DIRECTORS Robert Bergin Melissa Bergin CURATOR Jeremyville www.jeremyville.com CREATIVE DIRECTION AND DESIGN David Mardon Jason Renel www.theshopaustralia.com WRITER Wilfred Brandt PROJECT ASSISTANT Emma Carey LOGO DESIGN Jason Renel WEBSITE DESIGN Bland Consulting ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA Rhiannon Bulley Hayley Meares Alexandra Guzman MUSCLE UP first published in 2010 by CURVY WORLD MEDIA 25/58 Village Drive Breakfast Point NSW 2137 AUSTRALIA E. info@muscle-up.net www.muscle-up.net MUSCLE UP is sold internationally through selected stockists including newsagents, fashion retailers and bookstores. For all distribution enquiries including opportunities to stock MUSCLE UP in your store, please contact distribution@muscle-up.co. MUSCLE UP is published once a year by CURVY WORLD MEDIA. MUSCLE UP accepts no responsibility for material submitted for publication. Please keep duplicates of any submissions. MUSCLE UP may not be produced in whole or in part without written permission of the publishers. Views expressed in MUSCLE UP do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editors or publishers. No responsibility is accepted by CURVY WORLD MEDIA for the accuracy of the information within the publication. For information about this or any other CURVY WORLD MEDIA publications, please visit www.CURVY-world.com Š CURVY WORLD MEDIA The rights of all artists herein have been asserted. THANK YOU Jeremyville, David Mardon, Jason Renel, Melissa Daniels, Michael Wong and the rest of the team at The Shop Australia, James and the team at Bland Consulting, Marty Routledge and all at LoFi, Larissa Meikle at Creative, Marnie Dibden Cate at Pages digital, Pru at Adnews, Andrew Montell and the crew at Acclaim, The Galeries, Fafi, Nadia Saccardo at the Thousands, Vali and Sahill at Magnation, Derek at Selectair, Vice, Sneaker Freaker, Remi at Populace and all the artists and their representatives mentioned herein.
FEATURED ARTISTS Doze Green
014
Kid Zoom
072
Andrew Jeffrey Wright 104
Ellis Gallagher
064
Kill Pixie
136
Andy Mueller
040
Eric White
116
Michael De Feo
120
Anthony Lister
044
Gary Baseman
108
Mike Perry
140
Ben Frost
052
Grotesk
084
Numskull
088
Bill McMullen
112
Haroshi
036
Oliver Hibert
092
Buff Monster
080
Jaime Hayon
028
Rinzen
096
Dalek
032
Jeff Soto
132
Ryan McGinness
128
Dave Bonney
060
Jeremyville 008
Shag
100
Dave Kinsey
048
Jim Houser
068
Shoboshobo 124
Devilrobots
076
Jonathan Zawada
020
Adam Wallacavage
056
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welcome Why do girls have all the fun? This simple platitude could seem patronizing if I didn’t really mean it. My confession – I am a guy. And I suffer from female envy. First off, the women’s department is always ten times more colorful and interesting then the men’s. Our dreary male version is an ever-so-slightly shifting range of “serious” standards, made to make the wearer look “tough”, or cool, or (prepare to cringe) “macho”. And don’t get me started on hair, make-up, or accessories, aggh! Women are allowed to dream up extravagant looks and accentuate with characteristic flourishes, all the while us guys are flailing in a pile of flame-emblazoned hoodies, weird piercings and overgrown bowl cuts. This isn’t me adding fuel to the battle-of-the-sexes fire. I’m just saying men and women express themselves in drastically different ways. Watch the way a group of women interacts, and then a group of men; or think about your friendships, and how they’re maintained. Women connect and engage in ways we men more often than not can’t, or simply won’t. And us guys seem to lag sorely behind in our ability to express ourselves freely, show some vulnerability; simply put, to let down our guard, and our hair – literally. My belief in women as a more highly-evolved species has been advanced by the ongoing CURVY Project. For almost a decade, CURVY has been showcasing and promoting the best, most creative, cutting edge examples of female creative expression. Each year, CURVY has published boundary-breaking art by women from around the globe. Their annual anthology has showcased the unique, subtle, nuanced perspectives of female artists from all walks of life, collecting an amazing array of jaw-dropping inspiring work.
Even though CURVY has always been by the ladies, it has never been only FOR the ladies. Guys, dudes, bros, and homeboys have been there all along, to support, celebrate, and cheer on these lady trailblazers in art. But why should girls get to have all the fun? Finally, my call has been answered. The boys have finally crashed the party – and MUSCLE UP is the result. The CURVY crew felt it was time to give something back to the XY-chromosome artists out there by showing what’s great about the male perspective. It’s time for a bro-down. 30 of the most daring male visual artists are compiled herein. The MUSCLE UP roster features men of all shapes and sizes whose collective work subverts the prevailing art world patriarchy. It ain’t a man’s world anymore, and these men represent that change. They’re artists who thumb their nose at convention, and – no matter how established their careers, or how internationally renowned their work – they are artists who refuse to grow up. Defiant and rebel-rousing, these creators playfully cross boundaries between graphic design, fine art, graffiti, film, product design, fashion, fiction, and heaps more. Play is a great angle to viewing and appreciating the work within MUSCLE UP; because what is play but work without deadlines or art without pretence? Virtually all of the MUSCLE UP artists came to art-making from non-traditional backgrounds. Hanging out between the covers are muckrakers who got their start in street art subverting advertisements, urban pranksters, cartoon-lovers who are tough enough to show their tender side, filmmakers with a penchant for sweet, introspective, intelligent portrayals, politically-minded designers who experiment with phenomenology, cynically smart, wickedly funny poets, kitschy creepy old world oil painting masters, Australian graffiti visionaries, illustrators with a romantic eye on urban detritus,
pop culture lovers with high-art clout, big kid’s at heart who are as starry eyed as they are bratty, graphic designers who pack high concepts into bite-sized designs, installation artists who got their start on the streets, downtown streetwear impresarios whose manic glee is uncontainable, and comic book auteurs who can imbue an unnerving amount of ennui into a black and white page.
Jeremy explained how for this first MUSCLE UP annual, he “wanted to invite more established artists and photographers into the book - those who have provided a great influence for up and coming artists - and also showcase some new male talent out there. This curatorial strategy is twofold: It is to showcase who some of the influential artists of our generation are, and also to set a high benchmark for other MUSCLE UP annuals to follow - in the hope that each subsequent MUSCLE UP contains work as original and innovative as the artists in this first annual.
A powerhouse of male creativity, Australian-born Jeremyville has a long history of collaborating with the CURVY crew, working on various innovative limited edition products and exhibitions. When it came time to choose a curator for this project, the choice was simple. An internationally-renowned artist, product designer, animator, and a great guy to boot, Jeremyville splits his time between his native Sydney, Australia and New York City. His own work comically chronicles the highs and lows of city life; cartoon characters rock out, hike around town, get gelato, smoke a cigarette, look at some birds, drink coffee, buy some sneakers, go to bed, have mad dreams, get up, and do it all over again, always in his inimitable sweet, sunny, smart, cheeky style.
“I love the CURVY concept,” Jeremy adds. “Its long-term mission has been to curate and showcase female art that otherwise might have gone unnoticed in the cloud of visual noise we are bombarded with daily”. Jeremy explained that the wide array of style exhibited by CURVY artists in the past points to a wealth of uncovered talent, and that CURVY was bold in providing a voice for these unconventional female artists. “It’s a powerful concept, and to me creates egalitarianism in the art world, and a creative equality that is sometimes lacking in the art and design community.”
Jeremyville is no stranger to publishing. His “Vinyl Will Kill” was the world’s first book on the collectable designer toy phenomenon, showing how and why creatives from all walks of life have gravitated towards making small colourful characters. The ‘Jeremyville Sessions’ monograph examined art of collaboration, explaining and examining the collaborative process through the medium of toys, tees, accessories, animations, art shows, and more, showcasing over 300 artists and companies and their collaborations with Jeremyville.
Me personally? I take my hat off to women, their vigour, spirit, emotion, and panache. My female envy continues unabated. They’re absolutely right when they say, “a good man is hard to find”. It’s taken CURVY nearly a whole decade to amass this great a set of dudes, but it’s time to let ‘em rip. Finally, the world’s most creative guys will get the chance to show the CURVY girls what they’re made of.
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Featured image: Jeff Soto, page 132
jeremyville Jeremyville is a land populated with dancing mushrooms, happy rabbits, smoking monsters, and rabbits on mushrooms who see dancing monsters. The titular Jeremy himself is an artist, product designer, animator and human (or so he says; we have suspicions). What’s your history with CURVY and the CURVY gang? I’ve known Rob and Mel for many years, and we’ve worked on some projects together. We also worked with the Sketchel custom art satchel concept a few years ago at a Curvy event. So when I was asked to curate this first Muscle Up annual, it was a natural continuation. I respect the dedication and hard work they have put into advancing the art and design community over the years and of course the female artists they have showcased.
