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Thursday, September 27, 2007

Interview with Sunny Buick

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

a)I’m a tattoo artist and painter. I live in Paris, France. I’m american and I come from San Francisco.

q)How would you describe your work?

a)Very colorful, inspired by tattoo imagery, and pop culture, naive, detailed, clean, pinup.

q) Did somebody encourage you to become an artist?

a)My mom, but my whole family has artistic talent, I’m just the only one who was able to make a living from it
q) What is your favorite medium?
a)Water based paints and tattooing.

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

a)I have periods of inspiration and ideas, where I do a lot of drawing and sketching. Sometimes the drawing will sit around for years before I finish it. I also have periods of wanting to finish projects before I start anything new.

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

a)Dreams, intuition, other artists, music.

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

a)A couple of months.

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

a)Max Ernst, Posada, Diego Rivera, Junko Mizuno, Mark Ryden, KRK Ryden, Dave Cooper, Wally Wood, Basil Wolverton, Jack Davis, Clovis Trouille, Joe Lieber, Gus Wagner, Alex Gross, Elvgren, Vargas.

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

a)I have an agent, but I haven’t found a gallery yet. I have a show in a Museum in Wisconsin called Rome is Burning and I have a show in Florida early next year(2008)

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

a)I have to drink a lot of tea first and then maybe some candy. I have to have things a bit organised around me, but it’s sort of an organised chaos. I sometimes have to trick myself if I don’t feel like working by saying I’ll just do 15 minutes of work. Next thing I know I’m happily passing hours.
q) What is your favorite
a) taste,
sweet
b) sound,
organ music
c) sight,
pretty pictures
d) smell,
fresh bread
and e) tactile sensation?
Skin, silk

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

a)I’d like to have my paintings hanging in Museums after I’m dead.

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

a)2000
I think the internet is very useful to find ideas and new people. Many people have discovered me by internet. It’s useful to be able to show what I can do and what I have done.

q) What do you obsess over?

a)Details, faces

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

a)I don’t have a disciplined system. I just follow my desires and inspirations.

q) Do you do commissioned works?

a)I’ve done 3 large paintings that were commissioned. Almost evry tattoo I do is a commission. I also do a bit of illustration work which I find difficult when the art dirrector asks you to do a lot of changes.

q) Any tips for emerging artists?

a)Learn how to be a business person. Contact the press regularly, send out postcards. Go to the post office a lot. Document your work. Perfect your technique.

q)…Your contacts

posted by Parentela Claudio @ 1:09 PM 0 Comments

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Interview with Wil Cohen

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

a) My name is Wil Cohen and I’m a photographer from Los Angeles, CA. My work focuses on portrait and fashion at the moment. My work Blends elements of fashion and fine-art photography. B&W, color, and toned images are used to create different moods & emotions. I have been involved with photography ever since I was little. However, I did not become serious about until a few years ago when my band was breaking up. I was looking for something creative that would just depend on me. It started building from there.

q) How would you describe your work?

a)Hmmm…I’m not that best with this one. But the aim is for the pictures to be cinematic. I would have to say that I like my pictures to look like snippets from a movie. My style is always evolving but this has always remained a goal for me.

q) Did somebody encourage you to become an artist?

a)My parents were always encouraging to me while growing up. They bought my instruments and took me to lessons. We would visit museums etc. while on vacations. My wife is also a big source of support in many different ways.

q) What is your favorite medium?

a) Photography. Both traditional & digital.

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

a)It varies, but sometimes I’m contacted by a client etc. but often I just brainstorm or something just comes to me. In that case I’ll call up the model and tell her about the shoot. However my shoots are pretty loose and evolve as we go along. Originally it started that way because I’d be disappointed if I had planned something to the letter and it didn’t turn out exactly that way. Often it’s just me and a model driving around until I find the right spot.
From there I go home load all the pictures organize them and just stare at them for a bit. Once I decide on the mood of pictures I just help further refine them that way using photoshop or something. As I get better I’m relying on this less and less which is a good thing.

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

a)Movies, Music, Magazines, Videos etc. all influence me to a degree but hopefully at the end of the day I’m creating something my own. I do enjoying looking at other photographers work but I purposely do not study them just for that reason. I’m much more likely to be influenced by a scene in a thriller and trying to add some of that in my pictures. It can be a challenge to get that emotion from some models.

