Interview with ROWAN NEWTON

q)Walk us through an intimate day in your life

a)  I get up everyday at 7am without exception. I then make myself a large substantial breakfast involving cereal, fruit, vegetables, a couple of eggs and a smoothie. This meal sets me up for the day.
Then I do an hour of emails and social media posting. Followed by an hour in the gym.
Once back from the gym I jump into the shower and then head down to the studio. So I usually get to the studio about half 10am.
Then it’s a straight 7 hours of painting, with a lunch break about 2pm.
Then its back home where I will cook myself dinner. My time cooking and in the gym is like my own therapeutic time to think about things that isn’t painting. I may still be thinking about art but it will be more my ideas and what I want to communicate rather then how to paint. Once I’ve finished cooking and eating its back to the computer for a night of more emails and some sketching. I go to sleep about 11pm and do the same all over again the next day, its never ending.

q) Where did you grow up/where do you live now and how does that contribute to your art?

a) I grew up in Brixton during the 80’s surrounded by hip-hop, graffiti and break dancing. So yeah it definitely shaped my are career today. Brixton had a vibe and the people there had a go getter energy. Now I live in Greenwich, which is a lot more chilled. But London as a whole is all the inspiration for my work.  From the billboards advertisements, to the sound the people the street art, the complexity of a city, the list goes on and on.

q) What is your earliest memory that propelled you to create?

a) My art started with me relentlessly copying the Marvel comics my Dad would get me or the cartoon characters on the TV, or the computer games characters which were becoming popular at the time. Being an only child it was my main source of entertainment, to keep myself busy.

q) How do you wish for your art to be perceived?

a)  I do my art to communicate our relationships as humans with each other and the cities we occupy.  I want my work to impact on the viewer on a strong emotional level. I want it to bring you joy but at the same time a sense of loneliness. I want it to reflect life. You have your ups and your downs.  One day you feel fulfilled, the next you feel completely lost. I’m constantly painting to try and achieve this sense.

q) What do your internal dialogues sound like?

a) My internal dialogue is one of constant worry, how can I use my art to speak to people on a deeper level. Will this work inspire the conversations I feel are important. Will the work put the emphasis back on humans and our emotions rather then material objects and glorification of them. I’m also discussing with myself, where do I fit into all of this, where do I fit in with this city, am I comfortable in it, will it ever bring me the satisfaction I’m craving from it. How can I have the discussions I want if I’m locked up in the studio day and night working rather connecting with other people. My internal dialogue is of constant concern.

q) Do you feel that there are limitations to what you want to create?

a) No not really, this is art, art is freedom, freedom to communicate what you want. The only thing that could hold that back is money I guess, as you may not have access to materials and some options due to lack of money. That does annoy me, that money can hold you back in creating your art. But that’s life I guess.

q) Do you feel art is vital to survival and if so, why?

a) Its vital for me, I‘ve got to communicate my feelings and ideas of the world and our relationship with it. If I don’t get to do that regularly, I get quite down and don’t feel I’m being myself. I like to work day and night, that’s me.  I can get depressed due to the lack of this expression if its taken away from me.

q) Describe a world without art.

a) Its an impossible question, nothing would exist, no architecture, fashion no nothing. We have sight so we instantly become visual. The wheel is a stunning piece of art. Some of us are maths and science and some of us are day dreamers.  You can not have one without the other. So in other words, if there was no art that would be due to the fact that there was no human race.

q) Tell us a secret, and obsession.

a) Ha a secret, oh I couldn’t tell a secret to the internet, where would secrecy be in that.Ok Apart from art I wouldn’t say I’ve got any other obsessions. In fact I purposely try in my character not to be obsessive about anything, as I feel that one obsession in life in more then enough. I don’t wanna be a collector of things, I feel that weighs you down in life. I want to have a good rounded character and view of the world, so I don’t want to be obsessive about one thing, because that will make me narrow minded.

q) Where can people see more of your work on the internet?

a) You can follow my work on Facebook at ‘Rowan-Newton’, on Instagram at  ‘rowan_newton‘ and of course at my website rowannewton.co.uk