INTERVIEW: Chen Whooli

On first seeing Whooli Chen's illustrations, I was delighted by her unique interpretations of the subject matter and organic, surreal style. Based in Taiwan, she has a MA degree in illustration field from University of the Arts London and has worked on a number of books, newspapers, and magazines.

Whooli very kindly took time to answer a few of my questions.

Who are you and what do you do?
I’m a freelance illustrator based in Taiwan. I do editorial illustrations for newspapers, magazines, graphic books, and collaborations with a variety of companies in different fields. I also run a studio with my sister.

Your work are reminiscent of folk tales and children's stories. Would you agree with this and what stories have influenced you?
I do like old-time atmosphere, and also trying to take that as a key visual element in my works. I love literature.  Dream of the Red Chamber, an 18th century Chinese novel, is my latest amusement.  Angela Carter’s quirky stories are always fascinating.

Would you explain the concept behind "The Travelling Project" and "The Diary Project"?
Don’t have much concept behind “the travelling project” really. It’s created when I was in London. Although stay there as a student, I always felt like as tourist. So detached from the locals, seemed the days they’re living can be called a day-to-day life, rather than mine. So what we did, my sister and I, was travelling  and exploring the city. The drawings were send out as postcards, described our journey in London.

“The diary project” is a collaborative project with 集日美工(365days.tw). A cover of 365days calendar notebook and entitled “Room of one’s own”. It’s about collecting, people collect leaves, coral specimen pieces, oak fruits, and childhood hair. Treasure them as they reflect our memories. Until rooms are filled. However, with a filled room, we ourselves still dream about being collected, in someone else’s room.

For your editorial illustrations, you have a unique approach to the subject matter. How do you develop these sorts of illustrations and how much freedom are you given?
Editorial illustrations are for magazines and newspapers. After I got a story form editor, I’ll read it thoroughly   then pick the elements out and give the connection between them, story becomes the frame, and hopefully the relation of every little elements can be depicted and reveal the story, therefore illustrate the frame. I am always trying to find a new approach to every story, a new way to construct, to express, or, even an interpretation. As long as the illustration meets the gist of the story, and understandable. I’ve been completely trusted.

How did you develop your skills and what would you say has been the most important thing you've learned in your career?
I studied fine art before I got a MA degree in illustration. There is a fine line between these two disciplines, in training and in the way of expression as well.

When you were in school, especially in Taiwan, every assignment was about to improve your technical skills, and your capabilities to manage all the tools. However, when you are twenty, that was the whole thing you’d sniff at, ... conventional, academic,... If, there were any heritage left, I’d say, it has made “the career” much approachable.

What is the significance of animals in your work? You have mentioned missing a fox that you knew in London.
“Whooli” is the pronunciation of fox in Chinese. I was living in the top floor of a 19th century yellow brick house in west London  there was a red fox living across the street, sometimes I can see her sunbathing in neighbour’s back yard. I miss her, so take Whooli as a pseudonym name, it’s kind of remind me the London times.

What materials do you use to create your illustrations and why do you use these in particular?
Hand drawing, and digital colouring. Digital can be adjusted  easily, which save some labour for low-paid commissions...

What have been some of your favourite responses to your work?
Poetic, is one of the compliments I enjoy most.

Do you have any favourites or pieces of special importance among the work you've done?
Favourite is always the next one. And, I think my MA graduated project “Land and Tales ” plays the role as a small milestone.

Who is your favourite musician, film maker, painter and writer and why?
Marc Chagall, Rene Magritte, Egon Schiele, Francesca Woodman, Sarah Moon, Sophie Calle, Angela Carter. They are all inspiring and have a remarkable vision in their field of art.

What are you currently working on and what future projects do you have planned?
I’m in the half way of a children’s book. And, some secret projects under the name of our studio, hopefully will come true this year.

Thank you, Whooli.

Links:

Sometime Else

Whooli Chen (Behance)

INTERVIEW: Moose Allain

I have followed Moose Allain for a long time on Twitter and enjoying his off kilter sense of humour without realising that he also creates stuff as well. In selecting the above image as the vanguard of his work, I wanted to share something with the text-based humour that I've come to enjoy. You will not see a better use of the phrases "Flenching Plate", "Perspiration Loons" or "Drainage Runnels".

His creations are refreshing, organic reflections of his plays on language via Twitter. Though it feels a little strange being more than 140 characters in length, Moose took time out of his busy Tweeting schedule to answer a few of my questions and provide a few good laughs and insights...

