Interviews

MN: I was happy to get to your art opening at Hurley earlier this year. The massive scale on that main piece was awesome and I liked how you allowed buyers to chose their own section of the painting to have cut out on the spot. How was that whole experience?

JM. the experience was cool... Just what I was hoping for ..which was to get people to create their own compositions from the existing painting.. Everyone is drawn to different things.. It was an experiment to look at my own work through others eyes as a way to engage my own work from an outside perspective .

MN: As a graphic designer, my brain tries to register the artwork as done in Illustrator with even lines and all. It's then really interesting to walk up close and see the textures and imperfections. Is that duality effect intentional?

JM: Originally I was trying to get the paintings as perfect as an illustrator file.. Super flat.. Super clean.. People had a hard time accepting that they were paintings.. They would bug out on it.. Think it was digital.. So I actually started painting a little more loosely .. Which of course may seem to be a joke.. But it really was a step backwards from the hyper clean in order to relay its painted nature a little better when you get up on it.. But its not intentional as far as trying to make some statement about analog v digital or perfectionism v defectionism .. Duality is the nature of all things.. Intended or unintended we cant escape it.

MN: Main differences creating art, and living in general, being in Raleigh vs Brooklyn?

JM: The only differences I'd say that might exist in creating art would be less distractions and the energy , its much mellower here.. More relaxed ..i think it allows me to think clearer .. And that really translates into living down here as well... Its super chill.. Lots of nature.. Good weather.. The lifestyle here is more my speed ..reminds me a lot of California in many ways.

MN: Who would you like to collaborate with on a project and what would that look like? Dead or alive. Fully grant-funded, no budget limit.

JM: That's a hard call...  Walt Disney would be great... I'd love to see what that looked like.. Take the space monkey idea mixed in with the new work and expand it into a full blown adventure ala fantasia on acid.

MN: Nice. I would be there opening day for sure. At what level are each of your two boys engaging in the creative arts? Do they influence your work at all?

JM: I look forward to seeing you there then...  Little James is definitely moving along in the drawing and painting dept.  Just sort of doing his own things.. Battle scenes.. Animal rescues.. Superheros.. Snakes. All the good stuff. He's got a pretty developed sense of color ..which I'm sure the 144 color tria market set I gave him might be influencing just a bit.. But he's definitely into it.. Shannon is starting to draw more and more..  But we'll see.. You never know how it'll all take shape and play out.. He's still pretty young. It doesn't particularly influence my work right now.. I always wonder at some point if it will.. I really love little James's drawings..so maybe on some level there is some influence.. We'll see as it goes along..

MN: The days of working together at Duffs in the mid-nineties was certainly fun and loose to say the least. And the space monkeys seemed to infiltrate into the marketing at times. Any random good memory from those days that can still make you laugh?

JM: Those years were fun and loose for sure.. Non stop hijinx around every corner.. You definitely were pushing some spacemonkeys on people.. Wouldn't have met Shepard Fairey or Rich Jacobs or a lot of those guys without your support..  A lot of people remember the characters from the duffs ads.. I heard about that for years.. I don't think I saved any of them though.. Ken Lewis has an old skate deck design that I did for his shop in those years.. It was funny to see that.. As for random good memories.. Jeez..i could write a book I think.. Secretly building the mini ramp in the warehouse with Gombos that one weekend using the corporate card..that was a good one.. Going to Biarritz with you, Markovich and Fonseca.. That was a good trip. Chi-ali .. The Duffs tour... Trade shows.. Every day was a good day..

MN: Some classic stuff. Pretty much just a giant bowl of good times with total creative freedom and few rules. Ok, back to 2011 for the last question - next upcoming show?

JM: Right now the next show/project is slated for June at the University of Alabama Birmingham , then..i think a show in Toronto in July.. And then at Hurley at the end of July/early August at the H-Space gallery..thats about all I can think of for now.. I'm sure I'm missing something..or a few things..

MN: Nice lineup - send more details to share as things unfold. Keep rocking brother and thanks for taking the time.

JM: Yes sir my brother... Will keep you updated and elated . .. Always got time for you.

Check out Dalek's work: www.dalekart.com