Google

giovedì 24 aprile 2008

Interview with Trine Wejp-Olsen

q) Introduce yourself first please?

a)My name is Trine Wejp-Olsen.

q) Where do you live and work?

a) I live in Santa Monica, California and work in an old hangar in the Santa Monica Airport that has been converted into a great studio space I am originally from Denmark – moved to the States in 1989, did a little bit of moving to Paris for a year and back to Denmark for a few years, until I ended up returning here to LA, …LA got into my blood stream, and we now get along really well.

q) How did you started? How have you realized you wanted to become an artist?

a)My Dad is a cartoonist (Werner Wejp-Olsen), and as he had his studio at home, growing up I watched him do his cartoons, and I guess the idea of becoming an artist for a living never seemed difficult or daunting…Being naive sometimes is a good thing.

So I quite early knew I wanted to be an artist, except from one month in 1981 when I flew for the first time, and briefly wanted to be a stewardess!
But the idea of being an artist who makes paintings and sculptures never occurred to me.
I knew I wasn’t going to be a cartoonist like my father, but the only other thing I knew of was to be an illustrator.

So it was with this in mind I started art school, Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.
The school has a bit of a boot camp first year, where they load a lot of work on you, and in as many disciplines as possible. I discovered within this first year that what I meant to do was to express my voice through imagery. I found it to be too limiting to be hired by someone else as an illustrator to express his or her point of view or need.
And therefore I ended up in the fine art department concentrating on painting instead.

q) What materials do you use and why?

a)I work with oil on canvas + watercolor, color pencil and sometimes milk paint on paper.
For sculpture work I use all kinds of materials, fabrics, plaster, and my last sculpture was a bronze.

q) Who is your biggest influence, both art and non-art related

a)For influences and inspiration I look many places.
I have greatly enjoyed looking at the renaissance painters, their lush colorful and muted canvases, the attention to detail, and some kind of narrative.

q) Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)Louise Bourgeois, Annette Messenger, Yoko Ono I greatly enjoy for their sculpture work.

q) How do you dream up with your wacky ideas? What is your creation process?

a)Although I am not an abstract, non-objective painter, I enjoy the handling of paint in purely abstract pieces, and this helps me to loosen up my own hand.

When it comes down to my work process, the initial idea and inspiration phase is still something I wonder about. It can take a long time or no time at all to get started.
But I will look through books. Lately I look at botanical drawings…and then mix it with images that pop up in my head, like a bird with a scull head. Don’t know where it comes from, but if I like I’ll use it. Sometimes I free hand on the canvas, other times I project, or I render from an image. I am never quite clear on the narrative, before I start, and not even quite when I am done.
I have a frame narrative for it, though. An example would be…this image is taking place at the crossroad between matriarchic and patriarchic societies….or the piece has an overall narrative of the power of nature. But then on the way, I come up with sub-stories that are to be found in the details. These are really not clear and they are what you make them to be. For me it can be specific at the moment and mean something else the next day.




q) What haven’t you done yet that you definitely want to try someday?

a)I definitely want to write a movie one day. I have no idea how, but I know I will.

q) How long does it take for you to finish a piece?

a)The time it takes to make a piece varies so much, especially as the process is happening on the canvas and not before hand. I allow mistakes to happen, either adjust them so they work or paint over if it is not helping the narrative. But I enjoy the layers a painting can have in this manner, much like random thoughts in our mind, some are productive, but some are just kind of there as extras…somehow I think they are needed to make the interesting ideas stand out by comparison.
If I were to condense the time spent on a piece I would roughly estimate 6-7 days on large canvases, 5-6 on mid size, 3-4 on smaller sizes, 1-2 on really small pieces.

q) What music, if any, do you like to have on while you're working?

a)I will listen to my I-Tunes, either on party shuffle or I will go to my embarrassing secret stash of very romantic and often melancholic music, such as Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Leonard Cohen, …lately I am listening to Alela Dianne and Kashmir and Saybia, two Danish bands. Sometimes also classical music. What really matters is that it touches me..on the less romantic side, I also like the Dixie Chics these days, and I am a live long fan of David Bowie, especially his Ziggy Stardust days.

