Artist Proof Interview with Artist: Dick Cherry
Location: Los Angeles CA
URL: http://www.dickcherry.com
Shop: http://www.zazzle.com/dickcherry
Dickcherry, was born in Chicago, IL and moved to Los Angeles, CA in 2000. A club promoter and musician gave Dickcherry his first break doing a rock poster for a charity event at the Hard Rock cafe in Beverly Hills, CA. Since that first rock poster, Dickcherry has worked with many talented musicians creating Posters, CD covers, Bass Drum kit/stickers, Logos, and other propaganda. Dickcherry currently works as a graphic artist for Tinsley Studio on feature films & TV shows. As a conceptual artist, Dickcherry has worked with Gary Barth of Sony & Sony Playstation.
AP: How long have you been making art for and what lead you to start.
DC: I cannot recall a time in my life where I wasn’t drawing or creating art. As a young child, my Mom drew a bust of a different G.I Joe figure every morning on my bag lunch. They were really cool so I would save them and hang them in my room. When I asked how she did it, she would tell me to “draw what I see.” This was and still is great advice.
AP: Where do you currently live and work ω And how does this influence your work. Los Angeles has been my home for 12 years now.
DC: Custom culture and rock n roll thrives in California making it the perfect place for inspiration. Many of my favorite Low Brow artists and rockers live here. At any given moment, I can meet an artist and discuss their style or techniques. Or I can be hanging out at Space Land with a buddy and end up having cocktails with Lux Interior of The Cramps. This means anything can happen, and that drives me.
AP: Did you have formal training? If so, what or if your self taught can you tell us what you prefer about being a self taught artist vs having formal training.
DC: I went to the Academy of Art for a couple of years in Chicago. This helped me fine tune the extremely important fundamentals I believe any artist should know. After I left school, I continued to study on my own & research artists that inspired me. I taught myself Photoshop and picked up some pointers from talented friends along the way. I believe in a healthy balance between a structured education and the ability to learn whatever the hell you want.
AP: Can you tell us about where you make your work is it in your house, a studio etc.. and how it effects you work.
DC: I have set up shop in my home. The wife and I enjoy having a studio space as opposed to a formal dining room. It can be limiting due to space, but we seem to make it work. My wife organized my studio space so we can easily utilize different setups & transform it for my digital work to a painting space for large & small pieces. I find that I am more organized & spend less time looking for crap & more time actually being productive. I can not work in a cluttered studio space.
AP: What are some of you favorite design projects/exhibitions you have worked on to date.
DC: At the beginning of the year I was fortunate enough to have a piece hanging in Gasoline in El Segundo CA. This was an amazing experience as my work was hanging with guys I have been a fan of for years. I have also contributed to a few charity auctions this year and was able to help a children’s hospital raise some money!! Working at Tinsley Studio has allowed me opportunities I never dreamed of. I recently worked on Pixars John Carter of Mars and The Hangover Part II. The Mike Tyson tattoo I had to re-create caused quite a stir & made me chuckle.
AP: What is your medium of choice.
DC: I love my tablet/photoshop, bold/bright colored acrylic paints and rock n roll.
AP: What is the relationship between technique and content in your work.
DC: Technique and content are on a break. I think they are seeing other people.
AP: In what direction would you like to see your work going over the next five years.
DC: Five years! Couldn’t tell ya. I do know, I want to continue to challenge myself, drive my wife nuts with hours of discussion about my next piece & always learn from other artists. I can’t wait to see what the result will be in five years. Let ya know when I get there!!
AP: What forth coming projects and or exhibitions do you have scheduled for 2011.
DC: Professionally, there is no telling what will come down the pipe….nor could I discuss it due to the three inch think Studio NDAs. Personally, I am working on new paintings and illustrations that will make their way into the public eye one way or another.
AP: Take us on a guided tour through a day in your life as an artist.
DC: Wake up, kiss the wife, feed and walk the dog, an average of 12 hours painting/drawing, learn something new, feed and walk the dog, kiss the wife, crash.
AP: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions.
