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Home  FEATURES Matt Furie Interview
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Written by Trippe
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Thursday, 30 July 2009 04:51
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 An update on this SF artist as he prepares "Monster Family" opening Oct 8th at Beams T Harajuku in Japan.
It's been a few years since Furie's last interview on Fecal Face. We thought it would be a good idea to see what he's up to as he prepares for his show "Monster Family" at Beams in Japan.
We know he hails from Ohio, lives in San Francisco, creates the comic book "Boy's Club", has shown around the globe, but didn't know he preforms magic, has pet rats, loves Hooters, and knows the best places to swim in SF.
Age? Location? Artistic education?
29. s.f. b.f.a. 2001 Ohio Wesleyan University.
You were last interviewed here on Fecal Face way back in 2006... What
you been up for the last 3 years?
I'm an adult now. I've been practicing various forms of magic, eating unhealthy foods, and raising my new
children- "Wat" and Foxy". They are sisters.
Click image for larger view
Wat and Foxy are your pet rats. You were telling me how intelligent they
are and what good pets they make... Still feel good about being a rat
father? What the best and worst parts of having them?
They are doing very well-feels good. It's cool living with animals and I imagine
sometimes that they are bats or monkeys. The best part about them is that they are
kind of like tiny dogs. They get excited when you come home and they love running
around and playing. The worst part is they keep me up all night running on their
wheel (nocturnal).
That shirt you gave me a few months back is my favorite tee shirt like
ever. Where can people buy it?
http://shop.rvca.com/Owl_Eye_BMX/pd/np/108/p/1935.html
Describe your process of creating a new piece.
I think about stuff, do some sketches, then draw it! (no photoshop or illustrator required!) Often I work in
a series. At the moment I'm working on a show called "Monster Family". Staying true to the title of the show,
I'm drawing pictures of monsters with their families. For references I use library books and google image
search. sometimes i just draw out of my head. It's usually a combination.
What materials do you normally work in?
India ink, liquid acrylic, prismacolor colored pencils, markers, micron fine tip pens- always applied to mat
board.
Where do you like to get your art supplies in SF?
Dick Blick.
If you had to explain your work to a stranger, how would you do it?
I would say "It's like colored pencil drawings of like monsters and animals and shit" and they would be like
"Oh, cool man. You should do a drawing of _________!" and I would say "That would be cool" (not). Then I
never draw what the stranger tells me because I have enough crap to draw! Gimme a fuckin break!
How long have you lived in San Francisco and what brought you here?
Been out here from Ohio since 2001. My college roommate and best pal Joe "Nasty" Neff suggested we move here
after college because he had a girl out here and he was ready to leave Indiana. It's a great town but I truly
miss those hot summer nights. Don't miss the cold winter days though.
How did Joe "Nasty" get the nasty part added to his name?
Most people know Joe as "nice" and "chill". People don't always realize that he's nice but nasty.
Nice Neff doesn't sound as cool as Nasty Neff. Nasty Neff enjoys giving and receiving massages.
What do love most about living in SF? Favorite haunts- bars, food, parks, etc...?
I just moved back into the Mission and live right around the corner from tons of my friends so it's great to
go for a walk and run into people and get food/drinks and stuff. I like typical stuff: Dolores Park,
shopping the Haight, Hard Rock Cafe at Fisherman's Wharf, The Casanova Lounge, The Knockout, Golden Gate
Park, the Golden Girls, my computer, the television, and swimming in Hotel Pools (Holiday Inn on Pine and
Van Ness, Sheraton Inn Fisherman's Wharf). I live right by The Community Thrift Store- I go there
everyday to buy stuff and say hi to my friends that work there.
Man, don't give away the hotel swimming pool secret locations... Oh
wait, are they really secret anyway?
I don't think its a big secret. Usually most of the people there are locals (tattoos a giveaway)
If we spent the day man-dating what would we do?
Most of the stuff above, also we would definitely hit up Hooters. If you had a car we would drive to Grey
Whale Cove beach south of the city- its my favorite beach!
You go to the Hooters in Fisherman's wharf? I heard the girls are all
flat chested there. I bet you love those huge white tennis shoes they where!
Let's just say I'm not there for the wings if you catch my drift.
What are you really excited about right now?
"You Otter Know" or maybe "Don't Call Me Otter" new drawing book by Aiyana Udesen.
When are you the most productive?
When it's foggy and rainy.
Favorite trip taken?
I went on a great trip to Italy with my brother Jason and my Dad awhile back- it was really fun.
