Design Assembly

The Internet has given us many young super stars.  One of the new breed is Jesse Auersalo who was snapped up by Big Active the second his feet touched British soil.  Here is his Q&A.

I know from personal experience that writing a Biography can be one of those jobs that should only take 10 minutes but can easily end up taking at least a day.  Instead, do you have any stories about your background and how it has influenced you now?

When I was 20 I went to work for Helsinki City Theater. I was working as an assistant for set decorator and I had chance to work with a wide range of different materials.. wood, metal, styrofoam, fabrics etc.. It really opened my eyes to a versatile possibilities of sculpturing.

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The biggest influence many of us have are those who educate us.  Was there any figures who have left their mark on how you now approach your work?

It’s definitely my parents who have been giving me courage and support. If I have choose my parents when I was born.. I made an excellent deal.

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There seems to be so many excuses not to do work thanks to the internet.  I know some like Siggi Eggertson choose to move out to a remote location to direct their thoughts and re-focus.  How do you do manage with so many distractions?

Less you are into what you are doing harder it is to focus on it.. and of course vice versa.

There has been a divide for a long time with illustrators choosing not to get representation.  How have you found being on the books of on the UK’s most respected agencies? Are you represented by other companies overseas?

By the time I moved to London last spring I was been approached by one of the heads of Creative Consultancy - Big Active. They let me knew that they were interested in working with me and after a few
discussions I was joined in the team.

I’m also represented by Pekka Finland. Pekka Finland is a finnish
illustration agency.

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There has also been mixed opinions about looking at blogs daily through fear of all our work looking the same.  Are there any sites you read regularly or do you choose to avoid it all, if so why?

Blogs are today’s trend. Before it was a library or a news stand that worked as a source of information or inspiration. The frame is changing but the idea stays the same.

I think there’s nothing to be worried about with blogs. It is as easy to avoid them as it is to turn off the television. I turned mine off long time ago.

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You must get an increasing amount of e-mails from students looking for a golden nugget of advice from you before they start out on their own career.  If you could share one important thing you have learnt, what would it be?

Keep it real… for real. I’m not joking.

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One thing we all crave is to produce our own work but this is always a fine balance.  With an increasing popularity do you still focus on producing work with total freedom or do you thrive off restrictions and criteria?

I luckily don’t always have to consider them as a separate things. If I would ever have, I wouldn’t be here telling you about it because then I would have probably spent my time more or less with something
else.. with something that apparently wouldn’t never have been that much about me and my own work. (If you didn’t get it.. see answer 6.)

I read somewhere about Damien Hirsts true art being Marketing.  With the internet making illustration a globally competitive market how much importance do you put on self promotion?

www.jesseauersalo.com

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There is never a magic rule that will work for everyone, but is there something that you believe we should all factor into our a daily routine?

I find it very important that my studio is located somewhere next to anything green. A nice park, a few gorgeous trees or even just some grass. A refreshing walk between lunch makes my day.

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The future of a lot of artists is to turn their name into a brand and start producing work away from where they started.  Can we expect to see a Jesse Auersalo chair, film or fragrance in the future?

We wouldn’t like to spoil the excitement by revealing the plan.. wouldn’t we?

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www.bigactive.com
www.pekkafinland.com
www.productofgod.net