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Jacob Blaze is an amazing creative force, and much to our pleasure, is responsible for the artwork on Death and our upcoming project Rebirth. I took some time recently to catch up with my good friend to ask him about his creative process and his inspiration for his striking work on our records. It was a very invigorating look into the heart of an up and coming artist.--Quinn
Here's what he had to say...
1. So Jacob, what were your earliest memories of creating art?
As far back as I can remember, I've been drawing. When I was a kid I would draw different characters I made up (I remember ninjas specifically), animals with weapons (think a dolphin with guns on its fins), cars, etc. I would doodle logos as well. I took art classes in school as I got older.
2. What or who inspired a passion for art in you?
I think that part of it is simply how I'm wired. To the best of my knowledge, I've always been pretty visual. There have been times where I've tried to shift my life away from creating and to stop making art, and it simply hasn't worked. I get a lot out of it, and it's something I've learned a lot from. On the other hand, I think some of it is a result of circumstance. Like many people, I had some painful experiences during childhood, dealing with my parents' divorce and the resulting circumstances as an example, and I think there's something to say for art and creativity being born out of pain. There are a lot of people with harder pasts than I've had, but I think that definitely plays a part in why I'm driven to create.
3. Would you mind briefly sharing your artistic history.
I definitely don't mind. Like I said earlier, I drew a lot as a kid, but high school is where I think I really latched onto art, taking five art classes in my four years there. Late high school is when I was introduced to pieces by artists who worked in New York during the 50s, and I loved them; Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Roy Lichtenstein were some of my first favorite artists. When I went to college, I went back and forth between the art and design majors (along with a couple others). I ended up graduating with a degree in graphic design, but because it was a smaller school, I was still able to take a lot of art classes and have a couple art shows. It was also in college that I meant an artist named Father Bill Moore, who in some ways became an artistic mentor, and I'm still in touch with him. Really great guy. Since graduating from college in 2005, I've basically been working graphic design jobs and painting on the side, showing some and continuing to develop who I am as an artist.
4. What do you call your preferred medium?
That's a harder question than it should be. I'd say acrylics have been my preferred medium, because these are at the base of most of what I've done recently, though I usually implement wood stain, found objects, and some relief printmaking as well. I'm actually planning on trying some new materials soon, like house paint, so this could change in the next couple of months.
5. Are there any artists that you look up to who express themselves with this form?
Father Bill Moore, who I mentioned earlier, is one of these artists. I saw his work before I met him, and it just resonated with me; he uses very simple compositions and rich textures, both of which I absolutely love. His primarily uses acrylics, but he also includes found objects in his work, and does so beautifully. I really enjoy the work of artists who are using other mediums as well; there's a lot to learn about art from artists who work completely differently than I do. I recently went to an exhibit about the birth of impressionism, and though what I do is very different from impressionism, I was mesmerized by these artists' use of color, their compositions, and the enormity of some of these paintings. There are artists using an array of mediums who I really enjoy. Another recent favorite is an artist in New York named Makoto Fujimura, who works with precious minerals.
6. There are many artists who choose to focus on particular themes or find a particular element that consistently apply to what they do; what would you say is yours?
Something that has come up a lot in my work is grace, that the disposable and bent can be part of a larger redeeming process, that selfish and unlovable people can be loved. That hits home for me, which is why I often include found objects or "disposable" materials in my work.
7. What inspires you in general?
People who do amazingly selfless and loving things, my community, time spent in prayer, music, others' artwork, traveling, watching people I love challenge themselves and live well.
8. Are you reading any books currently? Do you feel like they have an impact on your work right now?
I'm actually reading a business book right now. Not my favorite genre, but there are some good things to take from some of these books. This one is called No More Mondays, and it has, on a more practical level, had me thinking about how I want my work life to look (I might add that I'm thinking more about my work life in part because it affects how much I'm able to work on my art). I'm also slowly working on a book by C.S. Lewis called An Experiment in Criticism, which is basically about how we interact with art, and Chaim Potok's The Gift of Asher Lev. I don't often see a book having a direct influence on my work, but if I've read something that really affects me, and I'm creating honestly, I think it will come out in what I'm making.
9. What sort of environment do you work in, and do you try to create a mood via lights or furniture etc.? Do you feel that this has an impact on your artwork?