Music?
Fever Ray, Skinny Puppy Too Dark Park, Robyn Hitchcock Black Snake Diamond Role, Mountains, Legendary Pink
Dots, Eno, AFX.
What were you like in high school?
Goofy/grudge/Gothic
Upcoming projects and/ or upcoming shows, etc...?
"Monster Family" Oct 9-25th at Beams T Harajuku, "Future Colors of America" at Giant Robot San Francisco in
August, "Boy's Club" #3 at San Diego Comicon in late jury, "Neighborhoods"group show at 111 Minna in Sept.
2009.
In a previous interview you said "It'd be cool to fly, and be
invisible, and breathe underwater, and to shoot lasers out of my
eyes."... If you could choose one, which would it be and why?
Invisibility is the best for obvious boners.
videos
Links
mattfurie.com
blog.mtviggy.com/2009/06/16/los-list-matt-furie/
www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17477
www.juxtapoz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=593&Itemid=121
www.bookslut.com/blog/archives/2008_12.php
www.grahamkolbeins.com/writing/furie.html
{moscomment}
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This made our day. Not only do we love pizza but we also love Henry Gunderson... So a board shapped like a hot slice designed by Henry Gunderson for The Good Company, well... this writer needs to go for a slice right now.
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Wendell McShine (lives in Mexico City, from Trinidad) opened his newest show, Raccoon's Law, at Fifty24SF on Saturday night. ARYZ was a tough act to follow, but McShine held his own in the space... With a combination of a mural, a video, and both drawings and mixed-media works on paper, the diversity of this solo show was impressive. The Raccoon drawings were especially attractive as the way he executed them looked like they actually had fur coming off the page, and you can only imagine how soft it would be to touch. I was lucky to see his work in person through this show, and I hope to encounter more in the future.
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| Honey Boo Boo's Amurrican Starquest
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Henry Gunderson emailed over some photos from his recent group show with Andrew Luck, Jordan Bogash, and Mario Ayala "Out The Window" which ran at the Los Angeles based Prohibition Gallery.
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I got there the day after the tornado came through. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. My mind just could not grasp what my eyes were seeing. It was just too much to take in, too much to process. So, I did what comes naturally and took images. It sort of helped me separate from the chaos and helped me focus.
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| ARYZ's TL Mural and The Apple
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.jpg) |
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Well, it looks like John Felix Arnold rocked Tokyo with his opening with Koutaro Ooyama at Spes Lab a few weeks back. Even a language barrier couldn't prevent the success of their collaboration. They invited everyone they met on trains, in cars, cafes, bars, restaurants, and people responded by attending, and bringing their families and friends as well.
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Tonight We Fight @New Image, Sat
Wednesday, 19 June 2013 10:54
LOS ANGELES --- mark down Saturday, June 22nd on the calendar as New Image Art will be opening Tonight We Fight featuring works by John Malta, Pacolli, Mildred, Dillon Froelich, Eric McHenry, Teddy Kelly, Luke Pelletier, Sean Morris, Yarrow Slaps, Ben Jensen, Nathan Brown and Miles Jackson.
- show details
//////////
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 17:39
Whole Foods Rips Off Corey Arnold?
Tuesday, 18 June 2013 13:57
Tucker Nichols emailed over this Whole Foods poster (below right) which looks a lot like one of Corey Arnold's photos (bottom left). Coincidence? Where they inspired by Corey's photo? Did Corey actually shoot the photo? Who knows and Corey is fishing for salmon right now (like this), so we can't ask him to find out.
Wait, on this Instagram, Corey Arnold writes "Ripped off!", so we guess that's your answer.
Whole Foods highly inspired by a Corey Arnold photo. Ripped off?
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Wednesday, 25 April 2012 11:56
Homemade Tattoos (+How To)
Friday, 14 June 2013 10:00
Yeah, bad tattoos are basically a bummer, right? But they're also pretty much a rite of passage for bored and disenfranchised-feeling teenagers the world over. At least it was for about 95% of the people I know. Going to a reputable tattoo shop and getting a wizard or unicorn drilled into your lower back is totally fine, but nothing really takes the place of sitting around with a bunch of friends and some beers, enthusiastically taking turns poking each others' arms full of bad ideas-which actually is fun at any age.
