Friday, December 5, 2008

Interview with Daniel Milton





q)What is your name and what do you do?


a)My name is Daniel Milton and I’m a contemporary artist from Stockholm, Sweden.


q)When did you really get into art?


a)About ten years ago. Before that it was more something I just did. I lived in Spain one winter in 98/99 and was bored as hell with my life and I decided that I was going to give art a real chance when I came back home. A year later I had my first exhibition at a gallery and sold quite well. After that I went to art school for three years and since 2006 I live on my art.


q)How did you come to the realization that you should try your luck at art on a more serious level?


a)For a couple of years after art school I tried to work half time and work with my art the rest of the time. It didn’t work. But I knew people liked my art and I thought I’d give it a shot – I found a studio downtown in Stockholm and quit my job. My best decision ever!


q)How did you discover the particular style that you have?


a)My latest works where I combine big digital photo collage and acrylic paint is the result of a few years of trial and error. I take thousands of photos every year and it was very liberating to find a way to use them in my art. When I first showed these new works in 2007 I didn’t know what to expect but the show was a success and since then I’ve just kept working.


q)How would you describe your style?


a)I want my works to have a feeling of “here and now” and obviously I’m inspired by street art and contemporary expressions. I love the confusion in people’s faces when they’re looking at my art and tries to figure what’s painted and what’s a photo. There is a fine line there. Someone described my art as “zeitgeist”, which I think is a great compliment.


q)Who or what influences your art?


a)A big inspiration for me is the traces of humans in urban environments. The colours and patterns on a wall after hundreds of posters and stickers that have been torn away. Or graffiti tags on an old door. Things that other people may not notice at all is great art to me. There are also so many talented artists on the internet which I admire and get inspiration from. I won’t mention any names here but take a look at my friends at MySpace if you’re curious.


q)How often do you create a new piece?


a)It depends a lot. I usually work really hard before an art show or exhibition and don’t leave my studio for months. When the show is over I rest. Right now I’m working on small collages just to do something else for a while. It is fun to mix techniques and try different things and a good day I can create a couple of pieces that works. These small collages pay my bills right now.


q)What kind of success have you had with your art?


a)The biggest success for me is that I don’t have to worry about going to some stupid job. People pay quite a lot of money for my art and I can spend my time on the things I like the most – work in my studio and travel around the world with the woman a love. I’m not rich - but as long I can live like this I’m happy.

Lately I’ve had a lot of attention from people all around the world that has discovered my art and a few online art magazines are featuring some of my works right now. I’ve had a few solo shows the last couple of years and next year one of the best contemporary galleries in Finland - Gallery Uusitalo – will show my art in a big solo show. The same gallery also displayed a few of my works at the Helsinki Art Fair a couple of months ago.


q)What would be the ultimate goal for you and your art?


a)I want to continue to work with my art and die (many years from now) as a very rich and famous man. So I guess my ultimate goal is world domination. But I settle for rich and famous.


q)What do you see as an accomplishment in the way of art?


a)Never give up and always believe in yourself. If you’re talented enough and find yourself in the right spot at the right time great things will happen. It’s all about hard work, timing and believing.


q)What kind of message, if any, do you try to convey through your art?


a)I don’t have any “messages” but I have a lot of things on my mind when I work. I want to show my view of my world in a poetic and different way. A world that is speeding up and falling apart where nothing can be taken for granted. But the hope is always there.

It would be great if the people who look at my art two hundred years from now could get an understanding for what it was like to live in this time.


q)Sum up your art in one word.


a)Zeitgeist.


q)…your contacts…


a) www.miltonart.se


www.swedishart.se/daniel.milton


www.myspace.com/miltonarty

Friday, November 28, 2008

Interview with SMEAR






q) What is your name and what do you do?


a)My name is SMEAR and I paint, fuck, read, write, shit and sleep.

q)When did you really get into art?


a)About 4 years ago...I was (and still am) a graffiti writer for over a decade before I decided to pick up the brush.

q)How did you come to the realization that you should try your luck at art on a more serious level?

a)I was tired of getting arrested for my street work and similarly tired of seeing terrible art in pretentious galleries selling for heavy sums of money by artists that havent really lived and who have nothing worth saying...art school can't teach you to be an artist. It just makes you a technician- like a dental assistant.


q)How did you discover the particular style that you have?


a)I just took everything around and inside me and started doing what I needed to do.


q)How would you describe your style?


