We’ve been seeing Max’s work pop up in various shows with more and more frequency in recent times – and from what we’re seeing, we cant help but want something to put up on our wall.

His most recent work, derived from a multitude of influences, often heavily so in the direction of the fantastical, conveys a hell of a lot of compacted imagery and symbolism into what are often smaller scale, semi-illustrative paintings – its iconographic, often fun, art, and we always feel the need to construct our own internal narratives for each piece whenever we see them.

We were really glad to be able to catch up with Max in the lead up to his coming group show, Microcosm, with Phibs, Beastman and Creepy – and to find out more about the ongoing visual narrative behind his works  …

So, what have you been up to lately, besides getting ready for your upcoming group show?

Ah … I just moved into the new ‘StupidKrap Studios’ – so I’ve been working on getting settled in there (building a desk, setting up a utility section, playing king pong, busting out some stickers and generally getting my hands dirty). It’s a really great opportunity – and working with other artists like Ears, Beastman, Phibs and Numskull, whose work I admire, makes for a great collective atmosphere.

I’m also working on a website, so I’m floundering my way through the matrix – and hopefully that should be up and running before the New Year. Other than that, I’m just taking it easy, hanging at Flatrock, and bombing hills on my banana board.

Tell us a little about your formative years, and where your creativity sprang from?

Well, I grew up on the Sunshine Coast and moved down to Sydney to study Design at the College of Fine Arts, which I completed last year. I suppose I didn’t really think about, or put serious work into my paintings, until around 2007. By that point I was up to my gills in Oh Really magazine, and the subsequent gallery space. Working with Ears and Jamie Nimmo through those projects was unreal and really taught me a lot – I’m really appreciative of that period. I guess it was during that time that I was forming some pretty concrete ideas about style and aesthetics.

I don’t think you can really pin-down ‘creativity’, but I do spend ridiculous amounts of time watching things, hours flicking through comics, and days reading science fiction; for fun as much as anything else. At the moment though, I’m really enjoying Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle, anything by Will Eisner and oh … and Redline, that movie is completely badass. I’m interested in a bunch of different things ranging from photography, train rides, conversations, skate rides, poetry, documentaries, folklore, magic, dreams… anything can pretty much inspire new works.

What other artists are you currently admiring work from, and that you find yourself taking on board impressions, and deriving inspiration from?

That’s a pretty long list, maybe ill just name a few… The Beautiful Losers, James Mercer, Kid Zoom, Sofia Coppola, Jeff Smith, Mike Mignolia, Micheal Peck, Banksy, Spike Jonze, Last Chance, Dali, MF Doom, George Lucas, Robin Hobb, Anthony Lister, Ren and Stimpy, Terry Pratchett, Turbo, Blu, Ron Engish, Micheal Leunig, J.R.R. Tolkien, Midlake, Jonathan Zawada …

Contrasting visions of utopian and dystopian environments often form a part of the overall impressions you seem to put forth with your work, how do you try to manifest these things – are there any set icons, for example your floating landscapes, that you use to convey these impressions?

The contrast between black and white, good vs evil, utopia and dystopia are each interesting for me, I like to explore their constant friction. Its not as if I have anything overly momentous to say, I merely want to offer a chance for the viewer to fill in the blanks making their own decisions, seeing what they’d like to see.

I often use symbols in my work, they’re handy devices that carry a bunch of meaning in a simple shape or line. Ultimately, I believe the work I’m making at the moment is just storytelling – without the words.

Stylistically, you seem to have found your footing – has it been a defined process to get your work to where it is and where you are happy with it – are you happy with it? – and can you tell us a little about the processes you have evolved to take it to where it is?

I’m not so sure it has been a defined process – more so zig-zaggy path. Throughout 2008-2009, I was working in a much bolder style of crazy colourful characters, and before that it was more abstract expressionism. However, when it came to having my first solo exhibition, I really wanted to show something I valued, something honest. I threw out the black paint and the markers, played around with some new/old brushes and eventually found something that felt right – and I guess I came to a point where I was happy with it all.

The processes I use now are a little tedious, but they’re kinda great as well, because I’m using the same techniques as I used when I was younger, when I was painting toy soldiers.

This upcoming show with Beastman, Creepy and Phibs looks pretty intriguing, can you tell us more about the idea behind it, where the idea of exploring microscopic life came from, and what you are going to bring to the table for it?

MICROCOSM should be pretty amazing – each of the other artists I have admired for some time, and their work never fails to impress. We’re trying to pull together some interesting collaborative ideas and LO-FI is a huge space, so hopefully we can completely transform it into a world of our own.

I guess the idea came about after watching some pretty remarkable documentaries showing the creation of earth and some wacked out sea creatures. I think everyone can still be surprised by the existence of tiny organisms, and the worlds that they live in.

You’ve done a lot of collaborative work with other artists in the past also, what have been some of the standout collaborative experiences you have had?

Definitely a standout clabbo was the ‘Scratching the surface’ project with Beastman, Numskull, Roach and Phibs – especially as we got to show it at the Museum of Contemporary Art. It really helped to validate the ‘street art’/‘low-brow’ scene in Sydney.

I’ve also done a bunch of murals with Ears, and they end up being pretty excellent – buffing, skating around, having a paint, bubble tea, listening to Black Keys. Our styles work quite well together and we’re comfortable bouncing new ideas around.

Do you believe that the Australian art scene, in terms of lowbrow/urban/street has hit its stride in recent years, and what are your overall impressions and hopes for the future of the work that is coming out of here?

Oh yeah! I think like a lot of things it is just going to snowball. For a long time artists working in Melbourne have been well recognized and well received but recently I think the work coming out of say, Perth, and Brisbane ,has been exceptional and really invigorating. I hope that audiences feel the same for that which is coming out of Sydney.

What do you have planned for the near future, and what do you see for yourself a little ways down the track?

I’m looking at … first of all, ‘Microcosm’ at Lo-Fi on the 2^nd of December, a big mural in Darlinghurst around new year, a whole bunch of new stickers, all new jewellery characters … working with Freshly Baked in 2011 … an exhibition at Nine Lives in 2011 – ummm  … I’m also waiting on some grant applications, so, if they come through, hopefully some really biiig projects!!

Otherwise, I’m just plugging away at the studio, and taking the goldfish for a walk …

Check out Max’s blog here, as well as the LoFi Collective website for more info on the upcoming Microcosms group show.