GRANT COGHILL - Salzburg
Bio ..Grant is influenced by wildlife, animism, nocturnal life, abstract art, Indonesian shadow puppets, obscure bands, tribal costumes, folk tales, Austrian krampus and Asian travel. A sharp juxtaposition of dark, white and vivid colours that are tense and expressive and convey the images with force.
Website .. www.grantcoghill.com
Facebook .. www.facebook.com/coghill.art
----------------ITW---------------
Tell us a little more about your background – what path led you to what you’re doing now?
I studied graphic design in Scotland then moved to the capital, Edinburgh, and worked there for 6 years. I eventually became dissatisfied with my life and job there and wanted to break free from city life. My best friend and I decided to drop everything and travel Europe in his van. We did that and eventually ended up living in Florence, Italy, for 7 months, playing Scottish folk music in a campsite and Irish bar. The whole experience was great and I knew I wanted to return to that area of Europe.
After a brief time back in Scotland searching for work I was offered an internship with a snowboard magazine in Innsbruck, Austria. I flew back over within 1 week of the offer and started work! When that finished I was offered a job designing skateboards and
clothing for a company based in Innsbruck. I did that for a few years then quit fulltime work to become a freelancer. With no fixed work place I was able to move to Indonesia to live and work for nearly a year.
I came back to Salzburg to work as a freelancer and to concentrate on painting rather than digital.
What have been some favorite projects / paintings in recent years?
My favorite projects have been anything that allows me to experiment and follow my own instincts. Skateboard, Snowboard and clothing design are always fun to work on. I’ve just finished a couple of ‘artists series’ snowboards and that has been a steep learning curve for me but great fun. I hope to do more of this work in the future.
How would you describe your work to someone who hasn’t seen your paintings or sculptures?
A sharp juxtaposition of dark, white and vivid colors that are tense and expressive and convey the images with force.
What can we expect to see in the upcoming exhibition ONE MORE TOY?
Spicy, nocturnal, tropical, ambush....
Grant is influenced by wildlife, animism, nocturnal life, abstract art, Indonesian shadow puppets, obscure bands, tribal costumes, folk tales, Austrian krampus and Asian travel. A sharp juxtaposition of dark, white and vivid colours that are tense and
expressive and convey the images with force.
What does a typical day in the studio involve for you?
Get up at 7.30. Switch on computer and check mails and news while drinking a coffee. Work until 1 o’clock, go for a shower then take a hike through the forest and up onto the kapuzinerberg hill. Watch wildlife, take photos, learn German on my ipod. Return and work until then meet my girlfriend for dinner.
Where do you turn for creative inspiration – travel, cultural references, books or the web etc.?
I have a collection of photos from my travels, which I usually refer to for inspiration. I’ll collage them with bits of my pencil sketches and any other element that catches my eye. I also like to look at sites like fecalface.com or modart. It’s inspiring to see so many different unique artists emerging from obscurity.
Which other artists or other creative people do you admire?
In high school the only art books I had a particular interest in were of iconic airbrush artists like Hajime Sorayama, Philip Castle, Alan Aldridge and Doug Johnson. Their work has always appealed to me, especially Doug Johnson, and that’s maybe something I have tried to carry over onto my work.
Other than that I really like Luke Rudolf, Yue Minjun, Nicholas Kalmakoff, Anthony Ausgang, Pierre Soulages, Paul Jenkins, Sidney Sime, Eggon Schiele, Judith Supine.......to name just a few.
What are you looking forward to?
To finishing a small range of paintings and having them exhibited in Salzburg. Making this transition from drawn/digital to canvas is challenging and slow progress but a very necessary step for me to take. Every day I work towards this goal.
Your favorite Salzburg neighborhood and why?
The old town is cool. There are plenty of nice bars where you can sit outside by candlelight all night long in summer. There are loads of small art galleries within a short distance too.
What/where was the last great meal you ate in Salzburg?
Salzburg has so many great places to eat it’s almost impossible to choose! I love traditional Austrian cooking, but I have to say the best meal I had last in Salzburg was from this super small, family run, Thai curry shack below the castle. It was so small that you can only fit a few people in at one time. The green curry was better than I remember having in Thailand.
Where do you shop in Salzburg?
I don’t have time for shopping, other than for art materials!
Where would be find you on a typical Saturday morning?
In summer, I’d be recovering from Friday night. In winter I would definitely be on top of the mountain snowboarding!
Salzburg’s best kept secret?
I haven’t lived here long enough to discover the many little treasures the city hides. But from my experience so far, I’d say it has to be all the little hidden away art galleries in the backstreets.