q) Do you do many art shows?

a)2007 was an exiting year for me in terms of exhibiting. Besides some nice group shows, I had my first solo show in New York at Nancy Margolis Gallery, and I exhibited with her at the Red Dot art fair in Miami, as well.
Currently I am working on new paintings, and I am also thinking of making some sculptures this time that I will be looking forward to exhibiting and hopefully together.

q) Tell us about a recent dream you had.

a)I haven’t been able to remember my dreams much lately. I do dream a lot, but they vaporize shortly after waking up. But I have had a strange thing happen to my while awake. I have seen falcons, two of them with a few days apart, and in very unlikely places, like on the side of the freeway, and on a pole again overlooking a busy street.
I made me think of making a painting about a Falcon, and have just finished “Falcon and the Elements, a 72”x 96” large canvas.



q) What are you doing when you are not creating?

a)When I am not in my studio working, I spend time with my boyfriend or with my friends, or simply I hang out with myself. I am never bored…

q) Do you get emotionally attached to your work and do you miss your work when it is sold?

a)I have no problem parting with a piece, after all they were created to find a way out in the world. I have images of all the pieces I make, so I can always revisit them.

q) What is your favourite art related web site?

a)My favorite art related website is kopenhagen.dk, a Danish website that keeps me up to date not only what is going on in Denmark, but also about fairs throughout Europe.

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


a)Advice for other artists? There is no right or wrong in art, so don’t be afraid of mistakes, they often turns out as successes.



q)your contacts….e-mail…links

a)Trine Wejp-Olsen

trine@trinewejp-olsen.com


http://www.trinewejp-olsen.com/

giovedì 17 aprile 2008

Interview with Aili Schmeltz

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

a)Hello! My name is Aili.. I am a sculptress/installation artist/ draughtswoman living in a fabulous vintage camper by the beach in Los Angeles. I am a Capricorn, hiker, gardener, builder, night owl and optimist.

q) Had you always planned on being an artist [or had you other hopes]?

a)Yes, strangely, I have known from an early age that I had the curse (or blessing depending on the day) of being an artist. Someday I would love to get my childhood bedroom walls xrayed to reveal the constant drawing and painted over layers unearthed...it could be like an archeological dig. Recently my Mother showed me an “All About Me” book that I made in the 2nd grade.. when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I answered “Artit” (yes, that is an intentional mis-spelling) and if that didn’t work out my second choice was to be a “Super Star!”

q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?

a)My work varies in media depending on the ideas that I am working with.. I have always loved drawing and in a sense so much of my sculptural work I consider three dimensional drawings. The materials of my sculptures and installations are very historical and conceptually specific to 1960s and 70s suburban era inspired by do it yourself string art kits, vinyl furniture, plastics and “ugly” patterned fabrics.. I am also a huge fan of Tool Dip. In drawing, I work with media such as paint markers, gouche and pencil on paper and mylar.

q) How would you describe your style?

a)Hmm.. If I had to pin it down I would say that my style is colourfully ironic.

q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?

a)I am constantly reading, watching movies and sketching.. then get in the studio and sort it out. I have built a vacuum form machine and have been experimenting with that for the last few years.. I have my sights set on attempting to build a home made three dimensional printer this summer, we’ll see. I think of making art as a record of experience, I try to build on what has been learned in previous pieces then add a challenge or an unknown element.

q) What are you working on at present?

a)There is always about a dozen projects going on at one time in my studio.. right now I am developing 3 sculptures, a large drawing, a wallpaper mural installation piece and 2 smaller works on paper.

q) What about recent sources of inspirations?

a)The environmental history, politics and social studies of the Los Angeles region, Natural History museums, geodes, caves, geometry (those damn polyhedrons!), 60s and 70s interiors, Scandinavian design, geology, The Salton Sea, The Center for Land Use Interpretation, land slides and glaciers.

q) What are some of your obsessions?

a)Traveling, Google Images, the beach, collecting music, the gym, the sauna, plants and taking photos of little plastic animals in bizarre settings.

