130 SPRING 2019
seeing graffiti along the train tracks. I was
blown away because I had never seen anything
like it in real life. I think it was happening in
Oakland and I felt inspired to figure out what
it was about. I knew a little already, but had no
idea about how widespread; how many people
were actually out there doing the stuff. It was
the art aspect I was most attracted to... why
this art was put here, out of nowhere. The style,
colors and the mystery were very alluring,
and from there, it became an obsession. In
hindsight, I don’t really know exactly why
I liked it so much. I already liked art, but this
was my generation’s version, or at least that’s
how I felt, and I wanted to be all about it.When I saw your show in 2018 at Public Land
in Sacramento, I thought, "Okay, this is someone
talking about the natural environment and
climate change in an interesting way." You
weren't, like, hammering us all over the head
with concept, but it felt like an authentic ode to
our world. What do you think when someone
says that you are an environmental artist?
Is this something new?
I don’t consider myself to be an environmental
artist. I do connect with nature and I like to make
work about something so inspirational. Especially
later in life, living in L.A., my appreciation for the
outdoors has grown since I have less time to get
out and be in it.That said, if my work inspires others to care for
and appreciate the environment, I’m all for that.
It's essential to our existence and vital to our
survival, and necessary to preserve. If I could
make someone take a second look and recognize
the value, then I think that's awesome.How much does just the setting of California
play into your work?
Specifically, Los Angeles, where I currently live,
inspires my color palettes. I’ve wandered around
much of California over the years, so it comes out
in the work for sure. In the end, though, the scenes
are mostly imagined.When Juxtapoz approached you a few months
back, prior to your show at First Amendment, we
talked about some surrealistic qualities to the
work. What’s interesting to me is that you have
these natural-world-meets-surreal-video-game
scenes. It feels like you are balancing a bunch of
interests and inspirations. What sort of things
inspire you?
It’s interesting you bring up video games. I see
what you mean. If they’re an influence, it’s totally
subconscious. I sat in front of a console for hours
on end as a kid. I had a Sega Master System.
I remember a game called Hang On, and I would
also borrow my friends Super Nintendo, so
maybe some Zelda and Super Mario Kart were in
there, too.I have to go back to music, though. Musicians,
their aesthetics, their visual languages, and
fashion are all things that supply endless
inspiration. And for me, it’s namely pop, jazz, soul,
R&B, hip hop, and reggae acts.I’m also just inspired by the artwork of others, my
peers and past masters. When I’m in the presence
of art that feels visceral, it’s a quality I want to
recreate. It doesn’t have to be something obvious.
It may be a surface, a texture, a color combination.
To get a sense of something really alluring about a
piece and anything that makes me feel something
deeper invites me to return and investigate what
it’s really about. For me, that timeless quality is
the magic of art.Did you have art heroes growing up?
Early on, it was M.C.Escher, then later, Dalí. After,
it was graffiti artists like Barry McGee and Mike
Giant, but there are really too many to mention.Where you went to school, Art Center College in
Pasadena, has this mega alumni: Ryden, Clayton
Brothers, Doug Aitken and Jeff Soto, just to
name a few. How was studying there?
When I first moved to L.A., I didn’t really know
of the school. My ex-girlfriend told me about it.
I didn’t consider art as a career until I moved here.
The few artists that I did know had either gone to
Cal Arts or Art Center. When I went to check outAbove: Down to Earth (installation view), Public Land, Sacramento, 2018