Creep Machine: Your a self taught artist, which is very impressive when looking at your work, but music was another path you might have taken. What was it that made you choose painting over music?

Aaron Nagel: I spent years pursuing music and touring with bands, long before the idea of pursuing art as a career even occurred to me. With the bands…the idea of pursuing a career in music started to get in the way of playing music because we loved it. There was a point where we had been touring for so many years that we lacked the energy to keep at it at that level…without some degree of success. We could support ourselves on the road, but only long enough to live a couple months back home before we’d have to go out and make money again. That was fine when I was younger, but even by my mid twenties, the idea of touring for 6+ months out of the year started to become really undesirable. Plus, there were so many factors in whether or not a band “makes it”, that were entirely out of our control, which became really frustrating. Basically, at some point we realized that if we wanted to be in a band, that we would be in band, and we would function in that band exactly how we wanted to, without any consideration for the career aspect of it. That made playing music much more fulfilling, but removed it from the potential careers list. I was getting more serious about painting at the time the band thing was wrapping up, so I decided I’d try to make it my focus, at least for a while. It’s just as hard to make a living painting than it was playing music, but I feel like i’m much better at it, I have more control, and am entirely fulfilled in my career choice…regardless of how successful I am or will be. It’s a good feeling.

Creep: You have stated before that you are an atheist, however your work draws inspiration from many classical, religious elements. Can you tell us what this iconography means to you, and how you have applied it to your style?

Aaron: I’m not sure that iconography means anything to me. I think that’s one of the reasons I try and make my own; to create something that has the presence of iconography, the power and grandeur, while signifying something that I can actually relate to, that does actually mean something to me. The iconography that influences me is entirely visual, I love the imagery and in many cases, the artistry is unparallelled, but the stories and characters they portray mean nothing to me personally. It’s all nonsense…but very pretty nonsense.

Creep: The female figure has always been a source of inspiration to artists which has given way to the idea of the “male gaze”, that the figure is an object placed there for the viewer. Yet the women in your work look powerful and strong, engaging the viewer. Can you tell us a bit about women in your paintings, who they symbolize.

Aaron: I paint the women I do and pose them the way I do because I’m trying to convey power. I freely admit the power that some women have over me is significant, and to me, that power makes a perfect stand-in for god, or something else godly. The women aren’t posing for the viewer…or for me, i’m trying to get them to take on that power, and appear entirely unaffected by the audience, environment, etc.

Creep: Many contemporary artists draw inspiration from pop culture, and infuse this imagery in their work. Yours is very classical in design. Who are some of the contemporary artists that you admire, and which ones have influenced the direction of your work and how?

Aaron: I’m not a fan of pop-art and am not huge on pop-surrealism, so the contemporary artists I admire and that influence me don’t generally pull from pop culture either. as far as living artists go, I’m very much inspired by Alex Kanevsky, Kim Cogan, Micheal Hussar, Jenny Saville, Sean Cheetham, and tons more. They all inspire me to paint better, and each probably influence my painting in their own way that I’m not entirely conscious of. I certainly will sometimes try and paint more like this artist or that artist, generally in studies, just to see what works with where I am as a painter at that moment. It’s a great resource, and I would hope makes me a more versatile artist.

Creep: You started using acrylics and moved on to oils. What is that you love about the medium, and what were some of the obstacles you needed to overcome to get to where you are now?

Aaron: Oils just really work for me. I love how simple they are; pigment and oil, that’s it — but at the same time; the depth of color, the range of color, mediums, brands, surfaces, additives…it can get hugely complicated. But they can be controlled, and there’s hundreds and hundreds of years of examples as to what can be done with them. I love that potential, and that I confidently feel like I will always have a lot to learn about oil painting. I don’t think anything compares to a really well executed oil painting. As far as obstacles go, I’m constantly finding new ones and having to work through them, many of which will reoccur as I get more critical of my own work and as I improve. Generally I feel like my obstacles are technical, that I’m not rendering flesh accurately or over-working certain areas. I used to be very much intimidated by painting faces and hands and would focus on painting bodies. I’d add elements or compose the piece in a way to try and hide the areas I was afraid to paint. Painting figures, especially portraiture, requires a lot of confidence. Confidence at least so that you can make it to the point in a painting where things start to not look horrible. It took me quite a while to figure that out and I would stop myself, or ruin the piece long before it even had a chance of looking right. I’m constantly struggling with that balance; being confident enough in my execution to not shoot myself in the foot and stall, but critical enough to know that I could always have done better.

Creep: I have always been interested in the process artists us to create work. For those of us that geek out on that, can you give us a short rundown of one your paintings from conception to completion?

Aaron: The abbreviated version: I generally will go into a photoshoot with some rough ideas, or I’ll come up with rough ideas and book a model that I think may work. The concept and mood of the painting is very much based on that shoot though, so collaboration with the model is a huge part of it. I usually shoot the model in my living room and then spend days and days going through the pictures. I’ll then do a digital comp of the image so I can figure out layout, canvas size, and if i’m going to add any additional elements to the piece that weren’t a part of the actual shoot. I’ll then sketch that comp onto the canvas, either straight up, with a grid system, or if the painting is giant, a combination of a grid and carbon transfer. i’m becoming less dependent on the sketch as I get more comfortable “sketching” with paint, so I’m gradually trying to do without it and go straight into painting. I’ll then tint the canvas, so I’m not working on a stark white surface and so that I will have some tone underneath the paint. Once all that prep is done, I actually start in with the painting. I always paint the face of my figure in that first sitting. I like working with wet paint and hate having to go back into a face to rework areas, so that first session is really important, and can last 8-14 hrs. Once the face is done, I’ll progressively move down the body, working from background to foreground. Hair and background is generally done at the same time I work the figure, in a manner at which I can keep as much of the paint wet as possible (this is to facilitate working on edges). Once I have a base layer of paint on the entire canvas, I’ll go back into everything with glazes until it looks right.

Creep: Some listen to music, watch movies or talk radio, what is the environment like while you are painting?

Aaron: I always listen to audiobooks. always. Ever since I was a kid, I’d listen to books on tape whenever drew or did anything creative. Still do. I get through quite a few.

Creep: After writing about art for the past 5 years, I have noticed nudity in art is still something people stray away from and something many artists touch upon very rarely. It was something that was very common in classical art. What are your thoughts on the way nudity is seen in art, especially in the US.

Aaron: Oh man, I could go on about this for hours. It’s insanely frustrating that there’s such a stigma attached with nudity. The fact that it has such a prominent place in art history just makes it more unbelievable that it’s such an issue today. People seem to be overly concerned about what others are doing, especially if it’s something they don’t understand. I can only attribute to good ‘ol American arrogance, and that so much of this country is stuck in this weird conservative thought vacuum, where evolution is a “theory” and the “family” needs protecting. Which is isn’t to say it’s the right that’s screwing things up, I’ve seen some pretty serious arguments about my own work between women on message boards…addressing whether or not i’m a chauvinist and painting sex objects, or whether i’m painting the female form because it’s beautiful. I’d hazard to guess both sides of that argument identified as left-leaning feminists. I appreciate that there is a dialogue, and everybody is entitled to their opinion…but sometimes I wish people would take care of their own shit. I was just recently banned from Facebook for 24hrs because somebody took offense to a painting of mine. It’s so nuts that it’s hard to get really angry — these people are so far from rational thought, who has time talk sense into them? The irony is that I’m actively engaging in heresy, and I haven’t had a single religious person on my back about it…they all get caught up on the nudity.

Creep: Your latest print, entitled “The Calming”, is a limited edition being co-released by 1xrun and Creep Machine. Can you tell us a bit more about this image and the creation of it?

The concept behind “the Calming” was a long time coming. I’d been painting my models hands for a while but had always wanted to experiment with conveying some sort of vaguely religious symbolism with that paint. Logistically, I had to wait until the right time to attempt it though. It required a model willing to let me paint her torso with quite a bit of black paint, and the composition felt like it needed a really big canvas to work. I finally got into it in November of 2010, and while larger paintings usually take me really long, this one went relatively quickly. I think start to finish was about a month, and considering it’s almost 5′ tall, was pretty quick for me. Most paintings don’t go as smoothly, but I think the concept just really worked and I had a really clear idea of what I wanted it to look like the whole time. The model is my friend Nikki, who I had painted 5 or 6 times already when I started working on this one, so we work really well together. She’s a fantastic model and unlike many I’ve worked with, is totally into the art of it. It’s still one of my favorite pieces.

Creep: What are some of the projects your have prepared for 2012, and any secret info you don’t mind sharing?

Aaron: Actually, at the moment I have very little planned. I’m sure I’ll be doing some group shows here and there, but I don’t plan on starting to work towards another solo for a while. I did a lot last year — something like 22 paintings in total, and I really feel like I need some time to practice, work on some new ideas, and get better. Right now, I plan to just work on quick studies, and experiments, and will probably be back with another solo show early 2013. Keep an eye on my blog though, I’ll be posting my studies as I go.

