【 PEOPLE PLZ TALK 】
「 I just want to give people something nice to look at that has a bit more when you drill down into it.」
— Will Blood
English artist Will Blood is known for combining creepy elements with cute and childlike objects. This unique fusion of style can give his viewers chilling goosebumps following with a joyous smile. Experienced in design, Will Blood has gained world-class recognition from the art field from his background in several famous brands and companies. While using bold style and line-strokes, his works show sophisticated details and layers, satisfying both the childish and adult mind of his audiences.
《 The Book of Bare Bones 》The publication that was sold out as soon as it was released
Image Source：Will Blood Official Instagram @iamwillblood
Will Blood referred to below as W
W: I'm Will blood and reporting to you from lockdown number two in the UK. In front of a shed I painted. I'm just going to reel these questions off here.
p/zzzz：What messages or ideas do you want to convey through your art? How do you choose the theme of your artwork?
W：I guess ultimately, the book of bare bones series became my sole focus about a year ago. So I'm basically just sort of working through as many characters as I can. And I try and fit in with if there's something happening, like an anniversary of a character or something, and I try and try and do something with. Generally, I always have about 10 line-up. And I usually work on a few at a time. So there's not always the organization that I'd like, with that. I guess, to convey the fragility of life, childhood. Ultimately, I'm showing people their beloved childhood friends.
p/zzzz：With the outbreak of COVID-19, we are entering a whole new age. From your perspective, what role will the artworks play in the future? How do the artists cope during this pandemic?
W：I think we'll see. Yeah, I mean, obviously, with any sort of massive social, political events, you'll see a large number of rebellion are coming from that. And I think, yeah, this this time will be marked by many artists. Maybe not by me so much, I guess. My art print “Thats all folks” bunny was like COVID themed green. I guess maybe that was a bit of negative view on current events? You could say?
How do I cope during this pandemic? I think most artists other than the financial here is pretty much business is normal, because I don't know about other artists, but I spend most of my time on my own anyway. So it's kind of it's not really affected me that much. Yeah, obviously, I can't speak for other artists. But I've, I found in the first lockdown, I spent more time with people than I normally do. So I struggled with it the other way around.
The COVID-19 green themed《 That‘s All Folks 》
Image Source：Will Blood Official Instagram @iamwillblood
p/zzzz：Growing up, what incidents or experiences have impressed you the most? Have these special moments influenced your art creation?
W：I think the experience was I grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside. And I spent a lot of time studying the anatomy of insects and bugs and wildlife. And I guess that's always been a huge influence of me. And, you know, figuring out how things work and getting inside things and working them out.
I grew up obsessed with Gustave Dore, Albrecht Durer and all the the classical illustrators that just put so much mind boggling depth into all their work. And I think that gave me a lot of inspiration earlier on. So yeah, the sort of the depictions of hell are sort of very dark, I guess I saw those at quite a young age. They'll always hold a real special place in my heart. And then later on, yeah, like sort of sightseeing, more sort of street art and contemporary art, and discover Keith Haring. And that gave me a whole new perspective where I could see how a lot could be achieved with a much simpler image with use of bold lines and color work. So I guess I like to think of my work sort of being a combination of those bold, simple lines, but then maybe with that sort of detail going on inside as well.
I've been working as long as about 10 years now. But it's always been a huge part of my life. I've always been a maker, creator, for music. I was a musician for years. I like to just create. Even if I wasn't an artist, and I didn't survive making art, I would still not be able to stop.
A tribut to Keith Haring《 Haring Bone 》
Image Source：Will Blood Official Instagram @iamwillblood
p/zzzz：When a viewer does not know you at all, what kind of “first impression” would you hope to give?
W：I guess the most popular reaction would be, "oh, that's creepy” , or “that's creepy but cute” . I guess for me, I just want to give people something nice, nice to look at. That has a bit more when you drill down into it. So you might have a nice color. That's aesthetically pleasing. But every time you look at it, you'll maybe notice a new bit of detail or something else going on that maybe you didn't notice before.
p/zzzz：Tell me about your collaboration with INCEPTION. What do you regard as the most essential or beneficial throughout this collaboration?
W：I think with any artist, it's really important to get yourself out there. And to look for opportunities. So I see this as a new opportunity, a new platform to get some new eyes on my work and hopefully like it. So yeah, I'm excited.
Creepy-cute《 Lego 》by Will Blood, get it on p/zzzz!
Written by: Tiffany Ku
