Name: Matthew Senkowycz
Age: twenty too
Country: Oz
Website: www.monotonyofdomesticity.blogspot.com
At which age did you start creating art? And why do you feel compelled to create?
I always really enjoyed drawing and used to just sit at my grandparents’ house with a giant pad of 1980s computer paper and a pen and draw alllllllll day, while my mum and dad were at work, and my grandparents looked after me. Stopping only to eat breadcrumbs, drink tea, and dunk bread rolls in to lemonade. I was also a huge fan of ham….i don’t know why. It’s pretty delicious though…non? I like creating things as a means of exploring the ideas I have
What are you inspired by? And who do you look up to?
I am inspired by a variety of things, music, architecture, fashion, people, places, situations (real and fictional). I find inspiration in almost everything, not to say sometimes I go for periods without creating a thing. I really admire Ryue Nishizawa and Kazuyo Sejima, two Japanese architects that run a firm called SANAA, because they are able to create these stunning buildings in which they are able to distill their ideas into an unbelievable level of clarity. Their spaces are quite minimal, but paradoxically playful. I also really admire people who have consistency throughout their work and do what they do unashamedly and with a sense of ease within themsleve. Vivienne Westwood, Ruben Toledo, Rei Kawakubo, Raf Simons, Gareth Pugh, Andy Warhol…
Which influential artist would you like to ask for advice?
I’d like to speak with Andy Warhol….but then again, he did tell Grace Jones to be less weird. I’d like to speak with Hedi Slimane, simply because he holds a multi dimensional view of art and design. He’s done photography, fashion design, architectural design, a bit of everything, but seems to maintain continuity between mediums and fields. I am really interested in the multiplicity of design.
If you had to put up one piece of artwork on your wall and stare at it for a year, who would it be by and why?
I think I would never get tired of a Warhol. Warhol was about so much more than just Pop-Art, he was the first to take a bohemian scene and launch it into collision with high society. The painting would just serve as a reminder. I also really like classic portraiture, the type that litter the dining halls of lavish European manners.
Tell us about your creative process.
I like creating when I am alone. I enjoy being a lone quite a lot actually.
Do you ever find weird connections between life and art?
Not really, I am usually inspired by what has happened, or do things like draw what I think people might wear etc etc. I have recurring dreams though, and sometimes I draw things from them.
As an artist, are you Technical or passionate?
Passionate. I am most definitely not very technically advanced :P
How do you determine when a work is finished? Or is it ever finished?
Usually when I feel all the parts are resolved enough to show (or hide) things that the drawing is about.
Do you think there are boundaries you would never cross in your art making?
In terms of trying new things, I don’t think so. The prospect excites me. I do find a certain charm in traditional mediums though. Things that are completely digital, while often beautiful, seem far more disposable to me.
What frightens you most about your art?
At first, I was really afraid of people not liking it, because it was so personal. But I’ve come to accept it. I guess I’m still scared that what I do is or will become irrelevant.
Do you have any magic cures for creative blocks?
Find some new music. Browse your favourite collections from past seasons. Lose yourself in the architecture section of a big library. Buy a new magazine. Watch something by Sophia Coppola or Wes Anderson.
Do you dream about your artwork?
Often the objects the people have or the clothes they are wearing are really important when I’m creating them, and then I dream about those objects….or people having them.
Which of your own works are you most proud of/ is most meaningful to you and why?
This is too tough to answer. Generally speaking, upon completion, that work will be my favourite as it encompasses what I am or have been feeling at that immediate point in time. However, in hindsight, my opinions. Often the ones I like the most get the least attention.
Which art mediums and brands do you prefer to use?
I like Progresso Pencils, Rotring pens and mechanical pencils, Pantone markers, Guache, cheap watercolours.
What kind of art education do you have? Do you think it is important?
I am not really all that educated in art. I have Bachelor of Design in Architecture and most of the other stuff I know is just what I have found out through my own snooping. I think finding a group of people with whom I could discuss art and design related things was really important in my development.
What kind of career do you ultimately want? And what kind of career do you think you'll end up having (or already have) realistically?
I would love to be the creative director of something, a label or a magazine, even artistic director, or the architect for a fashion house, doing all their stores and interiors, or an illustrator at a magazine. I’d even love to be the person that makes the window displays somewhere like Rue St Honoroe. Anything where I can be fairly conceptual and indulge all my interests at once. I am still unsure where I will end up, but I’m sure I won’t settle for anything I don’t like. It’s not what I do.
Is your family supportive of your art? Who influenced and nurtured your creativity most?
They are exceptionally supportive. Sometimes I wish they would be a bit more critical. My mum really encouraged me to draw and used to do craft projects and things with me when I was younger. She used to paint lots of flowers on everything.
Which direction do you see your art heading in the future?
I also hope to see more continuity in ideas between the creative fields in which I play.
Who are some of your heroes outside of the visual art stream?
I adore Bjork, because I feel that her work permeates all aspects of her life. For the same reason, Roisin Murphy. Architecturally, Kazuyo Sejima is my hero. She wanted to be a grandma when she was growing up, sitting on a porch reading the paper and watching people all day. Isn’t that superb? I really like Christian Weinecke’s work for Comme Des Garcons too. Shigeru Ban makes really beautiful spaces too. Vivienne Westwoood in terms of fashion. Like Warhol, she inspired, if not created an entire social movement, a true indication of the power of design. Again, her design aesthetic seems to be very true to who she is which is important. I really enjoy the work of Raf Simons for Jil Sander menswear too. It’s got a supremely admirable level of refinement, without losing its edge. I often also have a “Hero Du Jour”, allocated to the most amazing person I spot in a day. I also love Iekeliene Stange’s face….and Tom Nicon’s.