Thanks Aaron. I’ll be watching the blog for sure, and if you haven’t done so already head on over and subscribe to his feed and newsletter for all upcoming news and events. AaronNagel.com

Also, make sure you check out 1xrun this January 10th if you are interested in this print. The quality from 1xrun is amazing, and I have a feeling this print will go fast. 1xrun.com

Dermabot (Skin Crawler) | steel, bronze, and brass with working onboard miniature tattoo machine

Christopher’s sculptures indeed capture the attention of a steampunk audience, but also the Transhumanist movement, which revels in the power of biomechanics for promoting human advancement and explores the dangers that such enhancements might cause, has taken a great liking to his work. Wired Magazine, a publication which has some of its tentacles entwined in the movement, has published multiple interviews and articles on him, and many Maker Faire enthusiasts, scientists and medical professionals who support it collect his work.

In a seemingly ironic twist, Christopher is an avid collector of antique machinery and craftwork.  His curio collection includes old cartes de visite, typewriters, watches (and watch parts), scales and a myriad other relics. He is familiar with the antiques dealer crowd and often deals in antiques himself.  He is fascinated with clockwork and mechanics, especially that which shows a love for beauty and that which was built to last.

The Curse of Timeless Existence | stainless steel, aluminum, and handmade polyurethane skull (1/2 scale)

The antique elements in Christopher’s work seem to belie their futuristic qualities, but rather this is where the deeper meanings in his works lie.  While he looks positively into the future, his work reminds us of the high-quality craftworks of the past , how they have lasted for decades or even centuries, and will likely outlive much of what is created for our use today.  It’s a nod to the Transhumanist desire for immortality and enhanced life: The better the machine is made, the longer it will last.

Scarlett | cast bronze with stainless steel, 925 silver, and garnet

Recently Christopher and I talked a little about his past work in the prosthetics industry, how photographers love playing with his art, his antiques collection and the Transhumanist movement.  Take a peek below:

Samantha Levin: Many people have talked about your past as a maker of prosthetics, but few know about your love of antiques and old craftsmanship. You have an extensive collection. How do these old relics influence your futuristic artwork?

Christopher Conte: They do, on many levels. The first thing you can’t help but notice when observing an antique is the workmanship and quality compared to the products of today. These objects were constructed to last a lifetime, and in many cases outlived their original owners. That aspect alone begins to tell a story. And much like a good wine, better quality materials simply age better. I continuously think about this in reference to my own work. How will this material look in 100 years? – or a thousand? – What story will it tell about it’s past life?

The idea of making something as utilitarian as a sewing machine into an object of beauty was a common way of thinking back in the 1890′s. Today’s sewing machines are made of white injection-molded plastic. Cheap to produce, yes, but not exactly inspiring design, nor do they last.

Robots, on the other hand, need to be designed (and built) to last – so the connection there is fairly obvious, but attraction also plays a key roll in survival. A beautiful object will be cherished and better cared for by a human. This increases the lifespan of the object. It can then stand a somewhat better chance at surviving to inspire future generations.

SL: Have you come across any new antiques that you’re particularly enamored with lately?

CC: Yes. My newest typewriter, a Hammond Multiplex. I’ll share a photo with your readers….

I found this baby sitting in a window of an antique shop in Beacon, NY. It’s in nearly perfect condition.

SL: Tell me more; are there any special details about it you are particularly attracted to?

CC: What’s so interesting about the Hammond Multiplex is not only it’s unique shape, and great design, but also it’s innovative mechanism. Take a look at the photo, you’ll notice a cylindrical silver hub at the top center of the machine which is called the “turret”. That’s the key to the difference [no pun intended -SL]. Hammonds do not use type-bars (those are the arms that swings up and strike the ribbon on a conventional typewriter). Rather, all the characters are on a C-shaped type-shuttle, which sits inside that turret. When a key is struck, the type-shuttle rotates so that the desired letter is positioned in front of the paper. A hammer located behind the paper then swings forward and, from the rear, drives the paper against the ribbon and the type. The Multiplex was the first typewriter that allowed the operator to easily change fonts and languages, including italic and script typefaces with the simple twist of the turret. Variations of this concept existed well into the computer age, into the 1970s.

SL:  It’s a beautiful instrument – the colors, materials and the shape are wonderful to look at.  I love how the keys seem almost like lace, and the shape of the entire thing is insect-like.  But this talk of your antiques collection brings up a curious question. The Transhumanist movement seems to have taken a strong liking to your work. Your love of old machinery seems to contradict this a little. What is your opinion of their views of the future?

CC:  I’m a big supporter of the Transhumanist movement and happy to see them embrace my work. While my artwork might, at times, suggest a fear of technological advancements, I personally have no concern whatsoever regarding the path of technology. Better design and more intelligent systems will always prevail in serving mankind in more useful and productive ways. Just look at the way Apple has surpassed Microsoft in the past few years – better design and engineering finally won. I watched this natural selection process take place in the prosthetics field for 16 years. I look forward to a day where I can trade a perfectly healthy limb for a prosthesis and have it be an upgrade to what I currently have.

SL: I see your work as being both a warning and a celebration of the future potential of biomechanics.  A warning because of what you mentioned earlier, that too many products are made without highly skilled craftsmanship and attention.  Can you imagine getting fitted with a mechanical leg that goes wrong just when the warranty runs out?  Such objects should be constructed to last a lifetime. Does this ring true to you?

CC:  Well luckily for amputees, prosthetic components are not mass produced in China. The product testing and safeguards built into prosthetic parts are extensive compared to everyday products found in Walmart. As an example, a foot bolt (the single bolt that holds a prosthetic foot to the ankle- shank component) needed for a patient who weighed 300 lbs would need to be rated to 3000 lbs in a certified laboratory in order to be used in a prosthetic limb. Ten times the patient’s weight, just to be safe. That thinking lives within the DNA of my sculptures.

SL:  Ironically, if things keep going as they have been, China may become the best place to get the most well-manufactured anything.  But moving on, you’ve worked with a lot of photographers who love shooting your work, which, with all the reflective material, is no easy task.  What are some of your favorite or noteworthy experiences you’ve had?

CC:  Working with photographer Dennis Blachut has drastically transformed the quality of the photographs. He once worked as the in-house photographer for Tiffany Studios, so this guy knows a thing about shooting metal surfaces and extreme detail. And having successfully worked for Steve Jobs back in the 80′s (shooting the entire NeXT computer line) he also knows how to deal with an overly controlling client – unlike me of course ;)

It’s been a wonderful experience to be around someone so skilled at his craft. For any challenge I bring him, he calmly figures a solution. I’m very lucky to have crossed paths with him.

SL:  So, what are you working on currently?

CC:  I’m currently building the third, and final, arm mic stand which I originally created for Adam Gontier, lead singer of Three Days Grace. This last piece in the series is being constructed for a well known recording studio in Sweden called Maratone Studios.

I used the lost wax process to create the components for the arm. The process starts with wax models which are poured from silicone molds that had been made from my original prototype with the help of a company called Creative Models and Prototypes in Hicksville, NY.  The wax copies are then cleaned up and prepared to be set inside an investment cast (a mix of silicone and plaster). After hardening, this investment cast (a negative mold which captures the wax) is then fired in an oven to burn out the wax.

While still hot, molten stainless steel is then poured into the cavities left behind by the burned out wax. After cooling, the last step in the casting process is to chisel away the investment material.

(Below are a few photos to give you a glimpse of what’s involved in the process.  Click on them to enlarge.)

After this project, I have several more commissioned pieces lined up for private collectors.

SL: I’m excited, as always, to see what you come up with!  Thanks so much for the chat!

You can see more of Christopher’s work on his site here.

Paul is most definitely one of my favorite artists today.  His imagination for monsters is hard to describe – they are beautiful creatures, either benign or horrific, that move on the pages on which they were drawn.  It goes without saying that I was excited to find out what The Thing looked like before it hit the big screen where much of Paul’s designs had been animated into CG.  This is really a perfect platform for Paul’s imagination.  I excitedly contacted the artist to find out what goodies he had to offer to the blogosphere.


Samantha Levin: How did this come about?

