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Featured Artist Interview - Andrea Innocent
BY
Andrea Innocent
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An East-West wisdom that pervades through Andrea's (a.k.a Innocentgirl) artwork is undefinable by culture and defined only by style of art. Producing limited edition digital prints, accessories and dolls, Innocent has collaborated with other artists on an international circuit that has taken her from Melbourne, where she is currently based, to Chiba City in Japan, where she has lived previously for 3 years.
Her love for illustration is surpassed only by her love for expression in her detailed stories, told through the colorfully whimsical characters she has created. Her life through the bizarre streets of Japan's eclectic inhabitants has triggered the distinguished style that Innocent is now known for.
TAXI says “Konichiwa”!
TAXI>>Hi Andrea! As an artist currently based in Melbourne who has lived in Japan and whose art reflects the culture you've absorbed there, how have you observed the changes in the design industry in Japan since you left two years ago?
Andrea>>The art scene in Japan is incredibly vibrant and, in my opinion, has the advantage of not being encumbered by too much in the way of a traditional approach to art, at least in regards to contemporary art that seeks to run parallel with western traditions, ie: painting, sculpture, installation and performance art.
If there was one word to describe it I would have to say ‘imaginative’. There are many Japanese artists of my generation that seem to be quite ‘fearless’ in their creation of work. While exhibiting a talent for drawing as a child is certainly not frowned upon most Japanese parents are certainly not enthusiastic about their children pursuing art as a career.
Most artists would be working several part time jobs, as in the West, just to get by. Much has been written about the Peter Pan Syndrome and the reluctance of Japanese youth to grow up, I have noticed the works being produced have a ‘child-like imagination’ about them, a dream world, something other world about them. In a sense they are not so dissimilar from the ‘ukiyo-e’ of the past in their subject matter. Depicting a ‘floating world’, the edges of society.
The works depict popular culture and are attractive in this way but they seem to reveal some very strong socio-political elements beyond their surface. In regards to Japan’s influence on the rest of the art world, that does appear to be going from strength to strength, I noticed a café/art gallery opening in LA recently apparently influenced by Yoshitomo Nara’s A to Z Graf and the Murakami currently has a retrospective exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Does that answer the question? I hope so;-)
TAXI>>Your work depicts a distinctive Japanese influence, and you have aimed to tell your stories of “Japanese popular culture from an Australian perspective”. Which is your favorite portfolio work that best represents this?
Andrea>>I don’t feel I have created it yet, I think I may need to assimilate a bit more into Australian culture before I can achieve that goal. At a stretch I would say possibly ‘Chikan Densha’ or ‘I’d Rather be a Swallow than a Snail’ came pretty close.
TAXI>>How do you think the influence of Japanese culture has helped you define your own personal style?
Andrea>>Japan had an enormous influence on my drawing ability. The drawn image is rife in Japan, whether it be on a subway advertisement or in the manga being read by the traveler next to you, or the characters that make up the language, so much of Japan is covered with imagery, symbols and most with great meaning and history behind them. I absorbed all this with a ‘sponge-like’ enthusiasm.
I was also incredibly influenced by the students I taught. I remember one of my students drawing a highly anthropomorphized version of ‘Doraemon’ with an intensely serious facial expression, the line-work was exceptional, I bribed him with a stuffed Koala for the exchange;-). Another student used to sit and continuously draw complex machinery and robots, the images would take days to complete and were unbelievably complex. It was almost like they were the blueprints for a city or underground lair, sadly no exchange could be made for these images, he refused all offers of incredibly lame Australian souvenirs I had. I also became obsessed with the obsessed, the ‘cult of the otaku’ and incredible obsession held by many Japanese for particular, objects, subjects, etc in some way resonated with me, I am quite obsessive myself and an avid note/list maker as well. I often spend hours researching a subject before attempting to draw a composition.
My upbringing in Australia was a very euro-centric one, my parents, although born in Australia, are enamored to aspects of Italian, English and French culture. The children’s books I read, the clothes I wore and even the way I spoke were affected by this, after living in Japan I feel I have been exposed to a good balance of cultures which continue to be an influence on my style and inspiration.
TAXI>>The East-meets-West hybrid has long been integrated into mainstream design. In your opinion, what principles do you exercise over your expression to best maintain the elemental purity of the eastern & western influence?
Andrea>>I think it all comes down to the way we see, there are definite elements in the composition, color, content and aesthetics of a picture that indicate to the viewer whether there are eastern and western influences at play, with my own work I am constantly seeking a balance in all four of those elements to get an image that seeks to gain a viewer's attention long enough for them to want to know more about it. I have a tendency to complicate things and so I look to the eastern aesthetic for simplification in design and layout.