I first got to know you when we exchanged some witty banter. You were something of an anomaly on my timeline like a kid at a party quietly speaking in tongues in the corner but in fact probably making more sense than anyone else. How has Twitter influenced your artwork?

Ha! That's a nice, flattering description. I will accept your compliment because it reflects something I've always tried to do – not just on Twitter, but in my life generally - which is to be original. Now Twitter is completely hardwired into my mind, and I think that's mainly because for me it's a creative channel. I think people use Twitter in all sorts of ways, but for me its shape is usually: “output/ a bit of replying”. In other words, I seldom have time to read the tweets of the people I've chosen to follow. Other times I would describe my Twitter activity as: “hosting”. This is sometimes in the form of a hashtag/RT process or asking a question e.g. What is your local word for an alley way? And RTing the replies. Sometimes I improvise a story in tweets. That tends to divide an audience – some people love them, but I can usually expect to lose about 30 followers when I do it. So I use Twitter in varying ways, various techniques, ultimately trying to engage an audience, entertain and be original.

My main interest in Twitter is language & the play of language. I think I've, fairly successfully, managed to integrate Twitter into my 'practice' (not a term I like). I think it means I've become a lot more than a visual artist, which is great because I'm just as interested in words as I am in images. I think some of the artists I like most, the word 'art' doesn't really cover it. They just do interesting stuff with their lives, use art as a way of exploring the world – I'm thinking of people like Adam Chodzko or Sophie Calle – 'art', whatever that is, is a sort of by-product of these processes. Well, that aggrandises my work far too much, but in the end it's about connecting to people en masse as well as individually. Twitter is perfect for that, it has opened me up to an audience that you then have to perform for. It has not only opened me up to an audience, but to all sorts of collaborations. I could go on about this for ages but I'll stop there.

Recently @40elephantsmob had a selection of her tweets turned into the brilliant animation Mummy Needs Gin. Have you considered turning your tweets into something more? (film, book, etc) 

Yes. In short. I have made little books of my tweet stories a couple of years ago. I don't have the patience for animation, but I'd be happy for someone else to make them! I work with a local film company, Meat Bingo, here in Devon – we're about to start on our third project. We are lucky to have the writer David Quantick as a key member – he's from Exmouth, and Twitter has got us together. Anyway, there's potential there. I'd love to do a book of them, illustrate them myself… But I have so many projects in my head I know I'll probably never get round to.

"...I was a child who didn't want to be like other people. I suffer from reverse peer group pressure."

Who is Moose? Where did he come from? What makes Moose tick? How would Moose introduce himself to a stranger? 

Oh goodness, I don't know! I don't really like thinking about myself really. I am extremely grateful that I've got to a stage in my life where I can describe myself as an artist. So many interesting things are coming out of it, all sorts of projects, it feels like I'm at the beginning of things, which is so exciting. Before this I was a disillusioned architect. That's where I came from most recently. Looking at my adult life, it was a lot of drifting about never really being happy because I really wanted to be an artist but didn't think it was possible. Going back to your first question, I was a child who didn't want to be like other people. I suffer from reverse peer group pressure. That's stayed with me.

How much planning goes into your drawings and how much comes about organically as you work?

It's nearly all organic. I seldom pre-draw, I just have an idea and run with it. It's very liberating.


Your work on Stephen Fry's 100 Greatest Gadgets have integrated "Drainage Runnels" and "Perspiration Loons" into my vocabulary. How did you approach this project and how much of a collaboration was it with Mr. Fry?

Actually this was a quick job, which is why I resorted to collage. I had no contact with Mr Fry, simply a sentence for each of the 3 ideas which I had to illustrate. I had used the technique before for a range of cards, so I thought it would look just right and reflect his gentlemanly subversive character. The language was an important part of it, for me, although I'm not sure how much it came across on the TV. It was great fun to do.

What instigated the creation of We Meet in the Shadows and how did it develop?

A couple of years ago I decided I wanted to work bigger and with colour. Previously I'd been working tiny on my desktop so this was an attempt to loosen up a bit. It also reflected a return to architecture, in so far as I could dream up places again. The technique is to put on a wash of background colour – it's all acrylic paint and inks – then drop ink onto it and move it around with bits of plastic, straight edges, starting to form shapes. Next stage is to pick out black lines with the same straight edges, I also use a little wheel. After that I go in with the dipping pen and add more architectural detail. The final stage is to add figures and find a story in there somewhere, a theme. So the subject ends up being a response. This is very much the organic process I mentioned in the last question – I like to react.

