Artist Interview – Jeff Gillette

Tell
us about your work?

I have been
painting feverishly since before finishing Grad school at CSUF in 1997. Majoring
in printmaking (later painting…), I tend to do paintings in series. My longest
running body of work would be my “Slumscapes:” paintings of third-world slums.
These culminated from travels to countries like India, Bangladesh, Peru,
Indonesia, the Philipinnes, Kenya, Brazil, etc. I’ve also created series of
deserts (with debris), post-apocalyptic ruins (usually of Disneyland), fallen
freeways, cartoon collage/abstractions. I’m presently working on a
post-traumatic vision of Las Vegas and have started adding figures into my
slumscapes.

What
Artists have influenced you and how?

My most direct
influence from any artist is my wife, Laurie (Hassold). I work at home, and she
is constantly available to provide encouragement, conversation and to give
critiques, sometimes whether I want them or not! Otherwise, I’m always delving
into contemporary art, but am most drawn to representational or conceptual work:
everything from Kinkade to Kosuth. Unfortunately, much of what I see in
magazines and at galleries and museums is disappointing…

What
motivates you to make work and stay motivated in the studio?

I have no problem
staying busy. What motivates me is a love for painting and creating visuals that
disturb and delight. What is most important for me, is
to get out of the studio, away from
the computer, and to experience real stuff. My biggest influence was being in
the Peace Corps in Nepal in the late 80s. There I was thrust into an exotic and
intense world and was able to look objectively back at my own culture and make
some poignant observations. Maybe that’s why I pick on things so fiercely, like
putting Mickey Mouse in a landfill, and stuff like
that… I’ve continued traveling around the world extensively (last summer to
India and Europe) but also like getting out closer to home. The desert between
Victorville and Vegas is amazing to stay in overnight during full
moons.

Give
us your thoughts about the benefits and challenges of being an artist in Orange
County?

When the Santa Ana
art scene was in its infancy, I remember donning a bunny suit, setting up a
table with my art on it, and selling stuff outside the Grand Central Art Center
(even after being threatened that they were going to call the police on me!)
Later, my wife and I would do all kinds of ground-breaking art activities: We
would take over empty stores, clean them out, then use them to create and
exhibit work in. I was able to enjoy the live-work spaces at the Grand Central
downtown for over a year and have had pieces in the Laguna Museum of Art on a
number of occasions. My hope for the Orange County art scene, is for it to continue growing and allow for individual
artists that don’t have huge resources to participate.

What
Projects/Shows are up next for you?

I’m in a seven
group shows this year, and four solo shows. There’s a “Fashion Island” slumscape
at the Juxtapoz show at Laguna Art Museum this summer. I had a very successful
show at CoproNason in Santa Monica in the spring and have
shown my new series of Desert Interventions downtown LA at Bert Green Fine Art. I’m slated to have an article in “High Fructose” art magazine soon as
well as be in their group show at Copro. In the fall 2008 I’ll be in a CSUF
alumni painters show, as well as have my first solo show out of state in Las
Vegas at the Fallout Gallery.