2nd NeoPopRealism Starz Int'l Art Competition Winners
1st Place Winner R. Gopakumar, Bahrain/India  NeoPopRealism Journal & Wonderpedia and
NeoPopRealism
Starz International Art Competition
online introduce 1st Place winner - R. Gopakumar.
R. Gopakumar was born in Kerala, India, December 15 of 1972. “When a child, life was always beautiful and fresh
like the morning dew,” he said about his childhood. “I was blessed as the 5th child to my father Ramakrishna Pillai
and mother Janamma. We depended on traditional agriculture for our living and our family occupation as farmers always kept
me close with nature...”
R. Gopakumar studied art in India and U.K: 5 years - National Diploma in Fine Arts (painting)
from Govt. Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts (Kerala, India) and Diploma in History of Art from London Art College, Milnthorpe,
U.K. (in progress).
“I think artists are born and not made,” he says. “How much ability they have,
and what they are able to do with it varies depending on personality and probably the early circumstances of their lives.
Some with very little ability are able to forge huge, successful careers, while others with tremendous ability cannot move
ahead at all.”
R. Gopakumar has always been an artist, he said. “During my tender days while at play, I
nearly drowned in a nearby pond. My eldest sister rescued me from the still waters on seeing my beloved toy afloat, which
had caught her attention initially, then to my little hand trying to reach the surface. As a child, terrified at the truth
in the incident I was  determined to try always to convey that truth. This nostalgic incident inspired me to paint “reincarnation” later
in my journey as an artist...”
“My father used to tell that any form of art does not inspire to a good family
living,” R. Gopakumar said, and continue: “his statement towards this were derived from artists during his time
of life which lived in poverty and low income. Due to this he always advised and encouraged me to get any kind of professional
job oriented education...”
Independent thinking and experimental mind of R. Gopakumar are amazing. “During
my school days I used to sketch images, illustrations of Gandhi, Tagore, Ashoka, Shajahan from my text book to the outer covers,”
he said. “This happened to be at the notice of my class teacher, but he did not punish me for this act, and else he
encouraged me to do more as he said: identify your talents within yourself. This led me to take part in various painting competitions.
The scenic beauty of Kerala, folk art, various religious festivals, fairy tales, Hindu traditional rituals, had been the cherished
moments in my childhood.”
During 1990-1995, in Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts he learned Indian, Eastern, Western,
African, Egyptian, Islamic and various forms of arts and art history. Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy granted R. Gopakumar with
a scholarship for his education. During his college days he had a passion for comedy and theater act.
His regular practice in yoga for traditional physical and mental disciplines and
peace of mind has inspired R. Gopakumar in most of his works. The passion for art led to the interest in music and he studied
south Indian classical music (vocal) and Mruthangam (rhythm instrument) for few years.
His art portfolio includes exhibitions
in 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95 in Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Mavelikara, Kerala; 1992 - Bishop Moore College, Mavelikara, Kerala;
1996 - Kerala Lalithakala Akademi; 1996 - Kadappakada Sports Club, Kollam; 2000 - Bahrain Museum, Manama, Bahrain, and more.
He has moved to Bahrain, the Middle East in search for better prospects in the field of graphic designing. Now he is a creative
director at well-known technology firm Al-Nadeem. During this period he enriched himself in technologies used in Multimedia.
“Deep inside of me there still is the artist wanting to come out in all my work form,“ he said. “The internet
media has helped me a lot to learn and be more creative in contemporary art. After a long span of time, in 2008 I came back
to painting with a revision in art history by achieving a Diploma from the London College of Arts. I learned that to create
any work of art you can use any medium. This can be oil painting, acrylic, sculpture, animation, digital art, installation,
performance … . But whatever be the medium the concept, context and aesthetic value should be of the most importance.
My long 11 years of experience in Multimedia led me to be a digital artist. An artist should be like a scientist by discovering
new innovations to create new form of art...” R. Gopakumar says thank you to his teachers Madhavan, T.A.S.
Menon, Balakrishna Kurup, Stewart Roberts, John Antoine Labadie, and his friends who helped to him achieve his success at
all levels. He also would like to thank his family - his lovely wife Priya and son Abhijit.
 “Artwork of R. Gopakumar “Cognition-libido” carries eternity
and power of centuries’ wisdom,” juror Nadia Russ said. “R. Gopakumar’s creativity breaks through the traditional vision on art. His
search and experimenting are pleasantly surprising, sometimes unexpected color and content same time are very natural and
pleasant.”
2nd NeoPopRealism Starz International Art Competition Erotica As A High Artistic
Aspiration (February - April, 2009) exhibited over 100 art works submitted by artists from USA, U.K., Czech Republic,
India/Bahrain, France, Slovakia, Germany, Italy, Scotland…
NeoPopRealism Starz International Art Competitions are quarterly, juried online exhibitions-competitions of paintings, drawings and sculptures
in any medium and styles. These competitions are open to all living artists worldwide aged 18 and up, run over the Internet,
and have mission to promote and support the most talented artists from all over the globe.
2nd Place Winner: Joseph Borzotta (NJ, USA).  Joseph Borzotta graduated from
R.I. School of Design (1981-1985) and School of Visual Arts, Special Studies, Painting (1986-1987). In 1990, he founded  Hoboken Creative Alliance, a multi-discipline arts group with over 250 members.
In 1997 Joseph opened the Liquid Lounge
Bar/Art Gallery in New Jersey, and in 2004 - 12" DJ Bar in NYC.
In 1998, in Newark Museum (New Jersey), he curated
art exhibition Face It!. He has shown at the Newark Museum and Morris Museum, George Billis Gallery in NYC and Roq La Rue
in Seattle, La Luz de Jesus in LA and Luckystar Gallery in WI, Stirling Club in Las Vegas and other galleries.