a)Personal. Emanating from my deep subconscious mind with a little forming from my conscious mind to hold it together like a form of glue.


q)Who or what influences your art?


a)Picasso,Miro, Pollock, Basquiat, Rauschenberg, Willem de k Kooning, Kandinsky, Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh,the dadaists, Cy Twombly, Larry Rivers Francis Bacon, Robert Crumb,comic books,history, the occult, my city- Los Angeles, literature-Bukowski, Knut Hamsun, John Fante, Hunter S. Thompson....the list of my influences can take several days to compile...lets just say, life, death and everything in between.

q)How often do you create a new piece?


a)Whenever I feel the need to paint.

q)What kind of success have you had with your art?


a)I rate success by how I feel that a particular piece either succeeds or fails in expressing what I feel that I wanted to express with a particular work...success is archived on a per-painting basis...sometimes I don't succeed. And I may break a few things when I don't. But when I do...I stare at the finished piece for hours on end in a state of pure Ecstasy. It's like a drug, but much more powerful.


q)What would be the ultimate goal for you and your art?


a)For it to save my soul.


q)What do you see as an accomplishment in the way of art?


a)If you can bring your inside to the outside.


q)What kind of message, if any, do you try to convey through your art?


a)What kinds of messages do you get from my art?


q)Sum up your art in one word.


a)Honest.


q)Any additional comments?


a)Don't be afraid to reveal yourself...let people see how damaged you are, how pure you are.


q)…your contacts…


a)Are many...

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Interview with Jim Darling





q)What is your name and what do you do?

a)My name is Jim Darling, and I’m a artist and designer.

q)When did you really get into art?

a)At the end of high school.

q)How did you come to the realization that you should try your luck at art on a more serious level?

a)This is an on going process... At various points you have to take the next jump. I feel like I make the decision to take art more serious every year or so. The first was probably making the decision to apply for the “advanced arts” class for my senior year of high school... Deciding on attending an art school for college was another. This December my wife and fellow artist Tina Darling (tindarling.com) are packing up and moving to a smaller town to concentrate on our upcoming shows without distractions. We plan on being nomadic and focused solely on our art for as long as the bank account will allow... We have been planning and saving for this step as best as we can.

q)How did you discover the particular style that you have?

a)It has evolved into what it is today.
It started as doodling in my room at home and grew from there. Getting to where my style is today was a slow but natural progression.

q)How would you describe your style?

a)Larger ideas that I try to boil down to a more simplistic and clear subject matter, juxtaposed by intricate detail.

q)Who or what influences your art?

a)My wife and other friends that I met in college are my biggest influences. Music is a huge influence on my work. Other than That I have a list of other artists that I admire, but I try to be influenced more by my friends, family and people who are closer to me.

q)How often do you create a new piece?

a)Right now I’m working with newer mediums, so about one or two fully polished pieces a month... But that number will increase largely as I ramp up for upcoming shows. As far as pen pieces... I draw almost every day.

q)What kind of success have you had with your art?

a)I’ve met a ton of great open minded and hard working people who have the same passion to create as I do.

q)What would be the ultimate goal for you and your art?

a)To financially be unconfined so that I can work freely on my art... That combined with spending time with friends & family and meeting new people.

q)What do you see as an accomplishment in the way of art?

a)Making things you are happy with.

q)What kind of message, if any, do you try to convey through your art?

a)I don’t try to have a direct message to often. I am more into setting a tone and showing people places or things living within that tone... Hopefully leaving people to experience the images for what they are... I hope that makes sense.

q)Sum up your art in one word.

a)Somethingthatmakesmesmileandhopefullymakesyousmileaswell

q)Any additional comments?

a)Hello, Cheers!

q)Upcomming shows?

a)(Feb. 5th 2009) - Small group show at Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art
http://www.carmichaelgallery.com/

(April 11th 2009) - Two person show with my wife Tina Darling at Open Space Gallery
http://www.openspacebeacon.com

(September 2009) - Small group show at TAG Gallery in Baltimore
http://www.taggalleries.com/

q)…your contacts…

a) www.jimdarling.com

jim@jimdarling.com

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Interview with Katelan Foisy

q)What is your name?

a)Katelan Foisy

q) Where do you live and work?

a)NY,NY

q)What is your creative process like?

a)My creative process is well, a process. I start out by gathering various photos to work with and manipulating them on the computer. I sometimes manipulate them by hand (ie tearing them apart and pasting them together). I then draw over my photo manipulations adding bits of paper and paint to create textures on top of the pictures. I add glazes at the end to give an aged look to my pieces.

q)What is your favorite medium?

a)I enjoy working with collage, paint and various inks.

q)What is your current favorite subject?

a)I’m currently working on portraits of adult actresses and burlesque performers. I also love working with bands. Making portraits of people has been a long time love affair.

