Inspiration: All images courtesy of Red Nose Studios
Work: Trolls!
Writing: Reanswering those lovely questions.
1. What work have you made that seems most yours? Why?
Mark the Fail Zebra. It is my life's work, simply put. Dinky drawings, sad text, overly emotive rabbits, the term "cute" being solicited no matter how much blood I draw, it's just me in a nutshell.
2. Who are artists that are making work that relates to you? Are there other influences? How are these other influences connected to your work?
There are so many artists whose work I admire in the fields of writing, illustration, and music, often overlapping. Joey Comeau, writer of A Softer World is friends with Ryan North, the genius behind Dinosaur Comics, who ended up being the writer for Pendleton Ward's Adventure Time comic book. Gerard Way, My Chemical Romance's lead singer wrote the best selling Umbrella Academy graphic novels working with artist Gabriel Ba', who in cooperation with his brother Fabio Moon created the masterwork Daytripper. And the illustrator James Jean, who did the original covers for the Umbrella Academy comic series also did the cover of Freaks! Alive on the Inside!, one of my favorite books. These have all lead me to other connected artists who have influenced my work.
3. Discuss, in your own words, why you think this is so.
I think it's a bit ridiculous to say any civilization lives without art at all. As discussed in the book art includes craft, which is present in all things made. If the quote suggests that civilizations can't survive without the western artist-centric idea of art, then I think that's a bit silly too, because as the book says, Eastern civilizations are still producing craft-centric work.
4. Which of these ideas resonates most with you? Why? If they all resonate, how do they differ?
I think the best one could hope for is that by focusing on the self, you reveal a universal truth. Humanity is not as varied as we'd like to believe. Giving an honest account of a normal slice-of-life can say everything about the human condition.
5. What do you notice about yourself? What are your methods? Subject matter? The answers do not have to be limited to art related topics.
I seem to work in stories, playing between writing and illustrating, usually something of the dark-humor variety, or somewhere on that spectrum. I like collaborating, although I'm extremely picky.
6. What do you care about? The answers do not have to be limited to art related topics.
I care about people, overall I suppose. I think a lot about the human condition and depending on my mood, try to think of ways to make the world better (humor, kindness, winnie-the-pooh stuff) or spiral into depression and rage about how nobody is self aware and constantly causes pain to one-another. So I write to avoid the real world, or critique it, or critique myself for being assuredly hypocritical. Humor helps the biting sarcasm go down.
Transience
Ink on 2 pages of bristol, each 11"x14"
Oh, great. You again.
Sharpie on canvas, 22"x28"
Batty
Sharpie on canvas, 22"x28"
Contest entered: Richard Solomon Breakthrough Artist Contest
Images entered: Transience, Oh, great. You again., Batty as well as
Marco
Oil on found wood, 4'x6'
Wiz
Mixed media on found cardboard and construction paper, each roughly 8.5"x8.5"
Work: Trolls!
Writing: Reanswering those lovely questions.
1. What work have you made that seems most yours? Why?
Mark the Fail Zebra. It is my life's work, simply put. Dinky drawings, sad text, overly emotive rabbits, the term "cute" being solicited no matter how much blood I draw, it's just me in a nutshell.
2. Who are artists that are making work that relates to you? Are there other influences? How are these other influences connected to your work?
There are so many artists whose work I admire in the fields of writing, illustration, and music, often overlapping. Joey Comeau, writer of A Softer World is friends with Ryan North, the genius behind Dinosaur Comics, who ended up being the writer for Pendleton Ward's Adventure Time comic book. Gerard Way, My Chemical Romance's lead singer wrote the best selling Umbrella Academy graphic novels working with artist Gabriel Ba', who in cooperation with his brother Fabio Moon created the masterwork Daytripper. And the illustrator James Jean, who did the original covers for the Umbrella Academy comic series also did the cover of Freaks! Alive on the Inside!, one of my favorite books. These have all lead me to other connected artists who have influenced my work.
3. Discuss, in your own words, why you think this is so.
I think it's a bit ridiculous to say any civilization lives without art at all. As discussed in the book art includes craft, which is present in all things made. If the quote suggests that civilizations can't survive without the western artist-centric idea of art, then I think that's a bit silly too, because as the book says, Eastern civilizations are still producing craft-centric work.
4. Which of these ideas resonates most with you? Why? If they all resonate, how do they differ?
I think the best one could hope for is that by focusing on the self, you reveal a universal truth. Humanity is not as varied as we'd like to believe. Giving an honest account of a normal slice-of-life can say everything about the human condition.
5. What do you notice about yourself? What are your methods? Subject matter? The answers do not have to be limited to art related topics.
I seem to work in stories, playing between writing and illustrating, usually something of the dark-humor variety, or somewhere on that spectrum. I like collaborating, although I'm extremely picky.
6. What do you care about? The answers do not have to be limited to art related topics.
I care about people, overall I suppose. I think a lot about the human condition and depending on my mood, try to think of ways to make the world better (humor, kindness, winnie-the-pooh stuff) or spiral into depression and rage about how nobody is self aware and constantly causes pain to one-another. So I write to avoid the real world, or critique it, or critique myself for being assuredly hypocritical. Humor helps the biting sarcasm go down.
