I was recently interviewed by Black online, a German publication that seems to have great taste in music and art.

The text is in German, obviously. I enjoyed some of the questions and think that it’s a fairly representative interview for where I’m at in the fall of 2011.

Here’s the text in English:

Do you remember your first encounter with performing arts?
My father’s album collection was an important discovery early in my development. I was drawn to Klaus Voorman’s pen and ink work on The Beatles “Revolver” or Cream “Disraeli Gears” with Martin Sharpe’s psychedelic collages. The artwork was interactive and enhanced the experience greatly for me. I remember distinctly making the connection between the album artwork and the music.

Would you say that some kind of moment of initiation lies in such encounters?
Yes, there are early experiences that are crucial to your path in life. I moved on to discover my own music and visual language in culture. At a fairly young age, I became infatuated with punk rock, skateboarding, and underground publications.
I published zines and demo cassette covers. I quickly realized that my position in the underground was a visual artist, and I experimented with photocopiers and any other low tech reproduction methods at hand.
Arriving home from school every day to find a mailbox full of zines gave me a crucial sense of the rest of the world beyond my oppressive home town.

How did you feel after finishing your very first work?
The very first piece that brought a great feeling of accomplishment was a large ink drawing of Wiliam S. Burroughs. This was during my early high school years (around 14-15 years old). Thanks to a very supportive art instructor, I felt a sense of accomplishment and the desire to move on to the next project.
I think that this showed a leaning towards illustration rather than fine art, as I was drawing William Burroughs, not a bowl of fruit! Naturally nobody was actually familiar with the subject aside from me. I had just acquired the REsearch publication which featured interviews with Brion Gysin, Genesis P’Orridge and Burroughs. It changed my life forever.

Can you briefly say something about how you work? What role do different combinations of colours play? Are there any fixed relationships between these?  
Most of my current work is screen printed. This determines the process at my drawing table because high contrast black ink on white paper is most easily screen printed.
In screen printing, the color choices come later in the process. The relationship is fixed quite rigidly, but almost infinite in its possibilities.
My color choices tend to be low-key and low intensity. I like earth tones and subtle shifts of color because it allows my line work to breathe. Too strong of colors can overwhelm the drawing.

Do you think that an artist has to be a good craftsman and what does ”craft“ mean to you?
Yes, craft is very important to me. Many of my ancestors were tradesmen- plumbers, gardeners, wood workers, gunsmiths- and I take pride in upholding that level of craft in my trade, Illustration. My approach is largely as a tradesman rather than a fine artist.
In truth, I think that I walk the line between both worlds, which allows for some very interesting challenges and creative solutions. For instance, many of my ink drawings are created on treated wood panels. These small panels are then scanned and the rest of the process is done on the computer, leaving the panel as the core of the project but not necessarily representative of the finished piece.
I like to show the panels in a gallery setting, often alongside the resulting screen print. This gives a look into the process of my trade and interests a lot of collectors who purchase the panels.

Would you say that the 60’s and the great era of psychedelic poster art have been of major importance for you as an artist?
The 1960s poster and comics scene was absolutely incredible. I read books and collect ephemera from the era whenever possible. It truly was a high point in American graphics arts, whether the mainstream critics will ever admit it or not.
I feel a direct connection to the 60s poster artists, especially since I’ve spent a large part of my life in the epicenter of the scene, the San Francisco Bay Area. Last year I curated an exhibit of Alan Forbes, Stacy Willoughby and myself, entitled Archaic Revival. I wrote the following text to explain the concept of the exhibition:

Our parents saw Blue Cheer sit at the top of the charts. They bought psychedelic posters from head shops on every corner of the city. They pinned the vibrating posters to their walls, a manifestation of the last weekend’s show and a testament to the era, a time when art intertwined with music, when visionaries made posters for the people.

The artistic energy field of the 1960s has again manifested to show its melting cyclopean face. Archaic Revival is a coming together of three contemporary west coast artists ; Alan Forbes, Stacie Willoughby, and David D’Andrea. The convergence point is San Francisco, where it all started.

Psychedelic poster art is the cataloging of nature and experience. It’s intensely personal and simultaneously universal. It’s a trip beyond the veil reported via pen and ink, a journey taken by both musician, artist, and viewer. Posters describe the experience that is shared by those who long for a knowledge that is beyond language.

