GOLDEN COSMOS is the working name for Doris Freigofas and Daniel Dolz. The freelance artist and illustrator duo lives in Berlin, Germany. They illustrate for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post and other media worldwide. Their illustrated children’s books have been published in German, English, Chinese, Korean, Turkish and Spanish. Their work has been exhibited and awarded internationally.
WHAT DID YOU GET IN TROUBLE FOR AS A KID? ANYTHING ADULTS TOLD YOU TO AVOID THAT’S ACTUALLY A BIG PART OF YOUR LIFE NOW?
Doris: I often had to hear that I shouldn't always contradict myself, otherwise I wouldn't be able to subordinate myself later and would always have problems with superiors. I didn't listen, and today I'm my own boss!
ANY PERSON WHO REALLY HELPED YOU IN YOUR AWESOME ARTISTIC JOURNEY?
Daniel: That was clearly our professor at Art School, Nanne Meyer. She brought out the best in us and taught us not to make artificial, inauthentic, clichéd images. We learned from her: kill your darling. We've internalized that to this day. You have to look for the one really clever idea and keep discarding things along the way. Even if you've put a lot of time and love into it. It's all about your own, individual view of the world, and all the more so in times of artificially generated images.
WHERE DO YOUR BEST IDEAS COME FROM? (DREAMS, SHOWER, MUSEUM, TRAIN?)
Daniel: We collect fragments of ideas just everywhere, mostly by interacting with all kinds of people. And all these tiny puzzle pieces come together in moments when you calm down, relax and when you can let your mind flow, let your thoughts wander … in the shower or looking out a window in a train or running in nature, riding your bike. And sometimes good ideas just hit you like lightning out of a blue sky.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DRAW AS A CHILD? WHY DID THAT LODGE IN YOUR HEAD?
Doris: I still remember that I loved to make complex realistic drawings with MS PAINT in the ‘90s, which felt so futuristic! Also, live drawing portraits of people always fascinated me, even as a child. You can capture something unique of the personality of the person in a portrait only when the person is sitting in front of you. The drawing might look a bit odd sometimes but still is more authentic. It’s also a very intimate situation to draw someone -- you make a connection with the person, and feelings and moods are conveyed on paper.