TAXI>>Someone once remarked that when you were submersed in a culture, you couldn't really notice it till you were out of it. Does this hold true, and in this case how have you fueled your Japanese-influenced motivation since you left?
Andrea>>That is partially true, I found that after about 18 months I was well and truly lost in the culture, in fact I had become so lost I felt I no longer belonged to any culture at all, knowing I would never be truly accepted in Japanese culture and having felt like I had forgotten most of mine, I had in a sense abandoned my past and had no real future. This may sound rather dramatic and possibly pathetic but in fact this was a great turning point for me, it is where I began drawing and creating my own world.
Since my return I have continued to think in this mindset and haven’t found it too difficult to remain influenced by Japan, in fact, absence may just be making the heart grown fonder, I seem to gravitate and be attracted to Japanese imagery/food/friends even more.
I also read the Japanese news online every day, keeping up to date with things happening in Japan via a number of other blogs and sites and also regularly post on ‘mixi’ (a kind of myspace Japan) with friends and family as well.
TAXI>>You have previously experimented with textile & fashion design before becoming mesmerized by the art of digital illustrations, which you have continued to pursue today. What more did you feel you could have accomplish in digital illustration that you could not with fashion?
Andrea>>I feel I had been heading in this direction even way back in High School but for some reason never found the spark that could initiate a regular passion for drawing on a daily basis. Even, whilst running our own fashion label, my partner and I focused on the creation of images for limited edition screen-printed fabrics. We were still telling stories but in a more subtle and abstract way, the bespoke aspects of our business however were extremely time consuming however and we didn’t have the stamina to keep up for much more than five years.
We also felt that most of it was lost on our audience, the majority of whom were seeking the ‘latest thing’ rather than clothing that told a story. I naively figured creating images digitally would be a faster and more efficient form of expression, little did I know this was a complete fallacy, as anyone who designs on computers would know. I do still use textiles to tell stories in my work now, much of the fabric I scan is sourced from antique kimonos and their patterns hold significance and meanings for the wearer, for example a butterfly is the symbol for a young woman in Japan, a crane for long life, a hemp pattern to wish for a child’s long and healthy life.
This is a timely question however as I am currently writing a proposal for an exhibition I am keen to have during ‘Melbourne Fashion Week’ next year which involves fabric and illustration, so I may just be returning to my roots.
TAXI>>Where do you feel your art is evolving towards in the near future?
Andrea>>I feel I have come to a point in which I am ready to tell new stories, my work is clearly labeled as Japanese and succeeds in identifying capturing aspects of Japanese culture however I would like to experiment with mixing in elements that are clearly European/Western in content. I am a great fan of Tomoko Konoike’s work and really admire her take on European folklore, her compositions and hybridization of her flora and fauna create an enticing and altogether unique world for the viewer. Physically I would like to ‘grow’ my work, and have been experimenting with murals, painting and sculpture.
The type of hybridization is very well done in Japan, I remember seeing some Japanese punk rock fishing lures on the internet one day, they were so amazingly beautiful, I marveled at the link of that had been made between two apparently unrelated elements that could make an item so covetable.
TAXI>>What is one thing an artist should never lose sight of?
Andrea>>I have two nieces and I really enjoy watching them draw, they approach their image making with no preconception and more importantly without being conscious of an audience, they seem to be entirely engrossed in what they are doing ‘right now’.
There are still frustrations, as they often comment that the picture doesn’t look how they wanted it to, or they are not good enough at drawing this or that but the passion and enjoyment in the creating is pure. Drawing makes me happy and feel free, I never want to lose sight of where it all began for me, I feel most artists need to be reminded of this.
TAXI>>I'm sure everyone would love to see your current working space. How about showing it to us?
Andrea>>I am currently working in a room that has a large window facing the street and the sunset, which are often glorious in Melbourne, the skies here are incredibly dynamic. My desk is strewn with items from my travels to Japan and books with sticky notes hanging from their pages like tongues.
There are boxes of paper samples, pencils and half finished drawings all over the floor. Arare chan (from the Dr. Slump series, by the creator of Dragonball, Toriyama-san) sits on a tiny white chair on my desk, made for me by one of my students in Japan, with a Daruma doll, they watch over me. My overweight Abyssinian cat, Sienna chan, often visits to sit on my lap and headbutt my chin while I work.
My computer, wacom and scanner/printer are all in a smaller back room of the house with little natural light but less distraction.
TAXI>>Okay, before we end, where would you like a TAXI to take you to now?
