/Interview/ The brains behind: Gallery of the Absurd
19/09/2006 | Filed under Discover > Interview
No celeb can get away from San Francisco artist 14. If they’re in the tabloids, they’ll make their way to galleryoftheabsurd.typepad.com. Here, 14 talks us through her ‘gossip fuelled art’...
.net: What’s the Gallery of the Absurd all about?
14: It’s a collection of illustrations based on celebrity gossip. They’re not portraits of the celebrities themselves - they’re portraits of the characters the celebrities become after they appear in the pages of tabloids and blogs.
.net: What made you start your blog?
14: I work as a freelance illustrator and started the blog so I could try to get more work. I also love making people laugh. Finding something to laugh at every day is very important for the soul.
.net: Where do you get your inspiration from?
14: I read US and UK gossip tabloids and find lots of inspiration on blogs such as dlisted.com, Pink is the new Blog (trent.blogspot.com), perezhilton.com and others.
.net: What do you think about the celebrity obsessed (online) world?
14: I think it’s just about to reach its peak and then there’ll be a backlash. Celebrities are fun to talk about and tease, but now that blogs are becoming so popular and technology is so much more accessible, regular people can show off their own talent to the world. I think we’ll see filmmakers, artists, musicians, writers and entertainers spring forth from the unknown masses, and the most talented will rise to the top. We’ll all be paying attention to them and we’ll start ignoring untalented ‘celebrities’. At least that’s what I hope will happen.
.net: Which painting is your favourite and which celeb do you most enjoy painting?
14: My favourite painting is Courtney Love - I hated selling it. My favourite celebs to paint are whoever makes me laugh the most. Right now, this includes Tom Cruise, Britney Spears and Star Jones.
.net: How’s the response to your site been so far? Do the fans of your chosen subjects hate you?
14: The majority of the response has been positive, but I do occasionally get hateful comments from rabid celeb fans. Every painting I do is based on the gossip that already exists, and some fans don’t understand that.
.net: Have you had any reactions from celebrities yet?
14: Not really. I think most celebs I’ve painted probably don’t give my work any notice. If my paintings make them angry, then they probably have a problem with their inflated ego. I create my work for humour’s sake and it isn’t meant to be taken seriously.
.net: Why are you called 14?
14: I’ve always fancied the number 14 and it shows up somewhere in my life every day. It’s like those people who look at the clock and see 11:11 every day. I look around my surroundings and see 14 all the time. Look where 14 lands in Pi: 3.14159... It’s the first number after the decimal. It’s also a square pyramidal number, and it’s the atomic number of silicon. Can you tell I love the number 14?
.net: How do you paint your portraits?
14: First, I do several sketches. I turn the reference photograph upside down and sketch it that way, then I turn it over and close my eyes half shut so I can barely see the paper and try to use my ‘mind’s eye’ to complete the sketch. In between the several sketches, I get up and dance around my studio to get my blood pumping. I also drink wine occasionally because it helps me loosen up. If I happen to spill the wine on my painting, I consider it a happy accident and just keep on painting. Pen and ink, oils and acrylic are my favourite medium.
.net: Which celebrity has been most difficult to paint and why?
14: I can’t paint Sienna Miller. I don’t know what she looks like even though I can see her in photos. I’ve tried, but I can never capture her likeness.
.net: What kind of effect has your blog had on your career? Have you had any job offers? And for how much do you sell the originals?
14: Because of my blog, I’ve had several jobs. I just finished a book cover for a celebrity (but I can’t say who yet) and I’ve been offered a book deal. My original plan was simple: I just wanted Rolling Stone to offer me an assignment. So far, I’ve not heard from Rolling Stone, but I’ve had more work than I had dreamed of. Originals sell for between $300 and $1,500 depending on size and time it took to paint.
.net: Who would you like to paint, and what plans do you have for the future?
14: I’ll continue to paint celebrities as long as it continues to be fun. The moment it ceases to bring me laughter, I’ll stop and move on to completely different subject matter. When I first started the blog, I created my paintings solely to appear on my blog and didn’t think of selling them. Now and in the future, I plan on moving on to using larger canvases, paying more attention to craftsmanship, using finer materials, and pushing the limits in technique as well as audacity. Upcoming celebrities include Victoria Beckham, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, and I’m thinking of paying homage to Gary Oldman because he is my favourite actor ever.
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Comments
artbabe / 29/09/2006 / 17:04
I love 14 and visit the gallery of the absurd everyday. I love people who still DRAW.
Thanks 14.
belen / 23/12/2007 / 00:28
this is stupid!
