Jeremy Fish Interview

            

I did this interview as part of my seablanket take over. Photos by everydaydude.

                

COC: Tell us your name, where are you from, what you do?

JF: My name is Jeremy Dan Fish. I was born in Albany, New York in 1974. I moved to California in 1994 and have called San Francisco home ever since. I am an artist, illustrator, van owner, beard grower, and generally a nice dude.

COC: Tell us about your studio in North Beach and the history that goes along with the space you create in? JF: My studio used to be a martial arts studio. My landlord grew up in the building, and he and his friends taught and practiced in what is now my studio. According to myth and legend the kitchen and bathroom were added for a visiting martial arts dude from Korea, who was apparently the dude that fights Kareem in the opening fight scene in game of death (Bruce Lee’s last movie). I like to imagine Bruce came over here for a couple cold oat sodas and an ass whooping here at some point, but thats just a theory of mine.

COC: Which artists, designers, film makers, and musicians inspire you and push to your art and creativity to the next level?JF: I really like Travis Millard and Mike Giant’s illustrations. As far as painters, I like Mark Ryden, Thomas Cambell, Jeff Soto and Mars-One. Musicians? I think Aesop Rock, Ghostface continue to push their creative boundaries in their thirties… and film: I’m not super movie savvy, but I like the Cohen Brothers and Wes Anderson - they seem to keep making better movies.COC: I went to Rock the Bells with you and know hiphop is a huge part of your life. What are your 5 end all be all hiphop records?JF: In no particular order…
1) Beastie Boys - pauls boutique
2) De La Soul - three feet high and rising
3) Public Enemy - it takes a nation of millions to hold us back
4) Company Flow - funcrusher plus
5) Aesop Rock - labor days

COC: You get to travel all over the world. Which is your favorite city outside of San Francisco and why?JF: In the USA probably Portland, OR. I like umbrellas and raincoats - it has good food, good art scene, tasty beers and pretty girls. Anywhere in the world? I don’t think I’ve found it yet but if I had to pick I would say Amsterdam or Rome. Rome for the food and history, and Amsterdam so I could grow my beard long and live on a houseboat in a canal.COC: I know you love food, we ate at 4 different carts just for lunch all over PDX on your last visit. What is the local spot in San Francisco, that people need to hit up when they visit?
JF: Mama’s for breakfast. Naked Lunch Sandwiches for lunch. Tony’s Pizza for dinner.B3 for burgers.

COC: If you weren’t an artist what do you think you’d be doing right now?
JF: Hard to say. Perhaps a professional beard grower. Possibly a professional kazoo player. When I was little I wanted to be a stuntman, then later an animator for Disney, then as a teenager a pro skateboarder. This job is better than anything I ever dreamed of so its hard to imagine what else I would be doing.COC: Tells what you have on the horizon for Jeremy Fish and or Superfishal?
JF: Keep on keepin’ on, I guess. Next year I have two big shows I’m starting to work on now. In New York in June with the Joshua Liner Gallery, and in Los Angeles in the fall with the Mark Moore Gallery. It’s going to be a big year for me, I’m stoked. Superfishal is and always has been a fun way for me to create and produce tee shirts and art-related goods. It’s going well, and I find it a nice balance to always working on art shows and gallery stuff. Just made a ton of new tee designs, I really enjoy that.

COC: Any other closing thoughts?
JF: “Well, a wiser fellow than myself once said, sometimes you eat the bear and much obliged, sometimes the bear… well, he eats you.” Today, I painted a mural all day, and when I finished I turned my back for a minute to load my ladder in my friends van, and all my stuff got stolen. Yesterday, I ate the bear in a big way. Today the bear ate me. Tomorrow, im having f*%&#@^* bear for breakfast lunch and dinner… Look out bears!

COC: Thanks Jeremy!                 
Check out Mr. Fish’s work here

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