Interview Sophie Lo (english version)

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Chroniques Musique de Crewkoos

Sophie Lo (english version)

Sophie Lo (french version)

I discovered the work of Sophie Lo during a frantic session surfing on Facebook. Of course her original graphics - reminiscing of 50's and 60's posters - aroused my curiosity, this therefore widely justify the following interview, not to mention the kindness and motivation Sophie Lo showed for this interview.

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we listening to when we come to visit you? The Senders « Outrageous & Contagious », it's thé est Punk Blues album ever !… and my nicest graphic achievement by far!… Easy to design a beautiful sleeve with such a soundtrack!… Otherwise a lot of good old Rhythm ‘n Blues, Rock’n Roll, I couldn't name them all… most of them are shown on my posters… or will be on the new ones to come… Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do? I hope this is your most difficult question! (laughs) I was born in an Artistic family, my Mum a singer songwriter and my Dad an architect… a mix of French, Ukrainian and Chinese culture! Passionate about Rock music I moved from Paris to England 15 years ago. I'm also passionate about America (North & South)… Hmmm and as Pierre Dac said: " I come from home and this is where I'm going back!"… Hahah! When did you start drawing? As soon as my Mum put a pen in my hand… around 3 years old….

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks? I've learned everything by myself. I would have loved to go to an Art school but I failed the entrance exam! So I learned it all on my own. The invention of Photoshop changed my life! For a long time I was re-designing the covers of my books or Cd's when I thought the original cover looked rubbish, and this is how I practiced. And I own a lot - if not all - to my friend Philippe Marcade! , for whom I was designing stuff just for a laugh at home and he persuaded me to do more and more, he even had me revamping the cover for the reissue of his book "Au-dela de l'Avenue D", and most of all, he insisted that I put my work on the internet for other people to see!… and it worked! So "A very big thank You, Flip!" Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ? I don't earn my living from it financially (yet), "creatively" yes!, but I will remedy to it! and I'm trying to get all the connection possible to make this change. I'm currently working for an Import & Export Record company, specialized in Vinyl/Lp reissues, and I do my posters when I get home, in the evenings, at night, during the weekends. Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly? I do a lot of various things for some Record labels, Cd & LP sleeves, Tour Posters, etc… for Devils Jukebox in England, and Get Hip recordings in the USA, among others. I was asked recently to design the cover for a French fanzine, but it is still "in the works" so I can't mention which one yet… My biggest influence comes from what I'm listening to! I love everything "vintage" from the 40's, 50's and 60's, old Rhythm'n'Blues and Rock'n'Roll posters.

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences? My biggest influence comes from what I'm listening to! I love everything "vintage" from the 40's, 50's and 60's, old Rhythm'n'Blues and Rock'n'Roll posters. What are the principal steps in your work (from start to finish) ? Above all Music! I choose an artist or band I like, search for pictures, cool song titles within their repertoire, and here we go... Do you do everything by hand or on computer? Almost everything on the computer, or I draw and scan and rework the drawing, but I'm thinking about starting to do more things "all by hand", with paint, texture, depth… I just lack the appropriate working space! How long does it take you to do a poster? Usually a whole day. Once I start, I can't stop until it's completed, even if sometimes I have spend most of the night working. If it is an order it can take several days, depending on what the "customer" wants 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 ? I'm trying to do only things I fancy. There's so many graphic designers around, if people come to me I assume it is because they like my style, otherwise why not ask somebody else! But if the horses, water and sunset background job is asked nicely and well paid: I can do it! … I already did, it was not asked nicely, but it was well paid! Hahha!

For which band have you already worked for? Actually for my poster work, everything happened so quickly and thanks to the internet! The day American Rockabilly artists Billy Lee Riley died, I did a tribute graphic I put online for my friends, next thing I know, my picture was shared on various blogs, then I got a email from Michael Louis in Brooklyn, asking me if my graphic could be printed poster-size to be sold at the Billy Lee Riley Memorial Show in Arkansas, and if I agreed to leave the money proceeding go to Riley's widow. Of course I immediately said yes! My graphic was just for the net, so I re-did big big size from scratch, then Michael asked me if I actually could do a "proper" poster in the same style for the Memorial Show itself, featuring such prestigious Rock'n'Roll artists as Sonny Burgess, Dale Hawkins, Carl Mann, etc… The DREAM! I also been noticed on Myspace by Anton Newcombe frontman of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, who asked me to design a few posters for their 2010 World Tour (Australia, Paris - France, London - Uk, Manchester - Uk, San Francisco - USA…) I did these posters just as the tour was starting, so because of bad timing, the only poster that got to be printed and sold at gigs was the one for Australia, but all the others are available as Limited Editions through my website. Working on the record business has its advantages, like my connection with Get Hip Recordings, for which I did Tour Posters for The Cynics in Pittsburgh, or Los Explosivos from Mexico, for their 2010 Tour, or simply for musicians or bands I know, like The Senders for the release of their new Cd, The Humpers, The Master Plan (ex-Fleshtones), Ediie & The Hot Roda, and many others…

For which band would you love to work? The Rolling Stones ! – as The Beatles don't exist anymore! - Otherwise, for me "COOL" is the magic word, so "Cool" artists… Or maybe yes, I have urge to revamp artists mistreated by bad taste through years and fashion, like Elvis Presley for example! Going to Graceland without being able to buy any good looking souvenir is very frustrating! Hahah! And my inspiration [and aspiration] are above all from an aesthetic, artistic point of view rather than commercial. It is because I've had enough not finding anything nice to put on MY walls that I really started designing myself. Do you choose the artists yourself? I choose myself, it all starts with what's playing on my stereo... What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ? Starting it! To choose an artist or band is easy, choice of colors, typography and layout is taking time... Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else? No, because I don't come out of any design school, and my source of inspiration is much too vast and varied. 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? In real life, you've got to come have a cup of coffee at home, or buy CDs from Devils Jukebox/LAMF in England! Otherwise on the net, it's all here, and it's brand new, with a lot of my other works in painting, photography or video editing : http://www.sophielo.com The best praise you received lately? « W.O.W Beautiful !!!! » and a few « thumbs up » on Facebook ! Hahah ! What can we wish you for the future? An exhibition! That would be cool, but before that I need to do another 30 or so posters, so I'm going back to work… Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website !! Thanks to you… can we go have this coffee now? Infos diverses : sophielo2009@yahoo.co.uk ★ http://www.sophielo.com/ ★ Read more at crewchro.blogspot.com

 

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