Interview with Chris Brett

SIMPLE SIX

1. Besides art & music what else drives you?
* Friends, Family and my day job as a Dogwalker....
They all teach me to appreciate the simple enjoyments of everyday life.

2. Favourite character from the Muppets?
* Gonzo the Great!

3. Window or isle?
* Anything beyond 3 hours i need the isle.... im 6' 2,
so i need to be able to stretch alot on long commutes....
if its a short bus or train ride then i'll take the window for sure....

4. 3 favourite colours to use?
* Pink, Orange, Black

5. First thing on your mind most mornings?
* Coffee.....


6. Favourite artist to collaborate with?
* My old graffiti buddies.





DOWN to BUSINESS

• What style of art do you create & where did it start for you?
* I guess my work could be called "Suburban Contemporary"
or "NewBrow"...... I have some graffiti elements in alot
of my pieces, being from the suburbs of Toronto, I was
primarily paintings Fr8's and spots along the transit lines
into T.O..... It involved alot of bushwacking most times and
i loved that aspect of nature meets concrete and steel, those
experiences of graffiti stuck with me alot deeper then when i
would paint the inner city.... That mixed with a steady diet of
Disney, Dr. Seuss, Jim Henson, Ren & Stimpy, and Saturday
morning cartoons growing up. I guess my style could more or less
be called Fun....



• Who was your main inspiration at the start?
* My main inspirations at the very start was some graffiti writers
from Calgary, Alberta. It was around 97-98 when i started to catch
all these pieces and throwups along the c-train line to my school
from these guys Pestoe & Voes... Over the course of about a year these
2 guys hit most if not the entire line.. station to station... corner
to corner of the city... that really impressed me, and had me
start diggin deeper into the graffiti scene in Calgary.
Eventually started painting with a couple guys from my high school,
and then my boys i met when i moved out east to Ontario. The Ontario
guys were my main inspiration in terms of work ethic... Hardest
working dudes i know.


• What are you trying to say or create with your art?
* Im trying to create a sense of tension with my work, but also a sense
of relief. The Nostalgic feel of a technicolored childhood, paired
with the "life aint perfect" sensibilities of an Adult.... I enjoy
the viewer creating there own meaning versus telling them directly.
My experience with the painting is personal as is the viewers
experience, and i enjoy hearing how that experience overlaps or
differs entirely..... bottom line is i hope people are amused and
mildly disturbed when they see my work.


• Where have you taken your art or had it put up?
*Ive had shows in Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Miami, SF, Des Moines,
and Seattle..... Unfortunately on my budget ive only been able
to physically bring my work to local shows in Toronto and Ottawa.

• How have you used your art to change your lifestyle?
*I dont go out and party very much. Weekends in the studio are
pretty common. Before that it was weekends in the train yards. Art
has been a great way to blow off steam and feel like a productive
human being.... not to say i dont go out and Rage, but its few and
far between.


• How does the community benefit from your art?
* Hopefully by making them smile.




• With the boom of urban art & the many classifications such as street
art, graffiti, bombers. . How do you view these styles & what would
you like to say about them?
* I view all those styles as important pieces to the new movement of
art we've been experiencing over the last 30 years. The are all
equally important, and to appreciate one you have to appreciate
the other....... Im still very excited by what im seeing in all facets
of the "culture" and look forward to its further evolution in
the generations to come.



Info:

To stay in touch with new works, shows, and musings

http://www.ChrisBrett.ca
http://www.twitter.com/ChrisBrett
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-of-Chris-Brett/266892240808

Interview with Paul Baines

SIMPLE SIX

1. Besides art & music what else drives you? Politics, the environment, philosophy, strange dreams, impossible memories and flashes of inspiration.

2. Favourite character from the Muppets? Animal - used to have a friend years ago who looked like him and played the drums too. Although he was called Ken.

3. Window or aisle? Window

4. 3 favourite colours to use? Black white and hmmm.... the other depends on my mood.

