David Gerhard demonstrates his smartphone art at Artisphere
In the world of traditional printmaking, ruled by heavy presses and large studios, printmaker and Clemson graduate student David Gerhard is creating his work in the smallest of studios: an iPhone.Since 2009, Gerhard has been using his smartphone as a studio, creating work with up to 20 image applications. "There are so many things you can do because there are so many apps out there," he said.
He first started manipulating the images on his phone while working as a graphic designer and smartphone application reviewer in California. Gerhard primarily works directly on his phone and also uses a stylus to "get my hand in there even more."
"A lot of the process with the iPhone art for me is learning what the app does and learning a way to subvert that," he said.
One recent piece used a 3-D, interactive panorama app to create "We Sit Separately Together" on a commuter train. Using an app designed to produce one complete photo, he forced it to generate a fragmented image.
The moveable piece, exhibited on an iPhone in a gallery and online, illustrates how "in that moment I felt instantly connected with everybody through this association and also completely separated," he said. "That mode of presentation also presents that separation and connection at the same time."
Using the smartphone initially afforded him time, Gerhard said. "I worked 50-plus hours a week and didn't have time to go to my art studio. So I made my lunch break and any other break I had my art time."
A long piece on the phone could take two to three hours; however, a large studio piece could take up to 50 hours, he said. The nature of working on his phone has also connected him to other people.
"I can make the art on the go, but also it's a networking device so I can actually connect with people who are also doing that," he said. Gerhard has created pieces about people he's contacted through Instagram or Twitter, using their submitted photos.
This weekend, Gerhard is showcasing his technique alongside several other Clemson University printmakers at Artisphere, Greenville's annual downtown art festival.
One challenge is demonstrating a digital medium outdoors during the day, so he's creating a series of posters of the process rather than projecting images on a monitor or screen. Afterwards, he plans to post them online as part of a smartphone art tutorial.
Gerhard says smartphone art is something anyone with a phone can do, as is Gerhard's other demonstration on Kitchen Printmaking. Traditional printmaking uses a large press, mineral spirits and sometimes toxic chemicals, he said, but he plans to show how aspiring printmakers can use water-based relief inks, wood carvings and the back of a wooden spoon (with the user as the press) to make prints at home or a smaller space.
The demonstration includes "a little bit of tradition and my take on it – a little bit of freedom with how I use the technique," he said. This freedom results in unique monoprints, he said.
Gerhard's demonstrations are two of 17 on the Do It Yourself Stage, part of the annual festival that features 120 jury-selected artists on Artists Row, showcasing painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry, prints and more.
Artisphere will also feature live performances from musicians, including blues from The Mobros, jazz from the Wade Baker Trio and Americana from local favorite Noah Guthrie. Other live performances include dance, theatre and art in action from Brian Olsen along with demonstrations of metalworking, glassblowing and woodworking. Kidsphere offers the young ones a chance to experiment with fine art and craft techniques.
The festival officially kicks off at noon on Friday, May 10, with opening ceremonies at the intersection of Broad and Main streets.
