Over the last twenty years we’ve had the privilege and pleasure of collaborating with a myriad of artists, writers, photographers, film makers, musicians, and illustrators. ‘Stop & Chat’ is a series of interviews celebrating the wider creative community who feed our studio culture and creative output. To kick it off we catch up with Chris Odgers who we recently commissioned to create the Origin, Eden sleeve art.
We've known Chris for many moons. First bumping shoulders at the skatepark in the early 90's where his talent set him apart from the pack, crossing paths again in the creative industries where he applies comparable flair and skill.
Alongside his highly collectible self published books; Fall, Mule, Souvenir and The Bone Yard Ballet, Chris works for a coveted client list who recognise him as an artist unwilling to compromise his process and aesthetic with digital shortcuts. When he's not at his drawing board you’ll find Chris sharing his wisdom with Illustration students at Falmouth University, or dabbling in the fine art of skateboarding.
From early on I was exposed to so many picture books and my family were great storytellers - certain illustrations from early childhood still resonate with me. Looking back at my old school textbooks I would write and draw my own stories. My mum will say I always said I was going to write and draw my own books and that whatever toy I was playing with I’d soon ask to go back to my pens. My gran was very artistic, I would sit and paint with her for hours, even tagging along to some of her painting clubs.
I think two of the most defining moments of my childhood were drawing from one of my choose-your-own-adventure/Fighting Fantasy game books when I was in the 3rd year of junior school (it was the Leprechauns from ‘Deathtrap Dungeon’ if any geeks are wondering). I suddenly realised I could draw (well copy) pretty well and went from there copying a lot of the images from those books and other sources like 2000AD comic, from there creating my own illustrations. The second important moment was being given a British Wildlife book from my Dad’s friend Alan Male, who had illustrated the book. I suddenly made the connection between the printed book and the artist. Alan and my dad taught on the HND illustration course at Pool college and later Falmouth, and from a young age my dad would take me into the studios. So looking back I don’t think there was much doubt which path I’d take in life.
I have such an eclectic mix of inspirations, from comic books to abstract art. I especially like art that is removed from things I can do, it still holds some magic for me, something unattainable. Artists that I have always gravitated to would be painters like Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper, Bernie Fuchs and Norman Rockwell. Pen and ink illustrators like Franklin Booth and Virgil Finlay. Comic book artists Brian Bolland and Akira’s Katsuhiro Otomo and children illustrators Wallace Tripp and Frank Adams. That’s about as short a list as I can make it!
The Origin projects have really helped push me out of my comfort zone, concentrating on mark making and patterns rather than such a prescriptive image that I’m used to. They've also really helped when discussing packaging projects with my students at Falmouth. Two of my favourites have been ‘San Antonio Frozen’ and the latest ‘Bannaba Gesha’, there’s a lot of lines in that one!
From classic books I would leap at the chance to illustrate the Wizard of Oz and the Frank L. Baum series and from more contemporary fiction. My dream job would be to illustrate John Connolly’s ‘Charlie Parker’ novels, a detective noir series with ever growing supernatural undertones, packed with vivid characters. I’d also like to finish illustrating my next picture book that’s been on and off the blocks more times that I can count over the last years, hopefully next spring I can get a clear run at it.
