C3 Debuts With The Letter Pressed Wall of Sleep

1xRUN Thru Interview
Wall of Sleep by C3

1xRUN: Tell us a bit about this this piece, was it part of a series of work you had in a recent show?
C3: It was part of a show at White Walls, in their project room last May. The series was entitled “Before the Sun Dies” Part II Kingdom of Night. It was part two of a trilogy series I started a few years ago. The show was based on this idea of a man whom had been sleeping for ages but then suddenly awakens.  In this piece you can see him still sleeping while two masked figures wait for him to wake up. The masked figures represent keys, or some sort of gate keepers that hold the ability to awaken this sleeping man.

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1xRUN: When was this piece created and with what materials?
C3:  This piece was drawn over the course of a year, year and a half (2011 to 2013). From the ideas conception to the completion of the drawing I would say it took around 5 years or so. I didn’t start the drawing until I felt confident that I could pull it off.  The original was done in graphite. I used a 0.3mm lead along with a 6b pure graphite pencil, kneaded erasure, 0.5mm 2b lead, and Arches hot press paper.

Photo by Shaun Roberts - http://www.shaunroberts.net/

1xRUN: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
C3: Well, the concept first came about because I was toying around with the idea of dreams and/or dreams that there was no awakening from. That led to the idea of life as a dream and the questioning of true reality. After that I started relating it to both the stories of Christ and the Buddha, but since my world is a sort of fairytale western horror it took form the way it did. Once I had the idea and image in mind I got some friends together, rented a car and drove out around Santa Rose, CA. Originally I was going to take a picture near a huge tree somewhere but lucked out and found this great abandoned house. It proved to be the best spot we could have found.

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1xRUN: What is unique about this piece and
C3: For me this piece is extremely unique in that I have never spent that long on anything in my life. It was a huge challenge and a couple of times I didn’t actually think I was going to pull it off. It was a test of patience and skill that in the end was worth it but not without some sacrifice.

1xRun: Why should people buy the print?
C3:
I hope people buy the print because it speaks to them on some level or they’re just drawn to it somehow. I really think it’s worthwhile because so much time was spent on the original and now it’s being reproduced so others can enjoy it as well. I intended for the drawing to be released as a print from the beginning so in a lot of ways this is the final resolution of an idea.

1xRUN: Describe this print in one gut reaction word.
C3: Sleep.

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1xRUN: When did you first start making art and what was your first piece?
C3: I was into drawing when I was very young, 7 or 8. I wouldn’t call what I made then art however. I didn’t start taking it seriously until around the end of high school. I consider my first piece to be this painting I did in high school. It was the first painting I ever did and it still relates to what I am working on today.

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1xRUN: What artists inspired you early on and who inspires you now?
C3: Francis Bacon, Dali, Gerhard Richter, Chuck Close, Kiki Smith, and Joseph Beuys to name a few. However my main inspiration comes from movies, comics, and music. I love horror movies and westerns however, The Wizard of OZ is by far my greatest inspiration. In some ways I consider it a horror film. At the moment I’m really into Michael Borremans, Beksinski, Antonio Lopez Garcia, and John Kenn Mortensen.  However there are a lot of artist I see online that inspire me on a day to day basis.

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1xRUN: Do you listen to music while you work?
C3: I don’t listen to music as much as I used to. I usually just put on a horror film or a show just to have something going on in the background.  Music will always be a huge means of inspiration to me. Death in June, Joy Division, Carter Family, Coil and Swans are a few of my favorites. Sometimes I prefer to just work on my art in silence as well.

1xRUN: If you could collaborate with any artist, living  and deceased, who would it be and why?
C3: I’m currently collaborating with my friend’s band Veil. I’m also working with my friend and fellow artist Chris Conroy. These are the people I would want to work with the most if I had to choose. So I guess in that way I’m very lucky. As far as deceased artists go, it would probably be Henry Darger. Mostly because he was one of those mystery artists that no one had a chance to know when he was alive.

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1xRUN: What was the first piece of art that you bought?  Do you still have it?  The last?
C3: The first piece of art I bought was a sculpture of a demon smiling while holding a human skull. My mom had taken me to an art fair in San Diego and said I could buy one thing for around twenty bucks. Most things there were tame and kitschy, but this one guy happened to have a demon sculpture that I thought was awesome. Looking back I think I just liked it because it was the only thing that stood out there. And yes, I still have it. The last piece of art I bought was from my girlfriend, Whitney Jade Fairhurst. It’s a drawing she did of one of her androgynous characters. I love it because it’s got these hands floating at the bottom of the page that just give it an eerie quality.

Shaun Roberts - http://www.shaunroberts.net/

1xRUN: Any shows or events coming up ?
C3: I’m part of a group show in Marfa, TX at the moment. The show is “Heterotopia”, curated by Crystal Audrey Malinda Nelson. It will be a group of artist shown throughout the town. It goes till November 2nd. I’m also going to be part of a group show in December at Last Rites Gallery. This show is being curated by Michael Mararian and it’s got some great artists involved.

1xRUN: Where else can people find you?
C3: WebsiteFacebook

-1xRUN

Additional photos provided by Shaun Roberts –  http://www.shaunroberts.net/