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

a) Depends but on average I guess around a couple of weeks or so depending on how many touchups are required. Models can get annoyed sometimes with me for that but they are pretty happy with the outcome.

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

a)Here are just a few that I’ve been peeking at lately. All have something that I admire about their style and how they go about achieving it.
http://www.patrickhoelck.com /
http://chasejarvis.com

Bands that I’m listening to now:
Autolux / Mogwai / Air Formation / Film School / M83 / Silversun Pickups /
q) Are you represented by a gallery? Do you have any upcoming exhibits?

a)I’m seeking representation currently. No exhibitions planned as of now but check my website for updates. Some of my work can be purchased at http://www.sexyartgallery.com or at my website directly.

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

a)I basically do not work on my pictures without my itunes running. Shoegaze music is always a staple. Dimming the lights and having some candles burning works too. Same as when I work on my music.

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

a)
a. Chocolate Noir gelato in Florence b. Disintegration Album for the first time 1989 c. Seeing Melissa in her car before practice d. The Beach e. Baby kicking.

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

a)I would like to get my work featured in more visible publications. I would also like to try my hand at celebrity work. I think it would be challenging but fun as well.

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

a) It is a tool for me to reach people. Whether it be clients or casting for a shoot. It is an important daily ritual for me but I try not to be on longer than I need to be because it means I’m not working on my pictures.

q) What do you obsess over?

a)Everything, including my photography. It takes me ages to work on projects. Hence why very little of it ever sees the light of day.

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

a)Afternoons for shoots / night time for computer work.

q) Do you do commissioned works?

a)Yep.

q) Any tips for emerging artists?

a)Not really, I’m still seeking them myself. Beware of know-it-alls.

q)…Your contacts

posted by Parentela Claudio @ 1:58 AM 0 Comments

Monday, September 24, 2007

Interview with Bethany Marchman

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

a)My name is Bethany Marchman. I'm a painter and director/ co-owner of a small underground gallery in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. called Rabbit-Hole Gallery.

q)How would you describe your work?

a)I try to make my paintings a little bit cute and a little bit creepy. All of my pieces are pretty "tongue in cheek." (I have a hard time taking myself very seriously.)

q) Did somebody encourage you to become an artist?

a)My parents have been incredibly supportive and encouraging for as long as I can remember. I am very blessed in this way.

q) What is your favorite medium?

a)Oil paints are my favorite by far. When I see oil paintings by the masters, I feel like the medium has infinite possibilities.

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

a)Ideas pop in my head pretty randomly. I'll scrawl them down on whatever is available (usually the back of a receipt.) When I'm ready to work, I start with a thumbnail sketch to work out the composition. Then, I sketch the layout directly onto the gessoed/ stretched canvas with either a conte crayon or diluted oil paint (raw sienna.) I jump right into the painting from this point, usually loosely blocking out the lights and darks. I have a bad habit of painting the eyes first and practically completing them before moving on to the rest of the painting. The eyes are the most important part to me. If I can render them to be compelling enough I feel more invested in carrying on with the rest of the painting. I mostly paint from my head, but I will pull reference when needed (particularly if I'm incorporating an object I'm not familiar with) and I like to keep pictures of some of my favorite paintings around the studio for inspiration. I almost always have a few paintings in the works at once and cycle through them as they dry. Its hard for me to ever feel like a painting is finished, so I don't really quit tinkering with it until it's deadline.

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

a)I've given this question a lot of thought and I'm not exactly sure where the ideas come from, except that they tend to come to me when I'm happy and active. And, that some of my favorite paintings have started out with "Wouldn't it be funny/ ridiculous if...?" as a premise.

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

a)The quickest I can complete a painting is in a week -if I'm on a tight schedule and don't have many distractions. I average about a month though in general. It could be a lot longer if I'm working very large and have several projects going on at the time.

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

a)I love the masters and always find inspiration in their work. I'm particularly fond of Caravaggio. Lately, I've also been enjoying the paintings of the Flemish School for how incredibly creepy they can be. As far as contemporary artists go, I'm always discovering new people that amaze me. Some of my absolute favorite artists today are Michael Hussar, Mark Ryden, and Banksy.

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

a)I have nonexclusive representation from galleries and art dealers in California, New York and Atlanta, GA. U.S.
Upcoming exhibits:

Wonka, 12/07, group exhibition, Alcove Gallery, Atlanta, GA U.S.

