Taking influence from social injustices and issues throughout the world, my work explores the breakdown and conflict between humanity, the man-made and the natural world, and looks into the ever rapid transition of developing cultures. I introduce themes of capitalism and consumerism and highlight the threat these have on global issues such as the rights for Indigenous people, the agricultural industry, corruption, health, war and conflict. The work is predominantly created using mechanical and coloured pencils to produce intricate, evocative drawings with a subtle political punch. The drawings are meticulously reproduced from appropriated imagery to appear real. The work addresses the relationships we form to make sense of the world around us and meanders between the real, the socioeconomic, the hyper-real and the fake.
© 2012 Adam Batchelor
From www.adambatchelor.co.uk
BBM: How’s life treating
ya?
Good at the moment! Been very busy with all kinds of projects, I thought i'd be really stressed working on 5 or 6 things at the same time but I’ve quite enjoyed it and I think it's good to test out your limits and how much you can actually do!
Good at the moment! Been very busy with all kinds of projects, I thought i'd be really stressed working on 5 or 6 things at the same time but I’ve quite enjoyed it and I think it's good to test out your limits and how much you can actually do!
BBM: What was your first
major experience with art and how did you know it was for you?knew drawing & art was for me probably by process of elimination, as i grew up i got worse and worse at most things but better at making art and it became the only logical thing for me to do, i couldn't see myself doing anything else. And now I've found through the work that i make I've been able to develop interests and gain an understanding of things I was never into before like science and history, things like that.
I wanted to be a paleontologist when I was a kid,
Jurassic Park was my favorite film for ages, and I'd draw dinosaurs all day,
but I then became more interested in drawing and completely forgot about being paleontologist,
I'd draw everyday, for hours, that was probably a major experience, I think for
all artists it's the really early experiences that end being the major ones.
BBM: Three words that
describe your art?Art
as Activism.
BBM: Your art makes
powerful statements. Do you remember the first piece your created and what was
the message?Two
years ago I spent some time in Nepal, I lived with a family and volunteered
with others to help build a school building. Before Nepal, my work had no real
purpose, it was a bit too superficial and cliche, when i returned to the UK I
felt very different and I couldn't make the kind of art i did before, I needed
to be more realistic and i needed to make a profound and interesting image with
a strong message. The first collection of drawings done this way was called
'Role Models' and i created a dichotomy between developing and western cultures
and looked at the breakdown and conflict between the two. This has a been a
theme that i've returned to many times.
BBM: What are some steps
you take before the execution of a new creation?I
think about what I want to make and what message i can convey and then draft
out loose ideas and then i research the idea and then find the imagery that i
can use to create the drawing, and i'll go through many different permutations
before more times than normal, settling with the first idea, then i draft it
out onto paper and get to work with the drawing. Sometimes making work can be
really natural, and then sometimes it can be a conflict to get the image to
look the way i want it and i really have to force it out.
How would you say you style
has evolved over time?
Over the past couple of years, i've tried to tighten my
style and technique and also refine each idea to be as original as i can get
it, I think with every drawing i do, i get better, I try to challenge myself as
much as I can, but i do have limits are there are still things that I have
problems drawing.
BBM: Where do you find
inspiration in life?
By constantly trying to question everything around me
and everything i see, I keep up to date with the news, human rights blogs, I'm
constantly looking for images to use and i collect National Geographic’s which
are probably source of imagery you can find.
BBM: Funniest carrier
moment?
Absolutely no idea!
BBM: Most Memorable carrier
moment?
First time someone sent me an email to say that my work
influences them, that kind of input really boosts me to do more, be better.
Infact anytime I see my artwork somewhere, whether it's online or wherever,
it's a real confidence boost to know that someone out there is interested.
BBM: A fact a fan may not
know about you?
I live on a farm in the middle of nowhere.
BBM: Besides art what are
your passions?
Films & Running.
Films & Running.
BBM: What’s currently in
heavy rotation in your Ipod?
The new Flying Lotus album, Charlie Parker and Tame
Impala. Boards of Canada cos it's autumn.
BBM: Whats a long term goal
for your carrier?
To really want to do art & research projects
overseas and travel to some remote places with my artwork. It would be amazing
if I could do this for the rest of my life.
BBM: Any special plans for
Halloween?
Nah not this year, besides pumpkins make me gag. The
insides, urge, disgusting.
BBM: What are some words of
wisdom you would give a youth wanting to be an artist?
Make as much artwork as possible, be prolific, get it
out there and you'll get better with every thing you make. At the end of the
day, just make the kind of artwork that you want to see. That's the kind of
advice people give me.
BBM: Where can fans get the
latest news/ prints?
My website or my blog, currently have prints with a
project i set up called W.E.L.C.O.M.E and an awesome company based in Canada
called Mammoth and Company.
www.adambatchelor.co.uk
www.welcomegallery.co.uk
BBM: What’s coming up for
you in the future?
I've got a drawing in a group show in Miami coming up
and for the past couple of months i've been working on an art magazine with a
friend of mine that should be out in January.
BBM: Any Last words
anything you want to add?
Thanks for the interview, if anyone wants to buy any drawings,
send me an email!
No comments:
Post a Comment