RD: When did you start painting??

Nome: I first tried a "serious' attempt at painting about nine years ago. It was an obvious next step from drawing, which I had been dabbling in for most of my life.

RD: Where are you from??

Nome: Well, I'm not really sure where I'm from, or where any of us are from for that matter, but I was born in Santa Cruz, Ca. , if that's what you mean. I grew up in the S.F. bay area and then moved to LA when I was like 12. I've been in San Francisco for about seven years now. This is the only place I've ever really felt at home.

RD: Main art influences??

Nome: Oh, there are so many. I was pretty ignorant of the "art world' up until maybe eight or ten years ago. My first visual influences were things like album covers, skateboard decks, graffiti. As far as artists it was those that most people know like Dali and M.C. Escher. Dali has probably influenced my work the most and next might be the street work of "Twist' from the early 90's in SF. I've also been extremely influenced by music, especially that of the underground dance scene --- Breakbeats, Jungle, Trip Hop,Acid House. I used to paint props for "raves' in LA in the early-mid 90's. Although I've always been into all kinds of music, that scene always felt most like home to me, the most free.

RD: Do you have to get in the "zone" to paint, or do you just jump right into it??

Nome: Well, It's nice to be in the "zone' but for the most part that happens while I'm working. My left brain shuts down and I just kind of slide into it. I feel that if I just sat around and waited till I felt inspired or was in the "zone', I wouldn't be making much work. Sometimes I will start to work on something and I feel completely out of the "zone' and that can be frustrating. Usually at those times, I try and do something I've never done before or work in a new style. That usually snaps me out of it and things start to flow. I'm all about the flow.

RD: What kind of Music do you listen to??

Nome: I listen to a pretty eclectic mix of music. At this moment, I'm listening to a mix by DJ Mancub, one of my favorites here in SF. I go through different fazes. Lately I've been listening to Modest Mouse quite a bit, Gorillaz, Devendra Banhart, BreakBeatBuddha, older Bad Religion, Bjork, Freestylers, Kill Radio. Rage Against the Machine is a fave. The Descendents. I like everything from hard-ass metal, punk & Jungle to real mellow folk and ambient stuff. I'm really into lyrics so if music has "em they better be good. I've been djing for about ten years now so I have a heavy diet of electronic music as well --- Breakbeats, D&B/Jungle, Acid/Tech House, Trip Hop etc.

RD: How did you develop your style??

Nome: I think style comes through an organic evolution of combining your personal tastes and aesthetic leanings with things that influence you, whether that be music, other art, personal experiences etc. Like I said, Dali and well, Surrealism in general, has been a huge influence on the way I see things and the ways through which I make my art. I was also influenced pretty heavily by different forms of the written language found in Art Nouveau, Graffiti, and 60's rock posters (especially the work of Rick Griffin) which took from a wide range of sources. In many ways a lot of my work has been a marriage of Surrealism and what you might call "graffiti' --- New Urban Surrealism as it's been called. I've always liked experimentation and in working with that, I've developed many different styles over the years. I think my "style' is more of a style-less style or a style of many styles. I don't like to put myself in a box. I tend to jump around with subject matter as well. I may make a straight-forward political piece and next make some trippy surreal thing that leaves the viewer in charge of putting a meaning and context to it. These days, I'm really influenced by the state of the world, consumerism and this out-dated thing called war. My newer work is exploring more of the human form, especially the female. I'm interested in the female image as object, commodity, and "sexual arousal tool'. I'm looking at the female figure through the eyes of an American male but with a slight tinge of feminist ideology, if you can grasp that. I'm working on a bunch of new stuff that I was hoping to show here but unfortunately they need some more time before they are finished.

RD: Do you have any crazy art gallery moments??

Nome: No, nothing real crazy. It's all gone pretty smoothly so far. I've had some crazy dj moments though --- playing to hundreds of dancing freaks, dj groupie adventures, all kinds of crazy madness.

RD: Whats your biggest accomplishment in terms of Art??

Nome: Well, I guess the fact that I haven't had a "real' job for like five years is a pretty big one for me. Having people whom I respect support my art like dj Q-bert, artists Iona Rozeal Brown, Mars-1, etc. That really helps to boost your confidence and to keep on with your work. Ultimately my idea of success with my art is that it pays my bills yes, but more importantly, I want the opportunity to meet and work with other artists/people whom I respect. Like if I wanted to call up Bjork and be like, Yo, I'd like to work with you on a project, paint your next album cover Or be at the point where people on that level with their own art are calling me to work with them

RD: Do people ever send you pictures of tattoos of your work??

Nome: No, though I do get requests for tattoo designs quite a bit. A friend of mine did just get one of my images inked but I haven't gotten a pic yet.

RD: What do you think of porn??

