We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Fuzz E Grant a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Fuzz E thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I was always an artist, but for decades I tried to NOT be an artist. I’ve tired every job, every path, but I kept going back to art. I couldn’t stop even when I tried desperately to.

There is, surprisingly, a lot of stigma about being an artist. Selfish, lazy, dreamer are all things that artists’ are called.
This society values those who are commercially driven and part of the system. It is very hard to not feel like you are doing something wrong being an artist- for me anyway.

Finally I said- OK, well I’ve tried everything and I can’t not be an artist so I better just be an artist and am so happy with the decision. Allowing myself to have the crazy ideas, spend all day cutting out paper, not knowing if there is anything coming from it is a massive relief. Do I wish I didn’t have to worry about money? Of course. Does the self doubt creep in? All the time. But when I am in the studio working, nothing makes me happier.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hey there, my name is Fuzz E. Grant. I am an artist in San Francisco CA.

My art is a vehicle to connect humans to the non-human world, while providing joy and humor. I challenge the voyeuristic portrayal humans have of non-humans animals by discarding saccharine or cliched imagery of animals.

I portray them as characters, watching over humanity, in silent judgment. While they may appear to be cute, their eyes tell a different story. My tag line is “The Animals are Watching”.

Working with characters allows me to bring a connection with you and the art, at a personal level, and provides comfort and support. I’m often told from someone that they “need this work to be in their lives.”

I don’t like to repeat work and each piece has it’s own uniqueness and story, this is certainly not decorative art.

My 2D work is more like wall sculpture. I work on wood, painting with scissors and cut paper to create layers, layers, layers and then use paint, ink or whatever I find in my studio to add more dimensionality to the work.

The “Disapproving Bunnies” sculptures are very successful. These are solid plaster sculptures, each one with a “theme” or story about something that is happening in the world. For example the “Attention Economy”. I have found that people are scared to say what they don’t like so it is the job of the “Disapproving Bunnies” to help people express that. These sculptures allow people to be “disapproving” of something while not putting themselves out there.

Recently I have started making custom Disapproving Bunnies and sell and ship work my website, as well as local San Francisco galleries. And am always happy to talk animals.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Buy art!! I’m joking, but kind of not. Even a small purchase can make a high difference to an artist. But I am well aware that art is a luxury that a lot of people just can’t afford, so supporting an artist through a kind word, attending an exhibition or event, following them on social media is just as important to expand a creative’s life.

Creatives deal with a lot of self doubt so having others tell them they are on the right track is enough to carry on.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

Ugh. Are they still around?

The world is ultra saturated with digital images and I have found that when people see actual physical art, especially sculpture they have such a visceral reaction. There is no substitute for seeing, touching and spending time with physical art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fuzzegrant.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fuzz.e.grant/

Image Credits
Profile Shot- Lydia Danellier