Interview with Sean Star Wars

q)Let's start with the basics; what's your full name, where do you live, and how old are you?

a)Sean Star Wars.I am 37 years old and live in The poor, deep southern state of Mississippi

q) Do you have any formal training?

a)I have a Masters Of Fine Arts in printmaking from Louisiana State University .

q) Did the place you grew up in influence your image making?

a)I grew up in Virginia Beach Virginia which has always had a pretty strong skateboarding scene. my involvement with skating my exposure to guys like Mark Gonzales and Neil Blender were directly responsible for my interest in Art and imagemaking

q) How do you come up with your concepts?

a)I steal them from other places. Kids books, old advertisements, I get a lot of ideas from news articles on the DrudgeReport. Like the story about the medical student that stole a human hand and gave it to his favorite stripper , she kept it in jar in her dressing room, it sounded like something that I could sink my teeth into...

q) Describe your creations in a clear, concise and understandable sentence. What do you call them?

a)I make woodcuts with bright colours and fucked up teeth

q)What other mediums would you like to explore in your image making?

a)I'd like to work more sculpturally , bigger and more agressive.

q)What is the best time in the day for you to work on a project? Is there one, or is it more about the environment -- maybe the right mood?

a)I am always working on something throughout the day and well into the night .The mood or my attention span dictates whether I am creating new stuff, documenting old work, updating website . Answering emails. Or whatever. But it all goes into the same pot . It’s all got to be done and I am the only one that’s gonna do it for me...

q) What are your artistic influences?...and …generally who or what influences you the most?.

a)The expressionists and then skaters like I mentioned when I was young. But really, I think my work ethic and much of my general approach to the creation of art comes from Charles Bukowski, his idea that the only thing that matters is what you make next. Not what you made yesterday or who says the like what you do.You keep making work and you do it for yourself

q) Who are some of your favourite artists/designers/photographers?

a)There are so many great people out there doing a lot of exciting /quality stuff . But I think Tom Huck is probably my favorite, along with Bill Fick, Dennis Mcnett, the guys from Cannonball Press. Yeehaw Industries. The common thread is that they make relief prints and are all good friends of mine. We all push each other even though we are spread out over the whole USA, a lot of good comes from friendly competition.

q) What is your next project?Exhibition?Collaboration?

a)I do a lot of Visiting Artist Lectures. I'd like to come over to Europe and mix it up with the kids at the Universities over there. I'm working on a crazy kids book. Me and Dennis, are getting ready to do some shows together...

q)What are your plans for the future?

a) To live on the moon, and watch the tv in my head to race my spaceship over to mars and make more woodcuts.

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

a)I keep saying the same names over and over. Bill, Fick, Tom Huck, Dennis Mcnett, Cannonball Press, Yeehaw Industries . I think those guys are making great stuff and not getting as much attention as some people that work in other media.

q)What sort of music do you listen to?

a)My favorite band is Guided by Voices or anything that Robert Pollard gets involved with. He is so incredibly Prolific and lyrically creative. A lot of Old Punk Music and of course Devo . I live in Mississippi so there’s a connection there for old delta blues singers. Just a man and a guitar .

q)Do you collect anything?If so what?

a)I collect anything Related to Mountain Dew. You can see some video of my collection on my website , I love the color of the pacaking, the flavor of the drink and the zaniness of the old advertising campaings from the sixties which featured a gun toting moonshiner and a pig...

q)What do you do for fun?

a)I don’t get to have any fun. I am fucking married.... I am lucky I even get to make my woodcuts...

q)Any advice you can pass onto aspiring artists/designers?

a) Yeah don’t get married. And don’t waste your fucking money getting a degree in art. Take that money and buy art supplies a printing press ten computers anything. Anything to help you get further in your art.. And don’t only do it from time to time. Make it your priorty, if you do get a degree in art . Make more art than everyone else in your class , everytime. Put them to shame.

q)Your contacts…

a) sstarwars@msn.com
website: seanstarwars.com