The eXTra finGer: Interview with Espira

q)Tell me something about yourself..What's your background...?

a)Just a humble Mormon farmer boy who escaped from his closed community out into the big wide world. The road led to London where I reside as a starving artist.

q)When growing what was the greatest force pushing you towards art?

a)Boredom in Church. It drove me to draw obscene caricatures of the congregation on the back of smuggled in toilet tissue.

q)Were you inspired/encouraged by any one person to pursue your craft?

a)My art teacher had a terrible taste in Art and always hated what I did. She introduced me to all kinds of awful artists. I just thought, 'I can do better than that.' I guess that was quite inspirational in an unintentional way.

q)How would you describe your art to someone who could not see it?

a)Like an adolescent's wet dream.

q)Are certains colours,shapes that you're drawn to?

a)There are certain colour and shape combinations that work like magic together, and are just as powerful as the actual object in a picture. I'm always drawn to the classics... theres a purity in that.

q)What other talent would you like most to have?

a)Remember a joke.

q)What's your favourite mediums to work in/on?

a)Computers really. I'm trying to prove that machines don't always do the work for you.

q)What artists influence or have influenced you(these need not be visualartists)and how have they done so?

a)My favourite artists at the moment are .. Gottfried Helnwein, Ray Caeser, Matthew Barney, Heather Nevay, Francis Bacon, Gilbert and George.

q)What non-visual art interest you and does this have an impact on your art?

a)I'm really into music. Especially loud Rock and roll. It gets my juices flowing. I'm always listening to music as I work ,most of the titles from my pictures are strange references to song lyrics...

q)What do you think about artists using the Internet as a forum for sharingtheir work?

a)It's great .. Anything to get your work out into the world and out of the bedroom.

q)What is your favourite toy, game or other artifact from your youth(and doyou still own it)?

a)I had loads of model aeroplanes when I was a kid, I got that hobby from my dad who was a war child. I still have most of them, and they all work their way into my pictures a lot.

q)Got any new projects planned?

a)Just working on funding for creating life-size sculptures with real intricate clothing.