Joseph
Borzotta executed many fabulous erotic drawings, including “Riding Crop” - 2nd Place winning work - and canvases
that explore human relationships. His bright and colorful paintings are full of complex and diversity.
The juror Nadia
Russ said about his work: “Joseph Borzotta’s sensitivity and talent are like a barometer that show the temperature
of human emotions through paints’ colors. He has reached the higher level of expression of human emotions while showing
the every day life of average people.”   3rd Place winner: Megh, Las Vegas, USA. Megh
is a 35 years old artists, who lives in Las Vegas with her boyfriend and her cat. She is the creator of “the Little
Red Roundbottom” online comics, and featured on such TV shows as “Secret Lives of Women” and “SexTV.”
 “Megh’s colorful erotic art works are full of energy. She
uses her talent to capture the essence of pure erotica and illustrates her real life with vivid imagination,” said 2nd
NeoPopRealism Starz Art Competition juror Nadia Russ. Megn is also a cannibal fetish model and a vivid reader of
true-crime…
1st Honorable Mention: Milan Kuzica (Prague, Czech Republic).  When a child, Milan Kuzica was completely obsessed with just a pencil drawing. Milan touched the clay for the first time relatively
late, probably when he was eight. He said: “From as far as I can remember, I was always interested in visual arts. And
it was not based on my decision, it was given to me. To
name the sources of my inspiration I would have to travel through centuries or even millenniums. Today I‘m in a mood
for Calder, but month ago I would have chosen some unknown Aztek or Egyptians… But I live under the star of Greece
antiquity and its late periods…”
Milan Kuzica thinks that Art is the human manifestation of free mind, and
it gives opportunity to the artist capture, depict, reflect and open up his inner world, no matter medium he uses - pen, brush, music, or film…
“Is art irreplaceable?”
Milan Kuzica continues his thoughts. “It is irreplaceable in its potential to record daily human emotions and memory.”
If you will ask Milan “what is your wildest dream?” He will respond: “To be able to support myself solely
on independent production.” And probably it is the dream of every artist.
Milan Kuzica was born November 12, 1962. In 1981, he graduated from High School of Fine Arts and Design in Kremnica
(Slovakia). In 1991 - from Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava (Slovakia). In 1992, he graduated from Komenius University
in Bratislava.
In 1996 - 1997 Milan was teacher at TAFE University in Perth, Australia.
 He was working as a sculptor, industrial designer, graphic
designer, and participated internationally in exhibitions and symposiums - in Australia and Belgium, Czech Republic and Holland,
Slovak Republic and USA.
Milan is a Member of the Slovak Union of Artists. Now he lives in Prague.
“Artwork
of Milan Kuzika ‘Ordinary Seed’ is a sensuous expression of man’s erotic side. Milan’s sense of humor
is blooming with originality, and artistic touch gives birth to fresh and unique idea transformed in to an object,”
said juror Nadia Russ.
2nd Honorable Mentioin: Pete Herzfeld (Washington
DC, USA).  Pete Herzfeld is an Assistant Professor of Department of Visual Arts, Frostburg State University.
His inkjet “paintings”
attempt to illustrate the socio-politico tension generated by death: “When we die, we leave in our wake a trail of artifacts
and places that we have shaped, constructed and designed."
Pete is interested in the power of places and artifacts
to tell the stories of people who may have passed through. “I use real people in order to stress the reality of our
human condition,” he said. “The narrative of the images is intuitive, a piling up of layers with visually chaotic
meaning. The artifice is immediately apparent, while the underlying meaning fluctuates according to the viewer’s perceptions
and pre-conceived notions of what “death notice” and “weather report” means to them. Realization of
meaning is anchored in some partial truth, but the images’ aim is to convey something important despite the dailyness
of the individual images.”
His thoughts: “... the inherent artifice within these images is intentional and
measured to elicit response, to seduce and engage the viewer.
This response is calculated to be ambiguous and conflicted,
but it is also meant to do justice to its final message. Certain words and phrases have entered the collective consciousness
through the repetitiveness of the media. A less specific and larger interaction of contrasting scales and meanings now enter
into other conflicting dimensions: ideologies, religions, cultures, and traditions.”
Pete Herzfeld said about
NeoPopRealist ten canons and how they related to him:
1.
Be beautiful.
“From the inside out and share it with others.”
2. Be creative
& productive, never stop studying & learning.
“A mantra that exists deep in my soul - I'm a professor,
so I profess.”
3. Be peace loving, positive minded.
“I'm a non-violent,
pacifist, who can't fathom the $ we throw away on militaristic garbage.”
4. Do not accept communistic philosophy.
“Or capitalism philosophies.”
5. Be free-minded, do the best you can to move the world to peace and harmony.
“Amen brother.”
6. Be family-oriented,
self-disciplined.
“Three kids and a wife.”
7. Be free-spirited. Follow your dreams, if they are not destructive, but constructive.
“I
am living my dream.”
8. Believe
in GOD. God is one.
“God is everywhere, in everything.”
9. Be supportive to those who need you, be generous.
“An
area where I can always do better in.”
10. Create your life as a great adventurous story.
“My adventure is ongoing and opens my eyes
to the wonders of the world, especially inside of my mind."
Juror Nadia Russ said: "Pete Herzfeld's artwork
'Blackwell' carries strong power of eternal beauty, spirituality, and class. Viewer will find here glamor and intellect, erotica
and politics. Artwork 'Blackwell' gives birth to curiosity. This is an inspiring piece with flavor of mystery and with knowledge
of the past." ________________________________________ Copyright © All Rights Reserved 2009 NeoPopRealism Starz
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