He’s from…
I was born in a strange Bavarian-themed town in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia called Kimberley. When I was 10 we moved to the west coast, to another small town near Vancouver called Gibsons. It’s the town where they filmed that 80’s TV show ‘The Beachcombers’. I’ve been living in Barcelona for almost five years. While travelling, several years ago, I made a pit stop here because of this subconscious connection I felt for the place. It’s corny but true. I didn’t know anything about Barcelona, didn’t speak Spanish. But six months later I was speaking the language OK enough to be able to chat and meet my wife Emma.
What he does…
My art manages to just skim me along the surface of sustainability. This year I’ve been doing a couple of other things on the side but nothing permanent. It’s been so long since I had any sort of fixed wage – often I think it would be such a nice, relaxing change. This winter I taught art classes at a kids’ cultural center, which was a refreshing experience.
Direction…
In high school I wanted to be an architect and took all the classes that were available to go in that direction but for some reason I went to art school for the first year of university. I remember that art school being a little too flakey in its teaching, which just wasn’t for me. It was like one day we had to paint expressively to music that the teacher put on and I couldn’t take it. So, I left art school and over the next three years I studied illustration and design. After finishing that, I realised it wasn’t my thing either so since then I’ve become an autodidactic art student again.
I’ve been drawing my whole life. My mum got me started. My family has always been pretty creative and always encouraged and supported me to follow the art path. My dad is a model railroad enthusiast and really good with woodwork and my mum has always been into painting, drawing, sewing, and making figures and dolls so I’ve learned a lot from the two of them over the years.
Then vs now…
As a child I was into drawing, comics and cross-sectioned worlds on large sheets of papers. Also, building forts in the house, in the forest and in the snow. Throwing dirt balls and snow balls. I was obsessed with frogs, lizards, snakes and turtles, well reptiles and amphibians in general. I was always going out to ponds and catching all those kinds of things to bring home as pets. I was big into dinosaurs too.
The work I do now is definitely related to my childhood interests. Now that you ask, I do compose my pieces like stages the same way I used to set up massive dioramas with Star Wars figures or Transformers. Trying to capture that optimum moment of figures posing on a backdrop.
Self belief…
I can’t say I think I’m ‘good’ at all the things I do but my parents and friends were always really encouraging. During my teen years I can remember being determined to take my art somewhere and was just convinced that things were going to work out well. I was just confident and determined I guess.
Right now…
I have a solo show in October at Galeria Galeria Victor Saavedra and I’ve just finished a bunch of new works for two really nice group shows this June/July at Galleri Christoffer Egelund in Copenhagen and Adhoc Galeria in Vigo, Spain. I’ve started doing collages on wood panels instead of just working on paper and recently finished a series of new, more realistic portraits of internet ‘beings’.
Likes and dislikes…
I like and dislike the temporariness of it all. At times it’s depressing because you see how small you are in the bigger picture. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I just quit and became a marine biologist. On the other hand, it keeps you on your toes and forces you to be hypercritical of every step you take in your work, in shows and just keep raising the bar. Meeting other artists and inspiring people on trips is a huge plus. If I had to say there was something I didn’t like about all this, it would have to be the arrogant attitudes and hierarchical games that you encounter along the way.
Early influences…
Growing up in small towns caused me to want to move to bigger cities I suppose. Moving to Barcelona was a choice, which was indirectly influenced by my mum – she’s from New Zealand and moved to Canada when she was 19 years old. It showed me from an early age that anything is possible in the travelling sense.
Best advice received…
I’m not sure it’s the best advice ever but recently someone told me to focus on what you know comes easily to you. It’s important to always keep experimenting on the side while you’re working and doing what comes naturally.
Collections…
Objects and figures, which are generally hand painted or sculpted by people who probably don’t have an art eduction – to me it is the most authentic and best looking art there is. I have a small but growing Outsider Art collection too for the same reason. Dubuffet was WAY ahead of his time.
Inspiration…
Usually I force myself to leave the house and go check out a museum, gallery or bookstore. I ride my bike, listen to dancehall or go jogging (a new discovery as a source of inspiration, which I once hated) to clear my mind. Going to the bar is also full proof for getting re-inspired.
Favourite things…
The beach, dancehall, reggae, steam rooms, Jacuzzis, saunas, having a beer in the plaza on a summer night, pasta…
Favourite websites…
I guess VVORK is one of the few that I regularly visit because it keeps me up to date on what’s going on in art.
If he could go back in time…
Jacuzzi, steam room and beach. Just kidding. I guess I would have spent those three years studying art and not graphic design/illustration. But no, no regrets on anything.
Relaxation is…
Jacuzzi, steam room and beach.
Inspiring people…
Paul McCarthy, Tal R, Jockum Nordstrom, Chris Ofili, Fischli and Weiss, Erwin Wurm, David Lynch to name a few. And thanks to Pica Pica for recommending me. Their art is incredible.
Plans…
Work hard on the show coming up in the fall.
Dream life…
Never experiencing winter again. Living in a jungle near the beach in a massive studio warehouse. There’d be lots of fruit trees around and obviously a steam room.
Side projects…
I just finished my first video work in collaboration with my good friend and musician Simon Williams also known as Jahbitat. The piece is called ‘Assemblage Boy’.