A Conversation with Matthew Dunn
By Benjamin Davis Brockman, for The Fiddleback.
You can check out what Matthew does next, and
see his many online products and projects by following these links.
http://matthewdunnart.com/
http://www.redbubble.com/people/matthewdunnart
http://society6.com/matthewdunnart
Matthew Dunn took the
plunge into the world of full-time art 4 years ago. His lifelong passion for comics and
illustrations has led him to a prolific studio practice, and the creation of
graphic work for a broad range of outlets and applications. His work can be seen on t-shirts and posters
for a number of creative ventures, as well gallery walls. Throughout his work the central theme of the
gas mask, and the emergence of a shadowy masked figure named Leroy, hint at the
scope of a larger, unfolding narrative.
In an online web-comic series he publishes himself through his website,
Dunn has set the stage for the story of Leroy to come to life. Living
in Brunswick, Australia, with his wife and two cats, Matthew works from home,
producing ongoing web-comics, illustrations and designs.
I first discovered him
through his design work for the immaculate double LP Mankind (The Crafty Ape) by post-rock super group Crippled Black Phoenix. The bold graphic imagery that decorates that
record, is a perfect match for it’s content.
Mankind (The Crafty Ape) is a
dark, sprawling epic, and Dunn’s figures give color and shape to CPB’s three-act
concept album, as well as the band’s ongoing themes of hope amidst the
calamities of our time. It’s no secret
that the graphic novel is in its heyday – tackling adult themes and dark
subject matter in a domain once ruled by Archie and Jughead. Just as this medium grows rapidly in scope –
so does its role in a number of artistic venues outside the page and of gallery
walls.
Here, Dunn has worked
closely with CPB’s core member and founder, Justin Greaves, in a rich
collaborative expression across musical and visual media. He has provided work for posters, shirts and
the lavish packaging of their limited edition live L.P. Poznan 2011 A.D. Similar
collaborations of note might be what Gerald Scarfe did with Pink Floyd, or
Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlitt’s Gorillaz. But the result here is far less pointed,
allowing for the respective landscapes and soundscapes to hybridize, while
drawing subtly from either creative well. I caught up with him to chat about this
ongoing project and his many creative ventures.
BDB: How
did you become involved with Crippled Black Phoenix? How would you describe that working
relationship?
MD: I initially contacted them in relation to
doing a CBP themed exhibition. Shortly
after that Justin (Greaves) asked me to design a t-shirt for a tour they were
about to embark on, and everything just snowballed from there. That was around the end of 2010, since then
I've had the exhibition, designed a stack of t-shirts, tour posters, and did
all the art and design for 2 albums (with a 3rd currently in the works).
The working relationship with Justin is pretty
freewheeling. It generally involves late
night calls where we end up spending less time planning things than we do just
talking shit and having a laugh. Justin
and I operate in a lot of similar creative territories as far as themes go, so
everything happens quite naturally.
As far as the process goes, it varies with each
project. Sometimes it's just a case of me getting an email saying "We need
a poster for ....." and me then putting something together for them to
use. For the "(Mankind) The Crafty
Ape" album Justin sent me demos and notes on the songs and I worked up a
comic sequence for each track from that.
And for the recent CBP "Poznan Live 2011 A.D." album I worked
closely with Todd from Clearview Records.
The production values of the complete package grew beyond its initial
scope, which is quite rare and made it a very exciting experience.
BDB:
Using the word "commercial" in a very loose, relative way -
does working with other parties on commercial projects influence your creative
practice? In other words, do you see
design work and your personal work to be exclusive of each other in any way?
MD: I generally choose "commercial"
projects that are related in some capacity to the types of themes that I
explore in my own personal projects, so the divide between the two isn't so
great. Beyond that I'll generally choose
jobs that offer some creative challenge for me, be it in a design sense or just
tackling a subject that I wouldn't normally work on.
BDB: The gas mask may be the most prevalent motif
occurring in your work. What does this
represent to you symbolically, and what is its place in the overarching
narrative of your art?
MD: The short answer is simply that I like
drawing gas masks. The long answer is
that the different masks and animal heads that appear regularly in my work are
an ongoing experiment for me to find different ways to capture mood and emotion
without having the usual facial expressions to express it. The gas mask for me, when you first see it,
is soul-less and cold, but I find the more you stare at it the more it becomes
imbued with emotion.
For my character Leroy, who always wears a gas
mask, it's a way to hide from himself and the people around him.
My life-long love of comic books has also
played a big part in that obsession and fascination with masks.
BDB: In
your opinion, what is the current state of the graphic novel? Where do you see
this art form heading, and how is that different than the way it has functioned
historically?
MD: As far as creativity goes I think the
current era of comics is incredibly exciting and inspiring. The variety of titles available these days is
so wide ranging, and there are a range of avenues for publishing/distribution,
from the major publishers through to self-publishing. While super-heroes are still a very dominant
element of the comic world there are more and more titles being released that
reach far beyond that.
Thankfully the days of the popular "comics
are for kids" mindset, are mostly behind us, and the medium is given a lot
more respect as an art form than it has in the past.
