Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Feature: DROME NYC

TechnoDrome, really Joshua Williams, is jumping out of his art and onto your backs with the launch of his latest project Drome NYC – a streetwear and art brand taking TechnoDrome’s pop art and making it wearable.

With a strong focus on pop culture figures (Biggie, Tu-Pac, Steve Jobs, Bill Murray ETC ETC) Drome NYC is TechnoDrome’s way of making his art accessible. In Joshua’s own words,

“Technodrome1 is creative evolution. I want to take over the world’s perception of what art is and can be.” 

“I am a creator."

DROME NYC as a brand encompasses everything from Steve Jobs and Bruce Willis Prints to Bryan Cranston iPhone covers, Kanye tee’s and Snoop Dog decks. The look and feel oozes with TechnoDrome’s pop-art cubism abstracted portraits of pop-culture icons. Got that? Basically DROME NYC takes all your childhood heroes, puts them in technicolour abstraction and then offers them up for grabs to wear or use.

I pinned down Joshua for a bit of a chat about the launch of DROME NYC  and on creating wearable art.

D.C - Is a "brand" a physical outlet for your art?

T.D - The brand is definitely a physical outlet - our manifestation of the art…
It has pretty much been my dream to keep moving forward with my work 
and life and having a way to produce things on a higher level. (Through) DromeNYC.com is the best way right now to move forward. 

D.C -  Did you always want to create tangible art for people to have and hold, to use?

T.D - I always wanted to create beautiful things. It naturally progressed into wanting to place my work on, or cover objects with it. 



D.C - Then is Drome really art? 

T.D - I don’t think it matters. 

D.C - Why do Drome now? Did you decide to take the next step or was it just an out of the blue decision?

T.D - Drome had to happen now, with a new year upon us and new ideas I needed to get (it) out of my head. Drome was the natural, obvious next step, to get the artwork off of the computer and into the world in more ways than just a print. 

D.C - How did Joshua/T.D start out in art? 

T.D - I started out in art since I started watching television - ninja turtles and other cartoons inspired me to want to create beautiful things. I always wanted to be the best at drawing, and my father was an oil painter, seeing his work early on in my life really blew my mind. 

I studied art in college but I was always destined to be involved in it since I was born. 


D.C - Who or what are your inspirations for "art?"

T.D - Warhol, Basquait, Kaws.

I think instead of calling it all " art " I think it should be described as a lifestyle.  
Art Isn’t just visual or aesthetic, it’s the way a person moves, the way someone speaks, the smell of a favorite dish. It involves all your senses. 
Art is living basically - it’s everything you or I do everything inspires me.


D.C - Is it a fascination with pop culture figures or just something for customers to recognise? 

T.D - I am deeply fascinated with pop culture in general. I think we all are to some degree, it’s unavoidable all consuming brainwash of a good time, and I like that about it.  Art is life, and pop culture is almost all about what these icons are like, we're not only fascinated with the music or movies these figures make, but what they are wearing and what they are saying, and what they do when they are not acting or raping ect. We are so interested in other peoples " lives" - what better subject to make art with then art itself. 


D.C - Do you think you could ever create a consumable museum piece? Or am I veering too far

T.D - I don’t see why not. 

D.C - Have you always been inspired by those guys (Warhol etc) and is Drome an appreciation or reaction? 

T.D - I guess I’ve always been inspired by Andy and the others from the first time I saw them, or their work. I don’t really revisit many things I’ve seen, and I’m not very familiar with the details, I just take that initial punch in the face of inspiration and store it in my subconscious for later. 


I’m just doing what feels right. 

http://dromenyc.com/

-D.C

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