Friday, April 29, 2011

San Diego's best, Scott Cocking shares his skills and talent.

Scotty C is a mad scientist creator of behemoth rideable sculptures and endless graphic illustrations. If this is not enough, he is also a professional and master of the digital realm of web and design. I love his work and great attitude towards life. It is always a pleasure to talk art with him, and I am pleased to introduce him you. 

© Scott Cocking 








Interview by Forest Stearns.







Fatbol: 
  First off, tell me What to call you, Who you are, WHERE you’re from, and WHAT you do?

Scotty C:  aka Scott Cocking, Graphic Designer / Sculpter / Plays with Fire from San Diego, but got tons of help in Humboldt to get the skills I use today! I try to chop up and rebuild bikes in my garage, but mostly I make websites now.



Fatbol: 
 Where can the world go to see more of your work digitally and gallery? 

Scotty C: http://sideshowdesign.com , http://mutantbikelabs.com , http://kineticsculpturelab.com , http://spontaneousfire.com , Red Fire Flower on the Plaza, Arcata in front of Café BRIO, the DSC in Oakland (melted sculptures on the wall), various backyards around Humboldt, Area 74 (Humboldt) has many, or my garage.





© Scott Cocking



Fatbol: 
 What is specific and unique that you plan to develop for the Fatbol project?

Scotty C: I like the looseness of drawing on paper. Doing so much work on the computer, everything comes out perfect. I want to DRAW some stuff with pen and pad and tracing paper and tape and work it. I always have more ideas than time, so I get to put some of them out there for Fatböl now!





Fatbol: 
 What is your favorite style and application for your own work?

Scotty C:  Right now, I am enjoying a loose / rough cut registration style. Layered with tighter drawings / patterns. Stuff that doesn't look like it was generated on a computer. I worked in a t-shirt shop in college, so I always like to see my designs on shirts.





Fatbol: 
 Explain your own style and science of art.

Scotty C: Basically, I like to draw. Being a graphic designer for so long, I feel like I'm failing myself by getting trapped into the ritual of "get it done FAST", recycling parts instead of starting from scratch. The science of Art, to me, has always been about timing. Whatever happens to me while I have an idea in my head, working out how to solve the problem, it all becomes part of the solution. Especially when building machines. Everything I need is there, I just have to SEE it. Improvise it. 



© Scott Cocking





Fatbol: 
 What are three words that best describe your artwork?

Scotty C: Solid, confusing, smile



Fatbol: 
 What inspires you?

Scotty C: Function is what fuels me over all else. I am always interested in how it works. Seeing other clever ideas, twists, or new uses for old things. Also, the anti-funtion.. I.E: "That won't work" makes me try to prove "them" wrong.




Fatbol: 
 What is your earliest “artistic” memory?

Scotty C: In elementary school, my friend and I got sketch books because we thought we needed to document our art. And keep it safe for the future. I guess I knew I wanted to draw forever. He's a real estate agent.



Fatbol: 
 What is your goal in life?

Scotty C: Have fun. Make people around me have fun. Push people to do stuff I know they can. 



© Scott Cocking





Fatbol: 
 Name something you love, and why.

Scotty C: Building temporary art in the middle of nowhere (on hikes and trips, not referring to Burning Man, although it's fun too) maybe no one will ever see it. But if they do, hopefully they smile and say "cool, someone made that for me"...



Fatbol: 
 What makes you angry?

Scotty C: Dogs barking, forever.





Fatbol: 
 What was your favorite toy as a kid?

Scotty C: Green Machine




Fatbol: 
 What is your favorite toy now?

Scotty C: R100GS





Fatbol: 
 What is your “dream” art  project?



© Scott Cocking



Scotty C: "Here's $10,000,000, build a playground on a half block downtown <any big city>"





Fatbol: 
 What have you been listening too while you’ve been working on your art[recently]?

Scotty C: iTunes streams of Breakbeats, House, Space Cowboy streams and a chill station called Groove Salad.



Fatbol: 
 If you were a cocktail on a drink menu at a bar, what would your name be?

Scotty C: Shark Attack Shooter (a gummy shark in a shot of your favorite booze. The shark is your chaser if you don't swallow it!)





Fatbol: 
 If you could go back in time and talk to “8 year old YOU”, what would you say to her/him?