BDB: Who
are your chief past and present influences? Who is working right now in music,
film or art or otherwise, that excites you?
MD: As far as visual art is concerned, Mike
Mignola and Dave McKean would be the 2 main artists who have had the longest
ongoing influence on my own work.
Mignola has a sense of mood and pacing in his comic work that is
unmatched, and his approach to the design and composition of comic pages and
covers is so unique. McKean's art has a
much more emotional and raw impact on me.
He has a wide range of styles and approaches, but when you see his work
you instantly recognize it as his own.
Beyond them I'm always inspired by the work of
George Pratt, John Paul Leon, Gary Gianni, Ashley Wood, Duncan Fegredo, Jock,
Kent Williams, Jason Shawn Alexander, Jeff Lemire, J.H. Williams, Henry Darger,
Charles Schulz, George Herriman, Bill Sienkiewicz, Baron Storey, and many more.
With music, there's CBP (obviously), Mark
Lanegan, Sigur Ros, Daniel Johnston, Johnny Cash, The Black Heart Procession,
Dirty Three, Silver Mt Zion, Tom Waits, The Flaming Lips, Mogwai, Bruce
Peninsula, and many more. I play music
constantly while I work, it can really help to get me in the right mood for
whatever it is I'm currently working on.
Films that I watch regularly include The Road,
The Devil's Rejects, Pan's Labyrinth, Dark Knight, The Devil And Daniel
Johnston, Where The Wild Things Are, There Are Many Of Us, In The Realms Of The
Unreal, and, again, many more. TV series
such as The Wire and Deadwood are also good sources of inspiration.
BDB: I
first discovered your work through the Crippled Black Phoenix facebook
page. What role does social media play
for you?
MD: Social media is a valuable tool in regards
to reaching people beyond those in your local area. It opens up a lot of doors in relation to
making connections and sharing your work with a much larger audience.
It can also be a bit of a trap that can steal
away a lot of time, so I find in that regard I have to schedule my online
activity to avoid getting too caught up in it all.
BDB:
What do you think of this quote from Alan Moore? "There's been a
growing dissatisfaction and distrust with the conventional publishing industry,
in that you tend to have a lot of formerly reputable imprints now owned by big
conglomerates. As a result, there's a growing number of professional writers
now going to small presses, self-publishing, or trying other kinds of [distribution]
strategies. The same is true of music and cinema. It seems that every movie is
a remake of something that was better when it was first released in a foreign
language, as a 1960s TV show, or even as a comic book. Now you've got theme
park rides as the source material of movies. The only things left are breakfast
cereal mascots. In our lifetime, we will see Johnny Depp playing Captain
Crunch."
MD: I think Moore's statement certainly has
relevance. There have been more big name
creators shifting over to creator-owned publishing avenues as it provides a lot
more freedom and ownership. But the line
between mainstream and small press seems a bit more blurry than usual, with
creators often working in both areas at the same time (that's nothing new, but
it does seem to be happening more these days, which is great).
For example, one of my favorite mainstream
comics at the moment is the DC title "Animal Man", written by Jeff
Lemire. Lemire has produced some of my
favorite comics in recent years (such as Sweet Tooth and the Essex County
Trilogy), and he's able to bring his unique non-mainstream voice over to a very
mainstream comic universe.
I think the advantage comics have over other
mediums is that you're able to take much bigger risks because you're not
dealing with a multi-million dollar budget.
So while the film industry may play it safe the comic industry can
experiment more, and as a result they're able to try more original things with
a greater sense of freedom.
BDB: You
are currently publishing a new page of your graphic novel every two weeks via
your website. What does the internet
mean for the future of comics?
MD: It
offers a wider range of options and control of your work. And with the popularity of the iPad and
similar devices the whole world of webcomics now has increased relevance. Some people seem to think that there can only
be printed or digital media, but I think each avenue offers different things
and both formats will remain relevant.
I've seen some fantastic digital comics, but at the same time nothing
will ever compare to the wonderful feeling of holding a physical book in your
hands.
The internet has also made the concept of crowd-source
funding more available, which makes self-publishing a much more realistic and
manageable option.
BDB: How
do you see the relationship between so-called "fine art" and
"graphic art?" In other words,
do you think there is a great distinction there? In what ways do you see that changing - - or
not?
MD: I don't think there's as clear a
distinction between such things these days.
The labeling of art is always a tricky territory to venture into, and is
something I tend to avoid for the most part.
Art is totally subjective, meaning different things to different people.
BDB:
What are you working on currently?
MD: I'm
currently preparing for a joint exhibition in September of this year (with a
fantastic Melbourne artist, Kaitlin Beckett), as well as 2 new comics (the
first of which should be available in August, and the second (featuring Leroy)
being released later in the year). I
also have a few collaborative projects at various stages of development, plus a
few more art books slowly coming together.
And, as always, there's always something CBP-related floating around on
my drawing table.
http://matthewdunnart.com/
http://www.redbubble.com/people/matthewdunnart
http://society6.com/matthewdunnart
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