MUSCLE UP is the guys extension to cult hit all-girl art book CURVY - what is your impression of the female art community? How do you feel CURVY fits into that? I have never really looked at art in terms of gender, good art is good art no matter the artist’s gender, but I do love the Curvy concept because it’s long term mission has been to curate and showcase female art that otherwise might have gone unnoticed in the cloud of visual noise we are bombarded with daily. It doesn’t relegate female art into an enclave or genre, but rather it celebrates the huge diversity of new styles from great artists out there, who happen to be female. It’s a powerful concept, and to me creates egalitarianism in the art world, and a creative equality that is sometimes lacking generally in the art and design community. Looking at Curvy consecutively through the years, you can indeed detect certain global design trends, and certain art movements do become more evident. You can actually see the development in the art zeitgeist from each annual book to the next, which is fascinating.
Do you think there is the same opportunity for MU with male artists that CURVY has found with the gals? For this first Muscle Up annual, I wanted to invite more established artists into the book; those who have provided a great influence for up and coming artists, and also showcase some new male talent out there. This curatorial strategy is twofold: It is to showcase who some of the influential artists of our generation are, and also to set a high benchmark for other Muscle Up annuals to follow. I hope that each subsequent Muscle Up contains work as original and innovative as the artists in this first annual.
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What was your mission with MU – in terms of what did you want the end product to be? How did you select artists? I wanted to get back to some of the seminal artists who have inspired many others both stylistically and through their career paths. By doing this you can observe the way art and design styles move globally from one artist to the next, and how every once in a while one individual can inspire and shift a whole generation’s thinking. Many of the artists in this first annual have done just that, and continue to do so. They are the root of many movements we see today, and continue to grow as artists. It is this paradigm shift that I wanted to crystalise into this first book, and showcase some of those artists who created this shift, and continue to innovate and invent. Each artist to me has one main trait in common: A unique voice, and vision, with a style instantly recognisable and a sensibility all their own. I think each subsequent Muscle Up annual should aim to uncover artists with a unique voice. To me it can be in any medium or style, but uniqueness of vision shows through no matter the medium. So for example I’ve included Jaime Hayon, a very unique new visionary in the field of product and furniture design. As years pass, he will become an influencer of a whole new generation, and indeed already is becoming just that. To me a unique voice or visual language is one that, once heard, cannot be silenced or forgotten, it becomes a part of a common shared knowledge for years to come, and informs our view of what we see from that point onwards. Another aim with this first Muscle Up annual, was to try and uncover these artists’ keys to longevity in a crowded marketplace. So I asked the question about their keys to continued growth and development as an artist, and the answers should provide an insight to any up and coming artist or designer, though mainly it comes down to following your own path, and creating your own keys to developing and moving forward. It helps to read these answers however, as a starting point on your own journey with your art.
What artists/projects have impressed you most this year? To me some highlight events have been Kaws’s first museum show at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, the Banksy film ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’, the new documentary on JeanMichel Basquiat by his friend Tamra Davis, the Ryan McGinness Studio Franchise concept and exhibition in Spain, a recent interview with Harmony Korine, concepts by Deitch projects such as the Shep Fairey mural on Bowery and East Houston, Jaime Hayon’s first monograph by Gestalten, the Tim Burton exhibition at the MoMa. What’s does the future hold for creative’s globally? The main 2 points I feel are for artists to maintain ownership of their intellectual property, and become a lot more educated as to the worth of their art, and to study closely all contracts they sign. No matter how early in their career, an artist should always place a premium monetary worth on their art, and aim high. Too many companies out there still exploit artists and creatives, and I think the future will bring a lot more awareness by artists as to their rights, and the value of powerful imagery in this information and internet age. Too many younger artists think by doing a job for peanuts they will get a ‘big break’ and be able to charge more later (and some companies prey on this), but you need to start charging clients good fees early in your career, it sets a precedent for the worth of your art. The 2nd point is that artists will need to have a very clear and unique voice and visual vocabulary, to be able to cut through a very crowded marketplace, and they need to constantly grow and invent, if they are to remain relevant in an industry that’s always looking for new trends and new art styles.
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DOZE GREEN Fluid, gestural, and poetic; arguably more than any other post-street artist, Doze lets the drama and craftsmanship of oil painting invade his chiarascuro urban diaromas and freeze frames. Describe the most special moment that has happened in your life this year. Watching my garden explode with food!
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why. Balls, Belief and fortitude
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? It’s mine
What is your favourite place on earth and why? Right here because now is the moment Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? Deep in a mountain somewhere in South America as a propagandist for the resistance.”Hasta la victoria siempre!!”
Describe one of the recent projects you are proud of. City Center LasVegas tram station murals for the Bellagio and Monte Carlo stations
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JONATHAN ZAWADA Graphic designer, art director, and fine artist Jonathan Zawada has: incredibly good technical skills; an unending supply of fresh ideas; and a predilection towards labour intensive, highly intricate pieces. Scarily good stuff. What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? I think a willingness to continue learning. It can be very easy to settle on a style or an approach and although that can be very fruitful in the short-term I think it can potentially be very damaging in the long run. Not just because your style might fall out of fashion but also because your brain begins to stagnate and you no longer are able to respond to the opportunities that present themselves.
Describe the most special moment in your life this year. Early in the year I got to be a part of the It Was On Earth That I Knew Joy exhibition in Los Angeles, presented by Sixpack France. It was an amazing opportunity to present work alongside some amazing designers and artists from all over the world, including people like PMKFA and Ill Studio. What made the whole experience so special was the 2 week road trip that I tacked on to the end of the trip, travelling all around south-west USA with my wife seeing places like Sequoia, Grand Canyon, Zion, Mojave and Yosemite - absolutely life changing! What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? Luck, fortune, chance and happy coincidence.
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? Pebbly Beach. It’s about 3 and a half hours south of Sydney, has only about 15 campsites, probably a hundred kangaroos and the most idyllic and beautiful beach I know. Most importantly, no phone reception.
Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. I recently completed a catalogue for the Disorder Disorder exhibition, curated by Joseph Allen Shea. It was a really exciting opportunity to be able to work with a good friend, with fantastic material by the likes of Mischa Hollenbach, Tomoo Gokkita, Ricky Swallow and many more. The challenges involved in it were very much those that are present in most of the work that I enjoy, resolving and combining the two worlds of commercial and creative expression.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I’m not at all sure about where I’ll be in 5 years. Things have changed quite a lot for me in terms of the direction of my career over the past couple of years and if things kept progressing on the current tangent I’d say I’d ideally be living in a town on the beach, somewhere outside of Sydney and working a lot more on my art and a little less on my commercial projects.
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JAIME HAYON Bringing great design out of its ivory tower, Jaime Hayon creates objects that are awesome to look at, fun to encounter, and never too serious. Green chicken rocking chair anyone? Describe the most special moment that has happened in your life this year. The best moment has been travelling the USA by car. I loved it! Camping in the wild between bears, sequoias, etc. Having a camp fire in the night with a beautiful Californian wine sharing moments with the person you love. It was fantastic and inspirational. There is nothing like the type of moment in which you feel 100% free.
in stainless steel with propellers, a table with solar panels, vases that move in ceramics and platinum, lights that charge with strange shapes... It was a very well executed show and for me, a new step. On the other hand I was very inspired by the 22 chair I made with company Ceccotti. For me it was a great experience to learn from what you can do with wood and with a master wood craft person and ideas. What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? Curiosity, I guess. To experiment and to be very critical with what you do. To think that being famous in what you do makes you strong is a completely wrong thought. You must be always decent and open to new experiences and never fall into the abyss of the success. Always fresh and with open eyes is the best antidote.
What are the qualities about your work that you feel are the most unique? I am not really sure... I guess I have my own way of thinking. I am truly a free mind; someone that dreams and produces what feels good. I use intuition all the time in my work. I don’t think in a complicated way. When I find a theme I like, I act and produce something passionate to respond to that theme. I guess I never believed in categorizing myself. Many people still try to ask, are you an artist? A designer? What are you? I don’t believe you need a category, you are just who you are. You do what you feel is good for you and what feels right in your skin. I love design, furniture installations; I love to explore materials, ideas and disciplines from shoes to music! I feel there is so much to do and to learn.
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? I love Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands because it feels like another planet Mars. Geologist say that the Timanfaya National Park looks how the earth looked after big bang ... the beginning of it all. Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I see myself in the country side enjoying life, drawing and thinking for the next adventure I would love to explore - opera stage design, making more installations and creating more challenging projects. I will be in a place in the Mediterranean and with one foot in a big international city. Something like what I have now: Valencia and London.
Describe one of the recent projects you have worked on that you are proud of. I worked in a project called smart grid gallery together with the Enel Company. I liked this project very much because it was like getting into mechanics and movement. I experimented with my team creating furniture that was linked to each other passing energy from one to the other. A completely new thing! Big furniture
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Dalek James Marshall, aka Dalek, started in street art years ago with his now infamous Space Monkey. His work explores the outsider even within ‘outsider’ culture, with cryptic imagery and irreverence. Describe the most special moment in your life this year. I brought my older son James with me on a trip to California for the US open of surf. It was great to have a week of dedicated one on one time with him. I had an opening that week , so he was able to see my artwork in that context for the first time , which was exciting. We went to Legoland which was pretty impressive.. Got to go to Cartoon Network and see some behind the scenes of some of our favourite shows.. Watched some great surfing while chilling on the beach.. It was a pretty perfect extended moment..
