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Tuesday 26 December 2006

Interview with Mari Yamagiwa

Q)So, can you tell me a little about yourself? Full name, age, some background info, etc?

A)Mari Yamagiwa. I live in Japan. The only occupation that cannot be resigned through life from which I was given by god. "Woman"

Q) How did you get started making art?

A)I began to draw the picture because the gallery in which it had been interested in my way of life had planned solo exhibition.

Q)How would you describe your art?

A)My works consists in the other side and a dirty part. The other side is sure to exist.I accept all existence. I admit the value of all existence. When you are restrained or restricted by something that you can't see, or worried, you might find an answer to the problem in my art.

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

A)Punk Rock, and All matters that I experienced.
Q) How do you approach the creation of a new piece... how does everything come together?

A)An accidental.

Q) What's your favorite medium to work in, and why?

A)Junk that crow collects. It is a very beautiful treasure.

Q) What is your favourite art related web site?

A)No comment

Q) Is your work all hand done? Or do you use any computer tools to help out?

A)Only the hand connected directly with my own brain.

Q) What, in your opinion, are the best and worst places to exhibit artwork?
A)No comment.

Q) I'm always interested in where an artist find their inspiration. Where do you find yours?
A)Please search.

Q) How are the reactions on your work in general?

A)Unique personal surrealistic style, Aggressive, People's reactions are various according to the country.

Q) What are you doing when you are not creating art?

A)Movie, Music, Sleep, Make love.

Q)What are some of the greatest challenges that you think artists face today?

A)Borderline of art as art and art as work and, Borderline of personal art and popular art.

Q) Do you believe that a person is born with a talent to produce art or can anyone can be taught?

A)No, Courage to tell the people a shameful impulse in your head is only maintained.

Q) Are there any particular works you've done that stand out as your favorites?

A)Some fragments producing now.

Q) What are some current/upcoming projects you are working on or excited about?

A)My works will be exhibited in Melbourne in April, 2007.My works has been regularly exhibited in New York, Australia, and Japan, etc.

Q) What advice would you give to younger up and coming artist?

A)The answer shown here has my own idea. You must not trust it. Do not influence. You only find your own philosophy...

Q) Who are your favourite artists & Your favourite galleries?

A)No comment.

Q) Do you need others to tell you they like it before you feel validated?

A)Contact me.

Q)Tell us a little about some of the different types of jobs you've had over the years,before/while doing what you do now. For someone who is starting out in art, how would you recommend they go about making a career out of it?
A)The word "artist" is fantasy. Don't aim at the word "artist."However, art is eternal.

Q)Your contacts….E-mail…links.

Thursday 21 December 2006

Interview with Patrick Williams

Q)So, can you tell me a little about yourself? Full name, age, some background info, etc?

A)Patrick Williams, 28, and let’s see what else, I’m from southern California growing up in the little costal town of Seal Beach which is at the north most portion of Orange County before you run into Long Beach and LA County.

Q)How did you get started making art?

A)I don’t remember it ever starting, me making things has always been part of the deal, for me to have started, there would have had to been a time when I wasn’t making art first. To be honest, I think it was a way for me to survive school which was not suited to the younger me. When I hit High School, I was accepted in to the Orange County High School of the Arts which was and is a magnet arts school. It was there that stuff started making sense.

Q)How would you describe your art?

A)I’d prefer not to. But I always have to so here goes: I make art that is about civilization, and how it intersects with it’s history, ideas, and nature.

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

A)I suppose the biggest influence all around would be my parents, as far as art influence, I’ve had a lot of teachers over the years that have been wonderful, and generous so it would be really tough to pick out just one. One of my dad’s long time friends Phil Miller, is an artist and though our works differ greatly, he’s always had great advice about the process and the emotional/mental connection to making art. Because I’ve known him my whole life I think he’s had a strong affect at the way I look at the art thing.



Q) How do you approach the creation of a new piece... how does everything come together?

A)It depends, sometimes while my mind is wandering, I’ll be thinking about something, anything or perhaps even nothing and I’ll just mentally stumble onto an image or idea which in this case requires little in the way of revisions to get to the point of a finished piece, I think it’s a form of mental sketching, but it’s harder to keep track of an idea if I’m not in a position to draw it out. More often than not though, I will work through an image in my sketchbook which might take one drawing and it might take a month or drawings before I have something I want to paint. Then I sit down and paint, making more revisions usually medium specific as I go, and trying out little technical experiments.

Q) What's your favorite medium to work in, and why?

A)Right now, polymer acrylic, I think it more than any other medium can be altered to create different effects and textures. Plus it dries fast (but not fast enough) it’s easy to clean up, and doesn’t smell too bad. Also, I’ve been using it long enough that I’m very confident with it and feel like I have great control over the medium.

Q) What is your favourite art related web site?

A)It was artdorks.com, I got lost in the links section for a week but that one no longer exists. I guess I’m still in the market for a new favourite site. There are a few I like Illustrationmundo.com is pretty awesome.

Q) Is your work all hand done? Or do you use any computer tools to help out?A)It’s all hand done, at this point. There may come a day where a computer’s abilities are required for a project but I’m a fan of stuff I can touch and that has a texture, I like manipulating objects and chemicals and stuff, not just the light emitted from a screen.

Q) What, in your opinion, are the best and worst places to exhibit artwork?
A)Presumably a museum would be the best place, the lighting is great, they have staff around to keep an eye on it, but artwork still gets ripped off or stolen from museums so who knows, and some museums are better than others. The worst place to exhibit work would be the either the hood or the underside of a car for obvious reasons, or maybe on the side of a small insect… who knows?

Q) I'm always interested in where an artist finds their inspiration. Where do you find yours?

