What images keep you company in the studio?
Photos of my nearest past show, this helps me not loose sight of ways of painting I may have discovered while working on a previous group. Mixed with work by current/old art crushes for example Richard Aldrich or Josh Smith, wherever my head is at for conceptualizing a new group of work. A lot of film stills, they act as cultural markers, a swatch of fabric, a Lydia Lunch email poem.
What was the first artwork that really mattered to you?
This goes back a long way. When I was around five I added a neck to a drawing of the human body, previous to that the body was just circles on top of circles. I always remember that moment of awareness, my first critique.
What could you imagine doing if you weren’t an artist?
Initially I thought touring and playing music somewhere in the world would be the dream, now that’s all changed. Playing and recording music is still there but likely a lot of gardening, maybe even some kind of farmer.
What is your ideal studio buddy?
Music. Making this most recent show it’s been Te Huhu on high rotate and if that gets too relaxing I’ll switch to Exploded View/Anika or Terry Riley with John Cale or Umberto or maybe an older classic like Crack (We Are Rock).
What are you reading?
I’m so incredibly behind in my reading, time for more of that would be something special. It seems like I’m mostly catching up on various art journal articles. There are some books and articles I return to repeatedly for various reasons such as I may enjoy the object-ness of that book or some friends made a journal (while I wait to find the next inspirer and broaden my horizons) just a few examples would be Rag Picking by Kirsty Bell, Matters – Issue 8, and Hybridize Or Disappear edited by Joao Laia.
What is art for?
Everything.