Look How Many Publications I am In Magazine
September Fall Interview with John Dunn
the following is from an interview between Chizzie Strap (Who's the Gr8est Magazine, issue 10, 2012)
CS: John tell me about your latest project? I believe it has taken a lot of work to get it launched.
JD: Yeah, Chizzie, what can I say...I'm still here and Dunn that. Wish is really what the project was and still is all about. I have been working real hard to get this one launched. You know that twenty nine years ago I did something similar but at that time I had loads of art students to do the dirty work for me.
CS: What do you mean by 'dirty work', John?
JD: Well, dirty work is when you get someone else to use the tools of the trade at their own health risks. You don't have to take any health risk. You simply rely on the fact that stupid unsuspecting art students who crave some publicity, will undertake to re-construct one of your projects at their own risk. I got the idea from Richie Night, who uses artists to do his dirty work. Pays them shit as well...if they're lucky.
CS: That's a splendid idea John, I hope that there are a lot of stupid art students who pick up on this great tip for destroying their young and healthy bodies for the sake of a stinky old smoker like yourself.
JD: Thanks for the compliment, Chizzie. You know that great artists like myself, thrive on any compliment. We love it and these compliments are what make us great. Look at our Art History for example not many people know that Michaelangelo was beaten by a stick wielding pope. But only the Godmans compliments made Michaelangelo great.
My latest project I would say is something as grand as the work of the Sistine Chapel. But not the same. It has taken twelve years in the making and I have had the service of some very ignorant people to assist me. Second to this, the chemical giants have been a great help too. This project has the ability to pollute the entire planet in small period of time.
CS: Such an honourable undertaking you are busy with, John. And such a valuable lesson once again for the world to learn from such a great artist as of your stature, John. Wonderful!!. I am not surprised to know that you were awarded the Italian Faccio Di Cuolo of the year award.
JD: With the sort after qualifications that I have, Chizzie, it was also not a surprise for me when I got handed the award from the State Gallery. One recognises a master when one sees one.
This also once again points to the greatness of my latest project because it so vividly depicts me being able to, as a great Master Artist, to wield my creative persuit in such a promising manner.
CS: Yes indeed, John. Thank you for allowing me the pleasure of having this interview of your presence.
JD: no problem, Chizzie, Thank you too it has been my pleasure to receive such praise such that I deserve.
ANOTHER INTERVIEW
Interview with John Dunn on his latest work ‘who R U?’
By Bro Grow
BG: John, this is an immense undertaking, what inspired you to do this art work?
JD: The letter ‘U’ features in my surname. So it all came about one day when I rode the big dipper in Wonderland. When we arrived at the uppermost part of the dipper I looked down along the track that I was about to be hurtled across and in that moment I saw it all. I was about to experience the ‘u’ in my surname. It was as if destiny had arrived.
BG: That sounds incredible, John. I understand that it takes heaps of bravery to look into yourself from that perspective.
JD: Yeah.
BG: I see that in your previous work you dealt with the question “Are you a brick in the wall”. Could you shed some light on how you see these two works connected to each other?
JD: The last time I did the dipper Bro, I had this huge fear of landing against a brick wall. And that got me thinking about bricks and such. Did you know that there are artists who can put their hands right through brick walls simply because they understand that they are not separate from the wall?. I wanted to leave this question open to the viewer to figure out. Of course those who are familiar with the Pink Floyd quote would see that I’m not pointing to being ‘another’ brick in the wall.
This is how the two works are linked up. I like the idea of a brick wall. It seems to summon up a space of limitation and simultaneously great possibility. This is where the next question arises, “Who R U?”.
BG: What I love about your work John, is the originality behind it. Most graffiti artists nowadays have the ability to be individuals and their works speak about this but we do not know whether they know who they are. Your work appears to address this issue. Why would you say this is the case?
JD: Lots of people, especially the youngsters of today’s world, need to express how they feel about what is going on. What many are expressing, is not an individual thing at all. They are expressing what has been taught to them is the way it is. Mixed into this the desire to please, to be happy, to sound good, to be famous, accepted etc. to be positive or to be negative. Some people do ask who they are, prior to what they have been taught they are. But this is not fashionable and neither accepted much in graffiti street art circles, anyway. They are too focused on technique and being cool. I don’t see it as a fault of anyone. But I do see a great misunderstanding behind this because it just is not what the real deal is about.
BG: What would you say is the ‘real deal’ then?
JD: The real deal is ‘Be Yourself no matter what they say”. What I mean by ‘they say’, is that ‘they’ is entirely thought based. You have to see that all the stuff appearing to go on out there, is all a matter of first being registered in here (pointing to his head). There’s a saying in west Africa “you have to crack your brain to move it forward”.
So instead of believing who you have been taught to be, investigate the reality of it to see that it is all thought based. What you will be left with is what has always been there. Presence. The ‘what’ that is present to every thing and thought that appears. Live from that. Actually we are all living from that it is only our thoughts that say that we are not.
It is possible to see that you are not a thought. And this is what my latest work is about.
BG: Thank you John, as always a great pleasure to meet with you. Thank you for your time.