A)It’s everyplace, and everything I experience. I think it’s all just a matter of turning on the brain and opening it up to examination of the world. My work draws heavily on the suburban landscape where I grew up, and the relationships of the people that reside there, even though it might be hidden under a few layers of metaphor and stylization. Often All I need is to look out the window or go for a walk and the ideas are there. I am also interested in myths and stories, be they systems of explaining the intangible or bedtime stories for kids. I’m interested in the way that symbols and metaphors have changed over the course of human history and how a painting of one object say an apple can exist on so many different levels of meaning at once.

Q) How are the reactions on your work in general?

A)On average they are great, though they can run the gamut from love to hate. I guess it all depends on who is looking at it and whatever they’re expectations and preconceived notions are.

Q) What are you doing when you are not creating art?A)I sleep, eat and exercise too. I enjoy backpacking, hiking, handball, and surfing among many other things, often though while engaged in something else entirely I’ll still be thinking about art. It’s kind of like an addiction.

Q)What are some of the greatest challenges that you think artists face today?

A)Survival, plane and simple, or some version of it: If you have a regular job that pays the bills it’s hard to find the energy and time to make art work, if all you do is paint, you have to worry about what’s going to sell or how to promote and get rid of your paintings. It’s tough to find that balance and I think it’s going to be different for everyone. Other than that, there are a ton of problems that artists need to deal with and I think they change depending on where in their career they happen to be.


Q) Do you believe that a person is born with a talent to produce art or can anyone can be taught?

A)This is really a hot topic for me, I find it dismissive of all the time and effort I’ve put in to my process and work over the years to shrug it off as talent or say that I’ve got some gift when it was a lot of toil and sacrifice. But I guess it depends how you define talent. I think anyone can be taught to paint a reasonably good looking bowl of fruit; the technical part is relatively easy. Then however, we’re talking craft and not art, which would explain why paintings of bowls of fruit are generally boring. Perhaps the talent is in staying interested and driven over years and years, or in figuring out how to make the work move beyond a nicely painted bowl of fruit into something that has meaning.

Q) Are there any particular works you've done that stand out as your favourites?

A)Every time I start a new piece it’s my favourite until I start another one. The standouts are the ones where I either figured something out technically so they are a triumph of sorts, or they are rich in metaphor and hold a lot of meaning to me personally. My sketchbooks if viewed as a whole might be my absolute favourite, it’s a continually expanding body of work that no one really gets to see and it’s also a short hand diary of my artistic progress, ideas, and just about every piece I’ve ever made. I’m up to 193 of them so far, and that doesn’t even count my car-pads (I sketch while stuck in traffic) which I think I have 20 filled so far.

Q) What are some current/upcoming projects you are working on or excited about?A)I have a bunch of shows, solo and otherwise lined up for 2007 and I am in the process of gearing up to make a lot of new work, the prospect of painting some new pieces is always exciting. In May of 06’ I made my first site specific installation piece and I am very excited about making tangible objects or environments right now and am enthralled at the direction that might go. I also have a couple secret projects I continue to work on that are very interesting, that perhaps will also see the light of day in ’07.

Q) What advice would you give to younger up and coming artist?

A)Don’t be a jerk. Oh, and this: Figure out what you want, figure out how to get it, and they put in the effort to get it, and then repeat as necessary.


Q) Who are your favourite artists & your favourite galleries?
A)That’s a rough question, there are so many, and I hesitate to start because I’m going to leave out a bunch. But here are a few of my current favourites: Edwin Ushiro (
http://mrushiro.com/) is a good friend of mine and a great guy all around, who does great work, it’s a little confusing but amazingly crafted. Adam Janes (http://adamjanes.com/) creates these great pieces that are collage, drawing, painting and who knows what else, he manages to put together stuff that i wouldn’t think of mixing and the result is great. Myrna Sonyou http://www.mynasonudesign.com/index.htm I’m not even going to talk about it, it’s that good. Taylor McKimens (http://www.taylormckimens.com/) is a guy i went to school with but have kind of lost touch with. His stuff is really exploding right now and it’s been easy to keep up with what he’s been up to. Then there are a bunch of others Charles Glaubbitz, Audry Kawasaki, Jeff Soto who seems to be another genuinely nice guy. I’m going to stop there because I could go on for days about the artists who are doing amazing work right now. As for spaces I like... wow, everyone I’ve worked with has been super cool so those have to be at the top of my list, Copro/Nason in Santamonica, Skeleton Art/Feral gallery in Santa Fe, Toyroom in Sacramento, Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, TAG in Nashville, Alcove in Atlanta, any one else on the shows page of my website. Then there are all the spaces I’m still hoping to work with that always seem to have amazing work on the walls, and there are tons of those too!

Q) Do you need others to tell you they like it before you feel validated?

A)Um…I do this for me primarily, I paint what I want to see and what I feel compelled to make so the opinions of others don’t carry that much weight. It’s nice when folks like what I do, it’s even nicer when they buy stuff. As far as people not liking my stuff go, it’s become kind of funny to me and I have to fight back the urge to laugh at people.

Q)Tell us a little about some of the different types of jobs you've had over the years, before/while doing what you do now. For someone who is starting out in art, how would you recommend they go about making a career out of it?

A)I teach art related stuff occasionally, bookbinding, drawing, painting, even animation. Both of my parents are teachers so it’s like the family business and it comes easy. I’ve taught everything from pre-k kids to seniors(adults)and I really like it, its rewarding because I get to share my experiences and watch the students have little epiphanies as they discover and learn new things. I’ve also worked at a couple art supply stores. Working retail is a real drag but I’ve learned a hell of a lot about the properties of art materials which has made my work better and there’s always the discount on supplies. Shouts out to Daniel Smith Artist’s Materials in Seattle and Art Supply Warehouse in Westminster. As for the career advice thing, I am still a work in progress and do not have the whole thing figured out yet by any means so I hesitate to give advice, I guess, do whatever you have to do in order to do what you need to do, and keep asking yourself those lofty questions.


