Interview :: Jasper Goodall

posted by Marcroy October 21, 2011

Jasper Goodall is a Brighton-based illustrator who is originally from Birmingham. He is a pioneer in the world of vector graphics and continues to push his work in interesting and thought-provoking ways. He is also signed by the award winning agency, Big Active. (Click plus for more…)

Who are you (not just your name)?
Jasper Goodall… Illustrator, designer, artist? lecturer.

What do you do (on a day to day basis)?
Mainly faff about, in between faffing I do some work.

Where are you from and where do you live now?
Birmingham – Brighton

Where would you like to live?
Australia… or perhaps Shropshire, it’s got nice hills.

What made you get into design / print?
It’s the only thing I’m any good at.

What do you think about the iPad? Do you own one?
Yup, it’s the future. I’m learning to make stuff move.

Tell us about the highs and lows of being an illustrator.
You can have a holiday whenever, work from home, people seem to think you’re cool.
It’s stressful constantly feeling like you have to be original and living up to expectations.
When the phone is not ringing you get scared.

What is your main source of inspiration with your work?
It keeps changing, right now, 80’s surreal photography. Very poppy.

You were my teacher in 2008 at Brighton University, tell us how you found that.
Ah… your year was a nightmare, to be honest it was stressful, that was the year I was in control – I handed over the responsibility to Roderick, now I’m happier!
I hate responsibility, I’m actually quite good at it but it doesn’t mean I like it.

Talk us through the 3 images you have selected here on display.
3 quite different images.
Mahakali (pink photographic one) inspired by eastern spirituality, kind of mixed up with erotica and fetishism.
Eye of Horus, kind of similar theme I suppose… lots of symbology to do with enlightenment. But I am trying to get good at photorealism.
Goulston Street Ice Age Animals, project in East london. I painted loads of shutters with animals that could have been in Britain in the ice age. Before we came along and screwed it all up.

What is you favourite process and why?
Dont really have one, unless you can call it ‘using a mac’.

Your work has morphed and developed many times over the years, can you take us through some of the stages.
Screen print. Screen print looking Photoshop work that was photographically based. Pop bright colours and abstract shapes surrounding a figure (think the work I used to do for The Face). Back to pencils. felt tip pens. Pure black and white silhouette play. Using smoke (Muse singles). Photography and photo-collage (Poster Girls images). Photoshop Airbrushing. Painting on shutters!

What are your current projects?
Doing some perfume packaging (I hope) it might or might not happen… thats todays illustration business.

What would you say is your most iconic piece?
Probably and image called ‘Jolly Roger’ she was a female pirate I drew for The Face

Where do you see your work going next?
Movement I think, I may try some sculpture, but I’m better at doing things very self sufficiently and After Effects lets me be in control.