Dabbling in mixed media collage, 3D, illustration and comic strip creation, Bristol dwelling artist Ed Cheverton has been quite literally putting pen to paper since leaving art school. Illustrating for Anorak magazine as well as focusing on some of his own more organic projects such as Post Card Club and the small press Jazz Dad Books, Ed has brightened up the artistic landscape and inadvertently presented himself as a model of success, for students nearing graduation.
Your work seems to be ageless - do you think your work presents adult ideas to children or childish notions to adults?
I think I probably lean more towards childish notions to adults. Children are crazy, and I think that’s great. They are so naturally driven towards having fun and playing, and I hate that we can start to lose that freedom as we become adults and jobs and work take over. I guess my work is my last attempt to hold onto that; it is my escape from the real world and where I can have fun and just play. I don’t really consider myself a children’s illustrator/artist, as quite a lot of my work (especially recently) explores quite mature themes; depression and escapism for example. Having said that I do really enjoy working on projects for children, I can really embrace having fun with work and be silly without being too patronising (I hope!).
Is there a medium you feel most at home with?
Out of all the mediums I work with I think collage will always be my favourite. I have been making collages longer than anything else and I still find it the most exciting, fun and challenging way of working. By its own nature, it is such an adaptable and ever-changing medium which I find very inspiring.
Your art seems to have an intrepid sense of playfulness and happiness – what words would you use to describe your style?
Making the work is in itself fun (which is why I do it!). I don’t really think of the style, it’s the idea or the reason I’m doing it that is important for me. The aesthetic is constructed around that. Other than having fun and playing with work I’d say for me it’s obsessive and addictive. I’m still right at the start or my career and far far less experienced than many other practitioners, so I’m hoping this will all develop and change over time.
How did the Post Card Club begin?
Postcard Club began September(ish) 2013. I had just moved to Bristol where I didn’t really know anyone, and was thinking of ways to meet new people. I’d done a few parcel swaps with other illustrators and artists in the past which were great fun and I felt gave us a much better insight to each other’s work than emailing or talking on Twitter etc. did. I started out doing a few small swaps with friends, and then thought it would be really great to build a huge network of people who swap with each other, and have real/physical connections outside of the Internet. I wanted it to be friendly, informal, to connect artists with each other away from the internet, and to promote artist’s generosity (something which many members have embraced wonderfully!).
What’s the best post card you’ve received?
Every card I have received has been amazing, I can’t say which is the best, that’s not really what the club is about. What I really like however is seeing other artist’s swapping with each other not just with me (the club isn’t just me swapping!), I’d love to see more swaps with other people.
You’ve recently collaborated with Anorak magazine – what’s your ideal collaboration?
Working with Anorak was brilliant; the story I illustrated was by the editor Cathy Olmedillas. She really understands how Illustrators work which made it a great and easy experience visualizing here writing. I think my ideal collaboration would be something like that; where we both understand where we are both coming from with equal and complementary input. In terms of a specific project, I would absolutely love to create a whole series of album artwork for a Jazz record label.
Since graduating you’ve also created the small press Jazz Dads Books – can you tell us a little bit about this concept?
Jazz Dad Books is my imprint, under which I self publish my zines, comics and books. I loved self-publishing and making zines all throughout University, and I thought it would be great to have my own small press (it’s really really small, just me and a black and white laser printer). Not long after thinking of setting it up I realized it would be great to print zines, comics and books by some of my friends and other Artists/Illustrators I really wanted to see small publications from. Like Postcard Club, it’s very informal, and just mostly me and my friends enjoying making and printing zines together and individually. We will be at ELCAF this year, on the 14th June.
What can we expect from you next?
For the rest of May I’m focusing Jazz Dad Books, there’s a lot of books coming out soon! I’m also planning a small exhibition with Illustrators Dave McMillan and Jayde Perkin for later this year, of 3D work and Toys by a variety of Artists and Illustrators.
