This was a small dedication I made to a fellow father, and peer that died way before he needed to. Seems like people I knew when I was younger are fading away too often. May you rest in peace Jason. The piece will be displayed this Saturday at Gift To Gab in San José. They are hosting a group show and auction to raise funds that will be donated to his family to help with funeral arrangements. Wish the piece was for another occasion.
International Group Show at White Walls SF
Here is an upcoming group exhibit at White Walls Gallery curated by my friend Poesia of Graffuturism. More information about Graffuturism and the featured artists below. Should be interesting...
Graffuturism International Group Show
White Walls Gallery is pleased to present L'Avenir, a Graffuturism group exhibition curated by Poesia. The opening reception will beSaturday, December 14, from 7-11 pm, and the exhibition is free and open to the public for viewing through January 4, 2014.
Taking inspiration from French philosopher Jacques Derrida and his axiom The coming of the Other, L'Avenir literally translates as “the future,” and is a direct reference to the progressive and contemporary element that has influenced this intercontinental group of individuals known for creating a distinct aesthetic of their own.
The exhibition is a survey of an emerging movement and features work from Augustine Kofie (US), Borondo (Spain), Chazme (Poland), Clemens Behr (Germany), Doze Green (US), Duncan Jago (UK), Part2ism (UK), Poesia (US), Robert Proch (Poland), Sainer (Poland) and Vesod (Italy).
L'Avenir brings this group of graffiti inspired contemporary artists crashing into our visual field with an exciting celebration of the neo-contemporary Graffuturism movement.
Event Information
L’Avenir
Opening Reception – December 14, 2013, 7-11 pm
On View Through January 4, 2014
@ White Walls Gallery (http://www.whitewallssf.com/)
886 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA
Living As An Artist
This past week I received an email by another artist who showed interest in my work which I appreciate but he also mentioned that he desires to take the leap of dedicating as a full time artist. I hope this post will share some insight on what I think about this based on my experience so far. Before I begin I want to say that no field of work is easy if you put your all into it.
Here are the questions he had.
How did you get started as an artist?
Do you find it difficult to flex to a client's needs when you are contracted for work?
An answer to the first question. I got started as an artist at the age of 12. It became more than just making pictures but also an identity and lifestyle. I started out as a graffiti artist and in doing so, I risked a lot just to practice my medium. Eventually, I wanted to learn more about art in general, so I moved away from graffiti and decided to educate myself on whatever I could to make me a better artist. In doing so, I decided to pursue higher education because I feel like one can never know enough. What the academy gave me was the ability to critique my work and be open minded enough to have others do this for me as well.
I didn't receive serious compensation for my art until I was in my mid 20's and this still fluctuates. Getting started as an artist is a commitment you make to yourself and the larger conversation of art history. There isn't any simple formulas or measure of success. Even if you land big commissions or have collectors, if you are really trying to make a difference, you will seldom achieve satisfaction because art cannot really be measured on conventional principals of good or bad, you will always be curious. Maybe it depends on what one considers aesthetically or technically well done, but to me creating a beautiful image isn't the end goal. If you are in it to make pretty pictures and you eventually master your craft enough to do so, then you're really just good at decoration which is totally fine. So many artist will create a successful formula of working, and stop there but this leads to becoming a one trick pony and can suck the feeling out of your work. If you are content in this type of work all I am saying is to be aware of what it is. To me personally that's not enough, the work has to be original, and intriguing. This is where it becomes difficult and where you need to be able to analyze your work to see how it contributes to a larger conversation. Making work like this may or may not happen! The most important thing in whichever artistic path you choose is to constantly sharpen your skills, and I don't mean just being really good at rendering images.
Another thing to consider is that I still have a regular source of income from doing part time work as a Graphic Designer. In planning my art career, I had to make some key decisions. I didn't come from money so I have always had a second and sometimes third job. So I decided if I was going to have a second job that it should also be in the art field or something I loved and that would help to sharpen my creative skills.
I love illustration, typography and graphic design which are practical means of attaining income so I made sure to learn these and pursue them as a career. Because of this I have been able to remain in a creative environment while supporting my family. It took me a long time, hard work, and sacrifice to get the opportunity to do this, and the best part about it is I don't need to compromise my fine art practice by making it fit into a particular genre or gallery. Since I don't depend on my fine art for income, I make work regardless of gallery shows or commissions, and this is where I need to be in order to yield the most interesting work that I am capable of. So you may need to remain working and living your "normal" life, but think of yourself as a piece of art and be creative in customizing your life in the same way you would approach a painting. You may need to cut out extra social events like watching sports, or going to parties, but there's only so much time in the day and the key is to just do the work and sacrificing certain pleasures will be worth it if you feel strongly enough about your passion.
The Second question: "Do you find it difficult to flex to a client's needs when you are contracted for work?"
As I mentioned before I am a working Illustrator and Graphic Designer which is a field that requires some level of flex to a clients need. But in terms of my fine art practice, when I take commissions I share with potential clients what it is that I am currently working on and let them know that is what I can offer them. In other words, I will only take on commissions if they are in line with what I am trying to pursue at the moment. If it is a Public Art project, this is different and I go into it knowing that I am a collaborator only. Public Art requires that you work with key stake holders to execute a work of art that reflects the collective goals of all who are involved.
