We're only a few days away from this Saturday's opening reception for the Great Great Grandshow, and all of us here at Nucleus are antsy to share with you some info about the show. Depicting previously undocumented moments from as far back as prehistoric times, artists Graham Annable, Scott Campbell, Jon Klassen, and Israel Sanchez have taken on the heralding task of compiling these untold stories for you and I. I had the opportunity to chat with each artist about inspiration and the steps in creating the work for the show. I sat down with Scott Campbell at Cafe Rouge in Manchester, England for a bit of tea & crumpets and here is what he had to say about his contribution to the show:

W: What was it like to draw inspiration from the past?
SC: It was spooky! Because sometimes olde-timey people look so serious, but there are other times when they look like they are having a blast in their sepia (and sometimes slightly colorized) outfits. I started investigating inventions and the inventors behind them and I was surprised to see the crazy things that were created back in the late 1800's. It was fun to imagine people enjoying these inventions.

W: Where did you find such sources of inspiration?
SC: I went to the New York Public Library initially, but that was too overwhelming. I went back to using Google and Corbis searches. I also have some old books that give me certain good olde-timey vibes.

W: Describe your creative process for these pieces.
SC: I wanted to get the feeling of the old, aged photographs. At first just sepia tone, but then I realized the colorized photos add a cool feel. My color palette is usually pretty muted anyway, so it went well. I printed out all of my references and just brainstormed all over the xeroxed pages and scanned it all in the computer and pieced it together in Photoshop. I printed out those roughs and traced them onto toned watercolor paper. Then, I just watercolored them all in a conveyor belt fashion! Colors, lines, words, signature, done!

W: So interesting. Of these pieces, do you have a personal favorite or perhaps one that stands out for you?
SC: The one that makes me laugh the most is "The Shirt Magnet" because the invention is so dumb... and impossible. The dude's expression is so excited and pleased, hoping the ladies are impressed. I also think "Adorable Garden" is the heavy hitter of this new series because it has lots of fun things to look at and all the gardeners and onlookers are so serious-looking compared to the happy cute plants.

Scott Campbell | The Shirt Magnet | Watercolor on paper | 10" x 7.5"

W: Are there any people of history that you find particularly worthy of admiration?
SC: Yes, Dr. John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, but before that he invented all these crazy elixirs and medicines. Plus he had an insane beard shaped like a lizard tongue (see Example A).

Example A: Dr. John Stith Pemberton sports a lizard-tongue-shaped beard.

W: Let's say that Nucleus has finally completed construction on a fully-functional time machine, and we offer to let you try it out. Which time period are you off to and why? Would you bring anything back?
SC: I think the year 1900 because there were so many awesome world fairs and good times to be had. There were fancy outfits and new inventions for people to enjoy. I would bring back a person in olde-timey clothes and watch what funny antics would ensue when this person comes in contact with modern times... and then I would film it and pitch it to the movies because "movies" is a living being that I can pitch ideas to.

W: Sounds fun. Can I have the rest of your crumpet?
SC: Yes, but of course.

Scott Campbell | Adorable Garden | Watercolor on paper | 10" x 23"

Be sure to check back each day for more preview images as we talk with the artists participating in this Saturday's Great Great Grandshow. The opening reception starts at 7pm. Join in the fun by dressing up as your favorite historical figure and receive 15% off anything in our store!

Share This

0 Comments