Interview with Chris Valdes
Chris Valdes
Are you from Miami?
Yes. My parents lived in New York but I was born in
Newark, New Jersey for some reason. I came to Miami when I was really young and
have been living here my whole life so yes I would say I am from Miami.
What do you love most about Miami?
What I like about Miami is that it is a young city,
with art and everything else. It is very up and coming. Other cities are more
established because they have a rich history and they have been around for a
while, like New York or Chicago. Miami is up and coming. We can do something to
put this city on the map and I want to be part of that.
When did you start your career as an artist?
I have been painting since I was a little kid. My dad
was an artist, he did mechanical drafting, and my brother was a graffiti
artist. A few years ago I took it into the career direction. I started to rush
less. Now, I take time and leave things to dry and I plan things and put more
effort into it than I would before. The older I got the more I realized that I
have to stop messing around and really focus on my artwork.
What movie should everyone watch at least once and
why?
I am a horror movie guy. I like the original thing.
The old thing. A lot of the horror stuff is pure gruesome and you see stuff cut and
bleed. I like stuff like that.
Do you ever use that as an inspiration in your work?
I used to. Not now. Before, I used to paint very
gruesome and weird stuff.. I switched and now I have these weird and sad,
melancholy-type dudes. That is what they call them. I don’t think they are sad.
They have more of a blank stare, a normal stare. In most of my paintings what
stands out most are the eyes. I think, whether a person is happy, sad or
whatever emotion they are going through, they cannot hide it in their eyes.
Even though someone is smiling you can tell they have conflict in their eyes.
You can tell. Eyes tell a lot about people and their stories.
Do you start with the eyes when you paint?
Yes, most of the times I start with the eyes first.
First thing I draw. First thing I paint.
Many of your characters have two different size eyes.
Why?
I don’t like things perfect. Nothing is really
perfect. If you really think about it and you measure yourself, one eye is
always bigger than the other. I take what you learn from true art and true form
and twist it and change it up. I break the rules in my own way.
Some of your characters are recurring in your work,
aren’t they?
They are similar looking. I try to switch things up
and do different things.
Do you create a narrative around each of these
characters or is that irrelevant to your creation process?
It is irrelevant. It is more like a subconscious
thing. Most of the time I am not trying to portray certain things but they do
come out that way. When I paint I go with the flow.
Do you fashion any of your characters after yourself?
I don’t try to but I guess it does come out that way.
I think every artist kind of puts himself in every painting in a way, whether
it is visually or emotionally. They do. I won’t deny it but I do not do it on
purpose.
Who else do you think about or use as inspiration?
I take everything from everyday life to movies, music,
and friends. I just take a little bit of everything and I create stuff.
Do you title your work?
No I don’t. I am horrible with giving names and
titles. I also do not think they need it. I want the work to speak for itself.
I don’t want to call something “Tahitian Sunrise” because the background has
certain colors. Everybody comes up with these fancy names. I am not a big
writer. That is not my strength. I have talents in other areas. I like to
create worlds and characters. Coming up with names is just not my forte. If you buy one of my paintings or one of my
dudes you can call him “Juan” or Carlos or whatever you want to name him.
You paint a lot of dudes. Do you also paint female characters?
I used to draw only women. I got tired because that is
what everyone wanted me to do. Everybody was like, “draw me a pin up girl, draw
me a zombie girl, draw me a mermaid girl.” I got tired of the same requests. I
wanted to do something different. I draw dudes and it is different. A lot of
artists paint a lot of women. I have always drawn these weird little dudes and
I have my own style. I wanted to do something people recognize as mine. My
stuff is morbid and weird and has a different feel to it. I am actually doing
an Audrey Hepburn piece right now though. I have not painted like that in a while
but I can do it. I like testing myself. It is refreshing to do it once in a
while.
Since we have been talking about weird dudes…what are the “Chris Valdes
Top 5 Weird Dudes?”
1. The bad guy from ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit” Christopher Lloyd aka Judge Doom
2. Christoph Waltz, who was in “Django Unchained”
3. Daniel Day-Lewis who played “The Butcher” in “Gangs of New York.” He
really plays awesome characters. He is such a great actor
4. The dog “Jake” from “Adventure
Time”
5. I am a weird, bizarre character myself
If you could have an exhibition anywhere, where would you want to have
it?
I think Japan. Tokyo. That would probably be awesome.
I think I would do well there and people would like my art. It is a Mecca for
art and weird stuff so that would be cool and different from what everybody
else does.
What is your biggest dream?