5. First thing on your mind most mornings? Tea, emails, cats, weather, work, sketching any ideas from dreams.

6. Favourite artist to collaborate with? Warhol, William Blake and Marcel Duchamp - will need a séance.





DOWN to BUSINESS

• What style of art do you create & where did it start for you? Urban art, or that's what most people tell me it is. It's a long story, I used to make giant collages from commercial posters from a company in Brighton, then I got into design, graphics mainly, then fashion, then worked my way back to art. I realised that if I ever wanted to get my political views across to a wider audience I'd have to learn to visually entertain...


• Who was your main inspiration at the start? Andy Warhol


• What are you trying to say or create with your art? That life is fake. The media and government tell us what to do, what to look like, how to behave, and feed the never ending cycle of greed and vanity.


• Where have you taken your art or had it put up? Nowhere as yet, except on people's walls. Don't work the streets (any more) and don't like most galleries, except a few indie ones. If I ever get around to screen prints I have a few offers to exhibit.


• How have you used your art to change your lifestyle? My basement is now a screen printing studio, and p/t cat sanctuary for local strays - although that part wasn't planned lol.



• How does the community benefit from your art? Fight the power.


• With the boom of urban art & its many classifications such as street art, graffiti, bombers. How do you view these styles & what would you like to say about them?
It's all art under another name, the point is there isn't a top-down filter system in the arts these days. The rich and influential have to wait in line like everyone else. Urban art and all its sub-genres have made the public realise that artists are more like them than the dealers, galleries, auction houses and posh magazines that pimp them out to rich bankers looking to make a quick buck investment. Art for all!



http://www.arturban.co.uk/

INTERVIEW WITH SWAZE

New Zealand

SIMPLE SIX

1. BESIDES ART & MUSIC WHAT ELSE DRIVES YOU?
MY CAR. MUSIC & ART PRETTY MUCH COVERS IT ALL. ART CAN BE SO MANY THINGS. TRAVELING DRIVES ME.

2. FAVOURITE CHARACTER FROM THE MUPPETS?
MISS PIGGY! CAUSE SHE DON’T TAKE SHIT FROM ANYONE SHE’S HILERIOUS!! INSANE BITCH!!

3. WINDOW OR ISLE?
 ALWAYS THE WINDOW! HAS TO BE THE WINDOW!

4. FAVOURITE COLOURS TO USE?
 BLACK WHITE TELEMEGENDA. (CANDY PINK)

5. FIRST THING ON YOUR MIND MOST MORNINGS?
IS THAT A TRICK QUESTION?!

6. FAVOURITE ARTIST TO COLLABORATE WITH?
ANY ARTIST THAT INSPIRES ME.


New Zealand
 
Bolivia

DOWN TO BUSINESS


• WHAT STYLE OF ART DO YOU CREATE & WHERE DID IT START FOR YOU?

GRAFFITI ART. WILD STLYE! AEROSOL ART. STREET ART URBAN ART..
FROM THE AGE OF 10 WATCHING THE FIRST GRAFFITI MOVIES TO COME OUT OF NEW YORK.

• WHO WAS YOUR MAIN INSPIRATION AT THE START?

MAINLY JUST SEEING THE GRAFFITI ON TRAIN TRACKS CAUGHT BY THE MYSTERY OF IT ALL, WANTING TO KNOW WHO DID IT & HOW

• WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY OR CREATE WITH YOUR ART?

SELF EXPRESSION! PURE SELF EXPRESSION! ITS LIKE MEDITATING, VERY THERAPEUTIC, LETTING MY EMOTIONS OUT, MY STREES OR LOVE OUT.
I’M PAINTING MY SELF PORTRAIT EVERYTIME, ITS JUST NOT MY FACE BUT MY INSIDES, MY EMOTIONS MY PERSONALITY! IT DEFINATELY REFLECTS MY PERSONALITY. OR HOW I FELT THAT DAY THAT MOMENT.
& IM TRYING TO SAY TO PEOPLE THAT GRAFFITI IS A RESPECTED AND HUGE CULTURAL ARTFORM OF OUR TIMES.


