• Ice Cream and Inspiration – Zolton Zavos

    Date posted: July 1, 2006 Author: jolanta
    Zolton Zavos: When did you decide that yours would always be a creative path?

    Gary Taxali: In high school, I took a night class at the local art school and there I discovered that I really wanted to draw pictures professionally.

    Ice Cream and Inspiration

    Zolton Zavos

    Gary Taxali, courtesy of artist

    Gary Taxali, courtesy of artist

    Zolton Zavos: When did you decide that yours would always be a creative path?

    Gary Taxali: In high school, I took a night class at the local art school and there I discovered that I really wanted to draw pictures professionally.  But, when I was four, my kindergarten teacher wrote that my favorite activity was when he would read a story aloud to the class and I would go off to the corner by myself and illustrate it.  So the real answer is when I was 4 years old.

    ZZ: Did you study art at university and, if so, what impact did that have on shaping your distinctive style?

    GT: Yes, I studied at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto, Canada.  It had a great impact in that I was fortunate to attend school with some very talented students.  My friends were very inspiring.  I also had a great instructor named Jerzy Kolacz who taught me to cultivate concepts and not just make pretty pictures.

    ZZ: Who were some of the artists you admired when: a) you were first starting off, and b) now?

    GT: I liked the work of Maurice Sendak, Dr. Seuss, Richard McGuire, Bill Elder and Jackson Pollack.  Now I like Michael Comeau, Yoshitomo Nara, Barry McGee, Leah Hayes, Team Macho, Takashi Murakami, Momoyo Torimitsu.

    ZZ: From where do your creations come, what inspires them?

    GT: I like package design and typography.  I also like old, aged textbooks and antiquated surfaces and graffiti.

    ZZ: What’s one day in history you wish you could travel back to?

    GT: 1969, so I could see the MC5 at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, MI.

    ZZ: When are you at your happiest?

    GT: When someone hands me an ice cream cone.

    ZZ: What’s the process behind creating a piece of art–habits/tools?

    GT: Spontaneity.  Trying to shake it up and not get too repetitive about past processes.  I like to experiment with mixed media, turn up the music and have some fun.

    ZZ: What’s the most satisfying part of the process for you?

    GT: Doing something by surprise and being happy with it.

    ZZ: Away from art, is there one staple dish you can cook better than anyone?

    GT: Basil chicken.

    ZZ: What’s coming up next for you?

    GT: Fall 2006, solo show at La Luz de Jesus Gallery. More toys, morebooks, and more and more picture making!

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