The b-uncut blog

b-loud: Robert Anderson–Artist and Wordsmith

// December 10th, 2009 // b-loud // Jane

This week b-uncut has caught up with Scottish artist Robert Anderson: painter, poet, and writer. A multi-talented artist, Anderson is probably best known for his illustration style art. A Carpenter by trade, he is now a full time mid-career artist and poet. In fact, he classifies himself as a “poet with artistic expression” as all of his artwork stems from a poem he has written–it is an extension to his spoken word. His quick wit and quirky sense of humor are sure signs of his creative genius!

The b-you interview:

b-uncut: What was your first artwork?

RA: My first artwork was probably me if I am to go with a story my mum told me. She was having a piano delivered and placed me in my cot with my potty, so I did a number 2 in the potty then placed it over my head. When my mum noticed me, she said, “you really are a work of art Bobby?”

b-uncut: Describe the one you like the most-why?

RA: Probably, “Spills From The Hour Glass” It just depicts for me this apocalyptic course we as man kind are heading into. The turmoil created to an infestation through greed and survival of the fittest. I am disgusted by the mind of human kind.

b-uncut: Describe the one you hate the most-why?

RA: I don’t hate, I don’t know how to hate. I made an Easter, “boiled egg” for my daughters school competition using wires and bolts so it looked like one of the little, “Cadbury’s instant potato mash” aliens from the advert. She left it in her room and it fell over and smashed, and all these maggots spilled out. Well I must have jumped on every one of those little suckers…….eh? But I never hated them.

b-uncut: What did it take to make it to where you are now?

RA: Three eggs and a bag of flour, ha, ha! A lot of long hours and persistence, constantly believing in myself and keeping my work real. Whether this upset others or not. As long as I stayed true to myself and my art I knew I could do no wrong. I don’t work for commercial gain. For money I paint football stars and pets, GRRRR! This allows me to fund my realist art. The things I want to do. This art is my mind and sanity.

b-uncut: Who has helped you along the way?

RA: Nobody, I have and never will ask for help. Everything I do comes from what was installed from the womb. I live in my own little bubble. I have never had a lesson in my life. It just seems to have always been there waiting to come out. Now it just flows endlessly.

b-uncut: What are your methods? Your inspirations?

RA: The scope of my world I suppose. If I see something that hurts on T.V. Or hear of some injustice then I paint and write about it. As I said, I try to keep everything as real and as close to the bone as possible. I also do this with fun things. I am not all doom and gloom, rather to the contrary, I am a very happy go lucky person.

b-uncut: If I ask you to describe your art, would it be redundant to describe yourself?

RA: My art is me, my mind and pain, my laughter and love, my illness of thought
I constantly strive in endless hours to keep it that way.

The b-quick interview

b-uncut: The swear word you like the most?

RA: Politician

b-uncut: The flaws a man/woman should have to seduce you?

RA: I love a woman that can’t cook, or pretends she can’t so I can show off my culinary skills. ha, ha!

b-uncut: Your parents’ advice you shouldn’t have followed?

RA: Well my mum always said, “It is not the coughing your coughing, but the coffin your carried off in” So I started smoking. Another one was, “If you fall out that tree and break your legs, don’t come running to me?” Yip, that was my mum.

b-uncut: The talent you wouldn’t want to have?

RA: That’s a hard one? I suppose knitting, I hate that bloody endless clicking sound like a metronome on high speed.

b-uncut: The person you’d like to be hated by?

RA: Dr David Starkey, He wrote terrible things about Scotland. So I wrote a poem about him once and he hates me for it. I love him hating me, the little English four eyed, bum buffing wimp. But I don’t hate him, ha, ha! I am falling of my seat in laughter here.

b-uncut: The question I should never ask you?

RA: Will you do another interview? Ha, ha! “kidding”

When was the last time you changed your underwear? Because I wont tell you. I will tell you however that I am not hungry as I ate a plate of corn flakes three Wednesdays ago. Am I evading the question here?

The b-where interview

b-uncut: Where do you see yourself in…

5 seconds?

RA: Sitting here staring into empty matter

5 minutes?

RA: Making a coffee

5 days?

RA: Sitting here writing, or in my bubble painting.

5 months?

RA: Florida to see my girl

5 centuries?

RA: Sitting in heaven as a wise old man with my girl at my side,
looking at statues built in Dr David Starkey’s name, I can send some pigeons down.

The Should Would Could Interview:

b-uncut: Do we know you?

RA: You should , we had sex, was it that bad?

b-uncut: Should we know you?

RA: Not if your pregnant, ha, ha!
You should know me through the truth I try to write

b-uncut: Will we know you?

Yes as I am going nowhere. Watch this space?
Cheers from Scotland everyone xxxxxxxx Bobby