An interview with Camilla d’Errico

An interview with Camilla d’Errico

Camilla d’Errico is a product of her split heritage, Italian and Canadian rolled into one: Italian fiestiness, Canadian politeness, and an early addiction to Saturday morning cartoons and comics. Her first love was and still is comics. Growing up she was more often doodling sexy damsels and dragons on her textbooks than reading them. In 1998, Camilla first attended her first San Diego Comic Con where upon the moment she walked through the doors she realised that a 9-5 day job would kill her and this was what she wanted to do.

After a few years in the comic industry Camilla expanded her style into a variety of other ventures: snowboard decals, magazine covers, toys, clothes and the pop art gallery scene. Thanks to her relentless energy, dedication, and sleep deprivation, she has followed her dream of working creatively for a living. She is part of what may be the first art movement in Western History where women are not second-class citizens, but have an edge in the mind of the public, especially when it comes to capturing the essence of the modern woman.

Please talk a lil’ bit about the general idea/vibe behind your new series of works for the ‘Vain Remains’ show with Caia Koopman.
This series is very unique for me because i’ve stepped outside my comfort zone and explored a different visual theme. Vain Remains, is really about nature, cycles of life and death, and normally i play out my themes with living animals, or head gear, but this time i chose to take the literal approach of skeletons. Often times, people will look away from them because its too grim, but its part of life and its important that we don’t loose sight of that. Sometimes you have to look at the scary things to see how beautiful they really are.

What do you consider your biggest overall influence?
For these pieces i found a lot of inspiration from my youth. I grew up in a small country town, and often i’d come across a deer skeleton, or cow remains in the pastures and fields i traversed, so i really tried to remember those moments. I picked out the colors from my memories, and put them back into these paintings along with patterns, for me those represent the vanity and beauty of the remains. Decorations to ease our eyes and hearts.

Please describe your perfect day out in Vancouver.
When its sunny here, nothing beats this town. If it were sunny, light breeze, not too hot, I’d go down to the ocean for a walk, then over to Granville Island Market to pick up fresh produce and flowers and enjoy it with my friends at Third Beach, where the sunset is breathtaking, then walk down Robson street in the evening and catch all the street socializing i could…probably couldn’t ask for more.

If you had an unlimited budget and time was not an issue, what grand artistic vision would you love to bring to life?
A fashion show that featured my helmetgirls. I would give anything for that, to have a runway show. I would create dresses and headgear that i’d place on models, paint them black and white and watch my living paintings going down the walkway.

Any highlights you’d care to share from your recent onslaught of comic festival appearances? You’ve been around the globe in the past few months promoting your Tanpopo series and everything else you’ve got cookin’.
Comic Con was amazing as always, and the biggest highlight for me there was my panel with Dave Mack and Terry Moore, on Life Drawing Amanda Palmer. It was amazing! My first SDCC panel ever. What a great audience and concept, too cool ^_^. Though i have to say that my Singapore trip was pretty awesome too. I featured my entire booth on Tanpopo, sold out of books, and had an overwhelming response to my art. I was quite moved.

Please tell us a little bit about all the upcoming projects you have planned for the coming year and what lies ahead for Tanpopo?
The next thing coming out is my issue #1 of Sky Pirates of Neo Terra with Image comics. Its coming out at the end of the month, and will be part of a 5 issue series. This comic is based off a Nintendo DS and Wii game that i worked on the art for. It’s very cool. And the game comes out in the spring of 2010, so watch out for that! Also, Tanpopo continues with issue #3 this winter! I’m very excited to work on this, its my passion project that people are really responding to so i’m very thrilled to be able to give another chapter in the series. I also have many other things on the go, but you’ll have to check out my website, or else this answer is going to become epic in length!

‘Vain Remains’
Camilla d’Errico and Caia Koopman

THIS FRIDAY @ Thinkspace
4210 Santa Monica Blvd (near Sunset Junction) in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles

Digital preview of works from ‘Vain Remains’ here.

Look for Camilla’s ‘Back Talk’ set of questions over at Juxtapoz in the coming days.

Camilla and Caia will be present at the opening, so please be sure to swing through.