Q)Your contacts….E-mail…links

A)
http://Pwilliamsart.com
pwilliamsart@yahoo.com
562.208.4104



Wednesday 20 December 2006

Interview with Su Blackwell

Q)So, can you tell me a little about yourself? Full name, age, some background info, etc?

A)Su Blackwell, born 1975 Sheffield UK

Q)How did you get started making art?

A)My nan taught me to embroider when I was a child. Then when I was 19 a teacher recommended I apply to a textiles course at college. From then on, I was hooked…it gave me a direction and a focus in my life.

Q)How would you describe your art?

A)Book cut sculptures

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

A)My tutor from college.

Q) How do you approach the creation of a new piece... how does everything come together?

A)I source the books from second hand shops, read the story and then the work emerges. Its very process led. I work out the practicalities as I’m making.




Q) What's your favorite medium to work in, and why?

A)Paper has a fragility and delicateness. I like working with paper because it is so malleable and responsive to the touch. It is easily accessible, and a cheap material.

Q) What is your favourite art related web site?

A)AI enjoy the work of Peter Callesen, and Tord Boontje and enjoy looking at their work on the web.

Q) Is your work all hand done? Or do you use any computer tools to help out?

A)So far, All hand done.

Q) What, in your opinion, are the best and worst places to exhibit artwork?

A)I find the City of London is a good place to exhibit work .



Q) I'm always interested in where an artist find their inspiration. Where do you find yours?

A)Folk tales, fairy stories, My dreams, reading books and looking at art and design.

Q) How are the reactions on your work in general?

A)Every body sees something different, humour, loneliness, something spooky…generally people are quiet around my work, like being in church.

Q) What are you doing when you are not creating art?

A) I’m always thinking or doing something nearly always related to my work.


Q)What are some of the greatest challenges that you think artists face today?

A) Too many to mention .



Q) Do you believe that a person is born with a talent to produce art or can anyone can be taught?

A)I think it has to be a bit of both.

Q)Are there any particular works you've done that stand out as your favorites?

A)For me, the pieces that stand out so far are Alice: A Mad Tea Party and the Birds of the open Forest

Q) What are some current/upcoming projects you are working on or excited about?

A)An exhibition in October at Lounge Gallery in Dalston and some collaborative pieces I’m working on.

Q) What advice would you give to younger up and coming artist?

A)Stick at it .



Q)Who are your favourite artists & Your favourite galleries?

A)I like the gallery in Notting Hill, England and Co.

Q) Do you need others to tell you they like it before you feel validated?

A)No

Q)Tell us a little about some of the different types of jobs you've had over the years, before/while doing what you do now. For someone who is starting out in art, how would you recommend they go about making a career out of it?

A)I began doing residencies in schools while still making my art, I’ve only recently started working on my art full time and it still feels daunting

Q)Your contacts….E-mail…links

A)
su@sublackwell.co.uk
http://www.sublackwell.co.uk/


Tuesday 19 December 2006

Interview with Carol Quint

Q)So can you tell me a little about yourself?

A)My name is Carol Quint and I am 66 years old. I was born in Brooklyn, spent my childhood in Long Island,received my BFA fromPratt Institute, spent my adulthood in Los Angeles (where I raised my family), some dreamlike years in a tavern in Washington State; and now have come full circle back to my roots in Brooklyn. My loft in DUMBO overlooks a power plant were the East River sits between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. I call it an apocalyptic view of New York City.

Q) How did you get started making art?

A)During a feverish day in my childhood bed, at age three, I drew on a pillowcase and never stopped. I still have it.

Q) How would you describe your art?

A)The content and function of my work reflects both a sense of time past and time present, qualities that are in the nature of a relic. I am fascinated by memento mori and symbols that elicitrecognition on an unconscious level. The subject matter is alwaysdepicted in a realistic manner.

Q) Where do you get inspiration for your art?

A)I am an art hallucinator. Something or some experience triggers a finished piece in my minds eye. I am responding to life visually.

Q) What are you working on now?

A)At this time I am working on a series of portraits with bone headdress, including one of me. I feel like looking at myself again in my dotage. A mother and daughter, who have modeled for me previously make up the rest of the images. The finished pieces will be photographs printed on silver emulsion paper that I hand coat.

Q) How do you approach the creation of new work?
A)I take notes on my “hallucinations” in order to remember them. The ones that excite me get made. The vision dictates which media will be the best solution for the work. Usually, the vision is complete with the materials.

Q) What is your favorite medium to work with and why?

A)Chicken bones seem to have caught my attention for the past few years. They are free, and my dearest and most supportive friend purposely eats the size chickens that I reqire, and continues to be my supplier. I like them because they mimic human bones. They are nice to touch, and they lend themselves very well for the black and white art that I favor. Alternately, I like to work in the darkroom and make my own photosensitive paper out of BFK Rives and luminos liquid Emulsion. The magic when my picture appears never ceases to please me.


Q) Do you collect anything?

A)I am always browsing in thrift and junk shops for objects that speak of a history, or are just weird in a way that appeals to me.I have used many of them in my work.
Q) Is your work hand done? Or do you use computer tools to help out?
A)I prefer the long and painfully arduous process of hand made work. It is almost like a Zen practice. The pleasure is in the process.

Q) What, in your opinion, are the worst and best places to exhibit artwork?

A)I do not like cafes and art fairs for my work at all. I do think the best places are museums, galleries, college art galleries and alternative spaces.


Q) What are your artistic influences?

A)I have been most influenced by self examination. Freud, Jung and Menninger come to mind as the most powerful. Next would be CharlesDarwin and Margaret Meade, and last but not least Robert Heinlein and Philip K. Dick.

Q) How are the reactions to your work in general?

