Stuart Semple

HK Magazine: The theme of this exhibit seems to be centered on teenagers and teenage angst, why did you pick this particular focus?
Stuart Semple: I guess it comes from the teenage time in my life. Basically I used to sit there listening to my music—The Cure, Joy Division and Nirvana—and drawing these little doodles and getting picked on because I was in my own little world and didn’t join in with what everyone else was doing. But the things that were “wrong” with me have almost become my power—now, people want to buy those little doodles and know what music I was listening to. So the show has these very fragile, damaged characters take on some superpower or triumph over adversity.

HK: It looks like song lyrics appear in most of your work.
SS: The lyrics do quite a few things. They give a painting a soundtrack. If there’s a song you know and I write the lyrics [on one of the paintings], you almost hear the song in your head when you look at the picture, so it gives it this whole other dimension. The song could be something we both have in common if we both have heard it. Also, those lyrics were something I identified with while growing up, they explained how I felt. No matter how bad it got, when my favorite band described what it felt like I could identify with it. I was never on my own when I had music.

HK: In some of your interviews you said that you didn’t set out to become famous or make a lot of money, how was it for you when you started to become well known?
SS: It was quite weird. It crept up on me and I didn’t notice for a long time what was going on. To start with I was just making art for me—to express myself, feel okay, get through the day, almost like a medicine. And then all of a sudden other people had an interest in it. No matter what people say, it’s hard to block [those other people] out of your mind when you’re making something. But I’ve come through that a bit, so at the moment it just feels like I’m making what I want. That’s quite an egoistic thing to say, but I was always doing that, and it’s probably one of the most honest ways to be, really.

HK: Besides paintings, you’ve also done more pop work like magazine covers.
SS: All my work is about mass culture. I can’t go out and make work that criticizes that world if I don’t know what it is. That would be so hypocritical. But I do know how the celebrity thing works, so I feel that I have a sort of authority to make works about it. What I like about mass culture is that it’s very democratic and accessible. That’s why I try to do both. The more expensive these paintings get, the less people [can see them]. When I was growing up in a small seaside town, I didn’t get to see any art, it was terrible. I was culturally starved, you could say. I want my stuff to get to those kids like me somehow. So I do shows where an eighteen year old kid can come in with his skateboard and spend all day [looking at the art]. I’m actually making art for him.

HK: Would you say some of your work comments on English society?
SS: There are specific pieces which I make about the political and social situations in England, like “Happy Clouds” [a project where Semple released 2,000 smiley faces made out of bubbles into the air]. The clouds that I let off from the Tate were absolutely to do with the fact that we had a terrible recession and people were forgetting that art and culture are very important. They were announcing big cuts in funding for museums. Everybody was having a really bad time and I wanted to show how powerful art could be in a moment like that.

HK: Some artists would argue that you should keep your art apolitical.
SS: The thing is that once you’ve taken a political stance, you’ve alienated half of the people [viewing your work]. But how can you hide what you believe in? I don’t believe that anyone is “non-political,” it’s not possible. You must think one way or another about certain issues. I can’t be honest in my work if I don’t bring that into it.