Mudscout: What made you make this book?

JC: I made this book because it seems like you can’t wake up these days without being inundated with images and conversations about war & terror or political maneuvering. But mostly I made it becauseI believe that contemporary popular media and advertising has portrayed war in a very unrealistic and ignorant fashion.  I didn’t know how to say what I felt, so I made some pictures.  In short, war made me do it.

Mudscout: Why a book of postcards?

JC: I wanted to make a book that people could become involved with; a book that would encourage someone to get out their markers and write on my stuff or cross my stuff out – add to my stuff. Something someone can touch, rip and share.  I like the idea that when someone receives a card in the mail that it will be all scuffed up and markedly different than the version that appears new in the book.  I like that people cherish postcards and that my work will end up under a magnet on someone’s fridge.  But foremost, I wanted to make postcards because I think it’s a nice throwback to simpler times when we took the opportunity to write to someone and send them a picture…I wanted to make something that was as far as possible from a text message.  Too many people only get bills in the mail these days.  It’s okay to slow down a little.

Mudscout: Tell us about your creative process.

JC: This book was a little bit of a different process.  Most of these postcards began as gig posters.  I did  a series of war posters that they circulated all over the country for different events.  From there, I was asked to submit several of those posters to shows around North America, including Museum of Design Atlanta’s “graphic noise” exhibit.  From there I decided to put together this collection of postcards featuring many of those images, but reworked significantly to allow me a much larger voice in the work than is allowed in a gig poster.  It’s been rewarding because of the positive feedback through all the different stages, and to see how all the images have changed so much from their original format.  I think I could play around with them for years and never be done.

Mudscout: What inspires you?

JC: I’m inspired by people who can explain profound thoughts in plain words or images.  By people who try to make things common instead of exclusive.  Right now, I’m pretty lucky to have a community of friends that create work that is constantly blowing my mind and pushing me. I feel like I have to work extra hard to stay up close to their level, so that I can keep the privilege of sharing in their creative process.  And travel! Travel always makes me want to make new things.

Mudscout: Is there a message you want to convey through your art? With this project in particular?

JC: Mostly, with this project, I just want people to look a little more closely at the idea of war and how it impacts them day to day.  How it affects their emotions and relationships and how war changes our entire culture.  War isn’t just in Iraq, or Afghanistan.  War is in our papers everyday, it’s why our grandfathers have friends with no arms, it’s why we’re afraid to fly or are afraid of the environment. War creeps into our everyday mentality in ways that we often just take for granted. You never hear anything good about war, or a noble reason to go to war, or a positive result.  War just drags on, wearing us out, distracting us.  War is a word that is inherently negative and brings with it nothing but devastating results, yet we use the word daily as though it were nothing.  If there’s a message I would like to convey with this, is that it doesn’t matter how you let your media people spin it, how much pink or rainbows you add to an image, war is war and we’re too accepting of it.

Mudscout: Can art make a difference?

JC: Yes.  My home doesn’t feel comfortable unless there’s art on the walls.  I don't think I'm unique like that. Art is an escape into a different type of thinking.  It’s a break.  It’s a different language.  It’s inspiring and emotional.  Do we put art in a position to make a difference these days? Now that’s a totally different question.

Mudscout: Who is Jfry Craig?

JC: Good question.  I’m sure a lot of folks would like a solid answer to that, myself included.  Mostly he’s a collection of half-truths and rumours. I am what I made last, or that's what it feels like lately.

Mudscout: You wear many different hats. How does this project fit into your larger body of work?

JC: I feel like I grew up a lot during this project, and I think I developed a greater level of humility the more I learned about war.  And to be honest, I’m curious to see how this fits into my body of work.  It’s certainly something I never envisioned making, but something I'm definitely bigger for. I hope it's an attitude that seeps into my other works. We'll see.

Mudscout: Why MudScout?

JC: Quite honestly, MudScout has published or been involved with many books that my friends and I have been fans of over the years, and it seemed like the perfect publishing company to take on this project.  I felt like I wouldn’t have to change my vision to satisfy someone else’s, and I couldn’t have been more right, or happy with the decision.

Mudscout: Tell us about your book tour plans…

JC: I’m hoping to have a book launch in 5 or 6 cities across Canada in early fall.  I’m hoping to have art shows in each city with proceeds going to Canadian Veterans.  The art shows will feature limited edition canvas enlargements from the book.  I’m hoping to raise awareness and respect for our veterans.  I think it’s too often the case that people who are against war, act as though they are against our veterans and I think that this is short sighted.  I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been influenced by Don Cherry’s pro-soldier Coach’s Corner segments.

Mudscout: What’s up next?

JC: Right now, I’m in the middle of compiling a book called 49 stories – a series of poems.  It was originally hand written by the street artist dot.calm and found among his possession after his death.  I’ve taken it upon myself to edit and reproduce it as closely as possible to the original manuscript.  It’s been an onerous task and I’m thankful that it’s almost done, but terrifically excited at the same time.  Hopefully that will be released this fall.  I'm working really hard on a series of religiously inspired paintings and photos due for a gallery show in early winter.  But most importantly, I’m working on a mini-series concept, called APPUL, with Dave Lawrence of FUBAR and a book of short stories, called "29", about my experiences in Thailand during the Tsunami of 2004. 

About the author:
Name:
Jfry Craig

From:
Ardrossan AB. (currently in Calgary, AB.)

Occupation:
Commercial Artist; founder, simpleSimple.ca

Education:
Masters Degree in Creative Writing, U of C

Affiliations:
FB Crew

Clients & Projects include: 
FUBAR the movie, Steve-O, A Problem With Fear, etc.

Online:
www.toqueboy.com www.OurHandsInYourPie.com www.legmoustache.com
www.fb-crew.ca

Artist statement: get up! thanks to everyone who has helped me.