The eXTra finGer: Interview with Jeffrey Micheal Harp

q) Introduce yourself first please?

a)Hello. Me llamo Jefe. Oh wait, does that mean chief?

q)How did you get into art?

a)I was always into creating things from an early age, but I would have to say the biggest impact for me wanting to be an artist, was by being exposed to Rene Magritte. And a recent trip to Bruxelles to visit the piece in question (The Unexpected Answer) reconfirmed it all for me.

q) Who has been the biggest influence on you?

a)Outside influence? I’d have to say Magritte again, my Grandmother and then Deano Cook who I apprenticed tattooing under and worked 11 years for.

q) Do you rule by any tendency in your creative work, or you only follow
what comes in your mind?

a)Neither, just what springs to mind.

q)Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?

a)Digital. It allows an endless possibility of options, and the ability to completely fine tune your work.

q) How much does your environment have an effect on your pictures?

a)I would say none.

q) Tell us about your studio space. Where do you work? Do you listen to certain types of music while working?

a)My studio is in my home, which is great. Computer, scanner, Wacom and camera. I only listen to music about half of the time Im working. Sometimes it becomes a distraction and heeds my thinking...slows the process. Lately I’ve been listening to Rameau, Dom And Roland, Early Man, Midlake, Danny Elfman and Supertramp.

q) Who are your favorite artists?

a)Magritte, hands down. Von Bayros, Russ Abbott, Adam Fuss, Mark Ryden, Odd Nerdrum, and Schuiten to name just a few. Honestly this list could go on for days...there are so many artists' work I admire. Durer, Dore and Beardsley were early staples for me.

q )When have you started using the internet and what role does this form of communication play for you, personally, for your art, and for your business?

a)It completely changed everything for me. I started using the computer to display my analogue photography back in 2002, and it grew into the work I do now. It opened so many possibilities...I wouldnt want to exist now without it. Its not only a great reference tool, but a platform that allows for immediate feedback from across the globe. Plus, I have discovered the work of so many talented people I might not have otherwise found.

q) What books are on your nightstand?

a)Cosmic Trigger Volume 1 by Robert Anton Wilson, Complete Tales And Poems of Edgar Allen Poe, Cormac McCarthy's The Road, A Short Guide To Writing About Art, How To Survive and Prosper As An Artist, Hagakure, and Logo Font And Lettering Bible by Leslie Cabarga.

q) What's playing on your stereo?

a)Rameau, Music For Harpsichord Volume 2 .