We weren’t all too familiar with Jeremy Geddes’ work when we planned our coverage of the HK Venture show where Ashley Wood was the main draw for us. Seeing Geddes’ amazing visuals was definitely an eye-opener for us, so much so that we dedicated another article focusing in on his “cosmonaut” series of paintings.
We caught up recently with the Melbourne-based artist for a question and answer session to learn more about him and his work. Full interview after the jump…
Arrested Motion (AM): Tell us a little about yourself, your art, and your background?
Jeremy Geddes (JG): I’m a painter working in Melbourne, Australia. I’m been painting full-time for about 6 or 7 years, before that I worked in video game development.
AM: Can you tell us a little about your recent of “Cosmonaut” paintings. What prompted you to work on this series of similarly themed pieces?
JG: I wanted to construct my own reality through my paintings, a quiet melancholic space that operates by it’s own set of underlying rules and runs it’s own oblique narrative. With each successive painting, I try to build the world and uncover it’s form. The cosmonaut paintings are the first step in this.
AM: We loved the works you had for your recent show in Hong Kong. Have you been through the gallery circuit or have you mainly done illustration, commissions, and worked on comics? Ever have any thoughts about making the transition like others have before – James Jean, Eric Fortune, etc…
JG: I stopped doing illustrative work a few years ago, but I so far haven’t felt the need to attach myself to a specific gallery. I either sell my work through the internet or participate in artist runs shows such as the one in Hong Kong. I won’t necessarily continue like this forever, but right now I’m very happy with the space we’re carving out.
AM: Please tell us a little about your creative process.
JG: It’s always hard for me to articulate, but it usually involves getting a specific image stuck in my head which bounces around for a while before I try to translate it into a painting. I plan out my paintings in a lot of detail before I start, because my paintings can take a while so I prefer to make my mistakes in small studies.
AM: Your work has been described as photorealistic and has tremendous amount of detail; do you use photo references and how long does it take to complete a painting?
JG: I honestly don’t see them as “photorealsitic,” I suspect that has a bit to do with reducing the image into a small resolution digital file. I see myself as attempting to follow in the path of the Academic painters of the 19th century. I use reference where I need it, I just always try to go beyond it. Paintings can take many months to complete, I’m always trying to make my technique more efficient, to increase my production rate.
AM: Some of the characters in your paintings are in some volatile situations where there are obviously some pretty raw emotion on display. What is it about this darker side of the human condition that interests you?
JG: I have no idea. I just try to create image that speak to me, and I have to hope that they speak to others as well.
AM: Do you have any future projects or shows you can share with us for the rest of 2010?
JG: I have another show with Ash and 3A in Hong Kong in November, and there are other plans in the works including hopefully a book. We’ll see.
Discuss Jeremy Geddes here.
