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Hello! This is my fist post EVER!
I have my own site and stuff, but it is a bit unloved of late – my own fault.
I’m taking this first post as an opportunity to blow my own trumpet. Here is the frist panel of one of two strips that I completed last month and will be published in the anthology Underground Overkill, and may also get an airing on online comic sites (I’m still not sure about this bit!).
Hope you like it.
More to follow.
With a career spanning a little over 50 years, David McCallum is a face most of us, young and old, recognize. From eccentric coroner Ducky on ‘NCIS’; elemental time-fighter Steel on ‘Sapphire and Steel’; Ilya Kuryakin fighting the sinister group T.H.R.U.S.H in ‘The Man from UNCLE’, and countless other incarnations – he has entertained and enthralled generations, but how many know of his other talents as a musician, composer, and photographer? Hopefully this interview David kindly let us conduct will help shed some light on those unknown depths of his deep artistic skill.
Can I ask what made you change your direction from music to acting?
I was very young and involved in local theatre. In the local school hall, an amateur theatre company produced an evening of recitations, singers and soloists. These were intermingled with one or two scenes from plays. I played the part of the doomed prince in the dungeon in Shakespeare’s ‘King John’. I pleaded – unsuccessfully – with the assassin not to kill me. It is a real tear-jerker and audience applauded loudly at the end. It was in that moment I realized once and for all that my home in this world was on a stage. My efforts didn’t require homework or lengthy musical practice. The oboe took second place from that moment on. I did what was necessary in school and sought work at the earliest opportunity. ‘Whom the Gods Love, Die Young’ was the first part – oddly enough playing another doomed royal. It was on BBC Radio in 1946, the year I joined Equity.
How did your parents take your decision to concentrate your energies on theatre?
Their philosophy was simple. My mother and father gave my brother and I a secure environment that allowed us to go out and achieve our maximum potential. They never interfered, only encouraged. We both made our own decisions and lived by the consequences. I knew my father felt that music would give me a better standard of living than the vicissitudes of the theatre but he didn’t say it openly. When he came to the premier of ‘Robbery Under Arms’ at the Odeon Leicester Square several years later, my name was in large letters on the side of the building. By then I think he realized that I had probably made the right choice.
Even though you moved fully into acting, did music still play a part in your life? Did you still play the oboe in your spare time?
I still have my oboe. When doing ‘The Man from UNCLE’, I conducted several albums at Capitol. Top forty arranged by HB Barnum for woodwind and four French horns. Later, in ‘Motherlove’ on television I played an orchestral conductor and had the pleasure of conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra in Mozart and Prokofiev.
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Absolutely not! Never in a million Bat-years!
We’re all well steeped in Adam’s Pop-art infused, psychedelic turn as the Caped Crusader’s 1960’s incarnation, and probably as much now for being Mayor Adam West (or Adam We) in the ‘Family Guy’ city of Quahog, but how many know of his comedy pilot of the 90’s co-written by Conan O’Brien?
‘Lookwell’ is a riot, and a slice of comedy gold that if I had a DeLorean, a Flux Capacitor, and a high powered job in a TV Network (the first two would be easier for me to get hold of), I’d go back and commission this. No more words from me, just enjoy Adam West at his best.
How would you describe your work?
My work can be found hanging in the Pop-Surrealism/Lowbrow circles. My paintings are super hyper stylized mirrors that reflect the baggage of our cultural influences. I try to make each piece like a mini-movie, with its own theme, characters and theatrical agenda. Usually they’re satirical statements about the sins of our society, the horrors of adolescence and the manipulations of mass media. Some have called it “Disneyland on Acid”, which is pretty funny and accurate.
Bad Mutha Wizard - © David MacDowell
With your work being quite satirical of society and media, you strike me as an artist in the same vein as Hogarth.
Yeah, that’s pretty accurate. I figure why waste time creating something if it doesn’t have anything to say. I try not to be vague and hint at things. If I find it funny that the Disney Corporation brainwashes my kid, I will paint a dead on portrait of Uncle Walt doing just that. I think the art world is hungry for more than just pretty pictures and vague stylized nonsense. It wants art with a voice that will speak what’s on their minds, and visualize what has impacted their lives. If a paintings a joke, it should at least have a punch line.
How do you execute each piece?
Usually while painting a piece, I’m conceptualizing what the next one will be. Each piece takes about 5 days from start to finish, and deadlines keep fueling the production line from there. On the technical side, I paint exclusively with a script brush to get all the details just right. I tend to use darker primary colors, to get a dramatic deep texture and depth.
Parents Just Don't Understand © David MacDowell
Do you remember how you first get into art?
I was always an observer and mocker of life’s weirdness, so I always drew it out on paper as a coping mechanism. I had above average artistic talent as a kid, and I used it to influence others and get through school. I used to just paint portraits and give them away, because I think such personal things shouldn’t be cheapened by money. In 2006, I lost a loved one, and passionately threw my soul and life force into painting full time. Since then, I’ve built an international fan base and have been blowing minds since.
