Interview : Piero Macgowan     

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I.A. : Is it one of the goals of your artwork? Are there others?

P.M : Stories will always be an element I want to incorporate in my work. But other than this, I hope I can also have an important voice, not just produce pretty images. I feel like artists have an incredible influence on the way people understand each other. This is especially the case with commercial artwork and mass media such as film and animation. I want to be able to have a positive impact on people's way of thinking and communicating. I hope my images always reflect this ideal.

I.A. : Are you looking for a new artistic path?

P.M. : Always. Life would be boring if I didn't. I feel very excited to benefit from the avalanche of possibilities that digital tools are now able to bring, and even more excited by the fact that it will never stop changing. New and better software and hardware is constantly emerging, so I know that even if I try, it will be hard to stick to convention. It's thrilling to feel like the unexpected will always be around the corner.

I.A. : Who are the artists who have influenced you? How?

The list is too long, but to name just a few: Rembrandt, and his sublime use of light and presence; Goya, with his incredibly overwhelming, disturbing yet fascinating prints and paintings (especially his black paintings); N.C. Wyeth, with his exquisite and innovating use of color in illustrations, DaVinci's sketches and studies; figurative sculpture in general; Craig Mullins' command of digital tools; and finally Jon Foster's beautiful sensibility in composition.

I.A. : Who are the digital artists you think you're close to? In which way?

P.M. : I can't say I am close to anybody yet I look up to the digital artists I admire and hope someday I can achieve their level of skill. Maybe I can say I am drawn to atmosphere, strong light, and a sense of space. Craig Mullins has inspired me because of his incredibly realistic understanding of atmosphere; and Jon Foster because he is capable of mixing traditional and digital media seamlessly while keeping it incredibly rich. Others would be Hipper (I don't know his real name), who has a color sensibility that tops anybody in the field, and James Jean (although he is not entirely a digital artist), who is incredibly precocious and unique.

I.A. : Why do you think your artwork can indeed be classified as art?

Maybe because I am doing my best not to regurgitate artistic or commercial canons, and trying as best I can to be truthful to myself and to find a vocabulary without sticking to any particular style. The moment I become apathetic or sell out, I won’t be doing art anymore. But to have such freedom and integrity in one's work is a privilege these days. I just hope to do my best not to fall into the pit of "production line" work. I always want to feel that I am creating things honestly.

Links

Piero MacGowan's CG Galery Homepage

Piero Macgowan's Official Website