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

a)It depends on the piece. Usually the longest part is collecting reference photos and manipulating. I can usually paint and collage very quickly. A piece can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days to complete.

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)I have a piece on Martin Delany in the Ohio History Museum. I am honoured to be a part of that. I also have enjoyed my work with The Grammy Awards and
Pornsaints.org.


q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)I am deeply inspired by SWOON.

q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a)My art can be purchased directly through me or through the
pornsaints website. I also have prints for sale on my etsy site. http://lagitana.etsy.com/

q)Anything that people should know about that we don’t??

a)I’m pretty much an open book.

q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

a)Be persistent, be patient, and get your name out there as much as possible. The internet can be an incredible tool for those trying to make it in the art world. I got some great advice when I was in school. My teacher told me, “Don’t be surprised if you don’t get work your first two years on your own.” This kept me from getting discouraged.

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a)I take some time to regroup and listen to music that inspires me or take a walk to a gallery or museum. Seeing other peoples work is truly inspiring.

q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?

a)Gritty but pretty. I usually describe it as realistic collage and painting.


q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a)I graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in illustration. After Pratt I read as much as I could on the business and started to put myself out there.

q)Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?

a)Photographs and acrylic paint.

q)Who are your influences?

a)Frida Kahlo, Scheile, Picasso, Francis Bacon, Dave McKean, SWOON.

q)What inspires you to create?

a)The world. I love street art, I love computer art, and I love erotic art. There are so many things in this world to be inspired by it’s hard to pick just one.


q)…your contacts…

a)
www.katelanfoisy.com

kat@katelanfoisy.com

www.myspace.com/katelanv


Monday, July 14, 2008

Interview with Michel Ducourneau

q)What is your name?

a) My name is Michel Ducourneau.

q) Where do you live and work?

a) I live and work in Malmö, in the south of Sweden.

q) What is your creative process like?

a) Well, it’s a quite stormy and unpredictable thing actually, which can be quite frustrating from time to time, but it basically is building up a tension between harmony and chaos, which is also pretty much what is the daily thing going on inside my head I guess… And I think I really need it. Too much harmony disgusts me as much as too much chaos does; I’m looking for the balance on its way to burst. I need to build up to destroy, to build up again, and unfortunately I can not go straight to the final result without going through those stages, which results in lots of time spent on things I will never use. But it’s part of my process, I discovered this pattern in my own behaviour not long time ago, and now it feels good to embrace it, to use it, because it’s me, and it’s mine, you know? I’m not sure this makes any sense to anyone else…



q) What is your favourite medium?

a) Drawing, cutting, Photoshop.

q) What is your current favourite subject?

a)I recently started coming up with titles as starting point, as a source of inspiration, and then I try building up a picture that corresponds to them, as an illustration of my thought. So I never or rarely have an idea of what the picture will look like, just a wish of what I would like it to tell. And it has to go through this whole process of cutting up things I spent hours of work on etc. And the subject are mostly emotional, existential, all these questions about how we can be proud of what we are-being what we are, what is serious knowing that we know nothing, humanity versus nature, where the fuck is God? Hypocrisy, power, love, disgust, hate, beauty, humiliation, flowers, and so on. I guess humanity is my favourite subject…

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

a) Depends on, I honestly have no idea, I rarely work on one picture from beginning to end in a row. I always try to have several things going in case I get stuck.

q) What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a) I had an animation shown at Stuttgart Trickfilm Festival, Europe’s second biggest animation festival a few years ago. That was nice. This year is a good year too, things move, things happen, I like it, I’m having some contact with a gallery owner in Berlin, seems like it’s going to lead to something. That would be huge.

q) Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a) Love is a strong word, there are a few artists that really impress on me, like William Kentridge, Michel Gondry, Sara Sze, Blublu, Joe Coleman, Damien Hirst, Tony Oursler among others, but mostly I try not to dig into deep into others art, especially if it is close to what I do, I fear being influenced, and also I sometimes get envious and jealous. Peoples ways of working often impress on me, I admire obsession, and I guess I am appealed by the same tension in others art as the one I am trying to create in my own. I rarely get emotions out of others art though, I blame artschool for that, I sometimes wish I made music, it connects to me in a much more direct way emotionally than other arts do. On the other hand, I really enjoy making pictures.

