Glenn Arthur interview - 2011

Name: Glenn Arthur
Place of birth: Garden Grove, California, USA

Black Cat: Hi Glenn, I know that you are a self-taught artist..and this is really amazing..but what has been the most hard aspect that you had to face?

Glenn Arthur: Being a self-taught artist means learning by trial and error. I make a lot of mistakes but I learn something new from each one. Sometimes mistakes in art can lead to beautiful happy accidents!

B.C.: Tell us about your daily life…about the things you are passionate about..

G.A.: I love to listen to music while I paint. I usually have it so loud that I can’t even hear my phone when it rings. I’ll listen to everything from classical and jazz to alternative and rock. I also try to surround myself with things that inspire me. My studio is so packed full of art, pictures, toys, trinkets, etc. that I have to stack things on top of each other every time I bring in something new.

B.C.: Tell us about your art, the mediums that you work with and how you like to work…

G.A.: I generally work with acrylic paint although I also enjoy working with ink, watercolor, graphite and colored pencil. Mainly I paint on wood because I love the hard smooth surface but I also work on paper and canvas once in a while. I always start by sketching out an idea down to the very last detail and then I begin to paint. I usually have a color scheme in mind before I start but sometimes the ideas will change as I go along.

B.C.: What artists do you admire? Which one has had the most influence on you?

G.A.: My favorite artist is Alphonse Mucha. I really love his style and techniques. Art Nouveau has always been my favorite aesthetic in art.

B.C.: I read in one of your reviews..” His portraits of gorgeously mysterious women seeks to revitalize the idea of the erotic pin up for a new generation”, what do you think about it?

G.A.: I’m not sure that I’m worthy of all that but I’m deeply flattered! I have always enjoyed pin up art and used to paint a lot of it. I love the way that the pin up genre constantly keeps a strong hold in the art community while continuously evolving into something slightly different with each new generation of artists.

B.C.: The women of your paintings are colorful and beautiful, but they maintains a dark air. Do you see this mood as a translation of anything (emotionally, mentally, or anything else) inside of you?

G.A.: I’ve always loved art that evokes emotion and I tend to be drawn toward the darker and macabre side of life so I try to exude that in my own work.

B.C.: What are your limits in your expression of the dark side?

G.A.: I definitely try to make sure that each piece is as beautiful as it is dark so in finding that balance I don’t think I would paint anything that tips too far to either side.

B.C.: "Let Me Show You My Secrets" is the title of one of your recent paintings. Can you tell about it and his symbolic meaning to the xlegion readers?

G.A.: The painting itself is a bit surrealistic and can be looked at a bit creepy with the bleeding skull in her hair and in the fact that she is lifting her own skin, but she is showing the viewer that no matter how strange she may appear on the outside she is beautiful and delicate on the inside shown by the flowers and petals falling from beneath her.

B.C.: What are the most fascinating and fun projects you have worked on?

G.A.: I love working on themed paintings for shows. One of my favorites was a unicorn themed show where I painted a girl covered in unicorn tattoos. It was so much fun!

B.C.: What’s your next project? And where can we see your art in the future?

G.A.: I have multiple group shows coming up this year and I’m going to be working a new series of paintings based on androgyny to be shown in 2013. I love the mystery and aesthetic of an ambiguous looking male or female. All info for shows can be found on any of my social network pages.

B.C.: Thanks Glenn, personally, I love your paintings…and I’m really happy of your participation to the xlegion project, good work!
G.A.: It was my pleasure! Thank you!

• Prev
• Next