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giovedì 30 agosto 2007

“Immigrant Punk”

well...other&wonderful fresh news...I'll partecipate to a collective show at ''Black Maria Gallery''...here all the informations:
Immigrant Punk

at Black Maria Gallery
20 October – 11 November 2007
Opening Reception: Saturday 20th October, 7:00 – 10:30pm
3137 Glendale Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90039
323.660.9393 & 818.613.9090
Gallery hours: Tues-Sat 12 PM-6 PM or by appointment www.blackmariagallery.com
Los Angeles – Black Maria Gallery announced “Immigrant Punk,” a group exhibition that will open on Saturday, October 20, 2007, at 7 PM.
Participating Artists: Bask, John Casey, Ken Garduno, Douglas Alvarez, Martina Secondo Russo, Nicoz Balboa, Andre Firmiano, Hagop Belian, Pogo, Nina Nichols, Angela Penaredondo, Claudio Parentela, Sam Saghatelian, Glynnis Reed and Jasko.
According to Black Maria Gallery director Zara Zeitountsian, the exhibition, whose title was inspired by a song by the punk group Gogol Bordello, is homage to a particular facet of the immigrant experience.
“While immigration may be as American as apple pie, there are those individuals or groups who shape an extraordinary reality as they reinvent themselves in a new environment,” Zeitountsian said. “It is this constructive, hugely life-affirming aspect of immigration that our upcoming show celebrates.
“A veritable maelstrom of challenges awaits an immigrant in a new country: the language barrier, unfamiliar rules and ways of doing things, different traditions and cultural approaches, the very imperative of carving one’s own path out of an alien place,” Zeitountsian continued. “What’s significant is that certain immigrants will plunge into that maelstrom with gusto, and will not only tackle all the challenges but color the whole experience in terms of their own cultural roots and identity. I think there’s something of the spirit of punk music and art to all this.”
“Immigrant Punk” will feature new and recent works by a number of local and international artists. A Black Maria Gallery representative said that though not all participating artists are immigrants, most could perfectly identify with the immigrant experience through the style and inspiration of their work or because of their families’ deep immigrant roots.
Zeitountsian further commented on the parallels between punk and immigration. “Punk music and art do not pertain strictly to a specific cultural movement that exploded in the 1970s and continued to evolve on the fringe,” she explained. “Rather, punk is a certain attitude and way of seeing that doesn’t necessarily come with props and a mohawk. It’s about the exuberance and joy of rejecting limitations and doing one’s own thing, of following the call of an inner rhythm and bringing one’s own style to the mosh pit.”
“Immigrant Punk” will remain open until Saturday, November 10.

sabato 25 agosto 2007

Interview with Drew Beckmeyer

q)Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.

a)I’m 24 years old. I was born, raised, and remain in Los Angeles.


q)How would you describe your work?

a)I work on paper of various sizes. In terms of subjects, I’m drawn to ideas that I don’t understand or ideas which confuse me in an intellectual or emotional way. I use the art making process to try and come to a better understanding of that idea, or at least gain a specific point of view concerning it. For me, I use drawing to learn about things I would usually be too lazy to go out and investigate.

q) Did somebody encourage you to become an artist?

a)I wouldn’t say I was encouraged to be an artist, but it runs in my family. My father is an architect. My mother was a graphic designer and my grandfather was an art director.

q) What is your favourite medium?

a)Mostly drawing mediums. I work very fast, and the medium has to support that, so there is alot of gouache, ink, pencil, collage... some acrylic.

q) Can you describe your process, from the seed of an idea to a complete work?
a) I get an idea, and usually ill wait a couple days. Then ill do 2 or 3 tiny sketches which would look like scribbles to anyone but me. At this point I might start doing some research if necessary and then I would cram those elements into the scribbles. Once the idea is a little more solid, ill do another really loose sketch on the paper I want it on. This sketch is usually just 3 or 4 big shapes which represent the construction to me. Then I start to paint it. Ill either paint the whole thing all at once, or ill paint one thing at a time and work in a more reactionary way, where the end result looks very different from the original idea.

q)Generally speaking, where do your ideas come from?

a)Awkward situations, religion, science, discomfort, magic.
q) How long does it take to complete a piece?
a)1 day-3 weeks

q) Who are your favorite artists…and who are some artists you are currently looking/listening to?

a)Chris Johanson
Jules De Balincourt
Raymond Pettibon
Gary Panter
Winsor McKay
Tim Hawkinson
and most of my friends work
the mountain goats
the wilderness
Okkervil river
Fugazi
Skip James
the national
Billy Bragg
lots and lots of stuff

q) Are you represented by a gallery? Do you have any upcoming exhibits?

a)I’m not represented but I’m in a 3 person show with Katherine Guillen and Brian Rush at JUNC gallery on october 7th. http://www.juncgallery.com. And a solo show in the project room at Tinlark gallery in may of 2008.

q) Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

a)It’s horrible, but I cant really work without soda, usually cherry coke. When I’m doing sketches or thinking over ideas,I like listening to music that has either a story, or a sense of history to it. And when I actually start painting, I usually will put on "the office" or some movie from my childhood like "Jurassic Park" or "the sandlot"

q) What is your favorite a) taste, b) sound, c) sight, d) smell, and e) tactile sensation?

