PEANUT SOUP DELUXE: DANNY SANGRA INTERVIEW

We were lucky enough to grab our first ever interview with multi skilled British artist Danny Sangra. Here he talks about a possible doppelganger from another dimension, his influences and being stranded on an island with Pat Butcher...

PSD: So what made you decide to become an artist then?

Danny Sangra: I don't ever remember deciding on being an artist. Everything that lead me here just felt like the right thing.

PSD: Lets just imagine that theres another Danny Sangra somewhere in an alternative universe with absolutely no artistic abilities what so ever. What would he be doing instead?

Danny Sangra: Shooting Guard for the Knicks.

PSD: If you could spend a day with 4 artists, living or dead, who would you choose?

Danny Sangra: William Klein, Stanley Kubrick, Goddard, Henri Cartier-Bresson.

PSD: Who/what are your biggest influences?

Danny Sangra: The people I just mentioned have been my biggest influences. Funnily enough I am influenced more by film makers and even further more photographers. Aside from Raymond Pettibon there were only about 3 years that I looked at painters. That was when the the whole Beautiful Losers scene was developing. Before that my biggest three Henri Cartier Bresson, Akira Kurosawa and Stanley Kubrick. I grew up being able to draw but my main interest was photography and film. However for certain personal reasons I followed a path of design and illustration.

PSD: Looking at your website, I have noticed the letters AMS. What is that?

Danny Sangra: AMS is A Minute Silence. That's a knitwear label I started with my good friend Lynn Cockburn. You can currently only buy it in Dover St. The full collection will be available online shortly. It is probably the highest quality knitwear in England at the moment as we had it hand made by Corgi Hosiery.
I got the name from a scene in the film Bande Aparte. When they take a minute silence to think of an idea.

PSD: What is your work process and what equipment do you use?

Danny Sangra: The usual stuff, pens , pencils, sketch books, computers, lasers. It really depends on what I am working on. I have done more film/video work over the past year and a half. So that process involves more writing. However it helps that I can draw so I can communicate ideas better.
I use a brush pen and hardly use a pencil. I prefer not to outline anything and go straight with ink. Part of my drawing style is that its made for mistakes. That's how I can work so fast. I generally don't plan unless I am forced to.

PSD: Your also an Art Director. Hows that going? And does that mean an end to making art?

Danny Sangra: I don't know why people think that. I got taken on as a director for Academy Films. My work load has increased so alot of the time people don't get to see my drawing. However I have a show being prepared for next year. That will show anyone who's interested what I have been building. I think it will all make sense then.

PSD: Do you listen to music whilst you work? If so whats on your list?

Danny Sangra: It depends on my mood. If I'm working on a music video I listen to that on repeat for days. When I'm walking around, recently I've been listening to Murs. Mainly because he's a great story teller. You don't get story tellers in Hip Hop anymore. When I draw I listen to 60's garage rock. I have many moods.

PSD: Your stranded on a desert island with Pat Butcher. What do you do?

Danny Sangra: Pray I die before I need sex.

PSD: Has there ever been a point in your life where you've thought to yourself "Forget this! I'm getting myself an office job"?

Danny Sangra: Yeah loads of times but I know it would kill me. I cant even work in a studio. I think every freelancer gets those thoughts. Apart from the rich ones. The ones who don't have to work and live like shit just to look like their struggling too.
Once you've lived on instant noodles for 3 months your gonna want to settle for the 9 to 5. Some do and the rest keep up the fight. But I was raised to believe that if your gonna do something go all the way.

PSD: What advice would you give to anyone just starting out?

Danny Sangra: Aim big. Aim as high as you can. Fuck it. If its gonna be someone then it might as well be you.

PSD: Is there anything that your working on at the moment?

Danny Sangra: I always have a bunch of projects on the go. I have just finished a video project in Australia for the National Gallery.
I filmed two videos before I left. One is a music video for Rowdy Superstar and the other is a fashion film for Fanny and Jessy. Oh and I just finished some prints for Nike and installation fashion piece for an office and I'm currently art directing a series of stings and titles for two Sony television stations in Germany. I think I have some other bits on too but the room I'm in right now is so hot it's getting hard to think.