Interview with Greg Farndon

Q. Who are you? Where are you from and where do you live now?

A. My name is Greg Farndon. I'm from the UK & i currently live in London.

Q. What is it that you do? What media do you use?

A. I have always been interested in using a variety of mediums, not necessarily being loyal to one over an other.

Its important to let the idea govern the material & be open to the possibility of change. I'm currently making assemblages that use mixed media.

Q. What do you think sets your work apart?

A. What sets everyones work apart is the individual making it. I am unaware if my stands out any more or less than the next persons.

The trick is to be happy with what you're making at the time. Writers are often told to write

about what they know, as the work will flow and be more believable for the reader. I think that sentiment extends throughout the arts.

Q. How long have you been showing your work for? Did you have a “big break?”

A. 'Big Breaks' as you put it are rare. I haven't shown for a long time but i hope, with the new direction my work is taking, i will exhibit

again next year.

Q. What are some things that have inspired you?

A. In an era where we walk around with the world in our pockets, surely everything has the potential to inspire.

Q. What have you been working on recently?

A. I think its always best hearing someone explain about the work rather than read about it. So much can be lost in written translation.

Like when an album is reviewed for a magazine. Whats written is never descriptive enough to do justice to the actual sound.

I would encourage anyone who may read this to visit my website and take a look.

Q. Do you listen to music while you create your work? If so, would you give some examples?

A. Music is a very important part of my life and work. Its an added dimension that assists with the process.

An invisible factor that can change the look, feel and structure of an idea. From the initial concept, to the title of a work.

As for examples.... Radiohead are alway a staple sound whilst i work. They create sounds that really fit my way of thinking and assist with my process.

I listen to a lot of movie soundtracks as well as individual artists. Jazz, blues, classical.... The list is endless, i'm just not great remembering names!

Some recommendations would be the soundtrack to the movie 'Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer'.

"Through Low Light And Trees' a beautiful album by an English Duo called 'Smoke Fairies'.

'The Boy And The Tree' By Susumu Yokota. His work is stunning! This list could go on. I would encourage people

to discover their own soundtracks. Thats the fun part, discovering something by chance that can enhance your process.

Q. Do you do work in any other media? Other projects not necessarily related to your main body of work?

A. I would like to work more in sound. It will happen as i like to traverse mediums and see what i'm capable of. Like i said before, i don't

have a particular loyalty to particular materials, so we'll see what happens. I do have two experimental sound ideas on the website 'Soundcloud'.

Q. What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?

A. I'm probably not the best person to ask but find a way of showing that suits you and just keep at it.

If you have no funds but you have the internet, you can show your work that way. Simply find what works for you.

Q. Do you have any upcoming exhibitions of your work that you can mention?

A. For the moment i'm concentrating upon making and then will focus on exhibiting. If someone shows an interest in my work, i'll happily show

but for now i'm continually making.

Q. Where can people see more of your work on the internet?

A. If you have a moment you can find me at www.gregfarndon.com

Interview with Julia Selin

q)Please tell us your name and where you practice.

a)Julia Selin, lives and works in Umeå, northern Sweden.

q) Why do you make art?

a)Because its fun.

q) How do you work ?

a)With drawing, painting and installation.

q) What´s your background?

a)I studied at the Nordic art school for two years, now I'm studying at Umeå Art Academy, taking my MFA in Fine Art.

q) What role does the artist have in society?

a)Don't know!

q) What was a seminal experience for you ?

a)When I dug a deep hole in the ground.

q) Has your practice changed over time ?

a)I guess its changing all the time.

q) What art do you most identify with ?

a)I guess a lot, but in different ways. Recently I've been looking a lot at the weird dead horse-sculptures of Berlinde de Bruyckere.

q) What´s your strongest memory of your childhood ?

a)Maybe once when I got stuck in the mud, trying to cross a field during a very rainy fall.

q) What themes do you pursue ?

a)A sort of relationship between human and nature, and the nature and its soil as some kind of flesh and blood-creature. And about places where the ground seems to be a passage to the underground, like swamps and meres and marshes.

q) Describe a real life experience that inspired you.

a)Walking in the mountains of Lapland in Sweden.

