ian stevenson volume 2, 2006, #013

ian stevenson (aka 'i like drawing') was born and now lives and draws with pens and his hand. influenced by the everyday strangeness of people and the world, his odd, odd world of drawings is there for you (yes, you!) to enjoy.

1. how would you explain 'art' - in 19 words or less? hmm, my mind in a world of drawings.

2. what is the first work of art you ever loved? the art of walking and talking has to be the best.

3. how important is theory to your art? theory is very important but the work should do the talking and if it doesn't then there's a problem with how the idea is presented.

4. describe your ideal art workspace. i'd like to work in a studio and share it with my friends - lovely nice people who make me laugh and distract me from working with enjoyable fun with no stupid machines that bleep.

5. describe your current art workspace. i think and draw with the tv in the background playing daytime entertainment or maybe some music and then i move to the scanner. i have set up a studio in my bedroom with three desks and a beautiful 1970s telephone with a built-in calculator that someone permanently borrowed from their workplace, thank you darlene (this name has been changed to protect michael). sometimes i spin round on my chair which i find amusing. i really enjoy going out onto the streets and drawing on rubbish or drawing on walls and other strange places.

6. if you could be placed in suspended animation and safely reanimated at some time in the future with the sole purpose being to see how history treated you / your art, would you do it?
i would do it, but saying it was for the sole purpose of seeing how history treated my work would have to be a lie just to be part of the experiment and make sure i'd get into the capsule. in the future i'd like to fly around in the latest winged car plane and play hover ball at the weekend with my talking artificial intelligence robotic friend and generally do future things. they probably don't draw in the future - well, not when you've got hover ball. i'd try to join a professional team and play in the intergalactic hover ball championship (IHBC), if i was good enough.

7. who are some of your favourite artists (contemporary or canonical)? chris morris, michel gondry, david shrigley, the jim henson company, the creators of south park and the simpsons - brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. also resonancefm.com is the best radio station in the world with the greatest shows and musicians.

8. tell us about a gallery (online or physical space) that you think rocks, and why you think it rocks. i love charity shops and visit them many more times than galleries - they 'rocks'. also, the turkish shop down the road is a packaging feast for the eyes.

9. would you choose the baked bean jaffle or the caramelised pumpkin and red onion tart with crispy radicchio and hazelnut salad with apple vinaigrette? i will choose that fancy second one please because i imagine it being a special evening and i need some special food. hmm, my food is nice. can we see the desert menu now please and should we get another bottle of wine?

10. finish this sentence: "the work of art can / cannot be considered separately to the artist because ________." tricky, tricky … the answer is that the work of art cannot be considered separately to the artist because the artist created the work and is therefore part of it.

check out more of ian's work at: www.ilikedrawing.co.uk

rubbish drawings pen on rubbish, 2005

ladies toilets - mother pen on wall, 2004

christmas idents - MTV video, 2004

the shut up man postcard book, 2005

mural - feref pen on wall, 2005