1. When did you first start working with art on a serious level?
It feels like I've been doing it forever. It's certainly always been my passion and was the only subject I really enjoyed or paid much attention to back in school. I suppose the first time I really realized it was something I could seriously pursue and that others were actually interested in the stuff I was doing was when I first got asked to design a record cover for someone other than my own band. Which was in 1985.
2. When did you decide that this is what you want to do for a living and why?
I don't think I ever made a conscious decision, it probably sounds corny but I just always knew this is what I had to do. It's a need; I just have to get it out and into the world. I never had any specific career dreams or goals as a kid. I remember how infuriated the career officer used to get at school when they used to ask what I wanted to do with my life and I just used to sullenly shrug and look at the floor. Being an artist is a pretty good excuse not to get a 'real job', ha ha, although I'm still struggling to actually make a living out of it.
3. Did you have to go to a school to learn the method of art that you use?
No not really. I did go to art school and have done numerous other arts courses. I didn't actually do my degree (Visual Studies) until I was just into my 30's though which I'm glad about as I think I appreciated it a lot more than I would have done when I was 17 or something. Although I had the freedom to experiment with a lot of skills and techniques I think the main thing I got from the experience of art school was the ability to think and generally work with an open mind. Most of the techniques I use in my work now are all self taught.
4. Where did you go to school and how long were you there? Was it worth your time and money?
I went to school here in Norwich, I've done 3 courses. A foundation diploma in general Art and Design, then an access course in Art, Design and Art history (both one year courses), then a 3 year degree in Visual studies which is a really vibrant multi media degree where you get to learn lots of different skills from steel welding to animation before finally pursuing your own chosen field plus there was quite a lot of theory involved studying modern art in general. Although I enjoyed every minute of it and met some great people etc, I think with hindsight it was probably the wrong degree to do in terms of being commercially useful. If I wanted to get work out of it, considering what I do, I should really have studied either Graphic Design or Illustration but at the time I didn't want to restrict myself too much. I work in so many styles and media I wanted the freedom to experiment.
5. What would you recommend for people that are interested in getting into graphic arts?
Well, if they want to get into the more commercial side of it then take the Graphic Design or Illustration route, like I mentioned before. Of course it's not essential to go through the whole Art School system and I know it's not for everyone. I like learning and I'm a bit of a terminal student. Otherwise just be constantly receptive to all forms of visual inspiration. Make the effort to see what's out there. Don't be too blinkered in your expectations, keep an open mind and be willing to both take risks and compromise. Common sense I guess. More than anything I suppose is to have self-belief in yourself, which isn't really that easy as generally we're all our own worst critics. But you have to be determined and prepared to take the constant knockbacks.
6. What style would you say you have when it comes to your art?
I really have no idea. Because I now have such a large collection of my own work over the years, gathering it all together on my website etc I can see a kind of thread and unity within it all, but I'd find it very difficult to explain it in words to anyone. I certainly didn't set out to have any particular style but eventually I guess my own personality (artistically) comes through in the work. I think people can now recognize something I've done. And I've been told sometimes that other artists work looks like my 'style', which is flattering. All I can think is that I guess it's a little twisted, ha ha.
7. How do you get your images to come out the way they do?
Hmm, a difficult question. It all depends on what medium I'm working in with a particular piece of work. Generally I'm always looking to push and mutate things. I'm very interested in layering images and working with distressed surfaces, I like to give an image a sense of history. Much of the work I make is collage based so it's mixing and matching different elements, textures etc. Pushing the boundaries, watching something metamorphosise into something different. I'm fascinated by anatomy, I like the idea of breaking down elements and reassembling them into something new.
8. I see that you use many different mediums when creating your art. Do you prefer one method over the others or do you just use what you can to get the best image possible?
Yes I try to remain open minded and flexible. Generally I get bored doing the same thing over and over. If I've been stuck in front of the computer for weeks just working with PhotoShop or tied up doing some small, intricate pen and ink illustration then I find it very liberating to get down my studio and work on a 8 foot wax sculpture, or do a 5 foot charcoal drawing or something. Sometimes elements of this larger work ends up being photographed and then scanned into a digital illustration, or similarly I've printed up digital work, blown it up and mounted it in large fine artworks. It's all cross-pollination. I like to try and keep things fresh and vary the way I work.
