q)Please introduce yourself.
a)Hi, my name is Clark Goolsby.
q) Where do you live and work?
a)I live and work in LA. My studio is in
q) How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it?
a)I would definitely say that it is colorful first and foremost. Everything I have been doing recently is pretty bright.
q) How did you start in the arts? How/when did you realize you were an artist?
a)I have always drawn and painted since I was a little kid. I think I always thought of myself as an artist even before I was actually doing anything with my art.
q) What are your favorite art materials and why?
a)I do a lot of collage, so my favorite materials are newspapers, magazines, posters etc. I really love the added depth and detail collage brings to art.
q) What/who influences you most?
a)I'm a total culture sponge, so I am always picking up inspiration from all over. I get ideas from T.V., magazines, the internet, billboards, music, movies... you get the idea.
q) Describe a typical day of art making for you.
a)I've always got music on. I usually chat with my studio-mates Derek Albeck and Jeremy Mora. I drink a ridiculous amount of Vietnamese iced coffee. Cut a lot. Glue a
q) Do you have goals, specific things you want to achieve with your art or in your career as an artist?
a)I just want my art to sustain itself so I can keep on doing it forever.
q) What contemporary artists or developments in art interest you?
a)As far as other artists... I really like Franz Ackermann, Gerhard Richter, Peter Halley, Tom Friedman, Bjorn Copeland, and about a million other people.
q) How long does it typically take you to finish a piece?
a)It depends on the piece. I usually have several things going at once. Sometimes I will run out of steam on a piece, and I'll just set it aside and work on something else. I've had pieces that I've worked on for over a year, and others that have taken just a few days. I keep a lot of pieces and parts of things in the studio, and sometimes something new I am working on will help me finish an old piece that I had run out of ideas on.
q) Do you enjoy selling your pieces, or are you emotionally attached to them?
a)Of course I am attached to them, but realistically they have to sell. I'd run out of room pretty quick if they all stayed with me forever. I like the idea though that other people can enjoy the work, and create there own attachments to it.
q) Is music important to you? If so, what are some things you're listening to now?
a)Music is super important. I always am listening to music while I'm working. I like a lot of the LA bands right now like Abe Vigoda and No Age. I really loved the last M83, Deerhunter and Dan Deacon albums. I have also been totally obsessed with the Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions anthology lately. I could go on forever on this topic, but those are few off the top of my head.
q) Books?
a)I just read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I kept hearing everyone talking about it, so I finally picked up a copy. I thought it was pretty rad. I think Diaz writes slang better than just about anybody else. So many authors try, and it comes across really lame and unrealistic.
q) What theories or beliefs do you have regarding creativity or the creative process?
a)I can really get in my own head about things, and I think the key for me is to keep going. A lot of times I have a vision for a piece, and when I start the piece it doesn't match my vision because it isn't finished. I constantly have to remind myself that it will eventually get there, and not let myself get discouraged.
q) What do you do (or what do you enjoy doing) when you're not creating?
a)When I'm not creating I like to see other people's creative stuff. Galleries, concerts, museums etc.
q) Do you have any projects or shows coming up that you are particularly excited about?
a)I have two shows going on right now. I am in a show in
q) Do you follow contemporary art scenes? If so, how? What websites, magazines, galleries do you prefer?
a)I have three favorite art sites. Fecalface.com, booooooom.com, and vvork.com. I also love Vice magazine. It's not specifically art related, but there is always great stuff in it.
q) Ask yourself a question you'd like to answer, and answer it.
a)What's Next?
I am looking to get some new shows in new cities, and starting my next series of pieces which I am really excited about.
q) Any advice for aspiring artists?
a)No original advice... but if you want to make art, do it. The more you do it the better you'll get, and eventually someone will dig it. And to be totally cliche... make art for yourself. If you try to make art to please someone else, it'll never work.
q) Where can we see more of your work online?
a)I think the best place to keep up with me is my blog. I usually try to keep it pretty current. it's at blog.clarkgoolsby.com