Crybaby Gallery's Anniversary Show, 12/07, group exhibition, Crybaby Gallery, N.J. U.S.

Art Scope Miami '08, represented through Micaela Gallery, San Francisco, CA U.S.

Mona Lisa Show, 1/08, Strychnin Gallery, Berlin, Germany

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

a)I like to play movies in the background while I paint. They keep me company and slightly distracted so I don't get too obsessed over what I'm working on.

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

a)Taste) tangerines
Sound) crashing waves, thunderstorms, or trains (white noise)
Sight) someone I love smiling
Smell) Vic's Vapor Rub and turpentine (very similar)
Tactile Sensation) soft fur

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

a)I want to keep growing and evolving as an artist. I think my drive is to push myself a little further each time. I selfishly hope that as an artist I will always feel some sense of purpose, so when I'm an old lady I'll still posses a passion for life. I'll still feel like I'm improving myself.

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

a)I've had my work online for a little over 3 years. I use the internet mainly for networking and it has been an amazing tool. I wish I was more computer savvy, but simply having a web-site to showcase my paintings and email to communicate has opened so many more doors than ever would have been possible otherwise.

q) What do you obsess over?

a)Whatever is in front of me!

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

a)Daylight is ideal to paint by because it is so true. But, I tend to paint more at night because of the limited distractions. I can paint and paint and paint and completely lose track of the hour.

q) Do you do commissioned works?

a)I do very rarely. I try not to take on commissions because I'm bound to lose interest in them very quickly and then take entirely too long to complete the work..

q) Any tips for emerging artists?

a)I wish I had great practical advice to offer, but I'm still figuring so much out myself. I think the most valuable thing I've learned that I hope to never forget is to stay true to myself. If anyone tries to tell you what you should or should not be creating, ignore them or do the opposite.

q)…Your contacts

posted by Parentela Claudio @ 2:36 PM 0 Comments

Interview with Sandra Scolnik

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

a)I am a 41 year old painter, originally from New York City, I have a 4year old boy and a 10 month old daughter. I moved to France 2 years ago with my family

q)How would you describe your work?

a)Figurative paintings, oil on wood panels, diaristic/narratives, self portraits, lots of details

q) Did somebody encourage you to become an artist?

a)Since I was a little kid I knew I was an artist…I don’t think I ever “became” and artist, I was always an artist

q) What is your favorite medium?

a)I always use oil paint

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

a)I start to “see” a painting in my head, I do a few loose sketches then I start painting as soon as I can. I make a lot of mistakes and have to figure out how to make my those work. I should probably do more drawings first, but I am impatient, this has become an important part of my process over the years and I like not knowing what a painting is going to look like until it is finished. Sometimes I overwork a painting, I have to force myself to stop.

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

a)From life, I try to make the narratives as vague as I can so that the viewer can project a story onto my paintings. I think the themes of my work are universal, family, relationships, birth, death, etc..

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

a)It depends on the size of course, It used to take me months/years but I am a lot faster now and I can usually complete a small painting in a month. A larger painting can take up to 6 months

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

a)My favorite artists are Dawn Clements, Angela Dufresne, Amy Sillman, My “favorite” is always changing

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

a)CRG Gallery, I don’t have anything scheduled

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

a)I listen to a lot of podcasts, the news in English and different talk shows, cooking shows or books on tape.

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

a)Well, hmm, I think this is always changing. I love the smell of coffee in the morning. I am looking forward to winter and having fires in our fireplace.

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

a)My goal has always been to find more fluid connection between my paintings and my thoughts, to more confident and creative (courageous maybe?) in my mark making and imagery.

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

a)I live in a very rural part of France and I don’t get to see many art exhibits so I am always looking at art on the internet, it’s not the best way to look at art but I love it (it’s better than nothing!!) I can keep up with what is going on in the “art world”. I just recently made a website of my paintings and that was an interesting exercise.

q) What do you obsess over?

a)Time

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

a) I can only work when my children are at daycare, so I paint from 9-4 everyday

q) Do you do commissioned works?

a)No
q) Any tips for emerging artists?

a) I think the best advice would be to work as hard as you can, work everyday, even if it is only for 2 hours.

q)…Your contacts..

posted by Parentela Claudio @ 5:00 AM 0 Comments

Friday, September 21, 2007

Interview with Jeffrey Scott Holland

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

a)I'm basically just a bourbon-addled hillbilly who grew up deep in the wilderness of Kentucky, and I still prefer rural life in Kentucky even though I maintain offices and studios in NYC and several other cities.