A)The reactions are very positive in a negative way. There are also questions like “why don’t you paint or draw flowers?” since I have that ability. I don’t have any interest in feedback. I simply don’t care about anyone's opinion but my own about my work. I find it destructive even if it's positive. I need to steer my own ship.

Q) What are you doing when you are not creating art?

A)I am feeling guilty about not doing it. But I need my personal relationships with my family and friends, and now my grandchildren, as much as I need to create. I simply can't spend all my time thinking about death.

Q) What are some of the greatest challenges that you think artists face today?

A)Life is not fair and talent is not necessarily recognized nor rewarded. Do the work for the work itself. If you are able to become part of the system, that rule still applies.

Q) What is freedom to you as an artist?

A)This is the one place in my life where I can do exactly as I please. There are no rules or rulers. I can make something out of nothing.

Q) Are there any particular works that stand out as your favorites?
A)I am still most impressed by my “Hostage,” series, that I made in response to the first hostage crisis in 1980. It resonates even stronger today.

Q) What is the coolest thing you've have seen recently while wandering the streets?

A)I can step out the door in NYC, and open my eyes and it's right in front of me. I can describe a subway experience which tend to be the coolest ones. I was transfixed watching what I believed to be a Madonna and child. The Madonna was nursing her child and leaning against her man's shoulder. It was the perfect compositional triangle and a lovely natural practice to reflect on. The child finished nursing. Then the surprise event followed. The Madonna gave her child a Coca-Cola chaser.

Q) Do you carry a notebook? Do you draw in public?
A)I don't do either one and I never do preliminary sketches. When I have a vision it can sometimes be satisfying enough and I can lose the impetus to complete the piece. Drawing would be counter productive for me.

Q) Who are your favorite artists and favorite galleries?

A)I like Fra Angelico, Ingres, all the German Expressionists, all the Surrealists, Frida Kalo, Jose Guadalupe Posada, Betye and Alison Saar and Lucas Samaras. I am happiest in intimate places where I can have a more personal experience: Galarie St. Etienne,Neue Galerie and the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center.

Q) What do you think makes good art good? Originality, or style and why?

A)All or none of it, or some of it. The standard for good art is the test of time. It must continue to have a universal appeal to the collective unconscious.

Q)...Contacts, e-mail and links:

Monday 18 December 2006

Interview with Martha Colburn



Q) So, can you tell me a little about yourself? Full name, age, some background info, etc…?
A) Martha Anne Colburn. 35 . Born in the Pennsylvania Appalachian mountains. I grew up cutting wood and bailing hay and skinning animals and all that woodsy stuff. I lived in Baltimore 10 years with no heat, made 40 or so films, then moved to Amsterdam for 5 years. Now NY for one year so far.

Q)How did you get started making art?

A) Kindergarten. no joke! I still have my winning bookmark drawing from kindergarten. It’s of animals. No surprise.

Q) How would you describe your art?
A)Animated films made by combining collage and paint on glass technique. Also some hand coloring of frames. I also do murals, paintings, ect..

Q)Where do you get the inspiration for your art?

A)In high school it was politics and history and then in my twenties I made tons of music films (many sexually oriented) and now I am back to the politics and history.

Q) What are you working on now?

A)I am finishing two films and starting research for a new film. My last films, here’s a description:
‘Meet Me In Wichita’ fuses Osama Bin Laden into the fairytale Land of Oz. A combination of watercolors, collage and paint on glass animation, this film is a play between fact, fiction, politics , fantasy, terror and morality, and
Destiny Manifesto:
A paint-on-glass and collage animation, 'Destiny Manifesto' fuses paintings of the American western frontier and contemporary images of the conflict in the Middle East into a work that explores the visual and psychological parallels between the representation of these two periods.

Q) How do you approach the creation of a new piece... how does everything come together?
A)I do months of research. That’s my new way of working. I get tons of books on the art surrounding the time periods of what I am working on, look for images and aesthetic feelings. I research my subjects and gather images from the internet and the library. It takes me a while to make all the painted backgrounds and characters. Then it s animating the collage and paint on glass. That takes about one hour per 4 seconds. So 20 seconds filmed in 4 hours is about the rate of speed currently. But my next film will be more detailed and take longer.This next film I will maybe have a score of music recorded before I animate, The last 2 films I had piano and opera performed for the films after they were done.
Q) What's your favorite medium to work in, and why?

A)Film. Animation. As frustrating and tedious as it can be nothing compares to the animated film as a means of expression for me. My ideas get really far out. I combine such impossible things to combine in any other way than animation.

Q) Do you collect anything?

A) Not consciously. No. I’d collect books if I could collect anything. But for now it’s the public library, which I always have my max. 30 items out.


Q) Is your work all hand done? Or do you use any computer tools to help out?

A)It’s all hand done. I don’t need any computer tools except for when recently my camera was broke and I had to use the computer to repair and replace frames.

Q) What, in your opinion, are the best and worst places to exhibit artwork?

A)I exhibit mostly films. Some art. My best experiences have been in places like small towns, refugee camps, teenage centers and remote islands. People are open and not jaded.

Q) What are your artistic influences?

A)This shifts as my ideas grow. I am now discovering the art of the limners, America’s first portrait artists. I just need to keep learning about things and images and history and it keeps me inspired.

Q) How are the reactions on your work in general?

A)Good,I mean, my favorite audience is definitely teenagers. Their brains seem to work at the pace of mine and they are so open.


Q) What are you doing when you are not creating art?

A) Riding the subway reading books. Going to see music and movies. Going to the library.


Q) What is freedom to you as an artist?

A)I always feel entangled by my ideas. In that way you’re never truly free. I am committed to completing/ expressing them. That’s just the state of being an artist. Artists get to travel, artists don’t have regular schedules, artists generally get to get by outside of the system. That’s freedom.
Q) Are there any particular works you've done that stand out as your favorites?
A)My newest work is always the best (thankfully). Always my favorite too. I look back at my films 15 years ago and I am happy I made them. I am happy I have something to show for those years I lived.

