All Great Thoughts Are Conceived By Walking - The Creative Process - SnowSkull x Norm Oddity

Matthew Evans is a visual artist who goes by the pseudonym SnowSkull. The name SnowSkull is inspired by the poetry of Gregory Corso and the belief that the skull protects the brain, where imagination and creativity are born.

His contemporary abstract paintings are an exploration of the dream-state and the vivid, hyper-real aesthetics found in the space between sleep and consciousness. This results in rich, textured tapestries that are characterised by bold colours and fluid forms set against stark, atmospheric backgrounds.

SnowSkull’s body of works boasts a wide range of video, music and mixed-media collaborations that have been recognised and celebrated by the likes of the BBC, Vice and Sony Music.

We are delighted to feature his work in Curatorial Volume.1, Leaders in Contemporary Art. Read on to find out more about his creative practice.

“Every child is an Artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”

— Picasso

Could you tell us about your current practice, how you became involved in art and design and how you would describe your work?

My passion has always been art. A famous quote by Picasso, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up”, sums it up a lot for me. At 17 I went to art college, as it was the only subject that gave me any purpose/meaning, from my school days. During this time I formed a band, which were signed, even before we'd played a gig. Mistakenly, I left college prematurely, without any grades. Something I regret. For the next decade, I concentrated wholly on music, taking a sabbatical from painting etc, before turning full circle and returning to my first passion - art. In late 2010 - SnowSkull was born! To an extent, I consider myself self-taught. Through trial and error, I learned to paint, improving by time and discovering which mistakes to keep or discard. By visually exploring the composition and definition of bright abstract colours through your imagination you are able to produce new forms of expression.

We are thrilled to be premiering your project ‘All Great Thoughts Are Conceived By Walking - The Creative Process’. ‘The Art of Thought’ a book by Graham Wallas influenced this project and it describes the process of reasoning in four parts, Preparation, Incubation, Illumination and Verification. A key aspect of the process is that none of them exists in isolation from the rest. You've adapted that concept to describe the process of creativity.

I decided to make 10 exclusive designs for each stage of the process to highlight the progression of creativity.

Stage 1 - PREPARATION - With preparation I wanted it to be predominantly monochrome, highlighting the information gathered from the beginning of a creation, when an idea has just been born. Towards the end, there are flashes/intervals of colour, representing the formation of the idea. Anatomical images symbolise the beginning/start/history. This is also a nod to Jean-Michel Basquiat (who is a great influence on me) and his mild obsession with Grays Anatomy.

© SnowSkull - PREPARATION series (l-r: Codified Vernacular, The World Is But A Canvas, Information Feeds Us, Investigated In All Directions, Alpha : Beta : Data, Interference, The Right Frame Of Mind And Attention, Reward Mechanism, The Creation Of A New Thing, Chance Favors The Prepared Mind)

Stage 2 - INCUBATION - By introducing colour to the figures and combining other elements. Accentuating the need for focus on other activities, thus advancing to the next stage.

© SnowSkull - INCUBATION series (l-r: A Period Of Unconscious Processing, Two Divergent Elements, We Adore Chaos Because We Love To Produce Order, Routine Kills Creative Thought, Self Doubt, The Importance Of Mental Mastication, Combinatory Play, Unconscious Cerebration, We Stop All Activities Relating To The Creation, SLEEP)

Stage 3 - ILLUMINATION - With a magnitude of colour and the addition of lifelike images featuring at this stage I was researching a lot of Pre-Raphaelite portraits at the time. These images, in particular, signify/ symbolise the idea forming and developing into something real.

© SnowSkull - ILLUMINATION series (l-r: The Flash Of Insight, Sudden Illumination, Memoria, Cell Assemblies, Chance Opportunism Masquerading As Serendipity, Trains Of Association, The imitation Of Nature, Letting Go Of Certainties, The Art Of Thought, From Destruction Comes Creation)

Stage 4 - VERIFICATION - The idea, now fully formed, exists in the real world. The introduction of photography and nature personifies the calmness we endure upon reaching that pivotal moment we have searched for. The bright colours embody a sense of happiness and the fruit of unconscious work. The project cover, an image of my face, reveals laser cut out segments disclosing the artwork beneath. Implying a journey through my thoughts. I planned to have all 40 compatible yet interchangeable artworks i. e. 40 different cover selections. This idea is based on Stefan Sagmeister's book 'Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far'. Naturally, the project took on different forms with the introduction of sound and video motion.