q)How would you describe your work?

a)Primitive. Post-neo-expressionist. An Entartete Kunst on the whole track of the timespace continuum. Each of my paintings are discrete units that form a cohesive whole. My paintings are all connected to one another, not just thematically or spiritually, but literally connected in a quantum sense. The bigger picture may not become clear until after my death.

q) Did somebody encourage you to become an artist?

a)No, I was an artist the moment I stepped out of the womb. I was a weird precocious child who was diagnosed as having a photographic memory, so I learned to read, write and draw at an absurdly early age.

q) What is your favorite medium?

a)Paint, always paint. I used to paint in Oils, then progressed to Alkyd, but I've been strictly acrylic for almost 15 years now. I love heavy-body acrylic for all the very same reasons that people who hate it give as their reasons: it's unwieldy, it's unresponsive, it's unpredictable, it's gloppy and thick and like working with cake frosting. And that's a good thing.
All other mediums I work in are directly related to my paintings. My photography work (which usually consists of nudes, pop culture and urban decay) often prominently features my paintings, and my sculptural works are really just paintings rendered as objects that are 3-D but still flat.

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

a)If I have the idea already, I'll just jump right into it. But more often than not, I'll start painting without knowing where it's going or what I'm doing. Sometimes I'll take a break from the painting and start a second one while still mulling the first one over in the back of my mind. I start with a couple of different layers of Gesso, sometimes black and then white, and then several layers of surface paint and texture, before the actual subject is even begun. Even my simplest looking paintings contain many layers underneath. I tend to think of the foreground subject matter as separate from the background, in much the same way animation cels for cartoon characters are overlaid onto static backgrounds. Backgrounds are often applied with a knife, a spatula, an ice scraper, a whatever hard edge is handy.

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

a)I paint the subjects that interest me, and the subjects that interest me are generally things considered by most to be very peripheral, obtuse, obscure and trivial matters. Which makes it amazing to me that anyone buys my work at all! Sometimes I just paint what the little ducky voices in my head tell me to paint.

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

a)Occasionally I'll agonize over a piece for weeks and weeks, but I try not to do that. It's all about immediacy, automatism, impulse, impressions, results. Many pieces have been started in the afternoon and then I stay up all night and into the next morning, refusing to sleep until the painting is finished. Some paintings are actually deliberately left unfinished because I came to like its present state better than what I had originally planned for it.

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

a)So many, I could namedrop all day... Bernard Buffet. Georges Rouault. Peter Arno. Billy Childish. Chris Ware. Kathleen Lolley. Gary Panter. Otto Dix. Ben Katchor. Lila Afiouni. Werner Büttner. Walt Kelly. Kay Sage. J. Todd Dockery. George Herriman.

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

a)Several galleries, including Barbara Braathen in New York, the Blah Blah Gallery in Texas, and Deatrick Gallery in Louisville. My next solo exhibition, Invisible Topography, will be held in November or December, details to be announced soon.

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

a)Painting for me usually starts out with a lot of pacing around deep in thought, and listening to music. Lately I've finally gotten on the mp3 bandwagon after receiving a Zune as a gift, so I listen to it on shuffle play a lot before and during paintings. The stuff on my player is pretty much all over the map of the history of recorded music, everything from show tunes to chopped-and-screwed mash-ups: obscure 19th century cylinder recordings, The Clash, Psychedelic Furs, Dead Kennedys, Louis Armstrong, Aimee Mann, The Cramps, Alma Gluck, Deadbolt, KISS, The Skillet Lickers, RV&OI (Retrovirus & Opportunistic Infection), King Tubby, Thee Headcoats, Air, Neko Case, The DiMaggio Bros., Tom Waits, Jacques Brel, Webb Pierce, Terveet Kadet, The Smacks!, Ice-T, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Morrissey, Ute Lemper, etc.

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

a)The answers to those change frequently, but at this particular moment I'd say that my favorite taste is simply sugar (real sugar like turbinado or muscovado, not processed white crap), my favorite sound is the crispiness of a really whipped and distressed vinyl record, my favorite sight is human nudity, my favorite smell is bacon frying (I've deliberately cooked bacon in my own shops and galleries just to create a smokehouse ambience), and my favorite tactile sensation is laying in slippery mud after a rain.