q) What jobs have you done other than being an artist ?

a)Ive been a graveyard janitor, a stable worker and an art teacher.

q) What responses have you had to your work ?

a)I guess mostly positive.

q) What do you dislike about the artworld ?

a)Male artists.

q) What research do you do ?

a)Field trips, and the library.

q) What is your dream project?

a)Spending a year in a small hut at a place with a good view, with a lake and mountains and not too many trees and no people. There I would paint and make installations outside.

q) What´s the best piece of advice you have been given ?

a)To do what is fun and interesting and not to do only what you think is expected from you.

q) What couldn’t you do without?

a)My baby and his father.

q) What makes you angry?

a)Rapists and war and violence and injustice.

q) What is your worst quality?

a)No patience.

q) Dogs or Cats ?

a)Both.

q) Making art is a lot like being on lsd. Know what I mean ?

a)Maybe, but I havnt tried lsd so I dont know.

q) What does “ copy” mean to you ?

a)I think copying is good. I think its impossible to copy someone perfectly. If I see something I like I often try to copy it, but then it ends up being completely different anyways.

q) What´s your favorite cuss word ?

a)Satan.

Interview with Gavin Worth

q)Please tell us your name and where you practice. 

a)My name is Gavin Worth. I was born in Zimbabwe, Africa, grew up in

Las Cruces, New Mexico, I lived in San Francisco, California for 8

years, and just two months ago, I moved to Cairo, Egypt to teach at the

American International School.

q) Why do you make art? 

a)I guess I make art because I don't really have another choice. It's

just what I do... it's what I've always done. It's like an itch that has

to be scratched. And when you have an idea in your head and you actually

create it with your hands, well, there's almost no feeling in the world

like that.

q) How do you work ? 

a)It depends on the media and concept of the piece. For my wire

sculptures, I always start with a pencil and paper, sketching. I work

through different poses, until I get something that clicks. This isn't

cerebral work, you can't sit around and think about what would be a good

sculpture -- this is all done on paper. The real ideas come while

drawing. Once the drawing is finished, I work on making the sculpture,

finishing the base, and mounting it.

q) What´s your background? 

a)My background is in acting. I was a trained classical actor and

musician, and for several years, I worked with various Shakespeare

Festivals around the country as an actor and teacher. I always drew and

painted, and during my acting career, I got the opportunity to do a lot

of set design, scene painting, and fabrication. I even made a full size

Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton out of foam using a chainsaw once. In the

past 5 years or so, I've really focused on making art more full-time.

q) What role does the artist have in society? 

a)I think the good artists, the ones that I really admire, have the

roles like the shamans did in ancient societies. They cut through masks

and show truth. It might be a pretty truth, it might be an ugly truth,

but it's always in good art. Have you ever been in a place that has no

art, no culture? If you have, you'll know why it's SO important. It

gives you air to breathe.

q) What was a seminal experience for you ? 

a)When I was 16, I took all the money that I had saved and traveled to

Paris. I lived on cheese for a week, but I saw unbelievable art. One

day, I saw a sidewalk chalk artist reproducing masterpieces out by the

Louvre. I couldn't stop watching him. When I got home, I tried to do the

same thing. It's the first time I took making art seriously.

q) Has your practice changed over time ? 

a)I've become less structured and more able to trust my instincts.

It's terrifying to let go and work without a plan, but there's only so

far you can go unless you do that.

q) What art do you most identify with ? 

a)Seriously, lots of it. I love Michelangelo, I love Schiele, I love

Lucien Freud, I love street art... Figurative art has always spoken to

me.

q) What´s your strongest memory of your childhood ? 

a)A big one, I guess, was when I was bitten by a rattlesnake when I

was 6. That changed a lot.

q) What themes do you pursue ? 

a)I like to champion honesty. I think it's the most important thing

there is.

q) What´s your most embarrassing moment ? 

a)My entire life from 12-24.

q)What jobs have you done other than being an artist ? 

a)Tons... teacher, office drone, barista, Gap employee, restaurant

table busser, did work in landscaping, and I even worked cleaning the

floors at an upscale spa. Work's good for you.

