The Broken Toy Company is a collective of creatives that all share the same mind.
Artist: Dex Hannon is an award winning abstract expressionist who moves effortlessly between mediums of painting, digital, sound, and photography.
Similarly to Mark Rothko and Gerhard Richter, Hannon uses music as his main source of inspiration. His art transforms the memories and emotions evoked while listening to music into dynamic and expressive brushstrokes on canvas. Hannon’s paintings are sublime pictorial symphonies characterised by an intricate weaving of lines that capture an infinite string of emotions conveyed through a range of textures and bold colour palettes.
Alongside his traditional work, the artist has developed throughout the years a new approach to digital art developing work for his “Retro Futurism” project.
Hannon gives a new life to his paintings by photographing them during the creative process and then digitally recreate them by combining multiple artworks. According to the artist, the technique of “digitally remixing” his paintings allows him to give life to a brand-new artwork that reimagines and reinterprets the original. The end result is often completely different from the original painting, yet it is still part of it, because without the first, the remix would not exist.
The artist turns to photography not only to remix his paintings but also to point out the beauty and tragedy of the little worlds around our feet. As with music, Hannon is deeply fascinated by nature and its volatility, and with his photographs he hopes that “others notice this world and take note of how quickly anyone’s world can change”.
The Writer : Dexuality Valentino was born, raised and educated in Manchester. He studied Design and Art Direction with dreams of becoming a graphic designer, but knew deep down his heart was invested in art, music and writing. Currently lives in Northumberland.
Growing up without television for company, he became an avid reader. This brought him the not so enviable and incredibly long title of, “The 14-year-old boy who had read more books than anyone else in the entire history of the school.” He was pretty sure that title was invented for him by the English teacher that morning. The title came with a book token and plenty of playground mockery. Books were his greatest escape, and now he is creating little worlds for others to escape to.
Dexuality "There is something magical about the short story. In one short journey, you can be transported to somewhere new, be introduced to new characters, their lives love and happiness or misery. Then before your journeys end you depart, as quick as they arrive, they have soon departed, hopefully leaving some mark upon you."
His debut collection of fourteen short stories, sometimes dark, sometimes funny or surreal began their lives on public transport. He would take sections of random overheard conversations and would reinvent the scenario, refit those people and words into another place. This idea of what else can it be is a mode for all his creative endeavours. He believes nothing is really fixed and anything can be something else if you play with it.
The Musician: Skin Vehicles (AKA DVEC & SkinGasm) Skin Vehicles has released nearly 20 albums, and his music has been played on Late Junction and BBC Introducing several times. He likes to collaborate with people he's never met, currently involved in collaborations with AneurGasm (Miami) and Eunice Cazarez (Los Angeles)
Projects
- A labour of LoveThis project started 10 years ago. When stuck on a train and bored and wanting something to do. I hate wasting time. I'm sure everyone here hates the time when nothing happens. I couldn't draw I was stood up, I didn't want to endlessly scroll through socials. Then I overheard two young guys talking loudly, one had been from Manchester, down to London for an interview, he stayed in a hotel went off to the interview and blew it, he stank. So he did the only thing he felt he could do in that situa
- Blythian MemesExperimental animation, capturing the essence of Blyth through the distinctive landmarks etched in my memory. In the process of traversing the local area with my dogs, I've absorbed the quirky local spaces, these are a selection of buildings or objects are 'memes' that are instantly recalled when I think of these journeys, seamlessly woven themselves into the fabric of my experiences. The animation is a visual exploration of repeating and morphing patterns. Throughout this visual narrative, a s
- Half-Life Planet SuicideBrand New Single from SkinGasm Half-Life Planet Suicide Video by Dex Hannon The video is created from macro photographs I took of Dandelions. They seemed relevant conceptually to how we fritter away the chances to save ourselves. Ignore the importance of protecting the environment to help the survival of our species. Greed, arrogance and stupidity the worst of humanities traits are putting us on a suicidal path of self destruction. We waste chance after chance to save ourselves. Blow our s
- Mistakes teach us more than success ever doesA new video creation with a piano composition from Skin Vehicles A super fast trip through the mind of artist and collaborator Dex Hannon Go to his website and spend some time going through his works here, Dex Hannon. https://dexhannon.co.uk If you want more Skin Vehicles. go check it out here. https://brokentoycompany.bandcamp.com/
- I went weirderWhen I created the David Lynch homage album I had wanted to somehow have lyrics that gave it a Lynchian edge, unsettling prose, or random words but nothing came. Something that hinted at the backwards talking in Twin Peaks but not using that technique. I experimented with various vocal synths and vocoder ideas but it all sounded ‘predictable’ So I released the album as an instrumental, and was very happy with it. Roll into 2023 and I found a way to do it. I found an AI product that was creat
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Projects credited in
- Top 10: career advice tips for 2023Job hunting? Thinking of pivoting your career? Struggling with motivation? Working with a tricky client? We’ve got you! We’ve put together our top 10 career-related questions for 2023 to help you navigate through the year ahead, no matter if you’re just starting out, or already have experience in the industry. Click through to see insights, advice and top tips from industry mentors and our brilliant Dots community. Got some thoughts of your own? Please add your own wisdom if you have anything44
- Is Digital Art going to replace Painting? In Conversation with: Dex HannonWe are thrilled to share with you the interview with Abstract Expressionist British Artist, Dex Hannon. The Image Curators team is pleased to have the chance to host an interview with the mixed media artist, as he talks about one of the biggest dilemma in Contemporary Art: will Digital Art replace traditional ways to create art? Read what is the artist's point of view and how he built resilience during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Work history
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MusicianBroken Toy Company
United KingdomFull Time
Skin Vehicles a collaborative musical outfit. Creating soundtracks, scores and music for fun.
https://skinvehicles.bandcamp.com/
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B
MusicianBroken Toy Company
United KingdomFull Time
Transatlantic duet creating music through emails. https://dvecmusic.bandcamp.com/
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Skills
- Art
- Writing
- Performing
- Music
- Music Composition
- Photography
- Graphic Design
- Poetry
Education
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(hons) Graphic Design (multimediaThe Manchester Metropolitian University
- Manchester, United Kingdom
Design & Art Direction degree