SKIN DEEP MAGAZINE • 19For pop artist Sebastian Burdon, work is all about having fun. Creating
art that makes him laugh, that brings his viewers joy. And it’s worked
so well that people have been rushing out to have his pooping
balloon dogs tattooed on their skin. Yup. Pooping balloon dogs“I
’m used to people buying my art”, Burdon laughs,
“but it is a strange thing to see. The first time I saw
it, I was thinking ‘What have you done?! Why?’
But at the same time it’s very flattering that some-
one would take my work— one of my designs—and put it
on their skin for life. It’s a huge compliment and I appreci-
ate that. Plus, it gives me a bit of pressure. A lot of people
have tattoos of bands that turn out to be one-hit-wonders...
so I have to live up to expectations. I have to keep on going.
Carry on with my designs and not be that one-hit wonder
that people will be embarrassed about later!”Communism & Cartoons
Born in Poland, Burdon grew up in that post-Communist
era, where it “was a bit rough and at the same time so
interesting, because there was this new wave coming in
from the West.” That wave included the Cartoon Network
which furnished him with enough English to surprise
his teachers. “Back then it wasn’t even translated, but I
watched it for hour after hour. Hanna-Barbera, the Flint-
stones, the Jetsons, Scooby-Doo—for hours and hours!
And somehow I got quite good at English just watching
those cartoons... so I owe this huge debt to Hanna-Bar-
bera. Then, in ’97, I came to London for the first time on
a school trip. I was here for two weeks and I loved it so
much that when I came back I was telling everyone that
I was moving to London. This was was before Poland had
joined the European Union and everyone was was going
‘Yeah, yeah, keep talking!’ But sure enough, fast forwardnine years, and here I am!”
A well-honed artistic
streak and a propensity for
“tinkering ” turned itself
into a full-blown career in
3D graphics. While he had
hoped to work on film FX,
Burdon eventually found
himself freelancing on eve-
rything from architectural
modelling, to animation,
and oh, those big Coca-Co-
la adverts in Piccadilly Cir-
cus. His skills also found
him a niche with established artists who were looking to
produce 3D merch. but didn’t have the skills. It was an
experience that gave him “a good dose of mentoring. I’d
pitch ideas at them and they’d tell me what would work
and what wouldn’t work. At the same time, I was getting a
sneak a peek behind the curtain at how the art world was.
And eventually, they said I should stop asking questions
and do my own work. So I did!”
Burdon makes as much of his art as he can by himself,
starting with 3D images of his ideas which he publishes to
test the market. Next, comes the job of creating the proto-
type—using 3D printers or resin casts.
Kinaesthetics is an important part of the mix. Burdon
was always one of those kids who would pick up the toys
in the toy shop, judging their value by how they felt in the Word
s:^
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