What's Good!

Interview – Cam Scale

Interview – Cam Scale

First appearing over ten years ago on walls and facades around the city, Cam Scale isn’t a stranger to the Melbourne street art scene. In more recent years, however, Scale has also had his unique work commissioned for some pretty hefty commercial enterprises, including Pepsi Max, Lion Nathan and Microsofts Xbox.

As a successful artist who has made a name for himself between both aspects of the art and design world with his versatility, Scale has also managed to find a near perfect balance between the two. With his upcoming show, Night Shift,  at the newly launched Rancho Notorious gallery (upstairs from Melbournes 1000 Pound Bend), he is set to display amazing new body of work that delves into the interpretation of those darkened hours between the twilight and dawn.

We were really happy to be able to get a few words from Scale before his show this week, and to get a bit of a behind the scene perspective on the work he’s been doing lately …output_image (2)

So tell us, how did you find the transition into commercial design work from a graffiti background? Was it a gradual shift or did you make a concerted effort to do so, and how did you progress into it over the years?

I guess it was a gradual thing at first, doing council workshops, canvasses and small paid jobs as a hobby while studying, working and painting. After quite a few years the jobs slowly started to get bigger and i found there was actually some money in it. So it came to the cross road of taking it further, ditching the day job and trying to make a living from being creative. I never wanted to work in an office, so , so far so good.

How about your style and technique? Its often graff derived, but there are a lot of other elements in it – what else have you added into the mix over the years to push the boundaries of your work?

I think in Graff you have to be resourceful , a few years back there was an art in just collecting all the tools and different paints to complete your work. I like to think that i have held onto that mentality. As well as not to be to precious with my art.

As for a style, I’m not sure. I tend to change what I paint pretty regularly. I just try to keep experimenting with concepts, new materials, and different techniques as i go. This keeps the actual process of creating new and exciting.


We saw somewhere that you’re a comic book fan – what are some of the classic comics that have inspired you in the past, as well as those currently – and why?

There was an older kid down the road that got me into DC comics, i was really into Lobo, Green lantern, Superboy and Catwoman. As I got a bit older Spawn Was definitely a favourite, I love Greg Capulla’s work!

They were a great tool in helping to understand lighting, and shadow etc for pieces.


In terms of “scenes” amongst your work, what are some of your favourite forms and settings which you like to depict? Are there any specific themes that you find yourself consistently working with?

I’ve always loved nature, and I was a massive doco fan as a kid.  Mostly docos about the world around us. I find urban decay really interesting, as the environment we created slowly gets broken down.

At the moment, its about the night time, but that will change eventually.

Can you tell us a little more about your upcoming show, Night Shift, at the new Rancho Notorious Gallery in Melbourne? What do you think of the space itself, and how did the show come about?

Honestly, I took one look at the wall and jumped in. Just the texture and colouring of it is so different to the usual white or black. Its a little like the insides of abandoned and burnt out factory or subway tunnels with years of corrosion and build up. As well as the large windows looking out on the construction site and city high rises.

It’s a great space – I felt it would work really well with my paintings.

189743_188083214564000_178852328820422_456496_3134146_n
In regards to Night Shift, what is it about the night that fascinates you as an artist, and what do you believe that those darkened hours bring to your pieces ?

I don’t know exactly – I guess spending a large part of my adolescence in strange places at night, you start to feel quite comfortable there. Its interesting to see the world from a different perspective. I find the bright colours a lot more saturated on a deep background, leaving a lot up to the imagination to fill in the blanks. While your eyes can be playing tricks on you as well.

I guess I’m just trying to reproduce that feeling at the moment.

What are some of the more interesting commercial projects you have worked on, and are there any intriguing stories you can relate to us about any of them?

Ha! The most challenging aspect would be making sure they pay  properly! It’s really its nice though to get a decent budget, and work with a client that isn’t too controlling.

My latest job was pretty interesting, which was working with Pepsi Max on the livery for Greg Murphy’s new V8 supercar.  It’s a pretty different design for that sport, and their idea was to get people talking. Its all a very love/hate thing, so I’ve had plenty of mixed feed back – including an old bloke they interviewed who referred to it as “a bit queer?” – haha!

It’s pretty cool though, seeing your design fly around a race track – they have some other great artists lined up for some new designs, so keep an eye out!

How did you find your Secret Wars experience? Are you a fan of working with live art in general and do you want to do more of it?

It’s pretty good fun really, and another thing to try.

Its a bit daunting, going from having nobody watching you, to a room full of people. The challenge of having no erasers, and coming up with something rude or witty about the other guy, is always fun though. It’s also been great in promoting artists – and getting to paint against someone so talented as Ken Taylor in the final will be awesome!

scale

Do you still get out and try to do work on the walls beyond your gallery and commercial work? Is it something that you still pursue as an outlet or do you believe you are progressing down different paths? How important a part will graffiti always play in your work?

No doubt without graffiti, my life would be completely different. It taught me all the art basics. It is something I really enjoy and still effects how I view the world. One thing I enjoy most, is just hanging out with a few close mates, some beers and a nice rolled wall.

Will it continue to be an important part of my work? That’ll probably depend on what I’m painting.

wasp
Just to finish off – what do you have planned for the rest of the year, and what everyone can expect to see from you after this show?

I think Ill try and change gears again – maybe its time to try some portraits, as I’ve avoided them in the past.

Having said that – who knows? With my attention span, I’m just not sure. Getting a real studio space is one aim, so I can separate work a bit more from my home life. I’d also like to get back into doing to some more large scale murals, and just trying to get on with as much stuff as possible …

bird

Check out more info on Night Shift and Cam Scale at Just Another Agency and the Rancho Notorious website. (Rancho photo above Hana Vasak.)

Facter
ADMINISTRATOR
PROFILE

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

Facebook

Instagram

Advertisements

BSIDE Gallery

/* ]]> */