Exclusive: Interview with Artist Doug Fishbone

Doug Fishbone for Becks Fusions

Artist Doug Fishbone is probably best known for his banana installation ( 30,000 Bananas, 2004 ) in Trafalgar Square, and now he’s back rubbing shoulders with Nelson’s Column with his visual installation based on surfing, for Becks Fusions.

The artist – who recently performed in Edinburgh and at the I.C.A – is exhibiting in the ICA’s  art and music ‘Pod’ that sees ten artists create an audio-visual installation in response to a rare or unheard of version of a song or piece of music.

Doug was inspired by  Eumir Deodato’s  disco version of Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra – used in 2001 A Space Odyssey -  and has set awesome, moving images of surfers to the funky beats.
It’s very different to Doug’s usual work, which, he says “pushes buttons.”

The artist certainly knows what he believes in, and isn’t afraid to say it loud in his installations and performance.
“ There’s a general political arrogance and racism, particularly towards the  Muslim world,” he reckons.
“American culture and now, it seems, the UK has this over consumption, this consumerism and lack of spirituality, like we don’t know where we’re going.
We’re doomed!
“Britain used to rule the world and lost it all, and now I get the feeling that the US is on the verge of a similar loss.”
But Doug still has a sense of humour and lightness of touch, which is evident in the Becks project.

 “ I wanted to do something fun with momentum and  energy,” he explains.
The music I’ve chosen has the association with space travel and put together with the images of giant waves makes the surfers seem just like space travellers: flying across the ocean.”

Doug, who admits to being “ a big fan of surfing but a terrible surfer” is also enamoured by the internet.
“It allows a narrative freedom, that we wouldn’t have had 10 or 20 years ago,” he says.
“It’s amazing what you can find.
“With the availability of photos online you can say anything..”
But what about the charge brought by many that the internet actually dilutes the arts, and with information saturation standards drop.
“I’m not too worried , and it’s really not such a dreadful thing,” says Doug.
“Maybe it’s easier to do crappy work, but then everyone said that the camera was the death of art.”

Indeed, Doug’s work is very democratic and progressive, something that he feels the New York scene is less open to.
“ I trained at Goldsmith’s and it was the best decision ever,” he says.
"The London Art Scene has lots of intensity and lots of opportunities. There are good schools with energetic people.
 It’s in a Golden Age at the moment.
The scene in New York may be larger, but it’s more corporate.”
And corporate is something that Doug’s work isn’t.

His next project is an exhibition at the Hayward Gallery and a movie, with the script written and ready to go.
“I want to bring the art world into mainstream cinema,” explains Doug.
“ The story is how a guy – played by me – goes to dating seminars and learns how to go out with women.
“I’d love the female lead to be Chloe Sevigny and Jackie Chan to play the dating guru.

And with that kooky combination, even those who've never bothered with art-house flicks are bound to take a peep.

Loma-Ann Bonner

Free and open to everyone, the touring Pod will be unveiled to the public on September 6th in Trafalgar Square.
For more information visit www.ica.org.uk/becksfusions

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