q) Can we buy your art anywhere?

a) The 20th of august at Rostrum Gallery in Malmö, in October at Selfmade in Malmö, or from me anytime.

q) What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

m) I don’t think I have any. Or maybe I’ll keep it for myself… No, seriously, I don’t know, maybe ask yourself if it’s worth it and why, and if you don’t find a reason good enough, do something else because it’s not the smartest career choice, and if you do find reasons good enough, make sure staying focused on that and work hard.

q) What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a)I think it’s a good thing taking a break from time to time, to allow yourself to breathe, not the waiting for inspiration thing, that’s crap. But finding other ways. The road is blocked, keep pushing forward and you get exhausted, I try to stay creative in some way, playing, doing musicbeats on the computer or writing stuff down.

q) How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?
a) I really hate doing that. I avoid it. If they’re interested they get familiar with it, it’s not difficult, and fore those who aren’t, I’m not going missionary.

q) What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a) My older half brother listened to lots of hard rock when I was a kid, he had albums with great covers and cool T-shirts with Iron Maiden, Dio, Saxons, Megadeath and so on, and he was drawing a lot as well, morbid drawings of punks with bloody knifes and people cutting off each others heads…so I guess he was the one who inspired me at first even though we never lived together.
I’ve also studied art and animation.

q) Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?

a) No

q) What inspires you to create?

a) Quite much the subjects of my work I mentioned earlier, and fear of death of course, and music. Lots of music. Radiohead, The Knife, Pj Harvey, heavier electronic music, and much more. Film. People I like and people I dislike. Relationships and social codes. Absurdity. I guess I am kind of a nihilist, but against my will, only because I can’t find anything to get a grip on. Maybe some kind of religious emptiness I’d like to fill out, but please, religious fanatics out there, don’t bother, I’m way too cynical.



q)…your contacts…

a)
michel.ducourneau@gmail.com

www.michelducourneau.blogg.se

Friday, July 11, 2008

Interview with Michael Isaac Bushkin

q)What is your name?

a)Michael Isaac Bushkin

q) Where do you live and work?

a)I was living in Philadelphia, PA for 4 years and just moved to Portland, Oregon a couple months ago.

q)What is your creative process like?

a)I let paintings evolve. Usually a loose idea that I push further and further with each painting. I take ideas from older paintings I've done and try to incorporate new ideas or explore different approaches in how I render the idea. I normally sketch ideas out, or sometimes just sketch right on the actual painting, erasing and doing corrections right on the final product until it seems like it's ready for paint to be applied.

q)What is your favorite medium?

a)I really enjoy oil, although due to lack of a proper studio space I've been working mostly in acrylic lately. I enjoy acrylic a lot as well.

q)What is your current favorite subject?

a)I've been painting skulls lately, intertwined with vines or flowers. Mostly I paint things you might find in nature.

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

a)Depends on the size, but usually a week or two depending. I've spent months on larger pieces.

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)The fact that I'm still doing it. It's hard to be an artist these days. Life is expensive, so I'm pretty frugal and pretty much got back to basics. I don't spend much money. Mostly on food and rent. I still have a part time job as a chef. Being a full time artist...not the most lucrative gig out there. You have to pay your dues like anything else.

q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)Odd Nerdrum, Josh Keyes, Scott Musgrove, Michael Hussar, Jonathan Viner, Brendan Monroe, Tim Mccormick.


q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a) www.distinctionart.com -DistinctionGallery




www.mewgallery.org - Mew Gallery

q)Anything that people should know about that we don't??

a)The honey bee is dying off from some mysterious disease that makes them go crazy and die. (Colony collapse disorder) It effects humans directly because agriculture as we know it depends immensely on the honey bee. Buy local and organic and try to get your local farmers to not use unnecessary pesticides.

q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

a)Work hard everyday.

