And The Winner Is!

Jamie Hardy has won the contest with a whopping 750! way to go Jamie!

The Mark Delong Challenge

I got an email from Mark today proposing a little challenge to all of you:

I have been playing this game and would like to challenge the public to beat my score. Can I do that on your blog? The challenger has to beat the score and take a screen shot of it. I will send the winner a drawing,some books and a homemade Extra t-shirt. First to beat 695 wins. My high score screen shot is attached. If you don't want to do this I understand.

--
Best,
Mark DeLong

Click on the screen shot below to start playing.

So get on it everyone, first one to beat a score of 695 gets the goods. Email in your screen shot to info@ofuncool.com

Check out the interview with Mark here.

Pizza Party

Gregory and Ansley have started taking pre-orders on their new Philadelphia pizza review book, The Pizza Book.


You can pre-order this beaut here and get a bonus screen-print.

Matt Lock

How did you get into making art?
I can't ever really recall "getting into making art" to be honest. Growing up at some point I just drew and my parents kind of encouraged it so I drew more. After awhile I kind of got into it and slowly over time realized that I might actually be an artist.

Were Your parents artists or just supported you in what you did?
My Parents have artistic abilities but no will to use them. My dad used to be in a few bands along time ago. My mom drew throughout high school when she wasn't getting stoned.

Your work throws back to a lot of 80s metal/sci-fi. What is it about that type of thing that draws you to it?
Escapism. I am dissatisfied with the state of the current human being and our planet so I seek to mentally escape it each day. Heavy metal music of old and science fiction books happen to be my "route" to a more pleasant state of mind.

Do you have any collections?

A growing record collection. I would like to start a book collection. Just consisting of books I like enough to re-read in the future. I can't get over the ordering from the library though..free books of course.

What does your average day consist of?
Well..I get up,take a shower,make coffee, then have breakfast while I "surf" the internet. I like to devote a good 2 hours or more to working on art. I put some music on and work on art,exercise then go to work for the night. It takes an hour to get to work so I am often thinking a lot while I drive. That is an average day.

Where do you work?

At a data entry/office job. I am a temp but have been there for 3 months and 3 weeks.

Whats your process like?
Hmm it's strange actually. I can be taking a shower or driving,getting ready for bed and a good idea will pop into my mind. I can kind of see a blurry rendition of what it could look like on paper. I might scribble it down on paper. I have many sheets/small pieces of paper with keywords for drawing/painting ideas on them. Of course most of the keywords I will look at days later and think "What the fuck does this mean?" Sometimes of course I start a painting or drawing and it develops into something else on it's own. I allow a fair amount of time for this to happen now,in the past I used to rush my art somewhat.
Who is making art right now that gets you excited? What bands are you listening to?
I really like Mark Delong's art. Him and I just had a righteous exchange of artwork. I also like Justin B. Williams,Misaki Kawai,William Buzzell,Mehdi Hercberg,Frederic Fleury,Dean Stanton,Daniel Jensen and Kalle Runeson.

I listen to about 5 albums a day or more. I listen to far too many bands to list here. MOST recently I can say I have been listening to bands such as Saint Vitus, Gorement, Sarcofagus, Amon Duul II, Manilla Road, Candlemass and a LOT of Steeleye Span.

Is there any mediums you'd like to start experimenting with? Maybe tying in with the stuff you do now?
Yes. I would like to do some prints. I am really dying to do some prints actually. I would like to do a sculpture in the next year. I finally started working on larger sized paper. This took about 2 years because the larger size really intimidated me.

How did you get hooked up with Nieves? They are putting out so much fantastic stuff.
Ben just emailed me and asked me if I was interested. Of course I said yes. Yeah every time I get a newsletter update from them about a new product it's a really killer looking zine or book. They are amassing quite the catalog! I am very proud to have worked with them.

Whats it like living where you do, kind of removed from a lot of the stuff you're involved with.
It's pretty odd sometimes. I went to this opening for a show I was in that took place at Stairwell Gallery in Providence. It was the FIRST time I have ever been to an opening with my work in it. I sometimes think it would be nice to have more contact with the fraction of the art world that I am involved with. On the other hand it's nice being oblivious to any gossip or drama involved with particular galleries or individuals. Being removed from it means missing out certain things but my stuff has developed so well in this state of mind and sort of secluded environment. It's well worth it.

