You say you’ve been “geographically disconnected from the art scene” - how so, and how has this affected your art and your attitude towards it?
Someone mentioned that simply because I don�t live in one of the commonly known artspheres. I grew up in a small agriculture-based town in Idaho, than I moved to the East Coast for a few years, and now I live back on the West Coast. I only go to Los Angeles if an acquaintance has an opening, and I rarely travel to San Francisco. I live in a pretty customary residential area where most of my neighbors are still uncertain of what I do. I think it is great living with commuters instead of creators. The air is clean. Nobody really knows me, and nobody really hassles me.

How have you amassed such a client list - with names as Burton Snowboards, Billabong, and Foundation Skateboards?
I don�t know, I guess.

What gets you in the mood to create?
I just work- I always do something. I try everything and work hard. Some good music, a sip of cold water, and I go to work.

The colors you use in your pieces are very bright and loud. How do you use colors to further define a piece?
Colour is really important to me- my eyes really like color. Sometimes the colours balance, more often they don�t. Some people wear drab clothing, others wear bright clothing. I don�t use bright colour in my art to attract attention to it, but because I feel good when I look at bright colors. I think that�s why they were invented, isn�t it?

Now that you’ve seen the business side of art and design, has this changed your outlook in your personal creations?
Once I started to approach the commercial territory of art & design, I created some objectives for myself. I want to maintain my ideals, and I try to avoid pre-formulated design concepts. But the purpose of most design is to communicate something on a business level and create an aesthetic that the client wants, but is unable to do for themselves. This can be fun, too. I agree with Warhol�s conclusion that being successful in business is really one of the most intriguing forms of art. I�m not afraid of entrepreneurialism as art. On the other hand, I don�t want to think in those utilitarian terms when I paint or shoot photos or draw. I can do art for myself; with no other intent besides to illustrate an idea or express a sentiment. If I don�t like it, I throw it away. If I�m not in the vibe to paint, I don�t. Money and business do not enter the equation when I work on my paintings.

A shirt you designed was found recently in an obvious copied form from the makers of Obey, of all people. How did this happen, and what feelings did you have about seeing this?
That whole thing was whacky. Basically, I created this shirt for Kreativ Network a couple of years ago. My wife actually noticed an OBEY version of the same shirt being sold at Nordstrom�s one day. So we checked it out, and sure enough. But there�s a deeper issue of appropriation and referentialism going on. I mean, this stuff happens all the time- and I�m not hurt over it. Sometimes imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and sometimes it�s just plain creative thievery. It�s merely a t-shirt, right?

What do you find yourself doing outside of your art?
I still skate a lot, and I�m kind of a music hermit- so I�m always collecting albums. I like to hang with my wife and listen to music. I try to go skateboarding every day. Yoga, Tai Chi, reading something spiritual and stuff like that to start the day.

What artists are you watching closely?
I love looking at art- there are so many talented minds nowadays. But it seems that when I examine other artists, I tend to hate what I�m creating. Instead of providing inspiration, it drains me of it. For a long time my favourites have been guys that I revered as skateboarders first- people like Mark Gonzales, Ed Templeton, etc. I grew up admiring Basquiat, Frank Stella, and a few others. Today I�m really fond of art from Chris Johanson and Jeff Soto. But I try to not follow artists or modern art culture too closely; I don�t know why.

Shout outs, yells, hollers?
Yeah, thanks to everyone at Our Art Site, thanks for the interview. Hello to my wife, everyone in the Distrikt Collective, Yoshi, Yusuke and at 2K by Gingham. And thanks to everyone that appreciates my art in one way or another. Keep it proper.

For more information, visit www.kellydwilliams.com

Website: ArtWontSaveYou.com

Website: IC0 - Contemporary Art Association
Contact email: iczeros@gmail.com

BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers, NJ with a minor in Art History

Art has the responsibility to encourage thought. Living in a world with great tragedy, I feel it vital to create works that reflect humor, philosophy, political and social awareness.

In the midst of the war in Iraq, I feel inclined to reflect on past wars with which humanity is still paying a great price. With reference to the Holocaust and particularly with the chemical warfare of the Vietnam War, my latest series focuses on the children of the Vietnamese who were exposed to the chemical Agent Orange. As well I have targeted the endangered pygmy loris, as an ambassador of endemic species of that area who were exposed by the chemical.

Website: Amanda Potter
Contact email: mendbroknwings@aol.com

http://brunovaratojo.blogspot.com
http://sirenasesemiramis.blogspot.com

Website: Bruno Varatojo
Contact email: bruno.varatojo@gmail.com