Will Blanchard - A Profile in Words and Images
"My life feels like a living collage" (Will Blanchard)
Interview article by Heather Minx Ferguson and Celine Hispiche
Will Blanchard is not only a musician and DJ, but also a creator of dreams visualised - a wizard of colour and a dancer of imagination; the essence of ArtBeat. Inspired by a lifetime as a musical performer with street artist collaborations, he is best known for creating works that are visual and highly engaging.
In Autumn 2017 Proud Galleries presented his 'Imagination Against Reality'; exhibition of contemporary Pop Art ‘through the looking glass’ with an exclusive series of graphic collages by former Rock ‘n’ Roll musician/DJ Will Blanchard that superimposed normality and distortion with psychedelia and popular culture including his own childhood posessions, musical influences, flea markets and street finds. It twisted the novel Alice In Wonderland into anarchism and activism. A concept which "imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality."
Blanchard draws on the sporadic nature of graffiti, urban life, rock music and capitalist imagery, challenging traditional notions of art with socially engaged reactions. Blanchard’s distinctive visual expression and style has garnered the attention of an eclectic celebrity following including Jason Donovan and Florence Welch, and continues to spark interest globally. Feeling that Will Blanchard is an artist for RIGHT NOW, TheZineUK, had to find out more.
Z : Will. Tell us a bit about yourself?
W : "I studied art for a year foundation course in Boscombe, Bournemouth at Shelley Park where I made Super 8 movies and learned how to roll the perfect joint. Failed college entry and had lost interest as I wanted to work in the film industry and also play drums in bands - which I did, both; became a runner for a few years in Soho and played drums with various acts for nearly thirty years before returning to make art full time nine years ago."
What was the main driving force for you to become an artist?
"I was obsessed with art and music growing up and it's a language that resonated within me and parallels between the two forms. The mid 20th century pop art movement in UK and USA were particularly influential, and spurred me on to try and make my own art based on these reference points."
I was very lucky to have seen your work at The Men Gallery in Redchurch Street. Do you salvage and recycle items for your works?
"That was my first professional show nine years ago. Trying to interface making a show I had no budget to work and was experimenting with found objects and materials off the street and skips, as well as flea markets and working them into assemblage pieces in boxes being the theme of the show. Also incorporated some pieces I found in parents attic from 30 years ago at art college which brought the work full circle.
Also the idea of saving materials from landfill was a big part of my work around the first few shows at that time, mixing collage, found objects, stencils paint and mixed media and materials I had collected and hoarded for years!"
Please tell me more about your American influences?
"American influences due to the abstract expressionism period especially jasper John's and Robert Raushenberg , ed kieholz, Wallace Berman, Robert Indiana and tom wesselman and James rosenquist as well as Warhol et al from west and east coast were huge influences as well as movies and ephemera from the USA cultural references pop and rock music style and fashion from the 50s and 60s eras excited me visually and aurally !! Advertising and fonts signage and graphics - all more interesting and modern than British scene and counterparts."
I can really sense your love and passion for the 60's. Could you elaborate more on this i.e films, icons, fashion, music?
"See last answer. I am obsessed with a positive period of time in 1969s - so many exciting people and ideas were happening in a short space of time - movies fashion music design style art and architecture etc."
I love the diversity of your work is there an underlying message that you want to express?
"Diversity exploring ideas and themes take me to different places in my work and geographically I have done shows in LA and Paris as well as London, but travel is important to me and u would love to show in more countries and work onsite gathering materials and visual influence.
There maybe themes explored in different shows that I work on but most underlying themes are repetitive and take from my inspiration from the references I made earlier to my pop art heroes being Eduardo Paolozzi and Peter Blake as well as the US movement."
What was the major inspiration for your most recent show?
"Imagination Against Reality being a theme of where your imagination can take you versus the reality around you in the present plus living in an Information age where images and reference are everywhere! Also a nod to the psychedelia of 1967 being 50 year anniversary and Lewis carol LSD and revolution being some themes or research."
Do you feel as a musician and DJ this plays another major input to your ideas and work?
"I was listening to The Byrds on heavy rotation whilst making pieces for this show, being a current fave musically, but I always work to music. It is essential to the process! It's a similar process to recording tracks layering sounds and images and editing and collating an album of tracks as the same as a body of work for a show to present."
Previous Works, Prints For Sale and more via WilliamBlanchard.com
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