When it comes to the artwork of J. Penry, what you see is what you get -- at first, anyway.  In one drawing, the black outline of a well-endowed woman with a teased blond coiffure kneels naked on the ground next to a series of small, standing pink teddy bears.  ‘Another woman having Teddy Bear Children,’ an encircled line of text to the right of her head reads. 

What we do know about Penry is that he’s from Alabama.  He attended the Savannah College of Art and Design, and is now based in Brooklyn, New York.  He renders simple, yet incredibly skilled, drawings of a range of subjects – iconic faces, ironically displayed freestanding genitalia, his friends, animals.  Though seemingly absent of major metaphysical connotation, like the man behind the marker, they preserve a certain element of elusiveness.

In addition to the various album covers his work has adorned (most recently the latest LP from Love As Laughter), Penry’s drawings can now be seen and purchased in his book, Castles and Christians, published by Ghava press last year.  Last Thursday, I Heart (a downtown store known for covetable fashion, accessories, and various books) threw a blowout party replete with a live performance by Brooklyn-based rockers Cheeseburger. Curious for more, we caught up with Penry at the event and picked his brain, just a bit: 

What’s exciting you right now?
Megan Pfluj – an artist who’s also my girlfriend.  [He hands me a flyer for her upcoming show at A&V gallery.]

I found your MYSPACE page interesting – specifically that you explicitly warn ‘some of these things might be false.’  Can I ask you, are you…

A Proud parent?
No.

Bi?
No.

Wiccan?
No.

Is any of it true?
No, not really.  It was actually in response to my mother.  I guess one of my relatives found this thing on the Internet, which turned out to be my myspace profile, and they weren’t sure if it was true and they were upset.  So, I figured, just to make sure, I’d put up a disclaimer. 

Who is the real J Penry?
What the hell does that mean?  I’m a farmer.  Where I come from in Alabama there are no cable modems and only dirt roads. 

What do you miss most about Alabama?
This pizza place called Papa’s. 

Favorite album art of all-time – cover or insert:
Probably Chavez’s ‘Ride the Fader’ [released 2006, Matador Records].  The record comes with a funny pencil tracing inside.  It’s totally inspiring.  It cracks me up every time.  It’s fucking hilarious. 

What happened to the rainbow sweater you’d told me you’d be wearing?
I went for the cardigan instead.  I am wearing pink pants though!

So how did your collaboration with I Heart come about?  Did they pick you or did you pick them?
Jill and Tony already sell my book.  They wanted to have another big event at the store, so we figured this would be a good one. 

And what made decide to have Cheeseburger to play live?
I know them because of doing drugs with Christy, the guitar player.  And my girlfriend dated the lead singer a while ago.  They’re my favorite live band. 

Do you have a day job?
Yeah, I’m a video editor.  Mainly commercials.

What’s the first response you’d like people to have when they see your artwork?
Laugh! 

Why Castles and Christians?
It’s a John Cale lyric from the song Andalucia.  It’s one of my favorite love songs.

There are a lot of people here. 

Would you say drawing is your lifeblood?
You could say that. 

Where do you look for inspiration for your drawings?
Well, if it’s for a job, I’ll Google what they want.  If I wanted to do a dove, I’d Google ‘dove.’  These ones though – Marilyn, Joshua… they’re all friends.  I just draw my buddies.  Stuff from films. 

Do you have a favorite?
I really like the cover.  It’s my favorite one.  It’s Catherine Deneuve with blood on her face.  It’s both her in Repulsion and The Hunger.  I’m really interested in actors.  There are so few I respect.  The ones I have an affinity for… you remember them as certain people.  They could never just be one thing. 

Have you had any experience being labeled as ‘one thing?’
Yeah.  The NY Times called me a ‘graphic artist.’  I don’t know who told them that, but I’m not a graphic artist. 

What’s next for you?
I’ve pretty much achieved every goal I ever had, so, everything now is just a pleasant surprise. 

Anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
Aurel Schmidt. She’s my favorite artist right now. 

What’s your biggest source of inspiration?
My mother. 

Anyone else?
I’m inspired by the band Dead Moon.  There’s no other band like them.  Fred, from the band, was in lots of psych bands in the ‘60s.  He was new-wave before new-wave.  Punk before punk.  The band lives in Oregon in this house they built themselves.  They press all of their own records.  You don’t get that kind of dedication often. 

Do you have a favorite film?
Badlands by Terrence Malick.  I’m one of the few who have gotten to meet him.  He spoke in one of my classes in college, and I mean our class, not a huge auditorium.  We got to ask him questions. 

Do you remember what you asked him?
Yeah.  I asked him about the soundtrack to Badlands.  And he said that originally they had chosen a whole different soundtrack.  But they had trouble getting the rights, so they had to change it last minute.  It’s bananas!  I always thought it fit perfectly.  And it was put together at the last minute. 

What else?

I think that’ll do it.  I don’t want to take up any more of your time.  You should mingle.
Yeah.  I should go sell some art. 

~Alisa Gould-Simon

See It:
Penry’s Castles and Christians, for sale at I Heart and Tiny Vices
For more on Penry, check out his blog, kountrycrafts.blogspot.com