a)It’s always a toss up between sound and sight.I love music so much, but I couldn’t do what I do without sight....

q) Do you have goals that you are trying to reach as an artist, what is your drive'?What would you like to accomplish in your 'profession'?

a)For now, I would just like to be able to support myself with my art.If that means illustration, that’s alright, though I hope in the future my personal work will be sufficient. I’m still considering grad school for fine art.

q) When have you started using the internet and what role does this form of communication play for you, personally, for your art, and for your business?

a)As much as I despise the internet for what it takes from people (myself included), I would not be able to maintain my business without it.Promotion would be so much harder without it and it just evens the playing field in so many ways, which I think is great.

q) What do you obsess over?

a)Finding new music,new ideas, the british office, drawing parallel lines.

q) Do you have prefered working hours? Do you pay attention to the time of the day or maybe specific lighting?

a)I can’t really work during the day. I dont know why that is. After dinner I usually set up and then start working.

q) Do you do commissioned works?

a)Well I do illustrations, which are commissioned. I don’t really do portraits, or commissioned work for people to have in their homes though. Not to say that I wouldn’t do that, but it would have to be the right situation, where the clients fully understand what it is I do.

q) Any tips for emerging artists?

a) I’m really new to everything myself so my advice probably means nothing. I always try to remember to avoid trends, don’t try to shock but learn how to surprise, and never do the easy thing when it comes to the actual making of art. Get a website when you have something your proud to show, and make friends with people whose work you respect.

q)…Your contacts

mercoledì 22 agosto 2007

Interview with Karin Hagen

q)Let’s start with the basics; what's your full name, where do you live, and how old are you?

a)My name is Karin Hagen, I'm 28 and I live in Stockholm, Sweden.

q) Do you have any formal training?

a)No not really. I went to an art school for about one year and before that I studied photography for about one and a half year. But I don't have a degree or anything like that.

q) Did the place you grew up in influence your image making?

a)I didn't think so until very recently. But now I do. I suppose everything you do and see influence you in one way or another. Even if you’re not aware of it. I think it's hard to see if I have my own style and what it is that defines my style. It's easier for other people to tell. It's difficult to look at your own work and be objective. I tend to see all the flaws and mistakes instead of the whole picture.

q) How do you come up with your concepts?

a) I don't know really. Sometimes I can think of an idea for months before I start to work with it, and sometimes I just sit down and draw whatever comes up in my mind.

q) Describe your creations in a clear, concise and understandable sentence. What do you call them?

a)I call them drawings. And that's just what they are. Lines on a paper.

q)What other mediums would you like to explore in your image making?

a) I just got into jewelry making, I use my drawings to make pendants. It’s kind of in the experimental phase yet. And I like to think that when I'm old and retired I'll get into ceramics. I'd also love to learn how to paint kurbits wich is a painting style that was popular on furniture and walls here in Sweden a couple of hundred years ago.

q)What is the best time in the day for you to work on a project? Is there one, or is it more about the environment -- maybe the right mood?

a) I think from noon to midnight is the best time for me. Not to early and not to late... I also like to be alone when I work. And I hardly ever just get in the mood to draw. I have to set myself in the mood by just start drawing. Often I just sit and draw some crappy stuff for a while and all of a sudden I'm concentrated and focused.




q) What are your artistic influences?...and …generally who or what influences you the most?

a)I love to look at drawings. I can spend hours on the internet just looking at other peoples drawings and paintings. I can't really say who influences me the most. There are so many excellent artists... I can get really inspired by just watching people and imagine what kind of life they live, what their personalities and dreams are. What their homes look like, what jobs they might have and things like that.

q) Who are some of your favourite artists/designers/photographers?

a)Jockum Nordström, Raymond Pettibon, Mamma Karin Andersson, Henry Darger, Drew Beckmeyer, Keith Shore, Ester Pearl Watson, Craig Atkinson, Marika Åkerblom, Matthew Feyld, Maxwell Loren Holyoke-Hirsch. To mention a few.

q) What is your next project?Exhibition?Collaboration?

a)Some friends of mine are releasing a record and I’m doing the cover. I’m supposed to be done with it already but since it’s my friends I really want to do the very best I can, and therefore it’s taking me so long…

q)What are your plans for the future?

a)Well, I have my little secret plan... I really don't like to talk about my plans. It seems like talking about them ruins everything. But my major plan in life is to grow old and be happy.



q)Are there some web sites that You would like to recommend? Artists, art communities, xxx,...!?

a) http://illustrationmundo.com/
etsy.com kasprojects.com
lorenholyoke.com
craigatkinson.co.uk

caferoyal.org
estherwatson.com
drewbeckmeyer.com
matthewfeyld.blogspot.com
The list could go on forever. But I’ll stop it there.

q)What sort of music do you listen to?

a)I listen to a lot of different kinds of music. I just went through a 70s rock period. But for the moment I listen a lot to Cat Power. She has an amazing voice and her songs are really beautiful. And also to Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, John Coltrane and to the soundtrack from the Twin Peaks movie.

