Java Knees
My next featured artist is my friend Jake Evans. Going by the pseudonym and anagram, Java Knees, he is an incredibly talented illustrator currently attending the University of Brighton. I thought it was a good time to do a little showcase on him because he recently won a competition on dontpaniconline.com to be the poster that is supplied in the next pack. If you don’t know about Don’t Panic, they are a free publication, ususally found in quirky galleries, or small cafes that they feel echoes their way of thinking. I always find it amazing how much they manage to fit into these packs, and it is a great opportunity for up and coming designers such as Jake. If you want more information have a look at their website. Below is the winning entry.
Anyways, back to Jake. For his final project in his foundation year he covered a table with writing. Let me tell you, this was a labour of love, not only did he cover the outside of the table, he covered the underside of the table, places where no-one will ever get to see, but it mattered to him, so he did it. As you can tell from the shots below, he has covered this thing, and has even done some writing on the wall, and everything else that covered this table.
The table is a great example of his work for university, but he also does a lot of pretty incredible work just for fun. The guitar below is a good example of this, his dad wasn’t to happy with the final outcome, but that had nothing to do with the quality of the work, more that it was his guitar.
You may have realised by now that this guy loves his text, and pretty much draws/incorporates text into anything he wants. Below are a few other pieces of his work that I just find incredible, the level of the detail, and the number of different fonts that he manages to produce to keep the work looking fresh and how every single piece manages to keep its own identity.
To end, I will give you the opportunity to purchase a special edition piece by Java Knees. Last year I “commissioned” Jake to create me a notebook, that basically said notebook on it, and to pretty much go crazy with whatever he wants. What he produced was nothing short of a masterpiece, but he still thinks that I owe him for it (and he’s probably right), and so maybe if I can sell some notebooks, and he can make some money, maybe we can finally put this issue to bed. So if you are interested, leave a comment and I will get back to you. Below is a scan of the front and back of the notebook, pretty incredible eh?
If you want more information about Java Knees have a look at his blog his flickr or email him on javaknees@gmail.com, he’d be happy to hear from you.
Keep it UJU,
Master RAS