Hi, 5 (5 Questions) is a web-only interview series which presents five questions to artists, activists, and creative thinkers alike. The project acts as an educational device which allows us to gain insight into the narratives that define successful individuals. We are interested in the motivations behind ambitious ideas and how these individuals chart personal change in relation to their surroundings.
About Luci Everett
Luci Everett is a graphic designer and illustrator living in Melbourne, Australia. She does a lot of paper cutting, painting and scanning.
Luci Everett - Alfalfabet (2012)
Luci Everett
If you had to describe your current self to a 16-year-old you, what would you say?
Relationships and friendships are much easier now. It’s not going to be sudden, but gradually you’ve become much more confident and comfortable with yourself. You pursued graphic design and have a lot of fun. Every year gets better.
Could you describe an evolution in your work or way of thinking?
I think I’ve developed a more discerning eye over the last few years. I have a slightly more practical approach to creative ideas than I did when I was studying design at university – I guess that comes with working on real projects. That said, I’m driven inspiration-wise in pretty much the same way I always have been; I absorb a lot of visual information and that will always inform my work quite intuitively if I’m passionate about it.
Are there any people who have been instrumental in the development of your way of thinking and viewing the world?
No one in particular, although I think a couple of my high school art teachers and uni lecturers were pretty influential in nourishing my inclinations to approach or respond to the world creatively. Of course it’s unavoidable that my parents play a big part in how I view the world.
How do your political beliefs inform or fuel your work as an artist?
My political beliefs are quite separate from my artwork. My love and absorption in aesthetics comes from a different place to my connection and interaction with society. I’m not sure whether that’s a good or bad thing, it’s just the way it feels.
What do you feel a city should be or do for its inhabitants?
It should be a place which nurtures community, with the collective wellbeing of people and environment (equally) is always considered.
Hi, 5 (5 Questions) is a web-only interview series which presents five questions to artists, activists, and creative thinkers alike. The project acts as an educational device which allows us to gain insight into the narratives that define successful individuals. We are interested in the motivations behind ambitious ideas and how these individuals chart personal change in relation to their surroundings.
About Sandy Noble
Sandy Noble is a maker, a designer and a programmer. Sandy’s website is called Up To Much. Not home-spun exactly, but conceptually simple pieces, usually with some kind of particular conceit that makes them look more complex than they are, or complex, but with an elegant appearance: a series of elaborations on a basic concept.
Sandy Noble - Polargraph Machine
Sandy Noble
February 22/2012
If you had to describe your current self to a 16-year-old you, what would you say?
Just like you, but all the the things that made you a bit odd then, are the things that make me valuable now.
Could you describe an evolution in your work or way of thinking?
I’m very attached to how things work, rather than what they look like, or probably even what they do. When I was a kid I made lots of plastic models, and enjoyed making some much more than others. Some kits assembled beautifully, with lots of sub-assemblies, tabs, interlocking pieces. Others left much more up to the builder’s skill to judge where a part should be stuck. I never painted them – that’s the boring bit – where’s the fun?
I’m still very technically-focused, and working on projects where I am the designer and also the implementer suits that focus, it’s absolutely appropriate. But it can be a handicap in the ideation phase of a project so I needed to learn to know when to switch it off. Learning about the stagey, iterative nature of the design process taught me when I should be thinking technically and when I should be thinking free-form.
I’m not very good at the free-form stuff, that’s the problem, and it’s partly a skills issue – I just never got very good at sketching fast, representation. Everything I do I tend to want to boil it down to a series of diagrams, and just hold the gestalt of it in my head. This skills problem really does flavour what I get around to doing – if it’s hard to express, it just doesn’t get done, or at least, it doesn’t get put down on paper. It just floats around in my head until it crystalizes enough to be diagrammed, and that’s unfortunately a good way to lose inspiration, and can be discouraging when I look in my sketchbook and see the same old thing page after page, rather than all the amazing ideas I think I’m having but can’t express very clearly.
Generally my work is very tools-led. I like using the tools much more than I like having the finished object. Design is nice because design itself is a great big tool that can be used to make anything. So I made a desk once, and it works great as a desk, but my favourite thing about it is the work I did designing it.
So my art is entirely a product of the machine – the machine is the real piece of work, the drawings that come from it are only the proofs. The polargraph machine is interesting too because it’s very very technical. It’s programmed with a certain behaviour, and that’s where I see the art in it, that’s where the magic is. Which is nice, because as a professional software developer, it’s the exact same art that I use during my day job.