In today’s high gloss culture, the silver current runs underground. In the epicenter of the Bay Area, Monolith Press churns out flawless editions for artists from all over the globe, (((Folkyeah!))) organizes cosmic happenings amongst the giant redwoods, and Secret Serpents publishes mind blowing art for happenings up and down the coast.The unspoken word travels the world via bands and happenings. Boundaries dissolve.

Alan Forbes inks from beyond the void. His non-linear lines start in the 60s poster jungle and end in the realm of Forbes, to live and describe the twisted beauty of his internal eye. His work for contemporary bands gives them a psychic weight that connects with the viewer like none other. A virtual lifetime of work for the Black Crowes has developed an aesthetic that’s populated by anthropomorphized crows, esoteric meaning, and a mushroom under every stone. His inked pages are each a masterpiece of their own. Image, type, and page are one in the same, informing the viewer that this field of hallucinogenic pathways and foreboding cosmic entities is all around you.

Stacie Willoughby’s dreamy victorian scenes, of washed out colors and soft swirling winds, channel the hazy sun and redwood mountains of the south bay. Her work recalls the illustrations of Dulac, Clarke, and the eerie Nouveau of the 60s posters. Her regularly published posters for (((Folkyeah!))) embody the magic of those happenings in the forests of Santa Cruz and beyond. Stacie’s posters mark the congruence in time and energy when big bands like Arcade Fire or underground gems like Cluster, decide to play an impossibly intimate show at the Henry Miller Library or California’s most magical and haunting venue, the Brookdale Lodge.

David D’Andrea melds the draftsmanship of turn of the century illustrators, the hallucinatory vibe of the 60s masters, and an organic pen and ink style that is unmistakably his own. His illustrations seethe with sinuous, accomplished line work and intentional rough edges. He draws from a variety of eclectic influences which show in the work: archaic lettering, obsessively detailed renderings of animals, and elements from numerous religions and cultures. His passion for the music/artist collaboration runs deep. It may be personified best by his ongoing series with the band OM, which shows the spiritual connection between an illustrator and the music as a circle of inspiration that spins infinitely, the Ouroboros.

Shows spanning from Los Angeles to Portland have been blessed by the posters of Forbes, Willoughby and D’Andrea. The bands have come from all over the world and California’s own back yard. Sweden’s Witchcraft, The Arcade Fire, The Black Crowes, and the re-unification of the Bay Area’s own Sleep are all channeled visually through the artists’ pen. A selection of posters from west coast shows will make up the main body of work. Some original drawings and inks will be hung to show the poster’s raw form.

Howlin Rain is a band that embodies West Coast Psychedelic Rock in 2010. They’re a band that embraces the the meeting of sound and image, the true spirit of the 1960s aesthetic. On the brink of an European tour and the release of a screen printed Forbes/ D’Andrea collaborative album cover,  the band is going to grace us with a special acoustic set. I’m beyond pleased to say that the walls of Space Gallery will be reverberating with the sounds of Howlin Rain!

The work of the Archaic Revival is crafted by hand. From genesis to the venue wall, the posters are a visage of craft amongst a world littered with mass produced dreck. Our posters aren’t for the museum wall and a dusty forgotten relevance. Each one contains a nugget of our experience, that which the mainstream’s vision of reality simply cannot grasp. The Archaic Revival is the sustained feedback of a vintage guitar amplifier, the grooves of a vinyl LP, the twists and turns of Highway 1.

-David V. D’Andrea
    Portland, November 2010
Thanks to the eternal spirit of Terrence McKenna, the 1960s masters, and the bands  of the past and present!

While I do take influences from the 60s, I try to be very conscious of not creating work that is too derivative of the typical “psychedelic” poster. I take equally from the Pushpin Group, Symbolist painters, natural history illustration, turn of the century advertising, and Jugendstil.