Chilling with the boys .. And doing whatever they’ll be into in 5 years.. The beauty of life is the mystery of it. Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. All of the work I’ve done with Hurley this year... Working on large scale murals on their campus with a dedicated team... It’s been really cool to work in a whole different way with the studio.. It’s really helped me to push some ideas that wouldn’t have been possible without their help. And has taught me a lot about the use of art into products. Everything that has come out of my collaborations with them makes me super proud.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I think defining qualities in work might be a bit odd.. The power of art and a good artist is to communicate in a honest way ideas and thoughts into creative mediums. So I think what sets what I do apart from something someone else might do has more to do with who I am as a person , my life experiences and outlook ..how I navigate the world.. The art is simply a bi-product of those things..
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? Living and learning.. I think art can’t grow if people don’t grow... So I try to keep growing as an individual...learn what I can... Explore... travel... meet people... sit in the woods... Any number of things. I just try to be aware and informed about things around me. The rest seems to be a pretty organic process. I believe you have to trust your instincts and they will generally lead you down the right path.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? Whatever projects come along that make sense to my path... I’m trying to explore ideas and mediums.. Keep pushing what I’m doing and the bandwidth of it.. Aside frrm that I don’t care to project much about projects..everything is an organic process... It’ll work the way it needs and may take an entirely different path than one I might try to set into motion.. So it seems a bit pointless to overthink it... Geographically.. In Raleigh NC..where I live now..
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? Haven’t been quite everywhere on earth... Plenty of places that I think would be amazing to see.. Probably the ones I don’t even know exist at this point... My favourite place to be is at home, because that’s where my sons are.. and my life.. as much as I love traveling.. Its always best to come home. Aside from that I really love Paris. It’s a nice place to be, relaxed and inspiring. I could see living there.
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Haroshi Haroshi’s obsession with skateboarding became literally an obsession with skateboards. Used, recycled decks are compressed into astoundingly intricately layered wooden mosaics in all variety of shapes and sizes, from severed limbs to cartoon cats to Super Mario. Describe the most special moment that has happened in your life this year. I think that would be my first solo exhibition as Haroshi. I was surprised to receive a lot of feedback from all over the world after the exhibition. That was the moment that I knew that what I had been doing was right.
through my works. It’s important for me and part of my work to share the process with others. Describe one of the recent projects you have worked on that you are proud of. Unfortunately I can’t say that, yet. But there is something I am doing later this year that when released will certainly be really interesting. I’ve been working on my next solo exhibition in NY next spring. I feel it will be one of my best works so please do come and see it!
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? Keep on trying and never give up. Remember that it may happen for you next year, even if it isn’t happening right now. I really love to create something. I’m working from morning till midnight except skateboarding. I could feel the growth of my skills every year, though I’m not still proficient in skateboarding...
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? 5 years from now, hmm... I’d like to be working on a huge scale of work with a phenomenal number of used skateboards in a large group. Though it sounds hard I know it’s going to happen if I wish strong. I’d like to live in NYC and do something interesting there through communicating with people from different countries. Huh? 5 years later? I may have already retuned from NY....
What are the qualities about your work that you feel are the most unique? I aim to do something that nobody has done before and do the things that excite people. It’s a great thing for me to communicate with people from all over the world across different languages
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ANDY Mueller As part of Girl Skateboards’ creative hive, The Art Dump, Andy has helped guide and shape one of the most vibrant, constructive, arts-oriented skateboard companies ever. His Quiet Life clothing company is a vehicle for more conceptual works (and ping-pong paddle cases). Describe one of the most special moments that happened in your life this year. The birth of my second child is definitely the most special thing to happen in the past year. It’s so amazing being a parent and experiencing growing up all over again.
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? Constant challenges and nonstop experimenting/learning. I like to feel like I’m always learning something and trying new things. Keeps it fresh.
What are the qualities about your work that you feel are the most unique? It’s always been hard for me to describe my own work because I jump in and out of so many different genres and projects. Overall, though, I like to think of my work as being really simple and honest.
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? I like just about everywhere I’ve been for different reasons. There’s people and things to photograph everywhere you go. But if I had to pick just one, I’d go with my house... It’s all there: My work, my hobbies, my family. Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I’ve been doing the same thing since about 1993 and I hope to be doing the same thing for a long time. I like where I am. Good people, good projects, good challenges.
Describe one of the recent projects you have worked on that you are happy with. I’m lucky that I like almost everything I work on, both commercially and personally. If I had to pick one, I’d go with my Quiet Life project - it’s is a real labour of love and I’m really proud of what it’s finally becoming.
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ANTHONY LISTER At home on the streets and in the gallery, Anthony Lister’s beautiful, inimitably stylized images border between abstract and figurative, geometrizing (is that a word?) pop culture and media imagery in dreamy and violent ways. Name your top 5 personal keys to success in maintaining the growth of your art and your career. First off, know whats good. Always be better than your last idea. Absorb your surroundings. Work smarter not harder. Play nice.
Describe the most special moment in your life this year. Doing this interview right now. What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I visited my dying grandmother the other day and as I was explaining to her who I was- like that I was her grandson and my name is Anthony, she remembered me and exclaimed ‘oh the artist!’. She herself was an amazing painter in her day and the primary source of inspiration to me in my very early years. She then said ‘are you rich?’ I laughed and answered- ‘enough’. Growth is important to me in my work and as I look over different pieces spanning over a decade of practice I see very consistent similarities overall. I feel that this innate search for new developments in line and composition have an echoing quality in the vibration which is my work.
What are 5 of your favorite places on earth that you have visited and spent time in, and why were they so special? The photo booth at the country club in Brooklyn. Building pyramids on the beach at the gold coast. Drinking on the streets in Rome. The ferny grove skate park - R.I.P. Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? Just the same I hope - bigger shows of course. Touring exhibitions perhaps? I hope to have made more movies and music and maybe an iPhone application. Holographic, lucky trick painting spells. Mystic river dreaming. Long hellos and short good byes. Employment opportunities for good people. More happiness and optimism. Just the same, traveling and exhibiting and building things to fall in love with then mourn like a lost child.
Describe a recent project you’ve worked on, that you’re proud of. There is this video I have been working on that I am really proud of. I have worked with video for a long time now and have enjoyed posting bits and pieces on YouTube for fun.
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DAVE KINSEY Kinsey’s cartoons of intense, moody characters in urban environs are icons with an international cult currency. He also runs the world-renowned BLK/MRKT Gallery. Describe the most special moment that has happened in your life this year. The most special moment for me was moving to the mountains (Three Rivers, CA) to isolate myself from the urban environment while I finish up the work for my NY solo show. It’s had a profound effect on my work as well as my overall life understanding.
growth. Nothing will bring you more success than what can be achieved through hard work. What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? At the moment it’s Mineral King, California. It’s this completely hidden gem 20 miles at the end of a crazy windy road—the first time I entered the valley I was awe-struck. There’s this expanse of a green meadow miles long, with black bears, deer and these fat little marmots roaming around surrounded by huge waterfalls cascading down from snow-capped mountain peaks; it’s just really hard to describe the perfect beauty of this place that has been un-touched by humans for millions of years.
What are the qualities about your work that you feel are the most unique, in your opinion? It’s hard to say what sets my works apart from others, but I do like to utilize engaging imagery and bold colour. Stylistically too, I’ve spent the last twenty years trying to become the master of my own voice.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? In 5 years I see myself doing what I love doing most—painting, designing and enjoying my surroundings. Project-wise, I’d like to continue to become more involved with social and globally conscious endeavours. Geographically, I really enjoy living in nature so I plan on staying where I am—with Los Angeles and San Francisco both about 4 hours away by car and New York 4 hours by plane. When I’m in the mood, I can easily get my culture on. All you need these days is a solid internet connection and you’re in business. I’m all about right here, right now, trying to make the best of life.
Describe one of the recent projects you have worked on that you are proud of. I’m hyped about completing 20 new works for my last show. It was tough work – my largest body of paintings to date and it’s been a journey, for sure. What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? In my experience, the most important thing needed to maintain growth on all levels is dedication and to never become complacent in your creative process. You also have to be prepared to take risks and push yourself without fear of failure. Complacency breeds mediocrity and fear will only stunt your
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BEN FROST Disney, Batman, The Simpsons, The Smurfs, Spider Man, Wolf Man, Archie Comics, junk food logos and more all get mashed up with pornography and grindhouse film titles in Frost’s wicked, layered, full-color, full-bleed, large scale works. Sensory overload! What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time.
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? Las Vegas. Every other place on earth is there in replica form - but with far more flashing lights. Describe the most special moment in your life this year. Becoming single.
Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. I just got back from Mongolia at the start of September to work with local artists there over a week. It was totally amazing though very difficult to communicate.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I’d like to be the CEO of Disney, but I can’t actually see that happening. Geographically, I think Sydney is great, as long as I get to travel and spend time in different places doing cool projects. Hopefully I’’ll be doing something more worthwhile with my time than painting.
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? I think you have to thoroughly understand what is out there then do the opposite.
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ADAM WALLACAVAGE Skateboarding during his formative years surely left an impression on Wallacavage, as did the rich graphic cultural dynamism of skate culture. As a photographer, his manic images combine media savvy pop iconography with the dirt and grime of road rash. His steps into the world of ornamental plastering are just as bold. Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. I would say, the pieces I made for the Art From the New World show at the Bristol City Museum, in the UK. I was asked to make 2 big chandeliers for the exhibit and I made one gold one and one big colorful one with pearls and a crown on it named, Miss Fede.
Describe the most special moment in your life this year. Probably right at 12am on January 1st. A beautiful girl named Kelly brought me to see her dressing room/play room in the attic of an old Victorian house where she was throwing a New Years Eve party. We drank champagne with strawberries and talked until other guests from the party found us. Well that, and the spontaneous Goth party in my house during the heaviest Winter blizzard in the history of Philadelphia.
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why. Probably having a variety of skills. My dad told me a long time ago that if I wanted to be an artist, I better have a lot of other things to fall back on to pay the bills. I’m a sculptor, photographer, mold maker, ornamental plasterer, carpenter, and anything else I can think of. This has helped me to be able to take breaks and basically go any direction I want without fear of total failure.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I’m not sure, maybe I’m just lucky. Sometimes I think I got to where I’m at by giving up on trying to “make it” in the art world and by making things for myself instead. I’ve also been around a long time now and have a ton of ideas stowed in the messy attic of my head. I just need to do whatever I stumble upon up there without thinking too hard because I don’t know where I put anything.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I would love to have some sort wacky workshop with employees and possibly a small human version of myself by then. I got into what I’m into out of being sad seeing beautiful architecture being destroyed and replaced by boring modernist style garbage. I’d like to start a new tradition in Militant Ornamentalism.
What is your favourite place on Earth and why is it so special? That’s easy, anywhere near the ocean since I get claustrophobic being more than 120 miles from it.
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DAVID BONNEY Moody, ethereal, cutting edge, and always cheeky – fashion stylist Dave Bonney brings an intelligent, esoteric, and tough sensibility to his internationally renowned work. You never know what to expect, but it’s always original. What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I guess I have a point of view, or a taste that is pretty individual in my work that combines with a strong sense of the needs of the commercial fashion advertising and print world. I love a marriage of hi brow / low brow influences, and I’m constantly surprised that when I make what seem like oddball, personal decisions about clashing elements (and I work really thoroughly at the detail) a lot of people really feel it too.
and then all kinds of random, fantastically surprising offers come in. Just keep working hard and not being a prick.
Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. The images printed here are largely out-takes from a shoot I did for Oyster with photographer Ben Sullivan and hair & make-up artist Gavin Anesbury. I loved the day in studio and the shoot looks as good in the magazine as I could have wished for (a pretty rare occurrence). It was a really focused and confident collaboration that at the same time felt really loose and joyful, one of those days that makes me remember why I love my job.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I haven’t been attached to a magazine for a few years so would like to have a guiding hand in one again for a while, and I’m keen to collaborate on some independent publishing projects. I want to continue directing shows where I get to work on all aspects of the event – the physical environment, music and the styling. But my strongest desire is to work on more visual art projects. To take my practice and my love of collaboration out of a strictly commercial context, and to explore more abstract and personal fascinations. That can happen just about anywhere (bearing in mind what I said about loved ones and sun).
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? Don’t really have one geographical location that wins out – but my favourite place is one where I’m with my loved ones, friends or family, where there’s plenty of great food and drink and the sun is shining on me. (Then add on a quick trip to New York or London for all that other stuff I love – art shows, shopping, nights out bigcityshit and I’m well sorted).
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why. The art part – trying hard to maintain that individual point of view I mentioned earlier. Despite the overwhelming barrage of imagery and information I’m exposed to everyday, to convince myself I’ve still got ideas worth developing, that will be new enough, that someone will care about. The career part – no idea. I don’t get jobs I think I’m perfect for
Describe the most special moment in your life this year. Every moment I am smart enough to see what a lucky fucker I am.
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Featured images - Oyster magazine issue #88 August 2010. Styling David Bonney Photography Ben Sullivan Hair & Make-Up Gavin Anesbury
ELLIS GALLAGHER Ellis Gallagher is widely known for his mournful chalk outline shadows of common NYC objects. He has since transferred these empty silhouettes to canvases and skateboards, complicating and expanding upon his aesthetic with unique results. Name 5 special moments that happened in your life this year. This year I celebrated 3 years of marriage and my son’s 2nd birthday. I moved into a new space and created lots of new works. I did quite a bit of travel in 2010 which was a real highlight.
up, keeping a fresh perspective and not fearing taking risks and thinking outside of the box and working outside of my comfort zone. What are 5 of your favorite places on earth that you have visited and spent time in, and why were they so special? New York City, because I was born here and I love my native city with all my heart and soul. I have experienced pretty much all my ‘firsts’ here, to date. Bring on the future... Cebu City, Philippines. That’s where my mother’s side of the family is from and I learned how to shoot pool there. Absolutely gorgeous countryside on that island...also the beaches and mountains. The cuisine is pretty amazing as well. My comfort food. The entire country of Thailand, my wife and I went on our honeymoon there. Pure bliss. Amazing. Brooklyn. Because I’ve been here for like 15 years. Roughly 10 of those 15 in the Downtown Brooklyn area, Roughly 5 in North Brooklyn. I’m from Manhattan though, the East Village. The island of Jamaica for the people/food/culture/music/terrain.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I think that with my working with light/chalk/shadow in the public view, It is something that is democratic and approachable. Chalk in the street is super friendly. It belongs there on the sidewalk. Most people view chalk as a harmless, playful way of expression. It is not only about the work itself, however. The artist as a human being comes into play as well...that person’s history and character. At least for me, anyway. Everybody has a story or several stories to tell, I’m certain. Describe one of your recent projects you have worked on, that you are proud of. Creating the photograph “Gondola.” in Lincoln, New Hampshire 2010. I received small town scrutiny making this photograph from the cop in the car: “What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Where is your I.D.? What is your social security number? Where are you from? Where are you staying?” “Are you walking or driving?” I did’nt get to finish the spot, he called an ‘In case of emergency’ number for the building, the guy on the other end of the line requested that I stop. I was very happy I did not get arrested.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I see myself working. Continuing on with what has become my life’s work, pushing myself and pressing on...exploring more and more...finding new ways to get the aesthetic across. Be it walls painted with projections of my photography of my street work, to original works, to screenprints, to dioramas of street scenes with shadows enhanced, to C-Prints, I mean, It can be pretty endless. Also commercial work. Merchandising. Museum Shows. Art Fairs/ Festivals. Gallery Shows, Commissions and Street Work. I try to stay positive and be receptive to new ideas and strategies. It is key being adaptive to new working environments, stateside and abroad.
Name your top 5 personal keys to success in maintaining the growth of your art and your career. Diligently working, maintaining a strong work ethic, keeping productivity levels high, utilizing different mediums, mixing it
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JIM HOUSER At the juncture of folk art tradition and comic book panel work, Jim Houser situates sparse text around simplified figures, creating something that’s half-fractured narrative, half-road map to an elegant, brute muted world. Name 5 special moments that happened in your life this year. On April 30, our son Seamus was born. Everything else this year kind of pales in comparison to that. I released my first record in July after working on it for almost two years. It was really cool to finally hold the album in my hands . Between July 9th and July 16th , Jessica and I put Seamus in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans , in the same week. My late wife , Rebecca Westcott , had her paintings exhibited at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery . I can’t express how satisfying it is to have others recognize that which I had seen from the moment I first watched her paint. Becky was a rare person, and a thousand times the artist I am. Last week I took Seamus for his first rides at the skate park.
and put out something that looks and sounds exactly how I wanted it to was a very big deal to me. Name your top 5 personal keys to success in maintaining the growth of your art and your career. Wow, I try so hard to care about my career and stuff sometimes, but I just stop after a bit. It stresses me out too much. I just like making paintings and drawing on walls. I don’t promote myself or network or tweet or whatever, at all. So far as growth is concerned, I think it’s important to take breaks when your brain needs a break. I love painting, but I’ll go a month or two without making a painting, no sweat. I don’t force it. I’ll make music instead, or work on my house. Growth for me comes in those periods when I step away for a bit. I’ve benefitted a lot from having people who were really invested in my well being as the people who were selling my work. My two main art dealers, Jonathan Levine and Shelley Spector, are really good friends and not just business-friends. I would never have gotten anywhere if neither of those two people saw worth in what I do, and wanted to help. So I guess I only have 3 keys to success and not 5. Maybe that’s why I am not as successful as I could be.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I have no idea, honestly, I often wonder about it. There is a lot of art out there I see and do not like at all and I wonder about those people as well. We just sort of make what we are compelled to make, right? There isn’t much thought past that, for me. I am so uncomfortable with criticism of my work , that it makes me hold my tongue about what I don’t like about the work of others. The art needs to speak about the artist, for me to be interested in it at all. Maybe that’s what people who like my art like about it.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I’ll have a five year old , so that kind of trips me out . I envision saying the word,”NO” a lot. We will probably be in a bigger house, I hope. Two of my dogs are 14 and 15 years old . So that’s kind of a bummer to think about. You don’t meet a lot of 19 and 20 year old dogs. Art-wise, who knows, I guess probably doing the same old thing. Except then, it will be the same even older thing. I’ve always wanted to write a novel, so maybe I’ll have started working on that.