Paul Komoda: I was called by my friend, the renown creature designer, Jordu Schell (now seen on the Travel Channel show “Making Monsters“) when the studio [Amalgamated Dynamics Inc., founded by Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff] was bidding on the job. He was called in as a creature designer and recommended me to Alec Gillis, who consequently called me about coming up with a few drawings to help create a presentation.  Alec and Tom really responded to the work in my sketchbook, and really wanted me to incorporate the organic translucency I imbue my drawings with, into the concept art for the various shape-shifting apparitions.  The way it goes is that a film will be announced as going into production, and several special effects studios will vie for the job, presenting sculptures and/or illustrations relating to the project in question.  I was in New Jersey visiting my family at the time, with a only a few days until the New Year, so I wound up staying up late nights in the same basement I used to work in when I lived there, kicking out designs.  A week after I’d returned to LA, I got a call from Alec at ADI, telling me that we had the film.  I spent the first few weeks at the studio, doing drawings, and small concept sculptures. Eventually I moved on to sculpt some of the full-scale creatures.  It was an amazing time!

SL: I’m sure!  It seems to have given you a chance to express yourself quite freely for this, at least during the initial concept phase.

PK: I suppose I should say that outside of my personal work, I’m mostly known for being a commercial sculptor, which for better or worse, is more of a technical thing, if anything.  When I was brought on to the film, it was really an opportunity to just do what I do best, which is the more visceral body-horror themed work, and the creatures, the biological/ zoological side of things.

SL: What are you working on now?

PK:  I’m currently doing sculpture and design for Sideshow Collectibles, as well as continuing with my own artwork, the sculptural aspect being made available through Artist Proof Studio.  Also, I’m preparing to do some body-paint designs for a new Android Lust video directed by Dan Ouellette.  Plans are afoot to collaborate with Mother of London on some clothing incorporating my imagery.  Lastly, I’m working on getting my sketchbook into a published form, before it becomes the longest running joke of my life [Paul and supporters have made numerous attempts to get his sketchbook published over the past 10 plus years -ed].

The team of artists who worked with Paul on the monster included ADI founders Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff as well as Jordu Schell, Miyo Nakamura, Casey Love, Mikey Rotella and a small army of people working on props and other creatures.  Paul told me that very little of the work they did shows up in the movie although, “on the brighter side, a few of my designs survived intact.”  No matter; it’s the artwork we want to see on this blog.  I’m agape from all the upcoming projects Paul has listed – some of my favorite artists are listed in that last paragraph.  Can’t wait to hear more!

By the way, Jordu Schell posts a daily “Monster of the Day” on his blog.  It’s pretty cool and kinda silly.  Go check it out.

Back in May I reviewed Paul Chatem’s latest solo show “Island of the Colorblind”, and ever since then I had the plan to interview Paul and get a deeper look into his working process, what inspires him, and how he deal with being colorblind. Of course it took a lot longer than I thought to get this interview going, but luckily for me Samantha Levin came to rescue and helped out with the interview, coming up with some great questions and acquiring the images you see below. So this is the very first dual-interview here on the Creep Machine, and I think it worked out very well. Perhaps we will see more in the future. Make sure to click the “read more” for the full interview.

Creep: In order to create this latest series of interactive works, you learned an entirely new skill: clock making. This has given your works an extremely unique element to them, and added audience participation. Did you have any other ideas to create interactivity aside from the clock style works of art?

Paul Chatem: I’ve read a bit about clock making as well as gear ratios. Clock making is more complicated than what I’m doing. I’m just using the basics of gears or cogs to create a kinetic aspect to my paintings. At this point the movement in the gears has been pretty simple, there’s still a lot of things I need to learn so I can take it to the next level.

Samantha Levin: You’ve only just started showing these clockwork paintings in 2010.  How long have you been contemplating this phase of your work?

Paul: The idea started showing up in my sketchbooks around 2001 but I didn’t have the tools or the skills to execute them until 2009. In that time I worked many different jobs making props and sets for movies and television where I learned varied skills which I’ve been trying to include into my work.

Creep: The idea of encouraging the patrons to participate and interact with the works is unique, and I hope it catches on even more, What was your goal in having the viewers become an active participant?

Paul: The art scene has gotten really crowded over the years. I started to feel jaded about the whole thing, going to art shows where hardly anyone spent more than a couple of seconds looking at the art. I wanted to do something that drew people in and made them want to spend time in front of my work.

Creep:Over time your works have become more energetic and random with the textures and brushwork. The beautiful line-work is still there, but now there is this amazing texture that dances through the works. What has helped to create this slight change in style, and will we see more of a change in texture?

Paul: The construction aspect of the gear pieces dictated the change in painting style.There were certain techniques that I used to use that don’t work with the limitations of the frame and the gear axles. Along with that, I try to approach every show with a fresh eye. Some shows were based on sketches and  narratives figured out before any painting happened, others evolved completely organically, building panels and putting paint down without any preconception. I’m sure things will keep changing. I don’t want people to know exactly what to expect when they go to one of my exhibitions other than that I’m going to present the best I can with the time, money and energy that I have.

Samantha: I love your use of Ishihara colorblind plates!  They are oddly playful additions to your work, but also very curious since you happen to be color blind. I assume you can’t actually see the color variations in these elements of your own artworks.  Can you talk a bit about the methods you use to achieve color and the meaning the color plates hold in your work?

Paul: I’m Red/Green colorblind, so certain colors become difficult to distinguish from each other. I remember seeing the Ishihara colorblind plates from childhood. With this last show I really wanted to push my color use outside of my comfort zone, so to address my own color perception seemed like an obvious approach. While painting my versions of the plates I mixed up two different colors on my palette that were the same value, painted a number or symbol on a neutral background than filled in the rest of the field with the other color. In the end I couldn’t see what I painted first.

Creep: In your last two solo shows, you displayed ink drawings along with the paintings. Is drawing and sketching a regular part of your working process, and will this be a regular addition to your shows?

Paul: Drawing is the most important thing in my art. I may or may not keep exhibiting ink work, but you can see the importance of it in the line work in my paintings. When I first started to take art seriously it was all about black and white ink work. Painting was difficult for me because I lacked the confidence with my color choices, but when I got over those insecurities painting became a lot more freeing than the limitations of lines on paper. I will definitely always work on ink  drawings whether people buy it or not.

Samantha: Your work documents the lives of the human underbelly:  The underprivileged, the down and out and the underground.  While your bio states you grew up witnessing the gap between the rich and the poor, what sent your interests away from the wealthy side of life?

Paul: There’s a lot to that but some of the key points are: I grew up in a suburban community in between a wealthy town and a town with a seedy history. Like many creative people I grew up feeling like an outcast. I spent more time hiking around the hills over my house than I did socializing with other kids. In those hills I discovered ruins of old hunting cabins, sanitariums and mines. This made me curious about why things disappear. As I got older and my exploring took me to Hollywood and Downtown to seedy punk rock clubs, I witnessed a lot of depravity and social unrest. I was a senior in High School when the LA riots happened and that really brought out the worst in people on both sides. I’ve spent a lot of time with people from both sides of the track as more of a witness that a participant and the stories I’ve heard and read have lead me to tell the stories I do.

Samantha: Tell me more about hobo culture.  Have you ever hopped on a train yourself?  If not, would you?

Paul: I’ve never hopped a train myself, that’s “illegal”. My interest in Hobo culture started with old country and blues songs. Specifically stories and songs from the depression. While I was going to college in Kansas City I met people that rode trains to go from town to town for fun.  When I moved back to Los Angeles I met a lot of homeless kids who would ride the train from the Northwest to Southern California for the winter. Over the years I’ve stayed friends with several people who use trains as a way to get around.

Samantha: What are your ambitions for your work?  What do you dream of doing with it?

Paul: I just want to keep evolving as a painter as well as a wood worker. I’m hoping to have the opportunity to make larger more complicated work. We’ll see what happens.

Creep: When we talked at your last show, I mentioned that I wouldn’t be surprised to see that you have pushed the interactivity to the level that allows you to move the gallery around the patrons. Can you give us a hint as to what the future will hold for your works?

Paul: Coming up next is a two man show entitled “Oil and Water” with Mike Davis at the C.A.V.E. Gallery, October 14, 2011. Then I’m planning another show at The Shooting Gallery in April, 2012 as well as a solo show in Hamburg Germany at the Feinkunst Krueger Gallery later that year. I’ve been working more spontaneous lately, trying to let things evolve naturally. I’m going to try to make my mechanical paintings more complicated as well as work on some more detailed flat paintings and ink drawings. It all depends on time, money and energy. I’m going to keep trying to do the best I can with every opportunity that is given to me.

Thanks to Paul for taking the time to answer these questions, and thanks to Samantha Levin for teaming up with me and making sure this interview actually happened.
For more of Paul’s work head on over to his homepage Paulchatem.com

Creep: You stated that you have been drawing since you were very young, did you have any formal art education? If not what was it that helped with the current set of skills you have now?

