Interview Steve Powers

09/18/2013
I interviewed Steve Powers who is one of really famous New York street artist and graphic designer at the same time. It was my pleasure and miracle to mr to interview him.

Dain: Nice to meet you.
Steve: Nice to meet you.

D: Yeah, my name in Dain Lim and I will start my interview. 

S: That’s good idea. Dain Lim don’t you? Dain Lim got it.

D: The first question is why did you choose your major?

S: I dropped at the school. A year ain't my major was... the reason I chose my major was... it was the hardest courses of study that I could do. I studied graphic design and didn’t know anything about graphic design and I knew what’s going to be run by really uptight serious... serious teachers. And most one they really worked uptight they were really serious. And the work was really hard and very confusing at that time. But by doing hard at least trying to do hard work. It was really important and I am really glad I did it. I feel like if I did illustration or painting I though I knew how to paint and I knew how to draw and I want to do that was challenging if i gonna spent money on education something I want to learn...learn something. 

D: Second question is what is your themes in your work. 

S:Themes in my works are...life...Um..theses of life then transactions that we make in a daily life that compromises we make for loved ones Um.. compromises we don’t make for loved ones and that just.. the.. just the living.. living in the fun. The having fun that’s a big theses of my works and not having fun.

D: Which materials do you usually use?

S: The materials that I use is anything from pen, ball point pen. Using a mouse, Illustrator right now. I am really happy on using the brush. Um.. I use so brushes, pens and computer. 

D: What have you been working or recently?
S: Um right now. My times is divided between couple of design jobs. Designing record cover for artist name Kurt Vile and I make paintings.

D: Where do your concepts come from?
S: That from my mind. A lot of it just a processing the information living just working through the problems and working through a joys and pains of everyday existence. Just thinking about living. 

D: How do you match the colors?

S: I picked one color and I picked another color and then I tried to avoid boring combinations. If it is not boring that seems to be the good direction to go. One color can be best, two colors is great , three colors is good, four colors is average. 

D: Who were you influenced by?
S: I am really more influenced ,I guess, by music not even musicians so much as the music they made. Um..and I am influenced by a lot of anonymous people. People that makes signs to make signs people that I never knew who they are, they work anonymously create signs, they create work that I see they don't sign it but sometimes I am really not sure   they something beautiful interesting.    

D: When is your favorit art period, why?
S: Right now. Right now is great because I can influence it I can do something with it. Hopefully add something to it. As I love..and I love impressionist. I love the a...I love popartist i guess. And i love a  lot of artist eighties I can’t do anything about that now. So the ancient history is finished  but what’s happening now I can do something about so like that best. 

D: Which is your favorite art work? why?
S: I hate all my art work. Very disappointed all of it. Um.. I like something that I working on now every excited about new painted am doing and then I hate them someday too. And I have to make something new I like new things. I have to make a new things. I think that some good thing in the past I seen it there likes a old friend that haven't seen a mean whiles looking around but mostly I am looking ahead.

D: Do you think you have a strong personal style? Yeah yeah I see.
S: (Skim himself)I think I have a strong personal style. 

D: Have you ever thought about changing your major before? why? 

S: I...No. I...mean I.. Maybe I shouldn't changed my major in first school. But a i no ..I found out  that a It is seemed to be very clear that If I want to be graphic designer for one of be a working artist.  Graduate in school one is good as going out and getting money from people to do jobs. When I did a job that I paid was like I passed the class and I got a good grade. I don’t gonna beger. So i just transfer all.. I transfer out of school and I transfer something that i called university diversity and I just went out the stuff to learn it  to get a good at it. You know if i could I get a learn and learn on the job for get pay and get a nice bonus. So still today I am learning as I learning.

D: What do you want to achieve in the future?

S:  I wanna get my teeth fixed. I wanna save my account money on it. And I wanna make really transcendent that an art. I wanna make the art transcendent time and space that transcend language that transcendent everything religion race and to just something universal. I wanna make most personal art work universal and I want to make most universal art work I can that people still feel personal. I think not enough in one life time. That all i can do next 40 years. If i have 40 years. Think I have 40 years. I feel pretty good about have a 40 years. I think about that 40 or 6 more years. 

Another person: Good Luck!

S: I think I have got that. I have 40 or 6 more years left. So, I got a lot to do.

D: Yeah.. and that was the last question so.. Thank you for answering.

S: You welcome. 

9.18.2013. I met Steve Powers at his studio. He is really famous street artist as well as we can googling him. So it was a miracle to me that I met and interview him. 

The first question was ‘Way you choose your major?’ then he said actually he changed his major during the first year of undergraduate. And he told me that at least trying to do your best is most important thing so he choose the hardest major to him. 

While interviewing he was kidding. Actually he is humorous person. I think, keeping humor in daily life is really good thing as an artist. So His scenes of humor and positive mind was impressive. 

His major themes is living, living fun or not having fun. He get some ideas from general daily life. And these concepts come from his mind. 

He usually use the computer, ball points pen, brushes and paint for the materials. When he paint, he try to avoid the bored combination in color. So his all of art works are pop and vivid. 

And he don’t have favorit art work. He said, “Something that I am working on now very excited about new painting an then I hate them someday too”. I think this is because of his passion. He is always eager after new things and never stop. This make him be creative and keep famous until now. 

At last, I asked what he want to achieve in the future then he answered “I wanna make really transcendent that an art. I wanna make transcendent every thing”. And he added this “May be It will take 40 years more, I meed 40.. to 46 years.” He is so energetic. I can feel his ambition. It was so meaningful time to me. As an artist this interview make me think a lot.