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a)Looking at other art, going out into nature, reading, dreaming.

q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?

a)Nature-centric iconography

q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a)I took art classes in high school and some painting classes in college, but I mostly just taught myself.


q)Is there a tool or material that you can't imagine living without?

a)A bike

q)Who are your influences?

a)Gustav Dore, Salvador Dali, Odd Nerdrum, Flemish painters, contemporary fine artists, graffiti artists.

q)What inspires you to create?

a)Needing to get ideas and images out of my head. Seeing other art.
q)…your contacts…





Monday, July 7, 2008

Interview with Joseph Larkin

q)What is your name?

a)Joseph Larkin.

q) Where do you live and work?

a)I live and work in Edmonds, Washington in the United States. It's a small suburb of Seattle. I share an apartment with the artist Grace Willard, and we share a studio here in the basement. It gets a little cramped sometimes but it's a good environment to construct new visions and contort my perception of reality.

q)What is your creative process like?

a) Almost completely arbitrary, it seems sometimes...Inspiration seems infectious and intense rather than constant and flowing so I tend to do my best work in spurts rather than on a steady stream. I usually have anywhere from 3 to 15 pieces going at a time in different stages of completion and I work on each one as the mood grabs me. I also engage in many smaller short term projects for more instant gratification, like sketches and small drawings. Some days it's hard to get into the groove because I get easily distracted, but when I find my wave I ride it as far as it will take me.



q)What is your favorite medium?

a)It varies a bit, as I like to work in several different media. I think my favorites are oils, acrylics and pen & ink. Each requires a different technique, each has its own set of rules. jumping back and forth between them is a great challenge, and I also like to break it up with work in watercolors, color pencil, sculpture and charcoal. Pencil too is a lot of fun. Lately I've been working fiber arts into 2 dimensional compositions as well. I guess I'll try anything.

q)What is your current favorite subject?

a)Mostly animal forms and human form.Also variations in between, like Medusa (human and snakes), Baphomet (human and goat), and the ancient Egyptian gods, particularly those with animal heads like Anubis, Sobek, and Ra. I've been combining other forms too lately, like ghosts that sprout flowers multi headed turtles and weird variations of human anatomy. I love painting eyes. I love drawing rabbits too, wonderful animals.

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

a) It varies so much- some pieces I can complete in a day or two and others will require several months to complete. It all depends on how involved it is; how much detail goes into it and how many layers I have to glaze it over with. Oils and Acrylics tend to take the longest out of all the media I use, but they also look the best in my opinion.

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)There are a few pieces I'm particularly happy with- "onward into the night", "one last chance", and "crazy Mary" are a few of my favorites. I'm always trying to top my older work, though, on a technical and conceptual basis. I always try to be a little more inventive than I have been in the past too, though I love to work on archetype renovations and reinvent classical/mythological motifs.

q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)Too many to mention here! a few of my favorites are Chad Savage, Sam Raffa, Kolaboy, Deborah Valentine, Bernard Dumaine, Jon Beinart, Christophe "Shroomer" Ennis, Inge Vandormael, Amy Kollar Anderson, Fatima Asimova, Sal Hunter...These are in no particular order and I could go on and on. There are so many great artists working in so many different styles these days. Looking on www.deviantart.com is a great way to find them...My page there is http://larkin-art.deviantart.com

q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a) Absolutely! I have work available at galleries here in Seattle and I am in shows sporadically in lots of other places too...It is hard to keep up because there's such a turnover but I'm exhibiting monthly at Art/Not Terminal Gallery in Seattle and I'll have work available for August's Horrorfind Weekend near Baltimore, MA. I guess the best way to purchase my work is to contact me through my website at www.josephlarkinart.com and ask about the availability of a particular piece that interests you. A lot of it's sold, but I do have quite a bit that can still be purchased.
q)Anything that people should know about that we don't??

a)Hmmm, probably not. I tend to try to live a quiet life there days...the most interesting thing about me really IS the artwork. I spend a lot of time in study of my subjects and quiet reflection to try to center myself so that I can do my best work. It's not very exciting, I know, but I try to leave my wild and wooly fast living days behind me. It's just more conducive to the creative process.

q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise intheir level of artistry?

a)That's an easy one: study and practice. learn as much as you can about materials and technique. You can do it at art school or on your own. Draw and paint lots of still life, human figure and use your imagination. Draw what's inside and don't be afraid to probe your inner demons forsubject matter, they'll keep you busy with it. It's a great way toexplore one's self and sublimate your darker and more destructiveattributes without doing any real damage.

