Interview : Chuck Anderson

November 16, 2006 8:14 PM

（Click above to see more image）

About 2or3years ago,while i was still in +81magazine, I've contacted Chuck from NoPattern and realized that he was still 19 years old. Since then he has done major client works as well as his personal stuff, such as his new book that just came out. We been always looking forward to his next step from the far east.
A little interview via email, we've asked him about his work and recent stuff going on.

Interview & Text by Yosuke Kurita

CBCNET: Could you briefly tell us what you do and your background?

CHUCK:Sure! My name is Chuck Anderson, I am a freelance artist/designer from the Chicago area and I work under the name NoPattern. I have been doing this now for about 3 years. 2007 will be the start of my 4th year. It's gone very fast and been a blur, but I've had so much fun with what I do and have met some amazing people along the way. As far as my educational background, I never went to college. It just wasn't for me. About a year after I graduated high school is when I started working.

CBCNET:When I first saw your work you were 19, but your work had its own vibe to it. How did you develop your style of work?
And since you started doing more, what has changed?

CHUCK:I think my style and unique look was developed out of frustration and experimentation. I was not totally happy with the job I had at the time when I was first starting out ? I was working at a screenprinting shop doing very boring things...I had a lot of spare time to use the computer, Photoshop, and Illustrator, and I just experimented and did a lot of personal work until I started to get in a groove and do new, unique things with it. As I've done more, I've definitely just built on what I've already taught myself and learned from the world around me. My style just continues to evolve and change as I grow and learn new things from new people and experiences.

CBCNET:Your print work has this bright and colorful touch to it. But your drawing is little different, you use bold black lines, drips, and draw a lot of faces, what goes through your mind when you are at work? Both prints and sketches.

CHUCK:Well, you definitley just touched on the definition of "NoPattern"...I like my work to appear as if it were done by different people. That just really keeps people surprised when they see new things I do, and it allows me to not get too boxed in to one look, feel, or way of doing things. What goes through my mind when I do my print work is how can I make something very beautiful, very vibrant, and very much alive. When I do my drawing/illustration stuff, I'm usually just trying to create a very chaotic world ? much like what I see when I walk around and see other people in every day life. Just lots of talking heads, people rambling on about nothing, and never getting anything truly important done. I see a lot of that in the world, and I think when I draw, it's a lot of my reaction to things like that coming out in visual form. But it's not always bad, sometimes I just draw for the fun of it and whatever I end up with is totally random!

Drawings

CBCNET: Seems your having a great career, how is it working with clients?
And could you introduce some of your favorite client works?

CHUCK:Working with clients over these past 3 years has mostly been a pleasure. Sure, there have been times that I have had bad experiences, but I think that's how it goes for everybody at some point. Some of my favorite client work lately would be the work I've done for Supra Footwear and the collaboration I did with Reason Clothing. Supra is fun because they give me a photo that is pretty cool, but needs something more. It always needs to be made to look a little better than it does at first, and that's my job. The Reason Clothing stuff was fun because I got to design a bandana and some shirts/sweatshirts, and it all just turned out really really cool. Two very different but very fun projects.

Supra Footwear

Reason Clothing X NoPattern

CBCNET: Do you consider yourself as a designer or an artist?

CHUCK:Whatever you want to call me is fine. I just do what I enjoy, I don't really care what it gets labeled as. Life is going to be way too short to argue about such a silly thing.

CBCNET: The internet must have been a big way for people to know your work.
You must get a lot of emails from all over the world. How do you feel about this broadband world wide connections? Do you feel sometimes too much of it?

CHUCK:Yes - I feel too much of a lot of times. I cannot keep up with emails anymore. Too many of them coming in about all different things, I just can never answer them on time! For example - this interview! I had weeks to do it but it took me so long to finally get around to doing it! I just get so caught up in other things, sometimes email falls back a bit. But - BUT - the internet is an amazing thing and I cannot complain. It has allowed me to talk to and connect with people from around the world, and that is truly beautiful.

CBCNET: By the way, why "nopattern"?

CHUCK:Well, I kind of answered that already...but essentially it just means "inconsistency". I am the kind of person who can never totally make up their mind about things...and therefore I'm always trying new and different things because I never want to miss out on something I haven't tried yet. So having "no pattern" really just means having no method or routine to the way you do things. It's more the idea of a lifestyle and way to think, really.

CBCNET: Where is your favorite city? Or where would you like to go? Any plans of yourself moving to some where else?

CHUCK:My favorite city...well, I do love Chicago, but San Francisco and Barcelona were both really awesome. I had a short trip to Hollywood/Los Angeles too last month, but I didn't see enough of it to really make a decision...it was beautiful though! Sorry New York City, you're way too overwhelming for me. I'll keep NYC as a travel destination...don't think I could ever live there. I would LOVE to come to Japan! I would also love to visit Greece, Bora Bora, Australia, and the Grand Canyon. As far as moving somewhere, that's hard to say right now...I'm not sure...

CBCNET: Could you tell us about the new book you released?
CHUCK:Sure! I recently put out a book in September 2006 that was basically a small collection of my portfolio and favorite works in book form. I felt it necessary to do because I just wanted to get my work in people's hands. Having my stuff on the internet was getting boring. It's important, but it's boring. Everyone can do it now, but nobody hardly does books anymore, at least not self-funded, self-published, and self-distributed books. So I just felt it would help get my work out there and be a cool thing to offer people if they liked my work!

NoPattern Book

CBCNET: Any upcoming project? And any plans towards the future?

CHUCK:I'm working on the new Fall Out Boy album right now, that will be really cool...I have some other projects in the works too but I can't say too much at the moment. 2007 - I am hoping to do my first solo gallery show in Chicago!

CBCNET: This will be translated in Japanese. Any message to the Japanese readers?

CHUCK:I really appreciate your support and that you read this! I would be honored to visit Japan someday - I think the culture and land is absolutely beautiful from what I've seen in pictures. Maybe I'll even get to speak there someday and meet some like-minded artists. Who knows!?

Thank you fro having time for us!
Hope to see you in Japan soon!!!