Hey guys and gals, sorry for the delay but I've been swamped lately as of course has PAHNL himself...
Find attached his Q&A response:
Where does the name Pahnl originate?
It's a misspelling of 'panel' to turn it from a noun to a name. I pronounce it the same way too, not that that stops other people saying Pa-hee-nil, Panini or even Paul. And that's panel as in comic panel as I sometimes see surfaces in the street as a comic panel to drop my characters into.
What's the strangest thing you have in your studio?
I'd say the vast majority the stuff in there is pretty standard; paints, canvases, postal tubes and the like. The strangest thing is probably the rat I hear scurrying away everytime I turn the lights on as I enter at night. Maybe he's out in the day posing for reference photos for a certain someone?
It's not often you see many shows in the Midlands - what led you to choose Coventry over London?
It's probably fairer to say that Coventry, more specifically The Herbert gallery, chose me. I had previously worked with them as part of a group show involving the V&A, one of the curators enjoyed what I did and he wanted to see what I'd do when given a solo exhibition. I'd say it worked out well
www.pahnl.co.uk/studio/ahistoryofus.php Also, this show will have been up for three and a half months by the end of it and they're telling me over 30,000 people have specifically visited it. In London, you're lucky if something is up for three weeks.
A lot of your commissions are based on people's stories. What's the weirdest commission you've done and are there any you turned down?
I've turned down commission requests before because I thought they wouldn't work with my style but nothing is ever too weird to try. I definitely enjoy being a little part of people's stories, everyone has something different to say. Often times the commission stretches across separate canvases as a triptych or pentaptych (I had to just google that, never used that word before in my life), much like a comic strip. What's nice about those is that I've had collectors ask for additions to these pieces to carry the story on. I like the aspect of a kind of living tableaux.
Which artist, living or dead, would you most like to collaborate with?
No single artist comes to mind but it'd be fun to work in conjunction with a games designer; I think that could work. It worked well for Ronzo, that stuff works great in 'Derrick The Deathfin'. An augmented reality app could be fun as well, as my characters spring to life as you walk around the city wearing something like Google Glass.
Is it really bad I can't think of an artist I'd like to work with? I think maybe it's because all the guys I respect and love are doing what they do so strongly, to bring my work into it would feel jarring and not work. I like Carl Cashman's work, very abstract with great thought towards repetition of colour and perhaps my characters would gel well with that.
What made you think of creating your 'stick' figures, what/who inspired you?
The initial idea was just to take the little figures you see in street signs out of their usual environment and let them loose in the street. Their small statue makes little details in the city seem larger, easier to interact with and, on a more practical level, they're easier to carry around in my bag or pocket.
Favourite 20th century artist?
It'd be easy to say Keith Haring but I'm not sure I can relate to him. From what I've read, he was incredibly social and loose with his work, whereas I'd say I'm at the other end. I'm quite introverted and, unlike Haring, I use rigid stencils that aren't inherently spontaneous. It's again hard to pick an artist; I digest most art via the internet and it's so see to see a good piece but move on without knowing a name. I like what Escif does, simple yet powerful, and Blu is the same. His work with stop motion animation is just incredible.
You have the power to change 3 events in the past. What are they?
I guess you could choose to stop a war from happening but it's still in human nature to fight in that way. There's little point in changing anything really, given enough time, everything will happen. I guess nuclear power is pretty powerful force to have when humanity is still pretty turbulent. I'll pick personal things, like telling myself to avoid the disappointing burrito last Friday, that my Tesco groceries won't be delivered in the specified window this week and not sticking the washing on the line earlier today because it started raining an hour later.
Do you think you are going to stick with stick figure work or do you plan to move into other types of work?
I'm not married to anything but as long as my little characters continue to provide me with the thrill of a new idea, I'll keep going. I'd hope I was doing it differently somehow in five or ten years, progress is good.
Do you see your work as part of a natural lineage of a "minimalist" approach and aesthetic, starting with Haring and continuing with Stik?
I don't really place myself in the context of art history or think of it in that way. To compare yourself to someone as great and prolific as Haring is to doom yourself to disappoint. I have fun with what I do for my own end and I have no notion of immortality through my work. I spray canvases and pull prints in the studio but if I won the lottery, I'd travel the world and just get my characters up in the street.
Which piece of your own is your favorite? Why?
Hah, despite my previous answer, I'd say it'd be 'It Started As A Joke' in 2010 but the screen print edition as opposed to the canvas. It marked the point at which I realized I could make a living from my art. It sold well and marked the start of that journey as a tangible reality. I went full-time halfway through 2012 and each year has been better than the last.
Relevant photo:
www.pahnl.co.uk/image/studio/joke/print/joke_print_wide_framed.jpgHow much time do you spend making art? How much time does a piece take?
Haha, if you mean how much time of the day I spend doing art or art-related activities? I'd say 80% of my waking day! I make a modest living but there's no guaranteed wage at the end of the month. With no clearly defined hours, I can spend as much time as I dare on it.