• WHERE HAVE YOU TAKEN YOUR ART OR HAD IT PUT UP?

SYDNEY. BRISBANE. MELBOURNE. NEW ZEALAND. BOLIVIA. MEXICO. L.A. NEW YORK. BARCELONA. FRANCE. LONDON. AMSTERDAM. BERLIN. JAPAN. SINGAPORE.
A NUMBER OF EXIBITIONS & GALLERY'S


• HOW HAVE YOU USED YOUR ART TO CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE?

I THINK MY LIFESTYLE ACUALLY REVOLVES AROUND MY ART. AS IT TAKES UP SO MUCH TIME & IS DEMANDING. I LIVE MY ART EVERYDAY ONE WAY OR AN OTHER. I HAVE ALSO USED MY ART TO CONNECT WITH SO MANY GREAT, INTERESTING & INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE, ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.


• HOW DOES THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT FROM YOUR ART?

FRESH VIBRANT AND INSPIRATIONAL ART THAT CAN BE VIEWED WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO A GALLERY, IT’S FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE STREETS. SO PEOPLE CAN BE INSPIRED TO DO SOMETHING IN THERE LIVES. IT GIVES LIFE TO THE STREETS. STOPS GRAFFITI VANDALISM. GETS PEOPLE TALKING & MEETING OTHER PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY. THERE’S TO MANY POINTS TO NAME. I THINK ITS VERY BENEFICIAL FOR EVERYONE..


L.A

• WITH THE BOOM OF URBAN ART & THE MANY CLASSIFICATIONS SUCH AS STREET ART, GRAFFITI, BOMBERS. . HOW DO YOU VIEW THESE STYLES & WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THEM?

THIS TOPIC WILL ALWAYS B A SENSITIVE & FOREVER A DEBATIVE ONE. I CAN ONLY EXPRESS MY OWN OPINION, WHICH IS, GRAFFITI ART, STENCIL ART & GRAFFITI BOMBERS, ARE WORLDS APART! IN MANY WAYS. FROM THE DIFFERENT UTENSILS TO THE DIFFERENT OVERALL MENTALITY OF WHY YOU WANT TO PAINT. AND YES THEY HAVE A LOT OF THINGS IN COMMON, BUT CAN BE TOTALLY SEPERATE SUB CULTURES & TOTALLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. I COULD WRITE PAGES BOUT THIS BUT WILL BREAK IT DOWN SHORT, TRY TO ANYWAY.
STARTING WITH GRAFFITI BOMBERS, NO FINE ARTS HERE, ALL ILLEGAL PAINTING. JUST STRAIGHT UP IN YOUR FACE BOMBING! MEANING PAINTING YOUR NAME UP IN AS MANY PLACES & AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. MINIMAL COLOURS OR DETAIL, MAIN OBJECTIVE IS FAME AS AN ARTIST, A MORE REBELLIOUS MOVEMENT AGAINST EVERYBODY! IF THESE PAINTERS HAVE ARTISTIC TALENT THEY CAN PRODUCE IMPRESSIVE WORK JUST AS CREATIVELY AS ANY OTHER ARTIST. SOME OF THE MORE EXPIRENCED BOMBERS, NOT MANY, DO HAVE AN ARTISTIC FLARE TO THE WAY THEY BOMB OR PAINT, MINIPULATING THE CANS POWERFUL FLARE. ITS LIKE DOIN YOUR SIGNATURE 5000 TIMES, IT WILL INVOLVE INTO AN ARTFORM OF ITS OWN.

