Interview

Jeffrey Villanueva: Ok, so let’s start with when did you start drawing?

Brian McGinn: When I was very little, probably when I was five. One of my older cousins, he had a bunch of comic books, and I always thought the drawings were cool. So I started like tracing Wolverine and I started to get a feel for how you could actually make these people without tracing them and like how arms work and stuff like that.

JV: That’s funny because your work actually does look very graphic, almost like a comic book.

BG: Yeah, that’s how I started drawing

JV: It’s funny it shows through even years later

BG: Yeah it’s still there, evidence of where you started.

JV: When did you start doing design work?

BG: Uhm design, I took a Photoshop class in high school. I wasn’t really too interested in design but I’d say that most of my work is pretty graphic as it is. You know so painting or drawing is like, I like to do both of them but I’m not like a fine artist. Most of the stuff that I do naturally would just be graphic like designs like this. (Shows some of his designs)

JV: So do you work on the computer or drawing or is it both?

BG: It’s a lot of both, I mean, less computer because i'm not as good at it but if I have to incorporate letters and stuff I’ll use the computer. But I love typography so I like to use the computer when I can. But most of my prints are just done by hand.

JV: So the medium you use is obviously… print? What does that consist of? Lithography, etching? 

BG: Yeah, lithography, etching, aquatint, over the summer I did silk screen and woodcut, and also I took a book making class and it taught me how to make books and paper.

JV: So did you make the paper for this book? (A book done in woodcut and silkscreen by McGinn)

BG: uh, no not this one but I have made paper.

JV: So why this medium, with this subject that you’re going for? Why this specific medium?

BG: Well I uh, took a print class cos I wanted to learn silk screen and stuff like that, but I could never get into silk screen so I did everything that wasn’t silk screen cos they weren’t full. And I really liked all of it and it was easier to do that and make a print out of that then to use the computer for me. So I really got into print making because it was done by hand, which is how I do things most of the time.

JV: So what is the subject matter for your work? What are you trying to focus on?

BG: It’s basically whatever comes to my head. I try to incorporate my symmetry aspect and try to hide the image or make it psychedelic in some way. Like with this book, what I was gong for was just doodles and lines and hoping people would be able to find different things.

JV: You have very nice line work.

BG: Thanks I actually did some of this with my fingers.

JV: Really? I could never imagine getting that thin with a finger.

BG: (laughter) Yeah. You know when like a window fogs up, I always love doing lines with my fingers cos you can use the tip of your finger and then go onto your nail. You could say I’ve been practicing.

JV: Wow it still looks pretty difficult to get that thin even with a nail. (laughter)

JV: All right, so where do you gather your inspiration from, what other artists do you look at and where do you get your ideas?

BG: Uhm I don’t really look at too many other artists but I do, I love music and I always love to look at album covers. You know The Grateful Dead album covers are awesome. Uh Yes, I’m not a big Yes fan but their album covers are pretty sweet. Their logo is awesome. I love album artwork. I have a big appreciation for the design that goes into album artwork.

JV: Awesome, so you said you don’t look at a lot of other artists but do you have any favorite artist that inspires you at all?

BG: I wouldn’t say fine artists in a gallery but I do love graffiti. Which is kind of where I get my lines and stuff like that. Cycle is awesome. All the old guys like E wok, they’re really cool. All the New York graffiti artists, my mom always bought me the books.

JV: So are into any other forms of art?

BG: Uhm yeah I love music, music is like, I almost love it, maybe even more than visual art.

JV: So you love it and can perform it? What do you play?

BG: I play the bass, I had a hardcore band we stopped playing. We played our last show a few weeks ago and I have another band that’s like a jam band.

JV: Awesome, jam band’s are cool.

BG: (laughter) yeah, and we’re still playing

JV: Cool, so just music or anything else?

BG: I love movies, I love a good movie, I’m not really a good reader so I don’t read a lot

JV: Hahaha, I’m not a very good reader either.

BG: I’m not a very good reader but I do like to write, essays, creative writing; I took a creative writing class, that was a lot of fun. But I’m not a good reader so I don’t gather very much inspiration from literature and stuff like that.

JV: Yeah I understand. (laughter) ok so finally what are your plans after college?

BG: I’m looking to open up my own design place. I’d love to design album covers and do album artwork.

JV: Cool, what about grad school?

BG: definitely an option. I’m going to see what I can do before I go to grad school but it’s definitely an option.