Q) What it the coolest thing you have seen recently while wandering the streets?

A) I mean, it’s new york. What I want most of all is dark glasses and I already have loud headphones. In other words, I try to shut out the street. I want to hear Glenn Gould and see nothing.


Q) Do you carry a notebook? Do you draw in public?

A)No. But I do take a lot of notes. Anything visual happens for the film and nothing is much thrown away or changed.

Q) Who are your favourite artists & Your favourite galleries?

A)That I really do not know. I am looking to the past now. To the 16th century/ 15th century.

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

A)No, I only sell things I don’t want.

Q)Your contacts….E-mail…links

Sunday 17 December 2006

Interview with Jason D'Aquino

Q)So, can you tell me a little about yourself? Full name, age, some background info, etc?

A)Jason D'Aquino -descended from San Thomaso D'Aquino or Thomas Aquinas, -not Iva Toguri D'Aquino-the Tokyo Rose. I am a fine artist who works primarily in graphite on found surfaces. My work is extremely labor intensive and densely detailed. I am also the owner of Blue Moon Tattoo studio in upstate NY-so when I am not working on paper, I'm working on flesh.

Q)How did you get started making art?

A)The age old question...like most professional artists, I have always had an intense interest in the arts. I guess what sparked it was my Mother's work.She is an artist, and I sort of inherited it.

Q)How would you describe your art?

A)I am a miniaturist who works in graphite on found surfaces.I use a lot of fairy tale imagery and most of my drawings have multiple layers of meaning.Some have compared my drawings to bizarre childrens' book illustrations.

Q)Where do you get the inspiration for your art?

A)I spend a whole lot of time seeking out the materials before beginning a particular piece. My studio is what most would consider a disastrous mess, but it's got it's own system(at least that's what I tell people)I have piles and boxes and shelves filled with parchments, ledgers,maps,matchbooks,manuscripts,notebooks, letters-just about anything I could possibly use as a drawing surface.It is these surfaces which usually dictate the images I will create upon them. Some of them have come from some pretty outrageous locations-I recently exibited a drawing which was accomplished on an original piece of gestapo letterhead , and one on a surface retrieved from a(documented) haunted house.




Q) What are you working on now?

A) I am currently wrapping up a piece about Freemasonry-using the three little pigs


Q) What's your favorite medium to work in, and why?

A)I have worked in many mediums, but the one I am most proficient in is Bullshit. That is actually not true.Graphite is my chosen medium-I have a very minimalist approach to my art and artistry.Basically, I strive to be able to -regardless of where I am(a foreign country whatever)-pick up a scrap of worn paper,be it a paper bag, or a cigarette pack, and with only a pencil-be able to create a work of art .

Q) Do you collect anything?

A)Very many things. I collect blank books for example. Mostly pre 1900 -when books were works of art themselves. I collect strange antiques, paper, artifacts...

Q) Is your work all hand done? Or do you use any computer tools to help out?

A)I hate computers. I've seen several of the jobs I have held -wiped out by computers and computer programs. I am very old school in this aspect...just me and a pencil and my brain .



Q) What, in your opinion, are the best and worst places to exhibit artwork?

A)Best place would be in a gallery where the gallery-owner or curator likes your work(not just the money it will make) -and I think it is very important that the gallery owner treats the artist fairly and without tension or pretense.In the worst situations I have experienced, problems arise from a power struggle between the artist and the gallery -you just have to trust your gut feeling...if someone really rubs you the wrong way-just walk

Q) What are your artistic influences?

A)My mom-foremost...later Maurice Sendak, Wayne Anderson, Grosz, Bellmer,D'Arger,Steadman,Gein(he did some interesting assemblage sculpture-mostly found object..and some great couture clothing)

Q) How are the reactions on your work in general?

A)Usually recieved well by those who like it and not so well by those who dont.

Q) What are you doing when you are not creating art?

A)Sleeping .



Q)What are some of the greatest challenges that you think artists face today?

A)Finding the proper niche.The playing field is really changing in interesting ways. the internet has changed the gallery-artist relationship, and brought everyone closer

Q) What is freedom to you as an artist

A)Uninterrupted uninhibited studio time.

Q) Are there any particular works you've done that stand out as your favorites?

A)I just sold a piece to Chi Cheng of the Deftones and I think it was the most successful large work I have created to date The title is "Fable" and you can see it on my site

Q) What it the coolest thing you have seen recently while wandering the streets?

A) Up here in Western NY , we had a huge snowstorm in October (2 months ago) and all the leaves were still on the trees. Imagine every tree on your block bending under the weight of 2 feet of snow in one afternoon, and snapping and crashing through windows and windsheilds, tearing out power lines and killing people, blocking roadways and causing havoc.

Q) Do you carry a notebook? Do you draw in public?

A)Yes and Yes .



Q) Who are your favourite artists & Your favourite galleries?

A)Robert Craig, Amanda Wachob, Chris Mars-for galleries...RoqLaRue in Seattle, LaLuzDeJesus in L.A. Lineage in PA, FUSE in NYC

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

A)Every single piece

Q)Your contacts….E-mail…links

A)

www.jasondaquino.com is my site -it was just totally redone so check it out!
Best to all, and Happy Holidays!!!


Saturday 16 December 2006

Interview with Scott Altmann

Q) So, can you tell me a little about yourself? Full name, age, some background info, etc?

A)Name :Scott Altmann
Age: 29
Background info: I am a freelance illustrator and gallery painter

Q)How did you get started making art?

A)I was drawing since I could remember and really liked creating imagery that demanded alot of
my imagination. I am pretty bad at everything else, so I felt like this was my only option if I wanted
to excel at anything in life.