q) What responses have you had to your work ? 

a)Across the board. Some people love it, some people hate it, some

people are indifferent. The most baffling response I had, and I got a

lot of it at a certain unnamed art festival that I went to, was,

"They're good, but why all the nipples?" Seriously? We're still

uncomfortable with nudes in art these days?

q) What do you dislike about the artworld ? 

a)There's some unpleasantness in the business side of it, but what

bothers me the most is the general sense of alienation that exists for

most people who wander into galleries. Elitism and the "You mean you

don't get it?" attitude bother me.

q) What research do you do ? 

a)I've been doing a lot for an upcoming project.

q) What is your dream project? 

a)Ha! Funny you should ask... I'm hoping to start work on it during my

time in Cairo. Top secret right now I'm afraid, but it's going to be

awesome.

q) What´s the best piece of advice you have been given ? 

a)Never drink on an empty stomach.

q) What couldn't you do without? 

a)Pencils come in pretty handy.

q) What makes you angry? 

a)I've cursed plenty of times while playing "Angry Birds."

q) What is your worst quality? 

a)Maybe my lack of skill at playing "Angry Birds?"

q)…Dogs or Cats ? 

a)Whenever a cat lover is describing how great their cat is, they

always say, "Oh, Trixie is a great cat. She's just like a dog!" So if

the best of the best cats start being compared to dogs, why not just get

a dog, which is always awesome?

q) Making art is a lot like being on lsd…Know what I mean ? 

a)Never taken LSD... sorry.

q) What does " copy" mean to you ? 

a)It's a cool way to say "I got it" over a walkie-talkie.

q) What´s your favorite cuss word ? 

a)Jerk. Try it, it makes an impact.

Interview with Kasia Piechocka

q) Please tell us your name and where you practice.

a)My name is Kasia Piechocka. I am a Polish born, London-based Jewellery Designer.

q) Why do you make art?

a)I’ve been doing creative things since I can remember. It gives me great amount of pleasure and satisfaction. I can’t really imagine my life without it.

q) How do you work?

a)Quickly.

q) What´s your background?

a)I have a heavy background in Fine Art. I studied Fine Art at college from the age of 15, learning many disciplines including drawing, painting, photography and sculpting. I took up jewellery design three years ago and just graduated from Central Saint Martins two months ago.

q) What was a seminal experience for you?

a)Although I grew up wanting to be a painter, during my final year at college my tutor told me that "I should try Jewellery Design". That was a decisive moment as it was one of the reasons that I decided to take up Jewellery Design.

q) Has your practice changed over time ?

a)I have only been involved in Jewellery Design for three years, and those years were spent at university. My techniques and practices are constantly changing and improving as I learn and develop. I think that I will continue to develop in this manner for a while to come.

q) What themes do you pursue?

a)I really like basing my collections on real people. There is something about hearing somebody talk about a person that they look up to that inspires me. I am also heavily influenced by architecture and the works of Beksinski.

q) Describe a real life experience that inspired you.

a)My memories of my father and his passion for fishing inspired my new collection, About the Man Who Loved Fishing.

q) What responses have you had to your work?

a)I have had some really positive comments from art lovers and fashion lovers alike. I think the great importance that I place on the themes and inspiration behind my work appeals to people.

q) What research do you do?

a)I spend a lot of time researching into the character of the person that I am designing around. Their hobbies, jobs, life goals are all subjects that I want to find out about before 'putting pencil to paper'.

q) What´s the best piece of advice you have been given?

a)Anything is possible.

q) What makes you angry?

a)I am bit of a neat freak. I am addicted to tidying and keeping everything in the right order. Mess makes me ANGRY!!

q) What is your worst quality?

a)As much as perfectionism is a very good quality to have, I think it can also easily become the worst one. I believe this is the case with me.

q) Dogs or Cats?

a)Definitively dogs.

q) Making art is a lot like being on lsd. Know what I mean ?

a)Ha! Ha! Ha! I can't say that I personnaly know what you mean, however some of my artistic friends would definatly agree with that statement!

q) What does “copy” mean to you?

a)Luck of personality.

q)Your contacts...

a)http://www.kasiapiechocka.com/