Ashton Attzs: Making your own exposure
Ashton Attzs © @ciaranframe_
INTRODUCTION
Ashton Attzs is a 22 year old queer, black, London based-artist. Their paintings and illustrations are a vehicle to empower the everyday person. From the dreamy blues, to the cotton-candy pinks popping against their charmingly distinctive, racially and gender-diverse animated characters. Their work is bold, joyful and unapologetic both in style and message.
To date, Attzs has been commissioned by the likes of Instagram, Tate, Tottenham Hotspur FC and Universal Music to name but a few.
In 2018, Attzs won the coveted Evening Standard Art Prize: for their painting of transgender swimmers, “Don’t Stay In Ya Lane”.
Ashton has so much wisdom to share, we split the interview into two parts. Read part one of our interview with Ashton Attzs here.
So tell us...at such a young age, how have you worked on so many incredible collaborations?
For me, social media, Instagram in particular has been an invaluable, amazing platform and I don’t think i’d be where I am without it. I know Instagram gets a lot of hate and criticism, and it’s not perfect by any means, but for me personally, it has been perfect. I think I am very visible and proud in what I do as a person, individually and in my artwork, so I think being consistent has allowed people to come across my work. I’ve got the best friends that have supported me over the years, and strangers too, that time and time again share my work, promote me, give me opportunities and a platform. So I think that in a sense has enabled me to be seen by such amazing companies.
The other thing as well was the Evening Standard Art Prize and being on such a public platform, it definitely allowed people to find me. It’s a snowball effect.
2020 Pride Instagram Stickers © Ashton Attzs for Instagram
A lot of your success can clearly be attributed to your hard work and passion. Do you think attending Central Saint Martins (CSM) played a role in shaping your creative journey as well?
I think everything happens for a reason and I am where I am now because of a sequence of events and decisions. Every part of that journey is valuable but I wouldn’t say that on it’s own CSM shaped that. That’s not anything against CSM or any university for that matter, I follow my own path and that’s just my personality. It’s kind of ironic but if anything I would say that going to CSM has made me realise what I don’t want to do and what I don’t want to be as an artist! Because there’s definitely a cannon in that institution of artists and a certain type of creativity I think that people look for and I definitely don’t fit into that narrative.
“I think everything happens for a reason and I am where I am now because of a sequence of events and decisions.”
We’re often told throughout education and by mentors to never work for free. What are your thoughts on this? Do you have a decision making process behind the brands you charge for commissions and the opportunities you take in return for exposure?
I have worked for free, and I think it’s one of those situations where you’ve really got to assess the motives of the person who has approached you. So for example, I've worked for free for a charity, for non-profits. Over lockdown I did the NHS campaign, where I produced some special edition prints celebrating frontline workers and that was sold and 100% of the proceeds went to the NHS. And I was absolutely more than happy to do that for free, because I knew that it was going to a good cause.
However, I’m not necessarily going to do that if it’s just someone on Instagram or some brand who think they can be cheeky and ask for free labour! Because that’s what we’re not going to do! I’m a very strong advocate for not selling yourself short and not doing things just because someone has asked you. You have your own value, and you must work out what’s going to push you forward and be beneficial for you. So I think it really depends on the situation, but I would say that it is imperative that you do get paid for your work. I make sure that whoever I'm working with, I'm paid accordingly, the budget is fair and my fee is all good.
The clients that I work with, typically approach me. So they usually have a budget, which I either work with and it’s great, or it’s not and I don’t do it. I do obviously have my own fees as well but often it’s not needed because as I said, the client has their own budget. Obviously there are times where we can negotiate and we’re both happy, but all I would say is, when it comes to exposure alone... no.
In my opinion it’s never appropriate to work really for free in exchange for exposure. Because at the end of the day, you make your own exposure.
© Ashton Attzs
Young creatives are filled with ambition and hope to make the world a better place. How do you stay true to your values when it comes to making a living and what would you advise to creatives who are struggling to find work that they are passionate about?
It’s a tough one. Being a creative is hard. There may be times where you’ll be working consistently on jobs, commissions, things here and there, you’re getting paid and it’s great. Then they’ll be six months where you don’t hear anything from anyone and it’s tough. But we are valuable and lockdown has proved that. Where do we all turn when we’ve got nothing to do? The TV, we listen to music, read books, and look at art. There’s always someone who needs us, it’s just about finding them.
It’s a privilege and I am lucky that my work is what I love to do, and I don’t work a part-time job, being an artist is my income, I’m a sole trader, freelancer, professional working artist and I understand that that’s not the same for everyone else.
I think you just have to understand that things happen to people at different times. There's this pressure that when you leave uni you’re going to walk out and find an amazing job and that’s not always the case. Sometimes it takes people a few years to get where they want to be, but i’m a very positive person and I think that there’s room at the table for all of us.
“In my opinion it’s never appropriate to work really for free in exchange for exposure. Because at the end of the day, you make your own exposure. ”
How often do you sit back and reflect on your achievements? Everything seems fairly non-stop for you!
To be honest with you, I should probably do more of it! Because I think my life in the last three years has been just unbelievably incredible and I have done some really phenomenal things which I didn’t think I'd be doing so young and so early on in my life.
Usually because I'm so busy, I'll finish a job and then it’s straight onto the next one, but this question has made me think “you know what Ash you need to do that more!”. I celebrate my successes through the quiet moments really. Cuppa tea, play my bass, listen to some beautiful music, go for a walk and just take in that feeling of calm.
How do you balance time and energy between your many projects, music, friends and family? Do you ever feel like you have to make sacrifices?
Yes I do actually, i’m not sure it’s a sacrifice but it is hard to be able to do everything There’s been times where I have definitely prioritised my art and my career over everything else, and i'm not ashamed of that because momentum is sometimes like gold dust and you need to ride the wave. The art world can be quite fickle and things don't last forever so you really need to savour the moment.
But also, my work centres my friends and my community and it’s driving for change, so I feel like that's another reason why I'm so committed to doing what I'm doing because I know that I've got a vision that I want to make a reality. And there’s no time really to give up on that!
Recommended listening:
Creative Champs by Kei Maye
Follow Ashton
Instagram: @attzs_
Music band: @brownbeltband
If you’d like to reach out to Ashton, drop them a DM on Instagram: @attzs_