Nome: Hmmm. That is a very deep and many-layered question for me and I don't think I can just answer it in a few lines. I have mixed feelings about it. I love the act of sex and even watching it. If I am going to watch porn, I prefer to do it with a partner so we can, well you know. I sometimes use porn mags for my work, the body parts and the different positions and facial expressions are great source material. I love erotica and I think people should be free to do what they want as long as they aren't infringing on others. Porn can be beautiful, though at times, as ugly as it gets. Pornography as we know it today in the Western world, from what I understand, is a result of secrecy and separating sex from the rest of life. We have the ideals of the Victorian era to thank for that and we've inherited their views on this (and many other) subjects. If you look at the Ancient Romans of Pompeii and what was discovered there, it seems that the ancients celebrated sexual matters as an open part of life and nothing to be ashamed of. But then all of a sudden you have these men come along and say "Oh no, we can't have this, it will turn the people into beasts, into sinners', and so they lock it away and separate it from the rest of human experience, creating a taboo out of it. And as we all know, as soon as you tell someone not to do something, not to look at something, it's only gonna make them want to do it more And so, as sexuality is put away under lock and key, it creates a perversion of such things and the act of sex and the open enjoyment of such imagery becomes a "bad' and corrupt thing. So in this day and age, at least in our society, I feel that sex and anything to do with it has become this shadowed, twisted thing --- a far cry from the natural beauty of people simply expressing love and enjoyment with each other. So in today's climate, as porn has often become just a way to turn a buck, which often entails the exploitation of young girls with histories of sexual abuse or lack of education or monetary resources, I often find it difficult to watch. I've seen some great porn where you can tell that all those involved are really enjoying it and want to be there. I love to see people truly enjoying themselves! Most other times though, it seems a bit harsh and lacking any kind of respect or taste. Now don't get me wrong, if the people have a love and respect for each other but like to be slapped around a bit or severely fucked in the ass or whatever, that's cool, that's sexy. But more often than not, it doesn't feel that way and seems to me to be leaning more towards abuse than enjoyment. Well, I could go on and on but hopefully that answers your question to some degree.

RD: What kind of girls are you into??

Nome: Well, in practice I don't really have a type. I've been with all kinds of girls and appreciate the beauty of all different types/colors/shapes and sizes. If I had to create my "perfect' woman she'd probably be olive skinned with green eyes, dark spiral hair about 5' 10 and have a kick-ass personality. I like women who are outgoing, forward and open (both in and out of the bedroom). Open-minded and honest. That's most important. Creativity is a big plus too!

RD: Do you have any "art groupies"??

Nome: Sure.

RD: Any Crazy Sexual Exploits??

Nome: Oh yeah.

RD: What do you think of razordolls??

Nome: Razordolls are hot.

RD: Whos your favorite razordoll??

Nome: Oh, I don't like to play favorites.

RD: Do you think Porn will ever be an accepted art form??

Nome: My friend Ladybug thinks so. This is another complex one for me. I guess first off, you might have to define "art'. At this point, it seems you can call anything "art'. For me, true art is made from the heart and in it's inception, has nothing to do with commerce. Unless of course your art is that of making money. Perhaps, if our view of sex returns to that place where it is a normal part of human existence just as eating or dancing and not separated and relegated to the shadows --- perhaps then it will be accepted more readily. Also, if people start making "artistic' porn, something say, more along the lines of the 70's film "Behind the Green Door', perhaps this would help meld the erotic content with culture a bit more and people wouldn't be so threatened by the sexual aspects. Like anything though, there will probably always be those who do accept it as an art form and those who will just not accept it at all.

RD: What upcoming artists should we look out for??

Nome: Well, here's a short list of some that come to mind, some of my favorites, though some are already somewhat established or even dead:

- Inka Essenhigh (She's probably my favorite painter these days)
- Mars-1
- Audrey Kawasaki
- Damon Soule
- Oliver Vernon
- Kelly Tunstall
- John Currin
- Tiffany Bozic,
- Bob Dob
- Greg Simkins
- Michael Hussar
- Iona Rozeal Brown
- Petra Mrzyk & Jean Francois Moriceau (Kick-ass animation ! )
- Egon Schiele (RIP)
Oh god, there are so many kick-ass artists these days, this list would be a month long!....

RD: Do you like Horror Movies??

Nome: If so Whats your Favorite??

Nome: I loved them as a kid and I still do if they're good. I'd say my all-time fave is The Shining. Those twins still creep me out! Also, Phantasm & Salem's Lot were two that always stuck with me. I haven't seen any contemporary ones that I've really liked but then again, I haven't kept up on what's been coming out.

RD: Whats your opinion on the art scene today??

Nome: I have a really hard time with "scenes'. Art is so divided these days between "high brow' and "low brow' and everything in between, under and over. Back in the "30's and 40's there was a renunciation of art that was representational or illustrative in any way. Classical art was a thing of the past and so art (at least in the west) became more about the ideas and concepts of art than the actual images being produced. So you ended up with all this stuff that a 6 yr old could make hanging in a museum because it had some long-winded manifesto as to what it meant and because Mr. So-and-So art critic said it was the hot new thing. This is still very prevalent today in the institutional art world. However, in the last decade there seems to be a rebellion against this and also a resurgence of visual art that you can enjoy without having to read an essay about to understand. A lot of the division has to do with class and education and who holds the capitol and I think we're entering an era where the people are gonna take back their power and overcome such elitist hierarchies. Perhaps the dissemination of pornography and the like will help in such a turning of the tides as it did in French Revolution. Hopefully in the future there will be less hype and more substance. People will be in positions because they are good at them, not simply because they know so and so who knows so and so and so on. More DIY less Gap. More community, less "scene'.

RD: Anything else you want to say??

Nome: Yeah, follow YOUR heart and YOUR path in life. Don't let others tell you how you should live or what you should do with your life. Don't wake up at 40 in a job you hate and a life you despise because your parents thought you should go to law school instead of pursuing your passion of playing the Cello or whatever. Fight the power! Love, live and be free to the best of your ability.

I've just released an art book titled "Convergence' with five other artists -- Mars-1, Damon Soule, David Choong Lee, Brett Amory, and Oliver Vernon. (This is a follow up to our first book "4 Words' which we put out a couple years back.) Check "em out!!! Both books are available at: http://www.2ndroundproductions.com

If you're ever in San Francisco be sure to stay at Hotel des Arts! The rooms have been "decorated' by artists and are really great. The location is excellent and the rates are quite reasonable. http://www.sfhoteldesarts.com/pr505.htm

It's been awhile since I've updated my website, http://www.NomeEdonna.com
but I regularly post new works and upcoming events & shows etc. on my MySpace page. Come for a visit. http://www.myspace.com/nomebasscadet
Peace.