On synesthesia, Jean-Michel Basquiat and working with SOAK... exclusively in Jack's words.
Who are you and what
do you do?
My name is Jack Coulter. I am an abstract expressionist
artist from Belfast, born in 1994.
Why do you do what
you do? Where do you draw inspiration for your work?
Growing up as a child, I was heavily exposed to abstract
art. My aunt Christine was my greatest influence - she was an abstract
printmaker. My mum had her prints exhibited in every room of my house - they
are breathtaking compositions. I was in awe of her work - I could 'hear' her
paintings. Later in life, I became aware that I was born with synesthesia. To
have her embrace my artwork from an early age was vital; young minds are
brittle - disbelief can arise from just one individual's opinion. Whilst living
in Germany, she once had dinner with Georg Baselitz - he was lucky to have met
her. She always believed in me, even when no one else did. She sadly passed
away the day before I began art college.
How do you work?
In the absence of time. I work with the canvas on the
floor, forming rhythms of the unborn. I do not use paint brushes; I use sticks,
sand, broken glass. I use second-hand house paint bought from charity
shops or found on the street. My expression has not changed since I was a child. My mum has a work of mine which I painted when I was four years old -
black/acid green - everyone thinks that I painted it recently, saying,
"your style has developed".
What themes do you
pursue, if any?
Love, death, birth, oneirology. I am infatuated
with the idealisms of psychic automatism; I rarely work from a pre-conceived
idea. The affirmation of 'beauty' as such resides within the unconscious,
metaphysically non-existent expression. The spontaneity arises in parallel with
original musical compositions—I paint to sound, in loveless silence. I paint
everything that I am, was, am yet to be - a mere psychoanalytical pursuit of
instilled aleatory.
Do you have a
favourite piece or type of art work? Which artists, if any, would you like to
be compared to?
The greatest compliment is when an individual compares my
work to my aunt Christine's. In terms of art history; the list is endless -
1940s post-war abstract expressionism, Pollock, Rothko, De Kooning, Kline,
Motherwell, Newman. Also various second generation painters - Sam Francis,
Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis. No living artist inspires me.
I adore Frida Kahlo's diary - a visual representation of her mind. Her
illustrations are beautiful - pain depictions - "I love you more than my
own skin." Jean-Michel Basquiat, genius child; he revolutionised the
'artist' stereotype. I wish that I could have met him. Inspiration comes in
all forms; Rimbaud's 'Ophelia' once inspired me to paint - one's mind is rarely
conditioned.
What do you like
and/or dislike about your work and why?
I am thankful that I can express my feelings through
abstraction; I feel sorry for those who are caged within figurative
representation - there is no psychological release. I am fuelled by self-doubt.
"The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is
granted to the less talented as a consolation prize." - Robert Hughes. I
recently finished art college and I have never been more ecstatic to leave a place
in my life. The one place where I thought that my work would fit in.
Instead, I was thrown out of the painting course twice. Though in this day
and age, you need a degree to supposedly 'succeed' in society, which is
obscene. A piece of paper does not define your self worth.
Describe your workspace.
I have painted in my garage since I was a child; it is
chaotic - though I would never change it.
Does music play a
role in the conception or creation of your paintings?
Music is a vital component to my work - I have synesthesia;
I can 'hear' colours. I paint to my own original musical compositions; my heart
resides in ambience. Two of my favourite painting records: 'Kind of Blue'
(Miles Davis) and 'Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks' (Brian Eno).
What is your dream
project?
Contentment. My art has always been a personal form of
expression, a release. My paintings were only for me to view; now, the world
is exposed to my workings. I receive thousands of messages online - I once
received a devastating message which left me in pieces. I have never mentioned
it to anyone as it is a heartbreaking yet experiential subject. An anonymous
girl told me that she was about to take her own life, then she saw one of my
paintings online and it changed her mind. It made me cry - if my sole life's
purpose was for that one moment to arise; I will forever be serene.
Your work featured in
a solo exhibition, Breathe, at The National in Belfast in 2013. Tell me about
that.
I was the first artist to ever present work there - Banksy
exhibited there almost a year after me. I placed my work on easels; this was an
exhibitory technique used by 'The Irascibles' in the 1940s. I received a
message last week and it said that my exhibition inspired them to start painting;
it was surreal.
Signing with Rough
Trade to create the artwork for SOAK's debut album must have been very exciting
– is creating artwork for such high profile clients a goal for you? What
influence does, or would fame have on your work?
Bridie (SOAK) chose six of my monochrome images to feature
on her debut album Before We Forgot How To Dream. Bridie is an aestheticist;
she is the truth. Her album resonates an embodiment of memory, nostalgia,
personal endearment; the artwork coincides beautifully. Andy Warhol,
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, Alexander McQueen, Damien
Hirst, Gerhard Richter, Banksy, Robert Rauschenberg, Salvador Dalí have all had
their artwork featured on an album; it is surreal. Fame as an entity is not
my idea of happiness - it is a mirage, the public only see the polished
exterior. Fame has killed; fame will continue to kill; fame will forever kill. The
answers do not exist within fame, religion, materialism and artificial stimulation
- they are pain measuring societal concepts.
Have you any projects
in the pipeline at the moment? What does the future hold for you?
Later this year, a potentially life-changing opportunity -
though I have to keep it quiet. The future; imminent breath.
And lastly, a clichéd
interview question to finish: you’re stranded on a desert island and you can
only have one item… what would it be?
Love.
Check out some examples of Jack's work on his Instagram here.
© All Images Copyright Jack Coulter. All Rights Reserved.
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