q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?

a)I would love to show overseas and more in LA and NY. I would also like to put together some collaborative, fun projects in strange places.

q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

a)Email is the best way to get ahold of me.

q) Do you have any suggestions or advice for artists that are just starting out?

a)Be humble, honest, laugh and stay curious.
q) Who are your favorite artists?

a)This varies from day to day.. right now I am really into Tomas Saraceno, Matti Suuronen, Leslie Shows, Shirley Sze and Paul Lincoln.

q) What books are on your nightstand?

a)A book about the Los Angeles River, The Land of Sunshine; An Environmental History of Los Angeles, The Salton Sea; Yesterday and Today (a 1960’s promotional book), The Ecology of Fear, The Devil in the White City (about the Chicago Worlds Fair), National Geographic, Dwell and Make Magazine. I always keep contemporary art and architecture books close at hand in my studio as well as Prescription for Nutritional Healing and The Only Astrology Book You will Ever Need (for kicks).

q) To what weaknesses are you most indulgent?

a)Vodka and dark chocolate.

q)….your contacts…


My email address is aili@ailischmeltz.com

martedì 15 aprile 2008

„Illustrative“







ILLUSTRATIVE
INTERNATIONAL ILLUSTRATION FORUM
ZÜRICH 03.10. – 19.10.2008
Illustrative e.V. T 49 30 48 49 19 29, info@illustrative.de, http://www.illustrative.de/, Gormannstr. 23, 10119 Berlin - Germany 1
The Young Illustrators Award
can’t wait to be hold by the most
ambitious hands
In 2008, the „Illustrative“, the worldwide biggest art
exhibition, exclusively dealing with illustration, proclaims,
in collaboration with Swatch, a competition
for young artists.
They are given the opportunity to enrich the genre
with their illustrations, graphic works and animations
and to call attention with their art. The art
pieces, which are awarded with a prize, will also be
exhibited at Illustrative 08 within an own section.
Illustrative 08
The Illustrative is the leading European platform for
contemporary illustration and graphics. With art
works exceeding 400 pieces and more than 60 artists,
the exhibition shows an inspiring concentration
of current graphical art. Every year the Illustrative
takes place at another creative hot spot in Europe. For
two weeks, illustration is celebrated, young talents
are spotted, opinions exchanged, new technologies
gazed at and long forgotten styles revive.
The focus of the Illustrative comprises, in addition to
conferences, a movie program and parties, an exclusive
exhibition and an overview on the work of 25
international known illustrators; not only do they
show the quality and fantasy of recent graphics but
also how visual effects coming from graphic design,
illustration, book art, comic, concept art or animation
branch out into the field of art. The section of exhibition
which is showing the laureates of the Young
Illustration Award reveals the most imminent tendencies
of the genre and is a thrilling seismograph
for new development in the field.
Young Illustrators Award
In the sphere of the art festival „Illustrative“, which is
going to take place in Switzerland, the organizers
proclaim, in collaboration with Swatch, a competition
again this year, which addresses young illustrators.
Young talents between 20 and 40 years are invited,
to register and post their works in the field of graphics,
illustration, animation, book art and audiovisual
illustration.
Required are up to 8 freelance works, showing an
“illustrative character”, which means: being in the
broadest sense graphical or drawn. This includes
freelance drawings, digital works, printgraphic, animation,
book objects or graphical installations. Analog
as well as digital works can be handed in.
Artistic quality and originality are essential for the
jury’s assessment. The international jury is represented
by publishers or well known artists.
ILLUSTRATIVE
INTERNATIONAL ILLUSTRATION FORUM
ZÜRICH 03.10. – 19.10.2008
Illustrative e.V. T 49 30 48 49 19 29, info@illustrative.de, http://www.illustrative.de/, Gormannstr. 23, 10119 Berlin - Germany 2
The presentation of the Young Illustrators Award,
which is endowed with a prize, will take place at the
„Illustrative 08“ in October, where the works of the
20 nominated young artists are going to be exhibited.
Contact
Pascal Johanssen
Illustrative e.V.
Gormannstr. 23
10119 Berlin
Email: johanssen@illustrative.de
Tel./ Fax: +49 (0) 30 – 48 49 19 29
Illustrative Paris in December 2007
Registration/ Information for Application / Code of
Competition:
http://www.illustrative.de/
Participation Fee:
30€ per submission
Deadline:
July 31st, 2008
For further information visit:
http://www.illustrative.de/