Age: twenty too
Country: Oz
Website: www.monotonyofdomesticity.blogspot.com
At which age did you start creating art? And why do you feel compelled to create?
I always really enjoyed drawing and used to just sit at my grandparents’ house with a giant pad of 1980s computer paper and a pen and draw alllllllll day, while my mum and dad were at work, and my grandparents looked after me. Stopping only to eat breadcrumbs, drink tea, and dunk bread rolls in to lemonade. I was also a huge fan of ham….i don’t know why. It’s pretty delicious though…non? I like creating things as a means of exploring the ideas I have
What are you inspired by? And who do you look up to?
I am inspired by a variety of things, music, architecture, fashion, people, places, situations (real and fictional). I find inspiration in almost everything, not to say sometimes I go for periods without creating a thing. I really admire Ryue Nishizawa and Kazuyo Sejima, two Japanese architects that run a firm called SANAA, because they are able to create these stunning buildings in which they are able to distill their ideas into an unbelievable level of clarity. Their spaces are quite minimal, but paradoxically playful. I also really admire people who have consistency throughout their work and do what they do unashamedly and with a sense of ease within themsleve. Vivienne Westwood, Ruben Toledo, Rei Kawakubo, Raf Simons, Gareth Pugh, Andy Warhol…
Which influential artist would you like to ask for advice?
I’d like to speak with Andy Warhol….but then again, he did tell Grace Jones to be less weird. I’d like to speak with Hedi Slimane, simply because he holds a multi dimensional view of art and design. He’s done photography, fashion design, architectural design, a bit of everything, but seems to maintain continuity between mediums and fields. I am really interested in the multiplicity of design.
If you had to put up one piece of artwork on your wall and stare at it for a year, who would it be by and why?
I think I would never get tired of a Warhol. Warhol was about so much more than just Pop-Art, he was the first to take a bohemian scene and launch it into collision with high society. The painting would just serve as a reminder. I also really like classic portraiture, the type that litter the dining halls of lavish European manners.
Tell us about your creative process.
I like creating when I am alone. I enjoy being a lone quite a lot actually.
Do you ever find weird connections between life and art?
Not really, I am usually inspired by what has happened, or do things like draw what I think people might wear etc etc. I have recurring dreams though, and sometimes I draw things from them.
As an artist, are you Technical or passionate?
Passionate. I am most definitely not very technically advanced :P
How do you determine when a work is finished? Or is it ever finished?
Usually when I feel all the parts are resolved enough to show (or hide) things that the drawing is about.
Do you think there are boundaries you would never cross in your art making?
In terms of trying new things, I don’t think so. The prospect excites me. I do find a certain charm in traditional mediums though. Things that are completely digital, while often beautiful, seem far more disposable to me.
What frightens you most about your art?
At first, I was really afraid of people not liking it, because it was so personal. But I’ve come to accept it. I guess I’m still scared that what I do is or will become irrelevant.
Do you have any magic cures for creative blocks?
Find some new music. Browse your favourite collections from past seasons. Lose yourself in the architecture section of a big library. Buy a new magazine. Watch something by Sophia Coppola or Wes Anderson.
Do you dream about your artwork?
Often the objects the people have or the clothes they are wearing are really important when I’m creating them, and then I dream about those objects….or people having them.
Which of your own works are you most proud of/ is most meaningful to you and why?
This is too tough to answer. Generally speaking, upon completion, that work will be my favourite as it encompasses what I am or have been feeling at that immediate point in time. However, in hindsight, my opinions. Often the ones I like the most get the least attention.
Which art mediums and brands do you prefer to use?
I like Progresso Pencils, Rotring pens and mechanical pencils, Pantone markers, Guache, cheap watercolours.
What kind of art education do you have? Do you think it is important?
I am not really all that educated in art. I have Bachelor of Design in Architecture and most of the other stuff I know is just what I have found out through my own snooping. I think finding a group of people with whom I could discuss art and design related things was really important in my development.
What kind of career do you ultimately want? And what kind of career do you think you'll end up having (or already have) realistically?
I would love to be the creative director of something, a label or a magazine, even artistic director, or the architect for a fashion house, doing all their stores and interiors, or an illustrator at a magazine. I’d even love to be the person that makes the window displays somewhere like Rue St Honoroe. Anything where I can be fairly conceptual and indulge all my interests at once. I am still unsure where I will end up, but I’m sure I won’t settle for anything I don’t like. It’s not what I do.
Is your family supportive of your art? Who influenced and nurtured your creativity most?
They are exceptionally supportive. Sometimes I wish they would be a bit more critical. My mum really encouraged me to draw and used to do craft projects and things with me when I was younger. She used to paint lots of flowers on everything.
Which direction do you see your art heading in the future?
I also hope to see more continuity in ideas between the creative fields in which I play.
Who are some of your heroes outside of the visual art stream?
I adore Bjork, because I feel that her work permeates all aspects of her life. For the same reason, Roisin Murphy. Architecturally, Kazuyo Sejima is my hero. She wanted to be a grandma when she was growing up, sitting on a porch reading the paper and watching people all day. Isn’t that superb? I really like Christian Weinecke’s work for Comme Des Garcons too. Shigeru Ban makes really beautiful spaces too. Vivienne Westwoood in terms of fashion. Like Warhol, she inspired, if not created an entire social movement, a true indication of the power of design. Again, her design aesthetic seems to be very true to who she is which is important. I really enjoy the work of Raf Simons for Jil Sander menswear too. It’s got a supremely admirable level of refinement, without losing its edge. I often also have a “Hero Du Jour”, allocated to the most amazing person I spot in a day. I also love Iekeliene Stange’s face….and Tom Nicon’s.
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