Interview with Christopher Davison

q)So, can you tell me a little about yourself? Full name, age, some background info, etc?

a)Christopher Davison.
27 years old.
Born in a very small town called Galipolis which is located in South Eastern Ohio, USA. I come from a very large family, with many of the relatives making art (including my father's sculptures and mother's drawings and writings). Although originally from Ohio, I moved to Florida when I was about 5 years old. I have lived in the USA all my life except for 1 year io abito in Roma(2004-2005).Desidero ritornare a Roma.Che Bellissima Italia!

q)How did you get started making art?

a)I have always drawn. My mother was very good at keeping everything, so there is a big stack of work I have done from 3yrs old until I left home for university.

q)How would you describe your art?

a)The forms in my art are a combination of personal narrative and subconscious imagery. Each individual image is part of a larger collection or series. As a whole they depict a future world where things have gone terribly wrong for mankind. A constant but ambiguous narrative sprinkled with a retro-futuristic-prophecy.

q)Where do you get the inspiration for your art?

a)You can understand something better when you meditate on it. My meditation is drawing. I draw to comprehend and better understand dynamic forms and experiences. And then recreate those forms and experiences in various ways. In short I feel all things in the world pivot upon the same logic and the more I draw the more I comprehend this logic or truth.

q)What are you working on now?

a)A new series of drawings(30 or so) and a life size doll.

q)Are there some web sites that you would like to recomend? Artists, art communities, xxx,...!?

a)There are some links off my website to my art-friends and art associates. Those are my favorites really.

q)What's your favorite medium to work in, and why?

a)Drawing/Etching. It's hard to beat the simplicity and abstract power of a good line. Etching is a natural extension for me as a drawer. I love printmaking and the process of working on copper. It's very minimal and restrictive, and yet it yields some of my best work.

q) What advice would you give to younger up and coming artist?

a)The most valuable lesson I ever learned as an artist was not to bull-shit myself. To always be honest and never, ever settle for something I wasn't happy with. In short, staying on track to constantly try to do better.

q) What is your personal definition of life and art and everything else in between?

a) See art and life intertwined too much to find any room for definition in between.

q)Take us inside your process a little bit. How do you begin a piece? What inspires the concept?

a)Honestly, I close my studio door and prefer to be alone when I'm working because I put myself in a bit of a trance in order to allow the subconsious to take control as much as possible. If I'm thinking about my marks they are only as interesting as a person making marks on paper. They are much more interesting when something is coming through me onto the paper. It's a lot easier that way too because I don't have to think, I just move. It's really quite simple but extremely difficult to explain.

q) What are your artistic influences?

a)The greatest influences are medieval European art, Indian miniatures, Ancient Roman Floor Mosaics... etc. A rather wide range. Some contemporary artists I have liked are Paul Noble, some of the work of Jake and Dinos Chapmann, Christian Holstad, Amy Cutler...

q) How are the reactions on your work in general?

a)Most people find it creepy.

q) What are you doing when you are not creating art?

a)Trying to catch up on my reading. Dancing is very important and happens whenever possible as well.

q)What are some of the greatest challenges that you think artists face today?

a)1. Capitalism
2. A surplus of mass media that functions on the level of a mental tranquilizer. A collection of mainstream books, music, and movies that sedate the mind rather than enlighten it. This surplus casts a shadow of comfort and ignorance on the population and makes them less interested in elements of high culture. If we do not feed the mind what it needs to grow stronger, it grows smaller. When ignorance is promoted by the mass media (and readily consumed), the mind of the population grows weak and is easily controlled by the government and people in power. (how else would people vote twice for Bush?)

q) What is freedom to you as an artist?

a)It is more about freedom of being a human. And that is being able to criticize our government and shed light upon their corruptions. Freedom to learn about our history, to push society forward to a better place so that the mistakes of the past can be avoided.

q) Are there any particular works you've done that stand out as your favorites?

a)Of course there are some, but it is more important to see which ones I very much dislike and understand why they do not work.

q) Last Books you read?

a)America by Franz Kafka, The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Murakami, and The Gift by Nabakov

q) Last records you bought?

a)Hot Chip, Animal Collective, Deerhoof , Arcade Fire.

q) Who are your favourite artists & Your favourite galleries?

a)Favorite obscure artist: Lucas Cranach the Elder. Favorite obscure gallery: Pierogi in Brooklyn.

q) Which do you think make good art good? originality, or style? And, why?

a)Neither make good art. Style is fashion and changes as fashion changes. Originality is only original until it becomes known. Both fade. Only Honesty makes good art. Truth lasts, everything else fades.

q) Do you get emotionally attached to your work and do you miss your work when it is sold?

a)Not really. I always like my new work more.

q)Your contacts….E-mail…links

a)You can find these on my website www.christopherdavison.com