I think it is very fair to say that Nic Caesar is a friend of mine, even though I have only briefly met him once at a show I invited him to be a part of- because his amazing and darkly whimsical art simply needed to be there.

I'm not certain exactly how we ended up finding each other, whether he found me or I found him, but I do know that it was through a previous gig I had working with a band called The Dresden Dolls...

Nic rocks,is incredibly kind and lighthearted, and truly is probably one if the easiest people I have ever had the opportunity to work with - and just to solidify that point, when I began this magazine, I told him that I am not much of an interviewer at all, and if he could help, I would really appreciate it. Less than a day later, I recieve an email where he has written out how own questions and answered them - and except for the 'tell me a secret' question, these are all his. He did a much better job of interviewing himself than I could have at that point. (Hopefully I've gotten better by the time you actually read this.)

So here is Nicolas Caesar as interviewed by Nic Caesar - and really, at this time it is the best interview I have ever not done, and the very first one for Big Top ...I like Nic. ~ kSea

Why don't you charge thousands of dollars for your pieces?
I feel that the art world neglects a large sum of people. To most people $100 is a lot of money, including me. People don't even conceptualize owning original work - so they steal it. And I don't blame them. Websites are full of icons and images made from original art they can never hope to possess. Art should be for everyone. So as long as I can buy things like rent, toilet paper and food - It's win/win.

What separates you from other artists?
I'm an anti-perfectionist. I like antiques, the cracks, wear, rips and bleach of decaying adverts along lost America. Most art I see is too glossy. I like my art to look live it survived some Mad Max scenario, rotting artifacts of pop culture.
I also hate 16 page artist statements and other traditional rules to art. "I never know what I'm going until I'm done." I don't want to insult anyone by repeating that over and over in clever written diatribes and tying it somehow to riots in France. What you see is what you get. I make the art I want to see. Period.

"Caeser's modern-Gothic aesthetic contains aspects of both Survival Research Labs and the Muppets.

He combines urban detritus like wires, saw blades, doll parts, and religious artifacts with bones, blood, and animal parts into tragic and amusing mutant assemblages with names such as Spiderbaby and Angel of Doubt"

- SF Weekly

You've found great success outside of the traditional gallery route. Why is that?

I think the old way doesn't work anymore. With the internet - your web site is your gallery. I don't paint landscapes or bowls of fruit. If I relied on the traditional gallery route I'd be finished. Art should be about new ideas and diversity, unfortunately you don't often see that in galleries. You see what's safe, what they know they can sell that they've always sold and celebrity. Showing in adult boutiques, fringe clubs, gyms, punk coffee shops, art walks, etc my work sees far more people and at the same time the shop owners don't have the pressure to make rent. They have the safety net of another business. Because of that they don't censor you, you're able to express yourself fully without being micromanaged and because of that - you become successful because you're offering something different. You make art exciting again.

What Do you hate to paint?

Nostrils

You've sold work from rock stars to crazy cat ladies, what do you think is your appeal?

It's humorous and evil. That always makes a great cocktail.

You've shown your work in bondage clubs, adult boutiques, gyms, Halloween parks and Magic Dinner theaters, is there anywhere you wont show and why?

I'd show in a Taco Bell if they'd have me. I've turned into the girl who can't say no.

And here's one more - Tell me a secret. Any secret.
I had a pet garter snake as a kid who died. I kept burying it and digging it up just in case it wasn't.

This went on for a couple of days.

Nicolas Caesar - as interviewed by Nicolas Caesar

Nicolas Caesar is a self-taught artist hailing from Northern CA.

Founder of the Scary Art Collective, his artwork brings forth a whimsical creepy landscape populated by beings both sinister and sardonic. You will see glimpses of Sideshow madness within his paintings mixed with a healthy dose of 50’s B-Movie charm. The raw feel of his work twists the familiar yet remains strikingly original. Nicolas’ horrific characters, with their permanent, toothy grins, reveal a playful quality to his art that challenges you to keep from smiling along no matter what atrocity they are currently plotting for your future.

- Bill Shafer, Hyaena Gallery, Burbank, CA

You can find Nic Caesar at Scary-Art.com