You’ve worked with a large amount of bands (ASUNDER, AMBER ASYLUM, AGALLOCH, GRAILS, GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR, GRAILS, HIGH ON FIRE, SLEEP, OM etc.) and created posters, cover or T-shirts for them. How do you usually get into contact with the artists?
I have been very fortunate. I began my career by doing small posters for bands of my friends. Some of those friends became very successful in their music careers, and others led me to different connections.
It’s very important to me to be in direct contact with the bands I work with. Not only does it make the creative process more exciting, but it makes the communication about business details more clear.
I consider most of the above band members friends and collaborators. I try to maintain contact about what they are doing as a group and what I am doing as a visual artist. The mutual feeling of respect is present and it leads to more projects in many cases, nurtures a relationship that grows with time.
Om, for instance, is what I consider an ongoing series. Al Cisneros and I are even planning to publish a book that couples his lyrics with my artwork.

You’ve worked a number of times with OM. What role do OM play for you – as a listener on the one hand and as an artist on the other?
If my artwork was to be represented purely by music, I hope that it would sound like OM. There’s no mistaking the fact, and many people have pointed this out, that much of my best and most inspired work has been for OM.
Om inspires me in their progression and transcendence of labels, genre, and audience. I aspire to be so transcendent with my work and in daily life.

How important is it to appreciate an artist (for whom you do some work) on a personal level?
It is very important. I have been lucky in that I have never been forced to work with an artist that I do not appreciate at least on some basic level.

When you listen to the releases of an artist, how do you manage to evoke the creativity that manifests itself in your art? Are there special rituals or mechanisms you make use of?
I often spend time with the music on headphones. I usually spend a night or two collecting reference material and reading relevant texts.
Yes, it is ritualistic in some sense.
Often silence and darkness or meditation brings about images.  I am an avid swimmer and images sometimes come to me while under water.
I collect books. I surround myself with antique objects and ephemera that I find beautiful and inspiring.

To us, your work seems to be the other side of the coin of the musical releases of the respective bands. To what extent do both sides depend on each other?
I always ask the band for any words, ideas, or inspirations that they would like to put on the table. This gives me a launching-off point. Sometimes the end result is very close to the initial idea, but often it is not.
The process is ever changing. Figuring out how to navigate the process is an important part of my job.

Animals seem to play a large role in your work. Do you use them predominantly because of their symbolic significance?
Yes, I do enjoy symbology, though natural history illustration is a huge influence on my work.
It’s very interesting to meld the two approaches, scientific illustration and primitive symbology of animal forms. I love the Victorian illustrations of animals that are technically inaccurate because the artist was working from an explorer’s written description. Many times the animal parts are somewhat accurate but the eyes are drawn too human-like!
Animal forms in art connect with humans on a deep level. For instance, a snake is almost always  simultaneously unsettling and fascinating. It’s no mistake that Lucifer is represented as a snake in the Garden!

You’ve focused a lot on music. What made you design a poster for Lars von Trier’s ”Antichrist“ for the fantastic film fest in Austin?
The Antichrist poster was assigned to me by the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. They thought that my style would work well with the themes of the movie.
When I began the project the movie had not yet been released to the public, aside from a showing at Cannes. I had access to only a long trailer and publicity photos of  “The Three Beggars”, being the crow, deer, and fox.
I thought that the three animals as main characters in the piece would make for an interesting scene. The only hint of humans is the abstract shape of the cabin roof amongst the chaos.
I am very fond of the movie and could not have asked for a more incredible opportunity.

This year you created a series for the Roadburn-festival. What does this festival mean to you personally?
The Roadburn Series was one of the highlights of my career thus far. It really is an ideal festival for me to work with because so many of the bands and people involved are familiar with my work. I installed a small exhibit and vending table with my posters for sale. The entire experience was absolutely incredible. It’s a congruence of people, art and bands that does not happen often in my experience.

How did you get the job and what were the greatest challenges?
I had done a poster for Comus the previous year. One of the organizers met me in Texas and asked me to work with them. Once asked, I was inspired to propose an entire series of posters. I was able to do eight band posters and one main Roadburn piece, which was also used on t-shirts and banners around Tilburg.
Since I work closely with each band, the process of completing eight posters with one deadline was daunting. I am happy to say that the series was very well received in the end.


Al Cisneros once said the following words about you:  “D`Andrea`s work is his spiritual path“. What milestones on that path are of particular importance and where does this path lead to?
I tend to keep busy, do good work, help the less fortunate, and enjoy this material life as much as possible. I do not separate work/creativity from everyday life.
If the only milestones are beginning and end in this material body, my journey in between is driven by a deep need to create and offer my work to god, the void, or akashic record…whichever it may be.

