Interview by Rachel Gottesman
Hello Matt! This interview has been a long time coming... A few years, at least.
I think you're the only designer so far that's had not one, but two 12 month club prints. Not even Flying Mouse has caught up yet! That must make you pretty proud.
You said it! It’s always good to have a design loved by the Threadless community and accepted for print. My second 12 Month tee came as a real surprise. Sugar Machine was a piece I’d been working on for a very long while (at the time, perhaps the most time-consuming vector illustration I’d ever done), though funnily enough I was blind to its potential as a tee design. It was only after I posted a work-in-progress on my Flickr page that people suggested I should submit it.
It was the first design I’d subbed for ages, and was really unsure about the feedback it might create. I’d had positive comments for designs in the past, but was perhaps worried that tastes had changed and it would crash and burn.
For a design that I was really happy about, it meant a lot to me that everyone else would like it too. We all want to be loved, right?! And hooray, it was chosen and printed (while sneaking past the Threadless censors with its 9 colours)!
Besides making really awesome psychedelic shirts for Threadless, you also draw and paint some rad amalgamations of organic shapes in peppy colors. What's your work all about?
Crikey that’s always a tough question for any artist / designer. In the simplest of terms, the art and ideas are always in charge.
Of course there are artists whose work I love with a passion, and I’m drawn towards certain materials, approaches, themes and motifs. But I’ve found that these are only aware to me in retrospect. In the words of Paul Klee, I like to ‘take a line for a walk’ and see what happens.
After weeks, months and years my style and themes have evolved. Of course, I’m now talking about my personal work, because with commercial projects there’s an expected shift in direction. Even so, a flavour of my input and vision can hopefully be still seen and recognised.
I’m skirting around the question because it’s genuinely a difficult one to answer without sounding either woolly or pretentious. Perhaps I can only say what my work’s about in context with what I like or admire… Such as folk art, twilight, music, unanswered questions (like this one), journeys, peanut butter and the need to keep doing it.
Do you prefer abstraction to realism? There's sometimes a hint of the real in your work, like a random animal or face, but it seems to me like they play second fiddle to the abstract shapes and colors.
Since my work seems to evolve from its own direction, current designs have become quite abstract exploring pattern and shape. I’d still argue that the majority of it, to me at least, remains rooted in reality as my inspirations come from nature and my responses to the world around me.
More specifically, I guess that much of my work has a strong allegorical content, often suggested by the titles and supported by both the colour work and design to evoke suggestions of things that are perhaps not so tangible. This is equally true with designs that have recognisable elements that refer more directly to reality or nature, though to the viewer these provide an easier entry to the work.
I’ve been playing around with word associations that could best describe things I’ve been doing most recently. It’s all nonsense really, but terms such as ‘georganic’ (geometric-meets-organic – can you see what I did there?!)
Note: I can! or ‘nu-romanticism’ (nothing to do with early-80s music / fashion) kinda hit the spot. The latter is a direction I can see myself drifting into with more work along the lines of Empyrean Descent.
I’m a big fan of Romanticism and love seeing the work of painters such as Blake, Turner and Friedrich. Their work has so much spirit and mystery that keeps me coming back for more. But I still find that after a while of working along a certain direction I will crave change and do the opposite. So don’t be surprised if I soon start creating things using more recognisable subject matter – cats, dogs, people, places... Who knows?!
Have you ever tried graffiti or murals? Your work seems suited for that.
I’ve never tried but would love it give it a go. I’m not sure that I’m interested in graffiti in the traditional sense, with spray cans and all that, because there’s so much skill involved in developing work I’d be happy with. I also have a slight aversion to the finish of spray paint because I have lingering memories of bad airbrush illustration from the 70s and 80s.
What’s worse is that I see so much bad graffiti in the form of throw-ups (good description because they make my stomach churn) and nasty tags that give the whole culture such bad press.
