11/1*, Vol 15: Nikodem Pregowski
#2: What is always worth the price?
Good design of course!
#3: You have unlimited space and unlimited resources. What will you make?
The biggest Lego structure ever seen – whole city with streets, cars, bridges, real buildings, airport etc. I love Lego and always dreamt to have unlimited number of various parts to build something really big.
#4: It’s not working: try something new or persist?
I’m a stubborn person and always try to find a solution. It really gets me angry when something does not work properly. The same is while working on my projects. I try to improve them many times, cause usually first attempts and sketches make my cry.
#5: In general; start from chaos and reduce or start from silence and add?
I have a third path – start from chaos and add.
#7: Pasta or sushi?
Definitely pasta – sushi is too sophisticated for me. Simpler food just taste better.
#9: What two things must be together to satisfy you?
Great food and excellent beer.
#13: What famous artwork do you like least of all?
Salvador Dali’s “the Persistence of Memory” (and in general Dali’s works). I have never understood, what do people see in Dali’s paintings? He’s one of the most overestimated guys in history of art. His work seems to be pretentious and to be honest – it’s kitsch. I think there were more interesting surrealist painters than Dali, but, unfortunately, he’s the best known.
#14: What work of yours is the favourite?
It’s really hard to speak on your own works because it’s impossible to stay objective and honest.
Nevertheless if I had to choose it propably would be the “Animal Guerilla” series in which I defined my position as a graphic designer who was hired by a paramilitary organization Animal Guerilla. I designed the series of projects which encourage various species of animals to take revenge on the injustice caused by the human race. The action taken by animals was supposed to be a brutal guerilla which aimed at killing people and performing nasty tricks. I took the approach with an intention to confuse a viewer (obviously homo sapiens) and appeal to the sensitivity while telling the story of animals lives à rebours.
It is a series of great importance to me as it became a pretext to seek and explore new solutions for the theme of ecology which is too serious and often boring.
#15: What is the one thing you fear about your work?
To be taken too seriously.
#20: You can spend an hour any place and at any time. Where and when?
Anytime at the space station orbiting around the Earth, to see how does it look like from the outer space and to feel a zero gravity.
#23: What object or tool is perfect?
Your own eye and hand.
*I’m sending 23 questions to artists, designers and musicians and asking them to answer 11. I think these questions give revealing answers, especially regarding creative work. Here are their responses. As these are interviews I’m publishing their answers as they are, fully appreciating that English may not be their first or preferred written language. Thanks to all the participants.