So in conclusion there are many levels of working that you need to be aware of and not all of them may be the right fit for you. I like working in all these different avenues because it opens me up to unexpected possibilities and ways of working. Being a an artist is an organic process that is different for each individual. Expect constant change and be mindful of long term goals. It takes the same resourcefulness and creativity to build your career as it does to build your portfolio.
I hope this was helpful. Thanks for your interest!
-Sam
Patience
"Patience is anger medicine." This was was shared to me by Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang, a very old Tibetan Buddhist monk who sometimes stays at the place where I reside to host small teachings and ceremonies.
B.I.G. Step By Step
The following are some step by step photos of my process in creating a recent piece for my upcoming show at Cukui.
For the most part, I try to avoid painting portraits of celebrities because I feel the work may lack a sense of wonder, and mystery. I also worry if people won't see passed their mental image of who the iconic figure is. Most times I prefer anonymous faces to begin paintings with because I use them as a starting point. I usually try to keep just enough to highlight a certain expression. This sensibility is probably from my experience through graffiti where you basically tweak and reinterpret legible typography based on your feelings and movement.
Well for my current show, I am going against my usual thoughts on portraiture. For a while now i have been wanting to paint a series based on various musicians through my own artist lens because music has provided so much inspiration and therapy for me. Due to my own prejudices on this type of portraiture I have avoided it. But damn it, sometimes you just gotta let it out! I hope to go past what a photograph can capture by absorbing a feeling and releasing it through the work.
Who is The Notorious B.I.G.? Certainly I don't know. Is he a Coogi pattern with shades, and a crown? I started with these elements, which are so very graphic as visual identifiers, and decided to abstract them and find new forms and compositions. I'm not sure what you get from it as I cannot dictate your feelings but I definitely stumbled onto some unexpected results and stopped the painting at a place that I feel is new and interesting. Enjoy!
Source: http://samrodriguezart.com
Work In Progress.
It's been a pretty busy fall and end of summer. Luckily though I have been able to manage between family and work really well thanks to the new studio space. I still have yet to do a full post about the recent installation over at Oakland Museum of CA because I need to get proper photos.
The good news is I have had to jump right into new projects. The first is a show I'm working on for December of this year at Cukui. The pieces will be what I call a visual playlist. Basically it's a series of portraits dedicated to international and local musicians. Public Meridian, a San Francisco based brand that makes custom bracelets will be creating pieces that coincide with each painting. It should be interesting to see how they translate the music and my art into bracelets. I am most inspired by music when it comes to art, and various types at that. Of course it's really challenging to distill so many great musicians into a small handful to be painted so we voted on some of our favorites based on their international, and local impact, while being conscious of Cukui brand and their following. Since this series can be expanded on, we will most likely continue afterwards.
Meanwhile, I am also working on releasing more prints with 1xrun as our first release was a success. I am also going to be doing a Japanese pop series with Yamamoto Industries that will be produced as iphone cases and limited edition prints.
Lastly, when this is all said and done, my goal is to begin a new series of pieces. They will still involve bits of typography, hybrid identity, and topography but rather than painting the dissection as I have done in the past I would like to actually cut through the surface using power tools and other building materials. I think this will open up many more possibilities on how to think about the topic.
Here are some in progress pics.
Enjoy!
Wall by Aaron De La Cruz
I finally had the chance to view this nice looking wall painted by my good homie Aaron De La Cruz in San Pancho. Enjoy!
Taste The Arts Event
This weekend I had the pleasure of taking a road trip down to Visalia California (Central California). I was invited by my long time friend and fellow artist Eric Gonzalez who heads an organization named Urbanist Collective. They contributed to a citywide event in Visalia that traditionally involves agricultural food tasting.
For this event Urbanist Collective was brought on to bring some new flavor to an old school show. So they curated a live outdoor mural jam involving local artists and others from all over California, including the Bay Area and L.A. My impression after making connections with some locals, fellow Yay Areans and Los Angelinos is that this event could become an annual midpoint destination for Californian creatives to jumpstart the works of the future. Here's a pic of my contribution, and a few of the many good folks I befriended during the process.
Thank you Eric and familia, Urbanist Collective, and the City of Visalia.
Recent Experiments
I recently completed this painting based on a sketch style that I've been wanting to develop. The portrait is still based on my original intent of experimentation using the face as a platform to combine different visual cues in identity. For me this piece was a breakthrough because I have finally come full circle in my artistic process since I included my experience acquired both in graffiti and at the academy. This was done through the use of material such as spray paint, streaks, markers, and abstract lettering which I incorporated through the face and head piece. For me, the fusion shown in this portrait is less about ethnicity, or culture but more about a combination of artistic time periods, expressions and techniques. The process itself involved so many different ingredients. I think I've finally found something that shows a true sync between my hand and mind.
San Jose Museum of Art Mural
This is a wall I painted for the San José Museum of Art a little over one year ago. It's almost going to be removed for the next show, and I never got a chance to post it up until now. The wall is a passage way from the main lobby to a downstairs gallery. The Museum approached me to do the mural with total free range on creativity as long as I touched on the concept of typography which was the topic of exhibited works for the approaching gallery. This is the result, and I wish I had better pics!