Are there any people who have been instrumental in the development of your way of thinking and viewing the world?
Other than my immediate family, very few. My mom and dad are very practical people who would be happy to fix and make things from scratch. They tell me “I’ll show you how, then you can do it yourself” and in many cases this the result of being tired of endlessly doing stuff for other people, but in other cases it is a genuine wish to share something they find marvelous and engaging. Their house has a gate at the back with this carved wooden handle on the back, just a plain one, functional. And it’d been carved and polished up and sat there every day for forty years. I remember being amazed and proud when only fairly recently I realized my dad had made it from a block of wood rather than just buying one from a shop. It was clearly the product of some love, some enjoyment of the process. Because actually it was pretty unnecessary in that place. I was horrified when they threw that door away to get a new one, handle and all, all replaced by off-the-shelf hardware. They are very unsentimental like that.
I suppose I am too, which is why I don’t like things which are purely decorative. Even if a photograph or a painting looks beautiful, I’m more interested in knowing what technical aspects create that feeling, or how it was made than just letting it wash over me, and if I don’t know that, I can’t really decide if I like it or not.
How do your political beliefs inform or fuel your work as an artist?
I feel that if people take from others, they should give to others. And, paying forward rather than paying back. People would like me to claim that I invented the polargraph machine, or that I am a trail blazer of some sort for using 3d printing in jewellry, and are a little dismayed when I tell them these things are just the most recent development of very commonplace technology – there is no high-tech here, no genius, no special insight, only the will to experiment for it’s own sake, and the will to publicly invest in something. That in itself, like art, is quite attractive and will get people’s attention.
So even though I’m a little wary of just giving all my hard work away, I realize I must because I owe it. This is especially true in areas with a strong community, learning aspect, that is, open source software and hardware, and the people who made that possible. It feels very wrong to take something that is free, bottle it and try to sell it back.
What do you feel a city should be or do for its inhabitants?
A city should be present enough to lead people into a community, but get out of the way enough to allow people to shape it, splinter it, build individual identities within it. Easier said than done.
Hi, 5 (5 Questions) is a web-only interview series which presents five questions to artists, activists, and creative thinkers alike. The project acts as an educational device which allows us to gain insight into the narratives that define successful individuals. We are interested in the motivations behind ambitious ideas and how these individuals chart personal change in relation to their surroundings.
About David Spriggs
David Spriggs explores the representation and strategies of power, the symbolic meanings of colour, and the thresholds of form and perception. His installation based work lies in a space between the 2 and 3 dimensions. In many installations he uses a technique he developed in 1999 using multiple painted layered images in space to create unique ephemeral like forms. The subjects depicted in his work relate to the breakdown and recreation of form and volume – as seen through his interest in cyclones, explosions, and forces.
David Spriggs is currently based in Montreal. He was born in 1978 in Manchester, England, and immigrated to Canada in 1992. He received his Master of Fine Arts from Concordia University, Montreal, and his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University in Vancouver.
David Spriggs - Axis of Power (2009)
David Spriggs
February 19/2012
If you had to describe your current self to a 16-year-old you, what would you say?
I am a contemporary artist working primarily on installation based work.
Could you describe an evolution in your work or way of thinking?
I have been through many different styles in my life as an artist. I tried everything to find out what works and what doesn’t. My thinking has lead from concept to another. 12 years ago I started thinking about transparency, then about 8 years ago concepts around the immaterial and perception, and more recently on concepts of power and the symbolic notions of colour.
Are there any people who have been instrumental in the development of your way of thinking and viewing the world?
The theories of the Futurists and Cubists have been interesting to me. I have been perhaps most inspired by writers such as Baudrillard, Virilio, and Foucault.
How do your political beliefs inform or fuel your work as an artist?
I would say that it is not so much political beliefs as much as being informed about the world, the general news, and advancements in science and theory.
What do you feel a city should be or do for its inhabitants?
A city is a changing organism that keeps it’s community alive. I would like to think culturally that a city provides its citizens a network in which the arts can flourish.
Hi, 5 (5 Questions) is a web-only interview series which presents five questions to artists, activists, and creative thinkers alike. The project acts as an educational device which allows us to gain insight into the narratives that define successful individuals. We are interested in the motivations behind ambitious ideas and how change has been affected by those with the passion for progress in their practice.