venerdì 11 aprile 2008

Interview with Valery Milovic

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

a) I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I hated school. Had very few real friends. A handful maybe. Was shy but got into a lot of trouble. I liked to get into mischief... pranks and such. My father was an alcoholic. Mom worked at night. One sister, 10 years older. Unhappy home life. You know how it goes. Got into the original punk scene and still listen to those bands. I have two children... girls. Been married a few times. I keep failing at it, unfortunately. I have a photographic memory. I'm dyslexic. I'm hypersensitive (HSP). I love dogs and music. And birds. I love taking photos, cooking and gardening. I'm into alternative medicine and make my own formulas. I love to read. Mainly nonfiction. Biographies, poetry, and the Bible. I'm fascinated by human behavior and flaw. By uniqueness. I've create and manage my own websites. I collect Boleslawiec ceramics. Those are made in Poland. I'm half Polish. The other half is Irish, English, Dutch, German and American Indian. I currently live in the Southern California mountains. You don't need to know my age, do you? Let's say I'm younger than Joey Ramone would be if he were alive. I'm younger than Bono and Madonna. A tiny bit older than Gwen Stefani >:)

q) Had you always planned on being an artist [or had you other hopes]?

a) I wanted to be a singer in a band. This was my first dream from about the age of 4-5. But later when I tried to pursue a music career, having children was far more important. And I already had 2 girls. I was always an artist so I decided to do that instead. I've always drawn and painted. Ever since I can remember. And my earliest memories of being aware I was creating art were around age 3. At one point I wanted to be a police officer, hahah. Seriously. A detective. I would have been good at it, too >:) But I've always just been an artist. It isn't a job for me... it's a verdict.

q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?

a) Yes. Acrylic on wood. I prefer it because it just looks the best to me. And it also feels the best when I'm in the process. More natural, I guess. When you put a final gloss coat on the finished piece, it looks absolutely stunning.

q) How would you describe your style?

a) I don't know if I actually have a style. But if I have to name it, I'd say it's obviously in the underground art genre. That being, outsider, intuitive, dark, low brow, art brut, etc. I don't follow the rules, so it's hard to categorize me.

q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?

a) Not really. It's like vomiting. You don't do it a certain way. You just do it.

q) What are you working on at present?

a) I'm working on creating as much art as possible in as little time possible, at the truest quality possible. I've started doing a lot of shows lately and that forces me to work constantly. I like it that way though. My art is like therapy for me. Helps me stay sane.

q) What about recent sources of inspirations?

a) Everyone asks me about my sources of inspiration. I give everyone the same answer... LIFE is my source. What I experience. My art is an emotional upheaval of my personal life. I can't help it. That's just the way it works for me. I take what's inside, and put it outside, on canvas or wood or whatever.

q) What are some of your obsessions?

a) SOME of my obsessions? I have so many! hahah! Let me try and give you the short list... I love music. Am obsessed with lyrics that touch my life. I'm obsessed with Broken Toyland (obviously). I was obsessed with my husband but he dumped me. What else... I'm obsessed with a more slow and natural way of living. I'm obsessed with learning. I'm obsessed with certain movies. Off The Map and The Station Agent are the main ones at the moment. I watch them over and over when I'm depressed and sad. Been watching them a lot lately. They're like old friends... they make me feel better.

q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?