Peter: For the most part I’m self taught. My brother was my first big influence, he taught me how to make up my own cartoon characters by created a chart of different features I could mix and match. We used to watch Imagination Station with Mark Kistler on PBS which is how I first learned basics like perspective and value. When we weren’t watching that we were drawing Spiderman, Spawn and X-Men out of comics and The Simpsons off the television. In high school I took the usual art classes that everyone who’s interested in art takes to fill up their elective classes and through that I got a scholarship with the Ryman program where I first drew from a live model. But most of what I know comes from reading books and doing research on the internet and just from loads of practice particularly when it comes to painting which I’ve never been formally trained in.

Creep: One of the first things that caught my eye about your art, was the cutout pieces of wood, and layers that you build with them. Pictures don’t show this very well, but one painting could easily be 3-5 layers deep. What was it that inspired this layered style?

Peter: When I first started making art seriously I wanted to be able to work with any medium, so I started doing the cut out to be able to experiment with different mediums while still being a painter with a consistent style. Eventually the painting aspect became more important. At the same time I enjoyed cutting out the pieces and having a collage look as well as not having my work stuck inside of a rectangular composition, I wanted the paintings to take their own shape and it didn’t seem to make sense if it were just a one layer cut out.

Creep: Since your work is 3-dimensional in a way, will fans one day see your work getting even more sculptural? I can only image how amazing a full body sculpture of some of the scenes you have created would be.

Peter: The largest piece in my latest show at Lopo Gallery took about 400 hours of work and is the most complex piece to date and I’d love to do more like it and maybe even do more insulation based work in the future but every piece will be as elaborate as it needs to be and I will continue to push myself, we’ll see where it leads.

Creep: Most of the works that I have seen from you, whether or not they are on wood or paper, almost always have color in them. Nothing that could be considered a drawing or sketch. Do you carry a sketchbook, or something to capture the ideas you want to work on?

Peter: My sketch book isn’t to me what it is for other artists, it’s more of a tool to work out my composition, the ideas are mostly worked out in my head beforehand. I write down all my ideas for paintings in a separate book as I have more ideas then I have time. When time comes to work on them I usually have a pretty clear picture of what I want and use my sketch book to fit it all together in a cohesive way.

Creep: Speaking of these ideas, some of the paintings have the most unique connections in them, The Incredible Hulk with a Gap logo, not to ruin the magic, but what process do you use to come to these connections?

Peter: Like every artist I get ideas from many sources, sometimes it’s a message or belief I want to convey, sometimes it’s just a connection I thought was funny and other times it’s just something I want to do for fun like my portrait of Walt Disney. I usually have a bunch of ideas I want to put into the painting, lots of different details, as the idea develops and I work out the composition I usually have to drop a few ideas to make the piece work. In the Hulk piece you’re speaking of it originally started as an idea for a painting with Richard Simmons and The Incredible Hulk sharing the power of purple shorts, but it was eventually simplified to Green And Proud.

Creep: Your work is filled with religious, political, and pop culture references. Pop culture as you have stated before is “our Gods and our fables”, and a common theme with lowbrow artists. However, politics and religion are themes that many artists tend to stray from. What continues to drive you forward with these themes, when you could easily be painting “cute” or tame images as many have stated the scene has now headed toward?

Peter: I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I painted cute imagery. Most of today’s so called Low Brow artists are better off as decorators for nurseries and play schools. I think it’s a sad turn for the movement to go in. The cute imagery started off being cute only on the surface and as you looked closer you would see a twisted humor but now the big eyed painters and home decorators have taken over. I’ve always believed art should be more then just decoration, it should be a form of entertainment and a way of sharing ideas. At the least it should make you think or make you laugh, or both. Ideas are what make me want to make art and those ideas are inspired by my beliefs. Not all my work is political like the work from my most recent show but I used the show as a way to vent a lot of my frustrations with society.

Creep: Who are some of the artists that were instrumental in the way your work has come about, and what artists continue to inspire you today.

Peter: Like I’ve said before I started off drawing cartoons and comic books which were my first influences. I went through high school studying the masters of art history and in the end of high school I came across the work of Britt Ehringer who inspired me with his use of photo-realism and collaged compositions. Later I came across the work of Micah Sherrill who inspired my experimentation with different mediums and unusual materials. I continued to find inspiration in my love of illustrations from B-movies and pulp magazines and of course the original Low Brow artists like Robert Williams, Joe Coleman, S. Clay Wilson and R. Crumb who have taught me to not hold anything back, even if it makes me feel uncomfortable.

Creep: When I first met you it was at your Lopo Gallery show. One of the things I enjoyed was the reaction that many of the patrons had about your work. Can you tell us a bit of the way people have reacted to your work, any extreme situations?

Peter: Nothing extreme as of yet, for the most part I’ve only heard loud laughter. My first solo show at the Hyaena Gallery was inspired by serial killers and other evil men and it had a lot of people who didn’t know me well asking “is this what’s in your head” whatever that means. The only negative response I’ve received so far has been from cowardly curators who are afraid I may scare off their collectors.

Creep: Are there any pop culture references that you would not integrate into your work?

Peter: There has been a few times where I’ve told myself, “Maybe I shouldn’t do this?” such as in my Aladdin painting, but I tell myself that?s exactly why I have to go through with it. The only line I have not been willing to cross, and don’t find myself likely to cross is making fun of human suffering caused by natural disasters, but I have no problem making fun of people who cause the suffering of others and I use any pop culture reference I see fit for doing so because as I’ve said in other interviews, I try to use our popular culture as symbolism for the greater message.

Creep: Finally, can you give us an idea of what new series or imagery you are working on for future shows?

Peter: Right now I’m just working on a few pieces for group shows and working on a series of head cut outs I’ve been wanting to do for a while. I have multiple ideas for shows with long lists of painting ideas for each but I won’t give much away. I’m always working on something, I really don’t have a choice in the matter, like most artists making art is a habit that I couldn’t break if I wanted to.

Thanks to Peter for taking the time to answer these questions. If you haven’t already, make sure to check out his homepage for more work and news.
Peteradamyan.com

Creep: You attended the Mark Kang O’Higgins atelier at the Gage Academy of Art, which focuses on drawing and painting. Can you tell us a bit about your experience there, and what drew you to the program?

Crystal: I had been interested in attending art school for a couple years. I checked out all the bigger name art institutions and even went and visited a few of them, but they seemed confused about my focus – wanting to learn the ins and outs of classical figurative painting but wanting to apply it to more “lowbrow” conceptual art which they considered illustration. They couldn’t seem to really understand combining the two – fine art and illustration. Then I found Mark’s atelier at the Gage Academy in Seattle. It’s so small I had my doubts at first but I am sure in two years I got one of the best educations I could get anywhere in the country. The atelier focuses hardcore on classical figurative drawing and painting skills while also allowing me to explore my work conceptually. The workload of painting 10 hours a day five or six days a week really is what gave me the ability to take my work to the next level professionally. I will always consider myself indebted to that program.

Creep: Is art something you have always created, drawing since you were a kid kind of story, or did you start later in life?

Crystal: I lived out in the wilds of Eastern Washington when I was a kid. We didn’t have any running water or electricity for the first 14 years of my life. I was living in a fundamentalist Christian/hippie/farmstead environment. When I was a teenager we moved to the Seattle area and I just started drawing. It had been a pretty isolated, crazy existence up to that point so I think I got drawn into art as a way to help me exorcise some demons. As a teenager I couldn’t really express some of the things I had gone through at a young age and art gave me the vehicle to do that in a creative and nondestructive way. Even in college I fought the idea of being an artist but it was becoming a bigger and bigger part of my life. Finally in the last few years I’ve just jumped in and decided I have no choice but to focus on it completely.

Creep: I know you are interested in classical art, who are some of your biggest influences? The artists that still amaze you every time your see their work?

Crystal: There are so many classical artists whose influence I am completely indebted to. But some whose work consistently holds me in awe are Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Vermeer, Diego Velázquez, Artemisia Gentileschi, and John Singer Sargent. Gentileschi especially has influenced my work, not only because of her paintings, but through the inspiration of her struggle to create a life for herself as a woman painter in the early 1600s.

Creep: Just for giggles, what classical artist would you like to apprentice under?

Crystal: Maybe this is cheating since neither of these people is dead, but they are both artists I studied in my classical training. It would have to be either Jenny Saville or Odd Nerdrum. I guess I’d go with Michelangelo in a pinch though.

Creep: Looking through your previous work, you not only created drawings but collages as well. Your focus now seems to be strictly on paintings. Will we see some purely graphite or collage work in the future?

Crystal: I still love doing drawings, though I’ve gone from using graphite to using charcoal which is much more versatile. The process of drawing is absolutely painstaking compared to painting, as well as the fact it is very hard to sell a drawing for the same price as a painting, even if there is as much work or more that has gone into it. I expect to do some more drawings in the future though probably more for myself personally than as any attempt to sell them. It is a great way to build technical skill and I enjoy the look of the finished result. Drawings can allow people to fill in the blanks more then in a painting, which can give drawings an air of mystery that a painting doesn’t have. The collage work is something I now use purely and crudely in my process of creating a finished painting. Though I have seen some amazing collage work from people such as Wangechi Mutu, it seems that collage as a medium has a hard time being taken seriously.

