#eggpicnic

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Artist interview: Eggpicnic

One of the best things about Books Kinokuniya is their support of Australian artists like Eggpicnic. Earlier this year, this talented duo showed off some of their work at the store and were kind enough to answer some questions for me in regard to their work — beautiful pieces with powerful, socially conscious messages, and a melding of their talents in industrial and graphic design. Hands down, yours is a quirky name! How did you come to name yourselves “Eggpicnic”?

Our story together began in 2009. Christopher was living in Milan completing his master’s degree in industrial design at Scuola Politecnica and I was traveling. We had some friends leaving back to Chile and they left us several boxes of eggs. We decided to eat them so they wouldn’t go bad and we cooked many different types of eggs and went on a picnic to Parco Sempione. On that day we decided it would be a good idea to team up, since I worked as a graphic designer and Christopher was industrial.

Describe your art to someone who is being introduced to it for the first time?

We work across different mediums to narrate different stories. We use our design skills to create objects and visual pieces that represent issues we feel should be addressed. We collaborate with local artisans, designers and makers and also work with non-profit organisations.

Christopher, you are the industrial designer and Camila you are a graphic designer – what brought you both to work in art? Who or what are your inspirations to choose this medium? (Photo credit above: The Corner Cooperative)

The aspects, process and results of our work come from the design field. Art toys are contemporary platforms for artists and designers. If you deconstruct the process of creating an art toy you will encounter various design practices.

Camila: We start off with an illustration and convert that illustration into a 3D form. Our interest in art toys began after I launched my first art toy collection for Momiji HQ (UK) in 2009. I had submitted an entrance for a design competition, which was based on people’s choice. I didn’t get enough votes and I remember getting an email saying they really liked my entry, even though I didn’t win. Nine months later I received an email saying that they wanted to produce my toys and that’s how I was introduced to this field. We decided to continue on that path and use this contemporary platform as one of our main mediums.

On the surface, these seem like very different types of art styles, but given your wonderful work, it seems like they mesh very well? What are the differences in the type of art you both specialise in – or should that be similarities? (Forgive my very inarticulate question here!)

Chris: We have totally different design backgrounds however our passion for expressing these issues is the same. We always examine the best material to express a specific idea, whether this be in 2D illustration format or in a 3D art toy. In the end they are different mediums tied by the same idea.

When creating an art toy it starts off with an illustration and from this we design the piece using a 3D program. We then use 3D printing technology to print the toy and from this we are able to make a mould and create resin replicas of the piece. These are all hand sanded and painted.

Camila:  We both discuss the issues and then I illustrate and create characters. He takes on the 3D aspects of the work we do and most of the model making.

You have a very specific aim with your art – to present socially-conscious ideas to the public through your toys and illustrations – what inspired you both decide to focus your art in this direction? (Side: Primates)

Camila: Over the years we lived in Chile many things happened and one cannot be indifferent to what happens around us. I come from a country grossly unfair, one of the ten most unequal countries in the world. I was fortunate enough to be born into a family that sent me to university and I feel a responsibility to give back my knowledge to society. Education is a privilege in Chile, to give you a quick overview, college is costing up to AUD$900 a month in a country with a minimum wage of approx. AUD$400 a month. This leads students to carry an obscene debt. Healthcare is also overpriced. In Chile there are still people dying of cancer by not having enough resources to fund the treatments. They are privatizing all natural resources and so much more. The leaders of our country always talk about figures that do not reflect anyone’s reality, only the reality of a small group.

Having said this I can not separate myself from my work because it’s who I am, it’s my way of channeling what I see and what I live. I cannot separate myself from society because I am part of it. My artwork began supporting these causes; the progress of the student movement, marriage equality, love and respect. We want to show our traditions, the celebration of our culture, our ancestors, our environment, the essential things for us. Design is an ideal means to account for the need to preserve nature.

Can you tell us a little about a recent project that presented such an idea to the public? What was the response?

Our collaboration with Palm Oil Investigations (left hand pic). We initially created an illustration to support their cause to educate the public and consumers about the impact of palm oil because when we found out that 80 per cent of wild animal habitat in Indonesia has been destroyed by palm oil plantations and that 300 football fields of rainforest are destroyed every hour, we knew we had to spread the word about the issue. We sent them the illustration and from then on we teamed up. We started selling prints and donating part of the sales to them. We then teamed up with the highly talented Sydney based Aleta Hunt, from the creative duo Hunter & Eve, to create the first two felt characters of this series, the Orangutan and the Borneo pygmy elephant. She just got back from Borneo working as a volunteer in an orangutan rehabilitation centre.

What do you think makes your work “universally relatable”?

The fact that the issues we address are  everyone’s responsibility. When we feel helpless about something that overwhelms us we often find ourselves impaled on a paradox: we desperately want to do something but have no idea what it may be. But whatever our disposition, we often conclude that to change the world would be hard work, if not impossible. And so we don’t even try. That’s a shame, because actively creating change brings benefits for ourselves as individuals too: we discover deeper reserves of empathy and opportunities to be creative, and we can cultivate a habit of fearlessness. But the fact remains that we are all making a difference all the time. Changing the world consists of everyday actions, there is a choice to be made about how we live our lives and the effect our actions are having. Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little. Nobody ever achieved anything except in small steps, one after another.

What would your ideal project be?

Our aim is to always take on projects that involve us learning something new. Taking on challenges which are beyond our spectrum and being able to inform viewers of issues we see as important. We always attempt to work in collaboration with amazingly skilled individuals to create works which engage on a deeper level with the audience.

Is art underestimated as an instrument of social change do you think?

We believe art and design can challenge many of our society’s deepest assumptions. It is a means to expose social injustices and humanise emotions and fears of those who may not have another place to voice concerns. Art and design can inspire and trigger change through new connections and press social issues and make them visible and real.

What is a misconception you often come across of art? Or, more specifically of your art from people?

An often misconception regarding our work is defining the term Art Toy. Most people do not seem to understand the concept and always ask the question, but is it a toy for kids? Or is it a piece of art. This is a common problem with our work and at times find ourselves explaining what an Art Toy is. (Art: Free Pussy Riot)

Another common misconception is that the shapes and forms of our work are directly related to eggs. Our illustrations and forms may seem to have shape reminiscent of this, however this has never been our intention. We understand how viewing our work and seeing our name you can make this connection however this is merely a coincidence and we normally find it humorous when someone states this in an article or online blog about our work.

What does the future hold for Eggpicnic?

We want to expand our work with non-profit organisations, exploring new materials and testing new ideas and concepts. We are currently working on a new range of art toys centralised in the themes explored in some of our recent illustrations. Our goal is to continue to learn from each project we undertake, open up new collaborations and create engaging experiences for all who view our work.

And, if you want to learn more about Eggpicnic, please check out their site!

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The Andes by Eggpicnic

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