a) Galleries I've shown at are: Hyaena Gallery (Burbank, CA), Alcove Gallery (Atlanta, GA), Fantasy Gallery (Houston, TX), The DA (Pomona, CA). There's others but I can't remember. Some in California and some in Poland. I have upcoming shows at Alcove (presently and also in April), ROCKpaper Gallery in Madrid, NM, solo show for the month of October. Night Gallery in Santa Ana (4 artist group show), CA, in May/June. The Style Lounge in Tarzana, CA, in July/August, solo show. I stopped doing gallery shows for years because I was tired of all the politics involved. All the prejudices. There's a lot of snobbery involved and honestly, it made me sick. So I stopped showing for about 5 years. Just started again last year. I figured it was time. I just avoid the snobs >:) I don't know which galleries I'd like to show at. I'll show anywhere. I'm very grateful to any gallery that wants to show my art. I'm not a snob.

q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

a) People can contact me at brokentoyland.com. There's a link to click for my email. There's also a link on my site to my myspace, if people prefer that.

q) Do you have any suggestions or advice for artists that are just starting out?

a) Yes I do. I would tell them to follow their own rules. To follow their hearts. Their instincts. Be true to that first. Don't follow the rules and regulations of people telling you, you have to do things a certain way to be an artist. This is rubbish. An artist is born from the inside. You cannot make an artist. You can teach technique, but you cannot teach soul! Technique may look pretty, but soul is alive. People can feel it.

q) Who are your favorite artists?
a) I don't think I have any, honestly. I don't follow what others do and I don't look at the art of many other people. But if I have to say something, I'd say I like Henry Darger. I like folk artists and mainly outsiders. The artists that inspire me the most are the song writers and poets. Leonard Cohen is my favorite. I also love Billy Corgan, Dolores O'Riordan, Nina Perrson and Tori Amos.
q) What books are on your nightstand?

a) Great question >:) I think I will disappoint though because I'm moving, so I've packed most of the books in my bedroom. There isn't anything on the shelf by my bed anymore. But there is a Bible on my bed. The other books nearby on the other shelf are: You Are What You Eat by Dr. Gillian McKeith, the Crisis Preparedness Handbook by Spigarelli, Acupressure's Potent Points by Michael Reed Gach, and Plush-o-Rama... a book on stuffed toy making. Santa Fe Houses is the last one. Not very exciting. Sorry >:)

q) To what weaknesses are you most indulgent?

a) Chocolate. Complaining. Bitching. Sephora.

q)….your contacts…

giovedì 10 aprile 2008

Interview with Jonathan Canady

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

a)I was born in Denver, Colorado in 1972. I grew up in the very boring suburb of Aurora and was in several different weird music projects as a teenager. At that same time I did a few album covers and shirt artwork for underground bands. The only stuff to see the light of day was for the groups IMPULSE MANSLAUGHTER and EXIT 13. Later I went to college, where my artwork made a lady in one of my art classes throw up and another girl cry (I type this with a friendly smile). My degree was in graphic design so I have worked in that field since. Graphic design is a perpetual compromise, so out of frustration I began creating my own “fine art” last year.

q) Had you always planned on being an artist [or had you other hopes]?

a)As a child yes, I wanted to be a painter. Then as a teenager I really hoped to be a professional musician. I think my eccentric taste in music and lack of talent prevented me from getting very far. I have had moderate success in the experimental / noise genre with my old project DEATHPILE and current one ANGEL OF DECAY. But very few people creating noise can make a living at it. I have now come back to my childhood dream of being a professional artist.

q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?

a)At the moment I prefer gouache on paper. I settled on this medium because I am very impatient. Gouache gives me a desirable effect in a very short period of time. If I were forced to work in oil on canvas I probably wouldn’t have attempted to be a serious artist. Since my gouache work has gotten some positive attention I will most likely move onto canvas soon. A professional artist friend is pushing me to move into oil so I will probably do that eventually as well.

q) How would you describe your style?

a)I feel that I have created a style of my own.

q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?

a)I reference print pornography and make a freehand drawing. Usually the abstraction happens intuitively during the drawing process. If the drawing is good enough it becomes an underpainting for a gouache or an india ink drawing.
q) What are you working on at present?

a)I am in between art projects at the moment. I just finished several new paintings for a group show here in my current hometown of Philadelphia. Next I plan on trying to develop my style further, possibly making things more abstract and moving onto canvas. I’m never really 100% sure what will happen next though.

q) What about recent sources of inspirations?