If I can do art and live comfortable then I don’t care
if I get rich or famous. If I can do something that I love and still live in a
house and have a family and do art and get by then I would take that any time.
What is the most important lesson your parents ever taught you?
Work hard and be humble. I get that from my dad. I go
with the flow of things, I am humble and I do not let things get to me and I
work very hard.
Are you a perfectionist when it comes to your work?
Yes. I have a vision but it is never going to be as
exact as possible. Even when you think it is exact and a couple of days or
weeks pass and then you are staring at it you start thinking, “Oh I could have
done this or added that.” That is how you learn from it and you keep going and
going. As time goes by you start mastering your craft more and more.
What do people not know about you?
I give you something most people do not know. It is
something a little more personal. I have really bad anxiety. Really bad. Doing
art calms me down. In times of need, when I need to relax, it makes me function
in society. I am just a very anxious person. Only close friends and family know
about that. It is part of me. I am a weird, neurotic, anxious person. A lot of
the emotions and things that I have gone through shows in my art.
You have quite a few tattoos. Did you design any of
them yourself?
No. I love art so much and I love getting pieces by my
friends who are tattoo artists. I love getting my artist friends pieces and
work. I am such a fan of different styles. I love how people create different
things. That inspires me and keeps me going and pushes me to do better and be a
better artist. I do appreciate art. I am not one of those people who do art and
are snobby and do not like other people’s art. I enjoy people’s art and I see
what they can do and I love seeing people create. Even though they may not have
an artistic background or are not very skilled just doing what you feel and
putting yourself out there, showing your emotion, I appreciate that.
So you basically collect art on your body
Yes I collect art on myself
Do you collect art otherwise?
Yes. I have a couple of pieces from my friends at my
house. I love art. I buy art from my friends. I know they work hard and need to
make their money. I am all for it. I know what they go through to create stuff.
I love art and I am always going to love it.
You recently were part of a group show at Viophilia. What was the
experience?
It was awesome. I loved it. It was very diverse with
so many styles and different techniques. I truly enjoyed that. It was a cool
little show. A show like that really shows the art and the creative side of
people. It had a great turnout. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it.
You appreciate diversity of technique. Do you want to experiment with
other media?
I am always trying out new things. I always
experiment. I pick up stuff and see what other people try. As artists we learn
and pick up stuff from other people but always try to do our own thing.
Recently I have been using a lot of clear resin. I like to see what I can do
and I like to add it to my wood pieces to give this nice gloss.
I Am Wynwood - Learn more about this great project!
The I AM WYNWOOD Project, created by Miami Artist Barbara M de Varona in October, 2012, began as an on-going collection of stylized portraits depicting the personalities and artful contributions of people in the Wynwood Art Community. Today, a social media expansion of the original project is headed by Barbara, Miami Artist Buddah Funk and Amy Arce. Through the use of interactive social media platforms - Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr, Twitter and Facebook - the project seeks to engage the participation of the community itself....
Via the use of the #iamwynwood hashtags, people can share their own Wynwood experience, using social media to involve the whole community... Buddah Funk and Amy Arce have joined me in moderating Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr etc... and in this 'collaborative' way I'm more than happy to return to my drawings and finish what I started, proudly...
What: I AM WYNWOOD ‘Share YOUR Wynwood’ Photo Contest
Where: INSTAGRAM - http://instagram.com/iamwynwoodproject
When: Submission of photographs will be accepted throughout the month of August, and the winning photo(s) will be selected in September. Multiple chances to win.
How to Enter: Send your Wynwood photos to: [email protected] or hashtag your INSTAGRAM uploads with #iamwynwood for a chance to win Limited Edition I AM WYNWOOD TM Gear
For Art Basel Miami Beach 2012 I decided to create a series of portraits under the unified title “I am Wynwood.” After the first initial 15 portraits I took a bit of a hiatus from the project. There are actually 50 names in the series that I am going to start and finish. I took the hiatus because I wasn’t saying what I wanted to say as loud as I wanted to say it. That is what got me to stop and pause and get to know the community a bit better and in the process made some really good friends and developed a bigger vision. I really wanted for the community to take that statement of “I Am Wynwood,” and internalize it and make it their own and see themselves in it.
With the help of Buddha Funk and Amy Arce we branched the project out to a social media platform. People can hashtag their photographs and share their Wynwood. So many photographers and people who come through the area focus on the walls, the beautiful murals, which of course are there to be enjoyed but there is more. You go deeper and Wynwood is about community, a sense of belonging. There is an unusual dynamic that, I at least, haven’t found anywhere else. I have an analogy that Wynwood is kind of like a home. It has a very homey feeling. Invariably you run into people the way that you do when you visit your parents and then your cousins show up. Doesn’t this feel like family? I have only been here for three years but when I first got here I just fell in love with the nature of the place.