Homemade Tattoos
Andreas Trolf's feature is an olde but goodie
Oakland: Organizers Trying to Keep Monthly Street Art Party Alive
Wednesday, 12 June 2013 15:18
OAKLAND -- First Fridays is hoping Oakland hasn't seen the last of the one of a kind event... The street art party is free to attend, but organizers say with police and other costs the price tag to throw the monthly party is $20,000... The City of Oakland has been footing the bill for months and after kicking in $500,000, it's pulling the plug... Organizers are now asking for donations and developing a vendor fee schedule to try and keep the party alive. ~continue reading
From a Fecal Face visit to one in 2008 ( pics)
June Group Show @Guerrero Gallery Saturday
Thursday, 13 June 2013 09:52
SAN FRANCISCO -- Guerrero Gallery, here in the Mission, opens their summer group show this Saturday, June 15th, featuring works from a steller lineup: Daniel Albrigo, Ryan Travis Christian, Alejandro Diaz-Ayala, Frohawk Two Feathers, Michelle Guintu, Justin Hager, Cody Hudson, Terry Powers, Rye Purvis, Victory Reyes, Jamie Williams, and Yarrow Slaps.
~complete details
Work by Alejandro Diaz-Ayala
Austin McManus Photography
Monday, 10 June 2013 14:06
NYC based Austin McManus updates his site with more tasty photography like the below image from his "Partner in Crime" series.
Image from Austin McManus' "Partner in Crime" series
SOEX's Monster Drawing Rally
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~complete details
Disputed Banksy graffiti art sold for $1.1M in London
Tuesday, 04 June 2013 14:00
Wonder if our old emails with Banksy are worth a few thousand dollars. It seems everything the dude touches is worth a million dollars these days! Nutty and much deserved.
A disputed Banksy graffiti artwork removed from a gritty London neighbourhood has sold for approximately $1.1 million US at auction. The provocative Slave Labour (Bunting Boy) sold at a private auction held by concierge firm The Sincura Group at the London Film Museum on Sunday, according to Bloomberg news service. The spray-painted, stenciled work depicts a child labourer using an antique sewing machine to create a Union Jack bunting.
-Continue reading
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| |
|
| Ian Kimmerly @Dolby Chadwick
SAN FRANCISCO --- Local painter Ian Kimmerly opened his newest show Continuous Wave at Dolby Chadwick on Thursday night, and these are some of the best paintings I've seen in a while.
|
|
| High 5s: 1 + 1 = 1
This editor has been posting images from his life for the last 13 years. Cats, sailboats and living one's life in the city of San Francisco. Visual randomness.
|
|
| The Black Robe at Spoke Art
Spoke Art opened The Black Robe on Thursday night, with the work of Barron Storey, Mike Dringenberg and Keita Morimoto, and was curated by Eidolon Fine Arts.
|
|
| Michael Alan Interview
These days New York-native multimedia artist, Michael Alan, has been incredibly active artistically in the big city. Between staging hours-long Living Installations at the New Museum and other DIY spaces, exhibiting his drawings and paintings in group exhibitions and hosting an unusual solo show in the home of his mother, Alan proves that there is no rest for the wicked. I caught up with him recently to hear the latest, the backstory, and what's next.
|
|
| Mute by Youth Lagoon
Have you been listening to Youth Lagoon's newest album Wondrous Bughouse? If not, do. It's one of the best albums we've heard in awhile.
|
|
| Viborg International Billboard Painting Festival
Henrik Haven, who keeps us up to date in all that's Copenhagen, emailed over some photos from the Viborg International Billboard Painting Festival that's running throughout June. In this short installment he introduces us to the work of urban/graffiti artist and illustrator NYCHOS.
|
|
| Kelly Tunstall's A16 Commissions
Kelly Tunstall, who's showing w/ Ferris Plock at FFDG this August 16th, recently finished some commissions for A16 in Oakland. Here's a little taste, and check out her last year's show at FFDG.
|
|
| Brendan Monroe Sculptures, A How To
Brendan Monroe, whose show Melting Into the Floor runs through June 15th at LA's Richard Heller, creates these great wooden sculptures and featured a bunch in the show... He's often asked how he goes about making them and gives us at Fecal Face a little 'how to' on the process.
|
|
| Mural by Curiot (+Mexico)
Mexico City based Curiot, whose sold out solo show Age of Omuktlans ran last March at FFDG, just finished this great mural entitled "El Retorno de Akhankutli" in Mexico. He recently completed one in Berlin too which we'll be posting in the coming week. The guy is very very talented in our eyes.
|
|
| The Pizza Slice(r) by Henry Gunderson
This made our day. Not only do we love pizza but we also love Henry Gunderson... So a board shapped like a hot slice designed by Henry Gunderson for The Good Company, well... this writer needs to go for a slice right now.