a)There is only one… Le Dernier Cri. I just recently discovered them and they truly stand head and shoulders above the rest of the “low brow” art world.

q) What are some of your obsessions?

a)Aside from the obvious ones… I would say any weird cinema. I particularly love Italian horror and Japanese Yakuza and exploitation films of the 70’s and 80’s. I also read books quite a bit and am a big fan of weird and obscure music of all kinds.

q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?

a)At the moment my first solo show is at The Museum of Porn in Art in Zurich and I am in that group show in Philadelphia I mentioned previously. Also, one of my pieces was in this year’s Detroit Erotic Art Show and another was in a small group exhibition in Italy. I would love to have my work shown at Mondo Bizzarro in Rome, as well as Span and Vanilla in Japan. The new Last Rites Gallery in New York looks promising as well.
q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

a)My e-mail is malsonus [at] yahoo [dot] com - If I could only communicate through e-mail I would be very happy. Phones are evil. In person conversation is overrated as well.
q) Do you have any suggestions or advice for artists that are just starting out?

a)Since I’ve only been painting seriously for less than a year I don’t think I’m very qualified. Ask me again in five years.

q) Who are your favorite artists?
a)Francis Bacon and Hans Bellmer are always at the top of my list. I also love the work of: Antoine Bernhart, Trevor Brown, Stephen Kasner, Hermann Nitsch, Mark Pauline, Bruno Richard, Pieter Schoolwerth and Joel Peter Witkin.

q) What books are on your nightstand?

a)“The Gas” by Charles Platt and “Japanese Movie Posters” by Tetsuya Masuda.

q) To what weaknesses are you most indulgent?

a)Definitely drinking alcohol. I know it’s stupid but I really enjoy it.

q)….your contacts…

martedì 1 aprile 2008

Interview with Maleonn

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

a)First of all, I’m a Chinese, 36 years old. I began to study fine art at the age of 12, and graduated from the art college when I was 23. I’ve been painting all the time in my teenage. I took it for granted that I would take painting as my career in my future life. But finally I became a file art director for some commercial films and MTV, working related with the costumes, make-ups and the pros, etc. In the later several years, I also worked as the director and the photographer of the film. I always like to participate all kinds of works that I’ve been involved in. Later I found that such kind of job cannot allow me to have the free expression because of the boring limitation of the commercial works. During quite a long period of the boring career, I felt extremely distressed. When I couldn’t bear that anymore, I just gave up all that I already had. I thought that was the time to work as an artist only working for my-self. In 2004 I started my independent art creation. Of course the beginning was very hard without the job of making a living, nor the feel of social security. Fortunately I met people who loved my work. They were supportive to me. So, now I can make a live on my art.

q) Had you always planned on being an artist [or had you other hopes]?

a)I was born in a arty family. My father was a drama director, and my mother is a drama actress. I witnessed the life of my parents related deeply with the art, or it could be said that they lived in art. So it’s natural for me to become an artist, and seems as my destination as well. Actually I once expected to be an zoologist when I was young, especially marine biologist, therefore I chose to pick up the book of this category in the library. But later I noticed the influence in my blood. and chose to live my nowadays life gradually.

q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?

a)Currently I preferred the vision work, especially the photography. I’m also trying to work on some paintings and installations. So far I feel like that those works haven’t formed the complete language, while photograph is able to represent me to talk. By producing these image works, I feel like I’m as poet, who describing the wonderful world without pause.
Probably because I had vision related working experience in the past 9 years, I felt that was simple when I making these works. The intuition leads me, which is the most important thing. The intuition could guide you into the world you couldn’t imagine by yourself. Many my works are like this. I only believe the moment that moved me, while I can hardly tell why after that moment. What a pity that I’m slow in thought when I paint.

q) How would you describe your style?

a)I would rather like to know how people think about my work. I don’t want to explain my work anymore. I used to explain it before, but I found that my notes would actually become the wrong guide sometimes, make to work simpler. While the world is so abundant in fact, countless audience with countless different points of view to look at the work, it will become unpredictable and abundant as the world, which is really a funny thing.
I’ve heard many comments on my style, what I thought interesting as below:
Very dramatic, like a movie still image, let people think about the story once happened or going to happen right now.
More like painting work, all is set-up. The sense of the reality of photography and the absurdity generates large contrast.
Very unhealthy, very dark. Just some odd ideas, but the image is very gorgeous.

