Artist Interview - Bareface (Pt. 1)
Who is your favourite comic book character? 🦸
- It is probably an obvious choice, but in terms of mythology, I love Superman. To me, it's an immigrant story. It's about trying to adapt to a culture that isn't your own and about being of service to your community with the talents you have been given. I loved Tarantino's take on Superman in the movie Kill Bill in which Bill explains that Superman is not Clarke Kent's alter-ego; it's the other way round and his characteristics and personality are how Superman views the human race. A very close second is The Punisher. As a child of the 80s, a lot of popular movies and TV shows were based on an eye for an eye type vengeance, so it had an instant appeal.
What's it been like working with the Flick Solitaire team? 🃏
- I have to say they have been a dream. The team has been very patient with me. This project is the first time I have worked in this kind of format as my work is usually a lot larger, so it was an adjustment and took me a few attempts to nail, but we got there in the end!
What hurts you the most - criticism or temptation? 🍰
- As long as the criticism is constructive, it shouldn't hurt. Opinions are often based on other people's journeys and experiences, so I try to see it from that point of view and not take it as a personal attack. But I would have to say temptation probably hurts me the most. Whether it's staying up late watching one more episode knowing you have to be up early, overindulging on certain foods and drinks, or texting that person you know you shouldn't there is always a price to pay, always.
Woody 🤠 or Buzz Lightyear 👨🚀?
- Buzz Lightyear all the way! His square-jawed, bright coloured with big buttons aesthetic, the belief that he can fly and that catchphrase is the kind of toy I would have wanted as a child.
Who is your biggest fan? 🦚
- It should be me, but I am lucky to have a few close friends like Colin Cupid who put me forward for this opportunity that always believes in me during the times when I lose a bit of faith.
Jam or marmalade? 🍞
- I love strawberry jam on toast or my porridge as a naughty treat.
Big congratulations for creating the colourful Croydon Windrush Garden mural in June last year - how did you get involved and what inspired the final creation? 🖼️
- Thank you! It's based on a piece I did back in 2015. My local high-street was having a major facelift; I was asked to by the council to submit a design for a mural. The design I submitted, which is not the one in question got accepted but sadly didn't go through due to budget cuts. One of the councillors liked my 'Dare to dream' piece and mentioned that he would like to have it on the wall of a school he is involved with. Years later, he called again explaining that he was opening a Windrush Garden as part of the 75th Anniversary and that he has the perfect place for the mural at the Windrush Garden. I also designed several other assets for the garden. It was nice to finally do something for my community and a cause that was bigger than myself and my brand.
The piece was re-adapted this year as part of another project for the council in my area. It stands proud opposite my local train station, so it's tough to miss. In a bittersweet kind of way, the stars aligned for me. The same day the piece went up, George Floyd was killed. The mural became a focal point for a local Black Lives Matter protest.
What's the most useless thing you've ever been sold or purchased? 🛍️
- I am usually pretty good with purchases. I don't impulse buy, and I do a lot of research before I commit. But I have been given presents that were not what I thought they would be. For example, I recently got a handheld 400 in 1 retro game device and had these cool pics of retro games from the Sega Mega Drive, but that was not the case at all, all the games were NES quality games which don't get me wrong is great. Still, when you are expecting 16-bit and you get 8-bit, it was a little bit of a let-down. Plus, it didn't have a headphone jack so it's not like I could bring it on my commute to work. So it's still in the box.
Prince or MJ (Michael Jackson)? 👨🏿🎤
- That isn't easy. It's like asking me what hand do I prefer?.. my left or my right? MJ was my first musical obsession growing up, so he always has a special place for me when I want to feel nostalgic, which is pretty much all the time. But as I have gotten a lot older, I have come to love and appreciate Prince's musical mastery. MJ is the ultimate performer and Prince is the ultimate musician.
Do you need to be in the 'mood' to get creative? 🖌️
- It depends on what I am working on. For personal projects, yes, I do need to be in the mood. My mission is to get adults to hold on to their inner child, the work encourages people to tap into that feeling, so when I create with that in mind, I do need to be in the zone. This is done by blasting out 80s cartoon theme tunes and other music from the 80s and 90s to get me in that childlike headspace. Sometimes the fear of a deadline can get that creativity out of you also.
☠️ Join us for some Skull-duggery and start collecting Bareface’s deck now! ☠️
Read Part II of our interview with Bareface - online soon….
