Luke Feldman is a design, art and illustration machine. He is the creative soul behind Skaffs - the umbrella that encompasses painting, digital imagery, prints, toys, skateboards, books, vinyl wall art and probably a whole lot else. For someone with such a massive body of creative wonders at his finger-tips, it is almost at odds to hear that the Skaffs latest exhibition is just a one-night-only affair.
Luke takes the time to lure us all in on December 19 ...
Why do a one-night only exhibition? What's the schtick?
Well…. I refer to the show as a one-night event because I am there to paint live for the one night only. People also enjoy taking the artwork home at the end of the night or the next day. It also tends to be a bigger crowd as they only have one opportunity to check it all out.
You're gonna be doing live painting! That's really brave (and cool) - how do you feel about making a public performance of something that is usually very private?
Developing finished, polished pieces are definitely something very private to me. However, I am constantly sketching at all hours of the day – jotting down ideas that come to me. So, to do this live in front of a crowd is fun and energizes me. It also gives the crowd an insight into how I create the pieces and hopefully inspires them to pick up a pen and start drawing!
You're obviously a fan of the female form - who is your ideal lady?
I got inspired by the female form when I first started life drawing in high school. As I started to develop my own style, the curves of the female body seemed to work in perfectly - curves, flow, and symmetry.
Apart from the very special woman in my life, the ideal lady would be a blend of Zooey Deschanel, Milla Jovovich, Lucy Liu, and Selma Hayak.
You’re making a new limited edition vinyl toy! Can you tell us about the design and production process?
After the success and sell-out of the Maiko toy, I looked into getting the Mai character produced. The Mai character exists in many formats – limited edition giclee print, original artwork, giant wall adhesives, and on clothing. It seemed like a natural next step to get her produced into a limited edition toy. With the state of the economy there have been setbacks, but I hope to able to launch them in 2010.
Villain (where you're showing) have a very specific niche - can you talk about how you fit into that?
Villain is a very cool store that carries a lot of urban and contemporary stuff. It seemed like a natural fit to work with them. Elvira and Julian are awesome people who do a great job with the Villain store and events.
Who are some of your contemporaries that you really admire and are inspired by?
There are some very talented artists out at the moment – James Jean, Mark Ryden, and Arthur de Pins just to name a few.
What are some of your favourite things in your studio at the moment?
The giant wall adhesives of sexy SKAFFS chicks are a definite highlight. I also have a very cool set up of Copic markers thanks to my sponsors COPIC. I also like to dabble in a lot of different mediums so I have quite a few paintings, sculptures, and plush toy prototypes of my characters that are not quite finished yet .
What are you looking forward to over summer?
Hanging out with mates and BBQs.
SKAFFS in Melbourne
Villain, QV Complex – 26 Jane Bell Lane, Melbourne
December 18, 2009 from 6pm to 9pm
live painting, SKAFFS giveaways, exhibition of new artwork