Yummy!
oil on canvas
200 x 250 cm
2009

The Diligent Cleaner
oil on canvas
200 x 300 cm
2012

Time of Happiness, Time of Facebook
oil on canvas
250 x 250 cm
2013

What the devil are you doing?
oil on canvas
100 x 100 cm
2014

Stay with me
oil on canvas
150 x 150 cm
2015

Interview with LAMPU KANSANOH:

Your childhood ambition:

I wanted to be a singer.

Something you treasure:

My dad.

Your worst habit:

Impatient.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

To make people laugh.

Your first job:

Body paint at public place.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

Chatchai Puipia.

See more of Lampu Kansanoh’s work here.

Monoculture Pollination
oil on canvas
60″ x 84″
2012

Almond Bloom
oil on canvas
84″ x 120″
2014

American Foulbrood 2
oil on canvas
50″ x 52″
2012

Beekeepers
oil on canvas
64″ x 80″
2012

The Whale as a Dish, Fall Hunt
oil on canvas
180″ x 88″
2015

The Whale as a Dish, Spring Hunt
oil on canvas
180″ x 88″
2014

Interview with DAVID PETTIBONE:

Your childhood ambition:

It seems, as a child, we are full of ambitions that have little rhyme or reason. When I was very young, I set up my herpetologist office (cardboard box) out on the driveway and tried charging people a nickel for snake facts. I also entertained priesthood when my grandfather died. Several times, I attempted to build a flying craft and even convinced myself and my 5th grade class that I would make a hovercraft for the science fair. (I ended up comparing the sugar content of cereals.) But, relative to becoming an artist, I do recall thinking that I wanted to be “better” than Picasso. At a young age, the notion of “better” does not seem nearly as convoluted as it does now. Better than Picasso at what? Now, as a professional artist, I can thankfully say that I no longer want to be better than any other artist because that would entail me making their work and I am not interested in that.

Something you treasure:

Nature. Growing up, our house was up against a small mountain in the desert. I spent a significant part of my childhood climbing the rocks and crawling through crevasses. I always knew that wilderness was important to me, wilderness as Place—as somewhere I could go to and exist in. I moved to Providence, RI for college and then eventually New York City but I never felt like I was home. Fifteen years later, a friend accused me of fetishizing Place with a capital P. I decided to embrace that and so I moved to Alaska. Now, I live against a mountain again, this time in a spruce forest, and with a view of the tallest mountain peak in North America.

Your worst habit:

I doubt you’ll get people to tell you their worst habit, but a bad habit for me would be Instagram. I used to be terrible at staying on top of social media. When I left New York, I made a conscious effort to maintain an active Instagram account so as not to disappear from New York altogether. But it can be addictive—I’ve never had that problem before. The other day I found myself thinking as if my thoughts were an Instagram post. It was terrible.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

The best compliment I think I’ve ever received about my work was that it felt genuine. It is important to me that concept and technique come about organically and intrinsically as opposed to shaped by outside forces. For example, I love painterly and brushstroke-y. I love looking at paintings where a cheek is a big smear of buttery, dripping paint. But I could never do this in my own work simply to do it. There has to be a reason and that reason needs to come to fruition naturally and not forced- in support of a larger whole and not as an aside. Actually, several paintings from my current series are rather painterly—but that has nothing to do with style and everything to do with the fact that I am painting outside in below freezing temperatures with three layers of gloves. If the drip or the stroke fits into the larger whole, I keep it. At a relatively early point in the development of a painting, the painting takes over and tells me what it needs, not the other way around.

Your first job:

My first real job was working at a furniture “factory” in Phoenix the summer of my freshman year of college. I was the only one that didn’t speak Spanish (despite my 2 years of high school Spanish) and we were all making $5.25 an hour. My job was to stain the furniture. After three or four dips into the vat of chemicals with a rag, the latex gloves would begin to fall apart. I remember going to see my manager about the problem and her telling me that I should just wear extra layers of gloves. She was the interim manager while the previous manager was in the hospital due to stomach pains. It was a pretty terrible place and I felt incredibly guilty because, unlike most of the other people there, I had the luxury of knowing I was leaving once the summer was over to go back to school. I’m pretty sure that place no longer exists.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

Working as an artist in New York City for any significant amount of time, you come to make friends with plenty of other artists who are far more talented than you, far more insightful. A few artists I admire are Allison Maletz, Thomas Walton, Karl Koett, Michael Sherman, Alexandro Barrios and Austin Parkhill.

