Oliver Jeffers discusses his diverse art career and new book 'Begin Again'. He shares insights on creativity, collaboration, and exploring darkness and hope in art. The podcast touches on his evolution as an artist, the power of words and images in picture books, and reflections on collective well-being.
Reframing problems as better or worse, not right or wrong, illuminates necessary actions for humanity.
Art provides purpose, value, and individuality in an educational system emphasizing uniformity, as seen from Oliver Jeffers' childhood experience.
Transitioning from seeking external validation to finding personal satisfaction in art emphasizes self-approval in artistic expression and growth.
Deep dives
Oliver Jeffers on Reframing Problems
Oliver Jeffers discusses reframing humanity's problems as shifting from being right or wrong to better or worse, providing clarity on necessary actions.
Childhood Experience with Art
Oliver Jeffers reflects on his childhood experience discovering the power of art to provide purpose, value, and individuality in an educational system emphasizing uniformity.
Artistic Evolution and Personal Validation
Oliver Jeffers shares his journey from seeking external validation to creating art for personal satisfaction, emphasizing the importance of self-approval in artistic expression and growth.
Creating Unique Drip Paintings
The artist describes his unique drip paintings featuring portraits submerged in paint to obscure most of the image. These paintings elicit participation from audiences who observe the creation process and later recall what they saw. The artist emphasizes how certain details, despite efforts to memorize more, remain the most memorable aspects over time.
Philosophy Behind 'Here We Are' Book and Film
The podcast delves into the artist's creation process for 'Here We Are,' a book derived from narrating the world to his newborn son, emphasizing basic principles of living on Earth. The artist's motivation stems from the world's divisive climate during his son's birth year, leading him to highlight simple truths to appreciate life. Additionally, insights into adapting the book into a film unfold, exploring the film's narrative direction and emotional undertones.
Working in painting, bookmaking, illustration, collage, performance, and sculpture, Oliver Jeffers joins to talk about his career making art and telling stories. His new book, Begin Again, explores humankind’s impact on itself and our planet, asking the big question: Where do we go from here?