About Alex Asher Daniel
Alex Asher Daniel is an American painter residing in New York City. Alex has a show of portraits coming up in March 2012 at the National Black Theatre in Harlem.
Alex Asher Daniel - London Head Number 11
Alex Asher Daniel
February 1st/2012
If you had to describe your current self to a 16-year-old you, what would you say?
I still feel 16 at times, just with more battle scars. In many ways I am trying to reach back and find where I was as a child. There is a pure love of art and music when you are young, really letting it embrace you, an enchantment. I want the feeling again of loving a band and their music, before you actually met them and it ruined everything.
Could you describe an evolution in your work or way of thinking?
The work can not help but evolve if it is coming from a truthful place, because you yourself are ever changing. Even when I have made a point to work in a uniform series- each time I begin a new painting I feel as though I have never painted before. I have found myself consistently drawn to certain subject matter, but the approach to how I paint it is always changing. In my early work I was inspired by the figure, but I was intrigued by the shape of letters, numbers and blocks of colour. I incorporated that into my work, and it came across very graphic and two-dimensional. Today, I still explore the human body, but I am searching for meaning within the unseen space around my subject- it makes for a much more multidimensional experience.
Are there any people who have been instrumental in the development of your way of thinking and viewing the world?
That’s a big question. Off the top of my head… Of course, a great influence early on were my parents and their sensitivity for the arts and music, and their awareness of the human dynamic. The places I grew up in my youth, and the communities that surrounded me, especially the bay area and it’s social and spiritual consciousness.
The poet, Michael McClure, who was my English teacher in college, encouraged me to continue my studies in mysticism and the esoteric, both of which have been great influences on my work. There was a book I read when I was younger, an analysis of John Coltrane’s music by Bill Cole, which was a great inspiration at the time. My friendship with Caetano Veloso, who has such a beautiful heart, inspired me to have a more delicate approach to being. Around the time I first arrived in New York City, I met the designer Bill Katz. Bill let me use his studio, which is where I did my first series of portraits, so that was an important time for me. He also introduced me to my favorite scotch. There are so many more… but I will spare you.
How do your political beliefs inform or fuel your work as an artist?
I grew up in an environment surrounded by activism, and I feel that when done intelligently, the arts are the most powerful means of expression and education. I, however, am drawn to more ethereal explorations, so at times I was concerned with whether I should speak out more in my work, but then I realized that our works’ existence alone is revolutionary.
What do you feel a city should be or do for its inhabitants?
A city does nothing for its inhabitants but exist as a blank canvas for what you can manifest. Participate.
Hi, 5 (5 Questions) is a web-only interview series which presents five questions to artists, activists, and creative thinkers alike. The project acts as an educational device which allows us to gain insight into the narratives that define successful individuals. We are interested in the motivations behind ambitious ideas and how change has been affected by those with the passion for progress in their practice.
Today we interview Phil McAndrew. Phil creates intriguing and original content, and has worked for a large and diverse client base. He also has the benefit of being extremely hilarious and we were quite pleased when he emailed us back with some great answers.
About Phil McAndrew
Phil McAndrew is an illustrator and cartoonist from Syracuse, New York, the snowiest city in the United States. He’s created illustrations and comics for books, magazines, newspapers, television, theatrical sets, clothing, posters, album covers, gallery exhibits, websites, and fun. He graduated from Daemen College’s illustration program after being awarded their portfolio-based four year visual art scholarship.
Phil currently lives in San Diego, California.
Phil McAndrew - Diplomacy
Phil McAndrew
January 31st, 2012
If you had to describe your current self to a 16-year-old you, what would you say?
I’d describe myself to 16-year-old Phil as someone who gets to sit at home and draw pictures and eat candy all day. That was pretty much my goal as a 16 year old if I remember correctly, though at the time I don’t think I was actually convinced that it was really possible (or at least that I’d personally ever be able to get to that point).
Could you describe an evolution in your work or way of thinking?
My work and way of thinking has definitely shifted more and more towards “just have fun, be a nice guy and be honest with yourself” and away from trying to impress people. I mean, I’ve always tried to keep those things in mind but I’ve definitely learned first hand exactly how important it is to simply have fun and to be awesome, both to yourself and to others (hint: it’s very important). If you’re really allowing yourself to have fun, it’ll show through in the quality of your work and improve your life.
Are there any people who have been instrumental in the development of your way of thinking and viewing the world?