See more of David Pettibone’s work here.

Interview with JASON KOWALSKI:

Your childhood ambition:

Every kid wants to grow up to be someone they admire. For me it was the concept of entrepreneurship that I admired. My ambition was to work for myself in a profession that I loved. As an artist, I like being my own boss, though it would be nice to get paid for overtime and sick days.

Something you treasure:

I treasure being a dad to my two year old son Wyeth. My own father chose not to be a dad, leaving our home when I was a baby. I cannot imagine leaving my children and take pride in the opportunity to be a great dad.

Your worst habit:

On occasion I bite off more than I can chew. When multiple deadlines stack up at one time, it can be quite stressful.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

I truly enjoy my subject matter. I value nostalgia and believe that every antique has a fascinating story. Preservation does not always equal restoration. To honor the stories of the past, I paint places/objects as they exist in the world today. There is beauty in the undone, the abandon, and in the shadows of a greatness that once was.

Your first job:

My first job was mowing the lawn and doing janitorial work at a Catholic School. It was a lousy job but I was glad to have it.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

I have several artist books in my studio collection as inspiration so it’s hard to recommend just one. Lately I’ve been flipping through the pages of a book featuring the artwork of Jenny Saville. My admiration of her work begins with how she paints. There is movement and exquisite description with each brush stroke she makes. Her paintings of the human figure are uniquely alive in a way every representational artist hopes his/her finished work to be.

See more of Jason Kowalski’s work here.

Interview with HANNAH YATA:

Your childhood ambition:

To explore the world, to be a morgue assistant, and also a superhero.

Something you treasure:

Health.

Your worst habit:

Not washing my hands after I paint.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

Connecting with our humanity, our emotions, and the natural/spiritual world.

Your first job:

A cashier at a grocery store.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

Adam Miller. In the figurative world I feel like he’s a modern-day master.

See more of Hannah Yata’s work here.

Interview with PAUL LACOLLEY:

Your childhood ambition:

I always wanted to draw. My dad is a painter and my big brother used to draw as well. Then at some point I wanted to be Michael Jordan…

Something you treasure:

I treasure the fact that I get to work with my friends and that I can develop my own project at the same time. I feel very lucky.

Your worst habit:

I go to the toilets too much…

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

I like to tell myself stories when I draw. I think it’s the most important thing to me. It’s also maybe why there is so much details in my stuff.

Your first job:

I was a garbage man. Kinda liked it.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

I have a lot of people I would want to recommend. My fellows from CRCR: Rémi Bastie, Nicolas Dehghani, Nicolas Pegon and Jeremy Pires. And also genius directors and illustrators Kévin Manach and Ugo Bienvenu.

See more of Paul Lacolley’s work here.

On Ripeness and Rot #17 (Lemon and Squirrel)
Archival Pigment Print on rag paper
20 x 16 inches

On Ripeness and Rot #6 (Pears)
Archival Pigment Print on rag paper
20 x 16 inches

On Ripeness and Rot #10 (Raccoon)
Archival Pigment Print on rag paper
20 x 16 inches

On Ripeness and Rot #11 (Zinnias and Mole)
Archival Pigment Print on rag paper
20 x 16 inches

On Ripeness and Rot #20 (Clementines and Fox Bones)
Archival Pigment Print on rag paper
20 x 16 inches

On Ripeness and Rot #16 (Fall Fruit)
Archival Pigment Print on rag paper
20 x 16 inches

Interview with KIMBERLY WITHAM:

Your childhood ambition:

I don’t recall any specific ambition as a young child. When I applied to college I looked into programs in Art History and/or Meteorology. Art History won but I still love the natural sciences.

Something you treasure:

I love my family and friends, but I also crave solitude.

Your worst habit:

Aggressive nail biting.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

I try to create images which are seductively beautiful while at the same time disturbing or thought-provoking. As a photographer, I think gorgeous light is a must.

