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keep a breast
interview with artist Derek Hess
by donald dusinberre    imartsyfartsy@gmail.com

      Derek Hess is a renowned artist from Cleveland, Ohio. Having visited Jacksonville numerous times, Hess is a favorite with folks around here. His drawings, album covers, and posters have become quite well known in the independent music community. To learn more about Derek Hess, visit his website at derekhess.com. Derek Hess is one of the many locals and celebrity artists contributing to the Breast Defense exhibit. Other artists include Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo (pictured), Iggy Pop, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, KRK Ryden, Attaboy, Anne Owens and local artists Ian Chase, Mark George and Tonya Lee.


EU: How did you get involved with the Breast Defense show, and what enticed you to decorate a bust?
Hess: Well, Rob [DePiazza] from Screen Arts contacted me. I’ve shown my work there before, and he’s awesome. He gave me a call and I agreed to do it.


EU: Do you have a specific connection with the cause, outside of this show?
Hess: No, but I happen to be involved with another show for Breast Cancer Awareness. But no, I have not been touched by the problem in my own life.


EU: Have you met the woman whose breasts you’re decorating?
Hess: No, Rob invited me to go to Vegas, and I thought I was going to be able to cast the mold myself. He told me I was only supposed to decorate the breasts, but it’s a cool project. I’m glad he asked me to do it.


EU: Did your design idea come easily?
Hess: You know, I was stumped at first. It sat there in my studio for a while. I went with what I tend to do- sketching, and I went ahead with an angel. It came out pretty raw, so I tore out pages of sketchbooks and pasted them on, sort of making another cast over the plaster, wetting the paper and brushing it with glue to make it stick and form to the cast.


EU: Do you get asked to do these kinds of projects often? Hess: Yeah, people ask me to do them a lot. Actually, I’m part of a show coming up in Atlanta. They had us paint skateboard decks, and they’ll raise money to build a new skatepark in Atlanta.


EU: From the preliminary pictures I’ve seen, the busts seem to lack, ahem, certain anatomical details. Did you feel like you were decorating a real person’s bust, and was that important to your process?
Hess: Well, if I cast it, it would have been better (laughs). It was a really cool idea, and you can tell they’re from a real person, so it really was like a collaboration.


EU: Was it difficult, as a man, to connect with an issue that mostly concerns women?
Hess: I often get asked why all the figures I draw are men, and I’ve got a friend who likes to tease me about being a racist because they’re mostly white men. Obviously, I’m a man with a male perspective, so I can’t easily draw from a female point of view, but for this project, I tried to do it as objectively as I could. As far as being involved with the show, it has at least made me consider the cause in a way that I didn’t before.


Look for Derek Hess’ contribution to the Breast Defense art show on October 5. An opening reception will take place at the Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine, followed by a showing of all the decorated busts at the Gallery at Screen Arts on King Street.

Entertaining U Newspaper, eujacksonville.com. Published by N2U Publishing, Inc. 3101 University Blvd., South #201 Jacksonville, FL 32216. Copyright N2U Publishing, Inc. 2006. Reproduction of any artwork or copy prepared by N2U Publishing, Inc. is strictly prohibited without written consent of the publisher. We will not be responsible for errors and/or omissions, the Publisher's liability for error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error. Articles for publication are welcome and may be sent to the following address: 3101 University Blvd., South #201 Jacksonville, FL 32216. We cannot assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. For information concerning classified advertising phone 904-730-3003.