Through the use of social media we are trying to get everyone, from the person that is serving the beer to the person that is ordering it, to just take that ideal on and embrace it. Sort of the “I love New York” of Wynwood. It is community pride. By hashtagging your photo you join in the collective celebration. We did a little slogan: “ Am Wynwood. Celebrating Wynwood one face, one place at a time.” The concept is that eventually everybody will be sharing their photos and hashtagging.
The reason why we started the contest is that we wanted to get people stoked about saying to themselves “I am Wynwood.” We thought it would be cool to encourage people to share their photographs. Maybe you have some crazy pictures of a night out with your friends or from the last Artwalk and it is a picture of you having a great time. We want you to share it and be part of the “I am Wynwood” project.
Ruler of Life
not a slave, to meet life as a powerful conqueror, and nothing exterior to me shall ever take command of me." Walt Whitman
La virgen del Rocío aparece en los pápeles de Bárcenas
Fuentes cercanas a la Virgen de las Marismas de Doñana afirman que no le constan esta información, salvo algunas cosas. "Son tantas las apariciones", afirma su entorno.
La virgen del Rocío aparece en los pApeles de BÁrcenas
Fuentes consultadas por este medio, afirman que entre los famosos pápeles que probarian la supuesta contabilidad B del PP, la Virgen del Rocío se encuentra involucrada en este escándalo. Según hemos podido saber, dentro de estos pápeles figuran una imagen de la famosísima virgen onubense que el propio Bárcenas había comprado en la Aldea del Rocío en unos de sus muchos viaje hacía su tierra de nacimiento, a recomendación de la actual Ministra de Trabajo y Seguridad Social,
LA NOTICIA PROVOCA MANIFESTACIONES ANTE SU SANTUARIO CON GRITO COMO "MANTENER LA CORRUPCIÓN NO ES UN MILAGRO" y BAJAS "DEVOTAS" EN VARIAS DE SUS HERMANDADES.
Talk with Fashion Photographer - Oriana Layendecker
Faking Courage: the Stolen Valor Act
FAKING COURAGE:
THE STOLEN VALOR ACT
Signed into law by
President Obama on 3 June, the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes it a federal crime for any person to
fraudulently claim, with the intention of obtaining money, property or some
other benefit, that he or she rightfully received any one of various military
decorations.
The Act represents a second bite of the apple by Congress. An earlier Act, the Stolen Valor Act, 2005, was struck down as unconstitutional in 2012 by the US Supreme Court in the Alvarez case.
Under the 2005 Act,
it was an offence merely to assert falsely that one had undertaken military
service or received a military award. Faced with a prosecution under the Act,
Mr Alvarez claimed that the Act was unconstitutional in that it contravened his
First Amendment right to free speech.
A divided (6-3)
Supreme Court agreed with this contention. However, the majority justices could
not agree on a common rationale for their decision and the dissenting judgment
of Justice Alito (joined by Justices Scalia and Thomas) is more coherent and,
in many ways, more impressive.
Alito J. asserted
simply that the Supreme Court has not historically extended First Amendment to
false statements that cause real harm and serve no legitimate interest. In his
view, the 2005 Act was a narrow law enacted to address an important problem and
did not present a threat to freedom of expression.
Not surprisingly the Alvarez decision generated a lot of criticism from veteran organizations. It also
prompted an almost immediate response from President Obama. In a speech to
military veterans delivered at the height of the 2012 presidential campaign, the
President announced that his administration would ‘launch a new website, a living memorial, so the American people can see
who’s been awarded our nation’s highest honors’ – and double-check any
claims that an individual might make in this regard.
The government website
(valor.defense.gov) lists recipients of the three highest awards available to
Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force personnel. The 2013 Act extends to 11
named awards and any replacement/duplicate medals authorised by law.
Regardless of one’s
views as to the merits of the majority judgment in Alvarez, the 2013 Act steps back from making a mere false assertion
an offence. It requires instead that the person making the false assertion (the
liar) must be seeking some form of benefit.
Dr Max Barrett is a practising Irish solicitor. Views expressed in this article are personal.
*Mr Bowen does not endorse the author or contents of this article.
Interview with Miami artist David 'LEBO' Le Batard
I first noticed your work in the form of murals around the city of Miami years ago. How do you feel about all the murals in the city?
What are some things you are working on now?
