Read the full interview in issue two.

How did you become involved in art?

I failed at everything else, I was one of those guys in community college taking every class there was, not because I wanted to, because I needed to. Yeah that’s right…community college becuase I failed in high school.  I took everything there was, from astronomy to zoology, not until I took ceramics with the geriatric community did I find something that I thought was remotely something I could do decent.  Unfortunately for me, it was making cups and bowls, but then I tried sculpting which was fun, I made a badass ashtray.  Then it was to drawing and painting, did that for a couple of semesters, then went to Artcenter College of Design in Pasadena. Everything after that is a blur.

When did you start to incorporate letterforms into your pieces?

When I started to letterpress, years ago, I started typesetting with metal and wood type.  I just thought that the type itself was really amazing. I started laying type on top of my drawings on a vandercook press, which was really cool, then just started incorporating type itself into the picture plane without pressing it.

I saw you had a series of sculptures.  Have you experimented with any other mediums?

I have now gone into some motion work and dabbling in designing some furniture or more functional art.

Are there any other mediums you hope to experiment with in the future?

Resin, rubber, and probably paper. Also more film.

Many of your pieces have elements of nature and odd shapes incorporated, is there a certain feel or idea you are trying to portray or how did they come about?

I just see that marriage of nature and graphic shapes everywhere I go.  For example, a stop sign in front of a tree or a road going through a forest, the shapes are very graphic. How a semi circular tunnel goes through a mountain, even a plane passing through the clouds. How something graphic is among the organic.

How does a typical piece take to be completed?

Some pieces are quick, a weekend to do, some pieces take months to finish. Now I am focused on larger pieces and I allow myself to spend three weeks minimum on each one.  For commercial clients, I could have sketches quickly done in an hour or the next day and finish the final the next day. Just depends on the timeline.

Future goals?

Direct some short movies and larger gallery shows.

www.ronaldkurniawan.com