Creep: Being trained at an atelier, along with your interest in classical art, i would be very interested in a rundown of your working process? 

Crystal: The preparation for a painting usually takes as long, if not longer than the time to make a painting itself. First is deciding on the concept which can take months of gathering resource material and doing research on different topics. Many of the paintings I do have their own symbolic language that I have spent weeks or months researching and constructing. Once I have pulled my reference photos from various sources and sketched out the basic idea for the piece I set up a photo session with models and props to be able beef up the found images with a set up that has the appropriate lighting, color, and perspective. This is where the collage work still comes into play – often, if the piece has complicated surreal imagery I have to do some collaging of different sources and try to bring the images together on the fly while I’m painting. I will usually sketch out the piece in more detail once I have all the references I need. If the painting is large I blow up the sketch and transfer it to the canvas. From there I sometimes do a burnt umber/raw umber under-painting to get a sense of value. After doing some color studies to find the palette I want to work with – I just dive in from there.

Creep: You have already created a few series of works, the common thread being that they are figurative and often contain animals. Can you tell us a bit about the imagery in your work, and how it developed?

Crystal: When I was growing up I didn’t go to school and we lived in a completely isolated environment in the wilderness. While most kids had other kids to hang out with growing up I only had my younger brothers and the animals that lived on our property. Having a close relationship with the deer, birds, cats, insects, chickens, and other animals instilled in me the connection between the human world and the animal world. Living off the land, sometimes you have to watch animals die, and I think these were particularly significant events for me. I also witnessed events that were far from the normal life cycle of animals, such as cats having their heads cut off or baked alive in the oven, which left an indelible imprint on me to always watch out for those living creatures that couldn’t protect themselves. I think it is natural for human beings to feel a connection to animals, especially when we are younger. Having animals as my primary source of companionship while I was growing up kept that connection from fading in me as I got older. Animals will now always have a very strong symbolism for me and will always be prevalent in my work. There is the personal aspect to the meaning of them in my own life, but as my work has matured I use animals as a symbol, not only for me and my past, but as symbols that connect me to my viewer – we all have connections between aspects of ourselves and those that animals embody. Societies have uses animals as symbols for thousands of years, to represent themselves and the world around them. I think it is easier to use animals than people to connect to those that view my paintings. People can see themselves in an animal easier then they can see themselves in another human face. As well, people can identify the emotion in a piece immediately when they see an animal – they are universal symbols for emotion – the courage of a lion, the bravery of an eagle, the innocence of a lamb – these are symbols that allow me to make an emotional shortcut with my viewer and to play with the aspects those animals represent.

Creep: Your series “Magnetisme Animal” is no doubt the most shocking in your gallery, sex in art seems to be the one topic that is always difficult for the average viewer to appreciate. The work debuted at the Hyaena Gallery, can you tell us a bit about how you went about the inspiration for a few of the works as well as the art was received at the reception?

Crystal: I’ve spent about three years working in porn shops, off and on, and I think the idea for these pieces comes from some of the lessons I learned working in that industry. The porn industry is FULL of strong, intelligent, independent women who have taken their careers in their own hands and have created very successful businesses for themselves. I found it to be one of the most empowering atmospheres I have ever had the chance to experience, while at the same time there is always this beast that exists which is that yes, there is a debasement of women going on and some operations aren’t exactly woman friendly . There are women that are taken advantage of and there are attitudes that are perpetuated in porn that are not necessarily healthy for women. There was a constant dialogue going on in my own mind, as well as with the other people I worked with in the industry, about this very concept. Porn, and sex in general, is a complicated issue. These paintings were a way of expressing that and also to generate a dialogue with people outside of that industry. I wanted to see what people would have to say about some of these issues that I had been thinking of for years. What really surprised me was how violent the opposition was to this series. I realize my tolerance level is a bit higher than many people’s. However, sex is a part of daily life, and I was very surprised to find out how many people were offended by these paintings.
Many people didn’t realize that a woman painted these – when they met me the attitude would change and I had some very open and interesting conversations with people that had been offended before but on finding out I was a woman were more willing to engage in a dialogue about the meaning of the work. One of the most important aspects of these paintings is that in every piece the woman is in a position of sexual power in the relationship. The women are on top, or receiving oral sex, or generally enjoying themselves and taking control of their sexual experience. And believe it or not, I find that this is the thing that disturbs most people and seems to take the painting from sexy to pornographic. I find it funny that porn has existed in painting since the invention of painting itself. In classical painting it is completely acceptable to show a woman as an object of sex – lounging naked and willing, inviting the viewer to experience her body – or even more disturbingly, many images of naked women in the throes of a rape experience – but to show women in positions of power in which THEY are controlling the experience – the piece turns into being pornographic. Interesting, is all I have to say about THAT.
On another note, though there was the occasional visitor to Hyaena that found the work offensive for one reason or another, the response at the opening was overwhelmingly positive. Hyaena is one of those special environments that attracts a kind of person that I think is able to experience images of sex and violence with a more open mind than your average person. That is one of the reasons I find Hyaena and its patrons such an inspiring place to be involved in.

Creep: You had mentioned in your blog that you would like to attend the New York Academy of Art for your MFA. I like the idea that you wish to continue your education. What is it about this school that attracted you, and why not attend another Atelier, something that would be much cheaper in this economy. 

Crystal: I think there are probably a good handful of places that I could continue my art education and receive a technical education of equal quality. However, the reason I am so set on the New York Academy of Art is that I think I have reached a point in my career in which I need to gain experience, not just in technical skill, but in learning how to make professional connections and establish a business in the art world. New York Academy is a place that I can make connections with some of the people I admire most in the world of art and I’m not sure I could find this anywhere else. At the same time, I’m not willing to leave grad school with a six figure debt, so if I am not able to figure out a way to pay my way through school without taking out massive loans, despite my desire for an education there, I’ll consider it a sign from the universe that I need to find another pathway to my goals. If I’ve learned anything in the few years I’ve been focusing on being a painter its that there’s more than one way to skin a cat (not literally, by the way – my paintings are a bit off but I’m not that much of a sicko).

Creep: Finally, what are some of your other interests beside painting, something that you might try to make a career out of had you not went the direction of fine art?

Crystal: I like this question! It took me quite a while before I realized painting had its hooks in me and would never let me go. I actually went to school for International Relations. I wanted to work for the UN and travel to war torn countries and do whatever I could to ease the suffering I might find there. Then I went to India, got kidnapped in Kashmir, and realized there was a very distinct possibility I was going to either be killed or sold into the sex slave trade. I had ten days of being held in a room with armed guards out front and fighting off advances from my captors in the evenings – to reconsider that career path. After writing my will, and then finally getting myself smuggled back to the Delhi airport, I flew home and decided it was best I find some other way to make my way in the world. In the years after that I was trained in lighting design for rock shows and toyed with the idea of making that a career path. It was very tempting! Compared to the hours of isolation in the studio it takes to make a good painting, making hundreds of people dance to band with a bunch of lasers and a fog machine is pretty instant gratification. It would have been fun to go on tour, and I enjoyed being one of the few women in the biz. But I just couldn’t get away from painting, and if you have your hand in too many things your art will always be half-assed. So I dropped it and took to painting full time.

Thanks to Crystal for taking to time to give us such killer answers. Make sure you head over to her website to see more work.
Crystal Barbre Portfolio

Creep: You have stated that among your favorite artists is Caravaggio, a favorite of mine as well. Can you tell me a bit about what first drew you to his work, and if there is any influence he has had on your style?

John-John: Its just soo dark and beautiful and narrative. I wish i could paint like him but i can’t, I just tell my story as i remember it and with the best ability i can. I can honestly say i’m not influenced by alot of art especially whats out now. and my favorite artist isn’t even a painter. It’s Jamie Reid. I’d rather be at a museum loooking at old masters than checking out paintings of hot rods and frankenstein at a lowbrow gallery.

Creep: The figures in your paintings are friends and people you knew growing up. One of the first things that struck me was the feel the figures have, You can tell when an artist doesn’t quite have anatomy down as the flesh clearly looks like there is nothing behind it, empty. With your figures however you can sense density, muscle and bone, and easily get the feeling that the flesh is soft and represents something real. As you are self taught what did you do to give yourself a better understanding of anatomy?

John-John: Only some of the figures are friends growing up. Most are live models i’ve shot pictures of for the paintings. And i use those figures to narrate me and my autobiography. pretty much. As for anatomy. i work from photos ive taken or were sent to me so i have a good reference point. But school. No not for me. I’ve always felt like i was in prison when i was in school. Like a caged wild fucking animal waiting to explode. I can just paint the human form it just comes natural.

