q)Please introduce yourself.
a)My name is Mirko Canesi, I’m an artist who create 2D images.
q) Where do you live and work?
a)I live and work in Europe, city of
q) How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it?
a)It’s hard to say because there are too many element with the same priority to me, so generally when I have to describe my work, I get confused and weird.
But anyway I would say:
I create characters who stay between many levels of reality. Generally are light-hearted young people that lives in upper state of consciousness and often are very “contaminated” by this new level of reality so they get transformed their shape of human beings.
Sometimes are animals like deer or rhino or monkey but now I’m gonna be more abstract so I can’t define very well what their exacly are.
Sometimes this people, to prove they reach this level are choosen by this little creature ( I call pokémonini) who lives in a far away level of reality.
It’s clear? I don’t know…
One of the most important technical aspect is material study thath must be etheral but consistent at the same time. Transucent marble or pseudo-wax material are my favourite.
I also have a series dedicated only to pokémonini; the concept is quite the same the difference is in like-drawing freedom and the more ethereal subjects.
q) How did you start in the arts? How/when did you realize you were an artist?
a)My interest in art of any kind started when I was very young (4yo?) and I’ve always thought to me as an artist. My child best friend’s father is one major artist of the
q) What are your favorite art materials and why?
a)I prefer using materials that is not materical; I started using pantone, an alchoolo-based felt I considered it immaterial because of the immediate evaporation. At the end I went up using directly computer, monitor and optical-pen; in this way I’m able working directly in an “other” dimension other than immaterial. I need to print it only in the way I can fix it (there are too many difference between monitors in colors, contrast etc..) turning it from virtual to reality.
At the moment I’m working on a oil-painted series because there are some colors tonality that print can’t reproduce at the moment. And I like to paint too…
q) What/who influences you most?
a)At the moment Kazuma Kaneko is the most important artist in the globe to me, next to him but not still alive Pontormo. Ok then my thinking go to Richard Corben and Liberatore, so Damien Hirst, Cinetic art, web design, very well done design, character design, pokémon design (the most pop), bothanical design, armors and weapons design, MANGA &ANIME. Cinema. Ok stop…
q) Describe a typical day of art making for you.
a)I sit on my computer, I put on some music then I choose if start a new work or finish an old one; in the first case I’m totally free in creating and I enjoy myself a lot , in the second case it’s a pain in the ass because I know I’m going through a never ending maniacal session.
Very often I stop working and relax waching anime on megavideo or play videogame or calling friends ors sleep.
q) Do you have goals, specific things you want to achieve with your art or in your career as an artist?
a)I ‘d like to became an international artist able to travel and live the world thanks to my work.
q) What contemporary artists or developments in art interest you?
a)As I alredy said I prefer underground art and unoffical but basically I must have the belief that what I’m seeing is contemporary other than art.
q) How long does it typically take you to finish a piece?
a)About 3month for a 50x50, I’m a perfectionist and working with digital paintig means that every brush stroke you do it’s a fake and need double work to became natural.
q) Do you enjoy selling your pieces, or are you emotionally attached to them?
a)At the very beginning it was a problem, but now, I think if I sell something I can do new works even better every time and be free to experiment.
q) Is music important to you? If so, what are some things you're listening to now?
a)Music is art It’s a must. I’m going to copy some name from my iTunes library:
Animal Collective, Antony & the Johnsons, Basement Jaxx, Blonde Redhead, Devendra Banhart, Fleet Foxes, Hot Chip, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, lucio battisti, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Portishead, Prodigy, But my first place it’s Radiohead, The Knife, Talking heads, The Arcade Fire, THE STREETS, TV On The Radio. Ok Stop…
q) Books?
a)At the moment I have a problem…I’m only reading astrological manuals or esotic stuff.
Maybe I’m most the kind that loves Cinema, Anime and Videogame.
q) What theories or beliefs do you have regarding creativity or the creative process?
a)I want re-spiritualize and re-sensibilize people. I’m not religious it’s only a way to open mind a little.
q) What do you do (or what do you enjoy doing) when you're not creating?
a)I like going to cinema, playing with videogame (my big passion) and searching for new anime and manga. Taking insipiration from everything I can reach.
Obviously I like staiyng with my friends.
q) Do you have any projects or shows coming up that you are particularly excited about?
a)This year was a really good one but I still have a project I belive in a lot but I’m scaramantic so I don’t want talking about.
q) Do you follow contemporary art scenes? If so, how? What websites, magazines, galleries do you prefer?
a)Yes I do, but I think that the most part of art it’s a copy of itself and don’t reflect anymore our generation; so gradually I beacme more interested in the unofficial art scene. Games, illustration, anime for esemple, I go every year to “salone del mobile” seeing design. The most beautiful and representative art at the moment to me is japanese videogame characher’s design.
q) Ask yourself a question you'd like to answer, and answer it.
a)Wich magical power have you always desired to have?
OOOooh…so many, if I have to choose I would say energetic powers, absorb energy and be able to manipulate it so attack or create nice looking effect.
q) Any advice for aspiring artists?
a)Yes, be honest with yourself and don’t do anything if you don’t have something to say. If you do so It’s ok, you have only to be enough tough and rough to insist in your way.
q) Where can we see more of your work online?
a)My web site www.mirkocanesi.eu it’s going to be ultimate. It shows my production from 2007 to now.