JD: Time is a concept and therefore not real. Nice to speak to you too Bro.
the following is from an interview between Chizzie Strap (Who's the Gr8est Magazine, issue 10, 2012)
CS: John tell me about your latest project? I believe it has taken a lot of work to get it launched.
JD: Yeah, Chizzie, what can I say...I'm still here and Dunn that. Wish is really what the project was and still is all about. I have been working real hard to get this one launched. You know that twenty nine years ago I did something similar but at that time I had loads of art students to do the dirty work for me.
CS: What do you mean by 'dirty work', John?
JD: Well, dirty work is when you get someone else to use the tools of the trade at their own health risks. You don't have to take any health risk. You simply rely on the fact that stupid unsuspecting art students who crave some publicity, will undertake to re-construct one of your projects at their own risk. I got the idea from Richie Night, who uses artists to do his dirty work. Pays them shit as well...if they're lucky.
CS: That's a splendid idea John, I hope that there are a lot of stupid art students who pick up on this great tip for destroying their young and healthy bodies for the sake of a stinky old smoker like yourself.
JD: Thanks for the compliment, Chizzie. You know that great artists like myself, thrive on any compliment. We love it and these compliments are what make us great. Look at our Art History for example not many people know that Michaelangelo was beaten by a stick wielding pope. But only the Godmans compliments made Michaelangelo great.
My latest project I would say is something as grand as the work of the Sistine Chapel. But not the same. It has taken twelve years in the making and I have had the service of some very ignorant people to assist me. Second to this, the chemical giants have been a great help too. This project has the ability to pollute the entire planet in small period of time.
CS: Such an honourable undertaking you are busy with, John. And such a valuable lesson once again for the world to learn from such a great artist as of your stature, John. Wonderful!!. I am not surprised to know that you were awarded the Italian Faccio Di Cuolo of the year award.
JD: With the sort after qualifications that I have, Chizzie, it was also not a surprise for me when I got handed the award from the State Gallery. One recognises a master when one sees one.
This also once again points to the greatness of my latest project because it so vividly depicts me being able to, as a great Master Artist, to wield my creative persuit in such a promising manner.
CS: Yes indeed, John. Thank you for allowing me the pleasure of having this interview of your presence.
JD: no problem, Chizzie, Thank you too it has been my pleasure to receive such praise such that I deserve.
ANOTHER INTERVIEW
Interview with John Dunn on his latest work ‘who R U?’
By Bro Grow
BG: John, this is an immense undertaking, what inspired you to do this art work?
JD: The letter ‘U’ features in my surname. So it all came about one day when I rode the big dipper in Wonderland. When we arrived at the uppermost part of the dipper I looked down along the track that I was about to be hurtled across and in that moment I saw it all. I was about to experience the ‘u’ in my surname. It was as if destiny had arrived.
BG: That sounds incredible, John. I understand that it takes heaps of bravery to look into yourself from that perspective.
JD: Yeah.
BG: I see that in your previous work you dealt with the question “Are you a brick in the wall”. Could you shed some light on how you see these two works connected to each other?
JD: The last time I did the dipper Bro, I had this huge fear of landing against a brick wall. And that got me thinking about bricks and such. Did you know that there are artists who can put their hands right through brick walls simply because they understand that they are not separate from the wall?. I wanted to leave this question open to the viewer to figure out. Of course those who are familiar with the Pink Floyd quote would see that I’m not pointing to being ‘another’ brick in the wall.
This is how the two works are linked up. I like the idea of a brick wall. It seems to summon up a space of limitation and simultaneously great possibility. This is where the next question arises, “Who R U?”.
BG: What I love about your work John, is the originality behind it. Most graffiti artists nowadays have the ability to be individuals and their works speak about this but we do not know whether they know who they are. Your work appears to address this issue. Why would you say this is the case?
JD: Lots of people, especially the youngsters of today’s world, need to express how they feel about what is going on. What many are expressing, is not an individual thing at all. They are expressing what has been taught to them is the way it is. Mixed into this the desire to please, to be happy, to sound good, to be famous, accepted etc. to be positive or to be negative. Some people do ask who they are, prior to what they have been taught they are. But this is not fashionable and neither accepted much in graffiti street art circles, anyway. They are too focused on technique and being cool. I don’t see it as a fault of anyone. But I do see a great misunderstanding behind this because it just is not what the real deal is about.
BG: What would you say is the ‘real deal’ then?
JD: The real deal is ‘Be Yourself no matter what they say”. What I mean by ‘they say’, is that ‘they’ is entirely thought based. You have to see that all the stuff appearing to go on out there, is all a matter of first being registered in here (pointing to his head). There’s a saying in west Africa “you have to crack your brain to move it forward”.
So instead of believing who you have been taught to be, investigate the reality of it to see that it is all thought based. What you will be left with is what has always been there. Presence. The ‘what’ that is present to every thing and thought that appears. Live from that. Actually we are all living from that it is only our thoughts that say that we are not.
It is possible to see that you are not a thought. And this is what my latest work is about.
BG: Thank you John, as always a great pleasure to meet with you. Thank you for your time.
JD: Time is a concept and therefore not real. Nice to speak to you too Bro.