q)Do you collect anything?If so what?

a) Spongebob Squarepants Figurines… It’s not that I spend all my time on eBay to buy Spongebob stuff, most of them are gifts from friends.

q)What do you do for fun?

a)I spend time with my friends and my boyfriend. And I also spend A LOT of time on the internet. Internet and glue are the greatest inventions…

q)Any advice you can pass onto aspiring artists/designers?

a) Don't be afraid of not making any money. Don't have money as a goal. Let yourself be influenced by what you like. It's by copying you learn.

q)Your contacts…

a)karinhagen.com
myspace.com/karinhagen
flickr.com/photos/karinhagen

domenica 19 agosto 2007

Interview with Aunia Kahn

q) Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.

a)I am 5’9, love animals, hate okra, love fruit, drive a Jeep Wrangler, wear big boots, was born in Detroit, MI, have 6 rescue animals, perform in a solo music project called AfterChain, love to get snail mail, must wear socks to sleep and I dream almost every night.

q) How would you describe your work?

a)My creations are very personal, dark with a hint of light, easy for my viewers to pull their own interpretations from, balanced, meaningful, otherworldly, hard hitting, in your face and honest.

q) Did somebody encourage you to become an artist?

a)There was a teacher in junior high school that always made an effort to inform me that I was talented. Although I did not believe him at that point in my life since I was such an outcast with very low self-esteem, yet I came to realize that he might not have been too far off track.

q) What is your favourite medium?

a)I love everything. Being an artist and musician there is really very little that I am limited to. I am always up to trying something new. I have acted in an opera (2000, Le Contes De Hoffmann, Detroit Opera House), helped in film production, and many other things that have expanded my abilities. Recently I started to play around with film editing and I love that. Anything that challenges my creative process and gives me a way to express myself is what I consider a favourite. I also really enjoy work that demands unity of people, anything collaborative is right up my alley.

q) Can you describe your process, from the seed of an idea to a complete work?

a)You know, I just do. I typically don’t think about what I want to do, it’s more of a feeling that I get and then I try and put those feelings into a creation. What the final product is I never really know, but most times it is an actual representation of the emotions I wanted to put into my work. I feel, create, absorb, share and do it all over again.

q) Generally speaking, where do your ideas come from?

a)Very personal emotional experiences or feeling in my life. Most work has a female character, and I use myself to portray her. Creativity as a process has become a vessel for me to take a journey to heal myself and grow as a person. We all have experiences in our life that are less than fortunate, and ones that are amazingly wonderful, I take all those emotions and use them as the core of where my projects start and weave outward my voice into something tangible. A large part of my work more specifically deals with abuse and domestic violence, and can be used as a tool to provide awareness.

q) How long does it take to complete a piece?

a)Often it can take from 5 hours to the 20’s, depends on the piece really. It is typical for me to start a piece and not stop until I am finished. A food break, a walk outside, play with my animals, but I never really lay something to rest and come back to it later. Since I work with pure feeling, impulses and emotions, if I leave something alone too long it loses personal impact for me and I just can’t finish it.

q) Who are your favourite artists…and who are some artists you are currently looking/listening to?

a)Children are my favourite artists. They are not afraid (until someone makes them that way) and they create because it’s fun and enjoyable. Not to mention they love to get messy, and into what they are doing. There is typically no holding back. It’s pure, real and just plain awesome.

q) Are you represented by a gallery? Do you have any upcoming exhibits?

a)I don’t have one gallery specifically representating me at this point, but I have many galleries supporting my work. I do have many upcoming exhibitions, right now there is currently 7 listed and I am always adding to the roster. (Ft. Collins, CO, St. Louis, MO, Detroit, MI, South Beach, FL and Los Angeles, CA, Santa Ana, CA) If people would like more specific information about these please visit my website listed below and check out under the exhibitions section.

q) Do you have any 'studio rituals'? As in, do you listen to certain types of music while working? What helps to get you in the mood for working?

a)I adore music and I am always listening to something, a cup of crushed ice to chew on, my glasses, and heathy snack food.

q) What is your favourite a) taste, b) sound, c) sight, d) smell, and e) tactile sensation?

a)Taste: Foreign FoodSound: Weather (Wind, rain, storms, etc.)Sight: CloudsSmell: Amber IncenseTactile: Petting Animals

q) Do you have goals that you are trying to reach as an artist, what is your 'drive'? What would you like to accomplish in your 'profession'?

a)My goals as a whole could end this interview into pages of text, but I will keep it limited and give you some ideas. I think one of my overall goals is to be that voice for others that can’t speak out, and to ultimately take raw personal experiences and feed them to the public. It s okay to feel (good or bad) and it’s a matter of how one deals with these emotions. I feel that the world has closed eyes to many things, most importantly human soul searching and suffering and maybe my creations could open a few eyes.
As for my drive it is like some type of addiction really. If I don’t create for an extended period of time I get cranky like a smoker who has not had a cigarette for hours. Creation consumes me at times and it is like I am not driving, and there is another force in control. It’s impulsive, powerful, and intense. The amount of work I have created in the last 3 years could be someone’s life work of 50 years.

