Artist Interview Throwback: Jason Gibilaro

We love to find out the process behind our artists and their work. Each creative process and background is different and similar all at the same time. We wanted to celebrate their creativity by interviewing them so you can find out all about them.

This week we’re throwing it back to a few months ago where we interviewed artist, Jason Gibilaro. His wide experience in the art world and use of storytelling finds an important place here at Studio 73. We have also left some artwork of his at the end of this blog post for you to view.

What type of artwork do you do?

I do prints and when I do, I try to work digitally so that they are not just reproductions. One painting I sold recently at the art car boot fair, I have made into a print now. I want it to be a more suitable layout. People can buy the frame for the size of the print instead of it being specially made. I try to think about that. I don’t want it to be a reproduction of the painting, I want it to be a print of its own right.

What inspires your art, your main focus?

In the past, I have always stuck with a theme however I am trying to break away from that a bit. What inspires more of my art are recent and not so recent memories, focusing on the blur of them. I try mixing it.

What influences your artwork?

With my most recent work, I like to be traditional and old school with contemporary images. I like to strike a balance.

What artists have influenced you?

In terms of classical, modern artists, I like Edvard Munch. He had a big retrospective at the time as Damien Hirst at The Tate. I saw things about his work that I wasn’t aware of when I saw his work at the Tate. He redid his
own paintings years later to try and recapture the spirit and ambience. It was an eye-opener for me. Sometimes when artists revisit their work, they can do a weaker illustration of their work.

Has there ever been a song or album that has
inspired your artwork?

I have been inspired by certain songs, especially more obscure ones. There’s a track by Gary Newman called In A Dark Place. One of my paintings is named after that but isn’t directly related to him. Sometimes I like painting with music but at the moment, I do my work when it’s quiet.

Recent artwork?

The starting point of these artworks is about Loughborough Estate around the corner here in Brixton. They were built in the late 1950’swith the vision of utopian Britain and a better Britain. The challenge was if that vision came through. What
would they think fifty years or more in the future or now? I called it the Utopia series. I’m playing around with that vision, thinking about the overall vision and how it’s become now.

Is there anything on your to-do list with art you want to
explore?

I’ve started the last four in the Utopian series and this will be the end game of the series. I have two large canvases on the go which will be the end of the next series and the end of a chapter. I don’t know what the next book will be.

How long have you been creating art?

Over the last twenty years. I have been quite consistent in the last ten years, more focused. The work I have done in the last ten years, I think, is still relevant to what I am doing now. Some of the earlier work is too but a bit more hit or miss.

Have you done any exhibitions?

I’m going to be at the Figurative Art Show next month (July) online. It’s organised by Mall Galleries. I’m going to be in the next Art Car Boot Fair in November but online.

What is your process?

I have low concentration. With this series, it’s almost like one piece. It’s a series I have been planning on doing for some time. I live around there so for me it was quite a challenge to try and look at something I see every day.

Do you use a lot of colour in your
artwork?

I am probably more of a tonal person but once I have the tone and composition sorted, I might add some colours in different areas. I have never been a drafts kind of person, I go backwards and forwards as it’s part of my creative process.

Favourite series of your artwork?

I have started four large canvases for the first time in a long time. It’s based on the smaller work I have been doing. I have a lot more focus on what I want to do with them. It’s great to have the opportunity to experiment with smaller work. You can take a lot more risks. If I was just doing large scale canvases, I would
just want to work in my comfort zone all the time.

Are you from Brixton?

I have lived here for most of my life but I was born in Hammersmith. My father worked abroad so I did live in other areas like the States.