Bad Bambi

Jasper Goodall is probably one of the best illustration artists in the UK right now. He's done work with mags including The Face, ID and Dazed & Confused, as well as commercial stuff for BMW, Nike, Gucci and a heap more, so you've almost certainly seen his art before.

The Poster Girl series is his first solo show of personal work however, and it is currently being displayed at the brand new Electric Blue Gallery, where you can also get your hair cut. I had a chat with Jasper about fetishism, latex and all things illustrated.

What's the thinking behind hiding the models behind posters? Or, inversely, having models augment the posters? Do you just like seeing your art on hot models (I'm looking at your swimwear range here!).

The idea of having the models hold posters in front of them actually came from the way all designers nowadays seem to like displaying their posters - it seems like an unwritten rule to hold your poster in front of yourself! Anyway I decided to use this device to explore notions of anonymity, mystery and most importantly to make a distinction between the real and unreal - fantasy and reality. Illustrated poster held up by real mystery girl. That's what this work is really all about, our constant battle with fantasy versus the reality of our lives. We all have the problem, even if you don't think you do!

I've decided to look at the more obvious end of the spectrum - sexual fantasy and dressing up, though in my mind it applies equally to any kind of desire. Be it sexual attraction felt for a stranger across a room (which has to be fantasy cos you don't know them right?) or the desire you feel for a new car, it's all about what it symbolises for you. It's about how much better you think you will feel if you get the object of your desire or sleep with the beautiful stranger. We are desire-fuelled beings and we are always imagining how great it will be when those desires are sated. This work is a result of my growing awareness of the sometimes subtle difference between fantasy and reality.

Evil Mickey

Your press release mentions that some fetishes are repeated so much that they become cliches. what fetishes would you say are particularly non-clichéd?

Well, there is a fine line between a fetish and it becoming a cliché - clichés are after all just things that get repeated so often that they become kind of a parody of themselves. I don't think wearing latex is particularly clichéd yet - except maybe when associated with a goth/tattooed look. It depends how you do it.

Any fetish that is odd isn't a cliche, but there could be millions - depends on what gets you going. They can be very personal. It just really annoys me that when people think of fetish/dressing up for sex, it has to be as a fireman or in an Ann Summers style nurse's outfit. How unoriginal.

Medusa

You're pretty much known for illustration, but your new work is part photographic. Why the shift?

Well, I think part of me has always wanted to be a photographer. To some degree some of my illustration was me substituting a drawing for the photo I really would have loved to be able to set up and shoot.

But also I think digital image-making has kind of come of age at last, and this means that there is a kind of freedom of media, photos, collage, drawing, 3d effects etc - anything goes. The computer means we can put this all together. There are a lot less boundaries.

And actually the images I have made are all photographic - they just happen to be photos of my illustrations.

Nail Polish

What piece of commercial work are you most proud of?

Commercial work is great. It gets me money. It's fairly easy to do because people often tell you exactly what they want, but I wont display any of it ever. That's not what its for. So I'm not gonna tell you which I think is best or show it to you! Sorry.

Fine, be like that! If you could kill one trend, what would it be?

Wearing your trousers down round your arse - makes you look like a chimp walking.

See more Jasper at www.jaspergoodall.com

Check out his work up close at the Electric Blue Gallery until 6 March - more info at www.electricbluegallery.com

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