Creep: Coming from a wild background myself, when I decided to clean up and and focus on art, the only way I could describe it was that the volume on life had been turned down a bit. It took a while to get that feeling back up again without doing the same old things. Did you experience something similar, if so what things along with painting do you do to keep life loud and colorful?

John-John: Life ain’t much different. I just don’t shoot drugs or drink 2 fifths of whiskey a day anymore. I guess love, painting, hobbies and firearms gets me high these days.

Creep: American Dreamer is your first solo exhibition in a few years. There seems to be a trend with some artists overworking themselves and almost showing too much. What sort of things did you do during this time to prepare for the show, or any new techniques you have learned?

John-John: Well i think most of those artists are in group shows alot and if it seems they have lot of solo sows well its probably alot of leftover unsold pintings from previous exhibits. I mean i work almost everyday. Being a painter is a lifestyle. Such as Punk Rock.
I can’t say if i learned any new tricks but as an artist of any kind be it musician or painter you must always grow as we grow as people hopefully. And theres always new life experiences, good and awful that makes the story expand.

Creep: Your upbringing, punk rocker and former catholic school boy, has helped to create this juxtaposition in your work, or “gravitation and trials of those two opposites” as you have stated. For me the two backgrounds blend perfectly in your work. One of the things that always interested me as an art historian was some of the elements that might be inspired by classical works, The unique way you sign your name, the altar like layout of some of the paintings, and the idea that some of the elements in your work, guitars, crowns and clothing are in way like the religious iconography one might find in so many works during the Renaissance. How did the influence of this period, aside from school, make its way into your work? Do you spend a lot of time looking at classical works, going to museums, etc?

John-John: Its true BUT i didnt say that. it wasn’t written by me. It was partly written by some gallerist years ago.
Its not such a conscience decision to make it this or that or this iconography or that. Its just part of the life story being in Catholic School for years, touring with my anarchist punk band for many years, being hooked on drugs, fallig in and out of love and rising from the gutter.
I dont get out much so i get to a musuem like once every couple of years. Im not an art buff or anything. I became a painter as a career by accident. I do it because i have that need to, like eating or sleeping. It makes me complete.

Creep: Being self taught and making your way through the trials of learning materials and developing a style, is there any one area in your first few years of painting that gave you the most trouble?

John-John: nope. Its just something i can do, that i was born with i suppose. It feels natural.

Creep: You have created music and paintings, is there any other artistic things you would like to work on or something we might see in the future?

John-John: I don’t know. I always have some kind of project or hobby going to keep me out of trouble. I recently put together a .308 sniper rifle together and im currently working on building a big Jabba the Hutt’s gangster palace diorama. Thats pretty fucking cool. But nothing I can do well enough to make a career out of. I already do what i’m suppose to.

Creep: In the Fecal Face interview back in 2010, fans learned that along with an amazing house, you are also a collector. Have you ever had a hard time relinquishing a painting to a new owner? Is there one, or more than one painting you have kept and will never sell?

John-John: I don’t own any of my own work. not one they’ve all sold. There’s 2 i wish i owned. I think it was “The St. Martyr Twins of Williamsburg” and “Sugar”.

Creep: Most of your inspiration is drawn from past experiences. When you are working on new paintings, is there anything else you do to help build a perfect creative mood? Any music or movies that always help?

John-John: ALL of it is from past or current experiences. No i just paint. no need for anything to make it happen. like i said before. it comes natural.

Creep: Finally, is there any contemporary artist that you have not shown alongside that you would love to share wall space with?

John-John: Not really, i’ve already shown with a few i’ve admired already. But maybe a collaboration of some sort someday would rule.

Creep: I know that you started painting in college, something you did along with creating music, is there any areas in your painting that you feel could be different had you started at a younger age?

Joe: Not sure, I suppose everything would be different if I started at a different time. Who knows, I never considered it before.

Creep: In some of your works, your love of music is present in the iconography the painting has. Are there any other loves in your life that find their way into your work, on a frequent basis?

Joe: I would say my family always finds their way in there. As does nature, the woods and water in particular. I just can’t get enough of it in!

Creep: You worked first with acrylic paints, and have stated that you liked the simplicity, just water as it allows you “to constantly stare at the canvas.” Using oils now, do you find your working process is the same, or did you have to change the way you work to fit the medium?

Joe: The thing about acrylics that finally pushed me away was, it is incredibly frustrating to chase moments in paint, and then catch them up only to find them dark and dull the next day. I suppose in oil, the prep work is greater, but the moments, once realized, remain.

Creep: For your upcoming solo exhibition, Interruption, you worked with Jud Bergeron on some collaborative sculptures. You have made sculptures before, but there new ones look a bit more abstract in their form. Is this new way your are creating figures a natural progression, or does it have something to do with the collaboration between Jud and yourself?

Joe: I would say working with Jud had to change the way I approach making sculpture. His work has always has a foot in the abstract, and it became a natural foil for my more figurative, love of character, type of approach, yes.

Creep: I’ve always been interested in the process of how artists create their work, and have followed your blog to see the frequent process shots you post. I notice that drawings are something fans rarely see. I know you paint directly with no studies, can you talk a bit how your style has progressed working this way?

Joe: I love the daydream quality to thinking or not thinking, as the case may be, with a brush. The idea of a canvas being full of possibilities to explore, seems much more interesting to me than to plot and plot and then color the plotting, and that only after plotting the coloring, in some cases!

Creep: The quality your paintings have, which was what helped make me a fan, almost gives one the impression that they could fit perfectly within any art period. I can even see in a few of your work, possible inspiration from classical paintings. Can you tell us about your inspirations from the past, and the artists that played the biggest role in your development?

Joe: I am an art lover, and it’s history is so vast and mind-blowingly rich that it really depends on the week. Have you ever read Vasari? His art book, written in the 16th century, is kind of where I am at these days. Just so interesting to hear his ‘ modern perspective’ on things. Makes me realize that we are only in another pod of time now. Check it out if you get a chance,” Lives of the Artists” by Giorgio Vasari.

Creep: You have shown work alongside many artists in the “pop surrealism” genre, yet your art seems to have its own niche. Do you feel comfortable in the place your work has been fitted, or would even a previous movement be something you would rather be a part of?

Joe: Honestly, it’s better for me to focus on the work, and leave those sort of things to consider when I am blind and dead, you know?

Creep: Now that you have added sculpture to your list of abilities, is there any other medium you would like to try?

Joe: Marble is what I cant wait to try. Someday, someday!!

Creep: Your shows have always had a nice space in between them, something I respect as I know you are not rushing like many artists seem to be doing. After a show such as the upcoming Interruption, do you take time off or get right back to work?

Joe: I think it’s really important to jump straight back in, otherwise the dark cloud of not painting can get it’s dry claws into you. Truth is, I can’t think of a better way to spend my time here on earth, family aside.

Creep: Finally, an you tell us whoa are some of the current working artists whose work amazes you the most?

Joe: Turner, Picasso, manhattan steamboat overdrive, Jim Henson, more Picasso.

As Joe stated in the interview, if you are interested in art history, or even the way writing about art has evolved and been influenced, Giorgio Vasari’s “Lives of the Artists” is a must read. It’s something I read for my art history training, and has inspired historians and critics since it was first published in 1550. You can pick up a copy (here) on Amazon pretty cheap.

To check out the full exhbition, and even take a virtual tour head over to Joe’s homepage: Joesorren.com
To see the sculptures Joe and Jud Bergeron created, check out Jud’s homepage: Interruption Sculptures

Paul Booth and Genevive Zacconi

CM: You went to the School of Visual Arts in New York, as well as the Academy of Fine Art in Pennsylvania. What was your experience like at art school, and what was your art and themes like before school?

Genevive: The themes before art school were much the same in many aspects, but I actually only attended both of these schools for one semester. So in a way, I am primarily self-taught. I found myself cutting class to stay home and work on my own paintings and consequentially decided that formal art training wasn’t for me, but continued in my independent study. The first place I attended, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine art, is the oldest art school in the country. So needless to say, was extremely traditional, with it’s primary focus being on classical portraiture. I grew tired of being reprimanded for changing elements in my paintings to that which didn’t exist exactly true to life, and the overall attitude against modern art. So I decided to go to a more “progressive” art school, and picked SVA. Once there, however, the opposite problem occurred. I’d spend hours on tight, detailed oil paintings, only to have my instructor suggest I do things like fling paint onto it or glue photocopies of insects overtop of my image. Perhaps I was just too immature at the time to take in these different approaches and outlooks, or I just had bad experiences with particular instructors- but looking back on it I think that had I found some sort of middle ground I wouldn’t have lost interest in school so soon. I’ve been lucky, though, to have spent time with incredible artists who have taught me a lot. I worked as painting assistant to Ron English for a year; I would say I took in more from that experience than anything else. Though, I realize I still have so much to learn and feel like I discover something new with each painting I create.

