Bloodbath x CIRE (Artist Alliance)

Bloodbath and CIRE worked together to create this Pin-Up Series. The “Pin-Up Girl” is a big part of American culture. These models were heralded as sex symbols that were either photographed or illustrated to be mass produced. Usually in poster format one could see pin up posters hanging in the lockers of G.I.’s as early as WW1.

Each piece features a Pin-Up model referencing the appropriate quote below it. The combination of a classic illustration style, rendered digitally gives it a older, yet “up-to-date” feel. Each quote starts the story of what the painting means, and how it connects to street culture

Bloodbath x CIRE (Artist Alliance) "Pin - Up Series"

Spoils of War

No country or kingdom invades another unless its profitable. Whether it is for more land, resources, slaves, and in this case: Cookie.

Cookie is only 18 years old, but she can hang with the best of them. She loves to picnic, read fiction, and sings on her spare time; but most of her week is spent in hangars fixing bombers with the boys. She isn’t afraid of a little grease as long as she looks fly.

Ridin' Dirty

Stella is a Ride or Die chick. Riding bareback, shotgun in one hand apple pie in another. One of the south’s finest, she is seen here atop a big ass “Dirty Bomb”.

A “dirty bomb” is a speculative radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. The purpose of the weapon is to contaminate the area around the explosion with radioactive material, hence the attribute "dirty".

Machine Gun Funk


This little Betty has sass. She grew up with 4 brothers, so she can be scrappy – but also knows how to take care of her men. Holding up a huge rifle in an effortless pose, this painting shows how powerful a woman can be…especially with an automatic rifle and Louboutins on.

We had the chance to sit down with CIRE for an interview & more detail on his work/process behind this collaboration . peep it.

Can we get some backround info about yourself and how this project came about?

My name is CIRE backwards. I'm a Los Angeles based Illustrator/Concept Artist in the film and video game industry, a product of the Art Center College of Design, and a long time supporter of the Bloodbath crew. I currently work as a concept artist on a project at Treyarch, the makers of Call of Duty: Black ops. Rome Uno of Bloodbath and I have been talking about working together on something for years, and now its finally come to fruition in the form of a series of 3 shirts in their 2011 Summer lineup.

When I first teamed up with Bloodbath on this collection, I saw it as an outlet to create something outside of the realm of what I do in my everyday work. This is why I feel that this co-lab was so successful. It was fresh to me and everyone else involved. While this wasn't the first venture Bloodbath has taken with illustrative work, this was the first time they incorporated digital illustration into their line.

By this, I mean that the illustrations were drawn digitally on a computer, in photoshop, using a drawing tablet. No paper, no ink, no paint...a digital canvas and digital brush. All the rules that exist in traditional illustration/design are still there for me to follow or break.

Describe your artistic approach…

My approach to illustration is simple. General to specific, meaning the big picture comes first, followed by the details. So often we are so bogged down by the pressure of what the final product could be rather than focusing on how we get there and enjoying the ride.

("Immigration" - CIRE)

I generally draw very loosely in the beginning stages of an Illustration; a series of gestural lines and shapes that communicate an idea. The female form is so recognizable in a general sense and very specific when it comes to the details. The proportions and the relationship of one shape to another is what makes the female figure so mesmerizing(in some cases). However, we need more than just a pretty face, we need content; and idea.

("Dragon" - CIRE)

The “Pin-up Girl” is a big part of American history/culture. Any American artists that you look up to or have been influenced by?

I can't say Im very familiar with that many pin up artists. During the project I did stumble on the work of Glen Elvgren, pretty badass. In terms of the pin up girl and its place in american culture, you can look at pinups in one of two ways; a piece of art or a form of propaganda. I choose to see it as the latter.

( Obliterate - CIRE)

A lot of my early artistic influence came from comic books. My formidable years as an artist were spent copying the comic art of Jim Lee and J Scott Campbell. Upon receiving a formal art education, I've been heavily influenced by American painters/illustrators such as John Singer Sargent, Dean Cornwell, and J.C Leyendecker. Some contemporary illustrators I look up to are Ryan Meinerding, Wes Burt, and Phil Hale.

("Dean Cornwell" - CIRE)

We really like how you incorporated a classic style with newer elements. Like the Christian Louboutin heels, and updated weapons. We also see fun taglines like “Ridin’ Dirty” and “Machine Gun Funk”, is there a deeper underlying message within these illustrations?

Yeah, it's got to be more than just a pretty face, tits and ass right? Much of the pin up art we are familiar with is what is considered to be Golden Era and represented a great time in american history. We planned Riding Dirty to be done in a classic World War II era pin up style, a more cheerful and optimistic representation of war, but with a subtle undertone of doom. "Dirty" bombs are a radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives.

In essence, it is a weapon used to contaminate in the long run. These bombs represent an idea. If you contaminate a group of people with an idea that is

veiled by beauty, you start to have a problem. I thought it was a great concept and I wanted to make a similar statement with the other 2 shirts.

I then decided that the Vietnam War era would be a cool aesthetic to work within to show the darker side of war, because I believe the Vietnam War is when things started to go wrong with our country. In the Machine Gun Funk and Spoils of War illustrations, I wanted to make a statement about war profiteering.

Lets face it...war has changed, its not about going out there to get the bad guy anymore...its all about money. In the Spoils of War T, this is shown by loose change and dollar bills scattered across the floor next to an oil drum marked with an ominous skull with an eye patch.

We are blind to these things because all we see is the hot chick with an M60. In the Machine Gun Funk T, I tried to go back to something more lighthearted because the Spoils of War T was a bit "heavy." I chose to use the Louboutins in the same way I used oil and money in the Spoils of War T. Plus, I threw that one in there for the ladies and the fashion heads.

Where do you draw inspiration from for your personal work?

I'm inspired by things I suck at. If I show interest in something, I want to be good at it. I mean, most of my personal work isn't for show. I do rough sketches and studies. Things I don't have to commit to or finish. Its just for practice and its liberating.

("Untitled"- CIRE)

("Kelly"- CIRE)

The last 5 tracks you have listened to?

Jay-Z - My 1st song

Alborosie- Herbalist (Dubstep Remix)

Wu Tang Clan-Protect Ya Neck

Snoop-Gz and Hustlas

some Bieber song I heard on the radio

Describe your creative process in five words or less…

Panic. Calm. Confident. Execute. Done.

What is your ultimate goal you would like to achieve with your craft?

I always say that being an artist/designer is both a gift and a curse. Asking me what my goal is with art is like asking me how far I want to walk...Until I get tired.

The best advice you’ve ever received?

"Don't worry about that"

Any advice to pass on to the youngbloods coming up in the art game?

You could've been a doctor...or a lawyer, but you chose to be an artist. Sucks to be you. But seriously, just remember that you should never stop learning. You're only as successful as you want to be. Life is fair that way.

Shouts?

Thanks to Rome Uno and EZ at Bloodbath for letting me do this. Lots of fun. To my foxy lady, Sandy. Peace and Love to my friends who have supported my endeavors.

R.I.P Norm Schureman

Here is more work from CIRE

Too see more from CIRE be sure to check out his site at www.artofcire.blogspot.com