Interview: Ian Mutch

Published: Trespass Magazine

Artist Ian Mutch won last year’s Tiger Translate ‘King of the Urban Jungle’ award. He was then flown to Bangkok to paint a mural alongside international and local artists, Spanky, Mama Cup and Clean.Mutch is currently based in Western Australia where he paints, surfs and runs Rhythm Media, his very own graphic design company, and also co-produces Kingbrown Magazine.

We chat to Mutch about art, winning Tiger Translate and what he gets up to when not working.

What first made you decide to submit your work to the Tiger Translate Global Art Exhibition?

I received a submission callout email thru a friend and thought it would  be a good opportunity to enter. I had just come back from Indonesia and the following week was relatively quiet with work, so the extra time allowed me to concentrate on a submission piece. I also knew about the Tiger Translate series of events thru their global website so was pretty keen to get involved. 

What positive impact did winning King of the Urban Jungle have on your artistic pursuits?

Tiger Translate was a great experience. The trip to Bangkok was an eye opener. Painting a huge mural alongside other international artists gave me insight into the whole East meets West idea where you learn from each other’s style and processes, communicating thru visual language instead of spoken word. Winning Tiger Translate has been great exposure for my artwork.

How did you first get into painting?

I started copying picture book characters when I was really young and then became fascinated with logos and skateboard graphics. Since I was about 10 years old, I developed my own characters and graphics for school folders and things. I always knew I wanted to work in a visual industry and in high school I learnt there was a career called graphic design. Then after university I re-discovered the rewards of doing your own artwork and started selling my pieces.

How would you describe your style of drawing?

I like to use an ink and quill to draw with. The ink medium has a lot to do with my overall style because it is raw and has drips and splotches. For most of my artworks I aim to engage the viewer on two levels – The artwork can be enjoyed from a distance, but also entertain the viewer close-up. Larger brushstrokes and imagery is detailed with random ink illustrations, portraying a combination of dreamy characters, animals, poetry, humour, shapes, patterns, and writing.

What inspires your artwork?

My environment. Whether I’m travelling, or at home, there’s always something interesting to put down in my book. Like meeting characters along the way, or drinking with friends. Most of the time there’s always a link to a story or something funny, and often this can co-exists with film, media or pop culture references (good or bad!). Old books and magazines are also a good reference point for ideas and themes.

Living on the South West cape of Australia, there’s a lot of countryside. And we’re surrounded by the ocean – surfing on one side and a bay on the other. Here, nature always has a way of sparking creativity, so I think this also influences me a lot. Birds, kangaroos, dolphins, fish, whales, trees, shells, waves – organic and unique.

Tell us a bit about King Brown Magazine and your role in it.

Kingbrown started when my friend Yok and I where fresh out of University. We were talking about magazines at a party one night and decided we should actually do it. There’s plenty of great young artists in Australia, so we like to combine them with well known international artists in our pages. We share the tasks of publishing a magazine between us and have a mutual understanding of what’s required. Like bouncing our ideas, deciding on artists, paper stock, collation, printing and distribution.

Intricate details are ever-present in your paintings – do you often know exactly how a painting will turn out, or is there much spontaneity involved?

I generally have some sort of plan, especially on the larger artworks. I think this comes from my Design background. As the work starts to form, drips and splotches make their mark randomly and the painting can turn any direction. Even though it can be frustrating, it’s probably the most exciting part of painting. The art kind of has its way of talking back and deciding to go it’s own way. Then you have to improvise.

What is a typical day like?

A typical day is wake up and check emails and the surf report. I attend to anything urgent for work or call my friend to go surfing if it’s looking good. After breakfast and a coffee I’ll get stuck into work – things like designing logos, layouts, phonecalls, emails, packaging, illustration, advertising, web etc. After work sometimes I go skateboarding, or get the boat out in the bay to catch some squid. Generally at night I will paint or draw because it’s more quiet and there are less distractions. I’ll also work on Kingbrown Mag. Sometimes I DJ on the weekends for a bit of extra money, I really love music.

What else do you get up to when not painting?

Surfing, skating, snowboarding, having drinks with friends, travelling, cooking, eating, watching films, playing and listening to music and hanging out with my girl.

For information on Ian Mutch, visit: http://www.mutchart.com/

For more information on Tiger Translate, visit: http://www.tigerbeer.com.au/tiger-translate.html

Advertisement