1. You mentioned that your main inspiration is the gay pornographic films produced in the 1970’s. What are the qualities in those movies that inspired you? Did elements such as the relatively simple, un-polished production, or the blurry VHS image quality factor in?
I found those movies by chance while researching for the reproduction of the human figure in my paintings (before I was more into daily objects and landscapes). So, I started to look for a source and eventually started to use porn images. I used them for a while, but I wasn’t satisfied with the results, so I felt the need to look for other sources. This was when I encountered some 70’s gay porn magazines with such beautiful images that I immediately knew that was a better option. Still, it was rather limited – all the poses and settings were very much the same. But one day, I realized some of the images were actually from photoshoots taken on movie sets and that’s how I started to search for the movies themselves. It was then that an endless world of possibilities opened for me. Suddenly, not only did I have amazing images to work with but also the ability to freeze the video whenever I want, thus getting different “views” of the same situation. Of course, as you mention, their blurry quality is something that interested me from the start – as if somehow, I can complete their blurriness in the painting – I’ve always liked images that do not show everything.
2.Many believe your works are an attempt to redefine key concepts such as “gay” or “manhood”. What is your take on the matter? What do you believe that you’re ultimately expressing?
I suppose that I want to express my own experience, sexuality and desire. Ultimately, I’m just learning how to paint while enjoying myself with it.
3. The movie landscape has seen huge shifts since the 1970’s. The production of pornographic films has become much more commercialized, and the gay community is now more openly represented and accepted in both porn and mainstream films. What do you think about the changes?
I think a lot has changed regarding the porn movie industry since the 70’s, in my view, the most important being the collective aspect of its consumption. Those early movies were made to premier at theatres, and you would watch them surrounded by your community. In a time when gay representation was so scarce, that must have been quite special. And, of course, this was all before the HIV pandemic put terms to this kind of innocent gay male representation. Now, most porn movies are made for individual consumption and pretty much stripped of the beauty present in those early ones. That makes it hard for me to use them, with some exceptions. But gladly, we now have representation outside the porn industry, and this is a great thing.
4. Do these changes inform your work? Have you considered taking inspiration from other types of materials and media?
I have, yes. As I said, I found those images to be a great source for my work – but I always use them as a starting point. Often, in the course of painting, everything changes to the point where it is no longer recognizable which image was used. I always go back to those films because they give me ideas. But ultimately, what I’m looking for in them is a way to materialize images that I have in my head but can’t quite see the shape yet. Many times, I feel the need to complete the information I get from the pictures I’m working with, and that is when I’ll take photos myself to work on the composition.
5. Most of the paintings in your upcoming exhibition display blurred and murky imagery: the faces are bland and without features, the motions are suggestive, and most of the large patches contain muddy, dark colors. How did you come to such unique aesthetics?
I find it very hard to capture face features. A single brush stroke in the wrong place can significantly alter the expression of a face. And so far, I haven’t invested enough in trying since suggesting a face with none or few features can give space for any character to become. They could be anyone. And the same goes for suggesting the motions. I like to keep things open and think this to be an effective way of doing so. Nevertheless, I admire artists who can paint faces and keep a mystery around their figures. I hope to do it someday.
6.What mood or atmosphere do you try to convey with such a visual style? And are these expressions mostly inspired by external factors or internal sentiments?
I’m not sure what I’m looking to achieve with the paintings, and that is something I enjoy about painting. Whenever I have a clear image of what the painting will look like beforehand, it ruins the surprise and flattens my interest in finishing it. I always have to be available for the painting to surprise me during the process. So, I find their final appearance somehow mysterious to me and I guess the visual style they all have in common is a fusion of two things: what goes on in my head and my ability, which is working and trying again until I have something I’d like for people to see.
7. In an earlier interview, you talked about often making three subsequent paintings in one session. Why do you paint in such a manner? Is it to facilitate minor adjustments across paintings?
That is part of my process of losing attachment – if I have just one blank canvas in front of me, I won’t do a single thing - I will only stare at it the whole day. Having more canvases at once, is more space to do things, which gives me the confidence to experiment something and fail. That is also why I often do the same painting several times. This way I can try something that I’m not sure will work without ruining the painting I did before. If I get too attached to one painting, I won’t try anything that I haven’t previously done.
8. Your works are often painted on uneven paper or on canvases with torn corners or are unevenly stretched. Why do you choose to paint on such unusual mediums?
For the same reason – I must not care too much about the surface I am using - it can’t appear too straight or clean so that I can work freely. I will sometimes make canvases out of bedsheets. That gives me the freedom to make something I don’t know will work or not. In the end, if the result is poor, I can destroy it without worrying too much… This process is a significant part of my practice.
9. Any new directions or experiments you plan to undertake in the future?
I’ve been experimenting with oil paint for a while now, which is something I hadn't done before for more than one or two days in a row. So far, I have always used acrylics, but I noticed I was getting too comfortable and needed something to shake things up a little. Shifting from acrylics to oils is changing a lot of stuff for me. These have completely different techniques, so I have to 'somehow reinvent things'. For instance, and getting back to what I said earlier, I’m digging into giving my characters facial features. The extended drying time of oils is enabling me to return to a painting one or two days after having started it and carrying on the work. I feel this is what I needed to make things I had never been able to do before. It’s giving me more confidence, let’s see...
