DABSMYLA
"FUTURE LIVES"
Q. This exhibition will be your first solo show in Seoul. The title of the exhibition is Future Lives, so please explain the theme of this exhibition and the meaning of the title.
The main theme behind this exhibition is a feeling of optimism for the future. It’s about thinking about the future and manifesting hopefulness through positive thoughts in the current moment.
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Q. DABSMYLA's work is known for its unique landscapes and characters reminiscent of flowers, trees, and various animals and plants of nature. Could you explain where these motifs came from? Also, where do you get your inspiration?
Subconsciously our work is inspired in part by our surroundings and being in nature. Living in Los Angeles California we are inspired by the expansive sky, mountains, trees, plants, flowers, and vibrant colors and light. Our characters are like an ever-growing family of friends that we have been creating since the beginning of our careers.
Q. The rich natural scenery that appears in DABSMYLA's work and the characters hidden in between are reminiscent of oriental landscape paintings. In Eastern landscape paintings, figures were often placed small to highlight the greatness of nature. Nature is the order of the universe and man is also expressed as a part. We are curious about the artist's basic thoughts on humans, nature, and society.
Although we live in a metropolis such as Los Angeles our house and surroundings invoke the beauty of nature. Individually we are both very in tune with nature and take time daily to be outside and meditate. The way we live has an impact on our paintings, which is interesting because the way we are mindful of the way we live is because we need to feel good to create!
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Q. In the work, we can see a panoramic composition overlooking the huge landscape. It seems like you are using the method of zooming in and zooming out like in a movie. How do you organize the composition and viewpoint of combining scenery and characters?
In our more recent works, we have been exploring the idea of space in a landscape setting. Interestingly you mention a method of zooming in and out like a movie because when we are drawing these compositions there is a significant amount of work in figuring out how expansive the scene might be. It’s hard to fully describe this process because so much of it comes from an instinctual feeling of a composition feeling ‘right’.
Q. The energy transmitted through vivid colors is strong. Could you tell us what color means in the work? And the reason why you handle the surface of the screen very flat. Is there a particular reason to remove the matière of paint and express it smoothly?
Color theory plays a very important role in our work. There is something about the way we mix colors and choose colors that are based on theory, and there’s something about our choices that is based on an instinctual feeling which is quite hard to explain. We mix all the colors in our paintings ourselves, getting the tonal values to perfectly complement one another. When we started working together, we were both painted very flat and smooth, and over time that became the aesthetic that is our work.
Q. The exhibition works have a narrative that stimulates imagination like a fairy tale. Is there a story that you create before or during the production of the work?
When we create a body of work there is always a strong theme surrounding the paintings. There are individual narratives within each of the paintings. Over time we realized that we like the viewer to interpret these meanings themselves.
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Q. What are the advantages of two artists working together? Could you tell us how you divide each other's roles and produce works?
We both have unique skills that over the 17 years we have been working together we have individually and collectively refined. We encourage, inspire and motivate each other. We bring fresh ideas into each other’s creative process and are continuously building on our skills of communication.
Q. You majored in illustrations and are working on various murals together. How do you think these two ways of art affect the world of DABSMYLA's work?
Illustrating was a great jumping-off platform for us to then dive into our art careers. We learned so many fundamentals of composition making and theories we use to this day. Graffiti is similar to illustration where there are many rules in style and form, and we combined the theories and rules from both graffiti and illustration which has had a profound impact on how we make paintings, paint murals, etc.
Q. You are doing diverse projects around the world. What are your plans for the future? Also, what message would you like to share with Korean visitors through this exhibition?
We are very fortunate to work on so many exciting projects in our careers. Shortly after our exhibition in Korea, we will be visiting our hometown Melbourne for an exciting project with our friend Ben Shrewry, a brilliant chef and owner of the restaurant Attica. He will be hosting us in his home for an intimate dinner and exhibition experience. We hope that when visitors view our exhibition in Korea, they will feel like they are taking a journey into our world. We hope that a sense of calmness and joy is felt when viewing our paintings.