Art Talk – Brooke Krumbeck aka ‘BK DIECI’

Brooke Krumbeck aka ‘BK DIECI’ is an Australian artist creating ethereal colourful works – dreamy landscapes populated with strange monsters, plants, trees and nude human like creatures called Tittafants .

Her work hints at Australian classics such as James Gleeson (see the use of nudes in a psychedelic / surreal landscape), Norman Lindsay (see the use of simple effective lines) and May Gibbs (see the love for the Australian bush and incorporation of strange wonderful creatures) – all filtered through BK’s unique artistic vision.

(Picture below of BK getting her art on)

With BK currently making major waves in the Sydney scene, now is the perfect time to get to know her by reading the Art Talk interview below…

Basics/Getting to Know

Name + D.O.B?

BK DIECI

11/10/1985

City, State n Country you currently call home?

Sydney, NSW, Australia

City, State n Country you’re from?

Sydney, NSW, Australia

(Picture below of some art by BK)

Describe a memory from some stages of your life ….basically trying to piece together your pivotal moments. Concerts, art, action-figures, romance, school, crime… ANYTHING!

* age 5 – beginnings:

Going on adventures down the south coast annually for two months of the year trekking across beaches, exploring rock pools, making crazy sand creatures!

(Picture below of BK and her brother as kids)

* age 10 – continuations:

The adventures continued, but they got a little more involved racing quad bikes, building bmx tracks, chasing yabbies, playing with plastic swords and toys in the bush land around our home.

Art was always apart of my life and during this time I was watching Art Attack and imitating, making slime and creating weird and wonderful creations from items I collected down in the bush or by the beach.

(Picture below of BK and her bro as big kids)

* age 15 – getting serious:

By 15 I was swimming full time! I trained ten sessions per week, so my life was a black line and lots of water!

I still did art at school and doodled away at home.

* age 20 – young adult:

During my early twenties I was studying engineering and living in Japan as a part of my double degree in International Studies.

(Picture below of BK in her 20s)

* age 25 – further continuations:

By 25 I was realising I did not fit into the corporate life, so I decided to take a risk and applied for art school where I ended up studying at UNSW Art & Design.

* age 30 – adult mode:

I was always told your thirties are way better than your twenties and you know what, mine have been AMAZING!

I work by day in animation as a production co-ordinator/freelance designer and by night as BKD the insane artist.

(A recent picture of BK below)

Personal motto?

#nothingiseverwhatitseems

#bkddoesntdopg

Art Questions

Why the name ‘BK DIECI’?

It started as my instagram handle and became my artist name. BK are the initials of my name, DIECI because it means ten in Italian, which is my birth month (October) and my Mum’s side of the family is Italian.

Favorite other artist(s)?

Too many to name! I love artists across so many genres, styles, forms etc.

Some favourites include Takashi Murakami, Salvador Dali, Hayao Miyazaki, Hieronymus Bosch, HR Giger and Chiho Aoshima.

(Pictures below of some art by BK)

Worst aspect of the contemporary art-hustle?

Being told I have to cut down on the blood or make things more “pleasing”.

#bkddoesntdopg

Best aspect of the contemporary art-hustle?

Meeting other like-minded weirdos, collaborating, exhibiting and getting up to all kinds of creative shenanigans.

Do you consider what you are making to be ‘art’, ‘design’, re-hashed crap?

The work I create is my heart on my sleeve. It’s raw, honest and dripping in truths. It is whatever you want it to be.

For me it is original artworks that allow me to work through my own peaks and troughs. It’s always evolving and never stays the same.

(Pictures below of some art by ‘BK’)

When and why did you first start making ‘art’ (drawings, paintings, anything)?

I started art from a very early age. I remember my Mum complaining how as a toddler I would coat the walls in crayons (toddler street art YEAH!).

It was always just a natural thing for me to draw, paint and create whatever I had the urge to experiment with.

What did you draw/make as a pre-teen child?

I was obsessed with Looney Tunes and went all out to draw all the characters in detail, colouring them in and collating them together.

What did you draw/make as a teen?

Into my teens I continued to draw cartoons, comics, graphic style.

Describe the process of producing your work?

* Your sketches + drawings?

– Lots of sketching (nature is a big inspiration)

– Sometimes takes a while before I can connect the elements in my work

– There is a lot of iterations with my work before I get to the final piece.

– Pencil out the piece before inking/colouring

* Your paintings?

– Same process as drawing, expect it is a lot more looser.

* Your digital art?

– Same process as drawing, expect I scan the sketch and then go wild with the tablet creating the digital piece.

A lot of the time the digital version varies a lot from the drawing.

* Your street art – such as paste ups and murals?

– Paste-ups are usually cheap prints of work (because there’s a 99% chance they won’t be up for long)

– Murals depend on the location. I just go with the flow on these and freestyle.