Your first job:

Age 14, bussing tables in a seaside tourist trap.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

This is a difficult question to answer. I love the work of the Dutch masters—Vermeer, Jan Weenix, Melchior de Hondecoeter, Rembrandt, etc. In terms of contemporary artists, I really love Thorsten Brinkmann and Hellen Van Meene along with too many others to list.

See more of Kimberly Witham’s work here.

Interview with HELLEN VAN MEENE:

Your childhood ambition:

Ballet dancer.

Something you treasure:

Freedom.

Your worst habit:

Being impatient.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

Daylight.

Your first job:

During college I was working in a photo shop and printed photos for clients.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

Carolein Smit, sculptor/ceramist

See more of Hellen van Meene’s work here.

Monoculture Pollination
oil on canvas
60″ x 84″
2012

Almond Bloom
oil on canvas
84″ x 120″
2014

American Foulbrood 2
oil on canvas
50″ x 52″
2012

Beekeepers
oil on canvas
64″ x 80″
2012

The Whale as a Dish, Fall Hunt
oil on canvas
180″ x 88″
2015

The Whale as a Dish, Spring Hunt
oil on canvas
180″ x 88″
2014

Interview with DAVID PETTIBONE:

Your childhood ambition:

It seems, as a child, we are full of ambitions that have little rhyme or reason. When I was very young, I set up my herpetologist office (cardboard box) out on the driveway and tried charging people a nickel for snake facts. I also entertained priesthood when my grandfather died. Several times, I attempted to build a flying craft and even convinced myself and my 5th grade class that I would make a hovercraft for the science fair. (I ended up comparing the sugar content of cereals.) But, relative to becoming an artist, I do recall thinking that I wanted to be “better” than Picasso. At a young age, the notion of “better” does not seem nearly as convoluted as it does now. Better than Picasso at what? Now, as a professional artist, I can thankfully say that I no longer want to be better than any other artist because that would entail me making their work and I am not interested in that.

Something you treasure:

Nature. Growing up, our house was up against a small mountain in the desert. I spent a significant part of my childhood climbing the rocks and crawling through crevasses. I always knew that wilderness was important to me, wilderness as Place—as somewhere I could go to and exist in. I moved to Providence, RI for college and then eventually New York City but I never felt like I was home. Fifteen years later, a friend accused me of fetishizing Place with a capital P. I decided to embrace that and so I moved to Alaska. Now, I live against a mountain again, this time in a spruce forest, and with a view of the tallest mountain peak in North America.

Your worst habit:

I doubt you’ll get people to tell you their worst habit, but a bad habit for me would be Instagram. I used to be terrible at staying on top of social media. When I left New York, I made a conscious effort to maintain an active Instagram account so as not to disappear from New York altogether. But it can be addictive—I’ve never had that problem before. The other day I found myself thinking as if my thoughts were an Instagram post. It was terrible.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

The best compliment I think I’ve ever received about my work was that it felt genuine. It is important to me that concept and technique come about organically and intrinsically as opposed to shaped by outside forces. For example, I love painterly and brushstroke-y. I love looking at paintings where a cheek is a big smear of buttery, dripping paint. But I could never do this in my own work simply to do it. There has to be a reason and that reason needs to come to fruition naturally and not forced- in support of a larger whole and not as an aside. Actually, several paintings from my current series are rather painterly—but that has nothing to do with style and everything to do with the fact that I am painting outside in below freezing temperatures with three layers of gloves. If the drip or the stroke fits into the larger whole, I keep it. At a relatively early point in the development of a painting, the painting takes over and tells me what it needs, not the other way around.

Your first job:

My first real job was working at a furniture “factory” in Phoenix the summer of my freshman year of college. I was the only one that didn’t speak Spanish (despite my 2 years of high school Spanish) and we were all making $5.25 an hour. My job was to stain the furniture. After three or four dips into the vat of chemicals with a rag, the latex gloves would begin to fall apart. I remember going to see my manager about the problem and her telling me that I should just wear extra layers of gloves. She was the interim manager while the previous manager was in the hospital due to stomach pains. It was a pretty terrible place and I felt incredibly guilty because, unlike most of the other people there, I had the luxury of knowing I was leaving once the summer was over to go back to school. I’m pretty sure that place no longer exists.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

Working as an artist in New York City for any significant amount of time, you come to make friends with plenty of other artists who are far more talented than you, far more insightful. A few artists I admire are Allison Maletz, Thomas Walton, Karl Koett, Michael Sherman, Alexandro Barrios and Austin Parkhill.

