Interview with:Kieran Palmer [kieranpalmer]
ART
 | What do you do? How do you define yourself as an artist? I make 'Art'.
It's hard to define yourself because as an artist, your work is always defined by others, and therefore, your Art defines you. |
| What is your message? I wouldn't really say I have a message as such. It's more about you as a person attempting to decode the 'messages' we are presented with everyday. IF the audience can relate to these messages I myself as a person is trying to decode, that could be translated as a message, yet I don't consider myself a messenger, and in fact I don't really think I have a lot to say.
I think Artists merely comment. |
| Your biography in four lines. Male
26
Unemployed
Happy |
| Do you upload your work to the web? If so, where could we see it? You can see my Artwork, and Illustrations on my website,
www.kieranpalmer.com |
| How is an idea born? For you, what is inspiration? An idea is born when you have that overwhelming sense within, that you have some how figured something out, and that most likely no one else knows it. An idea is that feeling you get when you want to share news.
The irresistible urge to share, to show, to present. When I'm overwhelmed by these feelings, I usually credit the source as an idea! |
| What role does technology play in your creative process? At the moment a huge amount.
The diagrams I create plotting data can only have that authoritative effect if presented via a technologically dedicated software. Handwritten, and the effect is lost.
The data presented has a stronger pull if we see it is uniformed and slick. |
| What is art? There is no such thing. There are only Artists. |
| When do you get your best ideas? Usually when or after I've been talking 'Art' with my Artist friends.
But it's important, as an Artist, to take in the world, take in the environment, the habits of people, strangers, friends. An Art piece should be a reflection of the time. An Artists job is to reflect.
After reflection, and a certain experience, I get that feeling. That I should say something, or write something, or create something. Art I suppose is the byproduct of an experience.
Experience and you'll have great ideas, you'll want to share! |
| How do you evaluate whether an idea is good or not? It's difficult. Sometimes you are so involved subjectively that it's impossible to do so on your own.
It's so important to have a strong group of Artistic colleagues that know you, and know your work. Crit sessions with these people help objectivise your work, and then you can hope to evaluate your work more clearly.
Ultimately, who knows whether your work is any good or not, I don't think that popularity is important, neither is price tags. Artists are aware that their work is a constant experiment, and if you look back on your work from a week ago, a month or year ago and you still think its good, it probably isn't! Your work needs to be better than your last piece, otherwise you should probably stop! |
| Three creative ideas that you would have liked to have created? I have lots of ideas written down, and I think the fact I perhaps have not tried them yet is because I'm not that compelled to do so, which probably means its not a very good idea.
I've always wanted to write an opera, or at least liked the idea of it.. The problem is, I can't write music, I can't sing, and I don't play an instrument |
| When and how did you begin to see yourself as an artist? My mom would tell you that ever since I could speak. Apparently I've always voiced the desire to be an artist.
However I would say 2002, I made my first piece of 'Art' independent of college or school. It was entirely my creation, and I felt I'd emptied something, I felt I'd shared something with the world. Naturally, it hangs in my moms living room. |
| Why do so many artists and creators have such volatile personalities? I don't think they do. It's true that many people have volatile personalities, but I don't think there's a studied factual presentation that exists that relates such moods to Artists?
(Was that too volatile).. |
| Do you consider yourself postmodern? No.
These genres are too diluted at the moment. Furthermore, an Artist surely cannot categorise themselves? Surely that's for the Art commentators to do?
I saw a tshirt with the slogan,
"I'M POSTMODERN"
It made me want to throw up and slap the wearer with a wet 5" brush |
| How should a work of art be evaluated? As stated, it is so important to have a strong group of colleagues around you that will give good, strong constructive feedback. As an Artist you should know that every work made will not be a masterpiece, and usually the things you love, others hate, the things you hate, others love!
This is why self evaluation is sometimes pointless.
It's important that you know what to do with feedback, positive or negative. |
| Must an artist reinvent him/herself everyday? If you're an Artist, you're not thinking about how you're perceived by the contemporary audience, or at least you shouldn't be. If you actively go out to try and reinvent yourself, work won't come, and if it does, it won't be honest.
Looking back at your practice, naturally there will be stages where you see your work change, and where certain works could be grouped together, but again, I think this is the job of the 'intellectuals', the critics. They will categorise your work.
