this issue a large pixel art scene of New York City, and a DVD. The disc is chock full of chiptunes, videos, and indie game previews. All good stuff. In a way, you might say that Otaku magazine is a primer for all things otaku. And even with the international shipping, the $23 price tag is well worth it. Just be quick, as they only print a limited quantity, with a mere 350 copies of this issue!

In less than two weeks I will be opening my new exhibition to the public. A collection of brand new work, this show is made up of several months worth of consistent effort.

The title [peripheral/interface] is a two-fold description of what will be on display. Quite literally, I am using video game and electronic peripherals which are connected directly to my paintings as an "interface." More figuratively, it is also a reference to something which exists on the periphery of perception, and something else which interfaces directly. In essence, I am hoping to bring some ideas which have remained outside of common awareness into focus.

I admit that the new pieces are a bit of a departure from my previous focus on anime style pop art. While I enjoyed doing the somewhat abstracted and stylized anime paintings, I had begun feeling restricted by doing only that type of work. I decided it was time to let the other influences in my life make their presence known, and these are the fruits of those labors. My artist statement has been updated to reflect this new shift...

My fascination of documenting and exploring anime and manga visuals continues to lead me in a direction which reveals its place in our culture. This visual vocabulary, once confined by national and geographic boundaries, now permeates our Western societies. It has become part of the sub-cultural fabric of our world and continues to assert its permanence.

The wave of media that has ushered in a new Japanization of the West still serves as the foundation for my work, but now I must let in all the other elements attached to this phenomenon that have long tried to break through. The cultural trends of consumerism as well as national and international politics do not exist without effect on the media which fuels my endeavors.

While my interests are varied and many, they are now becoming one with the art I create. This is the time when I must gather video games, anime, technology, consumerism, philosophy, religion, multiculturalism, and politics together. It may be too much, but my generation lives in a world where all these exert their influence. Sometimes it really is too much.

The new exhibition will open on Friday, May 29. The opening reception will take place from 7:00 to 10:00 pm, at The Artbox in downtown Wilmington (255 North Front St - map). Live chiptune and electronica music will be performed by Subterrene during the reception! Admission is free to the public, and everyone is invited. Hope to see you there, and please bring your friends. You can also help me spread the word about the show by reposting this, or promoting the Facebook event.

On Saturday, May 9, I was fortunate enough to attend a Freezepop concert. This did not happen in any particular big city. It happened, of all places, in little old Wilmington!

A few months ago in the early spring, I was rather surprised to learn that Freezepop was coming this way. I know they are used to playing for much larger audiences, and have not actually performed in North Carolina at all. So that must have taken some convincing on the part of the event organizers for The New Deal.

Part hand-made goods and art market, part fashion show and concert, and all fund-raiser for Wilmington's own Dreams charity and art education center, The New Deal was conceived and coordinated by the good folks at the trendy Edge of Urge boutique. It brought together artists, designers, crafts-people, and musicians of all kinds for a common cause, and I think it was a great success. I hope it will continue to be an annual event, as the next time is bound to be even bigger. From my experience organizing Aniwave, that's just the way it works.

After the hand-made market and the fashion show, Freezepop took to the stage to deliver an incredible performance. Finally a band that I could get truly excited about in this town! Now I may be biased, but this was one of the best shows to come to Wilmington yet. My only regret is that more people didn't come out to support them.

I am happy to say that Freezepop delivered as well on the stage as they do on their recordings. Liz did a great job on vocals, and the dueling keytars of Duke and Seth burned through the night. Many people I know where nowhere to be found by the time the concert started, and they really missed out. I can only hope that Freezepop will come this way again, though I realize that it's not likely. Either way, thanks for an awesome time Freezepop!

I was recently featured in the Making Art section of Focus on the Coast! Big thanks to the FotC staff, editor Ruby Cline, photographer Laurence Maultsby, and author Judy Smith. Thank you all for putting together a really good looking spread. Here's an excerpt from the article...

Director of Aniwave, illustrator, graphic designer and editor of Coloring Stories for Conscious Children, Wisniowski's art has been featured in galleries both locally and across the United States. I was intrigued with the subject.

[...] The art exhibition will be different and will focus on found objects and the philosophy of current events and the world. Incorporated into his new works will be the influences of politics, international events, video games, consumerism and anime. [Read the full article...]

A little while ago I finally had a chance to try out the Braid demo. All thanks to Steam. Since I don't own a 360, I've been waiting for the Steam release for a while. At this point, Braid is nothing new really, and anything I may write about it feels like retreading whatever might have been said already.

Still, I feel I should at least make mention of the game. It's been a curiosity in the indie scene, which I also appear to be getting more and more out of touch with. What does keep Braid relevant to me perhaps are its artistic attributes. While the references to Mario are entertaining, the depths of Braid's story seem intriguing right now more for its psychologically constructed nature.

Meanwhile, the painted look appeals to me as well. As the character moves forward, each world moves with it in order to enhance the sense of time manipulation in Braid, which is a very nice feature. Add to that a wonderful musical score and pleasantly challenging puzzles, and this game seems right now to be full of promise to me.

I haven't had time to get the full version and play it through, but rest assured I intend to. I'm very curious about how the story will unfold, and whether the pleasant removal of death within the game will be enough to make the experience less masochistic than the afore referenced Mario Bros.