untitled- Oil on Canvas, 53"x61"

BT: In the past year you have moved from Charlotte to Philly to pursue an MFA how has changing environments affected

your work? And is it inspiring to be around artists who are constantly working?

SC: I've moved around a good bit in the last couple of years. I'm from originally from Charleston, South Carolina then I was in Columbia for undergrad, moved to Brooklyn for a while then back to Columbia then to Charlotte and now I'm in Philly. It wasn't until I moved to Philly that I've found myself doing a lot more paintings about where I grew up which I could never do when I was down there for example I would of never of been able to paint Bandits if I was still living there and I've found myself painting a lot of my friends not so much in a direct; physically correct way, but in a more metaphorical way such as Our Pretty Little Worlds. I guess i might miss them. When I start the painting I'm not exactly sure what I'm painting but as the process goes on there's a moment where things start to happen. Painting for me is about discovery and revelation which is the essence of truth I believe.

I remember once I was in Tampa for the skate contests and someone started to ask Brian Anderson something about skating and he replied "no skate talk after 10 P.M" sometimes I feel that way here but in the long run it's good it's way better then it used to be when in Charlotte you were really the only person I could really discuss art with. Moving to Philly was the best thing I ever did. At first I was kinda of overwhelmed with being actually able to see good art when ever I wanted to and not really knowing anyone.





black mirror-Oil on Canvas, 53"x61"

BT:You look like you ride a motorcycle and play lead guitar for a badass band. Is any of this true?

SC: Well as soon as I get the money I'm buying a motorcycle; but no, I will be playing in no bands. I'm a terrible guitar player not to mention the fact that I'm as deaf as Goya.

BT: You seem to have a pretty advanced style, it is really proper, I always admired this about your work.

Is everything premeditated or do you have an idea and make changes as the painting comes to life?

SC:Well I wouldn't describe it as style. It's all about seeing and seeing isn't possible without the nervous system. What I mean by that is when I paint flesh I try to convey that sensation of flesh, when I paint grass I want to convey the sensation of grass I think grass is one of the hardest things to paint. The way I painted flesh in "we eat electric light" is another example of that I wanted to convey the way porn stars look how there skin seems so fake but of course it ended up looking like a jenny Saville painting. Style is just a by product it's such a vain idea to dictate a style before hand you can't grab the bull by the horns so to speak I wasted a lot of time and money before I learned that lesson. . i always have an idea of what my painting will look like. But of course it never turns out that way there nothing more then a record of mistakes I'm never happy with anything I do and I thank god for that. Some of it has to do with the way I was taught in undergrad. I was really fortunate to have Dave Voros as a professor he turned me on to a lot good things and I probably would of dropped out if it wasn't for him. Painting is always about finding a half way point. I'm not necessarily trying to paint things "correct"; what would be the point of that, a camera does it so much better. let's see how do i explain this... if I where to go in a classical manner I run the risk of materialism but on the other hand if I were to go in the other direction I would run the risk of incoherence I'm trying to find the middle ground. I believe most primitive art understands this, as did the Egyptians(3rd and 4th Dynesty), so did Valezquez, so did Picasso, and so did Bacon. Photography didn't destroy painting; it saved it. I want to walk as close to the edge as possible with the image before loosing it. It's kinda of like Kafka's Metamorphosis where the through the changes the individual undergoes the more you realize about his individual nature and yourself as well.




we eat electric light - oil on canvas, 53"x61"

BT:On a few drunken occasions I recall us getting in little lawyer arguments and incoherent babbles at the bar. You would argue the merits of oil, while I would defend acrylic. Are you still only using oil? Have you thought about incorporating more mixed media?

SC: I knew you were going to bring that up. Most of that was just drunk talk but I do believe oil painting has a quality that unique about it that no other medium shares. With the exception of printmaking which is really drawing, and maybe some sculpture I can't see myself doing anything else. I find photography extremely banal(though i always use it as a tool), I find instillation art extremely boring it's like going into an amusement park; it does nothing for me. For a time it felt like that's what I should be doing because that's the accepted medium to work in or maybe I should be doing more Juxtapoz type art(some of which i really like); but that's not what comes out of me it wouldn't be genuine. I remember when I first moved to Philly i went to this instillation piece at U Penn it full of these crazy instruments that you were free to play with, but other then the fact that it was extremely annoying; I was extremely bored. Of course all the other student that went loved it. I was just thankful they had a bar.

I think with some art the materials take over the image that could be said about concept as well. The work you do-which is real graphic-suits acrylic best i think. But I like the limitations of oil painting. It forces one to be more creative.






bandits - oil on canvas, 72"x79"

BT:Yeah, I mainly just enjoyed getting you riled up. What’s your coffee cigarette ratio? What’s you beer cigarette ratio?

SC:About a pack a day and god who knows how much coffee I drink... maybe 4 or 5 tall cups a day? I lead a pretty uneventful life I wake up at around 9. I'm in the studio by 10 and I stay there till about 10 at night. I only leave to go get some food or coffee except for when the weathers nice i'll go skate for an hour or so. I only drink one day a week so i don't go insane; but that's more to socialize. It gets pretty lonely in the studio

BT:Are you more productive on coffee or beer?

SC:. I very rarely paint under the influence and if I do it's usually a late nighter where i'll have a little wine or something in the studio

BT: Top Five Paintings(at the moment)

SC:1. Francis Bacon Study of a Baboon I saw this painting at MOMA for the first time a few years ago. I had been up for 36 hours partying with some model that I had meet the night before. I forgot a lot of what happened that weekend but I'll always remember this painting. If you ever get a chance to see it look at the way the chain link fence is painted it's amazing it IS the painting. Every time I go to New York I make of point of seeing this painting 2. John Singer Sargent The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit Let's make it clear I fucking hate Sargent! But this painting. God it's his only redeeming quality. 3. Valesquez Diego De Acedo Valesquez is like the art world's Julien Stranger. Raw, powerful, style for miles, but so damn mysterious your happy see one trick by him year. Really any Valesquez would do even on a bad day he still paints better then 99% of painters. 4. Cecily Brown My old roommate had all these "W" fashion magazines and I was bored one day and started to look through them. I came across an article about Cecily Brown. I have one of the images from the article hanging on my wall across my bed. It's a landscape of shrubbery, trees, maybe a forest floor. The damn thing changes every time I look at it. It really captures the essense of nature always being in flux. Plus she's fucking hot. 5. Carravagio The Martyrdom of St Mathew I was so looking forward to seeing this painting when I was in Rome, but the damn church was doing reconstruction or something I forget. Well at least I got an excuse to go back. Oh sorry Andrew for stealing your magazine.





Our pretty little worlds - Oil on Canvas, 57"x57"

home

Visit us on Flickr

you can contact Steve Chellis at paintanddestroy666@gmail.com