Scraped Off The Back of a Rectangle: An Interview With The Artists.

Tonight is the opening of Cairo's July art show, titled "Scraped Off The Back of a Rectangle", featuring work by Jamey Braden, Leanne Grimes, and Aidan Fitzgerald.

In addition to the artists' individual pieces, the trio compiled a collaborative publication of sketches, drawings and text. This week, the group got together drink coffee, to do some final touches on the publication, and get interrogated/photographed by yours truly. 

Take a look at their interview and photos below, and come TONIGHT to see the artists and their work!

 You can also see these pics on our Tumblr. 

Here is the interview: 

Tell me about your personal influences for the art in this show.  

LG Punk rock. Also a sense of wonder, because we are three people that don't really know each other in an art show. I love that about art. I try to collaborate as much as possible because it can often be such a solitary experience. 

JB Punk rock, angst, anthems. Feeling good about feeling bad…You'll see what I mean. 

AF Maps, comics, and tiny lines. 

What are your favorite mediums to work with? 

JB Fiber and textiles. 

LG Model Magic, this super airy Crayola clay. 

AF Intlagio etching. 

Describe your artistic style in three words. 

JB Humor, itchy, antishame. 

LG Adventuresome, wandering, floral.

AF Obsessive, tremors, astronaut.

What is it like to be an artist in Seattle?

LG I feel like you can play here with your work. It has freed me from the mentality of overworking my art. I feel like there is a lot of experimentation going on, people are willing to accept what you're doing if you're engaged in it. It's a very opening welcoming community. 

JB I don't feel that way. It might be this way every city, but people get very comfortable in their little circles and its hard to break into those. I can be very shy and turn into a bumbling idiot when I feel uncomfortable. It can be frustrating because there is a smaller audience in Seattle, but its also more rad because its smaller; its more punk. 

AF More than a lot of places, Seattle is very cliquey. Coming out of school, the only artist friends I have are the people I went to art school with. There is not a lot of cross-pollination between my friends and other artist groups. It's hard… I don't want to go to a show and go up to an artist and be like, "I really like your work." 

It's summer(!) What is your favorite flavor of ice-cream?

JB Well it used to be bubblegum without the chunks, but now its Thai iced tea flavor.

LG Coffee heath bar crunch!

AF I always think I want cookies'n'cream, but then I take a bite and I don't want anymore. It has to be coffee. 

What are you listening to right now? 

JB This is hard. I've been listening to a lot of stuff that I don't really like, but I like Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Also, I've been on a weird contemporary country music kick lately. 

LG I'm not hip about music. I like my friend's band from Brooklyn. They are called Friends.

AF A lot of Destroyer, a lot of Silver Jews but hat never changes, and Sun Ra. 

Favorite places to hang out in Seattle? 

JB My house. I'm a hermit. 

LG Madrona Beach on Lake Washington, Magnuson Park community garden, and Twilight Exit.  I'm always at The Innkeeper because that's where I work and I tend to drink there after work. Last but not least, my house in the CD.

AF The park at Federal and Republican, they have chalk and dominos. It feels like I'm hanging out in my best friend's backyard. Also Analog Coffee.

What are you most proud of in your artistic career? 

JB I'm proud of not giving a fuck. Sometimes. Also, the most magical and powerful art experience was the dance performance I organized for Magma Fest that exploded into a dance party. It was an amateur micro-dance recital. 

LG Getting my MFA made me feel very proud. Like I accomplished something. 

AF Intruder Comics. 

You all went to art school. What is an important lesson in art that art school didn't teach you? 

JB Take communications so you know how to talk to people! Our school didn't prepare you for being outside art school…the pond multiplies immensely. My school was very technique focused, and that doesn't even matter, because technique is not necessarily important. Voice is important and that wasn't emphasized. 

LG I learned nothing in art school that is useful. I kid you not. I learned to not go to art school…to go school to make money, then do art on the side. I was fortunate to have a mentor out of school that was like my art dad, who gave me art lessons constantly. He taught me to be ruthless, but calm about it. If I didn't have him, I don't think I would have the proper tools to make art like I do. 

AF To go to school for something cool like biology, and then make cool biological art. 

What is next? 

JB I don't know. I never really know. I feel like something really performative is brewing. Its like an evil thing I can't control. 

LG I have a solo show at Blindfold up right now. As far as goals go, I just want to keep living and loving life because that is what fuels my art. I want to continue to travel and adventure.

AF I want to make more books. Whether they be my books, or other people's books. 

See you tonight!