Please describe one of the recent projects you have worked on, that you are proud of. Like I said, the record I made, I’m pretty proud of that. I love making music, but I could never be in a band that plays shows and stuff. My anxiety is too bad. But music is an important part of what I make and do. It’s become a big theme in my paintings and installations. So to finally get my shit together
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KID ZOOM There’s an intensity and detail to Kid Zoom’s street art and gallery interior work that is as gnarly as rotting meat, as dark as a horror flick and as skilful as an orchestra. Describe the most special moments that have happened in your life this year. There have been many - moving to New York and getting to work with, paint walls and exhibit alongside my idols over here. My mentorship with Ron English. Buying a bear and meeting the Aquabats.
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? I’m never happy with my work and I love doing it. I don’t have kids or a house. I have a girlfriend who understands I will never have a normal life and I’ve spent every cent I have doing this.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? Regardless of the quality of work, the support of other artists, galleries and vandals around me has been the key to me being where I am now. Particularly early on in Australia, people like Ben Frost, Beastman, Dmote and Lister really helped me work out where I wanted to go.
What are your favourite places on earth and why are they so special to you? Last Chance Studios in Perth - it’s where my best friends live and it’s the only place where I feel like I belong. My studio in Brooklyn. It’s where I spend most of my time and it’s very close to Dunkin Donuts and Pumps. Old World’s End Studio in Sydney - I spent most of 2009 living and working there. It’s an amazing studio which, in my opinion, housed some of the most important Australian contemporary artists and vandals. (World’s End shut its doors mid-2010 and has since re-incarnated as StupidKrap Studios at a new location). Melbourne - For all the amazing artists and friends there. And my dirty old share house with Beastman and Max Berry in Surry Hills.
Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. I’m in the middle of working up a solo show so there are a few paintings and installation works I’m really happy with at the moment. I was recently involved in a massive billboard and public advertising take-over project in Toronto with over 60 other artists, taking over 90 street level ads and billboards. Also being involved in the 10 year anniversary show at Opera Gallery in New York and exhibiting alongside Ron English, Logan Hicks, Lori Early, Sas and Colin Christian was a largely humbling experience.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I couldn’t have guessed I’d be here 5 years ago, so I couldn’t begin to guess where I’ll be in another 5 years time.
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DEVILROBOTS Well known for their Tofu Oyako figure, the characters created by Tokyo-based design company Devilrobots are so clean cut and unassuming they could appear on kid’s TV; but there’s a wit and knowing wink about them that’s all old soul. Describe one of your recent projects you have worked on, that you are proud of. Our collaboration with musician MIKA which lead us to create the ‘MIKA TO-FU’ is a standout. The Monsoon exhibition: 5 talented artists gathered together to create one world by one theme using all their specialties.
Name 5 special moments that happened in your life this year. Participating in the Taipei Toy Festival 2010, eating new Japanese cuisine, our collaboration with MIKA, and him visiting our studio this year. Watching Toy Story 3 and Beautiful Islands. What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? Well, there is not much of a difference, we are just lucky to know the right people. And speaking of the qualities, the art work by MOGraphixx is astonishing.
Name your top 5 personal keys to success in maintaining the growth of your art and your career. Get the basics right; communication, consideration, continuation, and sense. Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I am doing what I was thinking 5 years ago, so I am sure I will be doing the same thing in 5 years time. I just hope global warming is eased and the world is in peace.
What are 5 of your favorite places on earth that you have visited and spent time in, and why were they so special? My home town Shiga. Kyoto where I became interested in design. Osaka where I learned the basics of design. Tokyo, where I work now. London where I have not been yet.
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BUFF MONSTER Buff Monster’s weirdly geometric, patterned vistas are colour-filled in day glo and populated by acid damaged versions of Japanese candy mascots. There’s a paganistic spirituality to his compositions – which are so pink and perky it’s downright menacing! What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? I wish I knew. I just work hard on everything I do. It means it might take longer, but I want everything to be awesome.
for permission and it doesn’t make apologies, and that’s a way that I approach my work. I’m very concerned with colour and pattern, and I think craftsmanship is of the upmost importance. I obsess over the surface of my paintings to make them the very best that I can.
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? “Home is where the heart is.” My place is really not all that it could be I suppose, it’s often more cluttered than I desire, but home is always a good place to be.
Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. I just completed my fourth solo show with the Corey Helford Gallery. I was in Europe to work with the Bristol City Museum, and then I travelled to Berlin, Paris and London. Upon returning to Hollywood, I was very inspired. I was looking at new studio spaces within two days of getting home. It was a long summer, filled with long days working in the studio, but it all worked out. My show was very well received and I couldn’t be happier with the turn out at the opening.
Describe the most special moment in your life this year. In May I was part of a group show at the Bristol City Museum in Bristol England. I was given the opportunity to paint three walls in the museum and also to have my 15-foot tall ice cream balloon sit in the lobby. Working with the museum was great, but when I found out recently that they were buying my painting for their permanent collection, I was super happy. As a painter, I’m totally honored and flattered that they want a piece of mine. And as a street artist, who has done tons of work in the streets that never lasts, I can’t believe my work has finally achieved permanence.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I want to keep doing what I’m doing, more or less. I’d like to keep painting and designing toys and also working on some bigger projects like some more big balloons and murals, and hopefully a Buff Monster mini golf course. I’d also like to team up with some cool companies to work on some rad projects together. Hollywood is a crazy place to live. Maybe I’ll be in New York or Berlin in five years.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I probably listen to more heavy metal than most. Heavy metal is such a big inspiration for me; it’s empowering. It doesn’t ask
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grotesk Modernist animation and 50s neon signs are filtered through a streetwear sensibility in the work of Kimou Meyer (aka Grotesk). Ever wondered how cute a cartoon character could look drinking a 40? Kimou’s your man. What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I don’t take myself too seriously, I try to communicate ideas more than aesthetic, I work really hard every day and I stay focused on quality more than industry connections. As for the millions of other talented people, I would rank myself at the number 999,999.
Describe the most special moment in your life this year. Establishing the Doubleday and Cartwright creative agency in March with my friends Chris and Aaron. My 10 year wedding anniversary. My 2 kids growing up way too fast and drawing way better than I do. Watching almost every game of the World Cup this past July. Rediscovering 3D arts and crafts and starting illustration made out of wood and salvage junk like I used to do with my dad as a kid.
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? Tokyo for the passion of craft and design, the way you get lost in translation and can make your own interpretation of every aspect of the city. Brooklyn for the 360 degrees design turn after coming from the clean and organized Swiss world. Mexico for the colours, art, food and hospitality. Europe, where I travelled every summer as a kid with my parents. They took us to amazing museums, archaeology sites, restaurants, landscape, etc... From Paris to the Greek Islands to educate my brother and I about the diversity of humanity and culture. India for the amazing landscapes, kindness and positive mental attitude.
Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. We designed a pop up shop for Nike in NYC that lasted 6 months with my 2 business partners and it was really new for the 3 of us. We were able to realize a project that included creative direction, sport history contents, interior design, labelling systems, product design and customization on site. It was really exciting to see the final result with all the pieces of the puzzle. Sometime it’s good to push yourself to unknown territories. What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? For me it is firstly my wife and kids energy. Brooklyn and New York City culture at large. Food, cooking and travelling the world. Listening or reading stories of inspirational people and reprogramming myself based on those stories every year. That makes me never happy about where I am now and forces me to create and push myself into new things and more positive vibes.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I see myself living between New York and a small fishing town somewhere in France drawing and sculpting all day until I die without having to worry about where I see myself for the next 60 years...
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NUMSKULL A voracious post-modern blender of graphic detritus from throughout publishing history, Numskull’s works reconfigure corporate logos, pop culture icons, media conventions, superheros, and everything but the kitchen sink (oops wait, now that’s in there too). With visceral aplomb he wrings new meanings from old flotsam. Describe the most special moment that has happened in your life this year. Making a conscious decision to ditch 9-5 work and concentrate on something I love.
destructive 10 minutes. The reaction was priceless... What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? In 2004 I ventured to Zimbabwe to a small village called Chikombedze where my mum is involved in running an AIDS orphanage. My time was spent helping out, painting a couple of walls with local kids and meeting some amazing people. For a country that suffers so much, the people are so happy. It really affected the way I look at life.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I like to think I’m quite dedicated to what I do. Since I was at school I have always been inspired to create new things and get involved with like minded people. I started off in graffiti, then transitioned into street art which has lead me to where I am today. My work is always evolving as I constantly try new things and experiment with different mediums. So I guess that would be my unique quality. Never stopping and always changing.