Andrea>>I would love to be in a Taxi on a way to an onsen, I am now in the middle of a gloomy Melbourne winter and would love nothing more but to soak in a hot Japanese bath.
© 2003 - 2008 by TAXI Design Network. All rights reserved.
Her love for illustration is surpassed only by her love for expression in her detailed stories, told through the colorfully whimsical characters she has created. Her life through the bizarre streets of Japan's eclectic inhabitants has triggered the distinguished style that Innocent is now known for.
TAXI says “Konichiwa”!
TAXI>>Hi Andrea! As an artist currently based in Melbourne who has lived in Japan and whose art reflects the culture you've absorbed there, how have you observed the changes in the design industry in Japan since you left two years ago?
Andrea>>The art scene in Japan is incredibly vibrant and, in my opinion, has the advantage of not being encumbered by too much in the way of a traditional approach to art, at least in regards to contemporary art that seeks to run parallel with western traditions, ie: painting, sculpture, installation and performance art.
If there was one word to describe it I would have to say ‘imaginative’. There are many Japanese artists of my generation that seem to be quite ‘fearless’ in their creation of work. While exhibiting a talent for drawing as a child is certainly not frowned upon most Japanese parents are certainly not enthusiastic about their children pursuing art as a career.
Most artists would be working several part time jobs, as in the West, just to get by. Much has been written about the Peter Pan Syndrome and the reluctance of Japanese youth to grow up, I have noticed the works being produced have a ‘child-like imagination’ about them, a dream world, something other world about them. In a sense they are not so dissimilar from the ‘ukiyo-e’ of the past in their subject matter. Depicting a ‘floating world’, the edges of society.
The works depict popular culture and are attractive in this way but they seem to reveal some very strong socio-political elements beyond their surface. In regards to Japan’s influence on the rest of the art world, that does appear to be going from strength to strength, I noticed a café/art gallery opening in LA recently apparently influenced by Yoshitomo Nara’s A to Z Graf and the Murakami currently has a retrospective exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Does that answer the question? I hope so;-)
TAXI>>Your work depicts a distinctive Japanese influence, and you have aimed to tell your stories of “Japanese popular culture from an Australian perspective”. Which is your favorite portfolio work that best represents this?
Andrea>>I don’t feel I have created it yet, I think I may need to assimilate a bit more into Australian culture before I can achieve that goal. At a stretch I would say possibly ‘Chikan Densha’ or ‘I’d Rather be a Swallow than a Snail’ came pretty close.
TAXI>>How do you think the influence of Japanese culture has helped you define your own personal style?
Andrea>>Japan had an enormous influence on my drawing ability. The drawn image is rife in Japan, whether it be on a subway advertisement or in the manga being read by the traveler next to you, or the characters that make up the language, so much of Japan is covered with imagery, symbols and most with great meaning and history behind them. I absorbed all this with a ‘sponge-like’ enthusiasm.
I was also incredibly influenced by the students I taught. I remember one of my students drawing a highly anthropomorphized version of ‘Doraemon’ with an intensely serious facial expression, the line-work was exceptional, I bribed him with a stuffed Koala for the exchange;-). Another student used to sit and continuously draw complex machinery and robots, the images would take days to complete and were unbelievably complex. It was almost like they were the blueprints for a city or underground lair, sadly no exchange could be made for these images, he refused all offers of incredibly lame Australian souvenirs I had. I also became obsessed with the obsessed, the ‘cult of the otaku’ and incredible obsession held by many Japanese for particular, objects, subjects, etc in some way resonated with me, I am quite obsessive myself and an avid note/list maker as well. I often spend hours researching a subject before attempting to draw a composition.
My upbringing in Australia was a very euro-centric one, my parents, although born in Australia, are enamored to aspects of Italian, English and French culture. The children’s books I read, the clothes I wore and even the way I spoke were affected by this, after living in Japan I feel I have been exposed to a good balance of cultures which continue to be an influence on my style and inspiration.
TAXI>>The East-meets-West hybrid has long been integrated into mainstream design. In your opinion, what principles do you exercise over your expression to best maintain the elemental purity of the eastern & western influence?
Andrea>>I think it all comes down to the way we see, there are definite elements in the composition, color, content and aesthetics of a picture that indicate to the viewer whether there are eastern and western influences at play, with my own work I am constantly seeking a balance in all four of those elements to get an image that seeks to gain a viewer's attention long enough for them to want to know more about it. I have a tendency to complicate things and so I look to the eastern aesthetic for simplification in design and layout.
TAXI>>Someone once remarked that when you were submersed in a culture, you couldn't really notice it till you were out of it. Does this hold true, and in this case how have you fueled your Japanese-influenced motivation since you left?