q) When have you started using the internet and what role does this form of communication play for you, personally, for your art, and for your business?

a)It is one of the greatest avenues for connecting. As for right now I have fans in places like Mexico, France, Germany as well as the US and I attribute some of that to the use of the internet. The internet is informative, great for connecting to my fans and keeping them informed. It has helped my exhibiting history; I’ve had close to 75 exhibitions in 3 years.

q) What do you obsess over?

a)I am obsessive compulsive you might be asking the wrong person this question, ha. I obsess over foreign food, fruit smoothies, clouds, equipment (music gear, software, etc.), body modifications, animal rights, freedom of expression, and my own work.

q) Do you have preferred working hours? Do you pay attention to the time of the day or maybe specific lighting?

a)I enjoy working at night, as it is quiet and I ‘m not compelled to go romping around outside like I do during the day. I also enjoy working during the day mostly on rainy/cloudy days.

q) Do you do commissioned works?

a)Yes, when I have time to do them. I take pleasure in commissioned work because it breaks my creation visions into another direction, and it challenges me to do something that I would not typically do on my own time.

q) Any tips for emerging artists?

a)If you’re not doing what you love, just stop now.

q)…Your contacts

Project Site: http://www.ddalw.com/
Everything Aunia Kahn: http://www.findkahn.com/


mercoledì 15 agosto 2007

Interview with Simon Peplow

q)Let's start with the basics; what's your full name, where do you live, and how old are you?

a)Hello I'm Simon Peplow, I did until very recently live in the second largest city in the UK, Birmingham. However I've recently relocated to the South of England with my fairmaiden to a City called Exeter, it's a lovely place. I'm 28 years old.

q) Do you have any formal training?

a)Yep.I did the whole Art College thing after leaving school. In 1998 I took some time out to pursue my love of skateboarding, then in 2001 I decided to embark on a BA Honors in Visual Communication at The Birmingham Institute of Art & Design. The course covered everything from Graphic and Multimedia design, Photography, Moving Image and Illustration, in the second year we had to choose one specific creative discipline to specialize in which we would focus on for the remainder of the course. I'd already decided that I wanted to be an Illustrator.

q) Did the place you grew up in influence your image making?

a)I'm not sure Birmingham has had a major impact on my work, maybe subconsciously? my work tends to focus on the human condition and I'm a product of my environment so in some way I suppose it must have. Traveling around England and America however through skateboarding opened up my beady eyes to a variety of visual ephemera and definitely kick started my passion and fascination for image making.

q) How do you come up with your concepts?

a)Everything tends to just tumble from my imagination, I'll create a drawing from a random thought, a song, maybe a conversation I've overheard. It varies from day to day.

q) Describe your creations in a clear, concise and understandable sentence. What do you call them?

a)Lo-fi shenanigans with a motherly message.

q)What other mediums would you like to explore in your image making?

a)Woodcut printing, screen printing and perhaps large scale charcoal drawings at some stage.

q)What is the best time in the day for you to work on a project? Is there one, or is it more about the environment -- maybe the right mood?

a)I'm a night owl so I tend to work best in the dead of night, anywhere between 10pm and 4am is good, no distractions, I just load up on coffee, good music and get fired up into a pen frenzy.

q) What are your artistic influences?...and generally who or what influences you the most?

a)My family, friends, the fairmaiden, skateboarding and the San Francisco Mission Street Artists.

q) Who are some of your favourite artists/designers/photographers?

a)Marcus Oakley, fellow members of The Outcrowd Collective: Log Roper, Vaughan Baker, Chris Bourke, Ben Javens & Stef Grindley. Thomas Campbell, Barry Mcgee, Geoff Mcfetridge and Steven Harrington.

q) What is your next project? Exhibition? Collaboration?

a)I'm currently working on a Running Amok zine for the independent bookstore 'Analogue' in Edinburgh, Scotland. Russell the owner has given me full reign to create whatever the hell I like, hence the zine title, so it's a really fun project.I entered a Carhartt competition in July which involved designing an ad for them, the comp was held in conjunction with The Illustrated Ape magazine, my design was selected and as part of the prize I have been given a small exhibition at their Covent Garden store in London in September, so I'll be creating some new work for that.

q)What are your plans for the future?

a)I tend to live day to day, so I very rarely make plans. I suppose ideally I'd like to be earning an honest and secure living from my Illustration work.

q)Are there some web sites that You would like to recommend? Artists, art communities, xxx,...!?


q)What sort of music do you listen to?

a)These get a lot of airplay: Talking heads, Elliott Smith, The Chameleons, The Kinks, Neil Young, Donovan, Nick Drake, Belle & Sebastian, The Sea & Cake, Pinback, Herman Dune, Cat Power, Love, Ryan Adams and Tommy Guerrero.

q)Do you collect anything? If so what?

a)I guess I collect hats of various shapes and sizes, which adorn my head from time to time and the odd toy.

q)What do you do for fun?

a)Cycle, cook, skateboard, fool around with the fairmaiden.

q)Any advice you can pass onto aspiring artists/designers?

