A Conversation With Frank Dorrey!
Recently I had the chance to sit down and chat with the explosive and wildly interesting, Frank Dorrey. During our conversation the New York City artist revealed a bit about his inspirations, creative process, and more! Here’s a peak into a conversation with Frank Dorrey…
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Frank Dorrey, I make art and anything I can do.
How would you describe your art style?
I would say explosive, visceral, interesting.
How did you discover you can do what you do?
My early years… Just drawing on anything I could find around the house, coloring, anything expressive.
It went from there, trying to piece together whatever made sense to me.
Tell me more about your creative journey and how you got into art.
I wanna say it starts with influences.
I was big on movies, TV, just media. I watched a lot of reality tv with my sisters. The oldest that I was living with, she would always put on music videos, reality tv, MTV, Rocket Love, Flavor of Love, New York— all that stuff. I think that influenced my personality and it sorta just trickled into the work and things like that. But Disney, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, all that stuff, shit was just in a rotation.
What are some of the first forms of art you made growing up?
Drawing.
Drawing was like the first thing I really tapped into, I was doing comics and stories and stuff like that based off stuff I was watching or seeing.
The fine art route was abstract to me at a young age so I just was kinda doing what I was seeing.
What are some other places you drew inspiration from?
The people in my life, my life…
Inspiration is just so broad in the way that it could grab you. Jersey itself was a big impact in the way I express stuff.
What is your creative process like?
It varies for sure, depending on what i'm doing, depending on what i'm doing it for, and what i'm feeling.
When I said explosion earlier, it feels alot like that in the beginning. Something just hits me conceptually or visually- or both. It's like “damn, let's start working” y’know? Other times it's like I have to dig for that, but usually the start is something will just hit me, and from there on it's just going and going, ups [and] downs.
Out of your collaborations which ones have stood out the most to you and why?
I don't know if there's a ‘most’ for anything in regards to projects that i've done. But in the past year I did some artwork for Noname and that was really good.
It felt like full circle for me because I'm a big fan of her work.
Being able to meet minds, somebody I really respect creatively and as a person, i've just been grateful for it.
The cover for Noname’s Sundial album, illustrated by Frank Dorrey.
Where are some places you want to take your art in the future?
As much as I end up doing.
You never know what's gonna happen, life just be hittin’.
Are there any pieces you've made that hold significant value to you?
‘Brown Eyed Dragon’ by Frank Dorrey.
The title “Brown Eyed Dragon” its based off a Yu-Gi-Oh card. —I was crazy about Yu-Gi-Oh growing up.
I just think about it sometimes, it just feels like a hug y’know?
I like this one a lot because it reminds me of my sister, she just has this kind of smile where it's just in your face.
Growing up, my whole household, we were so afraid of a lot, and I feel like she always had things about her that she just vocally expressed. I always appreciated and loved her for everything that she is, inside and out.
That kind of energy I try to reflect that onto myself, and this image reminds me of that kind of spirit: Taking everything that it is. Not trying to force any kind of image that's not there.
How do you make your art?
I make it on this thing called picsart, its just adding and taking out and drawing on top. The app is super generic, you edit photos you're gonna post on IG.
I was doing that and I was like wait, “I draw, and I paint. I do stuff like that so why can't I do that on here”
What's something that's overlooked about your artwork or that you want people to know about your artwork?
People always have ideas of what's going on. Regardless of who you are, you have some preconceived assumptions.
One thing I would like to remind people that support my work is that I don’t always know what I'm doing, this shit just be happening. I'm just really grateful to be here, that shit just means everything.
we’re all figuring it out together.
If your art could speak to us what would it say?
“Whats up, how you doing”
“how was your day” type shit.
It would just check up on you.
What can we expect from you in the future?
A movie.
Enjoyed this article? Check out Dorrey’s Instagram and ours for current updates on art and local scene information!
A Conversation With Frank Dorrey!
(@frankdorrey)
Written/Photos by Benjamin Joseph
