sabato 17 ottobre 2009

Interview with Lachlann Rattray





q)please tell us a brief info about yourself.


a)Hello, My name is Lachlann Rattray and I enjoy making gross drawings, t-shirts, websites, music and animations.


q)Tell us about your humble beginnings, When did you you first realized that you wanted to be an artist?


a)Hahaha i wish my beginnings weren't humble! I started drawing at first year of university I studied computer science which was really dull so most of my lectures were spent doodling. After University I moved into a flat with my good buddy Joe Howe (Ben Butler and Mouse Pad) we started making zines and music together and I find it is a really good way of keeping out of trouble and making sure i dont fall in with a bad crowd.


q)What are your tools of the trade and why?


a)When I make art work i tend to use photoshop becuase it is super dooper powerful and lets me do everything i need to. I also enjoy pen and ink i dont get as good results but i find it very soothing. When i make tshirts i use my brand new heat press! and when i am animating i use a combination of flash and quick time.


q)Who or what gives you inspiration on your morbid art?


a)I don't know really, as a kid i had terrible nightmares so could never really watch scary movies or anything perhaps i am venting my frustration. I don't really think my art is very morbid I try to be tongue in cheek and humorous with it, I am influenced a lot by the early thrash and metal bands like Judas priest and Mercyful fate, bands that took themselves too seriously I wish i could make my art that pompus.


q)Is your artistic background self-taught or did you go to college to study?


a)No i never took any art classes or anything my boss at my old job taught me the basics of photo-shop and i picked bits and bobs up from elsewhere, in terms of my free hand work that has just come with practice and doing my best to rip off r crumb and Jim woodring.


q)How do you keep “fresh” within your industry?


a)I don't really think about it to be honest, making art work isn't something i do for a living so i feel no pressure that way to be cutting edge, i think the flickr community is pretty great for keeping things sharp i never get complacent becouse i constantly want to upload work that my peers will like.


q)What are some of your current projects?


a)At the beginning of the year i was part of an exhibition in Brooklyn in New York called "ready made or not" I am also participating in the upcoming group exhibition at Pageant gallery in Edinburgh which opens at the end of this month. I also just got new zine i have been working on back from the printers so that will be available soon to. My band "Gay Against You" also have an album coming out this month "Righteous Signals, Sour Dudes" and we will be touring that in the UK next year.


q)Which of your works are you the most proud of? And why?


a)That is a hard one! Although i really enjoy making them i am constantly disappointed with the level of my own work, I wish i was better! I really like a t shirt design i did recently which is the melting face of Elvis Presley and underneath it reads "anus" i thought that was hilarious!


q)Are there any areas, techniques, mediums, projects in your field that you have yet to try?


a)Although i have tried it Screen Printing is something i wish i had the patience to get better at the results you can get with it are amazing! also 3d modeling is something i am working on getting better at.


q)What do you do to keep yourself motivated and avoid burn-out?


a)Looking other peoples art work keeps me inspired guys like brecht vandenbroucke, llcooljo, shoboshobo. Also because i am never satisfied with anything i do i keep having to try harder and that helps.


q)how do you spend most of your free time?


a)Skateboarding! my friends and i have formed a skate gang called scorpion scabers.


q)What contemporary artists or developments in art interest you?


a)The guys i mentioned above im also interested in further expansion of online communities how once valuable commodities now have no worth, the idea of copyright as applied to images and data shared online.


q)We really like some of your pictures, how can we get our hands on them? Do you sell them? How?


a)Thanks! I have a new online store coming soon at www.dreamguts.com I also have a mysoti account http://www.mysoti.com/mysoti/designer/Dreamguts

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