ARTIST Q&A : GLAMNATION
Our most recent artist collaboration for February 2012 was with our buddy and fellow Mishka collaborator Glamnation. T&B's very own Star Eyes reached out to Dennis Chow a.k.a. Glamnation, asking him to design her a new logo, which quickly became part of the Star Eyes branding and the shirt you see before you. Check it out HERE!
Also read up on Glamnation in his feature on TheTouristZine.com and go follow him on Twitter / Tumblr.
How/when did you first get involved with trouble and bass? any funny stories or reasons they got in touch with you.
I am familiar with the Trouble and Bass crew through my close relationship with Mishka NYC, I was instantly impressed with their unique cult following, their striking imagery and of course their HEAVY BASS.
What's the story behind your work with Vivian? Tell us about the process of your piece?
Vivian had seen some of my past work and contacted me collaborate with her on a creative project, so naturally I was pretty stoked. Usually my process is pretty standard where I collect points of inspiration, sketch out some concepts and then implement final execution.
Do you have any inspiration for your own work/or this piece?
The Star Eyes imagery was developed on a collaborative effort that took on visual cues borrowing from a lot of things that Vivian was influenced by. Some of these things range from throwback rave flyers, West Coast Chicano art, first wave goth, outsider typography and occult symbolism. All really amazing references for me to go on.
If you're familiar with Trouble & Bass previously, or currently, what are some of your favorite T&B releases?
I'm definitely into Star Eye's no nonsense approach to what I call 'Nouveau-Batcave-Wave'.
What T&B artist(s) do you most relate with?
Other than Vivian's music, I'm also digging Drop The Lime and his uncanny style of music – I really enjoyed his Rockabilly mixtape. The visual identity of T&B is also something I admire very much, it's all closely in tune with the same things I draw inspiration from.
Where do you draw inspiration from? sites, books, etc.
Generally I am inspired by anything occult related, horror, obscure 80's pop culture, comic books, vintage porn, tabloids, silent films– the list goes on.
What projects do you have coming up?
Currently I'm working on drawing some comics, and I plan to make more zines. Generally scheming of more ways to annoy and disgust people as well as make them laugh.
What are some of your favorite projects you've worked on?
Recently I was asked to design a mini golf course for Bright Trade Show in Berlin and it was super fun. I got to step out of my element a bit, bringing some of my odd sensibilities to life. As well, I have continued to complete some really rad projects with Mishka NYC, I can't exaclty say what, but it's something to look out for.
Do you prefer/how often do you work on projects that are music related?
Music related projects are usually the ones I enjoy most, I truly feel like album cover art and the craft of developing visual imagery for bands and artists is a dying art. Being a huge fan of music, I'm dedicated to giving back somehow – this is my way of doing it.