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

a)The main ground-level goal is to disseminate my artwork as widely as possible by any means necessary. Past that, of course, there's the higher goal that goes unspoken, the nameless mission, the cause to which we are all so devoted. However, I could stop tomorrow and be perfectly content in knowing that hundreds of people own my artwork and hundreds of thousands more have viewed it.


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

a)Although I started my first website in 1995 and used IRC before that, I've never really taken the internet seriously. Email is far more important to me than the world wide web, because it's direct and real communication with a minimum of distraction and small talk. I used to think that the internet was going to make everyone smarter, better educated and better informed, but in the last two or three years I've changed that assessment.

q) What do you obsess over?

a)Antique matchbook artwork. Old clip art and advertising. Prehistoric porn. Old picture postcards that were so retouched that they're no longer photographs but paintings. Fossils. Children's books and school science texts, circa 1900-1970. Modern remastered versions of old tape copies of vinyl recordings of radio broadcasts of live performances, which puts at least six generations of sonic fuckery between the source and the result.

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

a)I work around the clock. Night is best, but I'm pretty much working on my art or thinking about it, 24-7. I often paint in cemeteries during the day, but that's because I'm hoping for ectoplasmic residue to enter the canvas, not because of the lighting.

q) Do you do commissioned works?

a)Yes, I do a lot of commissions. I was recently commissioned by the State of Kentucky to do a painting to commemorate their new amphitheatre at a state resort. Many people have commissioned me to do their portraits, which I find rather funny since achieving a literal likeness is not my style.

q) Any tips for emerging artists?

a)Many artists get discouraged, and as a defensive mechanism, adopt an attitude like "I'm so punk rock, I don't want anyone to like my art, so there" and end up marginalizing themselves out of the game.
The proper posture for an artist, as I see it, is to indeed not care whether anyone likes your art, but to nevertheless aggressively promote your art as if you really do care. Don't just sit and stew and gather a body of work that ends up being seen only by people who come over to hang out at your house. Dont just have a show in some local coffee house every couple of years and say you're really trying. Go out there and make as many human beings on this planet as possible see your stuff, by any means necessary. That means not only employing guerilla tactics, but also conventional techniques of marketing and advertising - which many hipster artists shy away from because "it's not cool".

q)…Your contacts

a)I can always be reached, at any time by anyone on the globe, via email at jshpaint@gmail.com.


posted by Parentela Claudio @ 8:10 AM 2 Comments

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Interview with Sam Glynn

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

a)My name is Sam Glynn, I’m 22 years old. I am from London, England and I studied BA Illustration at The Arts Institute At Bournemouth in the sunny south of England. I like drawing, music, friends and good banter.


q)How would you describe your work?


a)I would say my work is a colourful messy mix of the hand made and the digital.


q) Did somebody encourage you to become an artist?

a)I’ve always loved drawing from a young age, from drawing my favourite cartoon characters as a child and drawing band logos all over my school books as a teenager. My parents were always supportive towards me pursuing art and illustration as long as I was doing what I enjoyed.

q) What is your favourite medium?

a)I use all sorts of mediums to create my work, pens, pencils, paint rollers, ink, spray paint and photography. All of these are scanned in and I decide on colour and composition using Photoshop. I don’t think I have a favoured medium, any thing that makes interesting marks on the page.


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

a)I always start in my sketch book, whether this is drawing preliminary sketches or just getting straight into a project is dependant on the type of work I’m doing. As I utilise a computer for all of my work, I can be very flexible in the way I do things. I can always change parts of pieces and add new elements until I am happy with it. My work is highly layered and textured; the process can sometimes go in reverse as I deconstruct my images to create the desired look.

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

a)My ideas come from everywhere, mainly modern pop culture. I also get ideas and inspiration from childhood nostalgia, friends, London, music and British comedy. But I could list things for ages.

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


a)I work very quickly. I usually have a definite vision of how I want an image to look, and I know how I’m going to do it. Using a computer also speeds the process up as you can make as many changes and mistakes as you want. Computers can also slow the process as sometimes they can be to flexible which makes it difficult to make decisions such as colour and composition.