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? Motivation and persistence. It’s easy to get comfortable and take the easy road. To take a leap into creating art for your career is a big move and can sometimes be scary, but you’ve got to remember you’re lucky enough to be in a position where you can live off of what you love and have absolute passion for.
What are the qualities about your work that you feel are the most unique? “Scratching the Surface” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney. Myself, Beastman, Phibs, Max Berry and Roach painted a mural on massive 10 x 2.5 metre panels that were then installed in the foyer of the MCA. After filming the process which took two full days, two guys dressed up as council workers walked through the VIP crowd on openingnight and painted over the mural in a quick and
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? Not sure where I see myself in 5 years. Still painting and climbing up and down ladders probably. I take things as they come, rather than plan too far ahead. There’s definite plans to travel more and paint walls and exhibitions overseas though.
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OLIVER HIBERT Oliver’s psychedelic black light cartoons take the Summer of Love aesthetic and update it for the iPod generation; think floating eyeballs, oil and water puddle effects, and cross-legged meditating canines. Far out! Describe the most special moment in your life this year. It has truly been a fantastic year and so many great things have happened but I think the most special moment would be getting engaged to my girlfriend of over 11 years, about time huh? I really don’t know where or what I’d be without her in my life.
simple as that. If you work hard and continually make new art you’ll naturally grow as an artist and most likely your career will grow with it. Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. I have been working on an ongoing personal project of designing different series of skateboard decks for a skate brand that I created called Hagala. Although I don’t skate much these days, skateboarding and I go way back. For almost ten years it was a huge part of me and my friend’s lives. Everything revolved around skateboarding for us; it was a hobby, a lifestyle, an excuse to hang out and a reason to get out of the house and onto the streets to raise hell! But these days are mostly filled up with lounge singing gigs and making art so it’s nice to be able to pay tribute to those golden carefree days of my youth in one way or another.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? Color is very important to me. I believe bold colours and clean lines automatically draw the viewer in, followed by the curiosity of scenes and images that make people hungry for answers wondering what it all means and why. I’ve realized that people enjoy trying to figure out a painting just like a puzzle. I also feel people are drawn into my work from hints of familiar elements relating to cartoons, pop culture/advertising and psychedelia.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I could easily see myself living in the north-western part of the United States by then, most likely in Portland, in an old Victorian style house just making art and painting away, enjoying life. Or maybe I’ll design and build some crazy huge hot air balloon house and sail around the world making psychedelic topographical maps. Either way, I’ll be making art indefinitely.
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? My all time most favourite place is my studio. That actually includes all of my studios I’ve had through the years. It’s where I spend a lot of my time doing what I love most and the place where I can truly just be me. What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? The most important thing is to just keep creating art. It’s as
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RINZEN Dispersed across three continents and four cities, five-person design collective Rinzen make deceptively simple graphics with animism, anthropomorphism, iconography, storytelling and wordplay at work. Plus their stuff’s super cute! Describe one of the most special moments that happened in your life this year. The first day of spring. Why is it always a surprise? How lovely to have forgotten again.
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? Cultivation, like a garden. Stay away from genetic modification. Face the sun. Be a scarecrow when needed.
What are the qualities about your work that you feel are the most unique, in your opinion? There’s an odd, slightly autistic synthesis of art for personal consumption vs art for mass expression swooshing around in the heart of what we do. I often find work that skirts similar margins the most interesting.
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? It’s always made by the people, and moves as they move. Everything else is postcards. Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? The grey in our hair will jauntily complement our jaded complexion, no doubt. If we manage to survive the Mayan’s/Terrence McKenna’s 2012 existential deadline, perhaps we can look forward to finally living in an idea economy, rather than a world of economical ideas.
Describe a recent project that you are happy with. The Pick Me Up exhibition at Monster Children gallery in Sydney was a pleasant way of summing up and bringing to light a personal conversation that was later realized to maybe have some public significance. Wallflowers and off cuts are sometimes the more interesting integers in any equation.
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SHAG Shag re-enlivens a quirky pop art style from the bygone era of Tiki bars, groovy chicks, international jet setters, and eye-patched villains - all painstakingly executed in perfect mid-century modern style. Dig it! Describe the most special moment that has happened in your life this year. A store entirely dedicated to my art and merchandise opened in Palm Springs, California this May. Called simply, “Shag: The Store,” the interior design, signage and store fittings were designed by me to look like one of my paintings. I got very drunk at the opening and leg-wrestled anyone who was willing to compete against me. I am a notorious leg-wrestler, and beat all challengers except one, who, alas, stole the title from me.
things taken from my life, my dreams, or my manic-depressive emotional state, and these were manifested as huge diptych and triptych panels in the manner of Heironymous Bosch. The exhibit was featured in a new book, also called “Autumn’s Come Undone.” What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? Southern California - I’ve called it home for most of my life, and there’s a reason every British pop star aspires to live there. Besides being the entertainment capital of the world, L.A., Orange County, and San Diego offer the chance to surf or swim in some of the world’s finest beaches in the morning, get in a car, and go skiing or hiking in the mountains that same afternoon. Some people are put off by the widespread geography, but I like the flatlands punctuated by wooded hilly enclaves. Plus, there’s always something to do.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I think I’ve been able to capture a visual style that has nostalgic appeal to many people, but I’ve imbued that style with dark humour and surrealism as well as a narrative that is a bit twisted and off kilter. My art came of age at a time when people were rediscovering the aesthetic appeal of 1950s and ‘60s modernism, as well as the pop culture and kitsch of the same era. I took those raw elements and tried to make paintings that had more depth than the simple visual elements, and tried to engage viewers or draw them into the paintings.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I hope to live in the same house and have the same studio five years from now. I’ve worked hard to get where I am and plan to stay put. I don’t have any specific five year plan; I just sort of creep along in time, taking projects and making artistic choices as they come along. I could offer a pie-in-the-sky scenario where I’m having cocktails at the opening of my career retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, but realistically, I’ll probably be painting and exhibiting in the same galleries that represent me now. Hopefully my work will continue to evolve in directions that keep me interested.
Describe one of your recent projects you have worked on, that you are proud of. I’m most proud of an exhibition I had this November called “Autumn’s Come Undone.” It marked a shift in the direction of my art, ushering in a more sombre subject matter and a darker palette. Most of the themes of the show were deeply personal
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ANDREW jeffrey WRIGHT Co-founder of Philadelphia’s legendary Space 1026 Gallery, Wright’s twisted, hilarious pop vision manifests itself in zines, comics, t-shirts, fluoro video art attacks and his classic Labs With Abs calendar (based on the highest selling calendars being either Labrador retrievers or men with ripped abs). What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why. Everything. I need it all so I can continue to make it all and by all I mean videos, postcards, screen prints, paintings, photographs, zines, jokes, collages and more.
Describe the most special moment in your life this year. I watched a dog on youtube save another dog that was hit by a speeding car. What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? I don’t have one. I like swimming holes a lot, but there is no favorite one. I like swimming and jumping off of things into water. I like clean creeks too, where you can catch salamanders, newts, frogs and crawdads, look at them and then let them go.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I am doing everything I really enjoy doing. I guess I would like to be doing it with less resistance so I can make more of it and faster. I want to make a Labs With Abs TV show and a TV show for The New Dreamz, but I don’t think there will be tv in 5 years, unless computers count as television. I’d have to have a retrospective at the Tate Modern. Geography doesn’t really matter to me.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? Luck and chance. Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. I made a music video for Dream Beaver by the band Sweatheart.
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GARY BASEMAN Pop surrealism at its finest, Baseman’s works are crude-yet-calculated mischievous cartoon images. He creates eerie and nonsensical tableaus that look like tarot cards dreamt up by fever-sick toddlers. Describe one of the most special moments that happened in your life this year. “Special” seems to have been overshadowed due to my having had a profoundly emotional year. It started out special with an exhibition in Sao Paulo, where I stayed in Brazil to be inspired by Carnival. But when I returned home, I found my father gravely ill; and after spending a long week by his side, he passed away. I loved my father, but I was not particularly close. He never really understood my art, but always supported me. My father, Ben, was a Holocaust survivor from Eastern Europe who came to America after his parents were murdered, lost all his property, his homeland, and his language. He came to Los Angeles to allow his family to live in “freedom.” Ben had me later in life, and lived till 93. But even though his death was not unexpected, it has affected me more than I would have thought. In the last 5 months, I have changed my appearance, in that I have not shaved or cut my hair. I went from someone who always looked youthful and playful, to looking like a wise, aged soul. I have continued to work hard on my art and experiment. I have produced live art performances, experimented in photography and with fashion designers and musicians, while continuing to paint, design vinyl toys, and finalize my latest art books. What the result is from all of this, I don’t know.
