1. Please tell me about your name, Scoop Brancisco. Is it your real name, or did you make it up with any specific reason?

-It can be both real and fake. I will respond to you if you call me "Scoop Brancisco"-the name works perfectly if you use it in front of me or near me. The name becomes real in a functional sense between you and me. Yet, at the same time, the name is fake because it is not the name that I was born with. I developed it at one point in my life, quite recently, actually, for a practical reason; it's easy to pronounce and remember.

2. Why are you an artist, and when did you become one?

-I was desperate and had no choice. I would have been dead....or very close to dead if I didn't have a chance to become an artist. I guess I am not clever enough, or should I say flexible enough...? I wasn't flexible enough to be happy without creating something. I have a very little self-esteem...there is no joy of being myself. In fact, I hate myself. My works have to be better than who I actually am, and when someone compliments them, I am most encouraged...that's when I feel like I can still go on with my life. I am also a great fan of the "unlimitedness" of art. Some people say that the diversity and freedom of the field is dangerous, but I'd say that that is the most fascinating part. In terms of when, I think I started being an artist from the very moment when I was self-conscious, probably when I was around three years old or so.

3. Please tell me about your works.

-I don't work that much these days. I do home-improvement works here and there, but it is not my full-time job. I also do a bit of art-teaching-sort-of-thing, but I am no way near from making a living out of it. I am thinking of doing some kind of part time job during the night time.

4. I mean, please tell me about your art works.

-I don't like to call what I create "works", because, clearly, I am not making art for money, and I am no way obligated to create them. I create what I create because I want to create. They reflect who I am and my thoughts. They are like my mini-me. Work is something that I do to make a living-earn money, buy food, keep being healthy, and to somehow extend my stay in the present world. And I wish to extend my stay because I have not yet done or left anything substantial for this world. Every human being desires to leave something behind before he or she passes away. Isn't that natural?

5. What famous artists have influenced you, and how?

-I am not sure how far I am influenced, but I have always admired those who have gone somewhere beyond their capacity or the category of their field of expression. First of all, they have tremendous quality of talent, and what's so genius about them is that they re-invent the field where they could fully express their talent. Furthermore, what make them more than just genius is that they are never fully satisfied with what they have achieved. They do not stop challenging to better themselves. I am talking about someone like Michael Jackson and Kanji Inoki, known as "Antonio" Inoki.

6. What inspires you to paint?

-The environment around me and my mental state really affect what I paint. In other words, I tend to trust something that originates from my experience, and I do not prefer to trust anything that is based on third party sources. I get tired to be manipulated all the time, and I do not want to depict anything uncertain for my creation. At least, what I see, feel, experience, and create must remain true.

7. How do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?

-I simply drink and try to relax. Creative-block can be removed only by thinking further. Painting exhaustion peaks when there is no resting. Tap water is usually my favorite drink, but I go with apple juice when I have extra cash in my pocket.

8. How do you handle the business side of being an artist?

-I don't. I really don't. I believe, ideally, art should be positioned at a place directly opposite from the business. What I appreciate most about painting is the "singleness" of it. Whenever I complete a painting, there will only be one of the kind of painting in the world. No matter how many or how well it is duplicated by photo, printer, or digital image, the original will forever be original and remain as the only original. Business, to me, is the exchange of numbers and the trust relationship built with the numbers. It makes more sense if you compare quality of a "one-and-only" paintig and "easily-replicable"money. Which one do you think has more authentic value? Do you think they should be placed in the same place because that's how the business works? Nonsense! Art has its own special quality that cannot be simply valued by using numbers. Also, I dig art because it is not practical in terms of "make a living". Am I making sense? It's been quite some time since I was born in this world, and my brain is probably not as pure as that of a new-born baby. But I'd like to keep my works as pure as possible at least by keeping distance from the business side of art world...

(Interview from LIeFE Magazine, April 2008 Issue)