Q)How would you describe your art?

A)Subconscious symbolism

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

A)I have tons of influences -and some influence more some days than others. I will list just a few:
Rembrandt, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, Arthur Rackham, Alphonse Mucha, Dean Cornwell, Gustav Klimt,
J.W. Waterhouse, John Singer Sargent, Jon Foster, Brandon Kitkouski, Winsor McCay, Heinrich Kley.
Non art-related -would have to be my wife and son, nature, anxiety, sleeping disorders, coffee, lack
of coffee, and good music

Q) How do you approach the creation of a new piece... how does everything come together?

A)Each piece is different, and I try to keep it fresh by not falling into any one routine or method. With that said, there are certain
things that I do that seem to work for me. I try to sketch as much as possible, and more from my imagination than reference.
It's the idea generation that I am searching for. I can always get reference later if needed, but that initial energy is very important
to try to capture. It's really a searching process for me. My mind often feels overloaded with ideas and imagery- so the hard part for
me is to be an editor. Scrapping the weak ideas, and trying to pinpoint the ideas that are more powerful. This is a difficult task because
there's no manual or a way to measure a good idea. Technical matters on a painting can be scrutinized, but ideas either fail or they succeed.
My hope is that I can draw the ideas that will resonate the most.
If a worthy idea surfaces, I then try to refine it - compositiion, lighting,
drawing issues and so forth. Once that is complete I proceed to paint the image.




Q) What's your favorite medium to work in, and why?

A)Oil paints without a doubt. I feel the possibilities and effects of oils have the greatest range. The amount to learn
with oil paints is just limitless. Everytime I paint I learn something new about the medium and how potential the paint has to offer.

Q) What is your favourite art related web site?

A)www.studioproducts.com - great source for technical information on oil painting

http://www.coconino-world.com - lots of great images in their "Classics" section with works my McCay
,Kley and many more.
draw.ca is a nice way to check out what is happening as well.
http://igallo.blogspot.com - Tor Publishing's Art Director, Irene Gallo keeps a great blog on many things
happening in the illustration world. She's really on top of it, and updates usually more than once a week.

Q) Is your work all hand done? Or do you use any computer tools to help out?

A)For my illustration work, I sometimes do that digitally for speed and convenience. It also saves money on
art supplies!. Even then I assess the job, and if I feel it would work better in traditional oil paints, I will do bust out the brushes and linseed oil.
For digital work I use Corel Painter and Photoshop with a Wacom Intuos 2 tablet.
All my personal/gallery work is done by hand- traditional oils.

Q) What, in your opinion, are the best and worst places to exhibit artwork?

A)The best places to exhibit - I'd like to think that when you find a gallery where they support your individualism and
their client base is receptive to what you do.
The worst place - For me that would probably be a crafts fair! It really depends on the individual I suppose.



Q) I'm always interested in where an artist find their inspiration. Where do you find yours?

A)My biggest inspiration without any doubt is my son, Dylan. Besides being the closest thing to an angel I have ever seen he
has illuminated my entire being and world in just the 2 short years he has been alive.
I am really just inspired by everything that I either observe or encounter. It can be the smallest thing from my cat
trying to catch a fly on the other side of the window, or a trip to the beach with my family.
I also collect art books, and they provide me with constant inspiration (and sometimes frustration as well.)


Q) How are the reactions on your work in general?

A)For the most part it has been really positive, especially the more personal work. At a gallery opening I had, I was shocked
to have people come up to me and let me know how much my work had affected them. It is really a beautiful and powerful
thing when an image creates this visceral energy.

Q) What are you doing when you are not creating art?

A)Sketching...oh, wait. To be honest I have little or no free time at all anymore. I usually am just playing with my son or
trying to spend some family time. I also play guitar when I get the chance.

Q)What are some of the greatest challenges that you think artists face today?

A)A unique voice- and one that resonates to large audiences. Technical competence is important, but the real
power in art in lies elsewhere. I also see alot of art being enjoyed by certain "scenes" , and it seems that few have
the ability to create art that crosses over to many different types of people.


Q) Do you believe that a person is born with a talent to produce art or can anyone can be taught?

A)I do believe natural talent is a factor, but it's just part of the puzzle. To get the complete picture, you need intelligence, drive
and a healthy amount of guts. I do believe anyone can be taught to draw and paint realistically. You might not be Rembrandt, or
Velazquez - but you could learn to create a competent work. There is a little science to art, and there are really no secrets.
Creating something beyond that is another issue.

Q) Are there any particular works you've done that stand out as your favorites?

A)With me, all my work has a timeline of about 2 months maximum before I loathe it. I am extremely hard on myself,
so I am ready to burn most work as soon as it's off the easel.



Q) What are some current/upcoming projects you are working on or excited about?

A)In a more general sense . I have been really thinking about my technique and to try some new approaches, mostly
concerning paint application. Also I have been feeling really ambitious and look forward to doing more involved compositions
this upcoming year. I got a lot of ideas filling up this small head lately.

Q) What advice would you give to younger up and coming artist?

A)Be stubborn, individual, independent, strong, and honest with yourself. Work yourself to the bone, but then make sure those
bones have some fun once in a while and enjoy the things that make you want to create art in the first place.
Q) Who are your favourite artists & Your favourite galleries?

A)Oh my - I would have to list 1000 artists, It seems every week I find another artists that I think is great.
As for galleries, I'm really impressed with the mentality and professionalism of Thinkspace Gallery in Los Angeles, CA.

http://thinkspacegallery.com




Q) Do you need others to tell you they like it before you feel validated?

A)Not at all. Compliments and critiques are great, and I think important to listen too but only to a degree.At the end of the day it is
my judgement that matters.
Q)Tell us a little about some of the different types of jobs you've had over the years, before/while doing what you do now. For someone who is starting out in art, how would you recommend they go about making a career out of it?

