Jason D’Aquino’s miniature drawings are born of found objects. The ephemera has been gleaned from dustbins, flea markets, and empty homes; their uselessness giving rise to beauty as the discovery of a particular surface will often dictate the image. The paper is not treated or artificially oxidized, but is in fact antique - and in some instances, hundreds of years old. The drawings are accomplished on a miniature scale in order to achieve a heightened concentration of detail. The viewer must then be in extreme proximity to fully experience the work and this forced intimacy can be quite unsettling. Images that first appear sweet and charming may turn out to be unwholesome and perverse; a velvet glove concealing an iron fist.
Club DD: Your style seems to blend quite a few elements; nostalgia, goth, western, even a bit of the World War II era playboy pin-up girl type of art- how do you describe your style? What inspires you?
Jason: I am inspired by the absurd, turned on by the complexities and contradictions inherent in human nature...wickedness is a favorite...I often use little children because they are the Pure and essential Human protagonist. They are usually angelic and smiling, even as they commit horrendous acts...I am also a fan of history, hence the nostalgic images and scraps from the past.
Club DD: Most of the canvas you choose to create your art on is barely larger than an 1'x1', for the level of detail you put into your work is it a challenge to put such detail into such a small area or does it just come naturally to you?
Jason: It's only challenging to look away, and say...answer the phone or do some common chore and try to return to the work...that's what gives me migraines...If I can stay at it, I can work for hours ...lost in a space no bigger than a postage stamp...the glasses I wear for this kind of work are extremely high magnification , and they dont take kindly to being taken on and off repeatedly...
Club DD: The life of an artist is:
Jason: If sanity can be judged by the majority, then the life of an artist is a slow descent into madness, but I dont mind so much.
Club DD: If you weren't an artist you'd be:
Jason: a serial murderer, or a firetruck.
Club DD: Do you have a favorite fashion designer?
Jason: I cant believe I dont have an answer for that...I obsessively collect and wear items from the 40's and 50's..so I'd rather have a no name item from 1940 than a top name item from today.
Club DD: What's your nightlife like?
Jason: I am an artist, I have no night life..I do practice lucid dreaming though-greatest freedom there is-I really do not like to go out and socialize too much in the real world....
Jason, thanks for taking time out of your life to do the interview. We wish you tremendous success in your career and keep blazing those matchbooks!
 To view more of Jason D'Aquino's work visit our photo gallery . To learn more about the artist visit his website, www.jasondaquino.com .
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