Portland Oregon artist Mark Quemada is interviewed by Hungry Eyeball and releases some art prints online in the Eyeball gallery.
> (Your art is dealing a lot with food, do you have any aversions to any foods?)
There are a lot of tastes that I dislike. Fennel is probably the worst thing that I can think of. It actually looks like dessicated rat shit in seed form. This is clearly at odds with my love for a good Sazarac.
> (You lived in Japan, China, and now Portland, what are some of your favorite foods from each place?)
The second time I lived in Japan the local delicacy was called “Zeri Fry.” It was the pulped leftovers from making soy milk, deep-fried, and was covered with shredded pickled ginger and yakisoba sauce. It was truly a delicious bit of heaven.
When I moved to China there was a dish called “Disanqian” which translates into something like “the three earth fairies.” It humbly consists of potatoes, eggplant, bell pepper, and is accompanied by a delicious sauce. I became quite the connoisseur of this dish during my stay in Beijing, as it was one of the few things I knew how to order.
Here in Portland I like to cook for myself. I make a really good curry that is basically unstoppable. The secret to how to make this is that one simply must remember to *whisper, whisper…*
> (How did your Love Triangles come on to paper?)
In both instances the Triangle shape comes from a sandwich image. Here’s some food for thought for you left brainers out there:
Half a sandwich is triangular + I love sandwiches = a Love Triangle.
But really, The Love Triangles are largely informed by the drawings I did before them. Love Triangle 2 comes from an illustration called “Hormel Hell” which is a study of the chunks found in low grade lunch meat. Love Triangle 1 comes from a drawing called “Lean on Me” which is a sandwich edge resting against a bookend.
> (What’s your dream job?)
I’ve been making “Glamour Shots” of people’s least/favorite food recently, and think that it would be a nice niche market to be known for – especially here in Portland where people are serious about their love for food. The trick is to draw out a compelling story from the client about why they love or loathe these foods, and turn it into something interesting rather than just a static still life drawing.
> (What do you love about life?)
“To crush your enemies — See them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.” Just kidding, that’s a quote from Conan the Barbarian. For the past decade I’ve been reading and collecting all of the Conan pulp novels, which there are many of. When I’m done hunting for the last two that I need I plan on reading them in chronological order according to Conan’s lifespan. I love doing research on a subject I’m passionate about and being able to examine the different facets it has to offer.
> (Can you tell us about any future art plans?)
I’m working on a series of new illustrations called “The Godmother Method” which highlights the way in which my Godmother tried to lose weight, stop smoking, and cut down drinking. Hopefully you’ll be able to see them in a few months!
Check out Mark Quemada’s art prints in the Hungry Eyeball gallery.
Twitter@HungryEyeball
Eyeball Photos on Flickr
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