a)Believe in your own abilities, follow your own path, surround yourself with inspiring people and just keep on keeping on...never give up!

q)Your contacts.

martedì 14 agosto 2007

Interview with James Jarvis

q)Tell me something about yourself….What’s your background…?

a)I am 36 years old. I was born in South London in 1970 and I live there still with my wife and daughter. I studied Illustration at Brighton University and the Royal College of Art. My best time for running a Marathon is 2 hours 35 minutes 33 seconds (Zurich 2006).

q)When growing what was the greatest force pushing you towards art?

a)My parents. They surrounded me with interesting culture from an early age.

q)Were you inspired/encouraged by any one person to pursue your craft?

a)Not one particular person.

q)How would you describe your art to someone who could not see it?

a)Modernist cartoon characters.

q)Are certains colours,shapes that you’re drawn to?

a)I think I prefer lines to shapes.

q)What other talent would you like most to have?

a)To run faster.

q)What’s your favourite mediums to work in/on?

a)Pen and paper.




q)What artists influence or have influenced you(these need not be visual artists)and how have they done so?

a)Charles Adams, Gustave Doré, Jean Dubuffet, Phillip Guston, Hergé, Tove Jansson, Paul Klee, Sol LeWitt, Mike McMahon, Morris, Müller-Brockman, Gary Panter, Alexander Rodchenko, Richard Scarry, Dr. Seuss, Vladimir Tatlin, Jan Tschichold, Uderzo

q)What non-visual art interest you and does this have an impact on your art?

a)All culture has an influence, not just Art. Politics, philosophy, geography, history, economics, etc. all have an effect.

q)What do you think about artists using the Internet as a forum for sharing their work?

a)I think it is no longer noteworthy.

q)What is your favourite toy, game or other artefact from your youth (and do you still own it)?

a)I loved Lego when I was a child. I certainly no longer play with it, nor own any, but I think the mindset of building one's own worlds has stayed with me.

q)Got any new projects planned?

a)A book of drawings.



q)What advice can you give to other artists to help them improve their chances of survival in this global village we call our home?

a)None.

q)Favourite books/authors?

a)Jane Austen, H.P. Lovecraft, Cormac McCarthy, John Updike

q)Favourite music?

a)I like all kinds of music.



q)What do you fear most?

a)Disorder.

q) Your contacts…

a) http://www.studiojarvis.com/

lunedì 13 agosto 2007

Interview with Kris Chau

q)Tell me something about yourself….What’s your background…?

a)I am from Hawaii and I moved to San Francisco to study illustration. I am trained in printmaking, painting, and drawing. I used to use my TV as a lightbox as a kid, which is how I learned how to draw. I used to pause the cartoons on my videos and trace them.

q)When growing what was the greatest force pushing you towards art?

a)Looking back, I think it was my curiosity towards really cute or pretty looking things. How they got made, how to draw things that looked like that. I traced a lot of books and encyclopedias. My parents also worked alot, so I spent a lot of time by myself drawing.

q)Were you inspired/encouraged by any one person to pursue your craft?

a)Quite the opposite, my parents were very discouraging! They just didn't really understand how artists made any money! And the last thing they wanted was for their oldest daughter to not be able to make a living. So I ran away to art school.
I had some really great professors ( Jack Ford, Ken Rignall, Kent WIlliams ) that really pushed me to believe that I was actually good at what I was doing.
Now I live with a really great illustrator/designer, so he is currently inspiring me to work harder and be better.

q)How would you describe your art to someone who could not see it?

a)I would say it looked like pretty chubby girls and what they do or think of when you are not looking.

q)Are certains colours,shapes that you’re drawn to?

a)Yes! Ladies! I love girls, chubby girls, skinny girls, tall girls, funny looking girls, and most of all sleeping girls. I will always be in love with drawing the shapes and curves that women have.

q)What other talent would you like most to have?

a)I wish I was a better designer. These days as an illustrator, most people are also designers. Which really gives you an edge in presenting and controlling your image. I am not very computer savvy and I realize it really limits me in what I can show people or how to get my work out there. Especially with things like the internet. It's like the Wild West, and I don't know how to ride a horse.




q)What’s your favourite mediums to work in/on?

a)Ink. I love Dr.Martem's watercolors and FW acrylic ink. I love how bright the Dr. Marten's are and I LOVE working with a crow quill with the FW acrylic ink. My crow quill I think is my boyfriend. We work well and comfortably together, the mistakes always work out.

q)What artists influence or have influenced you(these need not be visual artists)and how have they done so?

a)Too many to name. Some are my favorite illustrators, Mary Blair is one very important person for me. Dave Cooper, Maurice Sendak and Hugo Pratt are also artists that inspire to create the world my drawings live in. And of course all the current super talented young illustrators I am lucky enough to know.

q)What non-visual art interest you and does this have an impact on your art?

a)Food! Cooking and Eating is very much like drawing and looking. I love food and eating and somehow exploring all these different senses and images through food. Its a world I love exploring as much as art.

q)What do you think about artists using the Internet as a forum for sharing their work?