9. Name some of the bands that you have designed covers for and some that you would like to work for?
I guess the various covers I've done for Napalm Death are still what I'm generally best known for but I've also done work for Stampin' Ground, Medulla Nocte, Hellchild, Discordance Axis, Submerge, Disfear etc etc. A lot of bands I do stuff for are very underground and DIY orientated. As for who I'd like to do stuff for? Well actually most of the bands I'd love to do covers for already have really good graphics so I doubt they'd have any need. Converge for example are one of my favorite bands, but with Jacob Bannon's amazing graphical skills it's unlikely they'd ever look elsewhere, similarly I find Neurosis really inspiring, but their covers are always completely fitting to their music.
10. What are some of your favorite or most memorable covers that you have had the chance to work on? Why?
I didn't get my computer until 1999, up until that time I was mainly working in paint and ink. All the collage and image manipulation I did was by abusing photocopiers etc. The last cover I did in the much more labour intensive style was the Stampin' Ground 'An Expression of Repressed Violence' album cover. I worked on that for weeks, did a lot of preliminary studies etc (something that's not so important in the digital age, what with unlimited undo's etc) and the final piece was really quite detailed and complex. Looking back at it now I'm still quite amazed that I actually painted that. It's definitely one of my favorites but also represents a definite shift in the way I work. Another particular favorite (probably from around the same time) was the Napalm Death 'Leaders not followers' cover. This marked quite a departure from the normal style I did for them. Basically they needed something at the last minute and ended up using some photo-based work (manipulated in the darkroom, pre-computer). This was actually part of some personal work I was working on at the time at Art School. The main reason I like it is for its simplicity. It's a very simple, yet striking image. One of my main faults is that I sometimes overwork an image, it's that problem of not knowing when to stop. But I like the bleak, minimal feel of these images. I think I'd like to do some more stuff like that now actually.
11. Any new covers in the making that you can tell me about?
At the moment I'm working on a CD cover for Texas grind band KILL THE CLIENT, I've also just redesigned an old logo for a cover of a reissue of the WARHAMMER (Shane from Napalm Deaths old band) demo on CD. Stuff in the immediate pipeline is a 7" cover illustration for SUMMON THE CROWS (political hardcore from Norway) and VOICE OF HATE (Death grind from Spain)
12. Tell me about the process when a band or label comes to you asking you to create cover art for them.
Well there are lots of things to take into consideration before I can start to actually work on the art. I generally direct them to the 'frequently asked questions' on my website so I don't have to go through the same stuff over and over, stuff like how many images they need, for what format, in what style or media, budget if they have one, deadline etc, etc, Sometimes it feels like it's more complicated than it needs to be but I've learnt there are lots of little details that have to be straightened out before I can get stuck into the fun bit of making the artwork. What I'll then find out is if they have any specific ideas or concept, often I ask for lyrics or song titles to work from. Generally the whole process is very much two way, I'll email rough drafts back and forth before I do the final work. This is a lot easier now that I work mainly digitally as it means I can do endless variations on one theme before a final composition is chosen.
13. When you are asked to work on a bands cover, where do you get the ideas?
I literally get the idea from everywhere. I'm always on the lookout for inspiration and I find it from an infinite number of sources. From books I've read, film, TV, magazines, inspiration from other artists, but mostly just from the everyday world. I carry a camera with me almost everywhere so If I see something that I think I could use in some work at some point, even if it's just some old junk or a crumbling wall surface I can capture it for reference. I've a huge mass of photographs and stuff I've cut from magazines etc. Once I've got some vague ideas in the back of my head I have a huge brainstorming session and go through all my reference material or go out to search for items I need, go to take more photos or raid the library. Once I've got a basic heap of stuff to work with I just play about with it all and let it grow and develop from there. Sometimes it all comes together quite easily, other times it's a huge frustrating struggle. I have to say getting the initial idea is the hardest part, once I finally know what I want to do making the final artwork seems to be comparatively quite easy.