q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?

a)I would use all kinds of processes, no regulation in particular. During the shooting I often use special effect of film photograph I used to learn before, of course very simple because of no money. For example, use extremely thin fishing line and some smoke, etc., could make some special effect over the image. And after shooting, I will paint the color in computer. If the result isn’t good, it would be produced as photo first, then make some effect by hand, painting on color, and make it looks poor, etc.
Under most circs, my most important work is exactly in the shooting moment. My shooting always takes quite a long time of preparation, careful arrangement, and many modifications on the details that you cannot find out in the final image.

q) What are you working on at present?

a)I’ve set up a stage in my studio, and put in many plants on the stage, including a big faking tree as well. Then I waited for their drying out to death, just like a corner of an abandoned garden. After that, I made a huge glass window, like the display case in the museum before, covering in front of the scene. I’ve shot many different persons in this scene, wearing different clothes, playing different roles. Sometimes I thought the fate of our human beings is like this, either a little character on the stage, or the animal specimen displayed in the window of museum. While those waste garden with invasion of grass is exactly like the background of our lives. Of course in the play, we are well-dressed, with heavenly expression.

q) What about recent sources of inspirations?

a)Indian poet Tagore’s poetry and Greek director Theo Angelopoulos’s all fimes.
q) What are some of your obsessions?

a)I’m fond of perfection, so I live with worries. I always think I could do things better. When I create any of my work, most my unsatisfied moment is always when I just done that. But put it aside for some time, when I looked at it later again, I felt like almost nothing could be modified. Only if the work hasn’t been released, I always do the modifications repeatedly. I know that might not be good, but that’s my character. No way.

q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?

a)I have collaborated with several galleries inside china and overseas, such as Aura Gallery in China, CSG gallery in Canada, and I will have several solo exhibitions in Europe these months.
The galleries I’d like to work with are those really like my work and have unique review of the contemporary art.


q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

a)I’d like to. I like to hear of other person’s comments, opinion on my work. On the other hand, I feel like lack of time. I always have too many plans need to be executed, so I would rather no to be bother by anyone sometimes.
q) Do you have any suggestions or advice for artists that are just starting out?

a)About 8 years ago, when I haven’t stared my art creation yet, I was very busy occupied by my commercial advertisement work. One day I happened to meet my schoolmate of my college who is elder than me, and a professional artist at that time, but not that famous. I was very happy to meet him, and talked about art that night, criticized other person’s work, described the good work in my view. I remember my schoolmate of rare words, who is one of the most important artists now in China, after listening to my speech, asked me a question: what’s your work?
I was shamed. I didn’t have any work at that time, but only good at talk. For many years, I’ve been remembered this matter, which even become one of the motivations for me to give all up and start doing art. So, I’d like to talk to the younger artist this: Your work is your language, otherwise could be silent.

q) Who are your favorite artists?

a)Too many, hard to tell who are my favorites. All the artists with independent soul make filled with deep esteem.

q) What books are on your nightstand?

a)My bed is put in the middle of my library, surrounded by the books. So I don’t have any book on my nightstand, but sleep in the books. What’s I read recently as below:
‘The Garden of Eros’ by Oscar Wilde / ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Dostoyevsky / Speech Collection by Chinese author Lu Xun / Several Japanese whodunit cartoons / Fairy tales by Brothers Grimm / a contemporary artists book – ART NOW .
q) To what weaknesses are you most indulgent?

a)I indulge myself very much, these years is all like this. I never push myself to stop doing the thing I’m interested in. Often I read until morning, listen to some music I love repeatedly until the CD broke. As soon as I work, I don’t want to stop, until I’m exhausted to sleep. Smoking a lot, eat anything I like. Hehh…In general I don’t want to regulate myself now, although I know this might be unhealthy, but I couldn’t stop.