PDX Art interview with J. Shea

Richard from PDX sat down with artist/ scuptor JShea 9 and wah la, this great interview was born. Get a cup of tea and have a read, it really is a nice insight in to the JShea's work and vision.

Did you always feel the call to be an artist ?

I've always enjoyed creating.......I studied illustration because I thought it might give me a better chance to work in the arts........that was my goal..............and still is.........make a living making art......weather its commercial.......personal........whatever......lock some skills in and
earn while being creative.........
after gigs in illustration.........sneaker design........puppet fabrication........and rock poster art, I began to focus more on my own ideas for personal art...........combining painting, sculpture, assemblage and installation........

Do you consider your self an urban artist and what is an urban artist?

no.....not really........i have done a fair amount street art in cities i've lived in..........but that kind of work i do is very subtle..........as i paint with brushes in lone corners of the city......its not like graffiti or wheat pasting ,where folks are "getting up" to be seen.......i just do little street paintings in my neighborhood.......you really have to look for them.......but its fun to go out at night and paint...........there's enough visual stimulation already with advertising.........sometimes when you see a little original painting mixed in.....it makes you smile.....i hope.....


urban artist.....? i always thought it was someone who had roots in graffiti...........or some other form of street art.........i know many artist's who consider themselves "post graph"....
and they are amazing painters..............though i've never heard them consider themselves "urban artist".......even though they still go out and paint at night.......i think a gallery curator came up with that label.............

Even though you paint beautifully I see that you like to work with sculpture ?

For the past few years I've been focused on "my style of sculpture"........combining assemblage, found objects and clay modeling........because I enjoy all those forms of art............and felt no one was really combining all those mediums...........i love painting too.........but its limiting in many ways.......i guess i want there to more dimension to my work.....plus the process in making the sculpture is alot more involved ............i really enjoy its process......

Where do you find the unique pieces for them?
I enjoy the process of scavenging through flea markets,thrift stores,and yard sales looking for junk........mostly old things.......broken and forgotten..........but they still have an essence of craft and quality to me.........maybe because most things made today are plastic and disposable....
made with no attention to detail or craftsmanship..............nothing is handed down like an old tool,toy or record .......its just thrown away.......
READ THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW HERE ON PDX art forum