CM: What are some of the biggest influences in your art, this could be artists as well as music, films, and so on?

Genevive: When I first really began studying art history, some of my favorite artists included Frida Kahlo, Cindy Sherman, Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte. Also, this might sound silly, but I’m sure some of the kids movies with a darker, ethereal look that I obsessively watched growing up have had an effect on me. I suppose the music I’ve listened to has had some influence as well- I was heavily into the goth and punk thing in my teens, so I’m sure that has shaped my aesthetic. In the past, I have found myself naturally gravitating toward certain imagery, that I don’t consider particularly dark or offensive, only to have it be viewed as such by others… so perhaps I have a skewed perspective as a result of some of my interests.

Delusions of Candor- oil on board, 18x24

CM:. Much of your work contains symbols of blood, cutting, but there also seems as though there is importance put on the flesh itself. Can you tell us a bit about your symbolism?

Genevive: While I do have certain symbols that are recurrent in my work, and always carry a similar meaning, for the most part the images I employ change dependent on what the particular piece is about. For me, the artistic process begins with reflecting upon my own thoughts and experiences, then transforming them into a concept for a painting- a visual metaphor, of sorts. I have, however, noticed a difference in the imagery that my ideas manifest themselves through. I took a while off from painting to direct, and now coming back into creating art, it seems as though my symbolism has become more subdued, with less of the “blood & cutting” you’re referring to. I can definitely see a divide in the work I created in my early 20’s, before my hiatus, and the work I am making now in my late 20’s. I suppose it could be maturity making my sense if aesthetic more refined, also being around such beautiful, well-executed art while at Last Rites was probably an influence in this shift. I used to consider the visual aspect of a painting as simply a vehicle for the concept, and only chose to paint in a more realistic style because I thought it illustrated the idea clearer and was more relatable to the viewer. Recently, though, I’ve made more of an attempt to focus additional attention to composition, color and lighting. I still struggle though, with keeping true to my initial idea, while making the painting visually pleasing, but not adding arbitrary objects simply for how they look.

One of my main goals right now is perfecting ways to harmonize these elements; to me, some of my favorite artists who are working right now are those who are successful in achieving both. I most enjoy paintings where I feel like I can dive into another world, exist within there, but am also left thinking, questioning what inspired the work, and what the artist is trying to say. Basically, if you can make the right and left side of my brain work at once, you’ve won my admiration. I think content in art is important to me because right now, more than ever, we see pretty images all around us. Everywhere we look there are appealing images in ads, illustrations, designs, digitally animated movies, etc. God, many artists couldn’t paint one frame in a Pixar movie, no less doing thousands of them. Visually, painters have competition right now that was never seen by the likes of Michelangelo. To me, where fine art still maintains it’s strength, is that it is one of the few visual vehicles left that is simply one human being connecting to another. In a painting, there is no big company running things, no marketing team or demographics analytics, no censorship, no advertisement or commercialization. This act of directly plugging into another individuals brain is what I love about fine art. So when I look at a painting I want to view more than an attractive surface, I want to get into someone’s headspace, experience an emotion, a feeling, what someone has been through, what they think. In much the same way, it’s a strange act to be at an art opening, in public, in the midst of polite conversation, and have some of the most personal aspects of one’s mind hanging on a wall for everyone to see (if they care to really look). It’s a pretty amazing thing.

Reciprocity- oil on wood, 8x10

CM: It looks like you started curating shows before exhibiting your own work. What does curating fulfill for you in opposition to creating art?

Genevive: Actually I was exhibiting my own work before curating, and that is what led me into showing the work of others. Despite the fact that I stopped directing to return to my own art, I absolutely love working for galleries. I have found it hard to return to painting in some ways, as it is situationally opposite to directing. In many ways, curating is a very social job, whereas painting requires many hours in solitude- which I have definitely had a hard time re-adjusting to! I do miss the constant interaction with other artists, bringing together interesting people, thinking analytically, the satisfaction you feel when a show you’ve organized has done someone’s work justice, and being in such close quarters with amazing art. At the risk of sounding juvenile- one of my favorite things is when a show gets delivered, it’s like Christmas to me. I get to unwrap boxes of some of the most remarkable objects in existence. Then I get to spend time alone, without distractions, just looking at great paintings, examining each brushstroke in detail… in a way no one ever will get to at an art museum in years to come. Not too many jobs are cooler than that. However, I believe that you cannot run a gallery and make/ exhibit your own work at the same time. Because of this I decided to retire as director of Last Rites, but I still continue to guest curate occasionally. The next show I am putting together is at Copro Gallery in July 2011: Ewelina Ferruso and I have a two-person show of our work in half of the gallery and I am curating a group show in the other half.

CM: You were the founding director of not only Trinity Gallery in Philadelphia, but also of Last Rites Gallery in New York. Can you tell us how your involvement with Last Rites Gallery came about?

Genevive: When I was directing at Trinity Gallery I curated a show for Joe Capobianco, a very well known and respected tattoo artist. He was acquainted with Paul Booth through the tattoo community, and when Paul was looking to open a gallery, Joe suggested me. I had been an admirer of Paul’s art for quite some time, and felt as though he and I hit it off almost immediately, sharing the same vision of what Last Rites should be.

CM: Your work has been shown on the West Coast as well as in galleries on the East Coast. With galleries such as Last Rites being in New York, have you noticed dark art being looked at differently between the two regions?

Genevive: I haven’t noticed my work being received differently in LA than NY. I’ve been in attendance at openings I was in on both coasts, but with the way the broader art scene is, it’s the same circle of artists and buyers. At least in my experience, it seems as though it’s all the same pool of art aficionados.

Good Exposure- oil on canvas

CM: Why do you think dark works of art get overlooked, or brushed aside as opposed to the more mainstream works of art?

Genevive: Historically, there have been many well known artists who’s work could be construed as “Dark”, such as Goya, Bacon, and Bosch- so I don’t know if I can totally agree that it’s been overlooked altogether. Also, my answer to this question might vary slightly dependant on what facet of the art world you’re referring to with the term “mainstream”. But in general, perhaps it hasn’t been embraced quite as much because for anyone buying art merely as house decoration, often times it just doesn’t fit. The term “Dark Art” does not just imply a darker color palette; instead, much of this work forces people to face uncomfortable feelings, repressed emotions, and societal taboos. This generally isn’t the type of thing you buy simply to match your couch.

CM: This current scene of art has switched names a few times now, but as a curator and artist can you tell us your views, positive and negative, about this rapidly emerging scene?

Genevive: I think that the reason this scene is growing so quickly in contrast to those past is because what we’re witnessing is one of the first movements in art to be nursed by the emergence of the internet. On the positive side, it’s easier than ever for artists to self-promote and gain exposure to collectors; likewise, movements happen in a more global and diverse way because we can all see each others work immediately, despite geographic differences. It’s also totally changed the way in which galleries operate. Many collectors don’t even see a piece in person anymore before they purchase, the majority of sales are made via internet. I’ve had collectors who lived less than an hour from Last Rites, buy work from the website, have it shipped, and never come into the gallery. Often times with the way things are, buyers must act faster- With an artist in high demand, it’s a mad dash to get a piece first when the online preview is released.

But on the negative side of the additional exposure (and I suppose things have always been this way to some extent)- while the vast majority of collectors I’ve worked with genuinely love the art they buy for it’s intrinsic value, sometimes I get the feeling that there are people out there buying certain work like it’s collecting baseball cards. They need to have a piece by each of the “key players” in this scene, without really valuing the artwork for what it is. In those cases, they generally want to have what they consider the quintessential piece from that artist: meaning the one that they feel is recognizable because it looks most like the artist’s other work. This trend sometimes stifles artists, as they are basically forced to re-create the same painting repeatedly and cannot grow and change. I have heard many artists complain about this. Looking at the career of someone like Picasso, who had phases in his art like his cubist period and blue period- I wonder if this environment will produce an individual with such an epic and diverse body of work, or if this interference is forcing artists to make a consistent product instead of encouraging them to create in a more genuine, intuitive way.

Portrait of Genevive by Shawn Barber

CM: You’ve been the subject of a few paintings so far, can you tell us the feeling of being immortalized by fellow artists? Are there any artists you would love to pose for, living or dead?

Genevive: Yes, I’ve been lucky to have been featured in the work of some extremely talented artists, it’s an honor. I also find it really interesting to see how different artists perceive the same individual- what features become most prominent, the expression they capture, the emotion the work exudes. Just last month I had the pleasure of modeling for the incredibly talented Natalia Fabia, so that will be the next painting I’m in, very much looking forward to seeing the finished product. As for who I’d like to model for… I’ve actually never thought about that before now, and had you asked me this a few years ago my list would probably include some of the artists that I’ve since posed for. Of course it would be astounding to have a portrait by Ingres, it also seems like it would be fun to model for David LaChapelle.