A GRAFFITI ARTIST, MAINLY DOES PERMITTED WALLS, NO ILLEGAL PAINTING, SOME OF IT MAY LOOK IDENTICAL TO THE BOMBING, IT’S JUST DONE WITH PERMISSION & IN THE DAY TIME WITH NO WORRIES IN THE WORLD OF GETTIN CAUGHT & HAVING ALL THE TIME IN THE DAY. TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS, THE OTHER STYLE OF GRAFFITI. THIS ARTFORM IS MORE DETAILED ALMOST TO THE POINT OF FINE ARTS, JUST USING SPRAYCANS.. THERE MAY BE MORE OBJECTS & IMAGES ON THESE WALLS, MORE PUBLIC FRIENDLY ART. SOME ARTIST CAN DO BOTH BOMB & GRAFF ART. . . & THAT’S WHEN THE TERM “KEEPIN IT REAL!” COMES TO MIND AS IN DON’T CALL YOURSELF A GRAFFITI WRITER IF U DON’T DO “ILLEGAL” GRAFFITI. WHICH I TOTALLY AGREE WITH!
GRAFFITI ART WAS BORN ILLEGALLY! NOBODY CAN CHANGE THAT FACT. IF U DO GRAFFITI ART ON WALLS WITH PERMISSION & NO ILLEGAL WORK, YOU ARE A GRAFFITI ARTIST NOT GRAFFITI WRITER!
IN MY OPINION.
STENCILING, WHICH I DO NOT HAVE ANY EXPIRENCE WITH I CAN NOT JUDGE THEM, WELL I CAN’T JUDGE ANY ART FULL STOP REALLY. YOU JUST LIKE IT OR YOU DON’T & I TRY NOT TO BE A HATER & CAN ONLY EXPRESS MY OPINION THROUGH MY EXPERIENCE. STENCIL ART ISN’T GRAFFITI, IT'S JUST SIMPLY STENCIL ART. ART WITH A STENCIL CUT OUT. IT CAN BE STREET ART. I REMEMBER A STENCIL ARTIST TELLING ME WHILE I WAS PAINTING THAT I WASN’T DOING GRAFFITI AND THAT HE WAS A GRAFFITI ARTIST, HE HAD A CAR BOOT FULL OF POLITICAL STENCILS! SO I LAUGHED & TOLD HIM HE MUST BE A POLITITIAN! I THINK ITS MORE POLITICAL BASED ART. WHICH I COULDN’T CARE LESS FOR POLITICS. I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY ART WITH MINIMAL CORRUPTION. I LIKE LOOKING AT STENCIL ART BECAUSE IT’S STILL ART, IT CAN STILL BE CREATIVE. IT’S JUST NOT ART I DO.

THE WORLD IS WASHED WITH SO MANY STYLES AND LABELS OF STREET ART NOW IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT GRAFFITI IS THE BIGGEST ART FORM OF TODAY N THE PAST 10 YEARS!
PEOPLE ARE MAKING SO MUCH MONEY FROM IT. IN MY OPINION IF YOU ARE DOING GRAFFITI STYED PAINTING & GETTING PAID FOR IT, ITS NOT REALLY GRAFFITI ANYMORE, YOUR JUST GETTING PAID TO PAINT GRAFFITI STYLE ART. IF I GO PAINT A WILD STLYE PIECE AT NIGHT SOMEWHERE & DO THE SAME IDENTICAL PAINTING IN AN URBAN FASION SHOP GETTING PAID, ONE IS RAW GRAFFITI & THE OTHER IS A PAINTING JOB. A JOB! PAINTING! GRAFFITI ISN’T JUST “OH YEAH IM GOING TO DO A WORD IN WILDSTYLE OR GRAFF STYLE, GRAFFITI MEANS LIFE STYLE, GETTING CHASED! THE ADRENALIN! THE MISSION! THE FACT THAT YOU CAN BARELY SEE WHAT YOU ARE PAINTING TILL THE MORNING! THE QUIET ROMANCE OF THE NIGHT. SPONTANEOUS! THE UNEXPECTED THINGS THAT POP UP IN HALF A SECOND! THE FEELING OF HAVING TO BE CREATIVE UNDER MANY PREASURES! THE FELLING OF PARANOIA AND FEAR! THE EXITEMENT! SO MANY MIXED EMOTIONS YOU GO THROUGH. THAT YOU DON’T EXPIRENCE WHEN YOU PAINT A PERMITTED WALL.

 
N.Y Bronx

pictures supplied by Swaze1

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