3 questions: saddo

Q: The worlds in your recent work are so involved, do you create a narrative for each piece or is there a blanket storyline?

A: I don’t know, I don’t really have a very rational approach to my creative process, I don’t think a lot before I start drawing or painting something but everything kinda evolves during the process, I sketch a basic shape or background or just some colors and then I add details, characters, layers, symbols, sometimes a hint of landscape and in the end everything mixes up in some sort of scene which gives it this narrative feeling. Which gave me the idea to create stories for the characters in the “With” series. I don’t think of a story before I create the character but after. I just look at the pieces and start making up short biographies, individual myths for the main characters, and eventually, connections between every story.

Q: What’s making art like in Berlin as opposed to your native Romania?

A: I moved from Berlin back to Bucharest. I have to admit that Berlin is a more creative place than Bucharest, but Romania is not bad either. I mean, in Berlin there are hundreds of artists who are doing stuff, it’s a little bit harder to get some attention or even sell your art. Because probably people are so used to the art scene, it’s hard to come up with something so good and new and fresh that would make art consumers invest in it. In Bucharest things are a little different, there aren’t so many artists, the urban art/lowbrow art scene is not so big and varied and people are pretty happy to see some new colorful, fresh, different artworks, and sometime, even buy them. Me and my girlfriend Aitch, who is also an artist, we had a show recently in Bucharest, and after the Berlin experience we didn’t have such high expectations from a show in Romania, but we were pleasantly surprised by the reaction of the public and by the amount of sold pieces. Maybe it was just luck, I’m not saying that you can’t make money out of art in Berlin and you can make shitloads of money in Romania. This is just my experience. And both Berlin and Bucharest were/are good experiences, with bad and good aspects.

Q: If you woke up tomorrow and couldn’t draw, what would you do to get by?

A: I don’t know…..I can’t imagine not being able to draw. I mean, I have my bad days, when I really can’t or won’t draw, but then it all comes back, an urge to grab a pen or some paints or sprays and do something….I don’t know, I don’t think that this will ever stop. But…if I won’t be able to draw, I don’t know, I think I’ll be a loser, I wouldn’t do too much to get by…

Check out some of Saddo’s work after the jump!

Every Wednesday we sit down (briefly) with a talented artist + ask them 3 questions.

If you’re an artist + you’d like to be grilled, email me at questions@hardfeelingsblog.com