Interview with Oleg Dou

q)Please introduce yourself.

a)My name is Oleg Dou, I’m 25 years old artist.

q) Where do you live and work?

a)I was born In Moscow and I live and works there.

q) How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it?

a)I’m do portraits that seems to have no emotions and looking like porceline dolls

q) How did you start in the arts? How/when did you realize you were an artist?

a)My mother was an artist and I spent a lot of time was looking of what she and other artists did. I always wanted to make my own works and it always was my hobby. I worked as a designer for a while when I was 19-20 years old. In the year 2005 I bought my first digital camera and started to do what I do now.

q) What are your favorite art materials and why?

a)My favourite material is peoples faces. I have a kind of passion for a faces

q) What/who influences you most?

a)I think it’s a world of massmedia

q) Describe a typical day of art making for you.

a)I have two variants. Sometimes I’m not in the mood and works just for 5 minuts a day.

Sometimes I’m into work an sit near computer all day forgetting about everything even the food.

q) Do you have goals, specific things you want to achieve with your art or in your career as an artist?

a)I’m inspired with early renessance artist and try to achieve their level at the same time I hope to become international wellknown artist oneday…

q) What contemporary artists or developments in art interest you?

a)I adore asian artists especially Japanese.

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

a)It usually takes about 3-5 weeks.

q) Do you enjoy selling your pieces, or are you emotionally attached to them?

a)Of course I’m happy that I have earnings from my works, but it is not a goal.

My works have an edition + artist proofs, so I always can keep a work.

q) Is music important to you? If so, what are some things you're listening to now?

a)I like different types of music, but prefer electronic styles

q) Books?

a)Different books from adventures to since

q) What theories or beliefs do you have regarding creativity or the creative process?

a)I do believe that everything is possible if you works hard

q) What do you do (or what do you enjoy doing) when you're not creating?

a)I meet with my friend, swimming, travelling…

q) Do you have any projects or shows coming up that you are particularly excited about?

a)Currently I’m in Seoul at my solo show opening. Also I’m working on new series and planning to show it at the beginning of the next year

q) Do you follow contemporary art scenes? If so, how? What websites, magazines, galleries do you prefer?

a)I visit a lot of countries and always try to visit several contemporary museums and galleries, also I’m reading art magazines and visit special websites for example www.openspace.ru

q) Ask yourself a question you'd like to answer, and answer it.

a)It is:

What question I want to answer? I don’t know J

q) Any advice for aspiring artists?

a)Believe in yourself and work hard for you ideas

q) Where can we see more of your work online?

a)You can check my website www.douart.ru

Interview with Charlie Immer

q)Please introduce yourself.

a)Hello, Hello. My name is Charlie Immer. I enjoy candy, slime, skeletons, and slap stick comedy.

q) Where do you live and work?

a)I live in a little known town, well at least by people who don’t live there, called Hagerstown. It’s in Maryland. I work in my room for now and it’s pretty neat.

q) How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it?

a)It like candy coated extreme violence with a dash of the circus. Like it looks tasty but you hesitate to lick it.

q) How did you start in the arts? How/when did you realize you were an artist?

a)Well considering that I’m basically creating the same artwork I did when I was 5, I guess I started then. Though, I became much more technically proficient after attending the Rhode Island School of Design.

q) What are your favorite art materials and why?

a)Oil Paints. I love the luminosity and vibrancy. I only wish they were less hazardous to my health.

q) What/who influences you most?

a)Slap stick cartoon violence. But lets not forget anatomy books.

q) Describe a typical day of art making for you.

a)I wake up really late in the day. Brush my teeth, shine them up really nice. Pet my cat, pet it up really nice. I work for about 9 hours a day (night) and I like working when the Sun goes down, way down. Then when the Sun comes back up I know it’s time to go to bed.

q) Do you have goals, specific things you want to achieve with your art or in your career as an artist?

a)I really want to get into making toys based on my work. But it would be really awesome to design a playground or some sort of fun house. There are a few galleries that I would really like to show in as well.

q) What contemporary artists or developments in art interest you?

a)Dave Cooper, Famke Heimstra, and James Jean. I’m always interested in what these artists are doing.

