here is
a little
interview
i did
with
frohawk two feathers
for our fall 2010
catalog
I know most people probably don’t know that originally you studied to be a photographer, what was the path that led you to painting?
I started to realize how much my ideal job as a portrait photographer would cost (and suck) so I decided to take the path less traveled.
Over the years your combination of portrait photography and painting has evolved into an extremely involved narrative. Can you explain to us the premise behind the story and where we are presently?
Great question. Much like my decision to move from photography to painting, the body of work that I’m creating now started with woolly mammoths and is currently in 18th century Europe. I started my story with a story about a woolly mammoth from outer space and that turned into a twisted tale of a young Inuit boy and an adolescent (female) harp seal. Then that turned into a eco-conscious tale about the same Inuit boy in the Age of Exploration, fighting against human empires, penguin empires and aliens to preserve his land, and culture. And later on as a lover of history and anthropology, I decided to rewrite the 17th to 19th centuries. Currently we are in the 18th century during the 50 Years War or The Greater Baltic Conflict.
How do you choose your subject matter?
I choose my subject matter by the things that I like and current events. For example, right now I’m really into crocodiles, the Maghreb and ancient Egypt, so I synchronized all three into an elite fighting force called the ‘Company Crocodile’ that wear North African style fezzes and ride (only Barb) horses and dromedaries, tattoo their faces, and worship Sobek, the Egyptian crocodile god. And I really like celebrity gossip magazines so anything can happen.
You are also involved in a few musical side projects. One of your many aliases is the rapper known as Hi Fidel. When did you start rapping and how? When was Kent Cyclone born and where in the world did he come from?
I started rapping seriously when I was 15 years old (33 now so I’ve been in the game for a minute bitches) I’ve put out two records on F5 Records under (yet another alias) Hi-Fidel with DJ Crucial and I’m currently working on the follow up album to the Friday Night project with my buddy Serengeti and The Breakfast Kings, entitled Saturday Night. I’m also recording a record for my next opening entitled ‘Crocodile Company’ Kent, on the other hand is an entirely different beast. I created Kent Cyclone with my friend David Lohman a.k.a Blowdog in the late 90’s at Southern Illinois University. We wanted to enter the annual Battle Of The Bands and be all Dada like. I got booed but in the booing (expected) I discovered that if you provoke people and do it with a modicum of charm, they will at least listen to what you’re saying before they tell you to fuck off. As of today, my partner, Peggy Sue-Nami and I are recording a new album about relationships. It should be quite funny and entertaining. We hope.
Congratulations on recently becoming a father. Has it affected your work in any way?
Thank you. Being a dad is great. And I can honestly say that the biggest influence this has had on me is, now I can teach my daughter how to avoid my steps and become a scientist, engineer, or something that pays off right away.
What has your experience been like working with 2K By Gingham?
Working with 2k was a dream a few years back and now it is a reality. So I will say that it is quite pleasant and I feel good to be surrounded by some of the most brilliant and creative people on the planet.
Anything new you’ve been collecting?
Due to diaper costs I unfortunately haven’t been purchasing much art but I do have my eye on a few people. And here they are, Katsuo Design, Noah Davis, Augustine Kofie, Henry Taylor, Frau Grau and Jeana Sohn. I want!
What is your dream project/ collaborator?
The big dreamers with the bright ideas and a tireless work ethic.
Do you have a favorite project that you’ve worked on?
The Company Crocodile. My latest work that involves a group of marooned slaves that fight for the Frenglish Empire to be able to own land and be self-governing, self sufficient. That’s where I want to be.
How long have you lived in Los Angeles and what are the best things about being here?
LA is still growing on me after a decade of residence but I don’t care where I am as long as I can be close to a large body of water. The thing I love most is transience.
