| // Apr 4, 2008 |
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| Artist Feature by Todd Brooks / Pendu Magazine and Gallery |
1. - Q: When did you first start making artwork? Is there a particular artist or group of artists that really sparked your interest in making art?
A: I started making art work at an early age drawing my favorite comic book characters, it wasn’t until I graduated high school that I really got into my art. Dali was the first artist that I really admired and studied; from there I discovered Mark Ryden, Todd Schorr, and Juxtapoz magazine witch continues to inspire my work.
2. - Q: Are you self-taught? Do you feel you had to 'reinvent the wheel' on your own to get where you are or are there certain people who have helped guide you along the way? Any important books that you found especially insightful for technique?
A:Self taught no lessons. If I have taken any tips as far as technique from anyone it would have been from Bob Ross. As far as books go I really don't have any that focus on technique.
3. - Q: What keeps you inspired to continue making new work?
A: A longing for immortality. Great artist that make it in art will have their work studied for years to come long after they have passed. I want to be remembered like that. I guess I just like the thought of my work hanging in someone’s living room five hundred years from now. Unfortunately, humanity probably won't last that long.
4. - Q: What themes do you find yourself most attracted to and returning to in your work?
A: I love painting the earth. It is in many of my paintings and I like to paint it because I feel we are at the beginning stages of the earth’s death or at least the earth being able to sustain life. I don't mean to come across as a super environmental activist although I am for anything that prolongs the life of our planet but I feel at this point there isn’t much we can do barring the mass extermination of the world’s population. I see the earth as a super living organism that has a virus called humanity.
5. - Q: How much of each piece of your artwork would you consider comes from an intuitive or spontaneous sense of creating and how much is analytical and planned out?
A: My work is very spontaneous. I always have planed out ideas for paintings and when I sit down to do them it always becomes something else. I have very few paintings that were completely envisioned before hand; my mind bounces around to much.
6. - Q: How important is music to your art? Do you listen to certain music when working? Any particular musicians?
A: Music is very important to me. I was a musician before I ever got into painting, I have been in several bands from metal to punk to avant-garde noise. In 2001 my friend Josh Lay and I started a record label called Husk records that continues to put out psychedelic dark noise records to this day. I also record under the name Gnarly Sheen and do a project with Josh called Swamp Horse.
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7. - Q: Do you have a favorite cultural critic, philosopher, or psychoanalyst that you enjoy reading/learning from? Has their work directly or indirectly influenced you and if so, in what ways?
A:I hate all religions I feel that if it wasn’t for humanity’s need for stupid unfounded beliefs that the world would be a much better harmonious place to live in. I also feel that religion will be the cause of our down fall as a society. Armageddon will happen but not because of god or sin but religion itself. So to answer the question, I like guys like Bill Hicks, Anton Lavey, Charles Darwin... I don't feel that they influence me as much as I just agree with them.
8. - Q: Who is your favorite young author right now?
A: The youngest writer that I can think of that I'm into is Bret Easton Ellis(American Psycho).Most of the people I respect in that field are either old or dead. My favorite of all time is Rod Sterling I think his stories were amazing.
9. - Q: Is there a young visual artist right now whose work particularly has your attention?
A: I like John John Jesse's work a lot I love his use of pop culture imagery along with his very unique style. I also like Tara Mcpherson a lot.
10. - Q: Do you make a living as an artist? If not, and you don't mind sharing, what is your day/night job?
A: No I do not make my living as an artist yet but hopefully soon. For the past five or so years I have been in construction but I've just recently gotten into auto body repair and car painting.
11. - Q: What are your future plans?
A: A graphic novel! or a comic book I probably won't have the patience to do a novel.
12. - Q: Any cryptic messages that you would like to send out to the readers?
A: Let’s start a revolution and take our Country back!
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