(Picture below of BK’s workspace)

What are your thoughts on the Sydney art scene these days?

What I love about the Sydney art scene is how diverse it is with so many styles, mediums and cultures that exist within it.

I have met so many talented creative’s and continue to do so, which is always exciting and inspiring.

If someone wants to hit you up for some art – either to purchase originals or work on a project with you – how would they need to go about that?

Just email me via bkdieci@gmail.com, message me on Instagram @bk_dieci or my contact page via my website www.bk-dieci.com

Odds n Ends

Which 1990’s era cartoon, would you most like to see as a sex toy, and why?

Who didn’t like the Animaniacs! It wasn’t till recently when I came across them on Netflix and was re-watching episodes that I realised how naughty they were.

So I give you my prototype:

(Picture below of the BK Dieci ‘Animaniacs‘ tribute dildo)

Who would win in a fight and why: Powerpuff Girls Vs. the TMNT ?

Powerpuff Girls! Slam dunk those bad boys with their girl power (BKD style)!

(Picture below of the battle in all its epic glory!)

What role did toys play in your childhood?

Toys were a big part of my childhood.

My absolute favourite were art and science kits, along with outdoor toys like bikes, pool/beach toys. All the fun stuff you could make awesome imaginary games with your friends!

Now I collect pop vinyls, lego and other super cool stuff like my giant talking Minion doll!

Please describe your experiences growing up in Australia?

I grew up a little bit west side and a little bit hills side of Sydney.

Got into all kinds of trouble with my little brother who my Mum and Dad had a “great” time wrangling!

Who was your 1st crush and why?

Honestly I can’t even remember, probably the Backstreet Boys as a pre-teen LOL!

(Picture below of some art by BK)

Does sex change everything?

Depends, haven’t had kids yet.

Favorite band(s)?

I like a lot of hip hop/rap (Nas, Thundamentals, Bliss n Eso, Slaughterhouse, The Roots etc), soul/rnb (Alicia Keys, Aloe Blac, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Beyonceetc) and then a side of dance, Motown, some rock and random chilled out tunes in between.

Favorite TV show(s)?

Archer, Bob’s Burgers, Rick and Morty, Adventure Time!

I’m an animation crazed nut.

Favorite sport(s) + teams?

NBA, The Celtics!

Swimming, running.

(Pictures below of some art by BK)

Favorite movie(s)?

Again too damn many!

Let’s just say lot’s of animations, comedies, action and oh, Pans Labyrinth has always been a favourite.

Favorite books and comics?

I LOVE graphic novels, comics! PICTURES, PICTURES!

Big fan of Marvel (favourite is Deadpool), Vertigo and DC!

One of my favourite graphic novels is Bone and I love Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series.

Please describe your latest dream in detail…

My dreams get pretty messed up and are a mix of nightmares and lucid fantasies.

Recently I had a trippy dream where I was underwater and the sea life around me was morphing into ridiculous, but beautiful forms. A lot of my work is based on my dreams….

Have you ever tried psychedelics of any sort? And what was the experience like?

Yes, words cannot describe.

Let’s just say I made a friend called Raduga who was an amazing cricket I danced, talked and bonded with.

…Or did I?

Of everything you have done what would you most like to be remembered for and why?

Tittafants!

Those crazed titties will one day grace 80 storey buildings.

(Picture below of one of BK’s Tittafants monsters)

Drugs – waste of time or gateway to the universe?

Yes and no. There’s a balance.

My mind is crazy enough all on it’s own.

Please describe what you think the Australian Psyche/Zeitgeist is today?

Definitely could be a lot more open minded to the weird, strange and different.

The Future

Any collaborations on the horizon?

Planning on some murals with a few friends locally and open to anyone who wants to collaborate on anything creative.

Love meeting new people and spontaneously creating new art!

Any major projects you want to hype?

At the moment I have slowed right down after a crazy whirlwind of a year that 2016 was. I am taking the time to experiment and allow myself to develop new work before getting back out exhibiting and jumping into projects.

(Picture below of some art by BK)

Links

Website = www.bk-dieci.com
Instagram = @bk_dieci
Facebook = www.facebook.com/bkdieci

Art Whore

BK DIECI

11/10/1985

Sydney, NSW, Australia

Sydney, NSW, Australia

Going on adventures down the south coast annually for two months of the year trekking across beaches, exploring rock pools, making crazy sand creatures!

The adventures continued, but they got a little more involved racing quad bikes, building bmx tracks, chasing yabbies, playing with plastic swords and toys in the bush land around our home.

Art was always apart of my life and during this time I was watching Art Attack and imitating, making slime and creating weird and wonderful creations from items I collected down in the bush or by the beach.

By 15 I was swimming full time! I trained ten sessions per week, so my life was a black line and lots of water!

I still did art at school and doodled away at home.

During my early twenties I was studying engineering and living in Japan as a part of my double degree in International Studies.