"...I am trying to be entertaining and, this can sound trite but I don't believe it is, my work is also about bringing joy"

How would you describe your subject matter or the content of your work? 

The subject matter, well it's mostly stuff that's in my head. Be that visual art or writing or the two combined. In other words, I'm not an observational artist. But I am trying to be entertaining and, this can sound trite but I don't believe it is, my work is also about bringing joy. I think people really respond to that. I hate being asked what my work's like partly because it's not really like other people's work and also because it's very varied. I usually say “It's more like illustration, quite graphic and cartoony, mostly from my imagination”. That sort of covers it, but that really only describes the visual art, which isn't the whole of it by any means.

What was the last artwork to impress you and why? (painting, illustration, film, music, etc) 

The last to impress me. That makes it a bit easier. I've just downloaded the recent ATOM TM album and there's a couple of tracks on there that I can't get enough of. A couple of days ago I went to a talk at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter about the BP Portrait Award exhibition which is on there currently. It was fascinating because I am interested in painting, but the winning portrait is amazing and I had quite an emotional response to it. It's called Auntie by Aleah Chapin.

It's a painting of a smile and it smiles at you in a most incredible way – to the extent that you hardly noticed she is an naked older woman.

"...there are artists earning millions from being up themselves, so they've a right to take themselves seriously I suppose."

Do you think the art world takes itself too seriously sometimes? 

The art world… it's so big it's about the same size as the real world, so it's hard to generalise. Some of it is shockingly up itself. On the other hand there are artists earning millions from being up themselves, so they've a right to take themselves seriously I suppose. You look at people like Damien Hirst and think it must be odd to make art that is really only ever about money now. He's like King Midas. To be honest I don't really see myself as part of an art world as my main interactions are with people who aren't in it, if you know what I mean. Just people who like my work or want to commission something or just tell me they like it. I didn't go to art school so I don't feel burdened by the need to explain myself. Artist's statements, by those who have been through the art system, are hilariously pretentious, homogeneous and meaningless. So, to be enjoyed at that level at least.

Are you working on anything at the moment or have any new projects in the pipeline? 

Lots of work comes about via Twitter these days. All sorts of interesting propositions. I'm just about to finish working on a project for Tate Britain – a family guide leaflet for their upcoming Lowry exhibition. It was a great privilege to be asked to contribute. I have various writing projects in the pipeline which may or may not come off. A new film to collaborate on, more walls to draw on, a big commission which desperately needs my attention, more fun to be had on Twitter and with Vine and Instagram, Oh bloody hell I've got so much to do I'd better get on

Thank you, Moose.


Links:
World of Moose
Moose Allain (Twitter)

INTERVIEW: Saddo

I was quite excited when I discovered Saddo's work but I reigned in my enthusiasm until after I had learned more about his work (having been let down in the past) yet with every piece of work I found, the same confidence and momentum was there. Disconcerting, fun, and puzzling, his works feel light yet are profound, the colours bright but staid; they're coils of contradiction that unapologetically straddle genres. I love them and I'm more than a little perplexed how he hasn't received even more attention than he already has.

Obviously, I immediately got in touch with him and put a number of questions to him which he answered with confidence, candour and a refreshing lack of ego.

You say in your bio that in your childhood, you "used to devour tones of horror and sci-fi movies and books". Which movies and books were most important to you?

Yeah, I used to read sci-fi books and watch sci-fi and horror movies indiscriminately, anything I could get my hands on. I started with Jules Verne, H.G.Wells, and then got into classic sci-fi like Asimov, Tolkien, Frank Herbert, Philip K. Dick, Arthur C. Clarke, Roger Zelazny, Robert Silverberg, Gregory Benford, stuff like that, any kind of sci-fi or fantasy, from adventure/action stuff, to space-opera, cyberpunk, and more conceptual stuff. One of the first books that opened my appetite for sci-fi was Dune, it was a present from my aunt. And then The Foundation, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Timescape, Ender's Game, Palmer Eldritch, Lord of the Rings, lots and lots of others.

And about movies, the same, I used to rent tapes of any sci-fi or horror movies from the '80s and '90s, from the first horror movies I watched when I was a kid were Evil Dead, and an obscure movie I've never heard about since, called Xtro.

"...it was super fun, fresh, we hung out together a lot, we worked together, and street art became the glue that brought us and kept us together."

