Interview Transcript
Interviewer Alexander Knight sits down with linocut artist Bradley Basch.
Knight: I am joined today by Bradley Basch - a student at the University of Florida who finds the occasional enjoyment in linocutting. He is here to share with us the ways in which linocuts have touched his life.
Knight: Welcome Brad. Thanks for sharing your time with us.
Basch: It's a pleasure. Thank you for having me.
Knight: So tell us, Brad. You seem to be a fairly mathematical kind of guy. How in the world did you start in linocutting?
Basch: Well, in ninth grade in high school, I had an art class. It was an art 3D class and it was one of the projects that she gave us. Well, I wasn't so good at any of the other arts. We did clay and I had to make animals - I was terrible at that. We had to draw and do 3D images with our drawings and I couldn't even make a cube. And it came down to this and I said, "This isn't going to be so good, either." But it turned out that I was pretty good at it and I liked it. It was the only thing that kept me enjoying art.
Knight: So basically, Brad, you found your calling.
Basch: Yeah. Like I said, I wasn't good at any of the other things we did in the class and I just found the one thing I was good at. And I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.
Knight: I see. So, even though it must have seemed very foreign to you, you still enjoyed it in the end. You enjoyed the whole process altogether.
Basch: At first I thought it was just another thing I was going to be terrible at, because I was doing awful. The teacher actually said one time, "Brad, art's not your thing. You're good at other materials like math and English." But, I wanted to prove her wrong. And it was the one thing I got. I don't know. It's my hobby now.
Knight: Well that's great, Brad. Now, you still linocut today. About how often?
Basch: Well, now that I'm in college I don't get to do it that often. You know how it is. You've got classes, homework all the time, and tests. But, whenever I get a chance - when I have free time - I like to sit back and do it for a little bit.
Knight: So still, after all that time, you still linocut. Why do you think that is?
Basch: It just gets me away from all the stresses of school. Like during finals week - that's coming up - it's really tough to actually relax because you've got all this pressure on you so you can do well and get into graduate school. It lets my mind get away for a little bit.
Knight: So, Brad, basically you find a level of escape in linocutting?
Basch: Yeah. Whenever I get stressed out I just sit back and do some linocutting. It clears my head out. I just sit back and listen to some Red Hot Chili Peppers. It gives me a level of relaxation. I walk around campus, and whatever I see just inspires me. And I'll just think about it when I'm relaxing and trying to get away. I'll just do my linocutting.
Knight: Well that's great, Brad. Thank you for your in-depth and enthusiastic perspective on the whole process and the whole world of linocutting. It really gives us a whole new idea of what linocutting is all about.
Knight: Now, to close it out, what kind of advice would you give to people starting out in linocutting?
Basch: Well, I'd like to just tell them that they should stick with it. If they enjoy it, they should stick with it. It's not as easy to get a hold of, like drawing or painting - those things are readily accessible. But, if you really enjoy it, it's something that can - like I said before - relax your mind. And if you enjoy it, you should just keep it up.
Knight: It's been a pleasure, Brad. Thank you again for sharing your time with us.
Basch: Thank you. I really enjoyed talking with you today.