I’m sorry to hear you lost a loved one. Was the person an encouraging force while they were with you?
Well, thank you and yes. It usually takes a death or a divorce or some kind of world event for people to change. In my situation, I used all my energies to be the best worker, son, boyfriend, tax payer etc. Then you wake up one day and see all that everything you’ve been has been for everyone but you. So, one day something snaps in my spirit, you have a divine moment of clarity, and destiny was decided for me to be a professional artist. That’s my story. I say follow your dreams hard, my friends!
When you were a kid with such artistic talent, do you find it separated you from your peers? Was art your only interest?
I think when most artists are young, they’re super smart, yet introverted and super sensitive. It’s a weird situation to have something that everyone wants (talent), and not having the social skills and resources to exploit it, so usually adults step in to exploit your talent for you. The same stands true in the adult world, but now we call them “managers” and “agents”. I had art teachers placing me in poster contests and scholarships yearly without my consent. Every so often I’d gets called to meetings with teachers telling me that I’ve won things that I had no idea I was entered in. Aside from winning money and gift certificates, I did win lunch with the Governor and his creepy family. What an awkward situation for a 13 year old! Aside from art, my main influences were horror movies, girls and rock and roll. Pretty typical kid I imagine.
Freaky Friday © David MacDowell
Did you study to be an artist, or are you self-taught?
I’ve always taught myself. I attended an art school for 2 years and didn’t learn a thing from anyone. My grades were terrible, but the teachers always passed me because of politics, for there was a buzz about my talent amongst the staff. I often feel that the Coven Of Academia is as stilted as any other self regulating institution i.e. Heath Care, Churches, Government. You gotta be in it to win it, I suppose. With that being said, I’ve noticed that in this life we are often blessed with one teacher or mentor that will shine a light on your path, and it’s so important that you follow their word. Get to know their mistakes, goals and limitations. This will prove the best education you will never get from a school.
So did you have a mentor?
I unfortunately never had one-but I know that it happens and I always wished that someone took the time to reach out to guide or be honest about art advice. so, I try to be the mentor/example that I never had, and always try to help/encourage other artists by sharing techniques/information and getting them into shows etc. Like any business- The art world is full of cold driven individuals, who won’t give you the time of day unless you have a “name”, or can do something for them, BUT there are a handful of down to earth non-ego artists that’ll share their knowledge and be cool. The cool ones are the established pros that have been in the business for awhile and have nothing to lose anymore. I guess they are the ones to gravitate to for sure!
For The Birds © David MacDowell
Who are your main Influences?
I am influenced by any artist/curator that commits themselves to the insanity full time. It’s a total gamble to lay your finances, sanity and heart on the line within this competitive “cult of personality” infrastructure. I’ve surrounded myself with professionals that share an undying drive to create and manipulate our visual world. Some of the greatest artistic powerful people that I worship are Walt Disney, Mark Ryden, The Beatles, Robert Hardgrave, Dan May, Andrew Hosner, Andrew Michael Ford, and the list keeps growing. I give lifelong loyalty and love to every gallery curator that has taken a chance on me and won.
David is showing at Flatcolor Gallery in Seattle this month from the 4th to the 28th.
You can also see more of his work on his own site www.macdowellstudio.com
God we all got pretty screwed on the whole bank bailout thing. Read up on it here and see if you can still keep your lunch down.
Tell us about your artistic inspirations – what gave you the “bug” and who were the creators who you admired?
I think because I’m an avid reader and I listen to so many audiobooks while I work, I find most of my inspiration comes from literary sources. Every project I do goes through some dark hours – times when I’m struggling with the engineering (how to split it up for production overseas), times when I just can’t “see” the piece objectively anymore or can’t seem to get the feel I want out of a pose. I find that the characters in many of the books I read inspire me to stay calm and push through. My recent favorites in this vein are the true stories “Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea” and “Shadow Divers”.
As far as artistic inspiration, since all of my work is of a commercial nature, the parameters of each project are usually very specific; there usually isn’t a whole lot of room for artistic license. That said, I really enjoy sculpting real people- especially in action poses. I have found some commonalties with the work of Frederick Remington and because I start out with a sketchy, loose style, I also feel a resonance with the charcoal studies of Edwin Austin Abbey and the pen and inks of Heinrich Kley. There are sculptures I would like to do for myself but because I’ve been booked solid since I began, I haven’t had the chance to get to them yet (sculpting on a day off would be a bit of a busman’s holiday). Lately, when I do get the opportunity to create something of a personal nature, my inclination leans toward writing and abstract encaustic art.
As for what gave me the “bug”- I grew up in an artistic family and have been creating as long as I can remember. Art is in my blood. After highschool, and a brief stint in college, I was living in Brooklyn looking for temp work; I had done every awful factory job imaginable. I had worked swing shift in a thermo-forming department at an industrial waste liner company, assembled medical equipment, picked and packed in an electronics factory, in a sail-cloth factory and so on.
