More than an artist, Duggie Fields has been an Art Movement over the past 5 decades. His paintings, films, animation, photography, music, and design, have been at the pioneering edge of British Art and Culture. And he has collaborated with the likes of Stanley Kubrick, Derek Jarman, Rei Kawakubo and Andrew Logan to name but a few.
In the 1990s, Mr Fields devised a new Philosophy of Art – Maximalism, which he described as “minimalism with a plus, plus, plus” and “the individual use to create chaos out of order and vice versa”. As Mr Fields developed his Maximalist Art Works, he produced a series of short art films and music videos. This is one of those many gems, The Big Riddle from 1993, written by Fields, with music co-written with Howard Bernstein, and directed by Mark Le Bon.
01 What were your early artistic influences?
Comics, Walt Disney and my Parents.
02 What sort of Art and themes do you gravitate towards generally?
Art that moves me, makes me think, and admire it’s actuality.
03 What have been the main inspirations in your working themes and style?
After so long, it is always now my previous works.
04 What about the different mediums and techniques that you use or employ? Do you use modern technology and if so how?
For years I just used acrylic on canvas as my main medium, first doing studies on graph paper with tracing paper layers over them. Now I still produce some canvasses, but all of my work is digital first, using layers and a grid onscreen, before being output either on to canvas, by hand painting Aas well as by print, on paper or perspex, as well as some just remaining virtual.
05 What other current Artists do you find appealing? Heroes and Zeroes?
Many and changeable. The last exhibition that surprised me by how much I admired it was The Hockney show at The Royal Academy.
06 What can we expect to see from your current body of work right now?
Right now I’m working on some new perspex cut-out and some word pieces for a show in Liverpool, which will also feature some wallpaper installations, new for me and site-specific for this show.
07 Anything that you really hate and why?
Duggie did not answer this question.
08 What about Commissions and awkward clients?
Never my favourite to so. Some really are a good creatine challenge , but the thought that the end has to please someone specific is always intrusive somehow, however agreeable the Client.
09 Tell us what you are up to at the moment and where can we view your work etc?
Finishing things for the Liverpool show, part of the Biennial Independants at:
The Gallery Liverpool
First Floor, The Courtyard
41 Stanhope St
Liverpool L8 5RE
T: +44 (0) 151 709 2442
E: arts@thegalleryliverpool.co.uk
W: thegalleryliverpool.co.uk
15th September – 12th October 2012
Mon – Fri 10am – 4.30pm. Sat 10am – 2pm. Closed Sunday.
10 Your thoughts on the future and things that excite you beyond Art?
Does anything excite beyond making art in whatever form that takes? Am not sure, though the occasional plane trip somewhere is always tempting, and social life can be fun, but the future is always uncertain and unpredictable.
11 Have you met or worked with anyone interesting on your Artistic journey?
I have met many interesting people, and have worked with a few, but most of my work has been done alone, in my studio on my own. There have been a few trips around the world to work with others, always exciting but ultimately I come back to the same place for focus.
12 What does the future hold in store for you and your work?
No idea what the future holds, hopefully more of the same to a greater or lesser degree in different aspects. Next year possibly work on show in Berlin and again in Denmark, but currently only maybes. More certainty is working alone in my studio as much as I am able to.
Links:
‘Hot Cloudcasts featuring ‘Journey through Time’ by Duggie Fields’
