five

First art memory?
In second grade my friend Jesse Greathead came up with this cartoon character named "Super Dope" and we used to collaborate on drawings of him. He was a heavy-lidded little guy with a classic burnout hairdo and the Superman shield on his chest, but instead of just an "S" it said "LSD". Strange that the teacher never asked about it. I don't know if I even knew what LSD was when we were doing that, and I had no idea to ask where Jesse came up with the whole concept of the character. I'm very thankful to have had a friend named Jesse Greathead. Now I'm wondering if any of that really happened. If my mom remembers the pet rat named Seymour that I borrowed from him then I'll know Jesse was real.

Define art.
Art is everywhere… It means that everywhere you go, you have just to look all around you to see in each detail of the life you can meet Art. When you wake up in the morning and you discover a special light under the window of your room, when you walk and see the different tones of the green grass and the red stones, when you go to the “Boulangerie” and you look at all the candies which look like jeweleries. Yes, I think Art is everywhere.

Where and from whom do you find your inspiration?
History: Americana, the 50's, 60's and more conservative eras as well as times that were fueled by political and social turmoil. Comic books, classic toys and retro advertising. Graphic design. Politics and antisocial actions. Any exposing of deeply personal expressions or emotions, honestly unfiltered can be the strongest shocker.

Day job?
I have been an art director and designer in advertising as well as publishing for nearly a decade and work with international clientele and campaigns. I love the high stress and craziness of it all.

Define art.
Open your eyes, look around.

Where and from whom do you find your inspiration?
Old books, technical manuals, society, the world, life, synapses.

Please share your list of 'things to do'.
Create art. Major museum/gallery showing. A higher pay bracket/job change. Create art. Build bookcases/library. Own an art building. Finish making the documentary. Organize studio. Keeping happiness. Create art. Sex with a human (girl). Creating art.

Define art.
It’s subjective, but I think a sword is a suitable metaphor. Sometimes the pen is mightier, but more often the two are not as different as you think.

Where and from whom do you find your inspiration?
On every grinding stone upon which to sharpen my rage.

What is success to you?
Success is a word hijacked by career counselors and con men. It is the ever unattainable carrot on the stick so long as one allows its definition to belong to these fucking monsters. If we are brave enough to trust our own desires, this word is meaningless.

Define art.
Oh man, I stopped trying to answer this question. I refuse to do it.

Where and from whom do you find your inspiration?
Nature mostly. Nature and monster movies.

What is success to you?
Getting to do this everyday... Sleeping in my studio and having no boss.

Please share your list of 'things to do'.
Wake up before noon. Give rent cheque to Daniel. Wrap drawings to send to Marseille. Work on new drawing all day, finish the branch and the frog's legs. Draw 25 butterflies. Go with Andrew at 9 to pick up shit from my apartment.

Define art.
Art is whatever makes the individual stop and think and hopefully become inspired and then create something themselves.

Where and from whom do you find your inspiration?
From conversations with my crazy friends and family, but mostly from traveling and meeting new people and seeing new things.

What is success to you?
I think the definition of success changes all of the time. Right now, the ultimate success would be being able to wake up when i wanted, draw/paint all day at the house w/ steady work and shows and wrestle my dog (my actual dog, not slang for my friend, that would be a weird goal to have).

Define art.
An expression of a thought, idea or emotion that creates something that can't be said.

Where and from whom do you find your inspiration?
The expressions on the faces of my family & friends. My imagination. The absurdity of life.

What is your recipe for love?
Appreciation.

What is your philosophy of community?
The understanding that to respect and care for others makes everyone's life better. To allow for radical and challenging opinions that don't fundamentally undermine our relationships.

These five questions were put to Ben (actor, composer and sound artist) and Brenton (graphic designer), two very creative types, in a bid to find out how they get their motor running each day and what they would change if they could.

What is the first thing you see, and what you would like to see, when you wake up in the morning?
Ben: My mobile phone. The Sea.
Brenton: Either a cat or trees. My clock radio showing it's 5am and I've still got a couple of hours sleep time left.

What is your morning ritual?
Ben: Turn on radio, snooze, stretch, shower, muesli.
Brenton: Shower, teeth, skin care, feed cats/open cat door, coffee, age newspaper (first 9 pages), ABC 774 radio, check emails, start work.

Define art.
The hope for things unseen, a way to get frenched, the glorification of details.

What is success to you?
Spinny rims.

Please share your list of 'things to do'.
1. Research Lenny Scudnick for poem, rescuer from flight 80 that crashed into the Potomac. 2. Go baitin'. 3. Add new valentine books to my publishing companies store... writebloody.com. 4. Put fax number on websites. 5. Call Wignall regarding art book section of site. 6. Update tour diary from touring with the Cold War Kids, leave out drug and whore addiction entries. 7. Call scrambles and minty about blacksmith collective meeting. 8. Finish mf magazine interview. Lie. 9 Call Bingham at grand palace silkscreen about book posters. 10. Finish new John Wilkes Kissing Booth demos.