Andreas England is a brilliant Swedish artist based in Stockholm. He has just finished a series of pictures humorously depicting the universal problem of growing old, but from that of a Superheroes perspective.
I think his pictures are fantastic, so I contacted him to ask him a few questions about them.
How long on average does each painting take?
Coming up with the right idea to start with can be very time consuming. Sometimes you do a lot of work that never gets painted. Then sketching is in general about 20-30 hours. The final painting is then another 40-50 hours.
Do you work from photographs to get the facial expressions right?
I work from a retouched combination of photos. Most of my motifs captures a split of a second moment. To have a model trying to stand still in those kind of poses would be extremely difficult.
Did you study painting at college?
I actually thought I would become an industrial designer so my studies were all theoretic at first. Then It turned out that I wanted to become an Art Director instead. Communicating and storytelling has always fascinated me. At the same time I did a lot of art courses during my education when becoming an Art Director. For me it has always been two careers living in symbiosis with the common theme of story telling an communicating.
Are your paintings for sale?
Yes they are. At present I sell them by myself. I will also have prints but it’s in working progress.
There is a mischievous element to many of your paintings, does this come from your personality?
Ha ha! Yes I guess It does. I think there is a lot of me in all my paintings.
Who is your favourite superhero?
I think Spiderman cause I liked his personality of being a bit cocky and he always makes a lot of cool moves. Then I have other favourites like Simon Bisleys Lobo and ABS Warriors. Also Hergés Tintin, but they are not classic superheroes.
Are you a fan of Roy Andersson’s (The Arty Swedish film director) films?
He’s done a lot of great films both commercials and movies. I’m not a big fan but I like his way of creating his characteristic scenes almost like paintings.
Who are your favourite artists?
I love Anders Zorn for his amazing technique in both water color and oil. Dennis Hopper who has inspired me a lot. I also like Simon Bisley and his wicked comic series.
Do you have any shows coming up?
My next exhibit is planned to be in Venice L.A. next spring (watch this space for more info).
What are you working on at the moment?
Its a big painting called “Paparazzi” which involves the Superhero and the downside of being famous…
Where is the best place to eat in Stockholm?
That’s a tough one… I like “Pacha Deli” before going to the movies. It’s healthy, cheap and absolutely delicious. If I want to have a “fine” dinner I would choose one of Melker Andersson’s restaurants. They are all very different and deliver first class.
For more info on Andreas visit www.artofdala.com/