Spraygraphic.com Interview with Se7en, aka Shay Casey
SG: Please tell us about yourself?
SC: I am a graphic designer by trade and artist by default. I grew
up in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California and spent my high
school/college years in the bay area. I am a recovering adrenaline
junkie and have broken and/or fractured too many parts to continue. I
am a father and a son. A genius and a fool. I have a tattoo on my elbow
and it hurt like hell. I have lived a sheltered existence and I am open
to anything.
SG: Where do you currently live and work?
SC: I have a home studio in the middle of nowhere CT which is pretty
low key. Someday I hope to travel more when I work. My core office fits
in a backpack and I love the idea of complete freedom. I can work
anywhere with european coffee, an internet connection and cell service.
SG: What mediums do you work with?
SC: I am primarily a digital artist but I grew up drawing, so
graphite and ballpoint pen have always held a certain magic for me. I
like to do these intricate abstract pieces that are just a linear flow
of unrelated ideas. Ink is an amazing challenge because you can't
erase. You have to turn the mistakes into something meaningful. I still
do a lot of work in my sketchbooks too just for the fuck of it and, I
guess, to solidify ideas.
SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.
SC: Ideas usually come from my sketchbook, a random photo that I
find on the web or a frame from a movie that I am watching. I usually
do a lot of sketches before I start a painting. I like to refine the
concepts, add and subtract ideas, changing the composition and camera
angle until I can see the finished piece in my head.
I paint over the scanned final sketch in Photoshop CS3 and Painter X
using mostly custom brushes on a Wacom tablet. I tend to use very large
brushes early on and block in the values. Complete experimentation
again this time with color and atmosphere. Once i get it locked in, I
just continue painting smaller details, textures, etc. until I feel
like it reads correctly. Meticulous detail around the focal point and
more energy and abstraction in the negative space. I don't use any
photo manipulation except for some post production work like adding
film grain, scratches and other surface effects.
I like to let the work sit for a while after I am quote, unquote,
done. I can come back to it later with a fresh perspective and look to
see if anything bothers me about the piece. Often, I go back in for one
more pass trying to correct errors and fine tune details that I might
not be happy with. Other times, you just have to say it's done, and let
it go.
SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?
SC: Drink heavily and watch A Clockwork Orange on repeat. Haha, no,
I don't think that I have ever lacked for ideas. I usually have too
many concepts going on in my head to really produce. I do get stuck a
lot in the middle of a painting when everything looks like it was made
by a 5 year old. I guess I just leave it for a while and try and look
for inspiration in books, movies, graphic design, fashion, anywhere
that doesn't involve someone else's painting. You just have to have
faith that it will work out. Lose the fear and move forward. The
journey is more important than the end result.
SG: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?
SC: Let's just say she's beautiful, funny, talented and the love of my life.
SG: Where has your work been seen?
SC: I currently have 6 new pieces and an installation in a group show called Circus Freaks at the iO gallery.
As a designer I have won two How Magazine Merit Awards and have worked
for everyone from Epic Records, Rock Band and Silent Hill 5 to ESPN,
MLB, Heineken, etc. so pretty much all over the map. My work has also
been featured on cgsociety.org.
SG: Where will it be seen next?
SC: I am working on a few pieces for a potential group show at La Luz de Jesus
in Hollywood. Other than that, I am currently looking for new galleries
that would want to show the kind of work that I do. I am no longer
trying to please anyone but myself artistically. Every artist wants to
be validated and successful and I am no different but ultimately, the
satisfaction has to come from the work itself.
SG: What is your dream art assignment?
SC: Something massive, shocking, disturbing and beautiful that makes
people stop and take notice of the message. Ideally it would be large
format pieces and installations. I just need an angel investor to fund
the project. It takes a lot of time and money to do art on a large
scale. I went to Obey's show in Brooklyn last year and seeing his work
cover the walls from floor to ceiling just absolutely blew my mind. I
could live in that space.
SG: What is your favorite color?
SC: Black.
SG: Who is your favorite artist? And Why?
SC: I have too many favorites to pick just one. If I had to pick one
based on being a true artist and showman, it would be either Dali or
Warhol. If it was a classic painter it would be Durer or Caravaggio for
their mastery of the craft and the incredible mood in their work. Michael Hussar, David Carson, Dave McKean, Shepard Fairy and Ashley Wood are my favorite living artists.
SG: What book/magazine are you reading this week?
SC: Inked, Hi-Fructose, Juztapoz and ArtNews are always on the
coffee table and I listen to audiobooks a lot so it would be book
eleven in the The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordon or some random
thriller/horror style novel. I recently finished Snow Crash (for the
3rd time), Pattern Recognition, and The Rosary Girls.
SG: Ever do a self portrait? Where is it now?
SC: Haha, I'm sure if I ever did, it's in the trash. I'm not all that fascinated with myself.
SG: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
SC: Somewhere without the pressures of everyday life. When was the
last time I vacuumed, is my phone bill late, did I eat today, etc.?
Basically, anywhere with friends, family, food, music, laughter and art.
SG: Any final words of advice?
SC: Live fast, die young and leave a good looking corpse. Really
that sums it up for me. You never know when your number is up, so live
everyday as if it were your last. Don't live in the past or the future,
but live right now, without regret or fear.
