Computerlove™

June 24th, 2008

Interview / Jacob Printzlau

Hi Jakob. First of all, the easy one, you in a few words...
Tall as a house, with ugly hair and a big heart.

Where are you at the moment, what is your position and what are you working on?
Well my work is freelance based so I work out of my apartment. We just moved to a huge one recently, so I have a pretty sweet office of sorts now. Also I have a steady position as an art director at In2media.com. It makes it easier to be picky with the kind of client I accept on the side which is really what is most satisfying for me. I am working on some arty stuff for Sony Playstation, and a couple of illustrations for different magazines, but the big thing right now is a story board for a music video for the band “Choir of Young Believers”. It’s going to be difficult but fun, that’s all I can say.

What is creativity according to you?
I am not sure I have an answer for that. I have just always liked expressing myself visually. And I have played music since I was very young. I guess I have always been attracted to stuff that allows me to interpret the world around me into some form of art. It’s just something I have always felt a need to do. I have no idea why.

Are you more in searching an idea after having made the image, or making an image out of an idea?
I mostly come up with my ideas before I start working. That’s the way it works best for me. The other thing just takes damned long. The other way you can shape your images to the concept instead of finding something that limits the idea from the start. I don’t use too much imagery from Google and that kind of stuff. But sometimes clients bring me photos to work from and that sort of shakes the routine a bit. But that can be fun too. Generally I like it best when I am in charge of everything from the beginning, so I can decide every little detail and make sure it I have everything my way..hahahah. I am a control freak like that.

Did you go to an art school to learn your job? What is - according to you - the importance of learning art and design in school?
I went to a few different schools related to my line of work. But mostly what it taught me was not to listen too carefully to what the rules are within the different Medias I work with. Whenever you break the rules, it becomes more interesting. I think you need some degree of autonomy in your work to stay interesting. Schools have a way of streamlining peoples thoughts to some extend. And I can appreciate that it’s good to be prepared for the industry and have understanding of the way it works if you want to have a steady job and make a career for yourself…But for me it’s about finding my niche where I can be my own boss and make my own rules. Not to say schools are bad or anything like that. I am pro education…totally…but the schools I went to never gave me what I was looking for. But it allowed me to ask myself some important questions, and come up with some answers that I probably never would have figured out on my own………

What software do you feel comfortable with? And how are you evolving with computer techniques and how does it affect your work?
The usual. Photoshop, illustrator, Final Cut, After Effects and whatever else is needed. But you know…talking about the software that created illustrations or animations or whatever, is like talking about the tools is was used to build a nice car. It’s never as interesting as the outcome itself. I mean, if that’s the case, you are probably not that good at what you do…
I probably could not have evolved in the direction that I have, if it wasn’t for the work I have done on the computer. Playing around with software is easy when you want to get started right away. But for me it also helped me do more work outside the digital universe, because I sometimes need a healthy break from stasring into a monitor.

What about your style?
My style is probably a summary of a lot of different influences that affected me in my upbringing and later on in my life. I was very much into skateboarding when I was growing up. I got hurt quite a lot because I probably sucked as a skater, but I was drawn to the whole lifestyle, the people and the music and art surrounding it. I was completely obsessed with classic heavy metal back then, and I still try to let all the visual impressions from that period in my life reflect on my work today. I also still deeply admire people like Jim Phillips www.jimphillips.com and Derek Riggs www.derekriggs.com because they totally blew me away when I was a kid. They still stand as some of the most important influences to my work. I still get a special feeling when looking at their stuff and I try to channel that feeling into my own work. Along with a lot of other stuff of course. There are so many other influences that have helped create my style, but this would be a pretty long interview if I should mention them all. And I am not even sure they would be that exiting to anyone else…

When, according to you, did you make the step further within your work?
I think when I went to Barcelona for the rundown of the Place Project, which I was apart of. Meeting the other artists and being able to get and insight in their work and the thoughts behind, made me look at my own in a different perspective I guess. But I always try to pressure myself in order for my work to keep evolving. Of course sometimes you are forced to repeat yourself because people have seen some stuff you have done and want something just like it, but mostly I try to take steps further all the time. But there are always times when it works out better than other.

Have you got so called “creative steps” when you’re working on a project?
I depends what kind of project. But I have a sketchbook/notebook. That’s mostly where everything starts. From there it depends on the media.

What is your working material? Have you got a photo of your working room?
I am always looking for new materials…But I probably use the same as everyone else. Markers, cardboard, glue, paint, pen and paper, whatever software I need and so on...

Where and when are you getting the inspiration for your works?
I know it’s a total cliché but I get my inspiration from life in general and everything that crosses my path. Things I get it touch with on a daily basis seem to have an impact on my work.

What keeps you going everyday? And what are you doing if you feel a little bit dried out?
I always have projects going, and that’s one of the things that keeps me going. I love doing what I do, and that helps a lot. Some periods are more fun than others obviously, but there is always a cool project in the horizon that I am looking forward to. If not, I always come up with one myself.

But when I do need some off time, I just pull the plug and take my son and my girlfriend to stay at my parent’s house way out in the country. It’s right by the waters edge with no neighbours or nothing. Just the forest and a fucking amazing view. You can stay there or a week and not meet more than 3 people walking by. That always slows things down if you are feeling stressed and tired of the city crowds.

Will you move one day to another country?
I can’t say that I won’t, but I like to be close to home and my family. I think there are too many things keeping me here. But it would probably be nice to get away for a period some time though…

Are you browsing web-based communities?
I try not too, because most of it is a complete waste of time for me….but I get bored just like other people. I have myspace site that I spent some time on when I created it, but now it sort of has its own life. I seem to be getting a lot more friends than I would ever get in real life..hahah

How important is human contact for you in the job?
It’s pretty important. I am a social person, so I need to share my thoughts and ideas with someone every once in a while in order to stay happy.

How’s your music band working for the moment?
Our second album is being mixed in LA by someone whose identity I can’t reveal to you yet….But it’s going to be great. He is quite the celebrity haha…..We will probably have new single and a video and a single out there before X-mas. Just stay tuned.

And how’s the child going?
He is doing well. His name is Linus and he is awesome in every way. He just started walking around and he just won’t stop talking jibberish. It’s so funny. He actually makes it ok to get up incredibly early in the morning. I never thought anyone could make me say that….haha.

What about Dark Matter?
I guess you mean Dark Matter which is the clothing label I am starting with my friend Emil Kozak (emilkozak.com). Well, it takes a little longer than expected since Emil has moved out and is now living in Barcelona, and since we a both busy little bees. But we a both such fans of each others work so we decided to do this thing together. I just got delayed a bit, I hope thing will clear soon so we can get everything ready…

Give me your tombstone epitaph.
Here lies Jakob Printzlau, the only known human being to ever become more that 200 years old. He lived long enough to see his great great great great grandsons become billionaires with Plastic Kid – the graphic design empire that he founded more than a millennium ago. And passed down through generations… ;)

Related links:
PlasticKid

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