A)Oh man - where to start?! After college I worked at the Frick Collection in NYC, in their basement. I was in charge of inventory of the bookstore, and I also organized and put together slides for their collection and lectures. I also worked at a high-end party/ flower store where the art department created props, and centerpieces based on certain party themes. After that I did some graphic design for a local college. That's the short story, but soon after that I became a full- time freelance artist.
For someone starting out - just completely love what you do. You don't always have to love the result, but love the struggle, and process.


Q)Your contacts….E-mail…links

A)email:
about@scottaltmann.com
homepage:
www.scottaltmann.com
blog:
http://baddreamsgoodnightmares.blogspot.com

Friday 15 December 2006

Merry Xmas!

Interview with Tyler Stout

Q)So, can you tell me a little about yourself? Full name, age, some background info, etc?
A)Sure, Tyler Stout, 29, born and raised in Washington State, across the river from Portland Oregon.

Q)How did you get started making art?
A)I just started. Been into drawing for fun since I was a kid (as most kids are), and never really stopped.

Q)How would you describe your art?

A)That's a good question. I usually don't describe it as art, more as illustration work. I guess its kinda all over the place. Some of its realistic, some of its cartoonish.

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

A)I'm read alot of comic books, that's where I draw most of my inspiration from. Mobius, Bernie Wrightson, Frank Miller, Dave Gibbons, Frank Miller, Mike Mignola. Right now theres an artist working named Tony Moore who is great, and people should check out Y: The Last Man for a great story and great artwork.

Q) How do you approach the creation of a new piece... how does everything come together?

A)That's up to the project, some pieces are heavily art directed, so the ideas come from the client, other things are more 'do what you feel like' projects, and those I usually just start thinking about what I'd like to see. If its for a band, I listen to their music and look at their other album artwork to see what they're into, and try to do something that would hopefully fit their music. If its for a shirt design, I find out what the client is hoping to convey with the shirt and go from there, like if its 'make a shirt that's hardcore, violent.' then I read up on like war and guns and stuff, if they want something more playful and cartoony, I just draw random stuff and put that together.

Q) What's your favorite medium to work in, and why?

A)I probably like sketching the most, in my sketchpad. I like to do it just to relax, draw whatever comes into my head. I usually just draw with a ballpoint pen on a white pad of drawing paper.
Q) What is your favourite art related web site?

A)The one I check out many times a day is gigposters.com -where poster artists from around the world submit posters they've done for concerts. Its got a forum that anyone can ask art related questions, and many people post great resource links.

Q)) Is your work all hand done? Or do you use any computer tools to help out?

A)I use the computer extensively, I rarely meet clients in person, much of it is long distance, so email is pretty much how I make a living. I draw lots of sketches before starting, and use lots of handdrawn elements in my pieces, but the final result is a digital file to send to whever it’s going.

Q) What, in your opinion, are the best and worst places to exhibit artwork?

A)Best place to exhibit....I would have to say online? Have a website, get your name out there. That's how I get all the freelance work I get. The worst place for me to exhibit artwork has been in art gallerys, oddly enough. I rarely get paid for pieces I sell, the artwork comes back damaged, or doesn't come back at all. For me it hasn't worked out well, so I mostly say no to artgallery requests nowdays.


Q) I'm always interested in where an artist find their inspiration. Where do you find yours?
A)Well this would go back to what artists inspire me, probably. My main inspiration are video games, movies, and comics. I read a lot of old science fiction paperbacks as well. I buy them for the cover artwork, and end up reading them since most of the time they're really good.

Q) How are the reactions on your work in general?

A)I usually don't hear much criticism, people don't take time out of their days to write me and tell me they don't like my stuff, so its generally positive.

Q) What are you doing when you are not creating art?

A)Hanging out with my family and friends. playing video games. Sleeping.

Q)What are some of the greatest challenges that you think artists face today?

A)Well, its a big market, competition is probably getting tougher. There are just so many incredible artists working in the field today, its probably pretty intimidating to someone just starting out. But on the positive side, I think illustrators are in big demand these days, as are designers and just good artwork in general.

Q) Do you believe that a person is born with a talent to produce art or can anyone can be taught?

A) I'm not sure, I think certain people are certainly more skilled than others, I know many people who can draw much better than I can, and I don't look at their work and think, boy I should learn how to do that. Everyone has unique gifts, and not everyones talent lies in a certain area, which is good, otherwise we'd all be artists and no one would be accountants, or doctors or whatever. Actually I'd be a doctor if I could, that seems like a pretty important job. But alas, my skill lies elsewhere.

Q) Are there any particular works you've done that stand out as your favorites?

A)I like doing screenprinted posters, those have a nice feel and look to them, a finished project if you will. The stuff I'm usually happiest with is the stuff I do for myself, for fun.

Q) What are some current/upcoming projects you are working on or excited about?

A)I just finished a web project for Burton, and am about to launch my new website which will have about a years worth of new work on it, so I'm excited about that.

Q) What advice would you give to younger up and coming artist?

A)Find your niche, I'd suggest. It’s pretty hard to be great at everything, so find the one thing you enjoy doing the most and are best at, and focus on that. I didn't have a job for a year after graduating college, and I made very little money, so I guess I'd suggest sticking with it if you believe it’s what you should be doing, or it’s the only thing you can do.

Q) Who are your favourite artists & Your favourite galleries?

A)Probably too many to list, lots of comic book artists, lots of cartoon shows are pretty incredible. Childrens books have some pretty incredible artists working in that field.

Q) Do you need others to tell you they like it before you feel validated?

A)Sometimes I am unsure if I like something or not, so other peoples feedback is helpful and encouraging. other times I'm just happy with what I've done and am suprised when others don't like it, but so many people have such varying tastes, you're bound to find someone who loves your stuff and someone who hates it.

