Inspired Interview: Clay Doran
copyright clay doran.
How did Squid Dust begin? I’ve noticed there’s a distinct difference between the art of Squid Dust and of your photography or paintings as Clay. Can you explain your alter-ego?
Growing up I was always interested in the slightly twisted. I loved devils, villains, and monsters. I cant follow it to an exact source, but I am convinced it has something to do with an obsession with “where the wild things are” and maybe the fact Ninja Turtles look totally lame and Shredder looks like a total badass. Naturally these tastes led to the culture of skateboarding, graffiti, punk and heavy metal music. Artists such as Pushead, VC Johnson, Ed Templeton, and Jim Phillips made a huge impact on what I sketched in my free time. Every smiling face had an eyeball hanging out or an open wound across the forehead. As I entered college at UNF majoring in drawing & painting these characters took a backseat to the academic, figures, and eventually the abstract painting that I would focus on throughout school. After graduating in 2006, I decided to try to develop these characters that were bouncing around my imagination for all these years. After a couple rough months of brainstorming… squid dust was born. I always knew I wanted to show both types of art but I realized this could lead to many problems if I didn’t create an alias to set the two apart. I never really wanted it to be a big secret identity. I just wanted the public to know which side of Clay Doran they were going to see. I would imagine that people expecting abstract paintings would be caught off guard by a fat bloody head seething with snakes. Creating Squid Dust was the easiest way to avoid that confusion.
copyright clay doran.
Describe your work. What are your influences, how do you get your inspiration?
My abstract paintings are studies in texture, color, composition, and decay. I have grown up in Jacksonville, Florida surrounded by abandoned buildings with peeling paint and old hand painted signs hanging on by rusty nails. This urban decay has been a huge source of inspiration. I am mesmerized when I see peeling paint creating insanely intricate designs by simply being left to the elements; art without the artist. In my paintings I layer many different mediums in an attempt to recreate the surfaces I see around me. Through building up an assortment of mediums and then carefully tearing them down I try to simulate the effects of weather, time, and decay.
copyright clay doran.
As Squid Dust I am currently being influenced by 80s skateboarding culture, children’s cartoons, the monsters of old illuminated religious manuscripts and the constant onslaught of pop media that bombards us everyday.
The list is too long… finding new music is pretty much my hobby. Though I seem to have a split personality when it comes to music as well. Lately I have been listening to lots of poppy garage rock, artists such as The Marked Men, The Ergs, and Jay Reatard. But on the exact opposite side of the spectrum, I am a sucker for that ultra bleak black metal as well. Deathspell Omega, Xasthur, Nachtmystium, Wolves in the Throne Room, and 1349 are some of my recent favs. Not to mention I’m still a big fan of the locals Civilization, Staring Daggers, Dark Castle, Antarctic, and Wudun.
Visually, I am constantly going through phases. Recently I’ve been loving the work of Anthony Lister, Cody Hoyt, Kinsey, Parla, JD Baizley, Skinner, and a lot of those other west coast dudes. And of course I will always love the classics. Icons like Bosch, Warhol, Schiele, Anselm Kiefer, Rauchenberg, Mucha and Darger will always be a huge source of inspiration.
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Where do you see yourself in five or ten years? Your art? How do you see it evolving?
Who knows really? I mean of course I would like to be surrounded by things that make me happy and living off of creative projects. But there is an old Buddhist saying, “the path is the goal.” I like to think of my artistic evolution in the same way. As long as I am on the path then I have reached my goal. There is no destination.
I recently went through a phase of typography and now I seem to be drifting into geometry and emergence. Hopefully I will continue to be inspired and learn from the world around me. I am excited to see how my work will change and evolve throughout my entire life.
I recently had a couple pieces in the Folio Weekly exhibition at the Cummer. In the last year I’ve had some stuff up in Flux, the OLB, Violet, Blow Out, and Art after Dark at the Florida Theater.
Squid Dust has recently shown at Edge 17, Moon River Pizza, Café 331, Eclipse, and the Exchange (in Gainesville)
I am extremely optimistic about the Jacksonville art scene. Since August 2008 I have had the pleasure of curating the shows in the basement of the Haydon Burns Library (the OLB) with my friend Crystal Floyd. Through this experience I have really had a first hand view of what Jacksonville has to offer. I have seen that, when given an outlet, Jacksonville can really deliver. There are great bands, artists, dancers, dj’s, and sculptors that I had never seen before this past year. I feel like they just needed a space to create.
I grew up in Jacksonville, going to the Pit in Riverside, and before that the Lion’s Club in Orange Park. Watching kids not much older than me piece together awesome shows. While other kids were complaining about the lack of entertainment in this city, others were going out and doing something about it. They were bringing those bands and artists into a tiny empty room and making a scene that everyone could be a part of. Not for the money or the popularity, but for the love of “the game.” I think Jacksonville still has this in its blood. Dead Tank Records, Burro Bags, Zombie Bikes, Flux Gallery, and Arturo Clothing are perfect examples of kids creating something out of nothing in this city. While “spots” and venues will come and go… we need to always have people with the drive to make something happen. Even in the face of unavoidable public apathy.
copyright clay doran.
Oh yes, I recently discovered the beauty of Bloglines, So yeah, I subscribe to lots and lots of blogs. Locally, im a fan of Urban Jacksonville, Cure the Blind, the Outer Box, JaxScene, and Art isn’t Rocket Science. (not to mention all of their twitter feeds)
Where can we see your work? What can we expect to see in the future?
I have some work online at claydoran.wordpress.com & www.squiddust.com (though I admit I am pretty bad about updating them with new stuff.) Other than that I usually always have a couple pieces up around town.
I have lots of plans for the future. I have recently moved into a new warehouse studio after painting out of my house for years. Soooo I feel like I have more potential then ever before.
Thank you! I appreciate the interview!
