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ART SCHOOL | Q&A w/ ALEX GAMSU JENKINS (UK)

With heroes like satirist James Gillary, the father of modern cartoon Hogarth, and American underground cartoonist Robert Crumb, it is no surprise that UK artist Alex Gamsu Jenkins’s illustrations are often dark, grotesque, odd, and pretty darn funny. Using humor as a tool to explore and satirize the world around him, Jenkins’s art is a visual commentary on the world, technology, and whatever else crosses his quick-witted mind. In our latest Art School, Alex shares with us his insight into his process, his art school experiences, and how he overcomes the dreaded– drawer’s block.

Photographs courtesy of the artist.

Who are you and what do you do. Hello there, my name is Alex Gamsu Jenkins. The “Gamsu” is not a bad psuedo name but my mum’s surname as there is another illustrator under the name Alex Jenkins. That being I am an illustrator from South East London.

How would you describe the work you create to someone whose never seen it? Hmmm, I like to draw odd scenairos which are often of a dark or grotesque nature. But not too much where I percieve it as overdone. That’s why its important to make them humouress or fun so its not overcooked and hopefully not cringey.

You’ve mentioned that your work utilizes humor as a tool to explore and satirize various topics. Do you have favorite satirist and humorists you look too? Who were some of your early artistic influences? I always have a memory of seeing Steve Bell’s caricatures in the Guardian. Particluary John Major in y-fronts , Tony Blair with his stressed bulging eye and more recently David Cameron with his Condom head. I was a fan of how he exagurated their personalities and conjured them into fleshy mass’s with their features. Of course you got your Gillray and Hogarth’s but my hero has gotta be Robert Crumb. His stuff can be looked at as so offensive, but often he’s flipping the script. He would attack and satirize all corners of society and leave no prisoners.

What about humor as an artistic tool do you find so effective when creating your illustrations that sometimes might focus on more critical subject matter? Humour is effective as it can act as a valve and help to balance an image. If the imaginary is 100% violent or macabre, humour can help to disolve the mood and cast a different light on it or make it more acceptable. Also you can probably get away with a load more if it’s under the bracket of comedy. Like Robert Crumb, his characters often delved deep into the taboo (his incestual nuclear family springs to mind), but humour can dilute the offence that is created by the initial image.

What’s your artistic process like and what’s the weirdest thing about your process? I really struggle to think of an idea whilst im walking around doing every day activities. I usually have to sit down and sketch and something will come from there. But I always dread it when my mind is blank and I know eventually I am going to have to sit down and force myself to think of things. I bloody hate the idea of that. I work another job somthimes which involves driving out of London early in the mornings, and strangely I feel in this morning gap (07:00 – 10:00 am) my brain seems more lively and I can get more quick fire ideas down. I also need to urinate on these car journeys too, so maybe it’s the whole frantic nature of it which forces me to go into full throttle.

What mediums do you love to work with? I went on a pilgrimage and now I’m fully enveloped into using a very cosmic Wacom cintq.. which is one of the fancy ones with a screen that you draw straight onto. So in a way I have neglected all of my beloved organic materials I grew up with, but I always promise them that we will meet again. I try to carry around a ring bound sketch book and black ink brush pens. I used to see people use the fancy moleskin sketch books with the nice paper. But I think my hands are too big so it would always feel a very uncomfortable experience for me, or they are more for show then being practical.

Can you tell us about your art school experiences, both positive and negative, having recently graduated Camberwell College of Arts? Before I went to art school, I had these expectations and hopes that it would be a cauldron of talent and expression and that we would be carefully sculpted and guided into successful artists. I quickly found out it had an eerily similair feeling to secondary school. Just my peers are middle class and I wasn’t getting punched in the back on route to lessons. When I trawl over my memories of both secondary school and Art college, everything has dulcit and grey tones to it. Aside from the mundanity I found with Camberwell. It pushed me to have a very good work ethic as the projects came thick and fast. So when it came to being on my own, I still had it drilled into me to try and churn work out.

What makes you smile when viewing art? Hmm that’s tough. With things like Instagram and the internet at the ready, other peoples’ work is so accessible now that it has the risk of all becoming quite saturated. I think the things that stand out for me are the subject matter and the humour. Especially the quirkier the better.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about artists? I was always a bit embarrassed when art or illustration would come up in conversation with my friends that I had grown up with from school and that it was something that I had decided to pursue (otherwise it is something that would never of come into convo). I aways feel its something that isn’t taken very seriously, especially by my friends who work normal or manual jobs. Music and film are creative forms which are far more accepted by most, as opposed to illustration which I feel a misconception is its viewed as a luxury or something that isn’t necessary. I would often find myself having to justify it with my friends.

How do you overcome drawer’s block? I dread it when it comes, but I find what helps most is of course sketching and moving onto the next idea quickly. But also if I’m really stuck, then change the environment I’m in. There is nothing worse then feeling stale, groggy crusty and out of ideas. Drink some water, go for a walk, get the blood flowing and then start sketching where ever you end up is what I say.

What type of music do you listen to when creating? I have a routine of watching boxing interviews and opinions on youtube. It can be incredibly mind numbing, but when its looping in the background it almost becomes a white noise and I think somehow, this spurs me on into the twilight hours.

In another life, what would you be doing if you weren’t an artist? Probably doing something manual but also didn’t involve to much brain power, like garden labouring or something. I remember breifly being in office enviroments and feeling claustrophobic and frustrated. At least with physical work there was always a sense of achievement at the end of the day.

Favorite Vans? I’m gonna be that guy and say Vans Old Schools, probably the most obvious choice one could make.

What’s next for you? There is lots on my to do list, the main thing is to actually get round to doing them. A solo show would be great and I keep saying getting to grips with animation. I think more for the short term would be to take more time on work, and maybe not focus so much on churning stuff out for the sake of it. Focus more on detail and honing my skills (if I actually have any). Oh and of course to eventually stray away from the wacom.

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