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

a)I like to keep up to date with who is doing what in illustration; it’s had a huge revival over the past few years. I’m constantly checking out new stuff on design portals and websites.
My current favourites are Michael Gillette, National Forest and the rest of the US west coast scene. England has an amazing illustration scene as well, I love the work of Tim Marrs, David Foldvari and Paul Willoughby.
I also love the work of my friends Luke James, Lucy Oldfield, Emily Twomey, Heather Gatley and David Callow.
I’m currently listening to Justice, Sinden, Dizzee Rascal, Herve, Digitalism, Hadouken!, Shy Child, MSTRKRFT and Late Of The Pier


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


a)I’m not represented by a gallery. I think my type of illustration is rarely represented by galleries and is usally given representation by an illustration agency. I don’t have any upcoming exhibits, I would like to have some sort of solo show next year.


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


a)I don’t think I have any studio rituals. I used to tidy whatever room I was in before I started working, but I think that was when I didn’t have any ideas. I’m always listening to music so that is constantly on while I work, any genre, I have very eclectic tastes.

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


a)
A) BLT sandwich
B) The sound of a drinks can opening
C) When the lights go down at the beginning of a gig/club
D) BBQ
E) plasticine


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


a)I want people to like my work; I want to be able to make a living as an illustrator. I would like to have an instantly recognisable style, but one that is constantly changing and evolving. I’m also into motion graphics and animation, and would like to expand within that field too.

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

a)I have always used the internet to keep up to date with what my peers and contemporaries are doing. I have only recently got myself a website, but I’d say this is got to be the most important part of what I do. This is your window to show the world your work. Every commission I have done to date is through communicating on the internet.


q) What do you obsess over?


a)Design, loud music and trainers.


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


a)When I’m just doing just freelance work I’ll nearly always be nocturnal. I’d wake up around noon and then work until about 4am. But anytime suits me, whenever I happen to be feeling inspired.


q) Do you do commissioned works?


a)Yes, this is where most of my current work is coming from. I don’t really consider my work as ‘art’ in the traditional sense. It’s more based within a commercial world, I freelance for magazines, record labels, club nights and gigs.


q) Any tips for emerging artists?

a)Work hard, get your name and your work known by as many people as possible. Never get comfy in what you do, always be looking to improve your work.


q)…Your contacts

a)email: sam-glynn@hotmail.com
website: www.samglynn.co.uk
blog: www.samglyn.blogspot.com



posted by Parentela Claudio @ 1:15 PM 0 Comments

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Marino Neri


http://lascimmiadellinchiostro.blogspot.com





posted by Parentela Claudio @ 6:46 AM 1 Comments

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Interview with Eric Gibbons

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

a)My name is Eric Gibbons; I am an artist working in Austin, TX USA

q)How would you describe your work?

a)My Work collects images from Popular Western culture, especially music and musicians, and repurposes them as pulpits from which to glean some kind of contemporary salvation.I use imagery such as pyramids, pink floyds, darth vaders, yokos, to express the farrago of a global communication society, where everything has been recorded, uploaded, broadcasted, podcasted and youtubed.
q) Did somebody encourage you to become an artist?

a)Grandma
q) What is your favorite medium?

a)Painting and Sculpture

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

a)I rely heavily on instinct and intuition. Success for me is trusting my intuition. I like to tell myself jokes as I work so as not to drown in tears.

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

a)Listening to records, looking at art, talking to people, trying to be a kind person, smoking pot sometimes

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

a)Depends ya know? Some of the best pieces happen fast.

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

a)Jim Lambie, Keith Boadwee, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Sam de la Rosa, Tal R, Jimmie Durham, I like to read Agnes Martins writings, Jonathan Meese, Lucas Samaras, Pablo Picasso, Cy Twombly, Paul SimonThe Jimmy Buffett Exxxperience.


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

a)I am represented by Art Palace Gallery in Austin, TX. I currently have a show up called "Lasers in the Jungle" www.artpalacegallery.com. I am also represented in Houston, TX by Poissant Gallery.