See more of David Pettibone’s work here.

Interview with JASON KOWALSKI:

Your childhood ambition:

Every kid wants to grow up to be someone they admire. For me it was the concept of entrepreneurship that I admired. My ambition was to work for myself in a profession that I loved. As an artist, I like being my own boss, though it would be nice to get paid for overtime and sick days.

Something you treasure:

I treasure being a dad to my two year old son Wyeth. My own father chose not to be a dad, leaving our home when I was a baby. I cannot imagine leaving my children and take pride in the opportunity to be a great dad.

Your worst habit:

On occasion I bite off more than I can chew. When multiple deadlines stack up at one time, it can be quite stressful.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

I truly enjoy my subject matter. I value nostalgia and believe that every antique has a fascinating story. Preservation does not always equal restoration. To honor the stories of the past, I paint places/objects as they exist in the world today. There is beauty in the undone, the abandon, and in the shadows of a greatness that once was.

Your first job:

My first job was mowing the lawn and doing janitorial work at a Catholic School. It was a lousy job but I was glad to have it.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

I have several artist books in my studio collection as inspiration so it’s hard to recommend just one. Lately I’ve been flipping through the pages of a book featuring the artwork of Jenny Saville. My admiration of her work begins with how she paints. There is movement and exquisite description with each brush stroke she makes. Her paintings of the human figure are uniquely alive in a way every representational artist hopes his/her finished work to be.

See more of Jason Kowalski’s work here.

Interview with HANNAH YATA:

Your childhood ambition:

To explore the world, to be a morgue assistant, and also a superhero.

Something you treasure:

Health.

Your worst habit:

Not washing my hands after I paint.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

Connecting with our humanity, our emotions, and the natural/spiritual world.

Your first job:

A cashier at a grocery store.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

Adam Miller. In the figurative world I feel like he’s a modern-day master.

See more of Hannah Yata’s work here.

Interview with PAUL LACOLLEY:

Your childhood ambition:

I always wanted to draw. My dad is a painter and my big brother used to draw as well. Then at some point I wanted to be Michael Jordan…

Something you treasure:

I treasure the fact that I get to work with my friends and that I can develop my own project at the same time. I feel very lucky.

Your worst habit:

I go to the toilets too much…

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

I like to tell myself stories when I draw. I think it’s the most important thing to me. It’s also maybe why there is so much details in my stuff.

Your first job:

I was a garbage man. Kinda liked it.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

I have a lot of people I would want to recommend. My fellows from CRCR: Rémi Bastie, Nicolas Dehghani, Nicolas Pegon and Jeremy Pires. And also genius directors and illustrators Kévin Manach and Ugo Bienvenu.

See more of Paul Lacolley’s work here.

On Ripeness and Rot #6 (Pears)
Archival Pigment Print on rag paper
20 x 16 inches

On Ripeness and Rot #10 (Raccoon)
Archival Pigment Print on rag paper
20 x 16 inches

On Ripeness and Rot #11 (Zinnias and Mole)
Archival Pigment Print on rag paper
20 x 16 inches

On Ripeness and Rot #20 (Clementines and Fox Bones)
Archival Pigment Print on rag paper
20 x 16 inches

On Ripeness and Rot #16 (Fall Fruit)
Archival Pigment Print on rag paper
20 x 16 inches

Interview with KIMBERLY WITHAM:

Your childhood ambition:

I don’t recall any specific ambition as a young child. When I applied to college I looked into programs in Art History and/or Meteorology. Art History won but I still love the natural sciences.

Something you treasure:

I love my family and friends, but I also crave solitude.

Your worst habit:

Aggressive nail biting.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

I try to create images which are seductively beautiful while at the same time disturbing or thought-provoking. As a photographer, I think gorgeous light is a must.