© SnowSkull - VERIFICATION series (l-r: Axiom, The Fruit Of Unconscious Work, Kairos, All Conflict Disappears, Luminary, Points Of Departure, Testing The Validity, A Treasury Of Things Invented, Modes Of Persuasion, Concinnate Ology)

You've designed a series of artworks for Black Butter artist, Bodhi. Can you tell us about how that collaboration came about between you and the artist and what that creative process was like?

Luke and Olly are two of my closest friends. In a previous 'life', Luke, a multi-instrumentalist, and I were members of a band. Olly and I met around the time of my return to painting/art. I was honoured to be a part of the journey of these extremely talented individuals and to be asked to be their artist, creating everything from posters, promo bits and of course the artwork for their released musical endeavours. It was a great opportunity to collaborate with such a prestigious name as 'Black Butter' and my pleasure to work alongside Ed, Ash and Bubs. I continue to create work for the project as it moves forward.

© SnowSkull - The Creation Of A New Thing

“Sleep/Walk/Listen is a project aiming to raise the profile of visual art within electronic music.”

We're very interested to hear more about your project Sleep / Walk / Listen which focuses on collaborations between visual artists and musicians, producers, DJ's and other audio creators to create a complementary visualisation of the audio work. Do you have a favourite collaboration you can share with us, and how do you see the project progressing in 2020?

Sleep/Walk/Listen is a project aiming to raise the profile of visual art within electronic music. It began in April, 2015, with myself as 'Creative Director', alongside close friends Tom and Dan. We have some great partnerships/collaborations with producers and visual artists. My personal favourite was working with L. A. based techno legend John Tejada and his official artist David Grey, who have worked together for many years, and was beautiful to continue with the story. What made this partnership stand out from the rest was that John revisited songs from the early '90s, which were recorded on DAT tape and digitised these for his mix. David, a graphic designer, educator and contemplative artist then created a bespoke piece of work around this. The project is now run by Tom and myself, both having heavy workloads! Tom, with his Landmrk project, going from strength to strength and me with my 'SnowSkull' projects. Unfortunately, SWL has suffered and is now on a hiatus! We are, however, working behind the scenes on a re-launch in the not too distant future, with a bigger team and new direction.

“I believe collaboration is a key component of Art.”

The relationship between electronic music and compelling visual art is long-established and some of the most exciting and fresh graphic design and artwork being produced today is in collaboration with electronic artists. Who is an artist working in this space that everyone should know about?

I believe collaboration is a key component of Art. As artists, we can grow and learn by working together. I wanted an element of collaboration for this project with the original (photograph), by the immensely talented photographer, Gareth Jarvis who specialises in wet collodion photography originated in 1851. I have incorporated two of my favourite landscape photographers, Daniel Alford and Adam Handley’s work into 'From Destruction Comes Creation' and 'Concinnate Ology' respectively. My very good friend 'Bradley Albertides' designed the sound for the video. His 'Norm Oddity' project, making beats for the likes of 'Illaman', Potent Funk & Group Bracil' is going extremely well. Bradley & I work well together and have collaborated many times in the past. Last but not least, 'RODISIAC', a wizard in his profession, helped with the video. A long-time collaborator of SWL and is killing it at the moment with his 'Hello Kitty x Levis' project, which has had pride of place in New York’s Times Square. If I had to choose one particular artist involved with music at this time, it would be James Lacey of Pointless Illustrations. A friend from Cardiff, now based in London is so prolific, it's unreal. Since his start a few years ago, his progression has been a joy to watch and I am so proud of the success he has achieved in such a short time.