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

a)Always music

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

a)
a. Alfredo
b. ocean.
c. bass.
d. money.
e. female parts

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

a)I want to quit working crappy jobs

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

a)It helps
q) What do you obsess over?

a)Lost love

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

a)Anytime I can

q) Do you do commissioned works?

a)Sure

q) Any tips for emerging artists?

a)Be strong

q)…Your contacts

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

posted by Parentela Claudio @ 4:44 AM 0 Comments

Interview with Katherine Chiu

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

a)I grew up and live in Los Angeles, am Taiwanese-American and the youngest of three. I graduated from Art Center College of Design in California last spring and since then have interned at Disney Consumer Products, done freelance work, and showed in galleries. I’m trying to battle the starving artist stereotype and build more momentum in this career.

q)How would you describe your work?

a)My work started off geared for children and family, but of late has been darker with more adult themes. I am interested in observing human behavior and the similarities between kids and adults. A lot of my work reflects the awkward transition between childhood and adulthood, and how youth spills into adulthood and vice versa.

q) Did somebody encourage you to become an artist?

a)My family has always been supportive but I think they would sleep better at night knowing that I was a doctor or lawyer. I took art classes from a young age and one of my teachers Jenny Bulthuis put it in my head that I could do this as a career. Professors at school also encouraged me to do whatever I wanted.

q) What is your favorite medium?

a)Definitely acrylics. I love layering colors and playing with texture. I like that acrylics is forgiving. I can try funky color combinations and if they clash, I paint over it and have some of the color show through.

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

a)The creative process is sometimes frustrating but can be rewarding. Usually, I start with an idea or an image that I can’t get out of my head. I have this box of vague ideas that is waiting to be developed. Sometimes I can get pretty methodical and do a lot of research on the subject. Recently I’ve been planning less and letting things come up as I paint.

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

a)I am interested in anything Victorian, 50s ads, the Dick and Jane series, overheard conversation, nature, cats and ugly dogs, and my friends and family. I also teach kids and sometimes my students will do something that will blow my mind. Its interesting to see how they can be so bold since they aren’t concerned with perspective and rules like that.

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

a)It depends on the size. Sometimes a few days to a month.

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

a)I love Henri Toulouse Lautrec for his characters and composition, Henry Darger for his imagination, Margaret Kilgallen for her color, Aubrey Beardsley for his boldness. Some current illustrators I’m inspired by are Brian Cronin, Josh Cochran, James Jean, and Maira Kalman. I’m currently listening to Mates of State, OK GO, Beulah, The Shins, Coldwar Kids, Arcade Fire, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

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

a)I am showing with Tinlark Gallery in Los Angeles in a 2-person show in March of next year. The other artist is Ramis Kim. I’m really excited about it, I’ve just started to prepare for it. It’s a relatively new gallery but has shown great artists already.

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

a)My friends and I always joke that we need to hire a minion to set up for us. I think the hardest part is getting over my urge to turn on the TV and start setting up the paints. Music does get me going, especially the appeal of listening to new music, so I try to buy new albums. Once I’m in the zone, I could paint for hours and not get up to eat or shower. I think it also helps to end at a point where I don’t like my painting so I have that desire to jump back in and fix it the next day.

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

a)Hmmm interesting question. a)salty…I have random cravings for salami and string cheese all the time! b) kids laughing c) happy couples, crazy fashion d)new books or clothes out of the dryer e) slicing jelly

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

a)Make a living doing my art whether it is illustrating books or magazines or doing commissioned paintings. Push my art as far as it will go and hopefully inspire others along the way. I would love to save enough to travel and see the world.

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

a)I love the internet! I don’t care how unhip it is to say that. It’s true that the internet ends up diluting artist’s work since there is so much of it and everyone feels like they can be a photographer/designer/artist but I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons. It makes art accessible to people across the world, and it lets me discover new artists. It also makes it really easy to collect references for paintings.

q) What do you obsess over?
a)I have an obsessive thought process and an analytical personality. I will obsess over a conversation for days. And I make lists of everything: list of things to do, restaurant lists, lists of things I like. I know its pretty anal retentive but I can’t help it.
q) Do you have prefered working hours? Do you pay attention to the time of the day or maybe specific lighting?

a)It’s extremely bright in my studio around 1-4pm so I try to take advantage of that natural light and work in the day. However, I think most ideas come to me at night and I scribble it on a post-it note and stuff it in a box.

q) Do you do commissioned works?

a)I do. I have a project of illustrating a series of children’s readers in the works. I like to switch it up every once in a while. Being an artist is such a solitary career, so it’s nice to collaborate with others. Also doing commissioned works gives me more of the urge to do personal work.

q) Any tips for emerging artists?

a)It’s hard to give advice when I’m still learning the process myself. I would say start promoting your work when you feel comfortable doing so. Develop tough skin and belive in what you do. Create constantly.

q)…Your contacts

posted by Parentela Claudio @ 4:08 AM 0 Comments