a)The internet is great! It is everyman's gallery. You don't have to be a certain person to get a show or have a show. And you don't have to be a certain person to gain access to this world. Its all yours for the taking. The wild west.
It will be a sad day if that ever changes.

q)What is your favourite toy,game or other artefact from your youth(and do you still own it)?

a)Sigh, My Yoda 8-ball action figure. When you flip it upside down it tells you your future in Yoda speak. " that future is unclear it is " My high school sweetie gave it to me and Yoda watches me on my desk till today.



q)Got any new projects planned?

a)There are always shows! Next year I will have a tiny solo show in LA at Thinkspace Gallery. I have 2 more bigger painting solo shows at Vagabond Gallery in Philadelphia, and Rowan Morrison in Oakland. And cross your fingers I have been working on a series of skateboards for Foundation skateboards.

q)What advice can you give to other artists to help them improve their chances of survival in this global village we call our home?

a)Keep making what you make because you wouldn't want it any other way. That way the outcome is always what you decided. oh, and nice cool artistic folk no matter where you are tend to find each other. I realize that after many moves to many cities.

q)Favourite books/authors?

a)The adventures of Kavalier and Clay and all Hellboy comics written by Mike Mignola. Yes very nerdy I know. I also like sword books, but I am not naming any names.



q)Favourite music?

a)Right now old girl groups, The Ronettes, the Shangri-La, The Chiffons. There is a podcast right now called Hot Slop/Garage Punk and Surfer Rock and it is the greatest thing to listen to painting.

q)What do you fear most?

a)My teeth falling out, my right hand getting desmemebered, and going blind.

q) Your contacts…

a) http://www.krischau.com/
chau@krischau.com

sabato 11 agosto 2007

Interview with Sean McGaughey

q)Tell me something about yourself..What's your background...?

a)I was born in Colorado, but I grew up in San Bernardino, California. I now live in Pasadena, California (Los Angeles).

q)When growing what was the greatest force pushing you towards art?

a) I don't think there was necessarily one force, but rather a group. One of the biggest influences growing up was skateboarding. Skateboarding taught me to see things from a different perception. To take the simplest object and to transform it into something completely different. Something as simple as a curb painted red, or a handrail, objects people pass everyday, but they do not recognize any potential in them other than what they were intended for. Also all the sub-cultures that surrounded skateboarding. Music has also been a strong influence on me since I was young.

q)Were you inspired/encouraged by any one person to pursue your craft?

a) I have been inspired by countless people, I also have been encouraged by numerous people too, but my parents have always been very supportive and understanding. I have been very fortunate to have great people in my life. My girlfriend Teresa is a great source of inspiration and encouragment.

q)How would you describe your art to someone who could not see it?

a) A mess, honestly this is a question I always have trouble with. I generally start with a line, the line has no representation, it is simply a line. More lines are then made, eventually a representation of a head, or a man will form. I then lay down more lines, which may represent an elephant or another object. The surface eventually becomes so dense with lines representing objects. The idea of representation begins to collapse, and the viewer is left with the essence of the painting, lines, shapes, and colors.Lately I have been moving towards a more satirical look at the current state of the world.

q)Are certains colours,shapes that you're drawn to?

a) I am not generally drawn towards certain shapes. I am however drawn to sacharine colors, in particular pastels.

q)What other talent would you like most to have?

a) To be a musician

q)What's your favourite mediums to work in/on?

a) Lately I have been working on paper. I like paper, it is very delicate, and it is very malleable also. I also work on wood. I use mostly acrylics, and sign painters enamel.

q)What artists influence or have influenced you(these need not be visual artists)and how have they done so?

a) Some of the artists I like are Lari Pittman, Clayton brothers, Paul McCarthy, Raymond Pettibon, Robert Frank, John Coltrane, Sun Ra, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, William Klein etc....

q)What non-visual art interest you and does this have an impact on your art?

a) Music definetly has an impact on my work. I learned from listening to Sun Ra what music is. Music is various sounds, dis-connected sounds, or vibrations connected together to form a harmony. I want my art to look like Sun Ra's music sounds, where something is pushed so far that the harmony is on the verge of collapsing.

q)What do you think about artists using the Internet as a forum for sharing their work?

a)I think the internet is a great tool. The internet collapses the physical boundaries that exist between city, state, country and continent. Someone from Japan, someone from Australia, and another person from Italy can view your work at the same instance. The internet however should not be a substitute for viewing original work,and the experience that goes along with physically interacting with a piece of art.

q)What is your favourite toy,game or other artefact from your youth(and do you still own it)?
a) A skateboard, and yes I still own one.

q)Got any new projects planned?

a) Right now I am currently "remodeling" my studio, cleaning old things out, and building a new drawing/ work table. I just finished work for the Volcom featured artist T-shirt, which should be out in summer 2008. I am in a few group shows, and I am looking to schedule a solo show in 2008.

q)What advice can you give to other artists to help them improve their chances of survival in this global village we call our home?

a) Honestly I am still learning, and trying to figure things out myself.

q)Favourite books/authors?

a) Authors: James Baldwin, Roland Barthe (Death Of The Author), Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, Jacques Derrida, etc....

q)Favourite music?

a) John Coltrane, Sun Ra, Mile Davis, Prefuse 73, Daedelus, Nobody, Freestyle Fellowship, El-P, Dialated Peoples, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Steve Reich, etc...

q)What do you fear most?

a) Nothing

q) Your contacts.

