interview with an illustrator
Joseph McDermott
the Pop Art style
illustrator wishes
designer s Charles &
Ray Eames were his
parents . . .
u SB What drew you to illustration? Joseph: Working in the arts
is something I’ve wanted to do since I was young. Whether it be
as an artist or in a museum setting, which I did for eight years
before pursuing illustration. u SB Do you have any formal design
training? Joseph: My degree is in Art History, though I took
painting, drawing, screen-printing, and photography courses. u
SB Where are you from? Joseph: Freehold, New Jersey, which
is also the hometown of some guy named Bruce Springsteen. u
SB Where do you live now ? Joseph: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
I spent a semester here while in college and fell in love with
the city. u SB Describe your studio to me? Joseph: It’s a tiny
one bedroom apartment I share with my girlfriend. Most of
my work is done at a desk in the corner of our bedroom, or at
a table in the living room. u SB Describe the view from your
studio window? Joseph: It’s a parking lot, but there is a Jamaican
restaurant across the way that pipes in an amazing barbecue
smell through the windows in the afternoon. u SB What is your
biggest inspiration? Joseph: The absurd. u SB How do you
144