1 When did you start to make art?
When I faced the fact that I would never be the sexy, charismatic lead singer in a world famous band. Once I’d accepted that – and that surprisingly didn’t take very long at all – art was pretty much the only other thing I could do.
2 How did you evolve into a professional artist?
Still working on it, mate.
3 What drove you to make art as a professional vocation?
See answer to question 2. And to question 1. You might also want to look at the answer to question 9 too.
4 Explain your inspiration?
When I was about 16, living with my parents still, we had a house with a cherry blossom tree out the front. One summer’s day I sat on the front doorstep with a large pad of paper and a very fine black ink pen. It was sunny and warm and the air was still. I sat there for the whole afternoon drawing the tree, each leaf and each piece of blossom, each branch. Late afternoon, the drawing unfinished, I stopped and closed the pad and went inside. I never returned to the drawing. At some point, practically every day now, many years later, I picture that drawing and remember what it was like to be sitting on the front step in the warm sun drawing the delicate pink and white flowers.
5 In what way does your inspiration transform into ideas?
It’s all about life and death. How do you talk of your life? How do you mark your place in the world? How do you embrace The Now? I try to find the slightest and most economical ways of talking about these things.
6 From Ideas to production of art – how? And why?
From 2 minutes to 12 years. Depends on the piece.
7 Could your ideas be portrayed in any other medium? If so which?
I think every idea I have could be communicated in every other medium and every other art form. It’s all life and death. You can pretty much do that with all art forms. I do it with the things that I do it with because that’s all I can do. I reckon everything I do could be done much better musically.
8 Which artists would you most like to blatantly rip off?
I rip off Mustafa Hulusi, regularly. And On Kawara, often.
9 Why is your art made?Because I couldn’t be the lead singer in a band.
10 What does being an artist mean to you?
Currently it means going out most nights to private views, getting home, trying to write about the experience as truthfully as I can, publishing it on my blog and then going to bed really late. It’s been a year of doing that, trying to log the dirty London artworld. Almost finished now, though.
11 Are you happy with your reasons for making art? i.e Are there any trade offs that make life hard?
I reckon if you have the luxury of being able to think about and make a bit of art as opposed to having to think about where your next meal is coming from or where you are going to sleep at night then I think the trade offs are pretty ok. Art is a luxury.
12 When does your art become successful?
It doesn’t. But then it doesn’t fail either, so I guess that’s ok. It is what it is.
13 What is art?
(pointing) That. Over there. That’s art.
14 How do you start the process of making work?
Load up the gun with a couple of cartridges and start blasting away.
15 Who prices your work? And how is the price decided upon?
Me. How much you got?
16 What is your next; move,project,show etc?
The blog reinvented in a gallery. 69 magazine covers with Martine McCutcheon on them. And a pub named after me.
17 What are the pros and cons of the art market?
There are no pros or cons, there is simply the market. Only a fool would try and go against it.
18 Which pieces would you like to be remembered for?
I wouldn’t like to be remembered for any pieces. I’d like a few people to remember me for being a nice person.
19 Any routine in making your artwork? If so what?
None. It’s just chaos. Total chaos, man. But I’m aiming to make this less so. See answer to question 10.
20 What has been the biggest break in your career?
I haven’t had any breaks. I have had quite a few cracks, though.
21 Who has been the biggest influence on you?
No one in particular, hundreds of people, things. My cat. A flower. Lobsters. Whatever.
22 How many artworks have you given away and to whom?
Three. One to Al, one to Caroline and one to Dominic. In a couple of weeks I will be giving another one away to Pete.
I also give people badges with my name on. You can’t buy them, you have to ask me for one and then I give it to you for free.
Links: Russell Russell's Blog Russell's Myspace