“Giggle and Pop!” was an art performance I produced at LACMA in June 2010. I brought together a dozen of my ChouChou characters and a dozen Tar Pit Girls, who engaged with the crowds at the park at the La Brea Tar Pits and LA County Museum of Art. I worked with choreographer, Sarah Elgart, and had the singer Carina Round write a nursery rhyme song. The goal was to challenge viewers to lose their inhibitions to sing and dance with the Tar Pit Girls and ChouChous. I love the interpersonal interaction with the audience. I like having a structure that is loose enough to allow one to use his or her intuition and play with the spontaneity within the event. We offered 700 participants free limited-edited sashes as an incentive to dance with us, and serigraphs of the lyrics of the ChouChou song to sing with us. I wanted everyone to go home with a souvenir or keepsake, which they can have as a reminder of the feelings they had during the event. What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? The most important thing needed in maintaining growth in art is a hunger for growth. Many are afraid of change. But in today’s world, everything is changing faster and faster. I have been fortunate to reinvent myself about every five years. I like to find new ways to explore my art and find new applications with my art.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? My greatest quality as an artist is my ability to walk through walls. Traditional approaches to art have always bored me. I use my art to explore new worlds within the human condition. I started out as an extremely successful commercial artist, but found that too limiting. I love to work in new mediums, if it is print, or television, or fashion. I wanted to work without boundaries as a painter. I found the art world’s terms were too confining for me and coined the term “Pervasive Art,” which is not limited to content or medium as long as an artist stays true to his message and has a strong visual identity.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? In five years, I will be living in a new multi-dimensional plane that has not been created yet, through new media. With these new approaches in communication, we will find new sources to feel emotion and new challenges on how to express ourselves. I will be creating images for the 5th dimension that people will physically feel, while colour will be able to soak into one’s pores and music fills one’s bloodstream. You will not only be able to see art through the naked eye, one will taste art on the tongue and interact with art in a dream state. Remember to text me on my telepathic t-phone when all this comes true.
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BILL MCMULLEN The swagger and style of hip-hop and street culture inform Bill McMullen’s commercial work and gallery outings. Crisp, clean designs are the common thread through this Jack of All trades ongoing work. What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? For me, I want to place emphasis on more exploration of an idea or ideas. Coming from a design background, it’s often a series of steps: Get task. Solve task with unique solution. Get next task, solve with unique solution. As a commercial designer, often you want to avoid repeating yourself – the client wants something new. In my own art, I’m finding I have the option of creating a new piece, or continue exploring an idea I like. A solution isn’t limited to a single use if I don’t want it to be. I can show version 2, version 3, et cetera – something you don’t like to do with a logo design. My girlfriend told me “Don’t stress about repeating or revising ideas you want to – some artists spend their entire career exploring a singular idea.” Sort of a different approach for me, but I’m trying it out.
Describe one of the most special moments that happened in your life this year. I did my second solo gallery show. It’s not a big deal to anyone but me really, but it set a second waypoint in what I hope will be a series of many. What qualities about your work do you feel are the most unique? I don’t know if I can pinpoint that myself – I don’t see them. That’s a trick question! You sound like a jerk if you answer, and you look like a jerk if you don’t! Describe a recent project that you are happy with. I recently did a basketball with Germany’s K1X sportswear company – I was one of four artists designing a ball to represent the elements, and I had the opportunity to do ‘Fire’, and I love the way it turned out. Glossy, fluorescent ember of a ball... Weird. I like that piece a lot.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I want to be waking up in Tokyo, get brunch in Los Angeles, have a late lunch in Mexico City, get dinner in New York, and go out that night in London or Paris. I want to be working more on my art, film projects, and some more music thrown in. I hope I can be wherever I’m wanted for work at that moment.
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? Wherever I can be where I like what I’m doing. I like working on something that means something to me, something I like, something that’s mine or a collaboration where my input is wanted, and when that’s happening, I’m lost in it and I don’t feel time. That’s where I like to be.
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ERIC WHITE Delicately warped, Eric White’s masterfully crafted paintings are like Norman Rockwell Americana viewed through a funhouse mirror. His classic album cover adaptations are similarly comically twisted! What are 5 of your favourite places on earth that you have visited and spent time in, and why were they so special? Paris is my favorite city on earth. I don’t speak the language but I’m completely drawn to it for some reason, I’m not sure why. I probably lived there in a past life. My second is Las Posas which is a hidden city in the jungles of central Mexico where a rich Englishman who fancied himself king built himself an expansive sculptural palace amongst the waterfalls. Then Kyoto because it is one of the only ancient wooden cities in Japan that wasn’t destroyed by US firebombing in World War II. Incredible. My forth is Negril, Jamaica because it was my first trip without my parents and with my good friend Bill Yellowman, a catamaran, giant starfish through crystal blue water, lobster salad, jumping off a giant cliff into the ocean and nearly drowning. And finally Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is my birthplace and the city I grew up in, and it still retains a magical quality when I visit.
Name 5 special moments that happened in your life this year. The first real phone conversation with my very shy niece. “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck. Now in my top five of all time. A collaborative project with Tim Biskup, which involved shooting a video with Tim & Eric of “Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” Grizzly Bear at Governors Island, NYC. Going upstate for 4 July with friends / fellow artists Daniel Davidson and Tricia Keightley for the best meal of the year prepared by Gene Wagner. What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I don’t really think I’m that special. If anything, it’s maybe technical ability combined with strange metaphysical ideas. Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I’d love to be living somewhere in Europe in five years. As for projects, I hope to be making bigger and better paintings, and the occasional weird video.
Please describe one of your recent projects you have worked on, that you are proud of. Stages was a benefit exhibition for Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Cancer Foundation that opened in Paris and travelled on to New York and Miami. I made a large painting which was a tribute to my mom and her experience with cancer. I have the utmost respect for the other artists involved and the people who organized the exhibition, and I was grateful to be a part of it.
Please name your top 5 personal keys to success in maintaining the growth of your art and your career. Work hard and keep your word. Stay organized. Be humble. Keep challenging yourself creatively. Connect with people who are likeminded, and be generous and supportive rather than competitive.
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MICHAEL DE FEO Flowers popping up amidst the urban jungle are a rare enough occurrence, but Michael de Feo plants his static, identical flower image poster all over towns all over the world, bringing light and levity to often bleak surroundings. Describe the most special moment in your life this year. This summer my six year old daughter, Marianna, my mother, and I, travelled to Provence, France for AP’art, an international contemporary art festival of which I took part. For the festival I had the privilege of doing installations in three different villages: St. Remy-de-Provence, Tarascon, and Les Baux. As fun and rewarding each of those projects were, my favorite part of the trip was the extracurricular activity of wheat pasting large and small flowers all over St. Remy with Marianna. This was the first time Marianna has joined me on a street art mission and we had an absolute blast together! We were headquartered in a strategically placed apartment on the Southern loop of St. Remy and set out late one evening around 11 pm. Marianna helped me select spots, paste up the work, and she even carried my broom! We walked the entire loop around St. Remy, installing flowers all over. Of all the experiences I’ve had in the over eighteen years of doing work on the streets, this one is my absolute favorite.
replaced the figure’s umbrellas with my flowers. Like my homage to Manet’s “Olympia” that I installed in Paris a few years ago, I again decided to tip my hat to French art history and recreate a famous painting. What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I’d like to think that I work pretty hard and put a lot of my heart, passion, and hours into what I do. That being said, I’m most often unsatisfied with what I create. I’m always seeking areas that need improvement and constantly strive to be better. What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? The oceans are some my favorite places on Earth. I’ve been SCUBA diving for over ten years and absolutely love connecting with the awesome power of the sea in that way. The beauty of sea life is jaw-dropping and inspirational. I can’t wait to get my daughter into it when she’s a little older so that we can both experience it together. I’ve used these dive experiences to create a series of street pieces for urban settings. I’m interested in bringing some of this shadowy underwater world to street level.
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why. I try to stay connected with everything that’s around me and keep what I do true to the heart. I love to travel, meet new people, work on collaborations, and experience all kinds of art and share things with others. Spending time with children is also very important - they know the way.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I’ll be continuing my travel and street art adventures to farther reaches around the globe. I’m interested in connecting with more people, young and old via a variety of mediums. My work will continue to explore new mediums and ways of engaging people around me. Most likely, I’ll still be here in New York.
Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. As part of the previously mentioned art festival in Provence, I installed a large mural on a wall of the two century old fabric and clothing manufacturer, Souleiado in Tarascon, France. It was my homage to Gustave Caillebotte’s painting, “Rainy Day in Paris” from 1877. I recreated the piece in acrylic and paper and
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SHOBOSHOBO Blobby wavy people with severed limbs, hexagonal heads and ear-to-ear smiles dominate the dreamlike designs of zine-maker, musician and clothier Mehdi Hercberg (aka) Shoboshobo. Puts the the “ur” in “surreal”! What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why. I have to say build high self-esteem and believe in yourself. Have confidence, like and feel good about yourself, take pride in what you do. Focus with a positive attitude. Always expect the best possible outcome for what you do. Your thoughts are like magnets; you attract what you think. Set powerful goals and give your brain a place to aim. Set goals so that you can reach them. When you do, reach a little higher. Persevere, never quit and never give up. Keep going and keep trying. Maintain a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Take care of yourself through a healthy diet, exercise, and say no to drugs.
