The PROJEKT

Artist Proof Interview with Artist: Ross Farrell

Global Location: US

Shop: http://www.zazzle.com/rfarrelldesign

My life experience has truly impacted my media. mediums have included sculpture, abstract paintings, and now this collage artwork. I use as little computer assistance as possible - Trying to keep it old school. Each piece is hand cut with an x-acto blade and layered and configured to create a unique story. Some pieces are dark. Some are whimsical. Some are a little of both.

AP: How long have you been making art for and what lead you to start?

RF: I have been doing some sort of art as far back as I can remember. My parents were artists and it rubbed off on me.

AP: Where do you currently live and work ? And how does this influence your work?

RF: I currently live and work in Los Angeles, I love the artistic energy that the city breathes and the sunshine almost every day is pretty awesome too.

AP: Did you have formal training if so what? If your self taught can you tell us what you prefer about being a self taught artist vs having formal training?

RF:I have had no formal training, so I learned allot on my own. I believe that you are either born with a creative slant or none at all, it can’t be taught or learned, this is something from inside. If you are taught something, than in my opinion, you are memorizing and replicating, neither is creative. Not that I don’t learn a million new things a day and in no way do I disparage formal schooling but the actual creative process, I believe, is stubbornly inborn.

AP: Can you tell us about where you make your work is it in your house, a studio etc.. and how it effects your work?

RF: I create most of my work in the “sun room” of our house, named such because the ever constant natural light. I also work in all places of our house, even outside. The important thing is being comfortable and letting the creative thoughts flow.

AP: What are some of you favorite design projects/exhibitions you have worked on to date?

RF: Recently, I was fortunate to have a one man show “Stories in collage” It was a ton of work and I had a lot of fun.

AP: What is your medium of choice ?

RF: My medium of choice, my first and true love, is acrylic on large canvas. Lately though, I have been working with collage, old school cutting out of images with an X-acto blade and arranging them into all kinds of unique stories.

AP: What is the relationship between technique and content in your work?

RF: I would say I like to let my mind wander, cutting out the images and “building” a narrative as I go. Rarely do I have a preconceived idea in my mind. I guess you could say I let the paper speak to me….creepy.

AP: In what direction would you like to see your work going over the next five years?

RF: I have no vision on how my work could or should evolve, I just hope it keeps coming and that people like what they see and maybe it inspires them just a little bit.

AP: What forth coming projects and or exhibitions do you have scheduled for 2011?

RF: I am presently working on designing some fun furniture for a nonprofit in LA, creating giant lily pads, dragonflies, swamp things. Admittedly not my usual gig but inspiration comes when you’re looking the other way, so I look everywhere and try everything.

AP: Take us on a guided tour through a day in your life as an artist.

RF: Up at 6:30 coffee!!! See the wife off to work. Wander the house sipping and chatting with the cats, until inspiration strikes me. Since I work at several mediums, I may find myself at my desk, cutting out images, or on my laptop, manipulating freshly scanned images, or perhaps in the garage painting. Then it’s outside to get some much needed sunshine, then back to work. Looking forward to 5:00 Martini time.

AP: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions.

Thank you for letting me rant. Artsprojekt rocks!