Your first job:

Age 14, bussing tables in a seaside tourist trap.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

This is a difficult question to answer. I love the work of the Dutch masters—Vermeer, Jan Weenix, Melchior de Hondecoeter, Rembrandt, etc. In terms of contemporary artists, I really love Thorsten Brinkmann and Hellen Van Meene along with too many others to list.

See more of Kimberly Witham’s work here.

Interview with HELLEN VAN MEENE:

Your childhood ambition:

Ballet dancer.

Something you treasure:

Freedom.

Your worst habit:

Being impatient.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

Daylight.

Your first job:

During college I was working in a photo shop and printed photos for clients.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

Carolein Smit, sculptor/ceramist

See more of Hellen van Meene’s work here.

Asshole
Bic ballpoint pen on paper
40 x 25 cm
2015

Aliss Out of the Blue
oil on linen
194 x 130 cm
2011

Giuliaafterhours3
Bic ballpoint pen on paper
53 x 40 cm
2009

The Californian Night #6
Bic ballpoint pen on paper
26 x 40 cm
2009

Interview with JUAN FRANCISCO CASAS:

Your childhood ambition:

Since I have memories I wanted to be an artist. That’s vocation or stubbornness. Or both.

Something you treasure:

Amazing collaborators with my art, friends and muses that put all their heart in my work. Without them all my art would be impossible.

Your worst habit:

I go bed too late. It doesn’t sound that bad, I know, but sometimes I miss mornings.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

The biographical content: my life is represented in my art through the people represented in that.

Your first job:

I taught drawing and printmaking during 4 years at the University of Granada, Spain. It was a nice experience but after that I became an artist.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

There are too many to say, but since he comes from the village than I do and he is a really good artist, I recommend Miguel Sheroff.

See more of Juan Francisco Casas’ work here.

Interview with ZOE BYLAND:

Your childhood ambition:

Being an illustrator (or occasionally a private investigator).

Something you treasure:

Friendship.

Your worst habit:

Hope, or longing.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

Being passionate about it, telling stories in my paintings and creating atmospheres.

Your first job:

A comic strip about a little mosquito for a small magazine.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

I love the Dutch masters, especially the brothers Van Eyck.

See more of Zoe Byland’s work here.

Interview with ADRIAN COX:

Your childhood ambition:

I always knew that I wanted to be an artist of some kind when I grew up, but not necessarily a painter. For a while I really wanted to become a novelist. I would draft detailed outlines of epic science fiction, fantasy, and western stories. Of course, having the attention span of a nine year old, none of these stories ever moved past the planning stage.

Something you treasure:

It may seem corny to say, but my family. They’ve always been incredibly supportive of my chosen path as an artist, even when the way forward was unclear.

Your worst habit:

I have a tendency to become a bit of a hermit when I’m in the throws of making my work. Because I live above my studio right now, there are weeks when I hardly leave my building at all. I sometimes have to remind myself just how necessary a work-life balance is.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

Just to be clear, I’m not a formalist in any way. However, the craft of painting continues to enchant me with every work that I make. I’m always trying to challenge my understanding of material and color, and to find new and more sophisticated ways of constructing a picture. It’s really a lifelong pursuit.

Your first job:

Waiter. I’ve worked as a waiter a number of times in my life, and I can think of few jobs so grueling and emotionally exhausting. Be good to your servers, and always tip well.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

One of my closest friends in graduate school was E. Thurston Belmer (http://www.ethurstonbelmer.com/). He’s a phenomenal figurative painter that makes darkly psychological paintings in a sort of Neo-Baroque style. Our conversations were formative to the work that I’m making now.

See more of Adrian Cox’s work here.

Interview with OTHMANE TALEB:

Your childhood ambition:

Being a traveler through cultural diversity.

Something you treasure:

Perfection is not about doing extraordinary things, but about doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways.

Your worst habit:

Perfectionist.

The aspect of your work that’s most important to you:

Integrate multiplicity in order to evoke motion, memory, and time through the human nature.

Your first job:

And also current job, architect.

Someone whose work you highly recommend:

I love Italian masters like Caravaggio, and more recent as Lucian Freud.

See more of Othmane Taleb’s work here.