I asked Adam a few questions and to give us a little insight into his creative process:
Please tell us a bit about your background and what led you into wallpaper design.
I grew up in a creative family and always
loved art and craft, later studying Textile Art at Goldsmiths college in
London. It was a very 'conceptual' time for art in the mid 80s (I was in the
same year as Damian Hurst) and anything decorative was dismissed as trivial. A
few years later I reluctantly took a job in a paint and wallpaper shop in
Clapham but really enjoyed it. Moving to Sydney in the early 90s I worked as a
decorative painter and colourist. I was with Porters Paints for over 10 years.
I planned to start producing wallpaper many years ago however the right time
didn't arrive until late 2011 when I thought 'dammit, this has been dragging on
too long'. After much research I leased a huge professional inkjet printer and
launched Quercus & Co in May 2012.
What techniques do you use to produce the designs and where do you find the inspiration?
The technical issues with printing have
been an incredibly steep learning curve. I'm passionate about digital printing
as its potential is unlimited and the pace with which technology is progressing
is mind-boggling, however my first love is for the hand-drawn - the marks and
brush strokes of pencil or paint. Like playing music or singing, drawing and
painting by hand require a connection to how you feel and if you're lucky that
feeling is carried through into the artwork. It's this connection that inspires
me and however subtle this may be I like to consider a new design on how the
pattern or colour 'feels'.
I have so many ideas planned that one of
the most difficult things is sorting through which direction to move into next.
Currently I work on my own and the demands of running all aspects of the
business leave only a small amount of time for creative work... but I'm getting
there!
What has been one of your proudest or most memorable project so far?
I'm thrilled with every order I send out
and I don't mean financially (although I'm amazed I can make a living at this)
but that someone has made the effort to buy something I have created. I really
hope they enjoy it! I basically like pleasing people, perhaps that's shallow..
A memorable project would have to a
scenic-chinoiserie style gold wallpaper I created for Fat Noodle, a restaurant
in the Treasury, Brisbane designed by Luchetti Krelle. I haven't had the
opportunity of seeing it installed yet.
PS. I had a look at the Quercus & Co website again this morning and there is a picture of the installation at Fat Noodle. STUNNING work! You can see it here.
+ Images with permission Quercus & Co
+ Address: Quercus & Co Wallpaper Studio - Level 1, 722 Bourke Street, Redfern
+ Website: www.quercusandco.com