I suppose your work will naturally reinvent itself, you should just remain honest to yourself, making such conscious efforts to reinvent yourself is usually an attempt to create work for a said audience, which is fine, but it can't be called Art. The product becomes a luxury item for conversation, like a Gucci Bag, or a new Apple Mac, if you're into that... |
| Which artists do you admire and how do they influence your work? Jean Michel-Basquiat has always been a constant influence. Everything about his work inspires me, I should have perhaps said this earlier, but if I need a kick I'll watch julian schnabel's portrayal in 'Basquiat', or his friend Tammy Davis' documentary 'The Radiant Child'. Surprisingly however, I've never seen a piece of his in the flesh, I think when I do, I'll collapse.
For me, he was creating Art how it should be made. Creating what he felt, not for an audience, the audience bonded to him because they knew what he was saying was true, they could just never really articulate it previously. It was a shame in how it all ended, he became hassled and pushed to create more and more. People always want more, and again, somehow he shows this.
After him, I'd say Martin Kippenberger, Emma Kay, Heath Bunting, Slavoj Zizek, Karl Marx, |
| What do you think about public funding for the arts? It's important, and I think we should always promote creativity, everything we have, that's man made, is a result of creativity. It's just a shame that at the moment we seem obsessed with conceptual goods, like money, and class status. |
| Is art necessary? Art is necessary. But not everything is Art. True Art is usually not valuable until the whole body of work made by an Artist can be contextualised, studied and determined.
What isn't necessary is some of the work created by our contemporaries, who are still living, and not even making the work themselves. I went to the Damien Hirst private view a few months back, and there was a shop within the gallery space.
Now, that is not necessary as Art, yet somehow the Tate and Damien thought it necessary to print his work on skateboards and sell them. |
| Does it pain you to let go of a piece you have sold? It shocks me, that anyone wants to buy something's I've created.
But it doesn't pain me, I have difficulty in letting go of the piece I guess in the sense that I want to know what they're going to be doing with it.
I'd never sell to a corporate buyer, and I'd never sell to anyone I have not met |
| Is a work of art purchased, or is it better said, that it is the artist who is bought? It is a single work that is bought at any one time. |
| In art, there is no guide. How do you know what the next step is? Your practice should be continuous.
You shouldn't think about your work as a series of steps that you are climbing. This, I think, is a common problem with Artists. If you enter these realms you start thinking that a positive audience reaction is a step forward, or a sale is a step forward. When in reality it's impossible to gage.
My advice is to make work |
| How do you feel about the fact that the pieces exhibited in contemporary art museums are often of artists already deceased? It doesn't bother me.
Art has been produced since we have existed as intelligent beings, and probably before that.
It's ridiculous to only look at Art that is being made now, and in fairness, a lot of work that is being made now isn't very interesting, or, it's a sad regurgitation/plagiarism of a deceased Artist.
It is that ignorance that makes the Art world what it is at the moment |
| What role have the figures of art dealer, gallery owners, representatives, and intermediaries in general played in your career? As of yet, non.
I try and steer clear of these third parties, as they're not really involved because of the love of Art, otherwise they wouldn't take such huge commissions! For me, they're the equivalent of Job hunting agencies.. They present themselves as operating in your best interests, but the reality is, they've rent to pay, and wages to give, so they're just looking to take some of your money, based on the minimal amount of work dedicated |
| Do you personally collect any items? I collect brooches, receipts, items that represent to me, a feeling. I.e, I have boxes and boxes of rubbish, cards, receipts, sweet wrappers, and whatever else that I've kept from previous girlfriends.
No one knows that.
I collect Art too. |
| What advice would you give to those just beginning? The first thing you should ask yourself is what you want from a career in Art. You should also ask yourself whether you consider yourself an Artist, or a Designer.
If the answers are, "I'm an Artist and I want money and fame", then you shouldn't even get involved in the Art world, not because you you're not talented, but because you're looking at the subject incorrectly.
Art should be about personal exploration, the biggest compliment you can hope for is that someone enjoys your way of thinking, creativity being the avenue you express it through.
If you want to make money or be famous, then go into property, banking or go on XFactor |
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Kieran Palmer
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