Darkness is beautiful
Normal Gergely comes from Hungary and create graphic designs under the name of ‘Normal Illustrations’. Besides being a graphic designer he is also an abstract artist.
Graduated as an art and visual communication teacher. Started to create heavy metal related work through the inspiration of music
I love music especially the heavier ones. If I listen some kind of punk rock or experimental noise or death or black metal music. I immediately get a unearthly vision in my mind. I think it’s important to give good quality artwork to a talented band. They might be good musicians but if they can’t create graphics for their music… my work is to complete the music with graphic arts. Is a great honor and huge responsibility for both me as an artist.
My working methods are simple. I hardly describe it but it is kind of improvised drawing… Mostly I listen to the music. I try to reach a point where I can concentrate to my drawing almost like a trance state. Usually I create with ink on paper with a brush pen, after that I vectorize the design. If I work on a album cover I finish the design in photoshop with colors. Sometimes I paint with watercolor and ink, sometimes with oil in 1×1 m size. It depends on the mood and mostly the sounds of the band.
I prefer the dark side of the art, because darkness is beautiful
For example an infinite field is beautiful but sad at the same time. Darkness is not a negative approach, for me is a monumental and magical place where things are different like in a church. Anyway the bible is an ultimate horror story but there is a catharsis that is cleansing definitely. People need this.
The artwork is the first impressions, especially if you talk about cover art and is a massive part of an album. They belong together. And of course if you think about the market, a band have to sell the music and it is not easy to get people’s attention without it. When I create graphics I can listen music in my mind, and if I create music I constantly see a picture in my head. Especially for someone like me, I can not separate the two. I am also a musician and I really can feel what the band go through when they give the project to a designer.
Inspiration from gods and devils
Gods and Devils are always my favourite topics. I also like movies about serial killers and psychopaths, but the best inspiration always comes from listening to the music. And the hard hitting questions of course like life, death, the metaphysical, the supernatural, skull & bones, the human body… Is always a way to get close to God. I don’t believe in a ordinary God as in a religion, but I try to be close to the deities. Sounds strange but I believe in something I am sure. Yes artists do want to recreate God, and illustrate the intangible. The abstraction is definitely a special field to express the impossible and the unseen.
There are some favorite painters like Goya, Egon Schiele, Edvard Munch… yes I love the mentally disturbed ones. I also love to study Dürer’s Apocalypse series, but sometimes i need to listen some Cannibal Corpse and Burzum or J.S. Bach or Franz Liszt.
I regularly do exhibitions of my paintings, but I would really like to exhibit my drawings too. I have hundreds paper drawings in my cabinet. ’Pseudo Apocalypse was one of my personal favorite show in Hungary with my good friend ’Fragile Hope Art & Design’. There was a cool group exhibition with lot of big names from around the world last october in London, organised by the ’Skull Appreciation Society’. It was a great opportunity to show my work but I it would be great to do a solo show in the near future.
http://www.fb.com/normal.illustrations
http://www.fb.com/art.normalgergely
Interview by Alex Milazzo – Copyright 2015 © Heavy Music Artwork. All rights reserved.