Describe the most special moment in your life this year. There have actually been five. In no particular order; discovering and getting into Roberto Bolaño’s wonderfull work, checking out a Cobra Matal concert (where I left pretty much deaf), the birth of new project ‘Michel Fusain’, Zelig’s first steps and getting rid of my scooter. Describe a recent project you’ve worked on that you’re proud of. I’m most proud of the new project I’m part of called Michel Fusain. The project involves Sylvain Quement from Gangpol und Mit and Freeka from Sgure. The project is a trio where I’m making drawings live, on my pens are attached infra red LED that are tracked by a wiimote connected to Freeka’s computer that generate sounds according to the pen’s position. Freeka and Sylvain are also making music that works along with the drawings I’m making. This is a performance that last something like 30 minutes. We played it first at Fondation Cartier in Paris.
What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? I love bookstores like “un regard moderne” in Paris - Saint Michel, the best bookstore in the world and “Takoshe” in Tokyo - Nakano, the second best bookstore in the world. I also like “Bimbo Tower” in Paris - Ledru Rollin, best record shop in the world and “Los Apson” in Tokyo - Shinjuku, the second best record shop in the world. Oh, and my bed. Where I wish I could spend more time.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? Pretty much the same. I hope enjoying artist, family and teacher life. My existence is well balanced at this point and I don’t wish anymore for myself. I wish in 5 years from now there will be a revolution in France and we hang on a rope the fascist pigs that govern us right now.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I’d say I don’t believe I’m unique and in anyway - I’m not the one who could possibly tell about that.
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Photographer Mark West
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RYAN MCGINNESS His signature style of over-lapping silhouettes and shapes is as beautifully ornate as it is intriguingly complex. Ryan’s creations continue to spiral out through varying mediums – work that’s easy to lose yourself in. Please name your top 5 personal keys to success in maintaining the growth of your art and your career. Working with good people in the studio. Working with good people outside the studio. Staying hyper-organized. Exercise. Playing offense instead of being forced into defense.
Name 5 special moments that happened in your life this year. January 9th, My Birthday, the 5th, 18th, & 22nd: Sex, Drugs, & Rock n’ Roll parties in the studio. February 4th: Opening of Studio Franchise at La Casa Encendida in Madrid. March 18th: Opening of New Tondos at Galerie Forsblom in Helsinki. April 9th: Autopsy party in the studio.
What are 5 of your favorite places on earth that you have visited and spent time in, and why were they so special? Manhattan because it’s hyper and frantic. Amsterdam for it’s surreality and beauty. Tokyo, because it feels like you’re walking around in the future. Copenhagen for its calm and logical systems for living. And Paris for its architecture.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? I am not special or unique. I wake up and go to work every day. Please describe one of your recent projects you have worked on, that you are proud of. I am proud of the Studio Franchise exhibition at La Casa Encendida this past February -April. I created a working studio in the museum based on my studio in New York. The space was open to the public, and I worked there with assistants every day.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I’m working toward a sustainable fluid studio practice that allows me to travel between New York and Amsterdam.
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jeff soto High contrast, high impact, vortexes of colour collapsing in – Jeff Soto’s works are inspired by childhood toys, the vibrant colours of skateboarding and graffiti, hip-hop and popular culture, imbued with latent adolescent energy. Big kid’s play. What are the qualities about your work that you feel are the most unique, in your opinion? I can paint fairly realistic when I want to, and I think for a while I was trying to push that to the side because the work I enjoy from other artists is much more flat and stylized. A couple years ago I decided to embrace the painter in me and just go with my imagination unfettered. It was the right thing to do and I feel like I’m headed in a different (but related) direction.
Describe one of the most special moments that happened in your life this year. Seeing my girl Shannon turn five and start kindergarten the following week. My wife and I were worried she was too young but she’s doing great and loves it. It warms my heart and makes me sad that my two girls are growing up! In art the most memorable thing was painting a secret NY location with Logan Hicks! Man.... What is your favourite place on earth and why is it so special? I couldn’t pick a certain place, but a couple months ago I had a great moment in the country. We were on vacation in Central California, driving down a tree-lined dirt road in the countryside. It was beautiful. Sun was streaming down between the shady trees. Grassy fields and cows were all around and we were possibly a little lost but had no worries. My wife was driving and I looked back at my two kids happily eating crackers in their car seats. They both smiled at me, and I thought, damn, I want to capture this moment somehow, live in this moment somehow. That instant it was my favorite place on earth and I took a mental snapshot.
Describe one of the recent projects you have worked on that you are happy with. The last year I’ve tried to get back to my graffiti roots and paint a few murals when I can. I was in NYC for an exhibit and we found a wall to paint on. I was pretty rusty, I hadn’t really painted with spraycans for about ten years, but it was sorta like riding a bicycle. The June weather was perfect, people walking by were cool, it was very different than the olden days, but I had a great time. Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? 2015 huh? I’ll probably still be living where I’m living. Hopefully still painting or making art of some kind. Maybe taking on a part time job that is more predictable and stable. I can see myself creating movies or cartoons eventually. And I wouldn’t mind teaching a class someday.
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? For some artists it has been a good idea to find a trademark style or character and stick with it, but for me I think my success has come from being innovative and changing things up from time to time. I have done a few things right and a few things wrong, but I feel lucky to still be showing my work.
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KILL PIXIE Inextricably embedded in their geometric, candy-coloured environments, Kill Pixie’s characters are like puppets compelled to enact roles prescribed by powers beyond their control.
Describe the most special moment that has happened in your life this year. Black Jack . Vegas. Put it all on red.
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? Being excited and inspired to explore new aspects of my paintings through narrative and always experimenting with new mediums. Just working hard, being consistent and expanding the body of work I’m working on.
What are the qualities about you and your work that have set you apart from the millions of other talented creative people out there, who are not in this book? Exploring new subjects and the elements I use to execute it.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? I usually make small scale work and recently moved into bigger pieces and installations, so evolving that further and having the opportunity to do that would be ideal. I don’t have a wish list, I just want to make the work I want to make.
Describe one of the recent projects you are proud of. I recently exhibited at the MACRO Museum of contemporary art in Rome, Designing vinyl artwork for my good friends Autolux and just released my own condom through the Third Draw Down.
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MIKE PERRY Doodling away night and day, Mike Perry creates new typefaces and sundry graphics that inevitably evolve into his new work, exercising the great belief that the generating of piles is the sincerest form of creative process. What are your favourite places on earth and why? I love Brooklyn. But you gotta love your home. I love a good drive through the country side I grew up in. Kansas. I love the beach in Brighton, England on a cool fall afternoon. I love an early morning walk to get coffee in Santa Monica, CA. I love a cup of fresh fruit in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Describe the most special moment that has happened in your life this year. Anna Wolf and I are celebrating our 5 year anniversary. I purchased a house in Brooklyn. My friends Zach and Caitlin had a surprise wedding at the courthouse in NYC and we went and had so much fun. I had a big exhibition in Minneapolis and so many friends came to be there with me – I was glowing the whole trip. I started to eat scallops.
What are the qualities about your work that you feel are the most unique, in your opinion? That is a hard question. I might say it’s because I work really hard and understand that what I am doing is big and real and I want to keep doing it forever.
Describe one of the recent projects you have worked on that you are proud of. I just finished a new book that will be out in spring of 2011. As with my other books I just took a subject that I am really into and made it into a book. It’s on the subject of screen printing and features my favourite contemporary designers and illustrators who use screen printing to explore their world.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now, what sort of projects would you like to be working on, where would you like to be, both geographically and career wise? Five years. I want to own a house in the country that I split my time in. I would love to be able to see the stars on a regular basis. I hope that I have pushed myself to make stronger work. I would like to have made enough books that I can sit on them like a chair. Being happy.
What is the most important thing needed in maintaining the growth of your art and your career and why? Make, make, make. Work hard. Believe in yourself. Share with the world. Make, make, make.
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After close to a decade of uncovering the world’s most creative female artists, the team behind the cult-hit book series CURVY is thrilled to unveil ‘MUSCLE UP’ a new limited edition collectible art book showing off the creative talents of the world’s most impressive male visual artists. Curated by art-world impresario Jeremyville and with creative direction by David Mardon and Jason Renel of The Shop, finally the world’s most creative guys will get the chance to show the CURVY girls what they’re made of. 30 of the most daring male visual artists are compiled herein. The MUSCLE UP roster features men of all shapes and sizes whose collective workv subverts the prevailing art world patriarchy. It ain’t a man’s world anymore, and these men represent that change. They’re artists who thumb their nose at convention, and – no matter how established their careers, or how internationally renowned their work – they are artists who refuse to grow up. Defiant and rebel-rousing, these creators playfully cross boundaries between graphic design, fine art, graffiti, film, product design, fashion, fiction, and heaps more. www.muscle-up.net