Can you share as much as possible about the piece and how you conceived of it?
This picture is a little bit complicated. There is a lot of source pictures and layers in it. Photos, drawings, monoprints, some parts are pieces of paintings. I like to be surprised while creating. I like to take little roads and play with textures and layers.
For example, the stars you can see surrounding the character came from a photo i took in Thailand in 2004. It was in a little restaurant at night. Paper stars enlightened with candles were hanging around the place and it was magical. So I shot them all.
The head is a mix of photo, radio, and old medical engravings. The hands are redrawn photos mixed with textures. The whole thing is textured with monoprint then halftoned.
Would you share three unique things in your workspace that inspire you?
There are not so many things in my work space. When I need inspiration. I take a break, go out, see friends, go to the library…
My favorite inspiration source is city, life, and people.
What’s the best compliment/most extreme reaction you’ve ever received in response to your work?
One of my art collectors said to me recently that my paintings lead him to appreciate painting and art in general. Later he came by the studio with his dad and sister and they bought some more works. Two months ago he came back to buy a gift for a marriage.
Now the most extreme was recent too. On Redbubble someone just created an account to vomit on a drawing. arguing that you can’t call something done with eleven lines art (actually there were 22).
What would be on your quintessential mixtape?
I listen too many different things and I’ve got a very wide range of love for music. So there will be classical to listen to late at night with some Mozart (for sure his enchanted flute and his requiem) Bach (cello suite interpreted by Pablo Casals) Vivaldi and Pergolese (Stabbat Matter, interpreted by James Bowman. You should really listen to this if you don’t know it) Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies. For sun and summer time: dub, rocksteady, ska, reggae, just some names: SOJA, The Clash, BAD, Gorillaz, Mano Negra, Manu Chao, On-U Sounds, and Adrian Sherwood Productions, Desmond Dekker, The Special, The Beat, The Ethiopans,Thievery Corporation… I’ll stop here but there is a lot of other things.
If your art was music, what would it sound like?
Bach mixed with pygmee music
What do you have as your desktop wallpaper?
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What are your vices/guilty pleasures?
Moka coffee, french water, spaghetti with meat balls, Johnny To’s movies ;-)))
What’s the first picture you can remember drawing as a child?
When I learned that people were drawing comics I was just amazed. I was ten and was thinking the pictures were reusable stamps. So I decided that this was going to be my job and I began to copy comics, especially superhero ones.
If you were a dinosaur, what kind would you be and why?
A T-rex cause it is very aggressive and sometimes I’m like that. ;-))) But a Diplo would be more me.
What was your last memorable dream?
Very often I solve my creation problems in dreams ;-))
I very often dream of art ;-)))
If you had to change careers, what would be next?
I guess I would go to cooking.
What’s your motto?
work, work,work,
Do you know this Lou Reed/john Cale song?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahhWksSmX6s
