Feature: Jordan Metcalf
August 6th, 2010
Name: Jordan Metcalf
Hometown: Cape Town
Favourite colour: Black
What was your inspiration or the idea behind your Verb design?
Human nature. I was inspired the duality of people. Our ability to create and destroy in equal measure, our blend of self-loathing and narcissism, our balance of vice and virtue, how we break ourselves up into small parts and label them as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and assign credit and blame accordingly.
Could you briefly explain the process you went through in creating this work?
I sketched out a few visual ideas around the idea of ‘Human Nature’ on paper, then scanned them in cleaned them up and vectorized the final.
What music were you listening to while you were creating your graphics for the Verb range?
Lots of folk music and low-fi indie stuff, Phosphorescent, Neutral Milk Hotel, Okkervil River, Bowerbirds etc. Most of my inspiration comes from song lyrics.
Did you have any formal art education, or are you self-taught?
I studied design at AAA.
What sort of full-time work do you do currently? Are there any other projects you’re involved with at the moment? I’m a freelance designer and Illustrator at the moment, doing lots of type illustration and design work.
What sorts of mediums do you work in and what do you enjoy about it?
Pencils, Pens, brushes, ink, paint, craft knives, fabriano and watercolour paper, my wacom tablet, photoshop and illustrator. I love the imperfection, spontaneity and tactile nature of painting and drawing, but I also love that digital work allows you to zoom in and make tiny changes to vector points and try lots of options before deciding on a final. I get a very different but equal satisfaction from digital and analogue work.
Do you do anything else for fun other than making art?
Spend time with my girlfriend, friends, watch movies, watch bands, trade music, take photos of everything, go places, see stuff, speak to people, and stress about making cool work.
Who are some of the artist’s whose work you enjoy or take inspiration from?
Mario Hugo, Sam Weber, James Jean, Alex Trochut, Ken Garduno, Theory One, Faith 47, Brandt Botes, Bison, Adam Hill, One horse Town, Xanelle van Rensburg, Love and Hate, Peet Pienaar, Conrad Botes, Ali Aschman…etc… The world is full of amazing artists doing incredible things. It’s inspiring and terrifying at the same time.
How do you feel about being an artist living and working in South African?
I feel pretty good about it. I’d love to live in Europe for a while, I’m actually learning to speak German, but Cape Town is beautiful and there are so many awesome artists in South Africa, so I’m not in a rush to leave. The internet has made it possible to live in one place and work anywhere in the world, meaning we don’t always have to rely on the local scene and industry for work and opportunities.
Do you have any plans for 2010 such as art shows, travels or new styles to explore?
I have lots I want to do. In May I’m going to France for a few weeks, participating in a 3 man show in Chicago, and possibly another show in Switzerland all at pretty much the same time. Other than that I want to do more and better work, always.
Do you have any websites or blogs that people interested in your work should check out? www.behance.net/thiswinter www.flickr.com/sadmascot