I was a huge Star Wars fan, I saw the movies dozens of times, I used to draw the characters, the spaceships, everything. Alien, Predator, Terminator, Close Encounters of The Third Kind, E.T., Flash Gordon, Friday the 13th, Ghostbusters, Nightmare on Elm Street, Blade Runner, The Thing, and many many other classic, plus obscure cheesy cheap 80s-90s horrors with monsters and zombies - I was devouring all of them.

What did you learn from "street art" and why did you set up The Playground in Romania?

Street-art was something completely new and fresh for me, especially cause I "discovered" it in a time of my life, when I was a fresh graduate from the University of Art, and I found myself stuck, in a huge creative block and identity crisis which lasted for almost two years. And street-art slowly made me trust myself again, be able to get out there and express myself more free, without the constraints and pressure of academic life and high-brow art. And it made me realize, or remember that art should be fun. It was like when I was a sci-fi and horror kid getting enthusiastic about creature designs, details on spaceships, stuff like that. It was fun. But at the same time it also brought responsibility, cause suddenly street-art got into the attention of galleries, agencies, brands, etc. and this made me want to get better and better, and I got to work with many brands, participate in many group exhibitions all over the world, and basically to be able to do what I love, and live off it.

"Sometimes I really enjoy putting thought and research into a piece, and sometimes I just let it happen."

One of the great things about street art is the sense of community, and the possibility to meet other artists whose works you love and appreciate, and even paint with them.

At the time when I was living in Cluj ( the city I studied in), there really wasn't too much street-art going on there, Bucharest, the capital of Romania was much more active and energetic. So me and a friend of mine started doing stuff, at first small stickers and then we got to bigger paste-ups, we found three other kids who were doing this and we formed a group, and it was super fun, fresh, we hung out together a lot, we worked together, and street art became the glue that brought us and kept us together.

Would you choose one of your works and go through how it developed and what it means to you?

I usually have two different kind of approaches, depending on my mood. Sometimes I really enjoy putting thought and research into a piece, and sometimes I just let it happen.

For example the "Huginn and Muninn" piece - part of "The Garden of Good and Evil" series of shows I'll have this year, together with my girlfriend Aitch - is part of a series which explores the presence of animals in different myths and legends, this one based on characters and deities in Norse mythology.

Before starting working on the piece I did a bit of research on the meanings and symbolism of different animals in myths and legends, and then I read some stuff about Norse mythology, Odin, Huginn and Muninn, shamanic rituals, etc. And then I started sketching out the composition, the characters, and started painting on the actual canvas. The process itself is pretty straight and planned out, and it doesn't contain too many surprises.

And there's the second category which is a bit more fun to work on, cause it's more free, I don't have a very clear idea of how the piece would look, or what the meaning behind it would be. Take for example one my "Charmer" pieces - I started by putting some basic colors on a piece of wood, and then working those colors, make them more vibrant, adding textures, layers, abstract shapes, and then covering them again with more watery colors. Usually after I'm pleased with how the background looks, I just stare at it for a while, maybe start working on some new similar background for future pieces, to keep myself in that mood, and when I have two or three finished backgrounds I'm thinking about characters, shapes, postures, I look at a lot of bird images, and when I find something inspiring or think of some basic idea, I start sketching and then painting the character. And usually this kind of piece is much more free, I don't need to have everything planned out, the character can change while I work, different surprising details can pop up. And my favorite part is the final touches, when the character and everything is almost done, I add small fun, details, for example in this piece the cartoon hands of the character bring a fresh, fun feeling, or the dots eaten by the snake, making it look like a Pacman.

Which artists have been important to you in recent years and why?

Wow, there are lots, I mean I listen to lots of different music genres from classical to hip-hop, watch so many movies, follow the work of lots of artists and illustrators, I really couldn't say which one has been most important. A constant influence in my life and art is my girlfriend Aitch. I also love and am influenced by the work of Bosch, Walton Ford, Botero, and also young lowbrow artists and illustrators. I'm also super influenced by Renaissance portraits, Vanitas paintings, old illustrations of plants and animals, the prints of Ernst Haeckel, oriental patterns, cartoons, stuff like this.

What are you working on at the moment?

Right now I'm working on a small illustration on paper, part of a series of new pieces for the "Garden of Good and Evil" shows Aitch and I will have next month at "La Petite Mort" gallery in Ottawa, and "Parantheses" gallery in Halifax. We'll be there for the openings and we'll paint some murals with our friend Other.