Scotty C: Don't worry, you're going to have fun and meet great people.



© Scott Cocking





Fatbol: 
 If you could collaborate with any other artist [living or dead], who would it be and why?

Scotty C: Jonathan Borofsky  http://www.borofsky.com/  I love his installations, they are weird and play tricks on your eyes. This is good. 



Fatbol: 
 What is the best bit of advice that you have ever been given?

Scotty C: "Just start, you can always cut it up later" - Duane Flatmo. I don't think he meant it as great advice, he just wanted me to get out of his work area. ;-)





Fatbol: 
 If you had a chance to say one sentence for the whole world to hear, what would you say? 

Scotty C: "Go build something"

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Donovan Clark of Empire Squared drops some knowledge and some eye candy

Mr. Clark is been on the art grind for many years. He is known far and wide for his hard work in the art world of Humboldt Co. I have been great friends and art partners with him for close to a decade. A great teacher and mentor to many, he is always pushing forward and making waves. From spray paint to watercolor, oil to sculpture, blackbooks to the classroom, acrylics to found objects,  He gets down! 





© Donovan Clark


Interview by Forest Stearns.




Fatbol: 
  First off, tell me What to call you, Who you are, WHERE you’re from, and WHAT you do.
Donovan Clark:I live in Northern California, Humboldt. where I am an art teacher at the Arcata  arts Institute and the Arcata high school, and an active artist. I am manager of an art gallery called Empire Squared in Eureka, California where you can see my art during "Arts Alive" each month. I make art and teach art.




Fatbol: 
  Where can the world go to see more of your work digitally and gallery?

 Donovan Clark: I am co-founder of an art collective called EMPIRE SQUARED.  We have a gallery at 47 west 3rd street Eureka California where I show art each month during Arts Alive. You can view some of my work on the empire squared facebook  page, my facebook page, or the empire squared website, empiresquared.com.





Fatbol: 
 What is specific and unique that you plan to develop for the Fatbol project?  

Donovan Clark: Creative concepts and a diverse style.


Fatbol: 
 What is your favorite style and application for your own work? 

Donovan Clark: I usually work within two different styles, I enjoy creating art in a graffiti style with cartoon characters, and I also take pleasure in drawing and painting in a more realistic/fine art style.




© Donovan Clark







Fatbol: 
 Explain your own style and science of art. 

Donovan Clark: dude, it’s top secret. 


Fatbol: 
 What are three words that best describe your artwork?

Donovan Clark:  Noir, captivating, diverse.


Fatbol: 
 What inspires you? 

Donovan Clark: Music, mostly underground Hip-Hop and blues.  Graffiti, cartoons, fellow artists.




© Donovan Clark







Fatbol: 
 What is your earliest “artistic” memory? 

Donovan Clark: Watching my father doodle while talking on the phone.


Fatbol: 
 What is your goal in life? 

Donovan Clark: To enjoy life.


Fatbol: 
 Name something  you love, and why. 

Donovan Clark: .....


Fatbol: 
 What makes you angry? 

Donovan Clark: Bullies and bad music.




© Donovan Clark







Fatbol: 
 What was your favorite toy as a kid? 

Donovan Clark: Star wars toys.


Fatbol: 
 What is your favorite toy now? 

Donovan Clark: Star wars toys.


Fatbol: 
 What is your “dream” art  project? 

Donovan Clark: I like the concept of combining painting and sculpture to create an environment.


Fatbol: 
 What have you been listening too while you’ve been working on your art[recently]? 

Donovan Clark: Atmosphere and Mac Lethal.




© Donovan Clark







Fatbol: 
 If you were a cocktail on a drink menu at a bar, what would your name be? 

Donovan Clark: Lord Vader.


Fatbol: 
 If you could go back in time and talk to “8 year old YOU”, what would you say to her/him? 

Donovan Clark: Invest in Apple computers.




© Donovan Clark and Forest Stearns







Fatbol: 
 If you could collaborate with any other artist [living or dead], who would it be and why?  

Donovan Clark: Maybe the graffiti artist Twist.


Fatbol: 
 What is the best bit of advice that you have ever been given?  

Donovan Clark: The more you practice the better you get.




Fatbol:  If you had a chance to say one sentence for the whole world to hear, what would you say?  


Donovan Clark: Think for yourself.









© Donovan Clark