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Spraygraphic Interview with Artist Michael Young
By Spraygraphic | January 5, 2010
Spraygraphic Interview with Michael Young
SG: Please tell us about yourself?
MY: I’m a pretty simple man. I see the world around me and sometimes have a hard time relating to it. Making art is kind of a way for me to remember that things aren’t supposed to be perfect, and to laugh off that which I do not have the power to change.
SG: Where do you currently live and work?
MY: Oakland, CA.
SG: What mediums do you work with?
MY: I think of myself primarily as a painter, but I have also been making sculptures and prints lately, and I am always drawing.
SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.
MY: Everything starts out with a simple idea, usually stumbled upon while doodling in the margins of something else I am supposed to be doing.
From there, I try to think about what is going to be the best way to make something fun to look at, and get my point across. I have my usual tool kit of materials and techniques, but I am open to throwing something new into the mix if it is going to help me create a better piece of art.
SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?
MY: I drink enough coffee to kill a bull, put on some good music, and waste time in my studio. To be honest, it is part of the process for me. I make tons of art that I don’t show to anyone, except maybe my girlfriend. I throw lots of stuff away, and keep lots of it hidden in secret files to be discovered after I die. It all wastes a ton of paper and time, but in the end it helps me to distill the ideas on my plate, and make decisions about my work.
SG: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
MY: I generally just try to rip off really sweet drawings made by little kids.
SG: Where has your work been seen?
MY; I had a show that opened up at Forthrite Printing, in Oakland on Dec. 4th. called “You Are The Music, While The Music Lasts.”
SG: Where will it be seen next?
MY: I have two solo shows lined up, one at stumbleupon.com’s corporate office in San Francisco, and another @ Rowan Morrison Gallery, in
Oakland. I am also going to be in a three person show at The Oakbook Gallery in Jack London Square some time this spring with Chris Russell
and James Cevers.
I currently have a review of my show at Forthrite Printing on KQED’sarts page, and my work will also be in New American Paintings upcoming
west coast edition. I think that it is issue # 85.
SG: What is your dream art assignment?
MY: Creating sculptures that would serve as sets and a stage, as well as an environment for an audience, and then fining the perfect music to be played inside the space. It’s kind of a stretch for me, because my work is generally very static, and has no time component, but I think it would be a fun kind of collaboration…or just making whatever I want in a big space, with a budget and a couple of helping hands.
SG: What is your favorite color?
MY: Either shiny clear, or gold.
SG: Who is your favorite artist? And Why?
MY: Martin Mull, because he is the best person ever. His paintings captivate me in a way that few others ever have. I am also really big on Tim Hawkinson, because that guy does whatever he wants and wins every time.
SG: What book/magazine are you reading this week?
MY: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon.
SG: Ever do a self portrait? Where is it now?
MY: In school, I made a 4′ x 5′ painting of my own head, with all of the facial featured bleached out by an inappropriately bright Polaroid flash. It turned out kind of scary. Seth Armstrong owns it now, but he just keeps it in storage because he doesn’t want girls to think that he is a creeper.
SG: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
MY; At home with my cat and girlfriend.
SG: Any final words of advice?
MY: Get a cat, and a girlfriend.
Topics: Artist Interviews |
