1xRUN Thru Interview
Sphinx by Kid Acne
1xRun: Tell us a little bit about this piece?
Kid Acne: This piece is my interpretation of what an ancient ‘Stabby Woman’ Sphinx might look like. This particular design is inspired by the Babylonian Sphinx although I made the character female, as I’m interested in the idea of ancient Matriarchal societies from pre-history. The original drawing is a simple sketch, which I output over twice the size in order to create the edition. I like working with small illustrations in this way. Somehow, making them bigger irons out the imperfections and creates a nice line quality. It gives the image impact and authority whilst retaining the immediacy of the initial idea.
1xRun: Is this piece part of a recent theme, series or show that you had?
Kid Acne: The theme is ongoing. I’m interested in lost civilizations and forgotten knowledge. I’m particularly inspired by the writings and theories of people such Graham Hancock, Robert Bauval and John Anthony West. This image also exists as a limited edition T-shirt from my current exhibition “THE RETURN” at Galo Art Gallery in Italy.
1xRUN: What materials were used to draw this piece?
Kid Acne: Pilot G-1 0.5 pen onto regular 80gsm photocopy paper.
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Kid Acne: Everything I do starts with a sketch and if I’m lucky, that initial sketch is basically the final piece. This is one of those instances where less is more and it just seemed to work for whatever reason. I like the square format and the simplicity of it.
1xRun: How long did the piece take?
Kid Acne: 5 minutes to draw in 2014 and 35 years to develop the style and come up with the idea.
1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
Kid Acne: I made the entire edition myself. From coating and exposing the screens, tearing the paper to size, to printing, signing, numbering and embossing the prints. These are 100% authentic Kid Acne prints.
1xRun: Why do you feel people should buy this print?
Kid Acne: If the image resonates with you on some level, I would be very happy if you bought it.
1xRun: Describe the print in one gut reaction word.
Kid Acne: Raw.
1xRun: You’re constantly traveling, where have you been heading to and from recently and what have you been doing?
Kid Acne: I just got back from Italy, setting up my solo show, which runs until July 5th. I’ve been in London a lot recently, painting some commissions and working on a series of animations. I’m currently making plans to visit America and Africa too.
1xRun: Aside from travel what has been on your schedule?
Kid Acne: To be honest, mainly printing. We set up our own studio in recent times and I’ve been enjoying experimenting indoors as oppose to painting outside. I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with Street Art, so it tends to go in phases for me. I’m sure before too long I’ll get fed up in the studio and venture outdoors and paint some murals.
1xRun: What kind of music have you been into lately?
Kid Acne: I’ve been listening to a lot of UK music of late. One band that’s really blowing up over here is SLEAFORD MODS. You should check their back catalogue too. They’ve been around for a while and are always on point, but the latest album is getting them a lot of attention right now and rightly so. Well worth tracking down.
1xRun: What was the last piece of art that you bought?
Kid Acne: I haven’t bought too much art these days. I mainly buy DIY books and fanzines. I’ve got a whole bunch of them from over the years, although I wouldn’t really call it a collection. The latest one is ‘3 Letters’ by EGS in Helsinki.
1xRun: Do you have any upcoming shows or events coming up that you want us to highlight?
Kid Acne: The next show I have scheduled is in Copenhagen this Autumn. The entire show will be screen prints made by me, so I’m excited about that. I’ve done a couple of prints shows this year already and I really enjoy them. There seems to be a real resurgence in printmaking right now, with people actually engaging with the process, which I think is really positive.
1xRun: Where else can people find you?
Kid Acne: Website – Facebook – Tumblr – Twitter @Kid_Acne
-1xRUN