1xRun: Tell us a little bit about this piece.
Dale Grimshaw: I initially did a big wall piece of this particular composition. I used to paint a lot of fairground scenes when I was younger so the Disney Amusement rides seemed a natural way to go. Given what they represent, they were quite appropriate for my ‘2 Worlds’ theme. A lot of works for the ‘2 Worlds’ theme have been sold now to private collectors but Disney’s World is still available.
1xRun: Can you tell us a bit more about the theme this piece is a part of?
Dale Grimshaw: It’s part of my ‘2 Worlds’ theme which I’ve been based a good few street pieces, murals, and live paint events on over the last year or so. The ‘2 Worlds’ theme portrays figures from Indonesian or African tribes, in ceremonial dress, placed in alien settings, such as Western cityscapes or amusement parks. The juxtaposition of these elements is intended to emphasize the gap between these worlds. I am keen to portray the strength and beauty of the tribal people and their traditional make-up and decorative elements, set against more mundane or bleak images of Western society. In this work I pose the question of how we measure the quality of our existence in a world full of cultural and financial differences. The age-old, spiritual, tribal, and organic meets the corporate monsters of the West (such as Disney) in a riot of color and intensity, but behind all these visual games is the frightening reality that dominant cultures are encroaching on every corner of the world, causing ecological and environmental vandalism.
1xRun: When was the piece created?
Dale Grimshaw: It was finished about November 2013 but it’s been wrapped up in my studio as I’ve been busy working on other pieces for shows and doing outside stuff too.
1xRun: How long did the piece take?
Dale Grimshaw: It took about a 2 weeks to complete – I don’t work constantly on one piece. Often towards the end of a painting I will cover it for a few days and then come back and look at them fresh. Sometimes I will look at it in the mirror so I can see if the overall balance of a picture is working.
1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
Dale Grimshaw: I made the piece so that if you squint your eyes and look at the piece the horizon line follows on through the face of the figure and the eyes appear to stare out at you from mid air. It gives the figure a ghostly/translucent feel. The original mural that this painting was based really received a lot of attention over the net. Sometimes an artist will strike lucky and produce a piece and it will just to go Boom! It will instantly communicate, get shared, and quickly spread over the net – this was one of those kind of pieces for me.
1xRun: Why should people buy this piece?
Dale Grimshaw: It’s based on a very strong composition that not only is original in style and content, it’s also playful yet dynamic. The figure still has a strong emotional presence.
1xRun: Describe the piece in one gut reaction word.
Dale Grimshaw: Whoa!
1xRun: What was your first piece?
Dale Grimshaw: I first started making art when I was about 12. I was either drawing or painting with oils in my bedroom or writing my name on the backs of seat buses in my hometown. Both excited me.
1xRun: What artists inspired you early on?
Dale Grimshaw: Images from history books, punk record covers – Jamie Reid, John Heartfield, then later Peter Howson, Lucian Freud, Jenny Saville.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why?
Dale Grimshaw: Probably Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin so I could punch them on the nose!
1xRun: What artists inspire you now?
Dale Grimshaw: I still really love Jenny Saville’s powerful work. There are painters like Justin Mortimer and Adrian Ghenie that are doing some really good stuff.
1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work?
Dale Grimshaw: I always listen to music, it stops my mind from wandering too far. Punk, metal, drum ‘n’ bass, pop & classical.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any deceased artists who would it be and why?
Dale Grimshaw: Lucian Freud – would love to see him paint in that chunky, impasto way… then I could had some bits in to the mix.
1xRun: What was the last piece of art that you bought?
Dale Grimshaw: I know a lot of artists so I tend to do swaps. I have pieces by Swoon, C215, Guy Denning etc. The last piece I paid decent money for was a Peter Howson piece in Glasgow.
1xRun: Any big shows or events coming up that you’d like to share?
Dale Grimshaw: I’ll be painting at Birmingham’s ‘City of Colours’ event in September and Latitude Festival in July.
1xRun: Where else can people find you?
Dale Grimshaw: Website – Facebook
-1xRUN