14. Do you have to listen to the bands music first to get an idea of what you would like to do or is it more general where you show them a portfolio that they can pick art from?
Obviously if possible I like to able to hear the band first. I think I'm quite good at matching a particular type of image, or a mood to a style of music. I do direct them to the galleries on my website and ask if there's any particular images that they like the look of in as much as the style or feel of the artwork they like. I don't have 'spare' work that they can pick, I always work specifically for a band. Thankfully bands generally know what I'm about before they approach me. I'm pretty much open to anything but I'm definitely more suited to working with dark and heavy stuff. I'm not sure I'd be the obvious choice for an up tempo ska pop-punk band for example, but hey…I'm always up for a challenge.
15. What is your main objective when creating a piece of work for a band?
Well obviously the main objective is for the band to like it. It's going to be on their release and they're paying for it. Ultimately It'd be great that I like it too which is generally the case but there have been exceptions. But I've long since learnt the art of compromise, but it can be very frustrating when I've completed what I think is a perfect cover and then the band say, "Well it's okay but can you just remove such and such element", which is usually the strongest and most pivotal part of the cover, and have me replace it with some really cheesy idea. Generally I'll say if I don't think something is going to work,or if I think something will look particularly lame, but at the end of the day it's their call, I'm working for them. Ultimately though I like to finish with something that we both like and that I think totally sums up the feeling of that particular release. It's a great feeling when that happens and I still get a massive buzz about seeing my artwork on cds and records.
16. Do you let the band have a say in what you create or do you just say, "here is what I can come up with…like it or leave it"?
Well as I've answered in the previous questions I work very much with the bands. I think if I just adopted a 'like it or leave it' attitude my work would soon become very stale, at least this way I get lots of input and it often leads to new ideas or approaches I wouldn't have thought of otherwise.
17. Is this your dream job or do you plan on working in different medium?
Working within visual media is what I love doing, at the moment though financially it's still very sporadic and I often have to get dull day jobs to pay the bills which is frustrating as it drastically cuts into the time I can spend on my art. As well as doing cover art for bands I also spend a lot of time just making personal art work which I exhibit, and also take on personal commissions for peoples houses etc. I've got a studio in a co-op run group studios in the centre of town so it's good to be able to work within a group environment. I'm certainly open to moving into other areas and media, I like to keep an open mind. I have no set plans at the moment, I'll just see where things lead. Obviously to be able to survive doing something I enjoy is my ultimate aim.
18. Are you a total metal head?
Ha, Ha. Well I do listen to lots of metal and always have done, and obviously worked with metal bands and labels but my background is primarily within the punk scene. I grew up on punk and hardcore and the whole philosophy that goes with it still pretty much defines me as a person. But the band I play in now, Bait, mixes punk and hardcore with a big twisted metal edge, as have all the bands I've played in before, Deviated Instinct and Spine Wrench. There's always been a healthy crossover between the different genres but ultimately I shall always be a punk at heart.
19. Do you find that your inspiration comes from music and if it doesn't where does it come from?
Mostly yes, the two go hand in hand. For me it's an ultimate form of expression, in many ways I'm expressing the same things through my art and through my music. I listen to music almost 24-7; I'm always after new exciting and inspirational stuff. As I said before I do get inspired from all things around me, but music and art are my two driving passions. I always work to music and it can definitely help shape a particular piece of work.
20. Any final comments?
Firstly thanks a lot Kelli and Pit magazine for giving me this opportunity to ramble on about my work, I hope it's been of some interest. If anyone's interested in seeing any more of my work I have collections of all my different styles on my website, 'The Bonehive' and if anyone wants to check out Bait we've plenty of music downloads on our site www.thebaitvoid.com and will be releasing a mini album next year on the UK label 'In at the Deep End records' www.iatde.com
If there are any bands or labels out there that might be interested in working with me, or simply anyone wanting to talk about art, music or just say 'hi' I can be contacted at bonehive@hotmail.com
Cheers.
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