Chloe Lum & Yannick Desranleau (Seripop) (CDN)

Seripop (Canada)

It's been a while since last time we met canadian artists on the blog, but if you read the site on regular basis, you may have noticed that Seripop was really often consider as a really important actor of today's poster scene, and, you do not have to look too long at their work to see that they are really unique by their way of drawing and their choice of colors...

What are we listening to when we come to visit you?

Probably Cecil Taylor , Dewey Redman , Morbid Angel , Magma , Ornette Coleman ,Voivod , Satanized or Bill Orcutt.

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?

 We are Seripop aka Chloe Lum and Yannick Desranleau , from Montreal. We've been collaborating for 10 years under this moniker and what we do seems to constantly shift and change. We have done poster art , design, editorial illustration and contemporary art. Lately our main work is large scale screen printed installation work that we are showing in galleries and institutions.

When did you start drawing?

 Not too long ago. we were both uninterested in drawing until around 2003. Before that we were both more interested in collage and mediums that did not required the direct action of the hand (video, performance, etc). 

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks?

We both studied Fine Art at Concordia University, in Interdisciplinary Stidies. This was and exploration of art practices through post modernist theory. Not much chance to push our drawing chops. We learned on the job.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

 Full on , full-time. With the odd printing job .

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

 - We do work pretty regularly with Pilot Literary Magazine out of Toroonto (http://www.thepilotproject.ca/ ) ,  we've been doing stuff for every issue for the past 2 years now. We illustrate short fiction with flu creative control, it's a dream gig.

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?

 There is a plethora of influences that affected our work. There is a rich history of local postermaking in Montreal and that was a big reason for us to start; but also just the generic concept of maing posters as a sort of intervention in the streets was something we found very motivating--- so the concept in it own was a big push for us to start, and develop our own ideas throughout.

What are the principal steps in your work ? 

 Thinking , talking , sketching ,  then brute labour

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

 Most of our drawing / text / fills are done by hand , then we use photoshop as a paste-up board.

We tend to be very implicated in the printing process as wee, by giving specific directives to printmakers/offset printers or by screenprinting our own work.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

 It varies but it's usually a week from initial sketches to completed print

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it ?

Since we  don't do many commissions these days we are very selective in the jobs we take on and require a certain creative liberty. I think people looking to hire designers/illustrators should hire someone who does the type of work they require , not expect the artist to re-invent her style.

For which band have you already worked for?

 Deerhoof , Fucked Up , EGYPTRIXX , Sightings, Death From Above, MSTRKRFT, and so on.

For which band would you love to work?

 Country Teasers or any free jazz giant would get us excited to do another poster. Discharge and Penderecki. The Metropolitan Opera?

Do you choose the artists yourself?

 Sometimes , and sometimes they choose us.

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

 Always trying to challenge ourselves and not stick with a formula.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

Felix Morel , Daniel Ludke (DNML) , Sonnenzimmer , Bongout , Walter Scott , Jesjit Gill , Jacob Horwood , Lisa Czech , Dominique Petrin +++++++++++++

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we see your work , on the web or in real life?

http://seripop.com/

for sale here : http://www.etsy.com/shop/Seripop

And in real life at Blackwood gallery at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus http://www.blackwoodgallery.ca/Blackwood_exhibitionscurrent.html

The best praise you received lately?

The best praise we've gotten recently was to receive a production grant . It means that we are able to take on much more ambitious  works  and spend more time on them lately.

What can we wish you for the future?

We we are wanting to continue to do even larger scale works  and be able to take them outside as temporary public art pieces .

Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website !!