If you mean for a single piece of work, it can vary from over a year (for the 'A History Of Us' exhibition), to maybe three or four hours to produce a sticker for the street. As time has gone on, the time I'm willing to spend on a piece or body of work has definitely increased. With every piece of work, you want to go deeper and push the envelope further than before, so I guess that makes sense.
Why do you do what you do?
Because leaving a mark somewhere and coming back to see it still there is very fun. We all love to be in familiar spaces, the nostalgia of an old neighbourhood or haunt, it's powerful. Leaving one of my little characters somewhere is like that. It's not protected in a gallery; it can (and probably will) be torn off but if it survives for me to see it again, that's a visceral joy.
Take a marker pen out with you some time and just draw a little x somewhere or even a dot. I guarantee if you come back a month later and see it's still there, you'll be disproportionately pleased. In that sense, I understand the appeal of tagging, although it's not accessible to most people. I'd like to think my characters are a bit more welcoming.
How do you work?
For an artist, I use very few sketchbooks. I use small landscape A5 sketchbooks to write down ideas but all the drawing happens on the computer. I can spend ages drafting and tweaking a piece. Sincerely, you wouldn't believe how long I can spend fixated on the smallest of details. Once I'm happy with what's on screen, I separate it all out into a layer for each colour and get cutting. After some time with the cutting mat, my utility blade and a film or two, the stencil is ready for a canvas or street sticker.
Relevant photo:
www.pahnl.co.uk/image/misc/various/330579_4650534895107_101126268_o.jpgWhat’s your background?
I studied as a graphic designer but I've never had a conventional job and always freelanced. I'm simultaneously intrigued by the 9-to-5 life and the need to generally not worry about work after hours but I enjoy the freedom.
Make up a new word. Give us its definition. Use it in a sentence.
Scraggle. The crispy bits of chicken you get in the pan after frying it that are tastier than the main portion of chicken. Example, "This scraggle is bloody delicious." It's actually a word I use with my girlfriend, an example of the language that develops between two people who stick around long enough, right?
What are you afraid of the most?
The idea of death doesn't spook me as much as going blind. All my favourite things involve my eyes.
What has been a seminal experience?
I'd say painting at my first Upfest in 2009 was pretty important. Up until that point, I hadn't met a lot of people in the scene. Oxford is stuffy and traditional, so heading over to Bristol and rubbing shoulders with some amazing guys was a changer. I can trace the vast majority of my friends back to that event.
Whats the last picture you took on your phone of?
It's of a sticker I got up in the Millenium stadium yesterday at the Australia v Fiji rugby match. I do a thing called 'Wildcard Wednesday' every week, where people suggest a random word or phrase and I use one as a jumping off point for a sticker. Someone suggested 'swing low, sweet chariot' and I just so happened to be at the game yesterday, so went with a rugby sticker.
Relevant photo:
www.pahnl.co.uk/image/street/wildcardwednesday/swing_low_sweet_chariot_wildcard_wednesday_framed.jpgIf you got a tattoo, what would it be of?
No, nope nope nope. I see points of improvement in my work a couple weeks after finishing it, I wouldn't enjoy a tattoo for long. If I had to get one, it'd probably be a small, black circle somewhere. It's hard to hate a circle.
What would you like to eat for your last meal?
I'd go for a pork burger, buttered brioche bun, monterray jack cheese, beer mustard mayo, raw red onion, with a side of skinny fries (the ones you get at GBK) and washed down with a Dead Pony Club beer. For dessert, my mum makes an incredible chocolate cake and I'd stick plenty of whipped cream on it. Like, a two to one ratio of cream to cake.
How has your practice/process changed over time?
I think a little bit more about what I'm painting now. I'd draw anything I could before but it's a little more focused now. I still like street stuff to interact with it's environment but it's more considered. Beyond the vague sentiment of 'it's all gotten tighter', I don't know how to describe it.
What’s your strongest memory of your childhood?
I'm not that old, so it feels like it still stretches out behind me somewhat clearly. It's not been overwritten by two memories labelled 'childhood'. I don't know, I played a lot of computer games. I still do but not as much as when I was a kid. It probably appealed to the introvert in me. Or perhaps video games contributed to my solitude. Chicken and egg debate I guess. I had a happy childhood though, no real complaints, it was good.
What themes do you pursue?
Happiness, curiosity and levity. There's an element of subversion in the street work but I'm not out to bring about change or spout a message. Out of everyone on this planet, I'm the one who spends the most time looking at my work, so I'm going to make it positive. In that way, it feeds back into me.
What’s your scariest experience?
Not a clue. I'll leave this unanswered to make me sound aloof and hopefully not sheltered. I'm probably suppressing something really traumatic and interesting. Yeah, let's go with that.
What jobs have you done other than being an artist?
When I was a teenager, I ran an online comic, which updated three times a week with a new strip, and I made money from that by selling merchandise or books. I did plenty of design jobs, like logos and site design, or photo editing. I had a fling with video work and documenting events or editing for others. Somehow, I've always cobbled enough work together to get by. I guess that's the benefit of being proficient with so many different mediums; you become 'the guy' who can make something visually exist among friends and their friends, so on and so forth