By 25 I was realising I did not fit into the corporate life, so I decided to take a risk and applied for art school where I ended up studying at UNSW Art & Design.

I was always told your thirties are way better than your twenties and you know what, mine have been AMAZING!

I work by day in animation as a production co-ordinator/freelance designer and by night as BKD the insane artist.

#nothingiseverwhatitseems

#bkddoesntdopg

It started as my instagram handle and became my artist name. BK are the initials of my name, DIECI because it means ten in Italian, which is my birth month (October) and my Mum’s side of the family is Italian.

Too many to name! I love artists across so many genres, styles, forms etc.

Some favourites include Takashi Murakami, Salvador Dali, Hayao Miyazaki, Hieronymus Bosch, HR Giger and Chiho Aoshima.

Being told I have to cut down on the blood or make things more “pleasing”.

#bkddoesntdopg

Meeting other like-minded weirdos, collaborating, exhibiting and getting up to all kinds of creative shenanigans.

The work I create is my heart on my sleeve. It’s raw, honest and dripping in truths. It is whatever you want it to be.

For me it is original artworks that allow me to work through my own peaks and troughs. It’s always evolving and never stays the same.

I started art from a very early age. I remember my Mum complaining how as a toddler I would coat the walls in crayons (toddler street art YEAH!).

It was always just a natural thing for me to draw, paint and create whatever I had the urge to experiment with.

I was obsessed with Looney Tunes and went all out to draw all the characters in detail, colouring them in and collating them together.

Into my teens I continued to draw cartoons, comics, graphic style.

– Lots of sketching (nature is a big inspiration)

– Sometimes takes a while before I can connect the elements in my work

– There is a lot of iterations with my work before I get to the final piece.

– Pencil out the piece before inking/colouring

– Same process as drawing, expect it is a lot more looser.

– Same process as drawing, expect I scan the sketch and then go wild with the tablet creating the digital piece.

A lot of the time the digital version varies a lot from the drawing.

– Paste-ups are usually cheap prints of work (because there’s a 99% chance they won’t be up for long)

– Murals depend on the location. I just go with the flow on these and freestyle.

What I love about the Sydney art scene is how diverse it is with so many styles, mediums and cultures that exist within it.

I have met so many talented creative’s and continue to do so, which is always exciting and inspiring.

Just email me via bkdieci@gmail.com, message me on Instagram @bk_dieci or my contact page via my website www.bk-dieci.com

Who didn’t like the Animaniacs! It wasn’t till recently when I came across them on Netflix and was re-watching episodes that I realised how naughty they were.

So I give you my prototype:

Powerpuff Girls! Slam dunk those bad boys with their girl power (BKD style)!

Toys were a big part of my childhood.

My absolute favourite were art and science kits, along with outdoor toys like bikes, pool/beach toys. All the fun stuff you could make awesome imaginary games with your friends!

Now I collect pop vinyls, lego and other super cool stuff like my giant talking Minion doll!

I grew up a little bit west side and a little bit hills side of Sydney.

Got into all kinds of trouble with my little brother who my Mum and Dad had a “great” time wrangling!

Honestly I can’t even remember, probably the Backstreet Boys as a pre-teen LOL!

Depends, haven’t had kids yet.

I like a lot of hip hop/rap (Nas, Thundamentals, Bliss n Eso, Slaughterhouse, The Roots etc), soul/rnb (Alicia Keys, Aloe Blac, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Beyonceetc) and then a side of dance, Motown, some rock and random chilled out tunes in between.

Archer, Bob’s Burgers, Rick and Morty, Adventure Time!

I’m an animation crazed nut.

NBA, The Celtics!

Swimming, running.

Again too damn many!

Let’s just say lot’s of animations, comedies, action and oh, Pans Labyrinth has always been a favourite.

I LOVE graphic novels, comics! PICTURES, PICTURES!

Big fan of Marvel (favourite is Deadpool), Vertigo and DC!

One of my favourite graphic novels is Bone and I love Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series.

My dreams get pretty messed up and are a mix of nightmares and lucid fantasies.

Recently I had a trippy dream where I was underwater and the sea life around me was morphing into ridiculous, but beautiful forms. A lot of my work is based on my dreams….

Yes, words cannot describe.

Let’s just say I made a friend called Raduga who was an amazing cricket I danced, talked and bonded with.

…Or did I?

Tittafants!

Those crazed titties will one day grace 80 storey buildings.

Yes and no. There’s a balance.

My mind is crazy enough all on it’s own.

Definitely could be a lot more open minded to the weird, strange and different.

Planning on some murals with a few friends locally and open to anyone who wants to collaborate on anything creative.

Love meeting new people and spontaneously creating new art!

At the moment I have slowed right down after a crazy whirlwind of a year that 2016 was. I am taking the time to experiment and allow myself to develop new work before getting back out exhibiting and jumping into projects.