If you could describe your work as a food by its smell, texture and taste...what would that food be?
Where are your favorite places to go in the world?
You work a lot with brands. How did that happen? Was it planned that way?
Lowest point in your art career was when?
Hightest point in your art career was when?
Can We Please Change Gears? - An Artist Cry for Transition
The group show featured works by striving local artists, who aim to make an impact on the local and international art conversation. Each artist differs in practice, however, all are up and coming Miami-based artists and present a glimpse into the future of the Miami art scene.
Artists like Atomik, Kazilla, Jeff Dekal, Kat King, Ivette Cabrera, Natalia Molina, Chris Valdes, Deming King Harriman and Buddha Funk presented a variety of work focusing on future, a new discourse on Miami and artistic transition. The exhibit featured painting, installation, illustration, video, collage, graffiti and performances by Xela Zaid, Kendall Morgan and newSense from ArtOfficial.
The works collectively explored the trajectory of Miami’s art scene while each piece individually represented a very personal examination of future perspectives and career visions by each artist.
Focused around a theme of innovation first time curator Tesoro Carolina produced an exciting exhibition inspired by the participating young and driven artists as well as by the community-centric concept of multi-artist studio Viophilia.
Opening Reception of "I-95 South" at the Art Center
Prayer
Attributed to the Prophet Muhammad
Look Into Your Heart
Carl Gustav Jung
manhood project
Post title...
The Miami Foundation "Our Miami" Public Space Challenge Launch
More than 400 young professionals, local
change-agents and engaged Miamians filled The Stage Miami for The Miami
Foundation’s Our Miami Project Launch.
The kickoff event, held on Wednesday, July 31, introduced two new
projects: the Public Space Challenge and Match305, a talent retention project. Both
programs are part of the foundation’s Our Miami initiative, which fosters community by building attachment to the city,
developing public spaces and retaining young talent in Miami.
Our
Miami uses research from the foundation’s Our Miami: Soul of the City study
that clearly shows attracting and retaining young, talented and creative people
in Greater Miami will grow the economy faster than other, more traditional
measures of economic development.
“Looking
around the room at all of this young talent, I can’t help but feel optimistic
about Miami’s future,” said foundation President and CEO Javier Alberto Soto
during his remarks. “We are not a place where you have to find your niche within
a sprawling, established city. Planting
your roots in Miami gives you a chance to shape this young, dynamic community. Our role on the global stage depends on your
vision and your contributions to our growth.”
The Miami Foundation developed the Public Space Challenge to
uncover the best ideas for creating and improving local public spaces: parks, libraries, public
buildings, markets, plazas, playgrounds or any place where people can convene
and connect. Anyone can submit ideas. Community experts and professional
placemakers will identify the top ideas; The Miami Foundation will invest
$100,000 to make the ideas become reality. The Health Foundation of South
Florida joined the challenge, adding an additional $20,000 to fund public space
ideas focused on nutritious food access and physical activity.
The Miami Foundation also launched Match305, a talent retention project and Web survey. The online tool measures an individual’s “attachment” to Greater Miami and provides suggestions about how to become more engaged where they live. Results will be made available to community stakeholders to help guide talent retention efforts. The tool is based on research from a Georgetown University study and has been instrumental in reducing year-over-year employee turnover at Fortune 50 companies. Florida International University signed on as a partner in the project, investing $10,000 with Match305 to aid their ongoing local graduate retention work.
The Public Space Challenge will accept ideas through September 19. Anyone in Miami-Dade County can submit a challenge idea or participate in Match305 by visiting ourmiami.org.
About The Miami Foundation:
Established in 1967, The Miami Foundation has helped hundreds of people
create powerful legacies by establishing custom, charitable Funds. More than
$150 million in grants and scholarships has been awarded in the Foundation’s history.
Today, the Foundation stewards more than $160 million in charitable
assets. Through its Our Miami
initiative, the Foundation positions Miami as a premier place for young talent
to live, work, connect and engage. Visit miamifoundation.org and ourmiami.org for more information.
DIANA CONTRERAS
Where are you from?
I grew up in Miami but I was born in Chiclayo, Peru.
What do you love most about Miami?
I love the weather. I like the tropical weather and the beaches. I like the Latin culture. It is different from the rest of the United States.
How much of your Peruvian heritage and culture do you see in your art?
I think a lot of the colors. Especially pink. When you go to Peru, like Machu Picchu and the mountains, you see a lot of the patterns and the clothing the native people wear is hot pink and neon green.
Do you travel to Peru regularly?
I go visit my family but I have never gone to the tourist places so I am going to go next year.
