GrungeCake Magazine Interview with Illustrator Andrea Innocent!

GrungeCake: Kindly include a short bio that entails who you are as an artist, where you are from, where your parents are from, who you are represented or managed by, and where you plan to take your art.

Andrea Innocent: I was born in Melbourne Australia, reading, imagining and drawing were all a huge part of my child hood. I went on to study Fashion Design after high school and then ran my own business, I then returned to school to study my Masters of Multimedia Design.

It was only after time spent in Japan 2003 – 2006, that I chose to tell the stories of the bizarre and quirky through detailed digital illustration, my recent work is an ongoing exploration, in a contemporary context, of aspects of Japanese popular culture from an Australian perspective. I explore imaginative worlds from manga and the idiosyncrasies of otaku to folklore to reality TV and newspaper articles in search of the eccentric stories that populate her work.

Heavy in symbolism the illustrations fuse contemporary art and socio-political comment with traditional works. Aesthetically the works borrow heavily from the traditions of ukiyo-e, manga and subsequent contemporary styles such as ‘Superflat’. Combining a strong sense of colour and graphics and blending these with ‘found’ photographic and textural images her works become a collage of icons that tell a story and seek to entice a sense of curiosity from the viewer.

After two major solos shows this year I have been busy with commercial work but I feel a shift in my perspective and whilst the aesthetics and staging of my work will remain influenced by Asia the content is moving in different directions. Planning another show in 2010 that will feature new pieces born from this new direction.

GrungeCake: Is Andrea innocent? I have seen a few of your pieces where Andrea might have been guilty. How do you plan to defend that?

Andrea Innocent: First and foremost I really want to tell a story with my images, it just so happens that the most interesting stories are often quite dark. Ideally I like to remain ambiguous or neutral in my artwork, much of my work is socio-political and I have a strong passion to create images that question modern society and it’s values, these works I call my ‘Newspaper’ works, the articles they describe visually are often quirky and sad. Unavoidable really.

GrungeCake: Your work is detailed. For the sake of an average figure, how long does it take to complete a small illustration, piece?

Andrea Innocent: It varies a lot from piece to piece. Much depends on the preliminary sketches and concept; if an idea and composition comes to me quickly, it takes less time to get to final. More often than not that old adage ‘it’s not what you leave in but what you take out’ rings true. The simpler the image the easier it can be read by the viewer, my artworks have the luxury of being made more complex as viewers have more time to contemplate them in a gallery setting whereas illustrations made for advertising or editorial need to have more emphasis on concept and information delivery. In actual time it can take me anywhere from a couple of hours from sketch to final to a couple of days or a week.

GrungeCake: How has the Australian art scene received your artwork? Who are your top competitors?

Andrea Innocent: My work seems to be popular amongst those Australians who have either visited or lived in Japan, obviously the content and aesthetic is familiar and easy to understand for them. Beyond that I have found myself skipping from the art world to the design world and have also been invited to speak publicly about my work, most recently at AGIDEAS here in Melbourne. I think it may be the content that inspires curiosity rather than the style or medium I use.
If you mean competitors as in other illustrators, I regularly exhibit with them, I actually see them as my friends rather than my foe… competitors are sites like iStock that seek to run down the price for illustrators. We’re all in this together; I often have dreams of creating a union for us all!

GrungeCake: How long have you been illustrating under the alias Andrea Innocent?

Andrea Innocent: My whole life, it’s my real name. I have been illustrating full time using my name for over the last 5 years.

GrungeCake: Who is your favourite illustrator and which movement of art are they from? Name your favourite piece by the artist. Provide a photo, if you can.

Andrea Innocent: Such a difficult question, I have so many, in terms of inspiration at the moment I am completely taken with the work of Marc Boutavant. His work is so endearing and the compositions so intriguing. He also has a wonderful ability to capture a personality in a character, something that requires years of observation and practice.

GrungeCake: Which college or university will claim the fame to your success?

Andrea Innocent: Possibly Monash University, however I studied Multimedia Design there before I opted to become a freelance illustrator. Most likely my high school, East Doncaster Secondary Collage, where I had some excellent art teachers, would deserve it more. (Andrea Innocent smiles)

GrungeCake: I feel like you’re multi-talented. What else are you capable of?

Andrea Innocent: You’re right… Jack of all trades, master of none one. (Andrea Innocent smiles)
Fashion design, animation, story boarding, printmaking, textile design, costume deign, book/zine making, sewing, toy making, video and sound design… I recently made a giant cardboard birdhouse as an installation for my solo show at Lamington Drive here in Melbourne this year, I like to experiment and collaborate so anything is possible really.

GrungeCake: What does GrungeCake mean to you? What is your favourite cake flavour?

Andrea Innocent: A cake made by a desensitized, disaffected youth, dressed as a punk but unaware of the context of the fashion selection choice she has made. Chocolate.

GrungeCake: If there were one fact, tip or secret you could share with aspiring illustrators around the world, what would it be?

Andrea Innocent: Don’t ever stop drawing!

GrungeCake: What is next for Andrea Innocent? Where can we purchase your limited edition prints?

Andrea Innocent: I am currently working on getting my website updated and adding a shop is part of that plan www.otoshimono.org I am represented by the ‘Jacky Winter Group’ www.jackywinter.com they also run a gallery here in Melbourne called ‘Lamington Drive’ www.lamingtondrive.com and much of my work is available via their site. I also have a PDF catalogue of my works, which I will happily send your way, just, email me at
innocentgirl@otoshimono.org

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