Jason Atomic

What is your name? How old are you?

Jason Atomic, 42

If you could speak any language which would you choose?

My Japanese is a bit rusty, I'd like to be fluent in that.

Can you quickly list five words that rhyme with pencil?

stencil... prehensile... (no that's 'ile' not 'il')

OK let's try it like this...

I grab a pencil, sketch a design for a stencil, pop a pill and lean out of my window sill, feeling ill, gonna spill... etc...

Do you consider yourself to be an honest person?

I'm afraid so, lying seems like it could be fun in the short term but what's the point.

A driving obsession in my work is the quest for 'authenticity' I need to work from life, if I was just going to make things up I'd still be drawing comix.

But I don't I'm drawing portraits or real people that have to be seen face to face, I keep a diary every day, it's all about reality as I perceive it no room for dishonesty.

Would you prefer to be loved or hated because of the art you produce?

The beauty of art is that it looks different to everyone who sees it, there is no right or wrong way to read it, if mine could generate either love or hate I'd be thrilled to have inspired some kind of passion. Don't really care which though unless this love/hate business is going to be physically manifested...

Tell me something you like?

I like looking for bones.

Where do you work?

I have a lovely attic studio with a north facing skylight.

Ask yourself a question and answer it.

What are you doing today?

I've just cooked miso soup & later I was thinking to go check out a graffiti artist who works in miniature on spots of discarded gum stuck to the pavement around Muswell Hill.