|
|
| Wendell McShine @Fifty24SF
Wendell McShine (lives in Mexico City, from Trinidad) opened his newest show, Raccoon's Law, at Fifty24SF on Saturday night. ARYZ was a tough act to follow, but McShine held his own in the space... With a combination of a mural, a video, and both drawings and mixed-media works on paper, the diversity of this solo show was impressive. The Raccoon drawings were especially attractive as the way he executed them looked like they actually had fur coming off the page, and you can only imagine how soft it would be to touch. I was lucky to see his work in person through this show, and I hope to encounter more in the future.
|
|
| Honey Boo Boo's Amurrican Starquest
Ingrid Wells just got her MFA from The San Francisco Art Institute and these oil paintings from her Honey Boo Boo's Amurrican Starquest were on display as part of the recent MFA exhibition... Ingrid Wells works and lives in San Francisco.
|
|
| "Out the Window" at Prohibition Gallery
Henry Gunderson emailed over some photos from his recent group show with Andrew Luck, Jordan Bogash, and Mario Ayala "Out The Window" which ran at the Los Angeles based Prohibition Gallery.
|
|
| The Tornatos in Moore, OK by Justin Clemons
I got there the day after the tornado came through. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. My mind just could not grasp what my eyes were seeing. It was just too much to take in, too much to process. So, I did what comes naturally and took images. It sort of helped me separate from the chaos and helped me focus.
|
|
| Hyuro "In/Between" at ArtRebels
Check out this, what could be, one of the longest murals ever created. Hyuro from Valencia, Spain was recently in Copenhagen for the solo show "In/Between" at ArtRebels.
|
|
| ARYZ's TL Mural and The Apple
Rachel Ralph spotted Barcelona-based ARYZ working on his mural in the TL a couple weeks back, and we forgot to share the pics. His show at Fifty24SF opened back in April.
|
|
| Oversized Paintings by Jeffrey Cheung
Jeffrey Cheung emailed over some photos from a recent one night show he had at Terra Gallery/ event space. The May 19th show also featured live music by Oakland garage rockers Twin Steps and Coldtergeist.
|
|
| Alison Blickle at Eleanor Harwood thru June 15th
Great solo show by LA based Alison Blickle (Born 1976) up now at San Francisco's Eleanor Harwood gallery. History of Magic Part 1... The Hermitage runs through June 15th 2013. -- 1295 Alabama St. Hours: Wed thru Sat (11-6pm)
|
|
| John Felix Arnold III in Japan (Part 4)
Well, it looks like John Felix Arnold rocked Tokyo with his opening with Koutaro Ooyama at Spes Lab a few weeks back. Even a language barrier couldn't prevent the success of their collaboration. They invited everyone they met on trains, in cars, cafes, bars, restaurants, and people responded by attending, and bringing their families and friends as well.
|
|
| Sanjay & Craig Premiere Party (+LA)
Last Thursday evening, I was lucky enough to get invited to Nickelodeon's premiere party for their newest cartoon, Sanja & Craig, created by three awesome dudes - Andreas Trolf, Jim Dirschberger, and Jay Howell. Hosted at Tony's Salon with pizza provided by Pizzanistas, the premiere party was filled with libations and celebrations, even a break-dance battle broke out. Congrats to everyone who worked on the show, and especially Trolf, Jim, and Jay who all have been working tirelessly on it. Sanja & Craig premiered Saturday 10:30 am 11 am on Nickelodeon. You can watch Sanjay and Craig Episode 1: Brett Venom on hulu. and read about how the guys came up with it in this interview with The LA Times. Now, here's some photos from the premiere.
|
|
| Travis Millard Was Almost Rusty Millard
Drawing Stories is a new series from our buddy Travis Millard. Grab a cup of hot coco, get your slippers on and enjoy some time with your uncle Millard.
|
|
| Tofer Chin @Lu Magnus (+NYC)
Los Angeles Christofer Chin (Tofer) emailed over some install shots of his current show Ar running in NYC at Lu Magnus through June 29th. Simple/ clean and continuing his op artstyle Tofer Chin features new paintings, photographs, and sculpture continuing his exploration of geologically and architecturally inspired Minimalist forms.
|
|
| Sten & Lex for The Katowice Street Art Festival
More great street art by the Italian duo, Sten & Lex, this time in Poland for the Katowice Street Art Festival.
|
|
 |