Andrea>>That is partially true, I found that after about 18 months I was well and truly lost in the culture, in fact I had become so lost I felt I no longer belonged to any culture at all, knowing I would never be truly accepted in Japanese culture and having felt like I had forgotten most of mine, I had in a sense abandoned my past and had no real future. This may sound rather dramatic and possibly pathetic but in fact this was a great turning point for me, it is where I began drawing and creating my own world.
Since my return I have continued to think in this mindset and haven’t found it too difficult to remain influenced by Japan, in fact, absence may just be making the heart grown fonder, I seem to gravitate and be attracted to Japanese imagery/food/friends even more.
I also read the Japanese news online every day, keeping up to date with things happening in Japan via a number of other blogs and sites and also regularly post on ‘mixi’ (a kind of myspace Japan) with friends and family as well.
TAXI>>You have previously experimented with textile & fashion design before becoming mesmerized by the art of digital illustrations, which you have continued to pursue today. What more did you feel you could have accomplish in digital illustration that you could not with fashion?
Andrea>>I feel I had been heading in this direction even way back in High School but for some reason never found the spark that could initiate a regular passion for drawing on a daily basis. Even, whilst running our own fashion label, my partner and I focused on the creation of images for limited edition screen-printed fabrics. We were still telling stories but in a more subtle and abstract way, the bespoke aspects of our business however were extremely time consuming however and we didn’t have the stamina to keep up for much more than five years.
We also felt that most of it was lost on our audience, the majority of whom were seeking the ‘latest thing’ rather than clothing that told a story. I naively figured creating images digitally would be a faster and more efficient form of expression, little did I know this was a complete fallacy, as anyone who designs on computers would know. I do still use textiles to tell stories in my work now, much of the fabric I scan is sourced from antique kimonos and their patterns hold significance and meanings for the wearer, for example a butterfly is the symbol for a young woman in Japan, a crane for long life, a hemp pattern to wish for a child’s long and healthy life.
This is a timely question however as I am currently writing a proposal for an exhibition I am keen to have during ‘Melbourne Fashion Week’ next year which involves fabric and illustration, so I may just be returning to my roots.
TAXI>>Where do you feel your art is evolving towards in the near future?
Andrea>>I feel I have come to a point in which I am ready to tell new stories, my work is clearly labeled as Japanese and succeeds in identifying capturing aspects of Japanese culture however I would like to experiment with mixing in elements that are clearly European/Western in content. I am a great fan of Tomoko Konoike’s work and really admire her take on European folklore, her compositions and hybridization of her flora and fauna create an enticing and altogether unique world for the viewer. Physically I would like to ‘grow’ my work, and have been experimenting with murals, painting and sculpture.
The type of hybridization is very well done in Japan, I remember seeing some Japanese punk rock fishing lures on the internet one day, they were so amazingly beautiful, I marveled at the link of that had been made between two apparently unrelated elements that could make an item so covetable.
TAXI>>What is one thing an artist should never lose sight of?
Andrea>>I have two nieces and I really enjoy watching them draw, they approach their image making with no preconception and more importantly without being conscious of an audience, they seem to be entirely engrossed in what they are doing ‘right now’.
There are still frustrations, as they often comment that the picture doesn’t look how they wanted it to, or they are not good enough at drawing this or that but the passion and enjoyment in the creating is pure. Drawing makes me happy and feel free, I never want to lose sight of where it all began for me, I feel most artists need to be reminded of this.
TAXI>>I'm sure everyone would love to see your current working space. How about showing it to us?
Andrea>>I am currently working in a room that has a large window facing the street and the sunset, which are often glorious in Melbourne, the skies here are incredibly dynamic. My desk is strewn with items from my travels to Japan and books with sticky notes hanging from their pages like tongues.
There are boxes of paper samples, pencils and half finished drawings all over the floor. Arare chan (from the Dr. Slump series, by the creator of Dragonball, Toriyama-san) sits on a tiny white chair on my desk, made for me by one of my students in Japan, with a Daruma doll, they watch over me. My overweight Abyssinian cat, Sienna chan, often visits to sit on my lap and headbutt my chin while I work.
My computer, wacom and scanner/printer are all in a smaller back room of the house with little natural light but less distraction.
TAXI>>Okay, before we end, where would you like a TAXI to take you to now?
Andrea>>I would love to be in a Taxi on a way to an onsen, I am now in the middle of a gloomy Melbourne winter and would love nothing more but to soak in a hot Japanese bath.
© 2003 - 2008 by TAXI Design Network. All rights reserved.