Gong Xi Fa Cai Addictees!
Eindhoven, the Netherlands, population 223,218 plus two Tinkers.
Our favourite Eindhovenese (eh?), Big Mac eating brothers, Liam and Noah (aka the Tinker Brothers) are back with their new, exciting and wait for it - Invisible - series.
This eye-opening collection is based on pop culture and comics, including some of your favourite superheroes. Superman, Batman and Robin all make an appearance - but can you see them?
In between bites of their Maccas, the boys said:
"There are miracles hiding in plain sight—the dreams of the homeless man on the corner of the street, golden wildflowers blossoming in the middle of the desert, soul playing in the background while riding on a city bus, and long lost love stories that never made it to the movies. There are a gazillion miracles, displays of beauty, patiently waiting to be discovered. That’s why we make invisible paintings. They are hidden gems, hiding in plain sight. Unnoticed by the many, enlightening the hearts of the few."
If you want it put more plainly, John Cena, WWE wrestler dude, sums it up with his catch-cry: “You can’t see me.”
Translation for the non-WWE fans: "You can't see me."
But in actual fact, you can.
Here we go!
Invisibility Is A Superpower
'Nobody Knows What It Means, But It’s Provocative', 2018
Arty-Fact: "If I could turn back time." - Cher
TB Fun-Fact: "We often imagine that laying your eyes on a Tinker is like laying your eyes on a priceless diamond. Imagine owning one. We aspire to be the notorious gems of the art world and our art is created to inspire the rebel, the poet, and the joker within." ~ Tinker Brothers
'Free Lemonade', 2018
Arty-Fact: “Keep squeezing those lemons Robin!”
Cut lemons in half. Juice each lemon through a strainer into a large measuring cup. Keep juicing until you have 2 cups of lemon juice. Pour water into a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in sugar. Combine sugar solution with lemon juice. This is a lemonade concentrate. Stir and wait for hot chicks.
TB Fun-Fact: "We love using bold, powerful yet simple imagery in our work. Comics offer a way out of everyday ordinary life to enter into a world of possibilities. Like a real-life superhero once said: “There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one we are capable of living.” Comics help us remember." – Tinker Brothers
'Alone With The Gods', 2018
Arty-Fact: “If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery--isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you'll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you're going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is.” - Charles Bukowski (but sums up the Tinker Brothers wonderfully!)
TB Fun-Fact: "There is a fire burning in each and every one of us, a deeply rooted feeling that there is more to life than playing small and making a living, a fundamental truth that when it strikes will awaken you like thunder in the night — anyone who is on to this is on to greatness." – Tinker Brothers
'Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200', 2018
Arty-Fact: Do you get $200 every time you pass ‘Go’?
TB Fun-Fact: "We make art to deepen the mystery." – Tinker Brothers
'Fuck Small Talk', 2018
Arty-Fact: Small talk: polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial matters, especially as engaged in on social occasions.
An example of small talk in a sentence: "At the corporate get-together we made the obligatory small talk with some people from the home office."
Fuck small talk.
TB Fun-Fact: "Every great artist, musician and writer, poet and scientist, guru and philosopher that has ever walked the face of the earth tapped into the same source — something beyond words. We believe that with our ‘invisible’ paintings; stencilled pieces of images inspired by pop culture in varnish on white canvas, there might be a chance of capturing the essence of that source, or at least hint at it." – Tinker Brothers
'Let Someone Dangerous In For Tea', 2018
Arty-Fact: “You are a genuinely wicked woman.” Vicomte De Valmont, Dangerous Liaisons
TB Fun-Fact: "Invisibility is a superpower." – Tinker Brothers
'No More Broken Hearts', 2018
Arty-Fact: Broken hearts can be prevented with early detection!
TB Fun-Fact: "Forget about our success story. Forget about all the set-backs, the thousands of rejections and the struggling for years ‘to make it’. And forget about our big dreams; the hunger for being among the most influential artists of our time. Because when it comes down to it, none it really matters. It’s about love. It’s about heart. We are warriors of light—art just turns out to be our weapon of choice." – Tinker Brothers
'Sold', 2018
Arty-Fact: “You kiss by the book.” – Juliet (Romeo’s main squeeze)
TB Fun-Fact: "Our biggest influences, what has shaped the character of the Tinker Brothers, started with music. Love songs and soul, classical and rap, soundtracks and pop—from Michael Jackson to Kanye West. And it continues with movies – lifetimes lived in two hours. Stories that give you goose bumps, stories that inspire bold dreams and raise the questions that keep you up at night. Love stories, stories of heroes and villains. Stories that make your heart glow and grow a little larger." – Tinker Brothers
'Two Of A Kind', 2018
Arty-Fact: Tinker Brothers
TB Fun-Fact: "We are the new kids on the block. We are the Tinker Brothers, stencil artists from the Netherlands. Dropped out of University in 2012 to pursue the dream of being among the most influential artists of our time." – Tinker Brothers
'Victory', 2018
Arty-Fact: ✌️
TB Fun-Fact: "What starts as an idea is transformed into an image, cut by hand into a stencil and spray painted onto canvas. And the dynamic of us working together? It’s like watching one of those 24/7 home cooking shows; smooth as fuck. What we do to get inspired is unfortunately something we cannot give away — can you imagine Willy Wonka spilling the beans?" – Tinker Brothers
'It’s That Time Of The Year Again', 2018
Arty-Fact: Wake Up. Kick Ass. Repeat.
TB Fun-Fact: Which artist would you like to bring back to life and why?
"That’s a no-brainer; 4 o’clock teatime with Dali, conversations about the rhinoceros and shit. Or a tootski with Pablo. Wouldn’t that be marvellous?" - Tinker Brothers
To help you visualise these a little more, here is some video footage and a shiny pic of an invisible Tinker:
"Let Someone Dangerous In For Tea", Tinker Brothers, 2018
Yes John, we too are amazed!
If you want see how these invisible paintings look in your home, use our App to 'See It On Your Wall'
Need more info? Drop us a note at:
blair@addictedgallery.com or elena@addictedgallery.com
Until the next one…
Blair & El
Time for an eyeball checkup