So many people! I don’t think I could list them all if I tried. I think every single person I meet expands my view of the world, bit by bit. My way of thinking has been informed by various teachers all through my life, both the good ones and the bad ones. My parents and grandparents. My brothers and my friends. Jim Henson.
How do your political beliefs inform or fuel your work as an artist?
I don’t think my political beliefs really fuel my work very often, at least not the work that I put out into the world. I mean, you can probably get a really vague sense of what end of the spectrum my beliefs are at if you dissect every little aspect of my comics and drawings, but that’s rarely where my head is when I’m creating stuff. For a really brief time in college I tried my hand at political cartooning and sometimes I will still find myself reading about some ridiculous political insanity and in a moment of rage or bewilderment will sit down and start writing little comics lampooning one side or the other, but those comics almost never make it past being scribbles in my sketchbook. At the end of the day that’s just not the sort of work I want to focus on I guess. I’d rather make myself laugh.
What do you feel a city should be or do for its inhabitants?
I think cities are living, breathing things. And how awesome or terrible they are really sort of depends on, well, a lot of things. But mostly it’s inhabitants. So I guess I feel like inhabitants should be asking themselves what can I be or do for my city.
Sara Howie and I are excited to begin a new web-only interview project called Hi, 5 (5 Questions). The project will act as an educational device which will allow us to gain insight into the narratives that define successful individuals. We are interested in the motivations behind ambitious ideas and how change has been affected by those with the passion for progress. I decided to interview Dave because, once I heard about him, I was interested in how he worked the imagery and culture of Toronto, Ontario into his work.
About Dave Murray
Dave Murray is an illustrator and designer, currently based in Toronto, Canada.
Graduating in 2009 with a BAA Illustration from Sheridan College, Dave has continued to push himself to explore new visual frontiers to express both his own and client’s visions. Dave’s work has evolved to reflect his myriad interests; be it the strict design of his Toronto neighbourhood mapping series, or his futuristic cubist takes on portraits and pop culture.
Clients include Stella Artois, Streetcar Developments and Dandyhorse Magazine.
Dave’s work has been featured in The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, Canadian House and Home, Benjamin Moore, and 3 x 3 Magazine, as well as countless blogs.
Dave Murray - Polygon Series (Rob Ford)
Dave Murray
January 13th, 2012
If you had to describe your current self to a 16-year-old you, what would you say?
Ha ha, the first thing would probably be that I no longer have shoulder length hair. I’d probably describe myself as a pretty logical evolution of where I was – everything is mostly the same, just more refined.
Could you describe an evolution in your work or way of thinking?
My work is constantly evolving – but I think the biggest step in the past few years has been the result of really exploring new ways of working that I otherwise wouldn’t usually do. I’ve really re-kindled my love of drawing, and am more into the history of art and image making. All of this expansion not only provides me with ways to creatively blow off some steam, but it also informs my more focused pieces.
Are there any people who have been instrumental in the development of your way of thinking and viewing the world?
This one’s actually tricky for me to answer. I like to think of myself as a passive observer – I don’t always immediately act on things, nor do I always respond to advice or new ways of thinking. Maybe I’m missing out on a lot, I don’t know.
How do your political beliefs inform or fuel your work as an artist?
Again, this is one of those things that I try not to let creep into my art. My politics are probably best defined by the some of the projects I take on – Dandyhorse Magazine is a great example. I’ve done a few pieces for them, and I love that I’ve had the chance to work with them because I love bicycles, and I love cycling in Toronto. This isn’t my favourite thing to admit, but trying to live as a freelance illustrator means that I’ll be more likely to take jobs from places that I might not necessarily support because it’ll pay the bills – the best part of those jobs, though, is making them fun for myself.
What do you feel a city should be or do for its inhabitants?
I feel like a city should, more than anything else, be an accessible home for everyone who wants to live there. Mass transit, good infrastructure, reliable services and culture are all things that a city should prioritize and constantly strive to improve. Toronto, right now, is an example of how not to prioritize these things, and it’s sad. Our mayor and his cronies are doing a sub-par job (putting it lightly). What I fear most though, is not that something bad will happen – but that NOTHING will happen. I’m pretty sure that at the end of Ford’s run, we’re going to be exactly where we were 4 years previous.
Work.Place is an awesome project by Portland photographer Carlie Armstrong which aims to document the spaces in which creativity is housed. I suggest browsing through a few of the photo sets; they are gorgeous. If this doesn’t make you want your own complete workspace, I don’t know what will!