Even so, graffiti has now spawned a much broader scene of Street Art that I’d certainly like to have a go at. I’ve had an idea kicking around for a long while involving paste-ups. This process will work with my designs and should translate well on the street.
Aside from that, I’m keen to work on large scale drawings in the form of line art murals. I rarely plan things in advance when I draw, so it would be great to see what panned out with pens on a wall or window.
You recently went to China. What were you doing there and how was your trip? What was your favorite part?
I visited China over Spring Break and had a brilliant time. I’ve visited Japan on a couple of occasions in the past, and was looking forward to how different it would be. Thankfully I have a friend living out there in Tianjin, and so had the support of someone that could help me quickly adjust to the craziness of it all.
While being based in Tianjin, I also managed to stay in Beijing and spent a weekend at the seaside resort of Beidaihe, all the while keeping a sketchbook and taking hundreds of photos. I really enjoyed my stay as the country is undergoing a powerful shift of social and economic change, spurred on by the upcoming Beijing Olympics. The people are warm and friendly, even if very few spoke English, and the country and culture are fascinating providing me with a wealth of creative inspiration.
I think that my favourite part was visiting the 798 Art District in Beijing. The whole area is under rapid transformation from an industrial district to one solely dedicated to galleries and art studios. Many of the spaces are huge and it seems to be attracting a lot of foreign interest and international shows. My friend compared it to perhaps being like the early days of Chelsea in Manhattan, and I can certainly imagine that in a few years it will be a very important centre for art, not only in China but also the Far East and further afield.
Do you have any plans to design more shirts for Threadless? What do you think the key is to making a good shirt design?
After my recent Threadless win I’m really encouraged to create more tee designs. As I mentioned earlier, I’m pleased that the Threadless community is still receptive to what I come up with, so I’m planning to submit more work into the rating arena very soon.
As for what makes a good tee design, I’m not really sure... It’s all down to personal taste I guess and there are many designs I think are great that few would not be seen dead in.
I find it a good challenge when designing for Threadless because I always need to remind myself of the market I’m aiming for. That’s not to say that this ever compromises what I want to create but rather it gives me useful parameters to work within. I’m excited by the increasing variety of design styles and subject matter in Threadless prints that cater for a wider breadth of consumer.
The colour count and printing options of size and placement have benefitted the creative scope of designers more so than ever before, and the introduction of Select tees has been influential on allowing designers to experiment a lot more. Given half the chance I’d love to create another Select tee because I’d really let my imagination run wild. Though if anyone would choose to buy it is another matter completely!
Serious question now... Pizza. Brooklyn thin crust or Chicago deep dish?
Thin crust every time! I wanna eat pizza topping, and if I’m craving pizza base I’ll order dough balls as a side. Come to think of it, forget the dough balls and deep dish; I’d rather have garlic bread to satisfy the carbs. Pizza Express’s Soho Pizza is always the first choice if I’m eating out. Pizza Hut can forget my custom – I know too many people that have told me stories of their food from working there. And all their fancy stuffed crusts and synthetic-tasting toppings – forget it!
The ultimate thin crust comes in the form of homemade tortilla pizza… Use a tortilla or wrap as the pizza base and cover with choice toppings. Of course, chicken is a no-no – it should NEVER be found near a pizza (especially if you’re a vegetarian). Here’s my Gordon Ramsey tip - keep it fresh and super-spicy and you’re onto a winner! Yum!!
Anything else you'd like to throw out there?
I’d just like to say hello to everyone I’d met from Threadless because the community aspect has been a real bonus to those of us that have shared ideas and inspiration. Also, shouts out to all my family, friends and people that put up with me. This includes the students that I’ve taught over the years that have made my love of art all the more worth while. I’m heading into full-time freelancing over the next few months, so I’m going to really miss this contact and direct sharing of ideas and practice.
Lastly, BIG thanks to Threadless for the support, tees and pay cheques!
Thanks for chatting!
It’s been a pleasure... Keep up the good work! Onwards and upwards!!
Interview by Rachel Gottesman
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