Also, all the pieces we're working on now, will be printed in limited editions for a show at Atelier Olschinsky in Vienna, in September.

Links:
Saddo
Saddo (Behance)
Saddo (Flickr)
Aitch
La Petite Mort Gallery

Varya Kolesnikova's BABAY Illustrations

As a parent, I recall the joy of seeking out the unusual and beautiful when shopping around for picture books for my son. Sadly, that time is passed but recently, I discovered Russian illustrator Varya Kolesnikova's work on Anna Glyanchenko's Babay and love the tone, abstraction and palette. Between Varya, me and Google translate, we managed to muster up the following introduction to Varya and Babay.

"My name is Varya Kolesnikova. I live and work in St. Petersburg. As a child, I wanted to be a writer, then a policeman, then a veterinarian and cynologist, and a writer again. But it happened that I graduated from the philological faculty and became an illustrator.
I love to illustrate children's books. I love to create worlds in pictures in which you can immerse in like in a warm bath with almond foam so you can forget about reality. Babay, written by Anna Glyanchenko, is living in just such a world. This is a story about the friendship between a boy and a ... fur. It tells how the imagined becomes real, warm, soft and alive. It is not just an old tattered fur that falls out from the closet but big and kind Babay who quietly comes to tea."

Also note that it's worth having a look at her fantastic illustrations for Rudyard Kipling's Rikki Tikki Tavi as well as her other work.

Links:
Varya Kolesnikova (Behance)

INTERVIEW: Kelly Louise Judd

Full of allegory and whimsy and spiced with a touch of subtle menace, Kelly Louise Judd's illustrations seem reminiscent of Edwardian Era imagery from Central and Eastern Europe as well as pre-industrial wildlife documentation. Combining natural and fairytale elements, her creations are at once familiar yet mysterious. Adding to the natural element, her illustrations feel as if they've been crafted from wood and the colour palette is earthy and subdued.

Kelly Louise Judd recieved a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2002. She continues to live in Kansas City where she spends her time painting, illustrating, gardening, and playing the harp. She is deeply inspired by folklore, ghost stories, psychology, Victorian literature and art, Northern Renaissance art, and flora and fauna.

Very graciously, Kelly has agreed to answer a few questions and correct me on some of my misconceptions and provide some insight to her work. All images provided with the kind consent of Kelly Louise Judd.

How important would you say narrative and allegory are in your works?
It is very important to me. I feel most drawn to art that tells a story and holds symbolism. I’m interested in the underlying stories of life. The house may be quiet and the outside might feel still, but at the same time the house is full of ghosts, and just outside the window a hummingbird’s wings are flapping 50 times per second. Nothing is as calm as its surface, and this is often a starting point for me.

Would you pick one of your works and explain the process that went into its creation and the influences that went into it?
The Peacock and the Crane was inspired by the Aesop’s Fable of the same name. I’d been doing some other works that involved peacocks and cranes separately, so I felt like it was time to do a piece focused on the two together. I wanted them to be together in the painting, but also wanted it to feel as though they were going about in two different worlds. So, the peacock walks on roses, while the crane walks lower on a peacock tail rug.

From the name "Swanbones" to their appearance across a number of your works, birds play a significant role. What do birds signify to you and how would you say you make use of them in your work?
In my work I tend to think of birds as fragile messengers. They might have a warning to deliver or something that needs to be taken away when they leave.

What artists would you say you admire the most and have had the greatest influence on you and why?
I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the work of Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painters. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Hieronymus Bosch, and Hugo Van Der Goes are a few of my favorites. I think they have most influenced me in the way I think about symbolism and also in my color palette.

I’ve also been very inspired by the Golden age of Illustration. I love the work of Edmund Dulac, Arthur Rackham, Helen Stratton, and Walter Crane, among so many others.

Which books, films or other media do you enjoy and inspire you?
I read a lot of Victorian literature, which always tends to bleed into my work. I like to read folk tales from all over the world. I’m also inspired by authors like Flannery O’Connor and Carson McCullers.

Sometimes while I’m working I’ll put on a documentary. The topics of these can be about anything from historical gardening to leprosy.

Links:
Kelly Louise Judd
Kelly Louise Judd (Etsy)
Kelly Louise Judd (Facebook)
Kelly Louise Judd (Art Out There)
Kelly Louise Judd (Beautiful Decay)
The Mythic Art of Kelly Louise Judd (eclectix)