Interview with SE7EN14, adult fantasy artist

By Scarlet Apron

When I wrote personal ads for a living, I sat in a cubicle someone had covered with the art of H.R Giger. As I tried to help a hysterical Scottish transvestite find that "Special Someone," I'd glance around and mutter, "What kind of twisted mind...." Here's another local version: Meet SE7EN14. Rhode Island School of Design graduate gone gaming illustrator, SE7EN14 (real name withheld) is another alter ego for a talented fantasy illustrator who now accents his terrific monsterific vision with an erotic touch. SE7EN14's canvas simply swarms with bizarre, sensual creatures that seem to celebrate their otherness. His category-defying work is intense, layered and rich with textures: fog, veins, branches, breasts mix with netherworld denizens, moving in and out of shadows, revealed, concealed, to be revealed again. Here, nature, eroticism and the dark side all come out to play. We talked with handsome, blue-eyed, dirty blonde, SE7EN14 to find out what makes it ALIVE! for him.

You think growing up on an island influenced your imagination?

I think the isolation of the island influenced me.  There was very little to do as a kid, it was a very safe environment. Not a lot of stimulation, so drawing was one of the things to do to pass time. My father was an artist. My mother's an artist. My family is very creative. There was no choice, that's just what you do. I can remember making drawings of dinosaurs, one of them a big T-Rex and bubble coming out of his mouth saying, "Arhhhhh!!!" My father set an example as an illustrator. I got accustomed to that way of life. I saw books being created. In my early teens, I got interested in role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. Those illustrations really captured my imagination; especially the early ones were very surreal, funky and funny. I would just stare at them. It was really what I wanted to do.

How do you create a character unique to you?

I think people really liked how I did monsters, the texture and atmosphere. I like to think of my strength as atmosphere, light and shadow: that it has a changeable air to it. I became known as the guy who does creepy things, drooling monsters with bulging eyes, which is kinda funny because I consider myself a pretty mellow person. I don't even think of them as scary, I think of them as slightly comedic or wondrous.

Where did the erotic fantasy art come from?

I started to think of a thousand things I could do. And I just started doodling and started seeing nipples. I try not to think about it too much, just let it come out, channel. The first pieces, I just wanted to throw something on the wall and see how it turned out.

How do I feel about this painting with a bunch of breasts?

I was going into uncharted territory. I think it was Leonardo Da Vinci who said, "Art is never finished, it's merely abandoned." Don't turn your back on these illustrations because they're likely to show up in your nightmares.

What's up with the multiple penis pictures?

I was getting lots of tentacle porn comments on my work and I started thinking about that. Tentacle porn was done for Japanese anime because they couldn't put in penises so they decided to put these alien phalluses -type things. But I realized I don't have to edit myself. I don't have to do tentacles. I don't have to hide it, so let's see how I feel about this. I'm a straight male. Let's see what happens: will I explode?

Did you use a stunt penis?

That one's me (points to a big one in the lower right hand corner).

What's a hallmark of your art?

I really like nature and I wanted to incorporate that. I have painted a girl, entwined by roots and she's smiling. So much erotic art, I find, the girl is just screaming and bleeding and her eyes are watering and it's really hateful, misogynistic stuff and that wasn't something that appealed to me. I wanted it to be harmonious, enjoying herself, nude outside which is very liberating, powerful and embracing.

How did you get into a show with your hero, Giger?

I heard from a guy who runs a museum in Switzerland, he said that they were doing a show on the theme of (horror writer) H. R. Lovecraft: do I want to be part of it? Of course!!! I've been following his work since I was a teenage. I worked on four pieces for the show. It was a great experience. My work hung right next to H.R Giger's. It was quite an honor.

Why the name SE7EN14?

I noticed how much the number 714 came up in my life, so I adopted it as my personal magic number.

Music you're listening to?

Right now, Frank Zappa. And Steve Vai. He really revolutionized the way guitars are played. He can bring me to tears. I love guitars, but I'm still an advanced beginner.

Book on your nightstand?

"Michael's People" by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, it explains this whole system of souls.

Food you can be seduced with?

Burritos. Good baked ziti.

Check out SE7EN14's art at SE7EN14.com. Contact Scarlet Apron with fetish news and events at myspace.com/scarletapron