Where else do you want to travel to next?
I have not been to Asia. I want to travel to Japan and China. I want to go all over the world, little by little.
How long have you been painting?
I have been painting since I was in elementary school
How would you describe your style of art?
My art has always been feminine. I like a little bit of fantasy and whimsical details. Frida Kahlo inspired my work. I love how she is able to express emotions. I think my work is very feminine and it touches people’s emotions. I can express emotion very well. I also love fashion. Patterns and clothing and trends inspire my work, too.
Who are your favorite designers?
Betsy Johnson is my favorite. I also like Stella McCartney, Michael Kors and Gwen Stefani.
You started out with gallery work and you have recently done street murals as well. When did you start with the murals?
About a year and a half ago. I have a lot of friends that do graffiti. They pushed me to do art on a wall. The first time I did it was at Cushy Gigs. I did a character there. Inside there are a lot of amazing artists, all women artists like Tatiana Suarez. I am very proud this was my first time I did a character. I like that street art brings happiness to the community. That is how I started loving it. I like to give my art to charities and do things that help others.
Are the women in your paintings and murals based on real people or do they spring from imagination?
I think people. I watch people, sometimes my friends. Unconsciously I draw them or myself. When I draw realistically I use my friends as references or people that I like in magazines.
If you could paint any wall or any building in the world, which would you choose?
I like La Familia Sagrada in Barcelona, Spain. Antoni Gaudi‘s architecture is just beautiful. It is art. It is like Alice in Wonderland. It is so magical.
You previously mentioned you express emotion in your art. Do your paintings and murals reflect your emotion at the time of painting or the imagined emotion of the character?
(laughs) It is usually about me and how I feel. It comes out in my art. It is very hard to hide it. It comes out without me thinking. Sometimes, if it is for a client, if I am feeling mad or sad, I have to make sure that it doesn’t look like that even though that’s how I feel. I adjust it for a client but when it’s for myself I just let it flow.
We have to talk about one of your latest murals, “Queen Isabella.” Tell us a bit more about it please
The story of Queen Isabella is that when Christopher Columbus was coming to America he came to the King to ask for funds for the trip and she was going to pawn her jewels. That is where the story of the pawn show and Isabella came together. The mural is half finished. They want me to do the whole building so I will add more to the story. In the mural Queen Isabella wants to finance her dreams cause when you go to the pawn shop you can trade something for funds to pay for education or travel or business. Out of her hands jewels will come out and maybe images of dreams and the ship of Christopher Columbus. It will go all around the building.
Have you done any murals outside of Miami?
I did a little mural in New York. I wanted to do another one this summer but I was too busy and I am a teacher so I have to start work in two weeks. Usually, in the summer, I love to travel. I want to travel and paint in California and New York and Puerto Rico.
How tall is the Queen?
40 ft
How important and inspiring is the traveling?
I love to travel. I love culture and people. I went to India two years ago. All the colors and the people were so beautiful. I went to school in Italy. All of that really influenced me.
What direction do you want to take with your art? Are you planning to experiment with another medium?
I definitely want to do installation. I am working on an idea with movies and mural making. Film and installation.
In the current group exhibition ay Wyn317 you included paintings inspired by “My little Pony.” Are those paintings based on childhood memories?
Yes that is something that I loved growing up in the 80s. I love “My Little Pony.” It was just something fun I wanted to try. I did a collection of ponies before for a pop art show. I also did ponies in a mural in the Bird Road Art District. It is fun. Two giant “My little Ponies.”
Do you have a fascination with horses in general?
Not really. “My Little Pony” is just cute. I have ridden horses but they can be a little bit scary. When I went to India I wanted to ride everything because they have a lot of animals. I rode a donkey and I rode elephants and I rode a camel. Camels are very tall and it is very wobbly. I liked the elephants the best.
Do you have any upcoming exhibitions?
I have one in Pembroke Pines called “About Face” curated by Jill Slaughter in October. Barbara M De Varona is going to be there, too. It is a group show and it is all about portraits.
Non Violence
inSPIRE - Acoustic Explorations in Composition
This article was edited and posted by me for Designing Sound, where I serve as one of the contributing editors.
"Earlier this year, Quartic Llama was approached by the National Theatre of Scotland to make a game as part of a city-wide trans-media project called other, supporting the theatrical debut of “Let The Right One In”- a contemporary vampire story." - Tom demajo, Co-founder of quartic llama
"In other, the game world is the real world, and the player’s expectations are linked to their experiences in it." -Tom deMajo
WYN317
A Day in Wynwood in July 2013