But do you ever feel like you're missing out on certain things?

Of course I do but I have mostly gotten over it by now. I used to get kind of upset because I was in a rush to get my stuff out there,meet other artists and etc. Nowadays I make due by my lonesome and use the internet to do that stuff. If I were content to live in a city I would probably go to art shows more often.

Is there somewhere in the world you'd like to travel to?
Yes there are a dozen or so places. Picking one place I would say Iceland. It's full of amazing history,the terrain is otherworldly,the climate is to my liking and it's very clean and full of mystery.

Do you have a dream project? What are your plans for the future?
A dream project..this is a hard one. I have been wanting to construct a guitar,bass guitar,drum set and microphone stand/mic completely out of logs,sticks,rope,wood glue,paint and leaves. I have had this idea for about 4 months. I think it's becoming a dream project. If it wasn't going to be such a massive undertaking I might do it. I would want to add some full size scarecrow type figures though. Of course I would design them to look like life size versions of my drawings..or try to.

In the next two years I hope to move to a nicer, smaller, more rural area with my friend and his girlfriend. I hope to be fairly good at guitar by then,have longer hair,have learned at least one language, have a well done Cthulhu tattoo and still be making a shitload of drawings/paintings. Oh yeah..at some point I am going to college finally. Just for Information Technology courses.

Any final words?

Thanks for the great interview and interest in my work..remember to eat good,work less and read more.

You can see more of Matt's work at his website.

Mark Delong

How long have you been making art? What got you started?
I've been making artwork most of my life. I could draw a square Frankensteins and dragons when i was young. I once traded a jumbo bag of M&M's for a drawing; it was an image of a demon hanging on a cross.

Did you go to school for art? Where did you go?
No I didn't go to art school. I graduated high school, i hated school, they gave me a small tree as a graduation gift, everybody got one. I planted it in a flower bed on the way to the mall and never looked back.

What is your process like? What materials/tools do you use?
I draw on the computer and then print images,connect them to make large work and then paint and collage into the inkjets. I have been doing this for a few years now. I also paint on masonite and work with plaster.I had a dream just last night about a funland and stubby beers; there was all this artwork and some of it was really nice. When I woke up I remembered some of the pieces and they were ok, a few stinkers but still some usable ideas. I like to use imagery from TV too, like paintings you see on the walls in the background. I like the big painting that Frasier Crane has on his wall,the one with the stripes; I've used the scale and some other elements of that piece in my own large pieces.

Who inspires you?
I'm inspired by lots of different people, artists, TV stars, Americans, animals, Alan Alda, cartoonists and my kids.

You've put out some books through Nieves. How did that come about?
I did a book for them in 2006 called "I Don't Love you Gene,I love Eugene".
Then Jason Mclean and I did one Called "Melanie Sheepwash", it was a split book, half Jason and half myself. They are really great to work with and Jason and I have been working on another one that will come out sometime this year or next.

You were also a part of Nog A Dod, explain what that whole process was like.
I was only part of Nog a Dod a small bit. A thing here and there, I'm fairly new to Vancouver; born and raised in New Brunswick.

Whats your relationship with Jason McLean like? How do you two know each other?
Jason and I met at a Jerk with a Bomb show, I gave him a flyer for a show I had upcoming at the Sugar Refinery, it was love at first sight. We have collaborated on quite a few things over the years and our kids play together; they have a band called the Double Boys. Jason is moving to Toronto soon, I will only have two friends left when he leaves. What does that even mean,Toronto?

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I really don't have any spare time, but some late nights Jason and I go to the casino or get some hot eats/cool treats.

Is there anyone else you'd like to collab with in the future?
I'm not sure, maybe something with someone that has resources or skills that I don't have like a screen printer or a musician.

Who is making work these days that you like? what music do you listen to?
I like Jim Shaw, S.P Ehman,Joey Haley, Jason Mclean, Jaret Penner, Dan Colen, Laura Owens, there are lots of people that make art that I like. Lately I have been listening to audio books but i listen to all the regular stuff in music, nothing special. Some oldies. I don't really like static and people mumbling into underwater mics and all of that.

Any dream goals you'd like to undertake in the future?
I would like to take the kids to Yellowstone national park.

Last words?
Thanks, good stuff. Nice to talk to you.

To see more of Mark's work, check out his website.