Q)Tell us a little about some of the different types of jobs you've had over the years, before/while doing what you do now. For someone who is starting out in art, how would you recommend they go about making a career out of it?

A)I worked at a video store for quite a while in college, really enjoyed that. All the free movies you wanted. I worked at a graphic design company 3000 miles from home, that was a new experience that I really enjoyed, made a lot of new friends. For someone just starting out I'd recommend getting an internship or freelancing for the company you're interested in, just to show them you're committed to them and really interested. I freelanced for a year for the company that eventually hired me, and that was a great job. Now I have lots of contacts that keep me busy, which is nice.

Q)Your contacts….E-mail…links, art...&more...

A)
tyler@tstout.com
www.tstout.com

Thursday 14 December 2006

Interview with Casey Jex Smith

Q)So, can you tell me a little about yourself? Full name, age, some background info, etc?

A)My full name is Casey Jex Smith. I decided to use my full name because there are a lot of Smith's out there. My Mom thought it would be a good idea. I'm 29. I was born in Detroit but raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. And yes, I am Mormon.

Q) How did you get started making art?

A)I can't remember a time when I wasn't making art. Both my Mother, Joanne and my brother, Jacob were artists and so we always had markers and paper laying around. I think I got most of my drawing time in during church services on Sundays.

Q)How would you describe your art?

A)Somewhere in between the 2nd generation Mission School, Hudson River School, and BYU Celestial Style.

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

A) My biggest influences that are both art and non-art related are surprisingly in music and not art; Sufjan Stevens, Half-Handed Cloud, and Low. Art related I would first have to say the San Francisco artists like Amanda Lynch, John Casey, Chris Duncan, Kyle Ranson, Paul Urich, Crust & Dirt, Alicia McCarthy, Keegan McHargue, Andy Vogt, Paul Wackers, Chris Johanson, and Shaun O'Dell. Outside of the Bay Area I've been influenced by Joanne Smith (my Mom) CCA Christensen, James Turrell, Kerry James Marshall, Mark Mulroney, Jovi Schnell, Terry Winters, Jared Lindsay Clark, Julie Mehretu, Todd Chilton, and William Kentridge.




Q) How do you approach the creation of a new piece... how does everything come together?

A)I usually browse through my image library consisting of old and new religious illustrations. Something will usually jump out at me and I'll use that as a starting point. The narratives are usually built in the drawing though, not before hand.


Q) What's your favorite medium to work in, and why?

A)Pens. You can't erase. Erasing is mostly unhealthy.

Q) What is your favourite art related web site?

A)
artfever.blogspot.com It's written by Bob Calloway who retired from his day job a year or two ago and now goes to art openings, writes, curates, collects, and visits artists. Super friendly and helpful guy. Much needed in the Bay Area Scene. And of course fecalface.com
.

Q) Is your work all hand done? Or do you use any computer tools to help out?

A)100% hand done. Won't even use a ruler. The human line has got to be there however imperfect, slow, or dope it is.




Q) What, in your opinion, are the best and worst places to exhibit artwork?

A)Best: artist run spaces. Worst: spaces that are using you as filler.

Q) I'm always interested in where an artist find their inspiration. Where do you find yours?

A)The Bible, Book of Mormon, and any artwork that has illustrated something from either.

Q)How are the reactions on your work in general?

A)"Nice clouds...", "I like your colors...", "Too much white space..."

Q) What are you doing when you are not creating art?

A)I'm working some manual labor job to pay the bills or sitting around thinking about not wanting to work another manual labor job. I hang out with my girlfriend and make her watch my favorite movies like Legend and The Neverending Story. I go to church Sunday mornings and then get in an hour or two of some fantasy RPG on my computer. Kill some trolls and ogres and build up my stash.

Q)What are some of the greatest challenges that you think artists face today?

A)99% of the population does not care about art at all. (hard to make a living)




Q) Do you believe that a person is born with a talent to produce art or can anyone can be taught?

A)Anybody can get better at anything. But some people are born with more facility and intelligence. Doesn't mean they'll succeed though. Hard work (in the right direction) will always beat out straight talent (that's lazy) I think.

Q) Are there any particular works you've done that stand out as your favorites?

A)A little drawing I did called "Tongues of Water in the Garden of Eden" is probably the strongest to me.

Q) What are some current/upcoming projects you are working on or excited about?

A)I've got a show in Chicago right now that will be up until early January I think. It's at Fifty50 Gallery. I'm showing with a BYU friend, Jared Lindsay Clark.

Q) What advice would you give to younger up and coming artist?

A)Work hard. Say your prayers. Read your scriptures. Go to church on Sundays.



Q) Who are your favourite artists & Your favourite galleries?

A)My favorite galleries are Stephen Wolf, Catharine Clark, Blankspace Gallery,Taylor de Cordoba, Gregory Lind, Lobot, Ego Park, Adobe Books, and Needles and Pens.

Q)Do you need others to tell you they like it before you feel validated?

A)Yeah....

Q)Tell us a little about some of the different types of jobs you've had over the years, before/while doing what you do now. For someone who is starting out in art, how would you recommend they go about making a career out of it?

A)I've been a line cook at a cafe, a front desk attendant at a hotel, a filer, a warehouse stacker, and a freelance illustrator for Williams Sonoma. Right now I'm unemployed and looking for another crap job. I honestly can't say that I've liked any of these jobs except the occasional job for Williams Sonoma. If you are going to make art your career I suggest you get your MFA at a state run school where tuition is cheap, and you can teach undergrad classes. Don't ever party, just sit at home and obsess over those obsessive paintings until someone you like comes knocking on your door.

Q)Your contacts….E-mail…links

A)My website is
http://caseyjexsmith.com and you can purchase my work at Swarm Gallery, ADA Gallery, and Eleanor Harwood Gallery. Very affordable for an emerging artist.