Thanks

lunedì 6 agosto 2007

Interview with Zachariah O'Hora

q)Let's start with the basics; what's your full name, where do you live, and how old are you?

a)Zachariah O'Hora.I live in Brooklyn, NY. Although I am originally from New England, I spent 10 formative years in San Francisco and consider that to be something of a spiritual home.I am 33.

q) Do you have any formal training?

a)I went to the California College of Art in SF and studied one semester on a grant at the Hochschule Der Kunst in Berlin, Germany.

q) Did the place you grew up in influence your image making?
a)Not really...though HOW I grew up informs some of the subject matter.

q) How do you come up with your concepts?

a)Mostly threads of thought and things I have read and are interested in. Jazz and Soul music, the Occult, the wonder of everyday existence.

q) Describe your creations in a clear, concise and understandable sentence. What do you call them?

a)Usually I paint acrylic paintings on canvas or board. Mostly figurative work.

q)What other mediums would you like to explore in your image making?

a)I've played around a lot with printmaking techniques and between that, drawing and painting I don't feel the need to go any where else.

q)What is the best time in the day for you to work on a project? Is there one, or is it more about the environment -- maybe the right mood?

a)Environment is important and so is strong coffee.

q) What are your artistic influences?...and .generally who or what influences you the most?

a)I am a big fan of the German Expressionists, Max Beckman, Ben Shahn, street art, Terry Richardson and lots of artists who I glean inspiration from but do not necessarily effect my work stylistically.

q) Who are some of your favourite artists/designers/photographers?

a)In addition to the people mentioned above; my wife Lydia Ricci is an amazing artist and designer, and the guys that I share a studio with Christopher Silas Neal, Sam Weber, Ted McGrath and Grady McFerrin. We all work quite differently but influence and inspire each other to do better work.

q) What is your next project?Exhibition?Collaboration?

a)I am working on a series of paintings exploring memetics and Alchemy that will be in a show in September. Details for that will be on my site when they are ironed out.

q)What are your plans for the future?

a)...uhh theres a future?

q)Are there some web sites that You would like to recomend? Artists, art communities,xxx,...!?

a)Right now I am addicted to wikipedia.org. You can waste incredible amounts of time, learn about the strangest shit and maybe even be inspired. It's the new porn.

q)What sort of music do you listen to?All kinds of stuff...right now on my pod its Charles Mingus, ESG and the Serge Gainsbourg dub album with Sly and Robbie that's getting the most play.q)Do you collect anything? If so what?

a)I buy lots of records and books and old things that I put up in my studio to give some juice.

q)What do you do for fun?

a)Sleep.

q)Any advice you can pass onto aspiring artists/designers?
a)Not without resorting to some tired cliché about doing what you love...even if it is true.

q)Your contacts.

+011.347.204.5211

Interview with Véro Sénéchal

q)Let’s start with the basics; what's your full name, where do you live, and how old are you?

a)Véro Sénéchal (Pilté), I live in Paris and I was born in 1974.

q) Do you have any formal training?

a)I have a full classical training : I graduated in Paris in Art history. And for my practice, I have a diploma related to craft and sculpture with synthesis materials.

q) Did the place you grew up in influence your image making?

a)My mother and her own father used to paint a lot, for pleasure. When I was a kid we would go all together to major museums like the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay. We used also to make drawing contests during the holidays. But I think that what influenced me the most was the world filled with objects that surrounded my mother ( she had always so many and diverse collections on) and the fact that my father was always pottering things.

q) How do you come up with your concepts?

a)I always have a note book in my pocket. So I can write my ideas in any places. when I am at an exibition for exemple , or when I look at a book or even in the metro. I use it mainly for photo-paintings. But in general I just empty my mind. I look at a picture and I immediately catch an idea. If I don't, then I move quickly to the next one. As regard as the collage, it's a bit the same but it depends more on the material I have. I like old magazines from the 40s 60s as well as medical books.

q) Describe your creations in a clear, concise and understandable sentence. What do you call
them ?

a)I work around three different areas:sizing erotical magazines, or postcard "Fancy type", pictures painting, (painting on old prhotographs) putting together objects (insects, tiny plastical objects) flower, pearls...in balloon-shaped glass frames and bell-shaped made of glass.

q)What other mediums would you like to explore in your image making?

a)I would like to dig into photoshop and make a series of picture-cuttings. I also started recently in self-portraits on a Polaroïd.




q)What is the best time in the day for you to work on a project? Is there one, or is it more about the environment -- maybe the right mood?

a)I prefer the evening, up to late at night.

q) What are your artistic influences?...and …generally who or what influences you the most?

a)It really started all when I met with my husband, Jean-Kristau… He has been making images for a long time and he was connected with a group of editing artists (Le dernier cri). He co-created an association called Gotoproductions. I personnaly had been more connected to the music scene but when we met up, it has been a trigger. He gave me confidence and made me discover many artists. Eversince we organise exhibitions together and participate to various projects.

