I've been lucky enough to get in touch with the Australian artist Sean Avery, whose work consists of impressive 'sustainable' sculptures and childrens' book illustrations (which he also writes).
I was unaware of his work until a friend pointed him out...
Otter
Mixed Media
Width: 20cm Height: 17cm Depth: 50cm
'An otter I made to ease the pain of selling my cat.'
Here is how the correspondence went:
-----Original Message-----
From: "Emily Denison" <millymollyemily@hotmail.co.uk>
Sent: Monday, April 2, 2012 9:26am
To: sean@seaneavery.com
Subject: questions from Emily :)
From: "Emily Denison" <millymollyemily@hotmail.co.uk>
Sent: Monday, April 2, 2012 9:26am
To: sean@seaneavery.com
Subject: questions from Emily :)
Dear Sean,
Thank you for letting me ask you some questions.
Firstly, I must apologise if any of these come across as ignorant- you are a new discovery for me and unfortunately there is limited information about you that I can find over here in the UK!
- When asked about your sculptures in previous interviews you have said your inspiration is animals. Are there any outside influences or artists who have influenced you in any way as well, whether it be style or working method? Which other artists do you admire?
- Has your production of 'sustainable art' been a conscious decision before you chose the style?
- Has it been a difficult journey to get to where you are now professionally? Was there a 'breakthrough' moment?
- Do you feel that your work as a sculptor or book writer/illustrator has been the most successful? Have they each been more rewarding in different ways?
- We have been discussing the pros and cons of working for free as illustrators first starting out (e.g. entering competitions, working for friends and so on), as it seems to be unclear when is a good time to draw the line and only do paid work. What is your opinion?
- If you could rewind the clock a few years, is there anything you would have done differently in regards to your career? What advice would you give yourself?
- What is your preferred method of image making for the illustrations in your books?
- Is there a particular piece of work you are proud of/ have a stronger personal connection to than others?
- How long does it usually take you to make your sculptures? Does it ever get boring? (Could you describe the process?)
Thank you so much for your time
Best Wishes
Emily
Hi Emily,
Not a problem, more than happy to answer your questions!
- When asked about your sculptures in previous interviews you have said your inspiration is animals. Are there any outside influences or artists who have influenced you in any way as well, whether it be style or working method? Which other artists do you admire?
It's funny, but most of my sculpture work is inspired by illustrators and not other sculptors. I love drawings with energy, movement and a slightly dark sense of humour, like the illustrations from Quentin Blake, Tim Burton and Gris Grimly. Communicating energy and movement through static media like sculpture or drawing really inspires me.
- Has your production of 'sustainable art' been a conscious decision before you chose the style?
No it wasn't. I'm not really an environmentalist at heart, but I do get a kick out of turning familiar, household debris into beautiful things!
- Has it been a difficult journey to get to where you are now professionally? Was there a 'breakthrough' moment?
It's been a slow and steady grind to be taken seriously as an artist and a writer, but it's all good now! My sculpture photos have been up on the net for a while now, but they went viral on the 16th of February 2012 which was an awesome. I don't know how it started, but when I checked my emails that day, I had hundreds — it was all a little overwhelming!
- Do you feel that your work as a sculptor or book writer/illustrator has been the most successful? Have they each been more rewarding in different ways?
It's like chalk and cheese trying to compare the two ... I would say that I've had equal amounts of success in both fields, but I'm definitely better known internationally for my sculptures. I love both my areas, it's just the best way to live life — making a living doing what I love.
- We have been discussing the pros and cons of working for free as illustrators first starting out (e.g. entering competitions, working for friends and so on), as it seems to be unclear when is a good time to draw the line and only do paid work. What is your opinion?
I have done a fair share of unpaid work in my time. Unless it's done as a favour for a close friend or as a structured internship, it sucks. You should always make people pay you for your work if you don't know them, even if it's just a little bit. If people are paying for your services, you will be treated with the respect you deserve. Many people are under the delusion that artists are so desperate for the opportunity to "build their portfolio" that they will accept any crumby job with vague, half promises of possible paid work in the future. These people will take advantage of you if you let them.
- If you could rewind the clock a few years, is there anything you would have done differently in regards to your career? What advice would you give yourself?
Read more, draw more, sculpt more and be more open to constructive criticism. There was a time when I pouted like a big baby if someone made negative comments about my work, and I truly believe that attitude stunted my growth as an artist. People will say bad things about your stuff — learn to love it because critiques help you grow while too much positive reinforcement does nothing but give you a big head.
- What is your preferred method of image making for the illustrations in your books?
A mixture of digital and traditional media. I love traditional inks for line work but prefer digital colour for it's consistency and vibrant palette.
- Is there a particular piece of work you are proud of/ have a stronger personal connection to than others?
My favourite sculptural piece was actually a set of alphabet letter monsters that I made once. Something about them, I just love. I also really love my first book, All Monkeys Love Bananas.
- How long does it usually take you to make your sculptures? Does it ever get boring? (Could you describe the process?)
It is long and tedious sometimes, a large piece can take a little over a week to make. I create a wire mesh armature of my creature, then cut my CDs up and arrange them by size and colour. I'll then glue each CD shard to the frame to create a fur/feather/scale pattern. It's a great feeling when you're putting those last few pieces on though — really satisfying.
Hope that answers all your questions, Em!
All the best regards,
Sean
After the on-going debates we've been having at college about designers working for free, it was refreshing to hear someone being opinionated about making people pay for work. Ideally, I would want to avoid people taking advantage of me as an illustrator just starting out, although this seems like a hard process to avoid based on experiences so far (e.g. having to pay to enter the D&AD competition).
Being open to constructive criticism was also a great piece of advice-so far I haven't come up against too much resistance to the way I work, but perhaps I should be seeking out a wider audience for criticism. I would hate to feel that I was being stubbornly protective over something that had the potential to be a lot better. Being as curious as possible has also been on my mind lately too- I'm trying to read more, get out and about as much as possible; see the world and draw from it!
And finally, it was nice to hear that his meticulous process is satisfying at the end. Sometimes I can work for hours on a piece, but it does all come together in the end, and proves to me that I wouldn't want to change it. (e.g. the hours I spent creating the 'carpet' for my Life Stories dancehall set-up.)
Overall, it has been very informative, and a pleasure to hear back from someone so friendly and helpful!
