Who’s Next & Premiere Classe have invited this edition two American artists working together to custom the new press area called « La Villa M ».
They created a special artwork inspired by the Mediterranean theme with a bit of upcycling.
Visitors could see the live painting session during the 4 days of the trade shows at the Porte de Versailles in Paris.
Hi guys! Can you introduce yourself?
Mike: My name is Mike Kershnar and I am an illustrator, painter, photographer and skateboarder from California living in San Francisco.
Fiona: My name is Fiona Lake, I’m a photographer and hair stylist and also a Californian. I am from and am currently living in San Francisco.
© Florie Berger
What does ‘upcycling’ mean to you?
Mike: Upcycling to me is taking something that has already been used such as an old bottle and turning it into something beautiful such as a work of art with a new use, perhaps even greater than its previous one. Of course the same thing can be done with fabric, lumber, vinyls, and many other discarded things.
Fiona: Upcycling to me means finding material that’s already been used, and somehow and turning it into something different. Whether it’s live nature and capturing it into a photograph which I’ll have and can share forever. Or even creating photoshoots and drawing inspiration from what’s in popular style, inspiring to me and making it my own by adding my own personal upward style to it.
© Ten Days in Paris
How do you work?
Mike: Each day I seek to gather inspiration from the artistry of the natural world such as animals, plants and landscapes, and shine this clean natural beauty towards human culture through visual art.
Fiona: When I’m not styling at the salon, I’m usually walking around gathering inspiration from wherever I am. I have a spiritual connection to nature, so most of my photos are of flowers and living things. I also find a lot of inspiration from my everyday life, like the lifestyle of my friends and what’s around me. It’s my raw inspiration. So I take photographs, develop them and decide which ones I may want to blow up or keep small. I also make zines and collage.
© Florie Berger
Where do you find the raw materials you work with?
Mike: Most of the materials I work on or with are found strolling on the streets of San Francisco. It seems the streets offer lots of gems just like in its historical Gold Rush. The streets offer old canvases to paint over, lots of metal and wood to paint and collage on, old mirrors, discarded cigar boxes and lots of photographic content.
Was the Mediterranean style reflected in your work?
Fiona: We plan to use the blues, white, yellow, and pink color scheme on the Columns of the Villa M, and incorporate some of the themes such as the plants, mountains, patterns, and space. Our visual geography will include Mediterranean, Californian, and Parisian influence.
Are there vintage pieces that have inspired you for this project?
Mike: In addition to all forms classically Parisian and Mediterranean, this project is inspired for us by American Artists duos who have traveled the world, gone to Paris and made their creative offering such as Ed and Deanna Templeton. Together they equal a a total even greater then the sum of their parts, through their bold and distinct voices in an array of mediums.