Spraygraphic Interview with Artist Francesco Camillo aka International Fiction Club

Spraygraphic Interview with Francesco Camillo aka International Fiction Club

SG: Please tell us about yourself?

IFC: I studied Art in Basel, Switzerland. Im originary from Italy,were my parents come from, but I was born in Switzerland on one of themost coldest days, with people singing songs at home, running aroundand spend a lot of Money to feel somehow better, and with the highestsuicide rate ever. Christmas is not a good day to be born, I can tellyou as a child it was one of the most saddest days, because I got onlyone present while my sister got always one for her birthday and anotherfor Christmas. But I remember that I did like the lights flashingeverywhere, every year again and again, until I got 7, because on thatChristmas I stopped to believe in God. There is still a reality behindChristmas….

At one point of my life I had enough (like I feel mostly of the time, even today), and so I moved to Barcelona….

Today, I'm a photographer, graphic designer, I did some VJ stuff inBarcelona around, I made some short movies, did some electronic musicproductions (not released) under my pseudo SMOKE…..I'm generally intoany sort of cultural movement, if it awakes my interest..

And I'm 32 years old, that was missing…

SG: Where do you currently live and work?

IFC: I live in Barcelona City and I share a studio there called the cutter where I do my work.

SG: What mediums do you work with?

IFC: Photography, and mixed media. I mix sometimes pictures withgraphics design and viceversa, everything is digital, I don't useanalog. For the VJ stuff I use Final Cut and Modul 8, in music I useAbleton Live, Reason and a lot of VST.

SG: Describe your working process when creating a new work.

IFC: As soon as I have an idea to work with, and feasible to do Icall some of my close friends who are usually interested to colaboratewith me. I do normally work alone but on shootings its quite impossibleto do that. I have one Art Director in my team, Alex, who is normallyin charge of finding people who offers them as models, he alsoamplifies the idea giving me more inputs on it, and last but not leasta group of Make Up artists, we all normally meet in my Studio and startwith the shooting. Once images are ready, I edit them in differentapplications. This is the part where im working alone, lot ofcigarettes and coffee, me and my mac.

SG: What kind of things do you do when you get blocked or find it hard to create something?

IFC: Thats a good question. Im not really the most positive personwalking on earth. I struggle each month with this issue. What should Ido, where should I begin, why should I even do that. If I have adeadline its even harder, I sink more and more in a self destructivethinking. But that's just what helps me to get out and create. Most ofthe time I get quite, look at the news and whats happening around,listen to music, talk to myself quite a lot, its like a mad monologue.From outside you could think I'm crazy, maybe I even am. There is a 50% of myself which needs a fictional dark place, otherwise I would notfeel the same passion to do what I do. I always try to get to thatplace, there I'm struggling with social environments like the church,God, the government, war, love, hate, violence, the human being , Ithink its the closest feeling to a Somnambulist, dreaming but active,and in dreams many things can happen and you awake anywhere.

SG: Where are you currently finding your inspiration?

IFC: Its quite hard for me these days finding inspiration. Lately, Iwas talking with my studio mate about this matter, I think I lost myreference to Icons like artists or musicians or any person recognizedfor the work they do, there are many artists and very good ones, but toget linked to them or have any source of inspiration becomes quitedifficult. We have seen many things, a lot of art has been made, themessage repeats itself again and again, its like a loop where you cantget out of it; which leads to getting blocked and show probably a lowinterest in what you see and what you could do. I always refer tomusic, or any audiovisual medium (like movies for instance or even thenews in TV), just to get in touch with any kind of emotions which couldlead me to inspiration. My bathroom is one of my main inspirationsources as well, I can spend an hour in my bathroom sitting there andthinking. Funny to think that we go to the bathroom to get clean, I getmy ideas clean there as well.

SG: Where has your work been seen?

IFC: Earlier work (mostly Graphics) in music shops, as I did someLP/CD Art covers, like for Regular Recordings, Inaki Marins KlinischTod (check it out you will find some images for sure) and some otherrecords.

Newer works mainly in Internet. Phisically nowhere . Could be thatgalleries are afraid to show my work, or it simply doesn't fit theirphilosophy. I need to admit that I'm not the best promoter, a lot ofpeople have the capacity to sell their work, artists who have thisdouble personality, the passionate crazy artist, and the desperateseller. Up to now, I didn't have a real interest in selling my work, itmay be because I'm just not sure enough how a picture of mine wouldlook like behind your couch or on your bedroom wall. It could be thatin a near future I just dont mind about that….

SG: Where will it be seen next?

IFC: Well on Spraygraphic for sure, and….well, lets see….I actuallywant to share with the Spraygraphic users some preview of my newupcoming project "heysatan", basically its a power point of 7 images, I have uploded it in various ppt formats and in a pdf for those who dont use ppt.
Lets say its a limited preview to say thank you.

SG: What is your dream art assignment?

IFC: Collaboration with Floria Sigismondi or David Lynch would bethe top., I would love to work with artists like Asia Argento andMarilyn Manson as well…if we are talking about dreaming….playing in aBand, I can't play any instrument, but I would love to do that. I wasthinking about singing, but I just thought about the poor peoplelistening to me…

SG: What is your favorite color?

IFC: All, except BLUE.

SG: Who is your favorite artist? And Why?

IFC: I like a lot of artists, I can tell you abut the ones who mademe choose a path of expression when I was younger. Floria Sigismondi(Photographer and Video Director) for her images, her video-clips, theimage treating. Marilyn Manson (Rock Band) for his lyrics and his wayto express them, Joel Peter Witkin (Photographer) for letting deadpeople living again….

SG: What book/magazine are you reading this week?

IFC: Im not an intense reader, I read the news paper. Many times Ifind myself reading magazines (fashion, design, music etc) in my studiobecause my friend buys them. I really need to be interested in a bookto start reading it. I get bored really fast. 

SG: Ever do a self portrait? Where is it now?

IFC: Yes I did quite a few, well they are in Spraygraphic.com, and other sites, like myspace,sometimes its important to get involved as well as a model, its good toknow how it feels like to be in front of the camera. In the interviewgallery you will find one, taken from the upcoming project HeySatan,picture was taken by Alejandro Morillas Verdu.

SG: Where is your favorite place to hang out?

IFC: My studio and my home. Its where I hang out most.

SG: Any final words of advice?

IFC:….if you have any good ones, please let me know…