(met dave @ zouk, feb 16th... below is my interview w him written for Art Nouveau Magazine, full article here)
Putting on My White Sneakers
an exclusive interview with Dave white w Saer Ze
How do you introduce someone who puts ‘sneakers’ and ‘oil painting’ in a single sentence? There has not been a point of beginning neither does it seem to have an end. At least not too soon for Dave White. White sprung into action at 18 with a solo exhibition and went on to putting life into sneakers with oil painting. He has since taken coke cans and cars as subjects, and most recently, legendary comic book superheroes and villians. Having collaborated with such huge companies as Coca Cola, Nike and Rocafella Records, White could choose to bling it out with the ladies. Fortunately, in an interview with Art Nouveau Magazine writer Saer Ze discovers he has also long found a second love; his wife.
“Van Gogh as an artist inspired me the most. Reading his diary’s which described the struggle he endured to just do what he loved which was to create things on canvas.”
Art Nouveau Magazine: What, or who, inspires you?
Dave White: Van Gogh as an Artist inspired me the most. Reading his diary’s which described the struggle he endured to just do what he loved which was to create things on canvas. It really is an incredible story. The man never conformed and did his thing regardless of convention.
ANM: If you were a pair of sneakers, which pair would you be?
DW: Jordan V.
ANM: What gets you up in the morning? What is a typical day for Dave White like?
DW: 6 am coffee, 6.15 an hour of Xbox live, [I'm] currently playing Call of Duty 4, then it’s off to the studio. [I] Get my mail, browse the usual sites Freshness, Slamhype and Hypebeast to have a nose at what’s happening. Then the work starts, I research my latest subject matter for an hour and then the painting preparation starts. Canvas prep and underpainting, then drawing then colour mixing. I break out when I am done usually about 5. A nice run and then chill out with my wife.
// Dave White in the studio working on his ghostrider piece | Photo Credit: Fatsarrazi
ANM: How do you make the splattered colours seem unintended? How did that effect/technique come about for you?
DW: I studied Fine Art Painting for over 10 years, the paint splats happened as soon as I picked up the brushes on my first go when I was 16. It just came naturally and has been a part of my work for 20 years.
ANM: How would you describe your art?
DW: Expressive.
ANM: You’ve brought so much life into subjects like sneakers, coke cans and cars. What other subjects can we expect you to put some life into?
DW: I have been working in secret for the past 12 months on my new subject matter which is "Super Heroes and Villains." These are massive paintings and the response has been phenomenal to them. I used to draw from comics when I was 3 and I am exploring them again in my work.
ANM: Do you normally have an idea of what your end work would look like? Or do they turn out to be as they are as you go along working on them?
DW: I have always used a reference as a starting point, be it an image or the object itself. However the way that I used [to] paint and the techniques I utilize means the element of chance comes into play. I have a clear idea however the end result can surprise, as they can never be replicated exactly from my intention.
ANM: At only 18, how did your first solo exhibition come about?
DW: I won a prestigious award for Next New Talent in the Arts which was a great honor. From this, I was approached and the show came about. The head of the State came to view it. It was all a bit crazy.
ANM: Have you always been creative? How did you discover your talent?
DW: I have always drawn for as long as I can remember and I always knew that creating images was what I wanted to do. It was not a matter of discovering it, it just made me really happy and still does.
ANM: How long do you normally take to complete a piece?
DW: The new works take a week each.
// Dave White's "Up Away" and "Dr Doom" both from his upcoming Superheroes and Villians series
ANM: When do you know when to stop working on a piece? What do you normally do after completing it?
DW: When I slow down and I start thinking where I should put the next brush mark. That’s when I know it’s done. When it is completed I just leave and look at it the next day.
ANM: You’ve started a clothing line, have you thought about starting your own line of sneakers?
DW: I have collaborated with Nike and soon with JB Classics, I enjoy that side but never thought of starting a personal line.
ANM: Has anything or anyone ever become an obstacle for you?
DW: As an Artist I have been painting for 20 years professionally and have had ups and downs along my journey. The key is to never give up, love what you do and everything else will follow.
ANM: Is there a particular painting you wish you had done?
