Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Local Artist Spotlight: Sergio Garcia

By Laura Seewoester

Sergio Garcia started his career as a graffiti artist as a young kid tagging things and getting caught (like oh so many others). He's come a long way since those days, now with an established career as an airbrush artist and his first solo show, Formal, opening this weekend at Kettle Art. Garcia visited us here at PNHQ to talk about his work and his new show.

Pegasus News: Are you originally from Dallas?

Sergio Garcia: Yep, originally from East Dallas. I grew up in the Lakewood area.

PN: When did your interest in art begin?

SG: I guess when I was younger I always drew in class and stuff like that, but I guess when I really got roped in non stop is when I first started doing graffiti. But I guess when I was younger I would draw on book covers and stuff and I would always do my name kind of graffiti-ish.

PN: How did you get interested in graffiti?

SG: Actually I was under a bridge and I saw two pieces done and at that point I went to the store and got some paint and I did one right next to it. But pre-that, you know, just being a knucklehead kid doing stuff in alleyways.

PN: Have you had any formal training in art or are you self taught?

SG: I am self taught. This is my “formal” training.

PN: Do you do any work besides airbrushing?

SG: Yeah, I do everything. I do airbrushing and pinstriping for a living. I do brushwork and I'm starting to mess with oils as of now so yeah, I do all different kinds of stuff.

PN: The press release mentioned that you have previously been arrested when you were a “knucklehead kid”. How many times have you been arrested as a result of your artistic expression?

SG: Three times, but you know none of those have really ever stuck. I've been pretty fortunate.

PN: You also do the motorcycles and cars, that's your main job correct?

SG: Yeah that's right.

PN: How did you fall into that line of work?

SG: I started doing mural work and I started doing work for a guy named Rick Fairless of Strokers Dallas and while doing that CEO of Ironhorse Jeff Long came in and offered me a job on the spot and I went from painting bikes and from that point on I got a job at Outside Customs and just recently I'm working for myself.

PN: What is the craziest thing somebody has had you put on a motorcycle or a vehicle?

SG: Recently I did a bear dragging a naked woman, I've done leprechaun's and fire with chains. The most serious thing I think I've done is other people's work being brought in and I have to match it to look like someone else's. That's the hardest thing in the world for me. Especially if I have to regress it. That sounds silly, but I could do the Sistine Chapel on a bike easier than I could something that was really bad. That sounds stupid but it's really hard to like match something in really bad taste. It could be a Calvin and Hobbes flippin' somebody off and it's harder for me to do. That sounds weird but it's true.

PN: Tell me a little bit about your show, Formal.

SG: The idea behind Formal is the idea of having a name. Whether it be label, whether it by hype, whether it be to identify something. A lot of times people will do certain things for that name so it's the same with the art world. An artist will have a big name and automatically their stuff's worth a lot of money not depending on what the work is and I think that's silly. That's kind of why I'm doing it like this with brand names, because since I don't really have a name I'm giving people what they want already. A “Formal”. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm calling the game out completely like I hate it. I would love to be a part of it so it's actually like I'm calling it out and celebrating it at the same time, because I would be lying to myself if I said I don't want my stuff to sell for a lot of money. If I was married and my wife wanted Louis Vuitton or Versace I would buy it for her if I could afford it for sure. So I'm not against the whole idea I'm just calling it out.

PN: Everyone is also getting dressed up for the opening reception, what is that all about?

SG: Well I wanted people to be part of it, so the idea was when you dress up you feel a little different, even if you go to the store and get some flowers or something when you're dressed up and standing in line there's something about it, you can't put your finger on it but it's there. So I kind of wanted people to be part of this because Formal is more of an exhibition. I want it to be a theme kind of with substance to it, you know like everyone feel like their involved, for some reason I think that's cool. I don't want it to be like “look at me, look at my art” and it be a boring thing. I want it to be more of a party.

PN: How did you and Frank Campagna cross paths?

SG: I painted the tunnels with Frank and ever since then he didn't know what to think of me, he thought I was a knucklehead kid, and he would always ask me to do something and I'd always come through. He noticed I always had respect among my peers and I think he was the same way and we were both serious about what we did. I'd help him out and it got to a point where he was giving me jobs and he's helped me out a lot. He's helped me out beyond belief so it's only right that we're still friends and still close.

PN: Would you say there are any artists or specific people who have influenced your work?

SG: Yeah, all my friends definitely. People in my crew have always... I guess the idea of graffiti when I started was to always be original and do your own thing. You really strive hard to find that niche that makes you you. Of course you've got some influences from some places, it doesn't just come out of nowhere. Everybody in my crew being that original made me strive really hard to do that. As far as what I'm doing now a lot of it is almost reproducing realistic images so I've just been working a lot on skill. It just comes to “How can make this look just like this?”

As far as artists as influences, there are a lot of artists that I like but due to me being a graffiti artist I try not to embody or rip off their style.

PN: What do you do when a vending machine steals your money?

SG: I just charge it to the game. If it happens twice... My washing machine where I live it gets me a bunch of times and they say you can call and report it... but I never call.

PN: You just suck it up, no kicking or screaming?

SG: Well if something's hanging like a bag of chips I'm gonna get it out but other than that, no.

PN: That's very zen. Would you say that you moon more or get mooned more?

SG: As far as pulling my pants down? I don't really get mooned that much. I don't know.

PN: If you could bring anyone back from the dead and fight them to the death, who would it be?

SG: I don't know about the fight to the death. I'm not that type of person to where I would... if they do live that way then I feel that judgement will come upon them. I don't feel like I have to do that.

Related stories

• Art openings and receptions: June ‘08 (June 4, 2008)
• Week-in-view: World domination edition (Feb. 14, 2008)
• Art openings and receptions, Feb. 15-17 (Feb. 14, 2008)

See more stories in:

• Arts > Fine Arts > Art and Sculpture

Comments

Bill Holston Verified

All of the Kettle events and shows have been outstanding. I can't wait to see this one.

7 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )