Interview: Nicholas Frith.

What is your greatest achievement?

Ask me in 20 years.

How would you describe your work/style to someone who hadn't seen it?

Hmm.... this is like trying to describe music.... But I guess, I'd say it's mind-century children's book inspired, with a sense of playfulness, using a limited palette and often featuring animals, food and the odd bit of typography.

What piece of advice would you give your 15 year old self?

It's okay to like Nirvana and Bobby Brown.

When are you happiest?

When I'm not thinking about happiness.

What is the worst job you have ever had?

Supermarket checkout monkey. That beep-beep of the till buttons and barcodes scanner invades your brain, as if each beep is a brain cell or part of your soul disappearing. 

Who would play you in the movie of your life?

Vincent Gallo. Or if it was a musical, Jermaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords)

What is your Karaoke song? 

I've never done karaoke, but I think it'd probably be a Tom Waits tune. Oh, no, I know, 'I don't wanna talk about it' by Crazy Horse. It would have to be right at the end of the night. Unsurprisingly I'd be a little worse for wear and people would yell and throw things at me, but i'd be so in to it. I'd be in a place between heartbreak, passing out and sweet joy. It'd be terrible.

What do you dislike most about popular culture?

Oh god, where to start? People's evermore greedy expectant attitudes, Tesco club cards, celebrity this-and-that, the blame culture, throw away mentality, big companies trying to convince us to settle for less, rip-off 'special offers'.......

What is the greatest invention of all time?

The T-shirt.

If you didn't do what you do, what would you do?

I'd open a cafe with my other-half. I actually spent years thinking of doing just that. Taking research notes everywhere I went , from Australia to Sweden, London to Wellington. I'd also love to be a brewer of delicious craft beer, or a novelist-come-freediver living on a bougainvillea covered Mediterranean island. 

All images courtesy of www.nicholasjohnfrith.com