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

a)I don’t log hours or anything on a piece but I can spend 3-4 weeks on a painting. But I try to work on multiple. When I hired to do an illustration I try to finish them in about 3 days.

q) Do you enjoy selling your pieces, or are you emotionally attached to them?

a)I do get very attached to them. I feel funny when I look at them after they are finished. But I also fell funny when someone buys one of my paintings, it’s a different feeling but it’s just as good.

q) Is music important to you? If so, what are some things you're listening to now?

a)I’m big into music, really big. I’ve been listening to Battles Mirrored album a lot for about two years now. I can listen to Ratatat anytime anywhere. Instrmental stuff is my favourite. I also listen to the work that Charles Callet did for the first three Goblins games on PC in the 90’s. It’s really goofy and charming stuff.

q) Books?

a)I read H.P. Lovecraft’s short stories. I really like short stories. The yellow wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a good one.

q) What theories or beliefs do you have regarding creativity or the creative process?

a)Don’t compromise your vision and don’t let people tell you what to do. Don’t second guess yourself trying to please your audience.

q) What do you do (or what do you enjoy doing) when you're not creating?

a)Tell jokes and pull pranks. I try not to take my self too seriously.

q) Do you have any projects or shows coming up that you are particularly excited about?

a)Crazy 4 Cult- Gallery 1988 LA in July.

I have a big show coming up in NOV at Billy Shire Fine Arts.

Show and Tell in Canada sometime in DEC.

q) Do you follow contemporary art scenes? If so, how? What websites, magazines, galleries do you prefer?

a)I like Kirsten Anderson’s blog. (rightsomegood.blogspot.com) I love Hi-Fructose. Juxtapose is great too. I also check out a lot of my favourite artists websites and their links sections.

q) Any advice for aspiring artists?

a)Get your stuff out there as much as possible. Look at other artists and see what they are doing. Like what galleries they have shown in or the different ways they are making their work available to the public.

q) Where can we see more of your work online?

a) www.charlieimmer.com

charlieillustration.blogspot.com

Interview with Sean Mackaoui

q)Please introduce yourself.

a)Hello. My name is sean.

q) Where do you live and work?

a)Madrid, Spain.

q) How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it?

a)Cut and paste

q) How did you start in the arts? How/when did you realize you were an artist?

a)By working at it. I never went to university . I cannot draw or paint. I wanted to be a photographer but I take terrible photographs. But I am good with scissors ( I like to think).

q) What are your favorite art materials and why?

a)Scissors. Spraymount. Paper. Old paper. Small electric motors. Wood. Junk. A bit of this and a bit of that. Other peoples disregarded stuff. I like to use things that other people regard as useless or rubbish. I think it is very ironic.

q) What/who influences you most?

a)Everything. Music, literature, travel, food, a joke, images, history, politics, people.

q) Describe a typical day of art making for you.

a)There is no typical day. There are days when you manage to do something that you are reasonably proud of, and the other days you try to get there.

q) What contemporary artists or developments in art interest you?

a)There are so many that it seems mad to write them all down, plus I am sure I would forget many names. I will say that the people who have most influenced me are joan brossa, diego lara and h.c. westermann.

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

a)The objects take longer than the pieces on paper. A collage on paper never really takes longer than 3 or 4 hours. If it does, I get bored. The magic goes out of it. An object can take a week or 2, depending on the materials I need or find along the way.

q) Do you enjoy selling your pieces, or are you emotionally attached to them?

a)I get emotionally attatched to some pieces but it is good they leave home. Otherwise I would never try and do better. I have only refused on several occasions to sell one of my colleges for sentimental reasons.

q) Is music important to you? If so, what are some things you're listening to now?

a)Very. The Kings of Leon, Super Furry Animals. Arnaldo Antunes. Seu Jorge. Eddie. Beirut. Nick cave.

q) Books?

a)I have just finished reading 2 great books. “The brief wondrous life of oscar woa” by juno diaz. “Me cheeta: my life in Hollywood.” By Cheeta.

q) What theories or beliefs do you have regarding creativity or the creative process?

a)Shut up and Get on with it.

q) What do you do (or what do you enjoy doing) when you're not creating?

a)Live life.

q) Do you have any projects or shows coming up that you are particularly excited about?

a)A collective exhibition called POESIA VISUAL that opens on the marvellous island of Formentera on 1st June. With my heroes Joan Brossa and Chema Madoz.

q) Ask yourself a question you'd like to answer, and answer it.

a)Q: How does it feel to be 90? A: Pretty good actually.

q) Any advice for aspiring artists?

a)Be faithful to yourself not to trends

q) Where can we see more of your work online?

a)The google universe I suppose…