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Josh "Shag" Agle is arguably the world's hippest artist right now. His "60's styled" artwork, once a cult favourite, is now sought after worldwide (with a sizeable following amongst the rich & famous). Why? Well, hopefully this interview and the many examples of the pictures here will go some way to explaining this.
Over these 3 pages, we asked the man himself a host of questions covering art, design, scooters, music, film, junk shops and anything else that springs to mind! And to his credit, he answered the lot!
This is part 1 of the interview.
You can find links to part 2 and part 3 of this interview at the foot of the page.
When I first saw your pictures, they reminded me of 60s sitcoms, old travel ads, classic early 60's flicks and cocktails...but all with a sinister edge. How would you describe your paintings to someone who isn't familiar with them?
"The paintings are based on stylized commercial advertising from the mid 50's through the mid-sixties. Back then, a lot of magazine ads, TV commercials, and product packaging had sort of cubist-cartoonish look, which I've appropriated and expanded upon for these Shag paintings. I almost always try to paint a story...something that's happening, often sinister, and usually a bit mysterious."
Why the animals? Wolves & apes seem to appear quite regularly!
"I started using animals as a way to tell people that I wasn't painting the "real" world...I didn't want people to look at the work and think it was a depiction of actual life. Many of the animals represent personality types: the wolf is a "suave womanizer", and the bull represents that part of being a male which is totally subjugated by the opposite sex."
Where did it all begin? What was the first thing you sold? When did you know you could make painting your career?
"The first actual painting I sold was in 1995. I had been working as a commercial illustrator, so I was paid for my art, but I had never actually set out to sell an original piece until my longtime friend Otto Von Stroheim, who is the publisher of the "Tiki News" fanzine, asked me to contribute a painting to an art show he was setting up. I think the piece was priced at $200 & sold straightaway."
How are you viewed by the "art establishment"?
"Initially I was completely ignored by the fine art world, with the exception of a few galleries that dealt with West Coast, Lowbrow artists. Lately though, legitimate galleries and serious art collectors have been after me with increasing diligence. The museums are still turning up their noses at me, with a couple exceptions."
Who inspired you to paint? Are there any artists or illustrators you owe a debt to? Do you purchase the art of others?
"My Grandfather, who made a good living as a commercial illustrator, inspired me posthumously to take it up as a career. As far as artists and illustrators who've given me great inspiration, I obviously owe a debt to the pop artists of the early sixties, as well as later image/product oriented guys like Keith Haring. Robert Williams, a California painter, also inspired me to try to paint my own vision...not directly, as he's always been a complete asshole to me, but indirectly through his work. I have quite a large collection of original commercial art from the 50's & 60's, & I have a few fine art pieces. I have a Warhol Shoe illustration from the late 50's, & my other favorite is a painting by the contemporary artist Mark Ryden, whose popularity has exploded in the past five years."
How do you keep the ideas coming? Are they all yours, or do friends & family help with the creativity?
"I have a little notepad where I write ideas down. I seldom sketch ideas until I sit down to do a painting. Though family, friends, acquantances and fans often suggest ideas to me, these ideas tend to be a little askew from my own perspective & I seldom end up painting things that others have suggested."
Have you or your family ever sneaked into the paintings?
"I've been in a few paintings, & my wife in several. I've put my dog & car in paintings too! A lot of people recognize me in paintings even though I didn't intend it to be me."
How much of your week is taken up with painting?
"I paint seven days a week, usually early in the morning and late at night. The rest of my day is taken up with the "business side of being Shag:" phone calls, meetings, e-mail, etc."
Ever thought of painting a couple extra pictures a year, hiding them, and selling them when you're 60 to pay for a comfortable retirement (plot © Dr Who!)?
"People have suggested that to me! I'm always so behind on painting for gallery shows that everything I do goes out the door almost immediately. I do have a fairly valuable collection of 'sold out' prints and merchandise which I'll sit on for a long time."
Interview ownership modculture.com. Image ownership Shag. Reproduction forbidden.
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