Disillusion- oil on wood, 22x30

CM: You have a new solo exhibition opening at Last Rites this coming December. Can you give us an idea of what these new works were inspired by?

Genevive: I started sketching out some of the work in this show quite a while ago so some of the paintings that have transpired represent different phases of bigger situations. Overall, I guess the themes on this one are attraction, love, deceit, and heartbreak. The mood of the show is particularly melancholy, and it’s titled “Dysphoria”. However, as I am now finishing up these paintings, I find myself in a different state of mind than when I begun. I am happier now than I have been in a while, so it’s taking a lot out of me to force myself to be back in the headspace I was at when I conceptualized and started some of these pieces. I think my next body of work will feature a few paintings that are less downtrodden and instead have more spunk and attitude, but I have found the past few months to be a great catharsis.

See more of Genevive’s work here: Genevive.com

CM: Can you tell us a bit how you got started in art, did you go to any art school for your training?

Jason: Not sure how far you want me to go back, but I actually knew I was going to be an artist for a living since I was a child. I never thought I would do anything else, and luckily it worked out. I had regular public school and high school art classes, but after that I went to the Ontario College of Art (now called OCAD because of an increased design department). It was a four year program, where the first year focused on foundations of art, and you specialized in an area over the next three years. I went into Communication and Design with a focus on illustration. Although school was a good way to get exposed to and prepared for the life of a working artist, I felt that I still needed to tighten my portfolio to get regular paying gigs. After college, I continued to teach myself through trial and error practice, and by pouring over my large library of art books.

CM: What got you hooked on using acrylic paints? I imagine for editorial work it is faster drying, but is there
anything else about the medium you enjoy?

Jason: In art school we tried everything. Our teachers encouraged us to find our “voice”. I can remember bringing crayons to drawing class one day. I tried oils a few times, but found it to be too difficult to work with, and stayed “wet” too long for my taste. I also like to lean on the surface when I paint, and acrylic seemed to fit my temperament. It is definitely beneficial for a commercial painter with often tight deadlines to be able to scan a piece within minutes of finishing it, as acrylic dries very fast. Also, if I wanted a slower drying time, there are retarders that can be added to the paint, as well as being able to thin the paint with water for a watercolor look. I believe aside from digital, acrylic is the most versatile painting medium ever created, and because it’s essentially plastic, it is very durable.

CM: What are some of your influences, and what initially got your interested in making art?

Jason: I have a huge list of artists that I am inspired by. To list a few: Frank Frazetta, Norman Rockwell, Ron English, Todd Schorr, the Hildebrandt Brothers, Drew Struzan, Anita Kunz, Basil Gogos…the list goes on. Some are evident in my work, and others inspire me just with their themes or compositions. I also grew up with comic books, toy packaging, movie posters, pulp novels, and heavy metal album art. All of these things made me want to be an artist as a child. I can vividly remember the experience of seeing an amazing piece of art, and being stopped in my tracks, literally feeling a tingle in my neck, like when you see a beautiful woman on the street. I am embarrassed to say though , that the eureka moment happened in public school when I was probably about 6 years old, and the other kids would ask me to draw Garfield from memory. I knew from that time that I wanted to be a professional artist.

CM: You stated that pop culture makes it way into your art. What it is about pop culture that influences you?

Jason: I think pop culture has replaced a universal knowledge of religious mythology. Within the melting pot of western culture, there are so many different opinions on religion and their various figures, but we all seem to share a common knowledge of popular cultural icons, mascots, actors, characters, etc. These are visual touchstones that we can all relate to. Everyone in the world knows Elvis Presley, or Darth Vader or Frankenstein’s monster. I really enjoy using some of these characters in a new way that we haven’t seen before, and viewers feel comfortable at first, because they think they know what they are looking at. That’s when I like to take a left turn in a piece, and mess with the character in an unexpected way. I like to explore the secret lives of corporate mascots.

CM: What are some of the movies or music that has influenced your work.

Jason: 80′s horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Halloween, etc. Any movie where Drew Struzan painted the poster (Star Wars. Indiana Jones, Back to the Future). Basically movies that have a wealth of eye candy and great character design and/or poster art. I would go to video stores as a kid and rent movies based on box art..and before shitty Photoshop collages, there was a wealth of great illustrated box covers..even on the awful movies (maybe especially on the awful Movies). As far as music goes, nothing gets my juices flowing like old school heavy metal (Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Twisted Sister, Ozzy). It’s not surprising that these groups often had great painted album art. They were pulling from the same influences as me…horror movies, comic books, pulp novels. The music is exciting, violent, sexy and poetic, and filled with imagination (read Iron Maiden’s lyrics..especially “Run to the Hills” and “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” ). Great inspiration for the types of paintings that I love.

CM: Are there any artists that you would like to collaborate with, or show alongside in a gallery show?

Jason: I’ve talked to Alex Pardee recently about doing a collaborative piece, and he’s very interested. I think it could be epic. My anal retentive rendering, and his balls out expressiveness and off the wall humor could be a great contrast, but at the same time, we share many of the same visual influences. In a perfect world, I would love to be in a group show with Alex, Ron English or Todd Schorr. I respect a lot of the artists that appear in High Fructose, and Juxtapose magazine (although the later seems to be shifting direction a little lately away from my type of art).

CM: You recently participated in Rue Morgues 100th Anniversary Issue. Can you tell us about how you got selected, and what your connection with the horror art world is like?

Jason: My relationship with the gang from Rue Morgue began a year ago at Fan Expo the giant annual comic convention here in Toronto). They run the Festival of Fear section of the con. I went over to their booth to show my love of their mag, and I met the EIC Dave Alexander, AD Gary Pullin, and GD Justin Erickson. They liked my work as well. It was like a mutual admiration society. We became fast friends, and are planning a group art show which is going to kick nards. Stay tuned.
My connection with the horror world has just begun actually. Although I’ve been in the business for almost 15 years, I’m starting to focus more of my attention on monster themes, and it’s really been paying off in the last couple of years. I’m working on movie posters, toy packaging, heavy metal album covers, horror comic covers, prints through my Etsy store, and original paintings.

CM: You have done a lot of editorial and advertising work, is there any other area of art you would like to start working in?

Jason: I’m starting to work in new areas that I’ve always wanted to work in. I’ll be doing an album cover for a local rock band that will be reminiscent of Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell, and I’m designing a monster toy line with a toy dealer friend of mine. I can’t talk too much about it right now. We’re still trying to work out licensing.

CM: Can you tell us a bit about your working process, how you get each painting started and then finished?

Jason: Here is a link to my process so you can follow along with pictures:

http://jasonedmiston.deviantart.com/gallery/#Step-by-step

After thinking up a concept, I start with a rough pencil drawing to work out the composition. This is usually the part that I struggle over the most. If it works at this stage, the rest I find, is just polishing. After a rough comp is approved by me or the client, I compile photo reference (from the internet or my picture file), or shoot my own models.
Next I tighten the drawing up with an indication of light and shadow at full size. This is the size I will be painting at, which is usually 50% bigger than it will be reproduced (this is unless it is a large painting, and then I just work at a comfortable size for the amount of detail in a piece, then blow up the pencils later to paint it). This drawing is scanned and sent to the art director for approval. Unless changes are required, I move on to paint.
The drawing is printed out on bond paper, and if large, it is printed on multiple pieces of paper and tiled together. I then trace the main outlines of the drawing by using a piece of graphite paper in between the line art and my painting surface (sometimes a gessoed wood panel if I’m painting a hanging piece, and sometimes gessoed watercolor paper if it’s for print).
The first step in adding paint is to work up a full value painting in raw umber, to get a medium tone on the board so it’s easier to balance contrast and pull the colors together. From here on I start from the background and move forward, usually painting each area to about 90% of full values (not the brightest or darkest values until the end). Then I move on to the next section of the piece that is “closer” to the viewer. As a rule, the first values that I paint in an area, be it background, midground, foreground..are the mid-dark values which imply shadows. Then I add mid-light values, then move darker, then go lighter, back and forth until i’ve pushed the range from very dark in some shadow areas to very light on the highlights. This way you can control the piece and always take it a little more in either direction if it’s desired. I tend to gravitate towards art that is color saturated and has lots of value range.
As a final adjustment, I might take a painting into Photoshop and tweak the color balance or levels a little to make it pop a little more..or tone it down a little if I’ve gone a little astray.

CM: Finally, if any of the pop culture characters you have painted could come to life, which one would you choose?

Jason: Probably Yoda, because he is so wise. I would ask him a question, then shake him like a magic eight ball until he gives me a cryptic answer. Paint or paint not..there is no try.