Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Interview with Hector Delgado




q)Please introduce yourself.


a) Hello, my name is Hector Delgado and i’m a student in the “Centro de la Imagen”, Lima, Perú.


q) Where do you live and work?


a) I live and work in Lima, Perú


q) How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it?


a) My work is about the appropriation of imagines and giving them a new context and concept. For that I use the technique of collage and manipulate them digitally. I use images from magazines of the 40s, 50s and 60s.


q) How did you start in the arts? How/when did you realize you were an artist?


a) I’ve the necessity to create and to express my self; I’m not a person that talks much, so I try to communicate through my work. I realized that when people start liking my work and I was receiving good critics.


q) What are your favorite art materials and why?


a) I use a lot of old magazines, which I digitalized and then worked them in the computer. I like a lot the aesthetic of old images; I can spend hours looking and looking and extracting a character and pieces from magazines so i can work them later. I’m a very disorganized person so the computer is a good tool for me, it help me work clean and organized.


q) What/who influences you most?


a) Lot of things. I watch a lot of movies; Godard’s, Jodorowsky’s, Harmony Korine’s, etc; I like a lot the work of Hannah Hoch and Joseph Renau, their work inspired me for working with collages.


q) Describe a typical day of art making for you.


a) It all depends; at the mornings or afternoons I’m looking for magazines or scanning them. At nights I work in the computer, I feel more comfortable working at those hours.


q) Do you have goals, specific things you want to achieve with your art or in your career as an artist?


a) I just want to keep producing art and make a living of it.


q) What contemporary artists or developments in art interest you?


a) Anything that is new to me and have an impact/interests me.


q) How long does it typically take you to finish a piece?


a) It depends, it can take me a couple of hours, a couple or days or a week… It all depends on my mood and the materials I’ve available.


q) Do you enjoy selling your pieces, or are you emotionally attached to them?


a) Of course, I think that if someone buys my work they should really like it, so that means that I’m not working in vain.


q) Is music important to you? If so, what are some things you're listening to now?


a) Music is very important. I listen everything; from salsa to classical music… it helps me work at night: Patti Smith, Karajan, Blonde Redhead, Hector Lavoe, Daniel F, Fela Kuti, etc…


q) Books?


a) I read Charles Bukowski, Alejandra Pizarnik, Susan Sontag, Charles Baudelaire, Antonin Artaud... I also read any art book that it get to my hands.


q) What theories or beliefs do you have regarding creativity or the creative process?


a) You must be like a sponge and absorbed everything that interest you, then ideas will come by their self. You should always be producing anything, so you keep your mind working.


q) What do you do (or what do you enjoy doing) when you're not creating?


a) I hang out with my friends, go to a concert or watch a movie. I spend a lot of time watching movies.


q) Do you have any projects or shows coming up that you are particularly excited about?


a) I’m working on a Photogram project with some friends, it’s really cool because it’s been a while since I haven’t step into a photographic lab.


q) Do you follow contemporary art scenes? If so, how? What websites, magazines, galleries do you prefer?


a) I follow some art blogs, like this one or visit some web mags, like ruby-mag. I also visit some galleries so I know what’s going on the local art scene.


q) Ask yourself a question you'd like to answer, and answer it.


a) I don’t know what ask, I’m not good for that kind of things…


q) Any advice for aspiring artists?


a) Work hard and don’t be scared of trying new things. ;)


q) Where can we see more of your work online?


a) http://sinicio.blogspot.com/ Most of my work is in this blog.


http://portafolio.centrodelaimagen.edu.pe/hector


http://www.flickr.com/photos/sinicio/

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Interview with Andrey SHCH




q)Please introduce yourself.

a)Andrey Shch – an ingenious and contradictory creative person.

q) Where do you live and work?

a)I’m residing in Kiev, the hero-city and the capital of Ukraine not far from 
London, but working in different places scattered around our planet. Though I 
believe I would find work on Mars as well, but its far way to go. Though I wish I 
could work there – Mars is said to be more spacious.

q) How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it?

a)I could describe it as the ultimate in creativity and imagination based on the 
best graphic traditions of the past and present time – but I won’t. It is like 
describing an elephant: in which light should one describe it and is it really 
necessary?
 
I want those who see my works to decide whether it is graphics, calligraphy or 
just music transformed into motion. I leave this right to them. Let arts experts 
describe my creative work, while I’ll be just drawing since everyone should do his 
own work – a favorite one.
 
q) How did you start in the arts? How/when did you realize you were an artist?
 
a)I still have not realized I’m an artist. You don’t wake up one morning and tell 
yourself that you’ll be an artist ever after – this doesn’t happen so. An artist 
needs to work for about 30 years to be recognized by people, so I’m not pressed by 
time. I cannot be unbiased in this decision; it is like choosing whether you’re 
handsome or smart.
 