What role do looking back and memory play for you as an artist?
The idea of memory is interesting. I think that I try to invoke the vague feelings or notions that I’ve experienced. Some of my favorite artists are able to seemingly evoke deep dream memory. If I can call upon a universal human memory or grand notion, I would feel very good about it.

It says that every writer also co-writes himself and that every painter co-paints himself. When looking back at your work do you manage to be so detached that you can discover parts of David V. D` Andrea?
That’s very difficult to do. I can usually remember what I was going through, what I was thinking of or trying to put forth with each piece, but a new discovery or revelation doesn’t happen that often.
I think that it takes more time to gain the certain detachment you need in order to look at your own work from afar. I certainly trip out on my sketchbook drawings from 20 years ago!
If I reach old age my current work will probably reveal new things to me then.  Still, I hope to be as productive (or more so) in old age and still producing relevant work.

Are there any particular patterns of reflection? Are you interested in unearthing the sources of your inspiration?
I certainly reflect on my life and wandering path, like anybody.
I think about my infinitely tiny existence and the limitless inspiration that I can potentially harvest. I think that the ultimate source is akin to the akashic record. The images that come through me are offered up to the void, hopefully inspiring others to create and connect with something higher than mundane material life.

What role do reactions concerning your work play for you personally?
The reaction of my close peers mean the world to me, being maybe 3 or 4 people. Otherwise, I do enjoy constructive discussion and critique. I refuse to get hung up on negativity or competition.

Within a subculture the perception of performing arts is different than in high culture. Would you agree and what does working within subcultures mean to you?
I’ve always been involved in some form of subculture, and do not foresee a change, though I refuse to be limited by this. The underground, or subculture, is where the true art happens, where the excitement, inspiration, and struggle truly lives.
When I do work that is consciously “mainstream”, I take it as a lucrative opportunity and put my money right back into my next project. I think that every mildly successful artist or designer comes up against this point in their career. I am pleased that my career has evolved very organically and will continue to do so.

How would you define sentiment and aesthetics?
Aesthetics are best defined by those on the outside looking in, I think. I do ponder this question often, but come up empty handed.
I have a very clear idea of my personal aesthetics, but the larger meaning is impossible to pinpoint. There needs to be a balance between spontaneity and sentiment.

What role does ”authenticity“ play for you as an artist? Is the authentic artist also always a Prometheus?
I’m not sure how one would judge “authenticity”. I believe in one’s work. The work stands on its own.
The artist as martyr idea holds a tiny bit of truth, but really seems self-defeating sometimes. It’s true that I’d sacrifice worldly comfort for my work, and am sometimes convinced that I do, but everybody is different. Most often too much talk and self pity leads to underwhelming work anyway!

For Friedrich Nietzsche a sheet of paper and a pen were sufficient to “set the world on fire”. How familiar are you with such thoughts and what role do they play for you?
I am not a Nietzsche scholar, but the sentiment is fantastic. It reminds me of one of the most inspirational people in my life, the Illustrator and teacher Barron Storey. Barron taught me that, with merely a mark maker and surface, an Illustrator can do the unthinkable.

Coming back to music – what albums have left a lasting impression on you this year and what releases are you awaiting eagerly?
I am awaiting the new OM album. White Hills has been extremely prolific. The Daniel Higgs cassette “Ultraterrestrial Harvest Hymns”, Six Organs of Admittance “Asleep on the Floodplain”, Wovenhand “The Threshing Floor”, all GNOD recordings. Twig Harper/Daniel Higgs “Clairaudience Fellowship” is absolutely the most psychedelic other-worldly recording ever put to tape.

Are there plans to exhibit in Europe in the near future?
I am extremely excited to exhibit in Europe, though I haven’t found the right opportunity yet. If anybody can help please get in touch!
I would also like to visit some fellow print makers and possibly work within an extended residency.

What projects are you going to work on this year?
OM is about to begin a new chapter with a new album and touring.
I have a very exciting science-based movie project in the works.
I will be learning the process of letterpress printing, as I recently purchased a beautiful Chandler and Price press from 1910.
My studio now also functions as a publishing imprint. Hand crafted posters and books by myself and a few peers will be published under the imprint “the River”.

Any final words…?
Thanks very much!