Vice: How did a lad from Coventry end up working for Gilbert and George?

Russell Haswell:

How did you end up doing that?

Why were you in London?

What art were you doing then?

So what would you do day-to-day?

Where was your flat?

How did you get that gig?

Children of Berlin

It all went tits up?

What happened exactly?

What caused it?

What happened next?

What were they like?

Like jumping in to freezing cold water and stuff?

So all this time, what was the art you were making yourself? What was the music like?

Like the cockroach painting?

Frass

What was it like when it got like that?

How many did you kill in the end?

What happened to the piece?

Russell Haswell and Toshiji Mikawa of Incapacitants performing live at IKKI, Kitakyushu, Japan in 2007. Photo by Akiko Miyake

Recently you’ve been doing this thing with lasers?

Why?

What now?

The Morning Line

Midnight Express

You’ve been living in the countryside for a few years now. Has this had any influence on your work?

Wild Tracks

Value + Bonus

How much of art is a racket? How many artists do you think are blagging it?

And the money?

Explain how you make that money.

As an artist.

Why does Saatchi do it?

You’re a big fan of the Tony Hancock film The Rebel, aren’t you?

Given your experience, where’s the best place to be an artist?

You were fucked for years here, right?

Ever been close to making a shitload of cash? Your work doesn’t seem like it would.

Would you say the art world revolves around drinking?

is out now on No Fun Productions. More at haswellstudio.com.