Jonathan Darby answers FAD’s Questions.
1 When did you start to make art?
I’ve been sketching since a very early age. I remember I had a massive period between the age of 6 and 9 where I only used to religiously draw Bart Simpson surfing on a single giant wave. One day I found a dusty copy of Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant’s Subway Art on the bookshelf. I developed a fascination for graffiti and I remember constantly browsing the book. I would copy lettering from the old masters until I began to develop my own style. By the age of 12 I was well and truly hooked, sketching at any opportunity. When I was 17 I began to move away from graffiti and began to practice a lot of still life. I guess that this is where my fascination with portraying people was born.
2 How did you evolve into a professional artist?
I was given 2 massive windows to display my work in for my degree show. The windows were situated in the heart of London and my work was up for a month. The right people saw my work and since then I have been very lucky to have great opportunities coming my way.
3 What drove you to make art as a professional vocation?
BOOKINGS. I have always struggled to make art without deadlines or pressure. Once I began to receive invitations to participate in shows there was a certain amount of pressure to produce the goods that really drove me. From there on things just seem to have got busier and busier and making art has rapidly become a lifestyle rather than a hobby. ITS NICE.
4 Explain your inspiration?
I have always been absolutely obsessed with drawing the human face. I have such a strong impulse to portray human emotion/life. I still find it incredible that one can make a living thing or produce life by making a few marks on a surface. It still blows me away and gives me the same excitement as ever. This impulse combined with the satisfaction is why I make art, I need to have that feeling.
5 In what way does your inspiration transform into ideas?
I think that my ideas are the driving force behind the work. The context of the work is usually what determines the image. Once I have an inkling of the idea, inspiration quickly follows as I envision how to go about creating the piece.
6 From Ideas to production of art – how? And why?
A vision of the piece always follows shortly after an idea is born. I usually have a very strong vision of my intended image. It always seems to come very fast and clearly. Having a good vision really gets things going quickly. Sometimes it can be very difficult and slow when it is not obvious how to go about the image. Sometimes I have a strong idea of how I’d like an image to turn out but have no ideas as to its context too. I have to grapple with thoughts and ideas to contextualise the work. It is very important for the work to be contextually sound, I think that this is one of the factors that has brought attention to my work.
7 Could your ideas be portrayed in any other medium? If so which?
Yes, of course! I definitely think that it is possible to portray my work in other mediums such as sculpture, multimedia, photography, even as far as performance. However, painting is what I love and painting is a medium that brings me satisfaction and joy.
8 Which artists would you most like to blatantly rip off?
Hmmm….that’s for me to know and for you to never find out….
9 Why is your art made?
BECAUSE I LOVE IT. It is important for me to express myself and I want people to hear and see what I do.
10 What does being an artist mean to you?
Being able to voice opinion and to communicate through a creative process (which I am passionate about) that thoroughly excites me and, as a bonus, is able to support my lifestyle.
11 Are you happy with your reasons for making art? i.e Are there any trade offs that make life hard?
Yes. I am very happy that I have the opportunity to do what I love and make a living from it. There are a few drawbacks though…..I work throughout the night at an intense pace. I am really really bad with pacing myself and I always, without fail, leave things to the very last nitty gritty end. The pressure becomes a monstrous drive and motivation. This time of making art becomes incredibly taxing on my health…I work up until 12 noon the next day sometimes because I am so engrossed and committed to what I am doing. MAKING ART IS HARMFUL FOR MY HEALTH. I must develop a healthier routine if I want to survive to a ripe old age.
I have just completed the work for my first London solo show and I am very eager to start working without time constraint. Although the pressure of deadlines really motivates me, I cannot sustain such a stressful art making process and am looking forward to taking my time and exploring new realms.
12 When does your art become successful?
When my work transfers ideas to an audience.
AND, when it sells. Unfortunately, money is definitely a key indicator of an artist’s success.
13 What is art?
How long is a piece of string?
14 How do you start the process of making work?
STUDIO CLEAN UP. There is a lot of shit all over the place after a long night.
15 Who prices your work? And how is the price decided upon?
I am advised on the prices by the gallery that I am working with. We discuss various ways to enter the market and take it from there. As a young artist entering the market, it can be dangerous to overprice your work. Unfortunately an artist’s success is often weighed up by sales. Galleries are very interested in an artist’s sales and so it is very important to get as many sales in as soon as possible if one wants more opportunities in the future. Therefore it is a safer bet to modestly price one’s work (even if it feels unjust) just to get those initial sales.
16 What is your next; move, project, show etc?
I have just been offered a residency in a very nice location in Australia for the next couple of months (which I will be taking) and I have received an invitation to take part in a show in a well-respected venue abroad but cannot reveal the details just yet.
I am planning to start exhibiting abroad from now on, as I need to spread the seeds everywhere!
I see my work moving away from a consumerist focus and heading towards a more humanitarian theme. Eventually I would like to take my work to the relevant environments and create site-specific work. I would also like to make work as a direct response to what I see when in these environments of humanitarian trauma. I want to use my work as tool to expose what is happening and bring awareness to those who don’t know what is happening across the world.
17 What are the pros and cons of the art market?
PROS – work sells, and I can make a living from my passion.
CONS – ART = MONEY, that seems to be more important for some people than the actual work.
18 Which pieces would you like to be remembered for?
ALL OF THEM!
19 Any routine in making your artwork? If so what?
YES. Regimental. An idea is born. An image is envisioned. Studio cleanup. Image chosen. Mish mash of paint down on the canvas. Figure is painted on top. Background is worked on. Context (logos) intertwined once the figure is complete. DONE…..I use Photoshop through out the working process.
20 What has been the biggest break in your career?
Having my work up in central London for my degree show. Things definitely kicked off from there.
21 Who has been the biggest influence on you?
Definitely my parents. I am back at home with the parents where we have a fantastic studio space. Both of my parents were artists and they are my ultimate critics, RUTHLESS.
22 How many artworks have you given away and to whom?
One of the advantages of Being an artist is that birthdays and Christmas are fairly easy to manage. My family and friends are always appreciative of receiving bits and bobs here and there. My family gets the real deal, the family home is running ouit of wall space.
