Interview with Barrett Cook aka Hooded Fang

q)What is your earliest art-related memory?

a)I used to draw war scenes with a friend in school when I was like 8 years old.

They were really violent and over the top. Planes crashing, tanks on fire, piles of dead bodies, pools of blood...fun stuff. I remember being on a road trip in Florida with my family around the age of 15. We were in a mom and pop type restaurant eating lunch. There were these chunks of wood with found objects nailed onto them. I thought it was so cool that the owners were hanging these things on the wall that had chunks of metal, rusty cans and other crazy shit on em. Even though I didn't start making visual art or art with found objects for another 12 years... that memory has always stuck with me.

q) Who has had the greatest influence on your work?

a)My mother was always encouraging me with any of my hobbies or school projects. She passed away a few years ago but her creativeness and crafty mindset definitely rubbed off on me while growing up.

I discovered Robert Roushenburg several years ago and he really changed my outlook on art. His relationship with found objects was a revelation to me. Seeing Emory Douglas's black panther work for the first time was also mind blowing.

q) What are the main tools of your craft?

a)Exacto knife, gel medium, glue, vintage paper and magazines.

q) Is a formal education important?

a)I can see how it could be important, but I don’t have any formal art education. I think my art naivety plays a big part in my creative process. Both positively and negatively. I like it that way.

q) What is the biggest misconception about art?

a)That it only exists within the confines of museums or art galleries.

q) Which is more important in art - concept or execution?

a)Depends. I'm not too conceptual when it comes to creating collages and my lack of execution can produce some really great happy mistakes. That being said, I think there is always room for great execution weather the work is totally free form or completely conceptualized.

q) What theme or aesthetic are you most drawn too?

a)Honesty, nostalgia, vintage, handmade.

q) What is your favorite piece of art in your home? I don't really have a favorite so

a)I'm going to pick a few.

I have a poster of a Thelonious Monk concert from 1959. I look at it a lot. There are a few art trades I've made with some fellow artists and I have some of their work hanging. Also, a black and white photo of Kirk Gibson playing for the Detroit Tigers in 1984 that I found.

q) If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

a)That's a tough one. I'd love to work with a lot of people who are alive right now..... I would say Kurt Schwitters, Robert Roushenburg, and Ray Johnson wuld be amazing to work with if they weren't dead.

q) Which emerging artist do you think more people should know about?

a)Justin Angelos aka 101301 is doing some amazing stuff.

I really like what the WAFA Collective is up to.

Listening to Dem Hunger, S.Maharba and Forest Swords.

q) What has been your greatest achievement to date?

a)I just took part in my first art show. It was at driftwood salon in SF and it

was a blast.

q) What has been your biggest roadblock?

a)I would have to say marketing or selling my art. It’s a pain in the ass.

q) How do you define success?

a)More happy times than bad times.

q) What will be the name of your autobiography?

a)Don’t Hassle The Hoff:The Autobiography

q)What is the best piece of (art-related) advice you’ve ever been given?

a) Create something every day.