Interview by Vivian Hua
In all aspects of his art, from its style and influences to the
materials it's created with, Ferguson's pieces are rich, filled with
geometric patterns and strange little characters, all of which match
his slightly eccentric personality. And perhaps it is because Ferguson
draws inspiration from images as old as the Renaissance, Druid
civilizations, and the 1200s, but as opposed to being thoughtless,
crude illustrations, his works are detailed renderings reminiscent of
old woodblock prints. There are hints of symbolism in them, which
remind one vaguely of alchemic days long gone.
But Ferguson even draws inspiration from the more recent past. For
when he isn't creating art -- or making music, for that matter -- he
works at the Lifelong AIDS Alliance thrift store, which is a non-
profit thrift store benefiting an AIDS prevention and support
organization. It's an occupation that might not sound glorious to
some, but it serves to give Ferguson a steady stream of ideas.
"I almost feel like I can make use of just about everything from
there," explains Ferguson. "I've been really getting into old photos
from the turn of the century -- the '20s and the '30s -- and if I can,
even older than that. I've found some really old thrift store photos
[and] artwork... and I like to go over them. I've been really big into
transforming [and] remixing art, basically."
Surprisingly, Ferguson used to work on the complete opposite end of
the spectrum. As a former graphic designer who created everything from
business cards to flyers, Ferguson gave up the design lifestyle to
pursue art that seems to run in his family. With a mother who is an
artist and art teacher, an uncle who is a photographer, and a
grandfather who was a multi-disciplinary artist, Ferguson decided he'd
follow suit and concentrate more on fine art than digital art.
Nonetheless, like most young artists trying to establish a foothold in
this day and age, Ferguson does have a website. Up until recently,
though, it was far removed from the typical portfolio webpage.
Instead, it was a puzzle of sorts, which featured four images on the
main page that had to be clicked in the correct sequence in order for
the user to access the actual website. Otherwise, the user would be
faced with a dead end.
"You [had to] choose the right coat card in the right sequence to get
into the gates. Otherwise... even if you don't get into the site, I
guess that could be kind of the site itself," Ferguson laughs.
Unfortunately, the unusually playful website had to be changed for
more practical purposes; the unaccessibility of it was hindering some
viewers from seeing his work. The fact remains, however, that most
artists would have never created a website like that in the first
place, and this is the type of quirkiness that sometimes plays out in
Ferguson's works.
For instance, some artists have characters they draw over and over
again, and so does Ferguson. But whereas those artists might have cute
bunnies or beautiful women, Ferguson has the Hermtroglodites -- the
Herms, for short -- pudgy little dwarf-like characters with a whole
modern-day fictional fantasy biography.
"They're Hermaphrodite cave-dwellers -- male-female characters that
have multiple chins and very distinct characteristics, like droopy
eyes," explains Ferguson. Above all else, the Herms love three things:
wine, cigarettes, and major corporations. At least, if those major
corporations are Nike, Reebok, or their ultimate love, McDonald's.
"Ronald is like god to them. They love Ronald. And they love wearing
Nike and Reebok at the same time. They have their own company that's a
cross-platform; it's a triad of Nike, Reebok, and McDonald's, and they
all come together to form this conglomerate," Ferguson details.
Strange as it might all sound, the Herms actually represent a great
deal more than just a couple fiends who really love Nike, Reebook, and
McDonald's. They are iconic figures in Ferguson's work.
"I want [them] to be more as an example as a folk art, Americana --
because they represent a lot of what I see socially in everyday life,"
says Ferguson about the Herms, "such as a lot of the negative and
positive aspects of America, so there's a political statement
involved, too."
More than three years ago, Ferguson moved to the Pacific Northwest
from San Diego. Whereas San Diego made little impact on his art, the
Pacific Northwest provided him with the complete opposite. "When I
came up here, seeing the Cascades, the Olympics, and Mount Rainier for
the first time was all just so inspiring... it's just so beautiful it
transcends all," Ferguson explains. "It has this weird spiritual
presence to me that I always feel, so it comes out in the artwork, for
sure."
It makes sense, then, that mountains are constantly emerging in the
backdrops of Ferguson's works, as are cityscapes. Some are cityscapes
inspired by the skylines of Chicago, New York, or other areas on the
East Coast, and others are more classical, with Eastern European or
Old World influences.
"Row homes have always been really inspiring to me. They're almost
like the Douglas Fir Trees of [the Pacific Northwest]; I see them, and
I feel this like sort of transcendental complexity with them. They
almost have a personality," says Ferguson. "Maybe it's some sort of
past life thing; I really don't know, but I'm really drawn to them.
They're really inspiring."
As a whole, Ferguson seems like a person who has his eyes open to the
beauty of the world. When he isn't making art, he's often still
creating, and one of his main outlets is music. Judging from his art -
- which is full of angles, sharpness, and layers -- one might guess
that Ferguson likes very angular, technical music. And while Ferguson
says his favorite music is that his friends create, the synthesis
seems to hold true here as well.
"Music absolutely affects everything... It's always there; it has to
be there," says Ferguson. "If I get a little burnt out on the visual
art and hand-rendering thing, I can kind of chill out and go into
music, and it's a nice transition, [but] it's still exercising the
mind in the same way -- just on a totally different platform."
In 2010, Ferguson will be
busy. He is now running an online
record label called Breathing And Receiving Oxygen, where he will be
digitally releasing albums from his friends. Artistically, he
will be working hard to promote his own art, via numerous means --
overt and hidden. He has plans to set up shows in Chicago, Seattle,
and San Francisco in the upcoming year, as well as create more
installations and doing more street art type works.
"They won't be that visible," explains Ferguson about his street art
pieces. "It'll be more an Easter egg hunt when you find them, but
they'll be up there some places. Lurking in the shadows."
what do you think?
