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With monsters, creatures and things that go bump in the night, the artist also known as The Yeti turns our traditional fears into something loveable. He talks to Quda about Sketch City, his work and how you don’t need a university education to get your work recognised.
Whilst thrashing around the kitchen desperately trying to make a brew he tries to explain why he’s in the game, “All my work has been from a love of drawing, that’s it, nothing major. I didn’t do very well at school, I can’t draw Edwardian houses and I can’t imitate certain things” he say’s whilst taking a seat and presenting me with tea, “For me, nothing beats sitting down with a pen and a pad, nothing does”.
Paul has worked around Manchester with Sketch City on a number of art enthused establishments including the Urbis, The Corner House, Common and Font to name a few. He has also been part of the Mars Attacks festival in Marseille as part of Sketch City to represent artists in Manchester. Although 'The Yeti' may have proved to be in demand for his individual style and cute characters, he didn't chose the conventional University route and instead happened across the once monthly Sketch City event before being spotted to become a resident artist there.
“The first thing I did, I thought, was a pile of toss (pardon my French) I really did. Especially next to other artists there.” Confesses Paul. “The next thing I know ,I got a call off the organiser saying; "Just to let you know I thought I’d use your picture to put up in the advertising", it was a huge spring board in my confidence”
One of the most accesible things about Sketch City and the ethos there is 'Creating the means to create' as the slogan suggests. It takes the traditional way that art is viewed and puts it to the individual to decide what is important to them. “There’s a large demand for it now, for any kind of street art. Or any kind of out there art work, a lot of people who do this aren’t necessarily street artists, their just artists, some do illustration, some do cut ups, some do textiles, then they will go out and put it on the streets, so you can put it out anywhere. I think it’s important because people will generally feel more threatened by the general idea of a gallery”
In Manchester especially it seems that art can be seen everywhere from cafes, shop windows to the traditional darkened alleyway, "I think we have a lot of tolerance for that sort of stuff in Manchester. I think we have it good” he says, “I think Sketch City was a really important part of making street art popular. It just became an outlet for people to do it. Before that it was mainly just graffiti writers in Hulme to be honest, because we started renting them out to clubs and going places, it then became an ‘in’ thing to have artists at nights”.
With the meer mention of Street Art it is always a question of public damage, however the 6ft 7" artist of the streets would like to make it clear that everything he does is above board; “For me, it’s never been about going out and breaking the law. There’s a big difference with dickheads that go about with markers who go around just writing their names. I understand why they do it, I’m not saying I agree with it. It’s just to say they were here, it really is. But, the main reason it started is because, mainly graffiti artists were feeling a bit disposable as human beings, maybe. It was the whole thing of 'I want to have a say'. Art work wise there’s a big difference from town to town, from city to city, and it’s got nothing to do with anything street or urban or graffiti anymore I don’t think” “People have to get out of the idea that it’s a certain style”.
So for lonely bedroom artists out there what's the advice for making people take notice of your work? I ask him, "Well... its not about sending a gazillion emails cause people just won't respond" he assures me. "Id like to say invent, you don't need people. That's one of the main things that you need to know, you don't need other people to do it, get it started on your own. Sketch City has a group setting up in Melbourne! You don't have to sit there and think; "I can't do this", cause you can".
