Interview and Content (c) 2010 Putain d'art
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Quote: I think the art world as a whole… has an overabundance of pretty paintings and photographs. These pleasant images have a positive / soothing effect on our subconscious and serve a very specific purpose.
On the other hand… the world for many does not have a pretty face. Hence the need for visual disassociation, conscious and otherwise.
*What are your considerations when developing an image?
For the greater part… the work will generally focus on amplifying the darker shades of emotion, exploring the irrational and the absurd. As human beings, these aberrations in “normal” behaviors are most compelling and deserve an effective voice.
*Looking closer at that statement, don’t you mean “normal” expressions and not behaviors?
The face is our personal mirror and directly reflects what an individual is feeling at any given moment. Perhaps if someone was being tortured and the goal was to hang tough and look unaffected, sure… expressions might appear confusing.
Behaviors also reflect what we are feeling and those emotions are translated through facial expressions. Whichever may come first is a toss-up, but in this case I was referring to behaviors.
*From the tone of your statement, are you suggesting that artists abandon the idea of classic landscapes and traditional portraiture?
I’m not suggesting anything of the sort. Traditional landscapes and portraits make up a huge part of the marketplace. Sometimes… in order to do one thing you must first do another. That is the nature of global commerce and a noteworthy concern when attempting to pay for your overhead, things like rent and art supplies.
It was never a conscious decision to specifically focus on certain themes, as the work is subconsciously driven and almost impossible to predict. But after a while certain patterns begin to emerge. Those patterns are what determine the source of a style and it is that which needs greater attention.
*How would you define normal behaviors?
You simply cannot! If everyone walked about like Stepford Wives (robots), there would not exist a visible range of emotions. Expressions would be limited to happy, sad, confused and so on. People would look and act the same all the time which would eliminate the possibility of individualism.
What appears to be normal… is the scale of general expressions people choose to manifest. When that chain is broken and an individual steps outside of what is considered socially or morally acceptable (e.g. child molestation, spousal abuse), it is those and other deviant behaviors most would view as unacceptable and not in the normale de mode.
What is deliberate, is trying to find a method to exaggerate those expressions and push the envelope of absurdity to its illogical conclusion.
*You mention on the About page of your website, that you have never used a digital paintbrush or drawing tablet to develop an image… is that still an accurate statement?
Yes… but today it’s sort of a yes and no depending on what you call painting. Through 2008-09, the only tool I was using was the Liquify and the various modes in that menu. Much had to do with color variations, shading, adjustments to the hue and so forth.
As the program became more familiar and my application (technique) began to expand, the paintbrush became an essential fill tool. Ultimately to change or color correct an area, I began to incorporate the Marquee as it felt natural and a better choice.
You have to remember... the software was part of a purchase for a Digital Drawing Tablet (still unused), and I had no previous training or experience with Photoshop.
*What was the most notable comment on your work to date?
That's an easy one (laughing)... it came from my website developer Nadia, a former Nuclear Physicist.
We were in her studio trying to decide on a particular piece when she turned to me and said; "You make such beautiful pictures for a Photoshop illiterate, I simply do not understand how you can do this... amazing"
Gallery image: Minotaur: Eclipsing the Moon
