Poster Shizzle…

I’ve been featuring Maxim Dalton on this blog for a while now , and he never fails to make me want to buy his artwork. In fact I’m such a fan I asked him to create the Poster Shizzle header when I redesigned the site.

Its not necessarily that his work is technically the best art I’ve ever seen, but there is always something about his illustrations that instantly make me want to hang them on my walls, and that I guess is what its all about.

There is often a lot to see in his pieces and part of the fun is allowing your eyes to wander around his work picking out all the great little details.

His Guitar Lessons piece received recognition across the world and he continues to put out a mixture work, which lucky for us, includes movie inspired pieces. Check out his fantastic new Kill Bill piece for the latest Spoke Art show further down the page.

Ladies and Nerds, Mr Maxim Dalton….

Tell us a bit about yourself, how old are you, where are you from, where are you based, how long have you been illustrating and what is your preferred medium? Etc…

I was born in 1975 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I lived in several places around the world and now I’m based in Buenos Aires again, but not in the city, I live in a farm about sixty miles north. I’ve been illustrating since I can remember, I may have started at two or three, aahh, the pay was terrible those days. I guess my preferred medium is mixed. I use a lot of watercolours and pencils, sometimes gouache and usually put all together digitally. I use a lot of scanned textures as well.

How and when did you first become interested in art/illustration ?

I really can’t say. I do remember that my father once bought me a collection of five art books that came at the time when I was six, so that gives me the idea that I was all the way into it already at that age.

Can you remember your first/earliest piece of work? Did it end up on the fridge?

Most of all, I remember my first works every time I started experimenting on a new medium. I started with oil painting when I was close to 18. My first painting in oil was a complete disaster of course, it’s kind of a complicated medium. Then, with the years I became a little better. Here’s a little oil painting I like, I did it when I was twenty-something.  Then I get tired of the oil painting and went back to the roots, in many ways.

What were your early influences ?

Cartoons mostly. All the UPA and some Disney movies. Also the DePatie-Freleng movies are still a huge influence on my work (I love especially those backgrounds). And books, a lot of children illustrated books. Then came many others.

Did you attend art school or are you self taught ?

I am mainly self-taught. I went a year to a personal teacher during my oil painting period, but that’s mostly it. I don’t like being taught by a person, I get bored.

Do you think artistic talent is something you are born with or can it be taught ?

It is hard to tell what an artistic talent is. But I believe that everybody can draw and paint if they decide to take it seriously. Van Gogh was an awful drawer, he had no skills for the time and he knew it, but he was decided to evolve and developed his own style devoting his life to it, you can see the results at his museum in Amsterdam. But then again, I guess you need to have some natural attraction that makes you go that way.

As an artist are you always learning and developing your skill, technique, style etc?

Always. It has no end because you’re always trying to be better on what you do. That’s the most interesting part of this job, otherwise it would be too boring. I strongly believe that a good artist always thinks that his work sucks. It’s not a pleasant feeling, but it’s the only way to become a better artist and a better person. I will retire the day I feel I’ve learned enough.

What was your first illustration job and how did it go ?

My first illustration job was a poster about the writer J.L.Borges for an event called “Borges and Japan”. I was 15 years old and scared to death. I had to make it by hand, using transfer lettering, cutting off the images and putting all together with glue. Computers weren’t that popular those days. It’s pretty bad in my opinion, but judge for yourself.

What would you do if you couldn’t illustrate ? Have you held any other jobs ?

I’m also a musician, I play guitar since I was 13, so I guess I could do that. If not, I also could do something related to nature.  I did many jobs when I was younger: I worked in a supermarket handling bottles, sold insurance door to door, was a mailman for a day, cooked in a restaurant’s kitchen, was a photographer,  was a bartender back in Barcelona, worked as a jazz guitarist in Paris, and as a gigolo in Milano. I also directed a couple of movies and a TV show, but I really didn’t enjoy the experience of filmmaking.

Talk us through your creative process ?

I still have no answer for that. It’s different every time.

Where do you draw your influences from ?

My influences are almost the same that when I was kid, but I also can add Paul Rand, Charlie Harper, Saul Bass, Vermeer, The Pre-Raphaelites, some Ukiyo-e artists… I’m sure there’s a lot more, but right now I can’t remember.

Of your own work, do you have a favorite piece ?

I would say the Ten Great Years poster, but only because I am a Beatles fan and I like to watch them hanging on my wall.

Have you ever butchered a piece of work and had to start again ? If so what went wrong ?

I do that almost every time. Things never look in the paper as good as they look inside your head.

Which other artists do you admire, and do you collect others work ?

I don’t collect works of art, but I love Robert Crumb and Jim Flora –I do collect his jazz records-. From the younger ones I like very much the work of Scott Campbell and Pascal Blanchet.

What are you currently working on ? Do you have any new projects you are looking forward to ?

Right now I’m working on a Kill Bill poster for the third round of QvsC at Spoke Art Gallery, opening 1^st October and preparing a Life Aquatic poster for the end of the same month. Also, given that I’m a big pre-war blues enthusiast, I’ve been working since a long time on a poster featuring all those southern musicians to hang in my studio, maybe someone else wants it too?

Do you read praise/criticism of your work and if so how does it make you feel ?

I try not to. Because if they are good comments, I could start to think that I’m great on what I do, and my work could be affected because of that. Negative comments influence me too, but on another level, on a more human one.

How does it feel when you finish a piece of work? What are your immediate thoughts and do they change towards the piece over time?

Every piece of work is an Everest to me, so my feelings could be fatigue, cold, lack of oxygen, confusion, dizziness, fear, excitement, pride, more cold, joy, relief and peace. In that order. I often take a picture when I get there, but I have to leave almost immediately if I don’t want to die.

Is a piece of work ever finished?

It is when you’ve sent it to the printer.

Can you describe your typical work day ?

I wake up early in the morning and have breakfast while I check my mail inbox. Then, after a while, I take my pen and start to draw until 1 or 2 PM when I stop to grab a bite. Then back to the board again until 7 or 8 in the evening. On Fridays I dress casual.

How do you unwind, hobbies, travel etc ?

I don’t know if I consider music as a hobby, because it’s too important in my life, but I’m always playing when I’m not drawing or sleeping. I also play double bass and mandolin, so I’m always trying to get better by practicing.  I try not to travel much anymore, because I’m tired to be treated like I was a criminal in every border (I swear it’s not me, it’s them).

What are your favorite movies ?

Hard to say. But I’m always a big admirer of Stanley Kubrick’s work.

Whats the best thing about your job?

For me there’s nothing better than working alone and using my time as I want. I once worked in an advertising agency and almost killed myself.

Whats the worst thing about your job?

To deal with those that hire you because they like your style and creativity and in the end always are trying to change your idea, your drawings and even the colors that you choose.

Do you think the current trend in movie art is a fad or will it stand the test of time ?

I think movie art is old as movies, and even if movies disappear, movie art will still survive. As a retro thing, you know.

Thank you very much for your time and keep up the good work. Is there anything else you would like to add ?

OK, I really wasn’t a gigolo in Milano, but the rest is all true.