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a) I guess it's just the knowledge that I really have nothing better to do. there are days I am low on inspiration, and self confidence and drive are all but gone.But an artist is what I am, if I had to define myself with any one word that would be it. It isn't my job- it's my nature and the substance from which I am made.It's painful to be disconnected from that. So I try to do SOME kind of work even when I am having an off day or a dry spell or even an extended artists block. It may not be my best work every time, but time spent in the creative process is never a waste. If you can't paint at your highest level of achievement then you canat least do some sketches. Who knows, maybe you'll produce somethingnew and beautiful even at your lowest point.


q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?

a)In a word- Eclectic. I'm well versed in the darker stanzas of the human psyche's chaotic song, but there's a lot of joy and sweetness in it too. I have lots of interests so there are lots of subjects. I like the surreal, the mysterious.

q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your currentlevel of artistry?

a)I attended Onondoga Community College in Syracuse, NY. The instructors there were very helpful in building a good solid foundation. since then I have just continued study, research and practice in an effort to consistently improve my vision in the studio. It's helpful to have feedback from other artists too to get an outside perspective. They can be more objective about your work than you can, and give you input that you cannot find within yourself sometimes. Grace does that for me pretty regularly, and I try to do it for her too. That's been a big help. It's good to have at least one extra set of eyes.

q)Who are your influences?

a)There are many- I love the stark yet quiet formality of Byzantine art and Ancient Egyptian tomb painting, the dramatic chiaroscuro of the Italian and Dutch Renaissance, the Pre-Raphaelites' attention to detail and research/reinvention of the classical subjects of literature and mythology and the color interpretations of the Impressionists. There's so much wealth to be had throughout art history and it's being built upon every day.

q)What inspires you to create?

a)The inability to do anything else. Art sustains me.



q)...your contacts.

a) www.josephlarkinart.com

http://larkin-art.deviantart.com

josephlarkinart@gmail.com

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Luca Congia



I've known Luca Congia today...I like really his style,his illustrations are so simple and bright,beautiful...go to his site to see more...









Interview with Olivier Allemane

q)What is your name?

a)My name is Olivier Allemane

q) Where do you live and work?

a)I live and work in Paris and Ris-Orangis (suburb of Paris-France)

q)What is your creative process like?

a)I put my fingers in the wall socket !

q)What is your favorite medium?

a)Acrilic and ink on canvas

q)What is your current favorite subject?

a)Haggard situation

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

a)I am very quick.Only one day maximum

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)I succeeded to pull my fingers out of the socket !!!

q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)No !!

q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a)You can buy my art in galleries

(I am at the Galerie les Singuliers in Paris), at my studio, and sometimes in auctions


q)Anything that people should know about that we don't??

a)I am a magician


q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

a)Bon courage and trust nobody

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a)If the going gets tough, the tough get going

q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?

a)Figurative and haggard sensationnisme


q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a)Work work and work

q)Is there a tool or material that you can't imagine living without?

a)My bottle opener

q)Who are your influences?

a)Human behaviour

q)What inspires you to create?

a)Running life


q)…your contacts…

a)
olivier.allemane@free.fr

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Interview with Natalie Reis

q)What is your name?

a)Natalie Reis

q) Where do you live and work?

a)Montreal, Quebec

q)What is your creative process like?

a)Creating inventive narratives with found images and my own photos through painting and drawing

q)What is your favorite medium?

a)Drawing and painting

q)What is your current favorite subject?

a)Female figures found in the media and on the internet, such as murderers, victims and saints

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

a)It takes months to conceptualize a piece and a few weeks to execute it.

q)What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

a)Dedicating myself to being an artist.


q)Are there any contemporary artists that you love?

a)Kati heck, Kent Henricksen

q)Can we buy your art anywhere?

a)Right now, from me. In 2009 from Galerie Trois Points in Montreal.

q)Anything that people should know about that we don't??

a)No

q)What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

a)Stick to it. Challenge yourself and others.

q)What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?

a)Being inspired by good work. Lights a fire inside of me and a desire to push my own work further.

q)How do you describe your work to those who are unfamiliar with it?

a)Conceptual figurative art


q)What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?

a)I completed a masters in fine arts, assisted an artist in Brazil for 2 months and a Montreal/New York based artist for the last 3 years.

q)Is there a tool or material that you can't imagine living without?

a)Primsmacolour dark grey pencil crayons

q)Who are your influences?

a)Great historical painters (Caravaggio and Rubens for instance)

q)What inspires you to create?

a)Found images on the web and the media along with random things on the street


q)…Your contacts…