Interview with Byroglyphics - Russ Mills

Hi, Can you introduce yourself for us? (Where you from etc...)

My name is Russ I was born in Exeter in 1971, though have spent most of my life in a small town near Brighton.





What's your background? Art school? Self learner? Art for Dummies?

I did the formal educational route to nowhere in the early 90's then flatlined until around 2000 when I noticed others doing what I really wanted to do, then very slowly started to teach myself how to achieve something similar.







How will you describe your art for somebody who doesn't know your stuff?

Traditional / Digital hybrid, based mainly around heads and figures.





What are your favourite materials to work with?

Pen, Pencil, Poota.



How long does it take you to produce a piece? Do you start out with a sketchbook or do you freehand all the way?

Difficult to say for definite, I produce a set of drawings as the basis for larger pieces then do everything in series as a production line, it really depends on how long I can stand looking at the same piece. The sketchbook is more of a doodle/note pad, I still find sketching a bit like school work which is shameful!





Where do you get your inspiration from?

Shapes in nature and optical illusions, finding recognisable forms in any random collection of objects. Continual movement and flux.



Do you paint/draw/work outside sometimes? Where can we see your stuff?

Not really, I'm very much a hermit and see very little natural light, plus an unhealthy fear of public spaces keeps me studio bound, when I become a man I shall venture outside.





Who influence you the most, any favourite artist(s)?

A lot of the exceptional talents that are working at the moment provide unlimited inspiration, also literally anyone who has mastered their art over the last 500 years. Favourites are difficult to pin down but Mr Jago, Ian Francis, Phil Frost, are names worth extra special commendations!



Living as an artist is sometimes difficult financially, any part time job?

Thankfully I'm able to do this full time and maintain an acceptable standard of living, though I'm well adapted to foraging for food in the forest should the need arise.





What do you think of the current "Street Art" movement?

As with everything there are superlatives and atrocities within the 'scene', It's exciting to see the supremos doing bigger and bolder projects, affecting the public consciousness on a vast scale.



Best Gallery in the world? and why?

The internet





Beer and Fag or Tea and Biscuit?

Tea, Biscuit, Fag and Ponder. I gave up Beer 4 years ago after attaining a Doctorate from Harvard in that particular subject.





What are your plans in the near future? Any upcoming exhibitions?

I have a show at Signal Gallery running from May 21st to June 20th my first solo effort in London, then it's back to the front and several million emails.



more info here:

http://www.byroglyphics.com

http://www.signalgallery.com