I prefer to work in strong lighting so I can see how things will look at their best. In terms of creating a mood, I've been putting on music while I work, but I'm planning on working in silence for the next while. Part of this is because I plan on treating painting as a time of prayer, but also because I heard someone say recently that, in creating, we need to be careful in manufacturing a mood. When someone sees a painting of mine, they most likely won't have music or a mood as a backdrop; they'll have a painting on a wall, and it's up to that painting to affect them. I want to be able to see how a piece affects me without any extra emotional lift while I'm working, in hopes that I can better understand what a viewer will experience.
10. Do you normally listen to music went you work, and if you do, what is generally on your playlist?
I don't have a particular artist or album that I constantly come back to, or a genre I stick to. I think the only rules are that I can leave it on for an entire album, and that it can work well in the background. I've come back to The Album Leaf and Elbow a lot.
11. Because I chose to give you demos of the songs to listen to as you were creating the artwork for Death, do you feel that this helped the process, hindered the process, or neither?
I think it definitely helped the process. It helped me get an idea of the overall feel of the album, which provided a great starting place in trying to create artwork that complemented the music.
12. Do you have a favorite track on the record and if so, which one and why?
My favorite track is "Simple." It's poignantly straightforward, and I especially like it following the previous track, "Arrows Fly." "Arrows" seems to deal a lot with conflict and angst, and "Simple" answers with thoughts on love and dreams about things being better. They're both good songs, but there's a rest in "Simple" that fits there really well.
13. How did you come up with the design/concept for the cover? What inspired the use of shapes and color?
From the beginning, I wanted to represent these collections of songs in an abstract way, and I thought that making a linocut of an abstract design would add some great texture and make this more interesting. It also helped knowing at the outset that there would be two albums, and that these would be titled with words that are near opposites. I planned the art for Death with a loose idea of what Rebirth would look like. I thought that Death would be well-suited by warm, sometimes abrasive colors and shapes with straight edges and sharp corners; these reference fire and destruction and give the piece a harsh feel. The artwork for Rebirth will have a similar approach but hopefully a completely different mood.
14. Because of the nature of this project, was it difficult to convey those emotions in a visual way?
Somewhat, but it wasn't too bad. I think it was a good challenge. Having pretty straightforward titles helped, as well as the opposing themes of the two albums; these made it easier to get to the core ideas of Death and Rebirth. Also, you gave me a lot of freedom in coming up with artwork, and I enjoyed trying to convey emotions and ideas in colors and shapes rather than recognizable imagery. Working with simpler elements made it simpler to come up with ideas.
15. Do you feel that the element of friendship has any bearing on a piece of work when you are creating something with or for a friend? In what ways?
I think it can. I have a much greater understanding of a friend than I do of a stranger, which helps me in trying to determine what a friend will like or what type of thing will fit that person. There's definitely still some guesswork and risk, which is good, but it's lessened when working for a friend. And I generally try to make the best work I can, but when something is for a friend, I feel an extra push to make it really good because I care about this person on a much deeper level.
16. Where can we see more of what you do?
I have work up at my website, which is www.jacobblaze.com. I'm not currently showing work anywhere, but I hope to be later this year.
17. What has been your favorite part of this collaboration?
It's hard to pick a favorite, as I've enjoyed so much of the process: coming up with ideas, listening to tracks from the EP, making the piece. I was thrilled that you even asked me to be a part of this project, and I remember being really excited with the initial ideas for this and that you were on board with them.
Alright now for a few random questions...
18. Favorite restaurant in Nashville?
If I have to choose one, I'll say Silly Goose in East Nashville. (I'd like to give a shout out to CREMA coffeehouse as well....because they're my favorite coffee shop, and I happen to be there right now.)
19. Gentlemen Broncos or Nacho Libre?
Despite some amazing moments in Gentlemen Broncos, I'm going with Nacho.
20. Darjeeling Limited or The Life Aquatic?
The Life Aquatic. Hands down. It's one of my favorites.
21. Elbow or Radiohead?
Both of these bands are amazing, but I have to say Elbow. They continually put out well-composed, stirring music, and their live show is a beautiful experience.
22. Favorite sushi roll?
I don't have a specific one, but Sam's Sushi in downtown Nashville is generally pretty great.
Thank you, Jacob, for marching with us!
