Mark
“I didn’t really enjoy high school, I just went because it’s what you do. I didn’t really have any teachers I could really connect with, it’s like those movies where you might find one teacher who really inspires you, I didn’t have that as such.
It’s funny, in high school I studied graphic design, and I actually dropped out. It’s the only course I ever dropped out of. It was the second year, and everyone else had already done the first year. There was no guidance whatsoever, the tutor was never there so it was just a waste of time for me and I didn’t learn anything. After going to Polytech for a one year Chefs course, I went to London for a couple of years. I had a really good time in London, however there was a period where I didn’t know anyone in London and that was really lonely.
I was here for the earthquakes. Everything that I knew got destroyed in the earthquakes, not just the actual city but my family home where I used to feed the ducks in Dallington, the bridge, things like that. My father passed away a few months after that which was obviously a big thing. During that time I was a student, studying graphic design as a mature adult. Nothing was quite the same, but it was then that I realised if I wanted to do something, no one was going to tell me to do it, I’ve just gotta do it. That’s when I started doing the paste ups, they were a lot of fun. I did like the street art going up around the city but it wasn’t really my thing, so I thought; if I was to walk around the city, what would I like to see? I started pasting up life-size action figures that I remember from when I was a kid.
It’s harder to find time with my new job but I’m getting back into my art. I do get bored quite easily, I try new stuff out. Recently I’ve been working with moulding and casting in resin, I want to keep trying new stuff. Pop culture is a huge influence on my work. While I was growing up, the 60’s Batman used to be on TV all the time. There was also the animated series which is still one of the greatest shows ever made. And then Star Wars – all the original stuff – It’s all about nostalgia.
I vividly remember Return of the Jedi, seeing that with my Dad and my sister, it was such a big treat back then. Now I have action figures all over the house, my partner thinks it’s a laugh and she sometimes sets them up in explicit positions. There’s definitely a bit of nerd factor, but it’s more acceptable these days.
Music is another one of my big passions. I grew up in quite a religious household so we’d always have Radio Rhema on in the background, I didn’t really hear pop music as such until later on. When I was in early high school, that’s when I really got into my music and then when I lived in London we used to go to a few clubs. I always thought it would be cool to be a DJ, but I always thought it would just happen one day. Now I try to do it a few times a year.
Being manly to me – it’s standing up for what’s right, the ‘Me too’ movement and things like that. There’s still an old school mentality in a lot of things. Depression is a big thing, especially after the earthquakes. I’ve had depression on and off, and that’s probably why I identify with artists and musicians. Often creative people and depression go hand in hand. Being open about your feelings – it’s a hard thing to do – I’m lucky I guess I’ve got some good friends who I can talk openly with. The suicide statistics today are just terrible, in Christchurch especially. It’s just really sad, there are alot of lonely people in Christchurch, homeless people, and those that slip through the cracks. It’s 2018, so the world is a lot more open, but we’ve still got a long way to go.”
– Mark