It is exceptionally rare to come across individuals (even artists) that possess such an innate calling and devout adherence to a cause so uncontaminated as Greek art duo, Frank Moth. The somewhat secretive pair that primarily produces digital collage pieces has harvested the fruits and anguish of what they call “genetically engineered permanent insecurity” from their childhoods to create vintage looking works with a specific color pallet, feel and unexpected imagery (and seemingly poignant additions such as text) that may seem like a mismatch (a mismatch that effortlessly draws you in). It is such a pleasure to interact with people who have found their calling and are very okay being held hostage by this calling. Keep on keeping on Frank Moth! Stylenochaser has your back!
” We haven’t made long-term plans. If we could describe it in a graphic way, the ultimate goal is definitely eternity, both as …”
Please tell us a little about the unique duo that forms Frank Moth – your childhoods, siblings, where you grew up, what you liked as a child, strange thoughts as a child/now, unique attributes, where you live now, etc.?
Well, we were both born right at the dawn of the 80s and we have big families of siblings and cousins – the famous Greek stereotypical family. We grew up in different parts of Greece, north and south and we found each other in the middle. Traditional childhoods with family gatherings, insecurities and rejections that are what fed our complexes. Our dream is to meet Burial in a supermarket isle somewhere in Lambeth, to get a Juohmaru (from Plawres Sanshiro) figure and a real donkey.
We have spent a great part of our lives in Athens and we carry this multi-year experience with us in every turn. We now live in Veria, a small city near Thessaloniki in northern Greece.
Please describe Frank Moth’s form of art?
Our primary direction is human-centered collage art with retro futuristic elements and a vintage feeling. The vast majority of our work is digitally made. We have certain austere obsessions with specific color palettes, while at the same time we want to believe that we are actually sensitive.
What tools do you use for the creation of your work and how did you create your unique style?
We are self-taught in using Photoshop and in fact, the main person behind Frank Moth has an obsession with an older version of the program. There is also an obsessive, almost autistic research for material and images online. A very important tool that makes all these designs is our insecurities.
We were never able to tell that we have a unique style, like you said, we regularly see people around us with beautiful, one-of-a-kind styles. We will dare to say, though, that we like to use elements in a picture that have seemingly no connection with it whatsoever, like typography or the use of mechanical sketches.
What is the worst critique you have ever received about your work? What is the best compliment that you have received about your work?
The worst critique is probably the absolute indifference and zero reaction of people close to us, when they see our artwork. On the other hand, the worst critique – maybe because we have accepted, absorbed and probably adopted it – is the opinion that our works are intimidating. And we perceive this as bad because our works are pieces of ourselves reflected in two dimensions.
What is Frank Moth’s ultimate goal?
To be completely honest, we have no idea where all this will eventually lead. We haven’t made long-term plans. If we could describe it in a graphic way, the ultimate goal is definitely eternity, both as artists and people. We imagine that this is the ultimate goal for every single simple man, and this makes us feel a great awe.
How do you combine or balance artistic integrity with the reality of having to make money from your creations? Is it a hard balance?
It may sound romantic or like a lie, a lie that is said in the context of an interview, but it is the absolute reality for us – that we started the Frank Moth project with the simple thought that had become an inescapable need – “we want to make our work available somewhere, wherever, to whoever is really interested, and thus we do not mind if no one buys it”. The fact that within a year Frank Moth has acquired an acclaimed commercial value has not at all altered our initial thought. We do not make an effort to balance the two, because this is our life side-project and we see it as an abstract artistic expression and we do not depend on it. Nonetheless, we are taking it absolutely seriously.
Since Style.No.Chaser is a men’s lifestyle magazine, what attributes/items/clothing /etc. do you think define a man?
We are living in a strange time, with somewhat confusing role models compared to past decades. However, there are values that we think are timeless, like responsibility, nobility, kindness and determination in a man. Our piece “Manhood” (directly below) expresses a pessimistic view of what society imposes as a burden on a man’s shoulders, like stress, obligations and fear. Style-wise, my dream ever since I was a little boy when I was invited to a friend’s family dinner, or whenever I imagined myself drinking whiskey at the bar of a jazz club on a rainy evening, I always thought of a tweed jacket or coat with corduroy elbow patches, white shirt without a tie and a dark blue pair of jeans and Oxford shoes. I have always admired my grandfather’s pocket watch. I strongly believe that the best attribute in a man is to have a good relationship with time.
What philosophies do the individuals of Frank Moth live by?
Contrary to the human centered theme of our works, we live our lives with the theory that the purpose of life is not human-centered, but provided by God. We hope and believe in a life that contains the absolute truth, which is love. And we know that both of us have to go through a great struggle with our weaknesses and challenges in terms of human imperfection.
Who dead or alive, celebrity or not, artist or not, would you like to go on a two week road trip with and why?
We would like to make an exception to this question. We would love to be on the back seat of a car with Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld at the front seats, because we imagine that their unique way of overanalyzing every single tiny detail of everyday life would be the definition of perfection especially if it could be lived through a two week road trip.
How can people learn more about your current and upcoming works?
Anyone who wants to know more about our work, our collaborations and our news can find us in our Social Media pages and our blog-portfolio where we publish everything that is going on Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram . You can find our works available in selected shops, like Society6 and Redbubble
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