ELvis IN hawaii: 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...