“...his progression has been a joy to watch and I am so proud of the success he has achieved in such a short time”

What's the biggest challenge you've faced in your creative career, and how have you overcome it?

We are all faced with obstacles and hurdles in life, especially when creating, growing and refining their techniques as an artist. For me, the biggest challenge was evolving from a 'bedroom artist' into presenting your work in public and becoming an Artist in your true right. This was a very daunting task to overcome! I remember the feeling of intimidation I felt when people outside of very close friends/housemates saw my work.

I have Rebecca Wyn Kelly to thank for this transformation. After seeing photographs of my work she encouraged me to exhibit at one of her shows, held at her restaurant/gallery 'Milgi' in Cardiff, late December 2010. Feeling relief and acceptance, I exhibited a whole new body of works the following February. From there the shows came in thick and fast. In many ways, I have Rebecca to thank for my career in art, by her help & encouragement. She curated my first and latest solo exhibitions, the most recent being my biggest to date at Hay on Wye. Rebecca, an inspiring artist in her own right, has just completed her Masters and just finished a commission for Public Land Art in Denmark. 'Camau', is a beautiful sculpture designed in honour of her sister Gabrielle and symbolises the steps we take on our pilgrimage through life.

“The higher we get the more vulnerable we become. When we feel we are about to fall we find courage, we find strength, we find our feet and we continue onwards and upwards”. I can relate to this with the courage and belief that she has instilled in me to keep moving forward with my practice.

“I will certainly be sampling and enjoying everything that this great city London has to offer. ”

What do you have planned for the forthcoming year can you share any details of any upcoming projects?

In August, last year, I was awarded a scholarship at the prestigious Goldsmiths' University, London. A wonderful opportunity, enabling me to study and follow in the footsteps of such great artists as Damien Hirst, Lucian Freud and Antony Gormley. To join the list of impressive alumni! artists and musicians such as James Blake, John Cale, Damon Albarn and filmmaker Steve McQueen. I dare to dream that my work could reach such great heights. My work at Goldsmiths has been my priority and has taken up the bulk of my time.

Unfortunately, my 'SnowSkull' project has kind of taken a backseat. However, I do have work in the pipeline. A couple of commissions for musical projects are lined up (album & EP cover art), which I am most excited to sink my teeth into. The first being for my friend Dee aka 'Bailey's Brown' new project KRMK and honoured to be asked once again by 5-piece post-rock/instrumental/electronica outfit 'CITIES' for their debut album after the production of my artwork for their 'Manning Alaska' EP in 2015. A very good friend of mine, Richey Beckett, (a giant in his field of work) and I have spoken at great length of collaborating on some projects. He has produced work for the likes of 'Metallica' 'Pixies', 'Foo Fighters' and the legend that is 'Robert Plant'. We are both very excited to explore the parameters of how our work will exist together and are looking towards moving forward with this in 2020.

I have also returned to making music and have been collaborating on an electronic music project with good friend Olly, from Bodhi. We are halfway through the process of an EP/album and are both happy and excited for its release, for others to hear for themselves. Staying with music, we are also working towards the re-launch of the Sleep/Walk/Listen project. Apart from that, I will certainly be sampling and enjoying everything that this great city London has to offer.

“..my mother has always given me the best advice. She’s the person I look up to and admire the most. ”

What's the best advice someone has given you?

That's a tough question and hard to pick one but from an early age, my mother has always given me the best advice. She's the person I look up to and admire the most. Even when I've made mistakes in life, she's backed me and kept my feet on the ground.

Another would be my college lecturer Lou who advised me to apply to universities last year and I would have to say, my dear friend, Emily Lander Clarke. We shared a studio in the same building about 4/5 years ago and followed each others work online. It wasn't until the day she was moving out and returning to her native Australia that we actually met in person for the first time. It was a beautiful meeting of minds, we spoke about life, and the arts and she kindly gave me a lot of art equipment. Since then we keep in contact and I always sought advice from her as she's very experienced in the art world having previously worked for Saatchi and also exhibited her work worldwide. she's always given me stellar advice but one thing that will stick with me would be...