And then perhaps I’m a poet? What kind of poetry my work is then?
I have been head over ears into the arts since I was born, from the very first 
second and I hope I’ll be there ever after.
 
q) What are your favorite art materials and why?
 
a)It is like telling someone you love her: what are you favorite words? All words 
you know are the rights ones for expressing your emotions, whereupon they are 
different for different times of the day. Likewise fingers: we use all of them 
without preferring only one. Thus all materials available in the nature that I 
know of are my favorite.
 
q) What/who influences you most?
 
a)I feel strong influence of the thorny Northern wind, as well as influence of the 
Sun. Though the most appropriate working conditions for me are cold and high 
humidity that are typical for Scandinavia. The worse working conditions are, the 
better is the result. But the most influence is made on me by the beauty of my 
muse, by her piercing hazel glance, her soulful icy breath and her always being 
there when I need her support.
 
q) Describe a typical day of art making for you.
 
a)I put on white garment, have a bathe in Ganges to wash out human sins and light 
santalaceous incense sticks. Then I take a flight to the nearest monastery in 
Tokio, then wend my way to Dalai Lama for benediction and then to Mufti and 
Ayatollah – only afterwards I start working. That is the ordinary day complemented 
with jactation from one to another saint and that is the day devoted only to 
creative work.
 

q) Do you have goals, specific things you want to achieve with your art or in your career as an artist?

 
a)I wish I could fresco the Sistine Chapel in Vatican, as Michenangelo 
did. Or something of the same significance to the mankind.
 
q) What contemporary artists or developments in art interest you?
 
a)Those who deal with real creative work, sincere and open as a big heart.
 
q) How long does it typically take you to finish a piece?
 
a)I'm not used to record time as a sportsman and aspire for new world records. The 
faster - the better is not a principle I adhere to. Though I try to draw fast in 
order to have more time for life. I do draw fast but I can also nurture ideas for 
months and years. Ideas can be developed and modified for a long time and then be 
implemented in seconds. Fast and clear. But generally I work beyond the frames of 
time and space.
 
q) Do you enjoy selling your pieces, or are you emotionally attached to them?
 
a)Any work should be evaluated – either materially and verbally, by means of 
criticism. The most important is to get feedback which is always useful for 
meeting new challenges.
 
I keep all the artworks that are dear and emotionally valuable to me at home – 
they are not for sale. They are like relatives, you cannot sell them.
 
q) Is music important to you? If so, what are some things you're listening to now?
 
a)Music is like a battery that I can use any moment, like a jolt of fresh air. Music 
is something you can listen to for eternity. Krishna Das - Devi Puja, Arto 
Tuncboyajan - April 24, Amina – Blaskjar,Jagjit & Chitra Singh – Shlokas, Franz 
Schubert, Brahms, Gonzales – Dot.
 
q) Books?
 
a)I prefer beautiful and smart ladies!
 
q) What theories or beliefs do you have regarding creativity or the creative 
process?
 
a)Simple ones. Do it if you can, +if you cannot – do it anyway!
 
q) What do you do (or what do you enjoy doing) when you're not creating?
 
a)Life is art in itself. To produce art works means to live and breathe.
 
How can a human being live without breathing and creating? It is a permanent 
state. That is why I find it difficult to define when I’m creating and when I’m 
not – this is something I’m always into.
 
q) Do you have any projects or shows coming up that you are particularly excited 
about?
 
a)Each project is an exciting process for me and I invest more than a part of me in 
each of them. Each project that is coming up makes me shiver with excitement.
 
q) Do you follow contemporary art scenes? If so, how? What websites, magazines, 
galleries do you prefer?
 
a)I try to be relaxed as regards following contemporary art scenes. Trying to trace 
all the changes and tendecies at all TV channels existing in the world is tiresome 
and absurd. Moreover, would it have sence? It takes time and I don’t see the point 
– let the others follow me up, that would have more sence.
 
 
- q) Ask yourself a question you'd like to answer, and answer it.
 
a)
- Why?
- Because!
 
q) Any advice for aspiring artists?
 
a)Try first and foremost not to lie to yourselves and those who surround you.
 
q) Where can we see more of your work online?
 
a)Type in my name in Google search or any other search engine. There are many web-
sites where you can find my artworks and I don’t remember all of them. Search and 
enjoy.
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shch_andrey/
http://www.behance.net/shchandrey