Juxtapoz Art and Culture-Spring_2019

76 SPRING 2019

in life. I’ve done a gun shop, and the sex shop, of
course, but it’s always the foodld that provokes
the most reaction, the most happiness. You pick
up a product, and you’re like, “Oh god, this is what
my Mum used to make me; and you’re instantly
12 years old after school, and your Mum’s making
you pasta. It such a strong emotion, and if art can
produce that, then hopefully, I’ve done my job in
the best possible way. I hope that’s what I achieve.

There is that beauty to your art, that its
familiarity encourages thought about color,
touch and emotion in a welcoming way.
I remember going to galleries when I was really
struggling. I was making stuff, but it was falling on
deaf ears. I’d go round to galleries and cold call, but
get laughed out the building and it was just crushing.
Because you know, there’s not a lesser meaning
to this. It’s not a crime for something to elicit an
emotional response. Sometimes I think the art world
defines itself as only one thing or another, trivial or
high end, where you’re not allowed to understand it
unless you’ve been to university, you know?

I have a vision of this joyous process as you
come up with ideas that you execute with a
bunch of friends.

My assistant and I will cut everything out, and

I employ seven ladies from my village. It’s tiny

here, like one shop. But I like it that way. I’m quite

reclusive. I have one assistant here, and my friend

Gemma comes up. Were all kind of misfits, and

there are a lot of cats everywhere. We listen to

true crime, and yeah, we’re all a bit weird. When

anyone joins the company, I say, “You have to wear

pajamas to work. And everyone does.”

Yes, but you’re going to have to leave your village

in awhile for your trip to China!

So I’m doing a fake museum! It’s like the history

of art in felt. There’s this non-profit museum in

Beijing called M Woods, and we’ve been in talks

for a year. I thought I could do a big Chinese

supermarket, but then thought I’d like to branch

out a little more. So I’m making all these famous

artworks: Van Gogh, Botticelli, Michelangelo,

Lichtenstein, Mondrian, Monet, Koons and today

I worked on Barbara Kruger.

As with your products, will you be working in

real scale?

Yes, 77 replicas of the art set to open June 1 and

tour six different cities in China. The Kruger is

284 by 284 centimeters. [Editor’s note for the US

reader: That is over nine feet.]

Aren’t you freaking out about getting this done?

I’m terrified, but I made Sparrow Mart in six months.

The Barbara Kruger was made in two days, so I do

work quickly. There are about three months to do

the flat work and two months to do the sculptures.

It’s going to be really tight and I’m flying by the seat

of my pants. I honestly didn’t think I had the balls to

do the Masters, but actually it hasn’t been too bad.

They could end up looking awful, but maybe I’ll get

away with it! I’ve sort of done fake art before.

"I’m doing a

fake museum!

It’s like the

history of art

in felt."

Above: Felt version of Hokusai’s The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, 14.9” x 10.1”, 2019