Interview with Set<'H> dEsign - 28 Feb 2005

1) How did you get the job of doing the album artwork?

I send my resume and some of my most recent artwork-photography-painting work, to Andy Farrow (Paradise lost’s manager from Northern Music). I think he liked some of my samples so he asked me to create some ideas for the Paradise Lost album. This was a very exciting challenge for me since Paradise Lost is one of my favourite bands. I believe that with their sweet melancholic melodies and quality artwork they have defined the boundaries of the whole Gothic Metal movement.

2) What’s its meaning or what are you trying to symbolise with the artwork?

Through the strict symmetry of the 2 figures, we witness a violent and depressive mirror of the human existence. Belonging to a dark minimalist area, with the forceful knifes to depict a self-destruct and psychologically cannibalistic character. Figures without expression, melancholic they try to find reprieve from inside their lost paradise living in a dream world of dark figures and nightmares. Basically this is more evident inside the digipak booklet and jewel case, and presents a different approach from the previous artworks of Paradise lost.

3) How long did it take you altogether?

Approximately 5 months since I was doing all the artwork and layout for all versions of the album.

4) What equipment do you use in the production process?

  • A Kodak dcs14n camera with Nikon lenses 105mm (prime) and 17-35Ed
  • Pentium 3.2 HT – 2 giga Ram
  • Wacom intuos 2 tablet a4
  • Adobe Photoshop cs and Corel Painter 8 software
  • Quark express
  • Pentax Medium Format camera
  • Painting textures with Acrylics and mixed technique

5) Give us a breakdown of the progression from start to finish when you create a piece of work.

There is not a specific technique. In my paintings for example, I usually start with something random and completely abstract. I take nude pictures as a subject whom I take through colouring and painting and eventually using Photoshop I blend inside the painting. I add more painting on top of that with acrylics and other materials (oils, air spray etc) and I end up with a new picture. I am trying to create a composite technique combining sculpturing layout, painting and photography. I work the subject with digital processing using Photoshop and Painter. Naturally I have been helped a lot with the experience gained when I was studding in the University of Fine Arts in Athens (painting , photography ,composition and perspective of space, digital processing).

6) Have you done artwork for any other bands previously?

My latest artworks are for the project Band of Chris Caffery , Nightrage , Heave Shall Burn ,Rotting Christ, Nightfall, and Cipher System

7) How did you get into this career and what advice would you give to promising artists?

As I mentioned before I have gained my degree in Arts from the University of Athens, reading painting, photography and cinematography. Before that I studied graphic design and DTP. So it was a natural progression, to work with painting and artworks which I consider a very interesting challenge (Try to give a visual for the music character of different bands). I have only one advice in future designers: - Hard work; acquire as much knowledge as possible in layout, composition and perspective, because without these unfortunately an artwork will show weakness in composition.

8) Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from?

I have been influenced a lot by the Egyptian and Sumerian ancient paintings and sculptures. Other influences come from historic milestones in the art movement such as German expressionism, surrealism, phobism, futurism, post war expressionism. Artist that I admire and have influence me are:
Leonardo Da Vinci, Michael Angelo, Vladimir Tatlin, Kasimir Malevich Constantin Brancusi, Francis Bacon, Pablo Picaso, H. R. Giger, J.P. Witkins, Robert Motherwell, Robert Rauschenberg.
Ideas and inspiration:
A nightmarish an claustrophobic world , a plasmatic , alternative time space where the main figures fight, scream, howl, pumping their power from the chaotic kingdom of the cosmic un-consciousness. A frightened, self-destructive figures seeking redemption… Images descending from the primal forces of metaphysical disorder… Disfigured faces and bodies, free of moral and religious codes begging for transformation into a higher being.

9) Biggest disaster and / or work you dislike the most?

Mostly some of the artworks that been constrained by schedule and they are not they way I wanted them to be. A would like also to add the most of my thesis in the university of Athens, was dome from older work when I was studying. In essence I destroyed them all and created something new.

10) Any band/artist/person you would like to work with, either art or music wise?

I would love to work with an exceptional photographer who I greatly admire :- Joel Peter Witkins. From the musical Perspective Paradise lost is the band that I always wanted to work with. I would like to work also for NIN and Dead Can Dance.

11) Tell us about your job at Metal Hammer?

I am a graphic artist of the Metal hammer and I am in charge of the photographic perspective of the magazine. Also I am appointed as the art director of the Greek record label BLACK LOTUS RECORDS.

12) How long have you worked for them?

5 Years.

13) I’ve been informed you have a band of your own, tell us about them.

Music is something that gives me tremendous strength, joy ness and balance. My band is called “TheDevilWorx”. We have just finished the recording of 4 songs. The theme is quite uncommon, and extreme, since we are trying to combine Black and nu metal characteristics with tribal blast beats and hell blast rhythms with Orchestral and Chorus arrangements (influenced by atonal and ancient Greek music). We are currently looking to get a contract with a dynamic company, while Chris (guitar player) is negotiating with the company he works with (Digi-Guys Pinewood Studios) for close a deal of inclusion of one of the songs in the game “Wardevil”. We are planning to add more info at our site www.thedevilworx.com

14) Who and what are your influences with regards to your music? Do you find they influence your artwork too?

There are tremendous similarities between my paintings and the music of dEVILWORX. We are trying to “marry” unmatched and different situations. We very much influenced by the atmospheric theme , picture , and music of films like Seven, Silence of the Lambs , Hannibal , Texas chainsaw massacre and Omen. These films project implicitly or explicitly the dark and violent and self destruct tendencies of the human race. Finally I must add 2 exceptional musicians of the modern classic music that have influenced “dEVILWORX” Igor Stravinsky and Xenakis.

15) Which career path would you prefer to follow in the future, art or music?

I prefer both.. Since one complements the other. I am having difficulty separating one from the other, and I think that one feeds the other. The bad news is that I do not have any time left to enjoy the simple things in life. Art requires total dedication and continuous practice because otherwise you end up mediocre.

Thank you very much for the interview and I really feel very proud that I was selected for the realization of the artwork for the anniversary album of a great band as Paradise Lost.

Seth Siro Anton - www.seth-design.com