DW: Not so much as wish I had done but if I could own one painting it would be Jackson Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm.
ANM: If oil painting is your number one love, what would be your second?
DW: My wife.
ANM: What can we expect from Dave White in the next, say, 5 to 10 years?
DW: Who knows? I love what I do and am very grateful for being able to do it.
For more information on Dave White and his new series Superheroes and Villians please visit http://www.davewhite.me.uk/
“Van Gogh as an artist inspired me the most. Reading his diary’s which described the struggle he endured to just do what he loved which was to create things on canvas.”
Art Nouveau Magazine: What, or who, inspires you?
Dave White: Van Gogh as an Artist inspired me the most. Reading his diary’s which described the struggle he endured to just do what he loved which was to create things on canvas. It really is an incredible story. The man never conformed and did his thing regardless of convention.
ANM: If you were a pair of sneakers, which pair would you be?
DW: Jordan V.
ANM: What gets you up in the morning? What is a typical day for Dave White like?
DW: 6 am coffee, 6.15 an hour of Xbox live, [I'm] currently playing Call of Duty 4, then it’s off to the studio. [I] Get my mail, browse the usual sites Freshness, Slamhype and Hypebeast to have a nose at what’s happening. Then the work starts, I research my latest subject matter for an hour and then the painting preparation starts. Canvas prep and underpainting, then drawing then colour mixing. I break out when I am done usually about 5. A nice run and then chill out with my wife.
// Dave White in the studio working on his ghostrider piece | Photo Credit: Fatsarrazi
ANM: How do you make the splattered colours seem unintended? How did that effect/technique come about for you?
DW: I studied Fine Art Painting for over 10 years, the paint splats happened as soon as I picked up the brushes on my first go when I was 16. It just came naturally and has been a part of my work for 20 years.
ANM: How would you describe your art?
DW: Expressive.
ANM: You’ve brought so much life into subjects like sneakers, coke cans and cars. What other subjects can we expect you to put some life into?
DW: I have been working in secret for the past 12 months on my new subject matter which is "Super Heroes and Villains." These are massive paintings and the response has been phenomenal to them. I used to draw from comics when I was 3 and I am exploring them again in my work.
ANM: Do you normally have an idea of what your end work would look like? Or do they turn out to be as they are as you go along working on them?
DW: I have always used a reference as a starting point, be it an image or the object itself. However the way that I used [to] paint and the techniques I utilize means the element of chance comes into play. I have a clear idea however the end result can surprise, as they can never be replicated exactly from my intention.
ANM: At only 18, how did your first solo exhibition come about?
DW: I won a prestigious award for Next New Talent in the Arts which was a great honor. From this, I was approached and the show came about. The head of the State came to view it. It was all a bit crazy.
ANM: Have you always been creative? How did you discover your talent?
DW: I have always drawn for as long as I can remember and I always knew that creating images was what I wanted to do. It was not a matter of discovering it, it just made me really happy and still does.
ANM: How long do you normally take to complete a piece?
DW: The new works take a week each.
// Dave White's "Up Away" and "Dr Doom" both from his upcoming Superheroes and Villians series
ANM: When do you know when to stop working on a piece? What do you normally do after completing it?
DW: When I slow down and I start thinking where I should put the next brush mark. That’s when I know it’s done. When it is completed I just leave and look at it the next day.
ANM: You’ve started a clothing line, have you thought about starting your own line of sneakers?
DW: I have collaborated with Nike and soon with JB Classics, I enjoy that side but never thought of starting a personal line.
ANM: Has anything or anyone ever become an obstacle for you?
DW: As an Artist I have been painting for 20 years professionally and have had ups and downs along my journey. The key is to never give up, love what you do and everything else will follow.
ANM: Is there a particular painting you wish you had done?
DW: Not so much as wish I had done but if I could own one painting it would be Jackson Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm.
ANM: If oil painting is your number one love, what would be your second?
DW: My wife.
ANM: What can we expect from Dave White in the next, say, 5 to 10 years?
DW: Who knows? I love what I do and am very grateful for being able to do it.
For more information on Dave White and his new series Superheroes and Villians please visit http://www.davewhite.me.uk/
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment