Archie Fitzgerald

When we discovered Archie Fitzgerald’s work for the first time we were obsessing within minutes. From England, to Berlin to Melbourne, this is an artist whose work is so mindblowingly fucked up it gets you really hooked. The inspiration behind it partly explains that: serial killers, paedophiles, rapists, internet freaks, anything wrong in people’s heads. Read on about what’s happening in the head of one of the greatest illustrators of all time!

Interview byEmma E K Jones & Amanda M Jansson

Do you remember the first thing you ever draw and liked? What was it? When I was in primary school I would draw ‘cool dude’ characters over and over again. They would all have like adidas t shirts and sunglasses and a beard and hat like Ali G. Not sure why I liked drawing them so much, I didn’t dress like that at all. Then I got into bands like Less Than Jake and NOFX and would copy their CD covers and stuff. 16/17 would definitely be Ralph Steadman and Basquiat. I got really into Henrik Drescher’s work later on and other illustrators like that but now I don’t take much influence from other drawers/illustrators. Visual stuff that inspires my work these days is more like 60s/70s magazine/book covers and graphic design like Tadanori Yokoo, Asian art, 70s sci-fi art, surrealist stuff and weird disturbing internet things I find.

How did you decide on becoming an illustrator eventually? I would never say that I’ve decided to be an illustrator and I wouldn’t even say I’m an illustrator. I did study illustration and most of my work is drawn but it’s not illustrating anything apart from my own ideas, apart from the occasion when I draw something for someone else. I’m not great at making 3D stuff and don’t enjoy it that much and I find painting a bit annoying so drawing with pen and ink is what works for me.

How do you come up with the stories you illustrate to? Where do you get inspiration from? I come up with them in my head but I do take influence from various things. It depends what I’m into at the time, at the moment I’m quite into the deep web and weird stuff that goes on through the internet and the people that inhabit it. Paedophiles, stalkers, drug dealers, cam girls, and people addicted to the internet who never leave the house like hardcore gamers and porn addicts. Other stuff I get inspiration from is weird people like serial killers and rapists and also books and films and stuff in my own life…

Your work is very bold. Did this ever cause you any trouble? Not as of yet. I think it’s so fictional and surreal looking that people don’t take the disgusting sex and stuff too seriously.

Are there any other forms of art that you would be interested in experimenting with? Yeah for sure, at the moment my other main project I’ve been working on is music. I have a cheap midi keyboard and logic and I’ve been making weird music and writing songs and stories to go with them that I want to perform when they’re ready. The stories and subject matter is very similar to my drawings so I’m a bit worried that when people hear some of the fucked up stuff coming from my mouth they might take offence but I’ll have to wait and see. Also with my drawings I want to incorporate installation to add more to the experience when I exhibit so that is something I’m going to be working on soon.

What’s the most annoying thing someone can say about your work and why? That it’s funny. Sometimes people have seen my work somewhere and think it’s hilarious and that’s annoying! I guess the reason why is because I don’t think it’s funny and there’s nothing about it that’s meant to be funny.

Have you ever exhibited your work? How did it feel? Yeah I’ve done exhibited in Bristol a few times and Berlin a bunch of times. I love it it’s great, one of the most satisfying moments when you’ve been making work is when people come and enjoy it.

What are you currently working on? An exhibition perhaps? Yeah well I’m currently working on a few things. The first thing is the music I mentioned earlier, I want to record some of it soon and work on being ready to do some stuff live. I have a screen printed zine which is going to be coming out around September published by Culture Commune and I’m working on a zine that will be published by Re:Surgo. And yeah I’m trying to get an exhibition in Melbourne so been writing some proposals and things for an exhibition I really want to do. Keep up with Archie’s work at www.archiefitzgerald.com