One of my sister’s friends was leaving his job at a commercial sculpture studio; my sister suggested I apply. The owner of the studio, Howard Kalish, hired me though I had no portfolio- and in fact, no proof whatsoever that I could create anything with my hands. He just went on the word of my sister’s friend. After working there for a year, I moved back to Providence and found work as a model-maker. I worked at various Prototype shops and built up my portfolio; mainly cartoon characters and kids’ toys for companies like Fisher Price and Hasbro. The work was steady, but boring. I was itching to try something more challenging.
It was then that I met Pat Mahoney, a phenomenally talented figure sculptor living here in Providence and freelancing for McFarlane toys. Pat and I worked together for just over a year and I felt like I’d found my calling. For the first time, I was sculpting human figures and I discovered I had a real knack for it. We worked in Castiline, a wax-like material that was very hard to use (It was this experience with a difficult material that got me thinking about trying to create my own). Quitting my steady job and starting a business that was almost completely foreign to me was a giant leap of faith, but I’ve always been a bit of a risk-taker and the challenge excited me. It’s been seven years now and I’ve continued to grow, both as a sculptor and as a business man.
What’s your earliest memory of “creating”?
Hmm… that’s a tough one. I think I’ve been drawing from as soon as I could hold a pencil. Masking tape, glue and cardboard were always my favorite toys. I do remember making a coil-pot in school.. it’s not my earliest memory of creating, but it stands out. I was perhaps eight at the time. The pot was in the shape of a skull, with eye sockets and everything. It even had zygomatic arches. At the time, my mother was studying to be a doctor, so I knew a good deal more anatomy than your average eight year old!
Can you take us through the process of sculpting a “likeness”.
I don’t really have a process per se, but I’ll try to run through it. Since 99 percent of the portraits I do are of celebrities, I begin by surrounding myself with pictures of the subject culled from the internet and movie stills. I try to find at least one good profile shot and some good three-quarter shots as well as one that I will use as the main portrait reference, especially if there is to be an expression on the likeness. Then I form a handful of CX5 into a very rough kind of egg/ head shape of the correct size for the project. Then…um, well to be honest, I just kind of dig in and start pushing it around. No real rhyme or reason to it and I never start the same way twice. I don’t measure anything; I just kind of feel my way through portraits. I usually turn on an audio book and the sculptor in me starts moving my hands while the rest of me is more or less free to just enjoy the book. It really feels like that- like I’m more of a spectator than an active participant. Eventually, the lump begins to resemble the subject. The longer I sit, the more refined the face becomes. When it feels like it has some life in it and captures what I think is the spirit of the subject, I’m just about done. The rest is just refining.
We’re very impressed that you have created your own sculpting material CX5, can you tell us A: what were the restrictions with existing materials that drove to create your own? And B: How did you go about creating your own?
CX5 stands for Compound X, generation 5 and it got its start the way many inventions do- someone is dissatisfied with the current options and has an idea that fits the need better. In this case, I was frustrated with inferior materials available to commercial sculptors, materials intended specifically for creating action figures, toys and so on. I could clearly envision the properties I wanted a material to have and set about experimenting. Many of the properties I desired were at chemical or physical odds with each other. After a fair amount of research and many, many experiments Compound X was born. I’ve tweaked the formula to where it now is and I feel I’ve got the ideal sculpting material. It can be sculpted like clay when warm, brushed on when hot, poured into molds, carved, sanded and polished when cool. It needs no armature regardless of the size of the piece; it can be re-melted and re-used indefinitely. It is creamy and smooth to work with and it sticks to itself but not to my hands. I’m very happy with the material!
Can you tell us the current state of play as regards the availability of CX5?
CX5 is under wraps while I’m interviewing investors and settling production. Anyone who is interested in purchasing some can email me and I will add them to the database. When I’m ready to unveil CX5 to the public, I will send out a mass-email notification.
You can see more of Adam’s work on his site – www.adambeane.com
Sometimes I love my job very, very much. Today when I received a preview copy of Laurie Lipton’s new tome of drawings through the letterbox was one of them.
Señorita Muerta gracing the cover
The Extraordinary Drawings of Laurie Lipton is a deliciously sumptuous volume of her work dating back to 1980, opening with some of her most recent works, executed entirely in graphite pencil and charcoal.
Death, voyeuristic indifference, and the abject horror of the human condition take center place in Laurie’s work, and each subject is approached with surgical accuracy though don’t expect her for a moment to pull any punches. You get the whole sordid image branded on your retinas.
If you’re unfamiliar with Laurie’s work or, indeed, her extraordinary life, Tony Thorne and Mike McGee will give you valuable insights through their interview and essay respectively, with the interview by Thorne a must for anyone who follows Lipton’s career.
Seam Stress - 1987 - Pencil on Pape
The Extraordinary Drawings of Laurie Lipton is a 96 page, hard cover with over 3 decades of drawings, published by beinArt Publishing and edited by Jon Beinart. Available from Last Gasp and BeinArt, but if you wanted to look around or order from another stockist, the ISBN is 978-0-9803231-2-2.
You can see more of Laurie’s work on her personal site – http://www.laurielipton.com