Jason McLean

How long have you been making art? What got you started?

i started making art for birthday parties ....doing a lot of tracing of cartoon images
i am 37 i guess i would have been about maybe 6 yrs old

started?hmmmmm i guess my mom's elvis scrap book and my dad's car homemade car ads
really got cooking when i was in an special art public school and ms. lonkey pushed me
hahah

allison moss at the waffle house, 2005, 20 x 12 inches

You're currently in Vancouver, but are moving to Toronto. Why did you decide to make that move?

my family and i wanted change, the dtes in east side was wering' on us the house prices
being closer to family in the east sounded interesting after being away for 17 years
and being closer to major centres nyc and montreal and chicago
we'll see how long the move last my wife heather likes mls.ca

What is your process like? What materials/tools do you use?

process varies on project, the other day i was thinking of drawing on lettuce with a sharpie
so it can be day to day venacular(?)sp i listen and sample alot
and work in different settings, i walk alot...chance plays a big role
tools vary more than you'd think at times it goes from buying food to finding things
i do use acrylic inks and radiograph black i go shopping for art supplies in non art stores

dull silent night, 2006

Does music play a role in what you make? What music do you listen to?
i listen to music ....i play music kinda usually with costumes....
i have some stuff i did with mathieu malouf(modern dad single dad )on my website
i am doing a taking tape called double dad-lots of rambling story telling with mark delonge

recorded in a dark room with furs---watch out london ontario

listen too-----what
i buy music sometimes at the er room in vancouver usualy go for the packaging

like listening to gangstar rap in lee's car and singing ninja turtle songs with my oldest son felix

usta' listen to old art bell programs on coast to coast ever night even got on the air one night

noise(90's) japanese, john cage and david tutor, whale music floppy discs
78 childrens music, bob dylan.....i'm not on facebook band

Who inspires you?

john candy, andy kaufman,basquiat, spelling mistakes,my mom's cooking
robert dayton and july fourth toilet
solder and sons shop in vancouver, the kaos of the dtes
small press books, non -alcoholic beer, carman and donald's market the positive energy

oh and darrin macadam-rusty clay and british man friend

What do you like to do in your spare time?

spare time? hang out with my kids and pick danelions
my brother wants me to go jet sking if he eats a vietnamiese sub
i like to wander(flauneur? sp)

i like to look at fashion---

i do telphone banking

i don't know when spare time is
i like to sleep and dream,dream ,dream

You use a lot of words and wordplay in your word, are they just things that rattle around in your mind or is there a larger message?

eye of the beholder? whatever that means
i would like to learn italian and more french i started learning some spanish with my friend igor
i would like to incorp. other lanugages
the word play might of come from not being able to spell
i like many meanings not just one
confusion-jibber jabber

one drop in the bucket, 2007, 8 x 6 feet

Quite of your sculptures involve sports equipment, are you a big sports fan? Are you going to hip-check me?

sports early on for me in like was key---lots of golf
i like painting on leather--rich people like sports haha
$
greg curnoe influence sports and art-awakwardness is fun

You put out an amazing amount of books. What is it about stapled pages that makes you excited?

you haven't seen half of them
it is a addiction at times-sometimes it fight of the urge to go to the casino
i don't know that much about putting books together
thay' are not zines and never will be
nog a dog nation'
community

trade i like trades and collecting

Whats your relationship with Mark Delong like? How do you two know each other?

double dads we ust to shoot hoops and bet
we go to the casino on bike rides

our kids hangout and we use to have wing night with the canuck games
we met thru his better half katie

it's be sad not to live in the same city as mark

though there is always the phone

title t.b.a. (locket), 2007, 4 x 6 x 2 inches

Is there anyone else you'd like to collab with in the future?

mainly dead people
i always wanted to work with jim henson
i want to do a kids cbc tv show
with friends from all over

a poetry book with my mom this has been in the making for a while
i like to make work with as the all-star schnauzer band again
this will happen when i move out east
1987-the future

Any dream goals you'd like to undertake in the future?

home in nyc
drink beer when i'm 55 with my kids
stress-begon
be happy with heather copeland
reflect
find religion

not have a sore neck

live in the same house for 10 years

live forever

Last words?

the end..thanks it has been fun

p.s don't let the sun catch you crying

sometimes y, 2007, 15 x 10 inches


You can see more of Jason's work at his website.