q) Who are some of your favourite artists/designers/photographers?

a)Duchamp, Hans Bellmer, Max Ernst (for his collages), Rauschenberg et John Cage. Recently Darger, The Clayton brothers, William Eggleston, Nan Goldin, Annette Messager, David Lynch (for his movies of course), and the others : Philip K. Dick, Bret Easton Ellis...

q) What is your next project?Exhibition?Collaboration?

a)A collective exhibition I am part of is ending at the end of the month. I am preparing the next one for septembre – with the association Le dernier Cri. And then we expect to do another collective exhibition in november-december that would be all about collages, with Jean-Kristau, Fredox, Laetitia Brochier, and few others…

q)What are your plans for the future?

a)I would really like to publish my photo-paintings. I want to keep creating as much as today. The plan is to start the photo project on computers and to make as well a web site with Jean-Kristau


q)Are there some web sites that You would like to recomend? Artists, art communities, xxx,...!?

a)
http://www.lederniercri.org/
http://julieetauguste.free.fr/index.html
http://www.leoquievreux.net/
http://www.plonkreplonk.ch/


q)What sort of music do you listen to?

a)John Cage, Phil Minton, FM Einheit (Einstürzende Neubauten), Roxy Music, Can, This heat, T-Rex, Silverapples, Suicide, Ground Zéro, MKB, Tarwater, To Rococorot, Pan Sonic, Radiohead, Red, Pusse, Smog, Tazartès, Akabondage, Boris Vian, Gainsbourg…

q)Do you collect anything?If so what?

a)I collect many many things : stuffed animals, insects, plastic monsters from Japan. Plastic pistols,pietisms of all kinds, robots, mustard glasses (Goldorak, Candy, Astro) glace belles, etc. I go to many brokings and in fact I just have many types of objects and many books as well.

q)What do you do for fun?

a)I see my friends and I play fool with my children.



q)Any advice you can pass onto aspiring artists/designers?

a)To trust oneself and to doubt.

q)Your contacts…

a)Véro Pilté
19 rue Max Ernst
75020 Paris
France
pilsss@free.fr
http://julieetauguste.free.fr/index.html




Interview with Will Henley

q)Let's start with the basics; what's your full name, where do you live, andhow old are you?

a)I'm William Eliot Ainley, I live in Brighton in the Uk and I'm 30 years old.

q) Do you have any formal training?

a)I've got a Degree (BA) in Illustration from the University of Brighton. I did a foundation course in Banbury before that.

q) Did the place you grew up in influence your image making?

a)It may have affected me in a sub-concious way. The particular place that had the most affect was the Pitt Rivers Museum in my hometown of Oxford. It was filled with things like real mummies and headhunters' trophies. That sort of thing appeals to me.

q) How do you come up with your concepts?

a)They appear in my head from nowhere and I mold them until they're ready to be put onto paper.

q) Describe your creations in a clear, concise and understandable sentence. What do you call them?

a)Some are just characters which I give various labels to while I also do a series of cartoons under the heading 'Irrational Fear'. I hope that's clear enough.

q)What other mediums would you like to explore in your image making?

a)It'd be nice to see my images being animated but that would have to be done with someone else.

q)What is the best time in the day for you to work on a project? Is thereone, or is it more about the environment -- maybe the right mood?

a)I mostly like to work late into the night. I find there are less distractions then.

q) What are your artistic influences?...and .generally who or whatinfluences you the most?

a)The biggest artistic influence on my work would be Rene Magritte. I love how he makes the mundane extraordinary with just a few simple adjustments.I am generally inspired by what I see around me. For instance When I go shopping I like to observe other people and how they behave. Something from that may spark an idea.

q) Who are some of your favourite artists/designers/photographers?

a)A few of my favourites would be Glen Baxter, David Shrigley, Marcel Duchamp, the Chapman Brothers, Ron Mueck, Paul Davis, Andrew James Jones and Italy's own Maurizio Cattelan.

q) What is your next project?Exhibition?Collaboration?

a)I've got a T-shirt done with Concrete hermit. I'll also have some prints available in the autumn at the Scrawl Collective website. And I'm doing a poster for the launch of the latest Nick Hornby novel.

q)What are your plans for the future?

a)To keep creating and to take over the world.

q)Are there some web sites that You would like to recomend? Artists, artcommunities, xxx,...!?

a)You can a listen to the music of my friend Conrad at www.conradvingoe.co.uk. Great tunes.

q)What sort of music do you listen to?

a)All sorts really. Currently into Arcade Fire, the Kinks, Secret Machines and Sigur Ros at the moment.

q)Do you collect anything?If so what?

a)I collect dust. In my flat.

q)What do you do for fun?

a)I go to the beach and have a picnic with friends. Watch movies, read books and general lounging about.


q)Any advice you can pass onto aspiring artists/designers?

a)Spend time on developing your own identity in your work. Think of what'll make you stand out from the hundreds of other designers/artists.

q)Your contacts.

a)Look in shock and awe at my work at http://www.willainley.co.uk