Andy da Silva is a young designer who trial's on unusual materials, in this case the filter pens from which she creates lines, curves and intersections that result in very interesting illustrations.
How did you got the idea of these canvas with filter pens?
Andy da Silva: I won the habit of having graphic diaries, started drawing with a faber-castel pen and experienced many things, but one day decided to buy a fairly thick paper, glossy and used an acetate pen, when superimposed a marker one above the other appeared slightly dark tone line at intersections which created a very interesting texture. This early work seemed like tiles, because the paper had this very bright effect and the pen causes this very strong trait. Then I thought about using other markers of alcohol base and drew in a less stiff paper, as they are cheap and relatively large I was experimenting, some overlapping lines on other giving this suggestion to create volume, this makes the design richer and gives it a more organic flair. At the same time found that there were white markers and I did not know what they were, I thought they were to spread, but when I went over the lines that ate the paint and found that the effect was also interesting.
But first you paint the pictures and then you apply the white marker?
AS: Some of the works were made first with white pen, but has a soft solvent, it is mostly for children to not get sick when they use them, what I did then was to mix bleach with different amounts of water and alcohol to create these different effect, there are some works in which the designs are stronger and some weaker.
These drawings at first glance appear to be geometric, but after a closer look are not, were inspired by what?
AS: The inspiration comes from various baselines. I create a pattern in a part of the sheet and then create another on another site, then I arrange a way to connect and the intersections are filling as the composition asks me. If it feels empty I compensate the other side.
They are all original compositions?
AS: Yes, I already have a certain line that creates certain patterns and there is this geometric connection of a point that fits into something else.
I would say that seems an almost urban theme.
AS: That's because of the straight lines. Use them well and sometimes interrupt with more curved lines to not look so aggressive and it is these lines that arise as a link to the straight.
Your curves also have a lot of strength, remind me Van Gogh's skies.
AS: Yeah, I also remembered that these overlaps are like que the thick brush's of Van Gogh and the French Impressionists. I liked to find the markers of these overlaps of very short lines and thought already that I have this tool that I will exploit as much as possible and decided to do an exhibition, the number of work that would have made and the formats that purported to show.
Your color palette is very invlugar and even very strong.
AS: That's because they are supermarket markers for children, has strongly saturated colors and I wanted to explore that. I made sure to use these tones against each other, have compositions and color that is almost too much and think this very heavy I end up spreading a little with some solvents. Even the white lines compensate for this stronger tone. The paper in this case is thicker in order to absorb and withstand the abuse of the marker, water, alcohol and bleach.
What is the common thread of these works?
AS: In the background of the exploration is this technique, I am in a first step, that is, I am learning to use these markers in a more abstract way to then see what happens when you step to the figurative. But this is a first exploration of the process, so is it more abstract to see what I can do, so I will continue with the pens until exhaustion.
