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Spraygraphic Interview with Beautiful/Decay’s Amir H. Fallah
By Spraygraphic | July 1, 2008
Spraygraphic Interview with Amir H. Fallah
SG: Please tell us about yourself?
AF: It’s hard to know where to start. I do a lot of things. I make art, I own and act as Creative Director for Beautiful/Decay magazine and Apparel, I occasionally design, and in the past I’ve taught a few college courses here and there.
SG: Where do you currently live and work?
AF: I live and work in Los Angeles, California.
SG: What mediums do you work with?
AF: My background was in painting but these days I do everything. Site-specific installations, photography, painting, collage, and sculpture has all become part of my studio practice. It’s nice having that variety. When I get bored of painting I switch to photo, and when I get stuck on photography I work on a sculpture. Each medium feeds itself and brings new ideas and concepts to the table.
SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.
AF: My process is quite intuitive. I do some preliminary sketches or take some notes before I start. However once I’m in the studio I figure it out as I’m making the work. I’m a big promoter and supporter of spontaneity in art. I think spontaneity brings a lot of excitement and energy into artwork. The trick is how do you take that spontaneity and create something that isn’t contrived or forced. I like to call it the “Loose But Tight” theory. You want the work to convey a certain level of looseness and ease but at the same time be focused and clear.
SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?
AF: I stop and work on something else. I have so many projects happening between my work at Beautiful/Decay and my studio practice that I don’t really ever have downtime. I am usually juggling due dates and deadlines so when I get stuck I just put that project aside for a while and start something new.
SG: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
AF: My childhood is a constant source of inspiration. I find myself constantly referencing the time between the ages of 10-18. That was a very meaningful period in my life when all my ideas, beliefs, and ethics came into shape.
SG: Can you please tell us a little about how you began Beautiful/Decay Magazine?
AF: Beautiful/Decay started as a fun project between myself and my next door neighbor in high school. This was back in 1996. The internet was barely around and we were living in the suburbs with not much to do. We were going to punk shows in the D.C. Area and skateboarding. Both of those subcultures were big on the “Do It Yourself” approach. So we decided to make a zine that covered our interests. Over the last 10 years Beautiful/Decay has gone through a lot of changes from its B/W zine roots to an internationally distributed art and design publication.
I’m extremely proud of B/D, as it wasn’t started with the idea that it would turn into a business. Our readers have been extremely loyal and supportive with all of our various projects. We have had the chance to give many emerging artists their first interviews and articles. Along the way we’ve created a great bond and relationship with the featured artists and have gone to do other projects with them such as art shows, creative conferences, and our artist apparel line. It’s very rewarding to support emerging art and to have the art community embrace your projects. In a way we’ve managed to create a unique community that spans everyone from our advertisers, featured artists, and our readers.
SG: Can you please tell us a little about your solo show, Pedestal at Nathan Larramendy Gallery .
AF: Pedestal consists of 2 large sculptures, 3 large paintings and a suite of smaller canvases and photographs. The two sculptures are part pedestals, part display or side tables that have gone wild. Each piece has a mixture of trinkets, souvenirs, and memorabilia placed on and around them. Some of these objects are real objects that come from my home and many are imaginary objects that were made for the show. I’m interested in exploring how the lines are sometimes blurred between actual and fabricated memories and how one documents and celebrates these memories.
SG: Can you please tell us a little about your piece, Terradome .
AF: Terradome was a site-specific installation that I created for Art Dubai this past March. The piece was made in its entirety in Dubai out of regional materials.
Terradome is a mix between a fort and terrarium. I made the piece primarily out of found materials that were repurposed. The outside shell of the fort is created crudely from scrap wood and painted with a camo pattern that is often associated with war, terrorism, and destruction. The inside of the fort is covered with a cheap silkscreened wood paneling found in Dubai that mimics Middle Eastern patterns found in shrines and mosques. Inside the fort there is also an assortment of local cacti and succulents placed on a variety of pedestals. I was trying to achieve a juxtaposition between the rough and ugly exterior of the piece and the brightly colored, life filled interior of the piece that stood as a metaphor for the West’s misconceptions of the Middle East.
SG: Where has your work been seen?
AF: I’ve shown my work in NYC, LA, Dubai, The Netherlands, Seattle, Ojai, Washington D.C. and Baltimore.
SG: Where will it be seen next?
AF: For 2008 I have an upcoming show at Redux in Charleston, South Carolina and am taking part in the Weatherspoon Art Museum ’s Art on Paper 2008 biennial exhibition in North Carolina in October. For 2009 I am going back to Dubai for a solo show planned sometime in May at The Third Line .
SG: What is your dream art assignment?
AF: One where I can spend a month and take over an entire museum.
SG: What is your favorite color?
AF: Hot Pink
SG: Who is your favorite artist? And Why?
AF: This is a tough one but I think I’ll have to go with Chris Ofili . I’ve been fascinated with his work since I was in Art school. He is an alumni of the “ Loose But Tight “ school of theory.
SG: What book/magazine are you reading this week?
AF: Currently I’m addicted to Business magazines like Inc. and Fast Company . As for books I’m always reading artist monographs and biographies. I’m forcing myself to read one on Picasso. So far it’s been a very slow effort but I’m making myself get through it.
SG: Ever do a self-portrait? Where is it now?
AF: I don’t think so. If I did it was in Elementary school. I’m sure my mom has it somewhere.
SG: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
AF: At home.
SG: Any final words of advice?
AF: I’ve never been a lucky person. Every time I’ve accomplished something it is because I didn’t take no for an answer and worked my ass off. Hard work always pays off. You can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t work hard it’s unlikely that you’ll succeed. I guess some people do get lucky here and there but unfortunately most of us aren’t those types of people.
ART: 1. All I Ask of You, 2. Today Tommorrow, 3. Love Healing Center, 4. Sheltered, 5. Sheltered, 6. Terradome, 7. Put You on a Pedastal #5, 8. Within Borders #1
Topics: Art Installations, Artist Interviews, Print Media, Public-Art |
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:04 am
Wow, must see an exhibition of this artist soon! really wonderful use of mediums, modern, and twisted, great
July 5th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
From every aspect that was a great interview. Thank you!