Artist Study 6: Floyd Grey

 

‘13 March 24-30th,

Meredith Lawhead

Artist Study 6: Floyd Grey

Floyd Grey is from our lovely round two of questions. I figured after enough replies to the same question things might start to get a bit dull so this may have a few different questions than usual. I’m not totally sure where Floyd is from but I’m somewhat of a disconser- i don’t care enough to look it up. Because of this, his answers are a bit choppy and awkward (no offence  bro) but I will do my best to paraphrase. Floyd doesn’t mention how much art he did in high school but afterwards, he attended Dasein Academy of Art(so he may be from Malaysia?). In art school was where he most developed his skills and tried out different types of media. Much like his time in college, he recommends to try new techniques, media, etc. and look at what other artists are doing. This can help you find which direction to go first. Floyd’s financial standing is slightly more stable than those of other artists in that he lives with his parents which proves to be a good way to save money. He also says that you must only spend money on the right things. In that case, I guess that includes that new iphone. Crap. Well anyway, like many artists before him, art was only a hobby. After college, when it came time to look for a job he just went with what he could find. Now this doesn’t mean you can sit on your couch and hope that a job will come to you. Floyd went to many job interviews looking for a photography job. That didn’t work out as well as he planned so he began to develope his fashion illustration which he is still doing now. Floyd goes onto explain that most of his inspiration comes from the internet. This made me a little sad; I mean, of course the internet has basically everything you need to do anything ever but come on guys! Whatever happened to traveling and being inspired by,oh,  I don’t know.. REAL things.I’m definitely overreacting so I’m going to stop there.

Floyd works on an illustration per day, usually three or four hours, and doesn’t have much time outside of commissions. Finally, Floyd’s best advice has been that great artists steal and good artists copy. He sees no reason in creating a photo-like replica of something because if you’re doing that, why not just take a photo?

I do agree with this statement to some extent. Copying something to the point ( if you have the skills to do so) doesn’t give you the same effect that making something new is. Being just a highschool student however, my goal has been getting to that  point where if it needed to, I could replicate a photo or image. My intent from that point, on the other hand,is NOT to then copy all the things that I think are pretty, but to establish a strong artistic base so that from that point I have the skills to go in whatever direction I want.

Now that I’m done explaining myself to no one in particular for absolutely no reason at all, I would give Floyd Grey  four stars as an artist. I enjoy that his art has somewhat of a simplistic classiness about it. Like the other artists I have interviewed, Floyd has a solid skill base. On a final note, although his work is very easy, interesting and fun to look at, I feel like it lacks that extra push that would make it amazing to look at. Anyway, there is my overly judgy artist study for week six. Until next time!